Entry tags:

char: spider-man/peter parker, creator: dan slott, creator: stefano caselli, publisher: marvel comics, title: amazing spider-man

First, we get an example of the bad. In the beginning of this issue, Spidey goes up against a villain named Equinox, who has the powers of both Iceman and the Human Torch. Since he couldn't come up with web formula specifically designed to stop Equinox in time, Spidey decided to "[borrow] a few tricks from someone else's bag." And just who was that someone else?





Gwen Stacy would approve, I'm sure.

However, when Spidey helps to rush a firefighter to the hospital who had one of his feet broken off as a result of Equinox's freezing powers, we get one of the rarest of scenes in superhero comics: how a costumed hero's high-tech gadgets could actually change the real world:



Okay, it begs the question as to why Peter can't make his web-shooters have practical, real-world applications like all the other stuff he's made for Horizon Labs (not to mention make a certain super genius with elastic powers who heads "the world's greatest superhero team" even more "useless"). However, I do think Slott does a commendable job in actually showing how Peter's Spider-Man inspired inventions actually start to make the world a better place beyond just him fighting crime. What's more, it makes for a nice juxtaposition in Peter believing he's finally making a difference as Peter Parker instead of taking pictures, only to have J. Jonah Jameson, moments later, J. arrives at Horizon Labs and threaten legal action to shut the place down, thus putting Peter new-found success in jeopardy.

But then, Doc Ock sets in motion his "final master plan" towards the end of the issue (which is quite brilliant, by the way), and at last we get to see what Peter has come up in order to prepare himself for his eventual battle with the Sinister Six. And the end result of all that hard work and preparation is this:





Because that's EXACTLY what Spidey really needed all this time: bulky shoulder pads and wrist-mounted laser beams!

All that being said, the issue overall is still quite enjoyable and a good start to the "Ends of the Earth" storyline.