These days, I get my Spider-Man fix from Ultimate Spider-Man, but I can't deny that there are elements to like in Straczynski's Amazing either. I'm not just talking about the gorgeous Romita Jr./Hanna artwork, although that is a pretty big part of the draw. No, I'm also talking about Straczynski's ideas for new villains, which I've generally liked, and the way he gives the book a sense of humor, which to me seems as crucial to a good Spider-Man book as the ability to handle the more tragic, responsible side of the character. Sometimes that sense of humor gets to be more obnoxious or silly than funny, but when it works, the book is a lot of fun to read, and one of the few classic style super-hero books Marvel produces.
This is the conclusion of the current story arc, which has found Spider-Man working with a mobster to protect him from a monster. That monster, a collection of corpses animated by gamma radiation, is a pretty good new villain, based on a neat high concept and a little rubbery science, with a personality that makes him likable despite his obvious villainous nature. And though Straczynski veers close to overusing the "strong as the Hulk" description, it does give an effective shortcut idea of the danger the villain presents.
In fact, the central storyline here, revolving around this villain and his desire to take revenge on a mobster, has been what I really liked about this arc, and that's the focus of this issue. I'm not quite sure about Spider-Man taking money from a mobster, but given his tendencies to work for Silver Sable during the 90s, or the poignant use he makes of the money at the end, it seems close enough to in-character to work, and the way Spidey deals with his boss is a pretty good indication that he knows what's right and wrong even if taking money from a mob guy is a little close to the wrong side of the ledge.
Where the story has been weak for me is in the character moments, the supporting cast. I like the idea of Spidey having a police contact, especially when their relationship is one of pranks and friendly nagging, something like the Human Torch-Thing relationship. I'm also immensely glad that Peter and Mary Jane are back together, and that Straczynski is taking the novel approach of presenting them as a couple that doesn't bicker constantly for cheap theatrical value. It's just that sometimes the dialogue that is meant to be humorous or character-building between Peter and these supporting characters veers into the "so cutesy you want to puke" territory, and it kicks me right out of the story when it happens.
Fortunately, those moments are few and far between in this issue. Instead, what we get a lot of is stuff that I like. Peter using his science and smarts and powers to bring the bad guys down, all depicted by John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna. Romita's design of the villain, with a sort of lanky, rough look, combines the interesting visual elements of a mob enforcer and the Hulk, the two big components of the villain. And as he demonstrated so effectively on Straczynski's first arc, Romita Jr. is very much up to the task of a big slugfest, complete with collateral damage, crushing blows, dodging and all the other stuff that makes for an exciting fight.
