Amazing Spider-Man #686
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Stefano Caselli, Frank Martin Jr. [Color Art]
[SIMPERIN’ SPOILER ALERT: Reading this rollicking review might spoil certain exciting elements of this book’s pulse-pounding plot for you, oh consummate Comic Vault reader! You’ve been warned!]
An entire hemisphere of Earth, including Silver Sable’s native Symkaria, has been destroyed at the hands of Doctor Octopus!
Or has it?
Given the ending to Amazing Spider-Man #685, one might think that Spider-Man, Silver Sable, and the Black Widow had failed in their bid to prevent Octavius from destroying the world once and for all in his final dastardly deed before death. However, one might think wrong–especially given that two of the other members of the Sinister Six still remaining at that point were well-versed in illusion. Longtime Spidey fans could probably see where this was going, but it would be a crime not to use such a scenario with Mysterio and Chameleon both on the same team.
That said, as Spidey and Co. continue to disrupt Otto’s dying wish, both sides begin finding that they are victims of wavering allegiances.
Again, Dan Slott provides an issue that stands up not just to the rest of the arc, but to the classics, as well. While one of the big allegiance shifts here was a no-brainer following the orbital octobot crisis from Amazing Spider-Man #680-681 (plus the cover to #687), the other was a total surprise.
It’s also been nice to see Spider-Man written in a team role as a leader as opposed to comic relief, and the way Pete asserts himself in this arc has been phenomenal. That’s not to say the old Peter Parker neuroses aren’t there, though. It will be interesting to see the aftermath of Spider-Man having realized that Doc Ock’s tech has been supplemented by technology he developed as Peter Parker for Horizon Labs–especially if that connection is made by Horizon, as well.
The rotating art on this story has also surprisingly not been as jarring as one would expect. Stefano Caselli returns for the last two issues of the arc after getting a two-issue break from Humberto Ramos, but the switch barely registered to me either time. Sure, Caselli’s art veers more toward the realistic than Ramos’ more animated style, but both artists have grown on me to the point that I’m glad to see either on a story.
If you’re a spider-fan and you haven’t been keeping up, you’re missing out.
RATING: EXCELSIOR!
