COMICS!! Review: Spider-Man #643

This review was originally posted on my ComicVine.com account. To see that, and gobs of my other work, click HERE.

Well, I have CERTAINLY missed quite a lot in Spider-Man's world. Mary Jane and him are kaput, nobody seems to remember that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson is mayor of New York, and Doctor Octopus has been reduced to an unrecognizable monstrosity. Okay, I knew most of that from reading wikis of Spider-Man story-arcs (wow... One More Day/Brand New Day is... stupid), but still it was extremely odd to be reading a Spider-Man story that felt both equal parts old and new. It's true, a lot has changed for poor old Pete. However, the more things change... the more they stay the same.

WHAT YEAR IS IT?!

Starting last issue this arc revolves around a baby. Namely, the baby of Menace and the original Green Goblin, Norman Osborn. With two Goblins as the baby's parents, this kid is poised to be pretty powerful. Doctor Octopus, mad scientist that he is, is hoping to take the baby for his own uses. Ya see, Doc Ock has seen better days and is hoping this baby holds some secret to preserving his fading mortality. Luckily he has a bunch of Spider-Man villains willing to accept a theoretical pay-day in exchange for their kidnapping the child. With them hot on the trail, Spidey gets caught up in this super villain donny-brook and ends up appointed surrogate mommy to the new-born babe. Now Spider-Man is on the run from his entire rogues gallery, the NYPD, and just about every other person in New York as he tries to find safe haven for his infantile friend.

If this story sounds a little goofy, that's only because it is. This is classic Spider-Man action with an emphasis on CLASSIC. There's something of an aged feel to the story itself; even if this is a modern Spidey story, you wouldn't know it. This works both for and against the book because on the one hand, we have an ageless story about the web-slinger down on his luck and once again swept into a whirlwind conflict that he has no business being in. On the other, we don't really have the growth or attachment of the years of Spider-Man stories that preceded this. It's as if Spider-Man has been completely rebooted. I know that's what the point of all the latest Spidey storylines was... but it is a bit jarring to just think about Spider-Man being broke, single, and not public in the year 2010.

WITH GREAT WRITING...

Luckily, some of this is alleviated by great writing from Mark Waid. He gets Spider-Man humor and puts it into great effect in what is essentially an action-centric issue. Nothing ever seems forced and it makes the interaction between characters (especially between Spidey and the two villains, Sandman and Electro, he goes up against) just seem fluid and organic. However, it's still difficult to see this story adding up to little more than a long chase sequence after the last two books. That's certainly a little disappointing, but Waid has managed to make it fun to read thus far.

COMES GREAT ART

The art is likely to be something polarizing in this series. Paul Azaceta has such a strangely retro style that it may take some time to get used to for those unacquainted. However, I personally really enjoyed it, especially the way he drew Spider-Man. The smaller-eyed, less-muscular Spidey he draws looks great and his action sequences are well-rendered. I swear, each panel looks like some weird 1950s illustration and, apart from some oddly drawn secondary characters, Azaceta's pencils are the best kind of "different" you can get in comics.

AND THE FINAL SCORE IS...

Overall, this looks like it's going to be a series that's easy to like, but difficult to really love. It's hard to picture this simple chase story-line branching out into something truly memorable, but it's also been an extremely fun read so far. I'd say the inherent problems in what is going on in Spidey's world are definitely distracting, but that doesn't trump good writing and good art. If you're a Spidey fan, you're already reading this book, but if you want a fun and light book featuring the wall-crawler, then pick up #643 (and #642).

3.5 stars out of 5