Whatever a Spider Can’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 review

Amazing Spider-Man #1

Okay, first of all I’ll admit that it’s not easy reviewing a comic book when you haven’t read the storyline defining arc that came before it. Whilst I have caught up on the gist of what happened in Superior Spider-Man I don’t know the nuance’s of the story, the difference in Spider-Man or any of the other things that may set Amazing Spider-Man #1 from Superior Spider-Man.

Nevertheless, as a new reader of comic books I feel that I can offer a fresh perspective on the Amazing Spider-Man comic series as I have no precedent and nothing to compare it to. I also have no prejudices or preconceptions of what to expect or what I like. So, here’s my review of the first issue of Peter Parker’s return to Spider-Man.

First of all it’s a pretty big comic-book, so you definitely get quite a lot of story for your money. However that story isn’t necessary story that you want because as well as seeing Amazing Spider-Man’s first issue we’re also treated to an Electro and Black Cat teaser comic as well introductions to Scarlet Spider, Spider-Man 2099 and Spider-Man: Year One.

Don’t get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Amazing Spider-Man #1 issue from the perspective of an Electro trying to prove something and a Black Cat out for revenge for Doctor Octopus revealing her secret identity as Spider-Man. I also now want to start getting Spider-Man 2099, New Warriors and Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl due to their teasers so I guess as far as Marvel are concerned the job has been done.

Moving onto the reason why everyone bought the comic, the main story,the return of Peter Parker. The first thing I noticed was that the sheer amount of humorous moments and witty Spidey-quips was very high, which is something I believe was absent from the pages of Superior Spider-Man.

You got the real sense that Dan Slott, like Peter Parker wasn’t taking the monumental responsibility they’d inherited too seriously as a naked Peter Parker horrifies civilians whilst taking down the Menagerie, a fairly low-key criminal quartet who had robbed an auction house. Needless to say Peter eases his way back into Spider-Man and takes the four criminals down relatively easily, if not modestly.

So, the issue was a mainly light and comedic reintroduction to Peter Parker with several fun cameos from the likes of the Avengers, Johnny Storm and Mary Jane. However the issue also lays some groundwork for dramatic moments in the future with J.Jonah Jameson being forced to accept his new position of resigned mayor, Electro destroying a prison and the figure of Black Cat looming in the background, as well as Peter Parker’s discovery of ‘his’ relationship with Anna Maria.

Essentially not a lot happened, but we know that a lot is going to happen soon with two major villains both out for Spidey’s blood whilst Peter still isn’t really sure who he is, and what situations Doctor Octopus has got him into to.  However Amazing Spider-Man #1 never truly escapes from the shadow of Superior Spider-Man, I as a completely new reader would have struggled to understand some things had I not read up on the previous Superior series, but I really expect Amazing Spider-Man to come into its own in the next few issues!

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