Stillanerd Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27 review

Spider-Man and his own private military liberate a country from Norman Osborn, but still makes him one dull freedom fighter.

Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27

“The Osborn Identity, Part Three: A Private War”

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Writer: Dan Slott

Pencils: Stuart Immonen

Inks: Wade von Grawbadger

Colorist: Marte Gracia

Lettering: VC’s Joe Caramagna

Cover: Alex Ross

At the beginning of this comic, we see Spider-Man’s long-time adversary, Norman Osborn, undergoing another round of plastic surgery, a scene very reminiscent of the Joker doing the same thing in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). The result is after so many facial reconstructions to disguise himself like a second-rate Chameleon, Osborn is now horribly disfigured. Yet despite a face having the consistency of melted candle wax, Osborn claims that since he’s no longer insane from the Goblin formula, he’s better than he’s ever been.

Credit: Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, and Marte Gracia (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27

[Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27] reads like the script for a bad G.I. Joe episode. Scratch that. Even bad episodes of G.I. Joe were never this boring.

In a way writer Dan Slott probably didn’t intend, Osborn’s disfigurement makes a perfect metaphor for Amazing Spider-Man’s current state. The current volume of Amazing Spider-Man is so twisted, distorted, deconstructed, and far-removed from what makes Spider-Man Spider-Man, it might as well not be a Spider-Man comic series. If anything, the latest issue reads like the script for a bad G.I. Joe episode. Scratch that. Even bad episodes of G.I. Joe were never this boring.

What makes Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27 all the more disappointing is the ingredients for an exciting, over-the-top, action-packed story are all present. Osborn, along with the Countess Katarina Karkov, has turned the country of Symkaria into a nation-sized munitions factory. Thus, Peter Parker, along with Silver Sable, use Parker Industries’ resources and team with Silver’s Wild Pack to free Symkaria, even though this also violates international law. Even Mockingbird, against Nick Fury’s orders, resigns from S.H.I.E.L.D. to join Spidey’s invasion force.

But Slott also devotes half the comic’s page count setting up this invasion instead of jumping right into the thick of it. Some of this, like the explanation for how Silver is still alive after “Ends of the Earth,” is crucial. But the majority of this build-up, such as the new Wild Pack’s introduction (of which only two of these one-dimensional grunts have any dialogue) comes across as unnecessary padding.

Credit: Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, and Marte Gracia (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27

On the bright side, Stuart Immonen’s art is still top-notch as ever.

Even once the fighting starts, with images of Spider-cycles, Humvees, and jets against waves of Goblin Formula-induced soldiers piloting bat-gliders and Metal Gear Star Wars-style walking tanks, the pacing feels completely bogged down. A supposedly rousing speech by Sable to her fellow Symkarians is anything but. The moment Spidey literally said “achievement unlocked” during the battle, my growing detachment for this story became complete.

Which brings me to this comic’s other major problem: the stakes should be hitting the stratosphere. We’ve got Spider-Man taking the fight to Osborn; the reunion of Spidey and Silver after he’s believed her dead for so long; Silver liberating her country from oppression; Mockingbird placing her friendship with Spidey over duty to S.H.I.E.L.D.; Peter jeopardizing the future of his company; and Osborn ready to launch his “secret weapon”—and not a bit of it feels personal.

Part of this is also due to how Slott characterizes Spider-Man during this issue. Despite being told during previous chapters of “The Osborn Identity” of how desperate Peter was for a “win” in his hunt for Osborn—to the point of being branded a fugitive by S.H.I.E.L.D.—his attitude comes off very nonchalant here. Granted, Spidey makes plenty of his patented bad wisecracks again, but they seem out of place given what Slott has established.

Credit: Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, and Marte Gracia (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27

Also, for someone quick to berate Silver for her ruthlessness last issue, Spidey does some rather celebratory gloating after witnessing Mockingbird send Goblins to their fiery would-be deaths. Oh sure, they conveniently survive, but it’s not like Spidey knows this beforehand. Guess potential love interests get a pass when it comes to his “no killing” rule.

On the bright side, Stuart Immonen’s art is still top-notch as ever. He’s an artist who takes great care in making everything distinctive, including the various Parker Industries spider-vehicles. During the spread showing the inside of the cargo plane where Spidey and Sable fly to Symkaria, I was impressed he took the time to make every one of them look different. This later makes for a great visual contrast when engaged with the assembly-line nature of Osborn’s armaments.

He’s also excels when it comes to delivering the shocks. The sight of Osborn’s face post-surgery, the unmasked Goblin Army solider, and the climatic final page are effective as they are because of the attention he devotes to them. However, I still have qualms when it comes to his crosshatching. The same goes for Wade von Grawbadger’s application of inks. Together, it makes some panels look incomplete despite Marte Gracia’s wonderful coloring.

Moreover, while images like Spider-Man’s army charging into the midst of Goblin soldiers are impressive, they also lack a certain punch. Compared with last issue’s stellar chase sequence, the action looks rather conventional. Rather odd for what’s been built up as a climatic showdown between Peter and Norman.

But that leads us back to Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27’s major flaw. It has the appearance of a Spider-Man story without actually being one. Whose to say you couldn’t substitute Spider-Man, Osborn, and Mockingbird with Iron Man, Black Widow, and Doctor Doom, and wind up with the same results? Or Captain America, Sharon Carter, and Red Skull? Seems Spider-Man is the one having problems settling on an identity.

Stillanerd’s Score: 2 out of 5.

Next: Stillanerd Reviews: Spider-Man/Deadpool #17 review

Stillanerd’s Nerdy Nitpicks (possible spoilers)

Credit: Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, and Marte Gracia (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man vol. 4 #27

Considering Countess Karkov is a woman of apparent Slavic descent, shouldn’t her last name be “Karkova?” Unless Symkaria has different grammatical rules.

“…my spider-instruments of freedom…” I swear, if Spidey also said “And knowing is half the battle…”

If Silver escaped Rhino by stabbing him in the eye, why didn’t the Rhino during Clone Conspiracy have an eye patch? Or at least a scar?

Again, if Silver’s “death” allowed Countess Karkov’s to seize power in Skymkaria, why didn’t Silver reveal she was still alive sooner?

If Fury has evidence of Peter “funding an incursion into a foreign country,” why hasn’t he seized Parker Industries’ assets?

Don’t forget, Spidey. This isn’t the first time you invaded a country, and you did so with Cap and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s blessing. Remember Secret War?

“[Cap, Namor, and the Human Torch] were fighting Nazis.” It was also World War II, Bobbi. Under an official declaration of war and all that.

The time to use your Al Pacino from Scarface impression, Spidey, was during ASM #25. Cause like I said in my Whatever A Spider Can review, Facoquero is basically Tony Montana. With a Lord of the Rings Orc mask.

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