Amazing Spider-Man has reached a huge milestone this week with its 900th issue, so you know Marvel is going all out. It’s also Spidey’s 60th anniversary this year, and it’s quite clear from the teasers that Spider-Man’s villains are celebrating too. Six of them, to be exact – but what of the strange adaptoid attacking him on Ed McGuinness’ cover? Let’s dig into it!
Running 86 pages long at $9.99, Amazing Spider-Man #6 is a pretty good milestone issue with plenty of action-packed enjoyment. Contained within is one lengthy main story by Zeb Wells and Ed McGuinness with three backup adventures: “Better Late Than Never” by Daniel Kibblesmith and David Lopez, “Sidey Meets Jimmy” by Jeff Loveness and Todd Nauck, and “Save the Date” by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin. Don’t worry too much about the higher price tag – there’s plenty here to sink your teeth into.
Starting with the main story, I can’t get over how good McGuinness’ art is as it pops and leans into the splashy full-page spreads. He inks and is joined by three inkers, and there are also three color artists too. That is a lot of collaboration, which is usually noticeable in books, but everyone brought their A-game. This book is gorgeously rendered and has some of the most poster-worthy panels and pages you’ve seen in Spider-Man in years. There’s also great acting from Spidey and his foes which sell the comedic elements well. You couldn’t ask for a Spider-Man milestone book to look any better.
As for the story, it’s fairly interesting, although it sidelines the ongoing story for a fun side adventure with plenty of action. Wells expertly sets up the main villain at the start and infuses the story with plenty of Parker Luck to ruin his day. Much of this story is hellbent on delivering action, but it does end with a happy moment and a poignant one too.
Villains need to know!
Credit: Marvel
The general gist of the story is that Doc Ock’s arms seek out Spider-Man to aid their kidnapped master. Along the way, Spider-Man must fight not just the Sinister Six, but an amalgam of them too. We also learn Doc Ock’s arms are sentient, which adds another surprise to the narrative. Wells builds on a story involving one of Spidey’s first villains, which satisfies those with expectations for the milestone story to deliver some payoff to longtime fans.
Following the main story is Daniel Kibblesmith and David Lopez’s “Better Late Than Never.” Spidey has to return books at the library, and Kibblesmith cleverly ties each title to some kind of Spider-Man adventure that requires him to take out the book. It’s a five-page story, but it has a lot of charm with a very well-animated Peter Parker rendered by Lopez.
Next up is Jeff Loveness and Todd Nauck’s “Spidey Meets Jimmy” story. The Jimmy in question is Jimmy Kimmel, and both creators have them go on a short adventure, with Spidey ending up on his show by the end. Some might remember Loveness wrote a Miles Morales story that had him ending up on SNL, and this story has a similar feel. It’s only four pages long, but Nauck captures the likeness of Kimmel well, and it’s a bubblegum sort of tale. I’ll give it to Loveness for a good Mysterio joke.
Wrapping up this issue is Dan Slott and Marcos Martin’s two-page story “Save the Date.” It’s a double-page layout tale, with panels on the left and right detailing a potential date setup on the left, then it all failing badly on the right. Spider-Man has the worst luck, but at least he has Aunt May!
It’s a big year for Spider-Man, and Marvel has done him a solid with this fun and lengthy milestone issue. It’s hard to believe the character has reached 900 issues, but once you put this book down, you’ll be daydreaming about what Marvel could be planning with only 100 issues until the groundbreaking 1,000th issue.
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