ASM 80 Review and Spoilers!!!

[Pav]

Today, friends, we are blessed with TWO COMICS starring Benjamin J. Reilly. Whoever could've thunk it?!

Let's talk a little about the Amazing issue, and why it maybe wasn't as amazing as some of us might've hoped for.

For me, there were two main problems: 1) the best part of the comic was the preview; and 2) the story doesn't seem to be progressing.

We start right where last issue leaves off, with Ben drugged by Kraven. The interaction between them is interesting, and yet it feels like it's missing something -- some rationale for WHY Kraven cares so much about helping Spidey "look into the abyss." Is it just about Spidey being "corporate?" Would Kraven still be doing this if it were Peter under the mask? And maybe I've forgotten something, but how would Kraven even know that Spider-Man has gone corporate? I don't recall Ben ever advertising; but maybe somebody can remind me if I'm forgetting a story beat. Nevertheless, I get wanting to use Kraven in this story; but within the story itself, I'm kind of at a loss as to why Kraven cares at all. IMPORTANT: We can't forget that Kraven was hunting Ben and Janine. Is there more going on under the surface than we've been lead to believe?

I do like the way Kraven looks from Ben's drugged mind. Very cool.

The most interesting part of the issue is Ben referring to himself as Peter, and then slipping into the "I'm not a real person" sort of thinking that plagued him in the past. I think it's incredibly realistic that Ben, deep down, would still consider himself to be Peter -- perhaps similarly to someone in witness protection, who may never internally address themselves by their new, government-given name.

But again -- we get Kraven's narration and it seems as though he's somehow aware of Ben's "epiphany." Or is he just talking out of his ass? Nevertheless, when Ben is thinking about being "a rough sketch of greater men," we get the art of faceless characters again. I think there's gotta be something here regarding why Beyond wants Ben: this whole "facelessness" thing implies loss of individual identity, and so perhaps Ben is who they want because they believe they can manipulate him into losing any individual identity he has.

Anyway, Kraven essentially defeats Ben, takes him somewhere, patches him up, and then leaves him be. Ben wakes up and three Beyond employees are there. One of the guys has pills to help Ben, and Kraven says that Spidey has "found his offering." Why Kraven killed some Beyond employees but not these three isn't made clear. Kraven continues to lecture Ben about the soul of man being destroyed by modern corporate culture. As far as I can tell, it seems like Kraven doesn't realize that Ben isn't Peter, because the drugs made Ben consider his cloneliness, not corporate ugliness. Perhaps any "insight" Kraven has is merely coincidence.

Ben defeats Kraven and heads back to Beyond. Marcus gets a decent amount of time in the spotlight and is portrayed sympathetically, espcially when dealing with Maxine Danger, who is ready for Beyond to stop Miles Morales from continuing as Spider-Man!!!

Oh, and Aunt May meets up with Doc Ock to help save Peter!

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So, I will say I enjoyed the issue better on the second read-through. Much of the story was confusing at first, but made more sense when I read it for this post. Still, I feel like the story isn't really going anywhere. Like, why Morbius and Kraven? Do they actually, secretly, have something to do with Beyond? Or is their inclusion essentially random, left to the whims of the writer with no real connection to or bearing on the Beyond subplot?

Maybe we'll find out there's more than meets the eye; regardless, I wish the story had more momentum at the moment.

Still, I didn't hate the issue. I enjoyed it, especially that second time around. Still, my disappointments with the issue exist. One can only hope that the inclusion of Ock into the story means the plot will be moving forward quite soon.

-Pav, who noticed that Ock is sweating when he agrees to help Peter for May...