US Shipping Date: July 27th, 2005

Previous Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #521 Next Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #523

Previously…
Having joined the New Avengers, Peter, MJ and May are settling into their new home in Stark Tower. Meanwhile, HYDRA begins a new dawn of power. The New Avengers come under attack by a set of HYDRA-Avengers that have been genetically born to resemble Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Hawkeye. The attacks merely act as a diversion however, as Spidey later discovers that several missile have been stolen from the dock. He investigates this around the same time that MJ appears in her plays opening night. At the after show party his spider-sense goes off and he ends up following Edgar Lascombe home where he discovers a HYDRA threat. Inside, Lascombe descends into a hidden HYDRA lair and a plan to poison eight states is revealed. As MJ makes her own way home, she is photographed entering Stark Tower. The following morning the paper announces a MJ/Tony Stark affair!

Synopsis
Robbie Robertson wakes Peter up with the bad news of MJ alleged affair. He confronts MJ and tells her that it is ok. Before Peter goes off to drop a brick on the reporter, Tony Stark informs Peter that he needs to go to Lascombe’s to investigate the HYDRA threat again. Whilst this happens, Jarvis and May move closer together. On the balcony of Lascombe’s apartment, Peter manages to plant a Spider-tracer on Lascombe as he goes into inside, but nearly slips off the ledge he is stuck to. The Spider-tracer moves down so Spidey goes in through the window to investigate. He finds a HYDRA uniform and a secret rocky staircase. All the while he talks to himself, realising that his brain ‘started getting a little funny’ when he got dizzy and slipped. Peter puts the HYDRA uniform on, calls Tony Stark to tell him what is going on and descends to the HYDRA lair. He discovers their plan and then (having changed into his Spidey costume) saves a HYDRA member when he is threatened with execution. The entire army opens fire and Spidey, with the HYDRA guy, looks to escape but runs through the Experimental Genetics Testing Room and into HYDRA’s Avengers; Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Hawkeye!

Highlight
Hinting at The Other arc.

Comments
Yet another solid outing from both Straczynski and Deodato this issue, as the plot develops at a fair pace and we get some interesting hints of things to come.

As Peter unravels the plot we learn a lot more of the details of HYDRA’s plan whilst utilising one of the things that made Spider-Man great – the thought bubbles. It is these that Straczynski uses to drop several hints for the future of the Spider-Man comics (and if you know nothing about the 12-part The Other story coming up in October then you live in a hole and need to find out some more!) to great affect. The panels often seem a little full of these bubbles but they gain relevance to Spidey’s actions and thought processes if you read them closer a few times, the repetition “Stop that.” is worrying and strange, not just funny.

The little Wolverine joke at the start is funny and the relationship between the two seems quite a good tense-yet-funny double-team. A problem I have is that the relationship between Aunt May and Jarvis seems to be moving way too fast. It is sweet, and reasonably interesting, but has sprung from no-where in four issues flat. Sorry, just not realistic.

The one little pick I have is on the visual side. Deodato produces a solid issue, yet that is all it is. There are flashes of brilliance, the final page and the very JRJR scene in which Spidey looks around the room holding the HYDRA costume, but they are only flashes. The impact of the underground lair, that takes up a valuable two page spread, is pretty much non-existent. When there are artists out there that can provide eight times more detail (Finch, Hitch, Harris, McNiven) Deodato can fall a little flat. I have to blame the inks for this as well though, as Tom Palmer’s pages pale in comparison to Joe Pimentel’s. Just compare the line work of the two; Palmer really does put a damper on Deodato’s work.

The cover is ok. But just that. It has absolutely nothing to do with the internals, something I hate, and does not come close to the covers Deodato has produced for the last three months. I am not a fan of Kaare Andrews (Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One) but am looking forward to the Dodson and Harris covers coming up.

Rating
Cover – 2 / 5
Overall – 4 / 5

Reviewed by Adam Rivett

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Previous Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #521 Next Issue: Amazing Spider-Man #523