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Amazing Spider-Man #539
Back In Black (Part 1)
Credits
 Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciler: Ron Garney
Inker: Bill Reinhold
Colourist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: Michael O’Connor
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Synopsis
In a rage, Peter bounds out of the room and launches a parked jeep through the air and into the room holding the sniper! He doesn’t kill him but does break his rifle.
Within seconds he has grabbed May and is tearing across the city to the nearest hospital. He is forced to leave her in a room because of his public identity and listens outside the window as the doctors try to save her life!
In prison, Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin) is told that Aunt May was shot. He revels in the fact that Peter is suffering!
MJ meets Peter in Times Square and he tells her to go to May and do everything for her. Meanwhile he is going to do what he does best… he’s going to hurt someone.
On returning to the room the sniper was in, Peter webs up a police officer without hesitation and then finds a clue – the scope from the rifle used last night.
Peter’s determination continues as he tracks down a gun-runner for information about the scope. There is no messing around, no jokes and he violently dispatches a group of gun-runners until the man he needs is standing. He breaks his hand and demands a name and address of the dealer who stock this particular scope.
MJ makes it to the hospital and finds May but she learns a horrifying truth: without a miracle, May is going to die!
Peter swings to an old building and finds something that he put away a long time ago. It gave the wrong message then but it is suitable for his needs now. He dons the black and white costume and continues his mission, determined to find whoever shot May… and kill them!
Highlight
The cover and the jeep launching!
Comments
This is the best issue in quite a while.
At a point where it was all or nothing, after months and months of waiting for something to happen in Amazing Spider-Man, when Peter’s character has been pushed to the limits but the reader’s patience has been pushed along with it… finally it all snaps into place!
The importance of this issue is grand and great in the Marvel scheme of things (Spider-Man 3, Back In Black, Civil War etc) but I want to boil it down to the basics. This is a story about a character who rarely uses his anger and power to their full potential and when he does it should be a violent and focused affair, with one thing in mind; solving the problem and fulfilling the responsibility he failed to fulfil years ago. JMS nails the character and his reaction perfectly this issue. The scenes are quiet and short, getting straight to the point with no frilly introductions or narrative thought. The scene with Peter and the policeman at the motel is a perfect example of this – go back a read it again, the clarity of purpose and mood is awesome. The action scenes are violent to say the least. The gritted teeth and stalking movements of Peter in the darkness (and I have to note Peter not Spider-Man) are dangerous and the swift and direct route he takes to get what he wants is unbecoming of a hero but makes for a stunning turn in character that has certainly grabbed my attention.
So, congratulations JMS this is the motivation this character needed and I think has something to do with the increased control you now have over the title and the events that fill the Spider-Man line of titles.
And on to Ron Garney’s pencils. One word: Phenomenal. Every single panel.
The silent scenes, the physical violence, the emotion and desperation and dark matter that fills these panels could not have been captured better. He uses silhouette with ease, dark shadow and brilliant lightning to create this amazing scene of importance as the costume changes to black and an amazing array of page layout to pound the story off the page and firmly into my head.
And the moment I saw the cover, in all its creepy glory, I was more than impressed. With Garney on covers, and using this pastel/sketchy effect, the main title is reading well, looking good and is wrapped in a piece of art that screams ‘BUY ME! I’M QUALITY!’
So forget the fact that webbing dissolves in an hour (this was a different batch!) and forget that Aunt May’s name is not Fitzgerald (Peter is a bit panicked!). Just enjoy the darn thing!
Rating
Cover – 
Overall –
Reviewed by Adam Rivett
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Ultimate Spider-Man