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Amazing Spider-Man #561
Peter Parker, Paparazzi Part Three – Photo Finished
Credits
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Marcos Martin
Colors: Javier Rodriguez
Letters: VC’s Cory Petit
Asst. Editor: Tom Brennan
Overexposed: Stephen Wacker
Executive Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Spidey’s Braintrust: Gale, Guggenheim, Slott & Wells
Synopsis
Some time ago: Piper Dali was obsessed with Bobby Carr. Then she was accidentally caught in her father’s experimental dimensional compressor and turned paper thin! Realising she could get close to him she fled her parents house… and became Paper Doll!
Now: She heads for Carr’s house in the Hamptons where his mystery girl, Mary Jane, is enjoying a romantic evening. Outside, Spider-Man tries to take photos of the mystery girl as he reasons why he is here…
Yesterday: Angry at Bennett’s pursuit of Carr, Joe Robertson quits! Peter is given orders to go to snap Carr’s mystery girl and earn a $2 million pay out!
Back to now and Spidey sees a flash of blue and, leaving his camera on automatic, he races after Paper Doll! Inside the house, MJ tells Carr that she has kept their relationship a secret from her friends and family. Paper Doll appears and attacks MJ! She runs to a panic room as Carr pulls Paper Doll off her. Paper Doll is confused, believing that Carr thinks they should be together too! Suddenly, Spidey arrives and Paper Doll chases after him!
From the panic room, MJ can see all of the action via CCTV and gets on the microphone to help Spidey avoid Paper Doll’s attacks! She drops a hint that she knows him and admits that they have met… in another life.
Spidey gets distracted and Paper Doll wraps herself around his arm and compresses it! Fighting through the pain and desperate to stop her, he remembers something Carlie said! He realises her speech is short, she gasps for breath and thus her lungs must be compressed as well! He grabs Paper Doll and, under Carr’s direction, charges her into his pool! She escapes him by inflating herself back to her normal shape as Piper Dali and floats to the surface. She is met by Carr… who knocks her out! Spidey webs her up using a gooey setting and, with his arm gradually turning back to normal, heads off the premises. As he does, MJ touches the screen with him on and thinks that they made a good team… in another life…
The following day Peter gives Bennett a choice. He has not looked at the photos from last night but refuses to sell him the ones of Carr (as he now values his privacy). Bennett refuses that so Peter snaps the memory stick. With that Peter is fired and now at the top of Bennett’s list!
With the help of Aunt May, Carlie, Betty, Joe and Lily, Peter moves into Vin’s apartment. Harry arrives and forgives Peter, especially now that he is not a paparazzo. Peter pays Harry his money back and all is well!
At the airport, MJ considers phoning Peter. A fan approaches and asks for an autograph. Her name…? Sara Ehret!
Highlight
Peter stands up to DB!
Comments
Although not quite as strong as last issue, if you focus on the interactions between MJ and Spider-Man there are some very clever pieces of dialogue and some signs of things to come. The page where MJ watches Spidey bouncing around the villa not only looks great (will get to Marcos Martin in a minute!) but reads incredibly well and takes into account the natural relationship that these two characters have. There is definite implication that MJ knows who Spider-Man, or that they have had a relationship and the sad shot of her eyes (coupled with the brief hint she gives Spidey when he leaves at the end) leans us back towards thinking about how things ended and what she actually said to Mephisto as part of the deal. This is Slott teasing the best out of One More Day and writing a solid portrayal of MJ.
Moving on to the subject of Jackpot, I like that MJ is not the obvious identity (although don’t rule out a twist there) but now I want to know about what Jackpot and Sara are actually like.
You may think that my choice to focus on the things that will happen in the future means that things in the present aren’t tied up. The Paper Doll and Bobby Carr plot is finished off pretty nicely. Slott works in a clever scene at the start that gives enough away about Paper Doll’s creation and then drops in new revelations about her powers throughout. That she compresses Spidey’s arm is a sweet little touch that offers some neat visuals and the way Spidey uses his brain to target her weakness is a clear nod to thought-out storytelling. The only minor criticism is that Peter learning his lesson of Carr is a little too straightforward and that Peter avoiding MJ (and not being able to hear her properly because of the dodgy sound system) is a little farcical at times.
Before rounding off, I wanted to mention the subplot that has come about having Peter quit the DB! To start, he’s now looking for employment again. Secondly, the writers have got to think carefully about how they are going to keep The DB! fresh and relevant in everyone’s mind if Peter and Joe don’t work there any more. Finally, Peter has an enemy. The short, detailed rant Bennett gives Peter has more resonance than any rant a villain has given in ages! Bennett means business and I look forward to seeing where this goes…!
Martin manages to maintain his visual prowess throughout this issue and shows some consistently clear, crisp and elegant pencils laced with speed and power. I know Paper Doll is a new villain, but I now can’t picture her any other way and truly feel that his benchmark will be impossible to beat. She looks so fluid in her body positions but maintains the human expression and dark sense of despair and madness necessary to make the character distinctive from Mr Fantastic. He continues to draw a killer MJ and I love every single layout. He is a strong storyteller and mixes the right amount of detail, impact and attention to each panel to memorable affect. I’m impressed and haven’t enjoyed a new artist as much in a long time.
As an arc I have enjoyed this and Slott has definitely established himself as the one to match in the Spidey Braintrust. His villain was unique, he took Peter to a place we’ve not seen him before and developed the MJ, DB!, JJJ and apartment plots as well with ease.
Rating
Cover –  
Overall –
Arc Overall - 
Reviewed by Adam Rivett
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Ultimate Spider-Man