12:42 PM
Brad
Plot Overview: The issue begins with a recap of Spider-Man defeating the Vulture back in Amazing Spider-Man #2. The scene shifts to the Vulture in prison where he's become a model prisoner. He sneaks parts out of the machine shop and builds a makeshift flight suit to escape prison.
Peter Parker is playing volleyball at school when he hears a radio bulletin about the Vulture's escape. He fakes a headache to be excused from class. Peter sneaks home and becomes Spider-Man. Meanwhile the Vulture is flying through town in his new suit. He evades a police helicopter and robs a jewelry store. He then flies low over the crowd so the police won't fire on him.
The Vulture spots Spider-Man and decides to trick him. He's fixed the flaw in his suit and Spider-Man's device will no longer short out his suit. He approaches Spider-Man and then pretends to fall when Spider-Man uses his device. The Vulture then ambushes him and pummels him in mid air. Spider-Man falls onto a roof and the Vulture thinks that he's dead and flies off.
Spider-Man gets up and realizes that he's sprained his arm really badly. He tells Aunt May that he sprained it in a volley ball game to cover up his Spider-Man activities. Meanwhile, the victorious Vulture plans to rob the payoll from the Daily Bugle.
Peter Parker is trying to sell some pictures of the Vulture when the Vulture breaks in and holds up JJJ for money. JJJ pleads with the Vulture not to take the money as Peter slips off to become Spider-Man. He uses his webbing to secure his injured arm and wonders if he can beat the Vulture with one hand. Spider-Man chases the Vulture through the offices of the Bugle while the Vulture tries to find an open window.
He finally manages to escape and Spider-Man lets the Vulture grab him. The Vulture threatens to drop Spider-Man and gloats about his victory. At that moment, Spider-Man webs up his wings and then creates a parachute that brings him safely to the ground. Spider-Man stops in at the Bugle and JJJ says he's holding Spider-Man accountable for the damages. Spider-Man webs his mouth shut before becoming Peter Parker again.
Parker finds Betty Brant in the ruined offices and they share some quality time together as the issue comes to a close.
My Take: Really good issue this time out for Amazing Spider-Man. They really allowed the Vulture to show some personality as a villain. It was still your typical generic villain fare but he had some motivation throughout the story and his reactions to JJJ's pleadings at the Bugle were really well done. The end chase scene was really good and had some nice suspense to it. Injuring Spider-Man and then making him deal with it was a really novel idea to me for this issue. It's another example of Spider-Man winning when he has no business winning.
This was a really fun story from start to finish. You have the usual Peter Parker stuff on top of one of his classic super villains. I was at page 18 and I was stunned that the book was done already. That's a rarity for even good Silver Age stories at times. You also got a little development with the Peter Parker/Betty Brant relationship. They've been teasing it for a few issues and it feels like it will actually move towards them being an item. I like seeing some progression with the characters vs. some of the other books that Marvel is putting out right now.
The art on this was pretty good as usual. My only real complaint here is that the Vulture looked a little wonky at times. That's pretty normal for Vulture art though. Aside from that, I thought the art was really good on this issue. Peter Parker's art really had a lot of personality in this issue. He seemed like less of a generic nerd this time around. The other characters seemed to have a more refined look to them as well.
I give this **** out of *****.
Notes: There was nothing of note in this issue.
Next Issue: Journey Into Mystery #99
Posted in: Amazing Spider-Man,Aunt May,Betty Brant,Flash Thompson,J. Jonah Jameson,Liz Allan,Spider-Man,Vulture
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