Welcome to another Amazing Spider-Man review. Today we’re taking a look at “New Ways To Die” part 5. Please comment.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #572
“Easy Targets” (Part 5 of “New Ways To Die”)
WRITER: Dan Slott
PENCILS: John Romita Jr.
INKS: Klaus Janson
COLORS: Dean White
PLOT:
It turns out the escaped sweatshop workers endured medical experiments at the hands of Norman Osborn, who has taken to creating new pharmaceuticals with the captive villain Freak’s adaptive powers. Norman injects Freak with Anti-Venom’s human-alien hybrid antibodies and harvests the potent toxin Freak secretes as a counter measure.
Norman returns home to find his secret Goblin locker raided, and, assuming his son did it, scolds Harry over the telephone. Right then, Bullseye and some Thunderbolt goons following the camera-honing device in Spider-Man’s suit attack the Coffee Bean. Spider-sense tingles, the others get away, and Pete slips on his tights. With the cape-killers armed with homing bullets, the fight goes against our hero until Anti-Venom decloaks and tells him about the tracking device. Spider-Man tears the doodad off and sticks it to Bullseye, causing the next volley of bullets to riddle him.
Norman, now fully dressed as the Green Goblin, arrives at the Oscorp building with gifts for Mac Gargan. First, Gobby cures Mac of the Anti-Venom antibodies killing his symbiote with a dose of Freak’s toxin. Also, since the symbiote needs protection while it heals, the Goblin gives Mac a modified version of his Scorpion armor to wear on top of the Venom suit.
THOUGHTS:
Dan Slott has built Bullseye up as someone so psychotic and unstoppable that the Green Goblin himself locked him in a chair only to be released in an emergency. Anyone who took that as reason to expect an epic battle for the ages when that emergency arrived surely came out disappointed with the brief, simple affair the battle became. I love the bit with Bullseye throwing a spider-tracer like a projectile, and the way the bout ends, but Slott could have gone so much further in exploring this fight’s potential for creative action. Especially after all the set-up and foreshadowing dedicated to that scene, that it didn’t draw out longer let me down more than anything else from this arc.
I sort of dig the use of Freak here. As a character, he has zero depth, but his power set lends itself to innovative uses, of which creating this poison was one.
There’s not much left to say about Part 5, since the issue doesn’t do much else besides reveal the new Scorpion, who looks like something out of fan fiction. I could make this review longer by repeating my still-applicable points from the past few months, about how none of the subplots seem headed toward resolution or how the interactions between characters like Norman and Harry have no meaning to an audience not privy to what they remember about each other, but I don’t like writing the same basic thing week after week. I guess that’s why I’ll never be a Brand New Day writer.
FAVORITE QUOTE: “HA HA HA! Small world. Bullseye, you have permission to make it smaller.”
RATING:
2.5 webheads out of 5.
REVIEWED BY: CrazyChris
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Well that’s it for me. Now that John Jr is off the book again, it’s time for me to take my leave too. It grieves me to say that after reading Amazing Spidey for thirty years, the book no longer has anything to offer. It’s sad that Marvel can treat their flagship character in such a shoddy way. I don’t know if I’m wrong, but apparently BND is bringing in new readers, which is I guess what Marvel wanted. But I’m afraid they forgot us old Spidey die hards, who have been through thick and thin with Mr Parker over the years. I thought I’d seen the worst it could get in the nineties, with the clone saga. Funny thing is…..I was wrong.
I truly hope that one day I can return to this book, and to the character that, to me, defines the term “superhero.” But I have a feeling that time is a long way off.
FSUSpiderfan, I agree that Bullseye is the kind of villain where one slip up and his opponent is toast in an instant, but I don’t think that’s a reason for a writer to give us a fight less spectacular than the buildup promised. How many scenes throughout this issue have been dedicated to showing Bullseye locked in his chair all ominusly? If you combine that with the space dedicated to Norman explaining the camera tracer at the end of 571 and AGAIN in 572, you have the most foreshadowed fight of the arc and arguably the year. Making it over after a few pages is extremely anti-climactic. Bullseye has perfect aim, but Spider-Man has the speed, agility and precognition to counter that. Bullseye, on the other hand, has an army backing him. This should have been a fight that taxed both contenders to their limits. I didn’t feel that.
Should be retitled “Neutered Ways to Die”. Crazychris is 100% right on the tension between Harry and Norman having not much impact. Having this information missing is critical for the fans to truly enjoy that sequence. Hoping that this can be fixed somehow, but not expecting it. Too bad because having JR JR back is a really nice addition…
it is very funny to see that “Brand New” day offers nothing new to long-time spider-man fans.
we have seen much better spidey stories like this one before
Nope… still boycotting BND… and enjoying Chris’ reviews…
I think the fact that the battle had to be short, emphasizes Bullseye’s deadly aspect. If Spidey hadn’t done something quick Bullseye might have gotten a clean shot and killed him. I did like seeing Freak used as a lab rat, which is about all he is good for at this point.
Sorry to hear that you aren’t eligible to write BND stories! 😉 Keep `em coming, Chris!