AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #614 REVIEW

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN # 614

Writer: Mark Waid

Penciler: Paul Azaceta

Inker: Paul Azaceta

Story Title: Power to the People Part 3

Plot

Electro makes the news. Spider-Man has an idea. Spider-Man vs. Electro: Final Round. Fall of the Bugle.

The Commentary

This issue was a bit like the first part of a roller coaster for me; it took a while for me to get into it but once I hit the top I really dug the ride down.

(Actually that’s a bit of a lie. I HATE roller coasters. Always have. The analogy seemed to work, though.)

I am happy to write that I was satisfied with this story from beginning to end. I would write that it is kind of amazing but I have always liked Mark Waid as a writer so it wasn’t amazing or surprising. The plot was solid, the dialogue was very enjoyable and I had a lot of fun, which is all I really want out of a comic book.

I mean outside of being emotionally engaged and engrossed and liking the characters and getting into the minutia. Other than all of that I just want to have fun.

This issue had some great character moments. Spider-Man was Spider-Man throughout, including running back into a burning building to build some device to take down the bad guy. I also liked the moment at the end where Peter is talking to Betty about the fall of the Bugle. This moment has nearly fifty years of history behind it and I got that sense from the way Waid wrote the scene. Jonah was also handled well and I liked him running into the Bugle and that single, mostly black page where it sinks in that the Bugle is gone. It was sad and had a lot of emotional impact.

Mostly I liked the fight between Spider-Man and Electro. Again this reminded me more of the classic Spider-Man and not the brave new world/drunken hook-up that really isn’t a drunken hook-up Spider-Man. It was a classic Marvel battle; hero vs. villain with a grand emotional back-drop. Electro was just gone mentally and Spider-Man was doing everything he could to stop him. It was great and put a big old smile on my face.

Parting Thoughts

Overall Power to the People was a really solid story. If this is what The Gauntlet is going to be like then my job as reviewer will be a bit easier. I have my doubts but we shall see. My only issue with the story is the fall of the Bugle. It had that, “It’s all going to be different from here on out,” feel but how many times has this sort of thing happened in the past? I have very little doubt that at some point a writer or editor is going to bring back the Bugle with the requisite return to greatness dialogue that usually accompanies such a thing.

It happened with the Daily Planet back in 1999. I am about 100% certain it will happen here too at some point.

4 out of 5 webheads.