Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #540 Review

Amazing Spider-Man #540
Title: “Back in Black” Part 2 of 5
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciler: Ron Garney
Inker: Bill Reinhold
Colorist: Matt Milla

Plot: Aunt May is in a coma, Peter is angry, and now it’s time for some Spidey payback! After smacking a few dirt bags around, dangling one out a window, and borrowing an NYPD computer without permission, our morally liberated hero identifies May’s shooter as Jake Martino. He visits Martino’s apartment only to find out from the land lord that the assassin plans to skip town on the next train out.
Spidey shows up at the station in full regalia to provoke a spider-sense-triggering reaction from the shooter. It works, and the guy whips out a submachine gun and starts spraying bullets at the wallcrawler. Of course, Spidey moves too quickly and he chases the assassin onto the platform where he bashes the would-be killer’s face into a column. Peter tells the guy that he will kill him and he’d better say who hired him if he wants it to be quick. But before the terrified sniper can rat his employer out, someone else from across the platform guns him down.
Spider-Man tracks the new killer with a spider-tracer, and drops in on him later while he’s on the phone with his boss. Spider-man recognizes the voice on the other end as the Kingpin’s, and he informs the crime lord of his vengeful intentions with a classically awesome line.

Likes:

– I like seeing Spider-Man work close to the streets again. For all its hype, the “Back in Black” arc so far has a nice, down-to-earth feel to it. It’s a simple revenge story, but there’s something about watching Spidey use his detective skills and shake up a few lowlifes who need shaking up while wearing that kickass black costume which satisfies my animal craving for fun and awesomeness.

– Peter’s exploitation of his sixth sense in this issue was very clever. I enjoy seeing an old power used in a new and interesting way. The spider-sense’s equally creative visual depiction earns Garney and Straczynski even more kudos.

Dislikes:

– A very good point which Morbius brought up on the message board is that since this story takes place before recent events in Daredevil where the Kingpin is freed from prison and leaves the country, it’s safe to say that the Kingpin probably won’t end up dying. That kills much of the suspense which hinges on the question of whether Spider-Man will kill him or not. Hopefully, we’ll see the story catch up chronologically with Daredevil in the next couple of issues, and I believe JMS is capable of doing that smoothly by glossing over the details. Even that does happen, I’m still certain Spidey won’t kill the Kingpin. I’m not sure enough to make the kind of bets we’re seeing on the message board (I’m looking at you, Morbius and F. N. Spider-Man), but I really don’t see it happening. I don’t want it to, either, both because it would mean loosing one of my favorite villains and because of what it would mean for Spidey’s character. I doubt Marvel will let their greatest icon stoop to premeditated murder for something as petty as revenge.

– Aunt May’s shooter needed to be taken out of the story because he distracted from the real conflict with the Kingpin, but Spider-Man couldn’t very well be directly responsible for his death, so Martino conveniently gets shot by another guy before our hero can do the deed himself. I wouldn’t have minded the cop-out if it weren’t for the déjà vu it caused. The same writer did pretty much the same thing with Morlun in his first arc, and the burglar falling out the window in the first movie was really just a variation on the same boring theme.

Favorite Quote: Kingpin: “Well, hello, Mr. Parker. And what may I do for you?”

Peter: ”Just one thing, Mr. Fisk. You can die.”

Rating: 4 out of 5. Another engaging, fun read. The Amazing Spider-Man has returned to form.

Reviewed by: CrazyChris