Adam's Adventures: The Amazing Spider-Man #596 (Marvel Comics) Review by Adam P.

If any comic deserves to be published three times a month, it's Spider-Man

Sometimes comics can be bogged down by too many intertwining storylines, making you feel empty and unsatisfied. But here we get just enough of each character to feel that we know a bit more about each of them. The connections between the players feel like a well-scripted movie.




Classic Spider-Man baddie Venom gets to put his disgusting tongue to good use in this issue as he attempts to consume a prostitute. Luckily our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man (assisted by my very favourite heroine of all time) get to try and stop him. And that doesn't even account for a third of the action going on in this yarn.

In Amazing Spider-Man #596, there is more than enough eye candy to satisfy the masses. Couple that with press conferences, vaccinations, gravestones, wedding plans, boogers, rat gore, and what looks to be a Charlie Brown doll, the book oozes with life, humanity, emotions and tempers. It's a joy to read and a story that leaves you wanting more. This issue does it all and makes it seem effortless.

Perhaps the most telling sequence is Spider-Man swinging past a burning building lost in thought. His reflections almost make him miss the burning blaze and it comes across as realistic: how many times does the typical human miss the obvious because of preoccupations? It's a fresh breath of air from the rigid formula so many other comics get trapped into: hero faces obvious threat, conflict ensues, and threat is resolved. Peter Parker's life just isn’t that simple.

In contrast, Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers squad provides some welcome comic relief, with their oafishness and bickering. This is exactly how I would see a team of bad guys acting. It's quite interesting to see how their selfishness inhibits their wits.

To me, this issue is a sterling example of everything comics are meant to be: heroes that can be rooted for, villains that are despicable, plots and sub-plots, plans and counter-plans, vivid artwork and clever writing that drives the tale along at an eager clip.

So do yourself a favour and give this title a try.

9/10

Adam P.