Review: Amazing Spider-Man #4

Marvel Comics
Review: Amazing Spider-Man #4
By Andy Frisk
August 17, 2014 - 20:29

Marvel Comics
Writer(s): Dan Slott
Penciller(s): Humberto Ramos
Inker(s): Victor Olazaba
Colourist(s): Edgar Delgado
Letterer(s): Chris Eliopoulos
Cover Artist(s): Humbert Ramos and Edgar Delgado

The soon to be ending Original Sin crossover event has served as a kind of Mighty Marvel Myth expansion pack. Plenty of unknown (i.e. newly created) mysteries and "sins" have been revealed involving just about every Marvel Comics' superhero. It's all a ploy to move what can become, over time, very tired narratives in new directions. The Original Sin involving Peter Parker/Spider-Man is that another teen was bit by the self same radioactive spider that bit him. She's been locked away for years though, as old Spidey villain Morlun apparently will use her to "kill them all" (the Spider-Totem beings?). Anyway, now free, Cindy Moon/Silk embarks on a quest to find her family, only to discover that they have moved and she doesn't know where they are. Swinging as hard as he can to keep up, Spider-Man quickly discovers that Silk is faster, quicker, and maybe even stronger than him...and that's not all...she just might be the girl of his Spider-Dreams...

What's Happening A new Spider-Saga is launched as Cindy Moon/Silk, the girl bitten by the same spider that gave Spider-Man his powers, debuts in all her frenetic glory. It appears that she might actually be the true Spider Totem that Morlun (a type of totemic vampire) will find impossible to resist consuming. The biggest (although not at all surprising) twist is delivered by writer Dan Slott on the last page of Amazing Spider-Man #4. It appears that there's some kind of Amazing Spider-Pheromone that only works between Silk and our good ole' Wall-Crawler. Yeah, this is going to get interesting...most likely from a teen romance point of view...

The Writing Dan Slott manages to keep coming up with the ideas, and the idea that the same spider that bit Peter might have bitten someone else is intriguing. He amps up this interest by revealing that there is an Amazing Spider-Level of physical attraction between the two as well. While I'm not sure where this storyline will eventually lead (securing a desire in Spider-Fans to buy Amazing Spider-Man #5-mission accomplished Mr. Slott): could a happy Spider-Family finally be in the future for Peter? The idea that Peter Parker isn't a totally unique being though does lower the character's intrinsic value (once again). At least this time the folks at Marvel aren't trying to trick us into believing he's a clone again... Personally, I'm more interested in what The Black Cat (a much better main squeeze for Spidey in my book and who appears on the periphery once again here) is up too, and just how long Peter can keep up the charade at Parker Industries, as his employees appear very close to revolting against him since he's always away (swinging through NYC).

The Artwork Humberto Ramos' cartoony style continues to fit the adventures of everyone's favorite Web-Head. It has just enough of an edge to it to capture the eye of adult readers, but remain totally acceptable to said adults' kids who want to read the comic book as well. In other words, it has a wide appeal, and therefore will pass just about any reader's muster. The most unique aspect of Ramos' art is his characters' anatomy. His girls are cute, sexy, and show just enough skin while they flip their hair in unintentional displays of sexy coyness, and his Spider-Man is contorted enough that his images would have been sent back for re-edit if he was drawing Amazing Spider-Man in the 1960s (much like Steve Ditko's drawings were).

The Verdict Amazing Spider-Man sets the stage for the next mega Spidey Crossover, and will most likely keep the kids happy with the teen romance. Spider-Verse is coming, but honestly, I'm more excited about the return of Jessica Drew to her own ongoing book than the debut of a new Spider-Girl-Like character. Jessica Drew. Now there's a complicated, and hot, (Spider) Woman who really packs the pheromones.

Rating: 8/10