Amazing Spider-Man #698
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Richard Elson
Cover: Paolo Rivera
Dan Slott has been pretty awesome during his run on Amazing Spider-Man, delivering stories and plot twists that none of us have expected. Well, with the 700th issue of the series right around the corner, he sets us up for one of the most intense cliff hangers/plot twists we’ve seen in years! All because in the last issue a dying Doctor Octopus uttered two words: Peter. Parker.
The issue itself is pretty much a day in the life type of story, where Peter is enjoying his life and reveling in the fact that he IS the Amazing Spider-Man. This excitement and vigor causes him to finally take an assertive role in pursuing Mary Jane, and focus a bit more on the science aspect of his life at Horizon Labs. However, when he’s called to the maximum security prison where Doc Ock is being held, the story takes a very unexpected turn.
Since the events of the last few issues have been pretty action packed and on a much faster pace, Slott slows things down just a bit. He delivers some pretty decent character moments along with the entertaining dialog that has become standard during his run on this title. Now, once you get to the cliff hanger, go back and re-read the issue and you’ll find little things peppered throughout that hint to the revelation. You also get to find out what Doc Ock’s little octobot was really up to over the past few issues. There’s also an unexpected death that isn’t some over sensationalized plot device. The build up to this issue has been great when you look at what Slott has been doing with the series the past couple of years. Here we have a long running series being taken in a new direction that feels a lot more natural than what we’ve seen in other titles. It’s a testament to how great Slott’s work has been and the focus he’s had on the character.
The artwork is provided by Richard Elson and carries the heart of the story quite well. The only inconsistency that was noticeable was that the scar that Slott had Peter bring so much attention to only showed up in two panels. In every other panel where Peter didn’t wear his mask, there was no scar drawn in. Everything else throughout the issue was spot on and reminiscent of the late 70s early 80s style of drawing Spider-Man. From the webslinging panels to using the after image to simulate Spidey’s acrobatic movements, it was just great to see again.
Slott recently warned fans via Twitter that if you haven’t picked up Amazing Spider-Man #698 yet, to stay away from the internet for fear of spoilers. Well hopefully you’ve been able to avoid them, and I’d suggest picking this issue up and then prepare for the 700th issue. This will lead into the new Superior Spider-Man series that Marvel has been teasing as of late, and there’s no telling what Slott has in store!
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