A Welcomed Return
Firstly, it's great to have Peter Parker back! Although The Superior Spider-man was a cool run, over a year is a long time to be without the true Spider-man. I think almost all of us were ready to have Peter back where he belongs.
For those of you who have not been following The Superior Spider-man and want to jump into The Amazing Spider-man, have no fear of being lost in the plot. This comic is jam packed full of stories explaining the details of Otto's reign as Spider-man, and the consequences Peter will have to deal with. There will be no better time to jump in then now. Peter's usual banter and shitty jokes run rampant within this issue, and it is a welcomed return. The end of the main story leaves us on a dramatic cliff-hanger, I won't spoil anything but it's sure to make Peter's relationship with MJ all the more difficult. The rest of the side-stories were very well written. Black Cat is PISSED, once again because of the actions of Otto, and we get an awesome glimpse into the upcoming Spider-man 2099 series coming out in July.
However, this issue did cost a bit more buck. I'll admit the $5.99 was a bit painful for me to fork over, especially as a college student and bus rider. Yet, I ended up feeling like I got my money's worth as this comic was loaded with great stories. The only potential problem is that many Spidey fans may already familiar with the previous events, so many of the flash-back stories will probably leave them feeling as if they hadn't read anything new. $5.99 is a lot to spend on something that isn't really new content. Also, it seems that Peter Parker is taking this whole situation too well. He seems very nonchalant about the dramatic changes Otto made to his life. By the way he talks about it, it's as if it's just an inconvenience. I was expecting to see some post traumatic stress, or at least a great deal of shock come from him. Lastly, I am not a fan of the standard cover art. I'd recommend picking up a variant cover if possible, as I personally find all of them much more attractive. But this is just my personal taste. The art within the comic itself is refreshing and suitable.
So when it comes down to it, this is a solid issue for those who have been waiting patiently for the return of Peter Parker. Although much of the comic didn't bring any substantial plot development, I think it's a great set up for the next upcoming issues, and I was especially happy with the peak into Spider-man 2099. I'd recommend spending the extra couple bucks to grab this issue if you can. I certainly don't regret it.
