More Good Spidey vs. Doc Ock Stuff
Part of CV's Top 100 Spider-Man Universe Stories - reviewed!
It's another good Spidey vs. Doc Ock issue. Doctor Octopus commits a series of daring daylight robberies across the U.S.A. in an attempt to draw out Spider-Man. What he doesn't know is that Peter Parker has been busy and sick in New York City. So, in a last ditch attempt, Doc Ock storms into the Daily Bugle, taking Betty Brant captive and demanding J. Jonah Jameson get Spider-Man's attention through the newspaper. Ock wants to have a showdown at Coney Island.
On the whole this is a pretty good issue. There is no subterfuge here - the cover isn't lying when it says that Dr. Octopus unmasks Spider-Man, and in full view of Peter Parker's associates. Stan Lee, however, comes up with a very clever way of doing this without jeopardizing the status quo.
The biggest downer here is the ending. Spider-Man's escape from a burning building is extremely contrived, and yet another dumb webshooter MacGyverism. Doc Ock is also defeated anti-climatically through no action by Spider-Man.
But most of the issue is pretty good, as have been all the early Doc Ock match-ups.
