Make a goofy idea highly entertaining regardless of the so-so art
"Spider Island" is a strange and preposterous concept. But that doesn't mean it can't be a good and entertaining story. "Amazing Spider-Man" #667 is part one of Marvel's spidey event and it doesn't take long to get the action going. Using last issue as the setup, here we are immediately shown new characters with spider powers, the orchestrators of the outbreak, and the full-scale chaos that ensues.
Dan Stott knows how to write Spider-Man. This issue features much of what we've come to expect from him. The story moves at good crisp pace and there's plenty of fun character moments and quirky dialogue. Good Spider-Man issues have their own unique feel. Stott captures that here mixing humor, action, and heart. While most of the characters are well written, I found myself quickly growing tired of Carlie...again. It's not that she's a terrible character but Stott doesn't do her any favors here.
Perhaps the hardest part of the book to rate is the art. On the one hand, Humberto Ramos shows an amazing eye for framing his panels. Similiar to good camera work in a movie, Ramos' use of cool, cinematic angles and inventive pespectives really enhance the story. He also impresses with his slick page layouts and busy, action filled panels. On the other hand, his hyper stylized characters look pretty good from the shoulder down. But the inconsistent and sometimes ridiculous looking facial expressions can really be a distraction. It's a shame that this hurts the look of the book since there is so much else to really like about his art.
As a whole I enjoyed this issue. Stott takes an insane idea and makes it highly entertaining through some great action sequences, nice cameos, and fun character scenes. The art is a mixed bag mainly hurt by some annoying character facial designs. But while I have plenty of questions about how well things will play out, so far the creative team has sold me. With a little fine-tuning this series could be even better.
