The Amazing Spider-Man # 543 - Back In Black (Part 5 of 5): An Incident on the Fourth Floor
is a comic book published by Marvel Publishing & released on 8 / 22 / 2007Plot Summary
Overview
One bullet changed everything for Peter Parker. The black-clad Spider-Man has battered his way to the man who gave the kill order -- Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin. At his darkest hour, will Peter cross the line he swore he’d never cross? You won’t believe your eyes, True Believer.
Things really suck for Peter Parker.
Peter is at Aunt May's bed in the hospital. The nurse in the room takes some of Aunt May's blood and is going to get an analysis. Pete obtains the blood work and is upset. Aunt May has built up an immunity to Peter's spider-blood and the transfusion he gave her is not going to help. A priest arrives and asks Peter and Mary Jane is they have funeral plans and if they know what May's last wishes are.
At the police station, a cop named Delint is assigned to Aunt May's police file. He is to investigate the supposed "drive-by" shooting case.
Back at the hospital, Peter is mad that the priest is suggesting that they prepare for Aunt May's death. MJ asks about what religious service May would want; what she believed in. Peter says that she believed in him and that it cost her her life. He asks how can he live with that.
Outside the room, Delint (the officer) is talking to the nurse about May. The nurse tells him she thinks her niece brought her here under an old last name. She suggests it was the niece's husband who shot May and the niece is trying to cover it up. She also mentions that there was a spike in a radioactive toxin in May's blood. She hints that the niece probably snuck her husband in to try and finish May off by poisoning.
The cop enters the room and tells MJ to come with him to the police station. Peter appears and tells the cop to let her go, then punches the cop. He suddenly realizes he is becoming a criminal just like everyone he has ever fought.
Peter steals an ambulance and a pair of scrubs to impersonate a doctor. MJ grabs some transfer papers from the nurse' station while everyone is distracted. Peter puts Aunt May on a gurney and covers her up like a corpse to more her out of the hospital and into the amublance. They go to another hospital with Peter posing as a doctor. He presents the papers they forged and they admit May, even though the hospital is full all ready.
MJ asks Peter what is going to happen and when this is all going to end. He doesn't know, but he says he can't stop fighting for May or MJ. He tells her that he will drop the ambulance off far enough away that they won't be able track them. They can then figure out what to do next.
Peter leaves the hospital thinking about all the felonies he just committed. Everything was done by Peter Parker, not Spider-man. His fingerprints will be all over everything. He has become everything he set out to fight. A criminal.
Peter thinks to himself about how he is trapped in a nightmare and feels so lost.
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Character Driven Story
Reviewed by The Outsider on Aug. 23, 2007. The Outsider has written 127 reviews. His/her last review was for Part 2: Origins. 1 out of 1 users recommend his reviews. |
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The Back in Black storyline finally comes to a close. Some people didn't like the idea because it was obviously trying to tie in to the Spider-Man 3 movie, while others where disappointed that the black costume was just a costume, and not the alien symbiote. After a few issues the black costume was no longer a factor for the story. Although it did fit the "darker" Peter Parker as he was driven to the breaking point, it was hardly the focal point of the arc. Issue #542 seemed to have a logical conclusion to this arc, and one had to wonder what else is there to tell...
This issue doesn't involve any super-villains, or huge battles. Instead we get Peter Parker forced to deal with Aunt May's situation directly, now that he's run out of people to punch. Some readers might miss what JMS is doing here. Spider-Man has always been able to deal with his problems by fighting the bad guy, but here there is no bad guys left. While Mary Jane has a more realistic view of what needs to be done, Peter refuses to believe that there is nothing he can do to save May. He is pushed even further then before, because it's no longer a question of how far will he go to punish the people responsible... now it's a question of what can he do if anything at all? It does feel a little heavy handed when Parker compares himself to the criminals he's fought before, and counts the felony's he's doing... however his actions in this issue would have been enough. Some readers might think this is all pointless and just want to get to the next big Spider-Man event in One More Day, but those will miss this as a great character driven story.
I do believe this is Ron Garney's last issue on ASM. He will be missed as this was one of his best issues. A lot of focus was on the emotions of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, and he was able to pull of the frustration, anger and sadness in both characters perfectly. Hopefully Garney won't be simply remembered simply as "that guy who drew Spider-Man after John Romita Jr.".
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Peter Parker: Criminal
Reviewed by Spiderfan001 on Aug. 25, 2007. Spiderfan001 has written 24 reviews. His/her last review was for Peter Parker, Paparazzi: The Money Shot. 1 out of 1 users recommend his reviews. |
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The last chapter of the Back in Black storyline does not disappoint, although it could be considered a seperate story all on its own. Basically, it shows us where Peter is in his life right now, what he's been reduced to, and the sheer hopelessness of his situation. It's an emotional roller coaster ride for both Peter and MJ, and it is expressed beautifully by Ron Garney's artwork, which makes it all the more disappointing that this was his last issue. Anyone who is currently unfamiliar with the current status of Spider-Man and is looking to get into him come One More Day would benefit from picking up this issue. One More Day also looks to be the last Spidey story for JMS, whose proven to be a fantastic Spider-Man writer when not writing about mystical Spider-totem crap. He had a great run, and one can't deny that he reinvigorated the Spider-Man, Mary Jane and Aunt May characters after the tag team of Howard Mackie and John Bryne nearly screwed them up. Tip'o'the hat to JMS, I'm not quite sure what to expect from One More Day, but it sure as hell has my attention.
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Back in Grey not Black
Reviewed by Amber on Aug. 29, 2007. Amber has written 123 reviews. His/her last review was for . 5 out of 6 users recommend his reviews. |
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I've been reading "Amazing" for about a year now and it's just not as amazing as the rabid fanboys make it out to be. I do enjoy it but I'm at the point where I don't want to spend my cash on it anymore.
I expected a lot more from the Back in Black mini. Peter doesn't get any more dark and creepy than a high school goth girl. I really wanted to see him driven over the edge, not just up to it like he did when he pummeled Kingpin (decent scene). In this issue, having Peter never appear as Spider-Man was a rather unique touch (I guess if there can be Captain America books without Captain America, ok, go Marvel). The fact that he did commit some crimes was about as gritty as the creators were willing to go. At least it's something.
This ending script is again, just okay. If you're a fan, by all means pick it up but I certainly don't have high hopes for the complete change in structure that will come in the fall.
Nine felonies - none of them murder.
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| Added by: | G-Man |
| Date Added: | June 6, 2008 |
