AMAZING SPIDER-MAN # 42
PLOT: Dr. Strange helps Spidey get to the Astral Plane where he can battle the Shade and try to rescue the the abducted homeless children. Meanwhile Peter Parker is to meet Mary Jane at the airport where her flight has a layover.
LIKES: Straczynski’s dialogue is super sharp as usual. The scene with Spider-Man jabbering a mile a minute with a stoic Dr. Strange is a jem. As with the climax of the Morlun arc JMS lets Spidey use his brains to prevail showing he “gets” an important element of the character. Too many times in Volume 2 all Spidey did was try to outslug everyone he came up against. Romita, Jr.’s artwork is terrific, especially on the glossy paper.
DISLIKES: While the ending tugs at the heart strings, who didn’t see tha coming a mile away? Spidey’s little detour in the Astral Plane was a bit of unnessecary mumbo-jumbo that I hope doesn’t foreshawdow any bizarrness JMS has planned.
RATING: 4 out of 5 webheads
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