Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #50 (491) Review

Amazing Spider-Man #50
“Doomed Affairs”
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Scott Hanna
PLOT: Fate has brought Peter and MJ together in an airport in Denver.  Finally the two can have a conversation that has been long over due.  The only problem is that Dr. Doom also shows up at that airport with two security guards, one who is a disguised Captain America.  Doom does not play the antagonist in this book, though.  He is the target of a fanatic group of terrorists who wants to bring down the Latverian monarch with a series of suicide bombings, and an assault by mechanically enhanced individuals.  Spider-Man has to put his conversation with MJ on hold so that he and Captain America can protect an unconscious Dr. Doom from these extremists. After the fighting is over, Peter introduces MJ to Captain America, and the two decide to give their relationship one more try. 
LIKES: What is there not to like.  After a few years away as an important supporting character in the Spider-Man books, MJ is coming back.  JMS did a wonderful job intertwining the importance of this long overdue conversation with the action sequence of the team up between Spider-Man and Cap.  I thought the idea of Spider-Man introducing MJ to Cap was a token and a symbol of how Peter and MJ’s relationship will be different than before.  I foresee a more open relationship, which can be both positive and negative.  There is a one page spread of Peter and MJ holding each other teary eyed that was really amazing and touching, both artistically and literally. 
DISLIKES: Having all of these character meet up at the same place at the same time is a little bit hard to fathom, but that is comic books for you.  They make the impossible or almost impossible happen.  Also, the suicide blast was strong enough to render Dr. Doom unconscious, both his green cloak is undamaged and not even torn a bit.  I don’t know, maybe it’s also made out of metal.  One last thing MJ and Peter are looking very anorexic these days.  Spider-Man’s legs look like they could snap in half at any minute.  Maybe now that MJ is back, she’ll cook him a hearty meal.
RATING: 4 and ½ webheads out of 5:  Maybe I’m just happy that MJ is back, maybe it was just a well written book, but I really both enjoyed and was thoroughly entertained by this book. 
Reviewed by AC-WEB (Ariel Chaidez)