Let me start off by saying that this was a very “heavy” issue. There are barely any speech bubbles, there are barely any thought bubbles and narration is kept to a minimum. I love these kinds of issues. Issues that let the art tell most of the story.
With that being said, I have never been a huge fan of Marcos Martin. I don’t feel that he is a particularly good fit in Amazing Spider-Man, but the man sure can tell a story. That’s why I’ve never truly been disappointed with Marcos’ art. If I had to praise any work he’s done on ASM, it would have to be this issue and the introduction of “Jay” Jameson story (Unscheduled Stop) that ran through ASM #578 & #579. He’s starting to grow on me though, and I like artists with distinctive styles. Martin's "tone" was perfect for this story.
Speeking of story, those writing duties are handled Dan Slott and he does a great job. Peter Parker, along with his supporting cast, deal with the fallout from last issue. The completely silent scenes at the beginning of the book with J.Jonah Jameson (Jr.) are very touching. You really feel sympathetic for the man and can’t help but wonder what all of this will mean for the future of this character.
Then we segue to Peter. We all know how heavily Spider-Man wears the burden of power & responsibility and Slott makes sure we are reminded of that as we travel with Peter through his consciousness. So seldom do we actually get a glimpse into Spider-Man’s psyche. Slott and Martin brought us this view flawlessly. The result of this journey has Spider-Man making a vow to himself that he may not be able to deliver on. I’m not sure what this means for the titular character, but if you thought that his morality was unbending before, you’re probably as curious as I am to find out what kind of choices Spider-Man will have to face in the future.
In closing, this was a very good issue. Amazing Spider-Man has been on fire lately and even though MMXI is supposed to be the year of the X-Men, I think Spider-Man will end up steeling most of the thunder is the momentum keeps up.
It’s a great time to be a Spider-Man fan folks, so hop aboard and enjoy the ride.
I give it a 4.5 out of 5. Great story telling, regardless of the fact that very little actually “happens” in this issue.