Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #424

 Posted: 2004
 Staff: Bryan Thiessen (E-Mail)

Background

Spider-Man is ragin' mad at Electro for humiliating him in issue #423. He is determined to bring Dillion down. Also, the city is overpopulated with evil ninja, as the Rose and the Black Tarantula continue to fight over New York's underground. Oi!

Story 'Then Came... Elektra'

For no obvious reason except to get a few extra fanboys' money, Elektra finds herself in the middle of this Spidey story. She is tracking down the True Believers, who have been hired by the Black Tarantula to battle the Rose's pawn, Electro! Unfortunately, we see little of Electro, and a lot of ninja.

While Joe Robertson is being increasingly overworked at the Daily Bugle, Spider-Man and Elektra team up in an abandoned subway tunnel against the True Believers after Meiko Yin - the Dragonfly - fails to kill Robbie and her cousin, Angela. Spider-Man goes into one of his Why-Don't-I-Kill-The-Villain tangents, but Elektra brings him out of it. When he learns that his ninja hirelings have failed him again, the Black Tarantula decides to take a personal trip to New York.

General Comments

I didn't even like the storyline when Peter snapped in the late 300's of ASM (in "Pursuit" and "The Shrieking"), but even that had a plausible lead-up to it. In this issue, Spidey briefly battles his rage over, what?, being humiliated by Electro? When's the last time Spidey had his butt handed to him? C'mon, Tom! It should take more than this to get Pete all riled up.

I am glad, however, that the ninja aspect of this storyline is over. Next issue, I'm told that we'll take a break from this story, and take a trip back to Spidey's past for Flashback Month (co-starring some allegedly important guy named Stan "the Man" Lee). After that - should I really be telling you this? - Spidey and his new pal face Electro. Then comes the comic I've been waiting for nearly since I started collecting. The hope for the future adds at least one web to this issue's rating.

Overall Rating

Three webs. Hopefully better ratings are coming up!

 Posted: 2004
 Staff: Bryan Thiessen (E-Mail)