It’s the last stand between Curt Connors and his alter-ego, the Lizard. Who will win, and what will happen to the web of life? Major Spoilers take a look inside The Amazing Spider-Man #691.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #691
Writer: Dan Slott
Artists: Giuseppe Camuncoli and Mario Del Pennino
Inkers: Klaus Janson and Daniel Green
Colorist: Frank D’armata
Letterer: VC’s Chris Eliopoulos
Editor: Ellie Pyle
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in The Amazing Spider-Man: Horizon Labs is on lock down… again. Curt Connors is using his serum to turn himself into the Lizard… again. Spider-Man is at a crossroads… again. Madame Web is seeing the future change… again.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRISON
After the big battle with Morbius, Spider-Man is back at Horizon Labs ready to take down his fellow scientists who have been turned into Lizard minions. After all these years of being controlled, it’s interesting to see the various lizards (including Max Model) calm and relaxed. It’s only after a quick exchange with a fellow lab member who is still human, that Spider-Man realizes that it isn’t the lizard brain that causes the lizards to attack humans, but rather Curt Connors’ own vibes that cause the lizards around him to go all crazy. I like that Dan Slott has given a reason for The Lizard and his changelings to always go nuts, but with the changes that happen with new writers down the road, and the upcoming Marvel NOW!, I’m afraid all these changes are going to be undone soon.
Connors has developed his formula to the point that his transformation is now irreversible, and as he and Spider-Man fight outside Horizon Labs, his friends on the inside develop a formula to fix Connors for good. And here is the second cool thing that Mr. Slott adds to the Marvel Universe – when Spider-Man injects the antidote into the Lizard’s brain, it doesn’t fix the physical problems, but it does fix Connors’ mental problems. At the issue’s end, readers not only learn that Connors is safely locked away, but they also discover Connors’ prison takes on a whole different meaning. I really like this revelation, and there are a number of ways this character development can be used to great effect in the future. Will it be lasting? No more so than any other cool thing that has been introduced in the pages of the book. In addition to the Connors character development, there are a few other character moments that work well, and flesh out the cast that inhabit Horizon Labs.
FINAL TRANSFORMATION
It’s probably a good idea that Humberto Ramos is absent from the art once again, as Mr. Camuncoli and Del Pennino show off a Lizard that isn’t the long snout variety readers have seen in the past, and we don’t get the classic ‘60s version, nor the movie version either. Instead we have a depiction of the creature that is radically different and equal parts alien, human, and lizard. It’s very disturbing when one sees the monster behind the plexiglass wall of his cell, and if this is the new look going forward, I’m all in favor of it.
BOTTOM LINE: WORTH CHECKING OUT
Overall, the pacing and structure of the story works well in this issue. There are a number of very predictable moments, and a few surprises that kept me turning the pages throughout. More and more, I think Dan Slott is the writer Spider-Man needs to keep my interest in the series, so I hope he on board for many years to come, though I doubt that will happen. The art team delivers a visual experience that keeps the pace of the story from dragging, and they make use of large panels for dramatic effect rather than just fulfilling a page count. Spider-Man continues to be one of my go to books, and The Amazing Spider-Man #691 is worth checking out, earning 4 out of 5 Stars.
1 Comment
The real thing that impresses me is that, let’s face it, the Lizard returning when he did was mainly mandated by the editors to coincide with the release of the movie. Yet even though Dan Slott could have just thrown the Lizard in and called it a day, he made wrote a great story. It’s a mark of a good, dedicated creative team when they can take something forced upon them and make something very good.