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Amazing Spider-Man #592 24/7 Part 1 Writer: Mark Waid Pencils: Mike McKone Inks: Andy Lanning Colors: Jeromy Cox Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna Salt: Tom Brennan Pepper: Stephen Wacker Exec. Editor: Tom Brevoort Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada Publisher: Dan Buckley Exec. Producer: Alan Fine Webheads: Gale, Guggenheim, Slott, Kelly & Waid Peter considers his life after missing two months in the Macroverse. He realises that he has a mystery flat-sitter who has been tidying and paying the rent. After he has left as Spider-Man, the black-haired mystery woman enters the flat… At City Hall, JJJ makes his stance as Mayor. He tells Betty Brant that he is responsible for Spider-Man’s disappearance; that he has run him out of town. JJJ meets with his dad and the two fight about slating Spider-Man. Spidey butts in through the window and JJJ learns that Spidey and his dad have a history. JJJ Sr leaves and Spidey offers JJJ a truce as they’re both not going anywhere. JJJ responds by ordering in his Spider-Man SWAT team in and Spidey is forced to escape a barrage of bullets through the window! Swinging away, Spidey decides that, after losing two months already, he can afford to be Spidey 24/7 for a while – just to annoy JJJ! Spidey swings, saves and makes headlines for the next three days. JJJ’s anger builds up! On the docks a gang of crooks are forced to leave one of their own behind after he is shot. They tie him up and leave him as dead weight. From the skies a red-winged Vulture descends and mounts the wounded victim! Spidey realises he smells so he heads to Aunt May’s, realising that she is at FEAST, to freshen up and run the costume through the wash. He hears a strange noise and goes into May’s bedroom… where he finds Aunt May and JJJ Sr…. in bed together! Having grabbed my attention with some cracking previous issues, I’d hyped myself up for Mark Waid’s longest story yet. Unfortunately there simply isn’t enough motivation behind Peter’s decision to go 24/7 which puts this arc already on a fundamental backfoot. That he decides to stay away from his family and friends for a bit longer clings on to the previous arc, Face Front, but is out of character. It seems Waid is bending the character of Peter to the plot and not writing it for him. On the subject of JJJ Jr., the scene where he faces off against his father is again not quite as convincing as it should be. There’s very little tension (which I would have expected from the brilliant Unscheduled Stop) and the interruption by Spidey actually isn’t necessary as you just want to see Sr. rip some more out of Jr.! Moving on to the major saving grace of this issue – marvellous Mike McKone! By far the most consistent current Spider-penciller, McKone’s sharp and clean panels tell a complete story, capture subtle expression and depict real places – the space of a wall, empty sky and almost anatomical accuracy of buildings. The absolute best aspect of his work is his Spider-Man. The only slight problem is that there is a lack of depth and I’d like Andy Lanning to take a heavier stance on figures in the foreground next time. Rating – 3½ / 5 |
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