Rate ASM #648-700

[Aziz Abbasi]

Now that issue 700 is finally here, it's time to start the thread I kept in my head for the long while, give your full rate and review of Amazing Spider-Man 649-700; Big Time era

Some of the era highlights (ups and downs if you may):
Marla helped him get his best suited job he needed to have for so long
Peter lived with Carlie Cooper
Scorpion is now Scorpion again
Marla Madison was killed
The queen returned
Kaine became Peter's size, his deteriorating condition stabilized
Flash is Venom
Kaine is the Scarlet-Spider, and out of New York
Silver Sable and Rhino died
Ock is now Peter
MJ is finally with Peter, but his head is not in the right place
Doc Ock is dead, and his head as well is not in its right place

[Mister Mets]

Added an option for N/A.

I loved the era. I'd give it an "A."

[Shadowlarvitar]

I gave it a C. I loved Scarlet Spider and the new Venom but I am sad that Sable, Rhino, and Peter are gone

[Aziz Abbasi]

I thought things got worse since Ends of the Earth, since that story it shifted from a very good run to something painfully dull
Slott's kind of jokes lost their good flavor, maybe it's due not as well refined execution

[ViewtifulJC]

I did a bunch of mini-reviews in an earlier thread, so I'll repost those here

2010/2011:

-Big Time, #648-651: I've always been largely ambivalent to this story. It has plenty of good moments, but I found the big climax in Kingpin's tower to be anticlimactic. Urich is painfully unfunny throughout, except for "I like your hat!". Lady Gaga joke is funny, but it's gonna age like shit. Sets up the status quo, does an admirable job, not one of my favorites. 3 out of 5

-Revenge of the Spider-Slayer, #652-654: I love this story! Caselli's artwork never looked better(thanks to Delgado's lovely, vibrant colors), great action, high in tension, fun Peter Parker skating scenes, and a downbeat ending that really hits home due to some strong writing and perfectly-paced artwork. Also, one of the only times where Slott's perchance for CONSTANT MARVEL UNIVERSE GUEST STARS doesn't make Spidey feel secondary in his own book(he stops both the Scorpion and Symthe, and saves the day with his sacrifice of his spidey-sense). Only bum note is that Max Modell, super genius, can't figure out who Spider-Man is because of that silly Doc Strange spell. The standard for all of Slott's Spidey adventures. 4.5 out of 5.

-Nobody Dies, #655-656: The best Dan Slott Spider-Man story. Marcos Martin is god. The second issue is more of a 4 out of 5, but in conjecture with the first, it balances out pretty well. Only point taken off because the entire conclusion of "Nobody Dies" doesn't really have the emotional impact it should have. Isn't nobody dying been Spidey's motivation since...forever? You're left with a feeling of, "...that's it?" instead thinking Spidey has just gone through some real change in his life. But still, it's great. 4.5 out of 5.

-Spidey in the Fantastic Four, #657-660: Never liked these, as they're the posterboy of Slott turning ASM into Marvel Team-Up. #657 should've been the second coming of Slott's classic "Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm with Stupid", but the artwork is inconsistent, and a lot of the jokes fall flat. The precedding FF adventure has some of the most irritating Spider-Man characterzation in the entire run(Spidey showing up in Johnny's outfit like an asshole, Spider-Man CONSTANTLY TALKING in-between everybody's sentences, Spider-man pulls deus ex machina sciene experiment out of his ass). Oh, and Casselli couldn't even be bothered to finish drawing the story. McKone is fine, but he aint no Stefano Caselli. 2 out of 5

-Avengers Academy fill-in, #661-662: Fill-in by Gage and Brown. It's...cute, I suppose. Kinda reads like a Spidey Super Story instead of ASM, there's even a big corny "moral of the day" at the end, where everybody groans and laughs it off. Good artwork. Kinda hoping ASM gets good again...2.5 out of 5

-Return of the Anti-Venom, #663-664: Ask and you shall receive! A really nice two-parter here. Solid artwork from Camuncoli. Engaging mystery, kinetic action, Eddie Brock's characterization is wonderful here, AND finally wraps up the Spidey vs Mr. Negative plot threads that Dan set in motion waaaaaay back in the very first BND story, in a very satisfying manner! There's even a moment that congratulates Peter Parker for being himself, that's genuinely joyful and feels good. And no guest stars! Not a lot wrong with this one, just a very solid Spider-Man story. 4 out of 5.

-Crossroads, #655: Interesting idea, flawed execution. It's a story predicated on the idea that Betty and Peter are REALLY close friends, so close that they have a dedicated movie night, which is something that has zero evidence us. So close that they would lock all their friends and family out to watch a movie together in the hospital, even Betty's boyfriend.

This also has Spider-Man do some really hard-edge stuff, like invading people's houses, beating the shit out of them until they talk, and if they give him the wrong answer, beat them some more. If you're gonna treat violence against people because they have something you want as serious(that's the motivation for Betty being attacked), then you have to address Spidey doing the exact same thing, as well. And they don't.

Stegman's artwork is really good, Slott's dialog is great, but as a story, it's lazy and lacks dramatic impact because of it's contrivances. The Mark Waid BND story is a better, funnier version of this. 3 out of 5

-FCBD, Spidey vs Spider-Woman/Mandrill: Here's a really fun issue, and it's totally free! Contains some of Slott's best jokes(I still find myself saying, "Not my head! I use it to wear hats!" when I die in Gears of War 3), some of Ramos best action, great usage of the Mandrill, and does a great job setting up Spider-Island. 4 out of 5

-Spider-Island, #666-673: Like the artist drawing the tale, there are some highs, and there are some lows in Spider-Island. The bookends are DAMN good. The opening prologue is one of the best issues in the entire run, neatly hitting on all aspects on who Peter Parker is and where his life currently stands pre-Spider-Island, all done with flair, confidence, humor, and intrigue(Who is the Spider-King? Will Spidey have to kill someone?). The story itself is highly energetic, and actually enhanced understanding if you read the Venom issues. My appreciation for it's storytelling grows when I look at it as a whole. There's always half a dozen different stories going on, and it really feels like this is a true Spider-Man epic; this is really happening and it's affecting everybody. Some ideas and subplots work better then others, but the final two issues are wonderful; the kind of cathartic release of comic book energy and plotlines perfectly coming together that inspires love of this medium, and this Marvel universe. And more importantly, the third act is always focused on Peter Parker, and the story is stronger for it. If all the issues were as good as the bookends, it'd be a perfect grade, but overall it's still a very respectable 4 out of 5.

-Great Heights, #674-675: Coming down from the epic adventure of Spider-Island to traditional Spidey stories with this very solid two-parter. The Vulture is back, with a much darker, more menacing characterization and strength that does him well. Also, there's a really fun Spidey/Carlie relationship in the aftermath of Spider-Island, filled with awkward tension. The story is buoyed by typically strong, kinetic artwork by Camuncoli(who draws the most believable and exciting bits of Spider-Fu yet), and a central story of a misguided youth that, while predictable, hits all the right notes. And no Marvel guest stars! If only they were all this good. 4 out of 5.

-Sinister Six issue, #676: Frothy, forgettable fun. Comic book equivalent of cotton candy. Enjoyable in the moment, strangely unsatisfying afterwards. 3 out of 5.

[oldschool]

Solid "A". Easily the best era for me since the Stern run in the mid-1980's.

[ViewtifulJC]

2012:

The Devil and the Details, #677-DD#8: In which Spider-Man is a creepy, desperate, ineffective loser! As a Spidey story, not very good, as a Daredevil story through, it's works really damn well! And has some very good artwork from Emma Rios and Kano. That last line from Spider-Man is amazing. Let's go with...3.5 out of 5.

I Killed Tomorrow, #678-679: Clever, funny, quirky little story where Slott can work out his Dr. Who obsessions. Makes great use of the supporting cast in Grady and really nice chemistry between Peter/MJ. Energetic Ramos artwork. I like it quite a bit. The "I CAN HAZ CHEESEBURGER" joke is gonna age like shit. 3.5 out of 5

Spidey in Space!, #680-681: More frothy, forgettable fun. Yost isn't as funny as Dan Slott. Kinda feels like we're treading water here waiting around for the next big event. 3 out of 5

Ends of the Earth, #682-687: Strangely disappointing. For the amount of issues it takes up, not a lot actually...happens. The Sandman issue is really good. The big finale issue is pretty darn good, too. Everything else, I can safely do without. Especially the whole Sandman torturing scene. NOBODY DIES...but I can torture them for information! Stupid, stupid, stupid. You're a better writer then this, Dan Slott. You're a smarter editor then this, Stephen Wacker. 2.5 out of 5

No Turning back, #688-691: Finally, ASM delivers a great story! Wonderful action from Camouncli, a sharply-written Lizard-Connors with real dramatic tension, fun humor, nicely built subplots(remember when this book had sub-plots!?) and this REALLY clever climax to the Spidey-Lizard battle that you can only do in comic books. Also, Spidey uses a demon hunting gun that shoots plasma crosses. Comic books, ya'll. Points off for that ugly as shit final lizard design and annoying Dan Slottism false dramatic cliffhanger with the lizards being totally nice. 4 out of 5

Alpha, #692-694: Absolute garbage. Alpha may just be the worst new comic book character of the entire year, from any company. Just really ugly, loose Ramos artwork in here in some of the later issues, too. A Spider-Man story where he gets overshadowed by a cancerous shitstain of a character. Very rushed storytelling. The worst Slott story yet. 1.5 out of 5

Danger Zone, #695-697: Don't know if this was the Gage pair-up, but none of the dialog had the snap, flair, or wit the better Slott issues had. You can tell reading it that Dan's clearly focused on Death Wish/Superior Spider-Man, as the story reads like mildly diverting froth. The characterization is weaker, the drama duller, the humor isn't funny, and there's still some of Dan's worst tendencies slipping in. Dan likes to pull things over on his readers, like the totally-threatening lizards in Horizon Labs are actually pretty friendly, duh. Or the world is about to end, oh wait, daylight savings, idiot. "Oh, did I mention Modell had a force-field? Because that's kinda funny, haha, I bet you were worried!" It's this kind of false-drama that deflates his stories and lowers the stakes, and I can't help but sigh every single time it happens. It's like if there was this intense scene between Batman and a crook, and the crook shot him in the face and ran off laughing, and Batman's like "good thing I sprayed on my Anti-Faceshot Repellent for just the occasion!" That's not even clever, it's just lazy storytelling, and retroactively kills any sense of tension in the story. 2.5 out of 5

And we still got Death Wish and #700 to go. But I have read #698 early, and it was awesome(although they probably could have got better artwork for such an important story)! So, good sign!

So, let's tally everything up!

2010/2011:

4.5/5 - 2 stories, 5 issues
4/5 - 4 stories, 13 issues
3/5 - 3 stories, 6 issues
2.5/5 - 1 story, 2 issues
2/5 - 1 story, 4 issues

2012:

4/5 - 1 story, 4 issues
3.5/5 - 2 stories, 4 issues
3/5 - 1 story, 2 issues
2.5/5 - 2 stories, 9 issues
1.5/5 - 1 story, 3 issues

2010/2011 has 30 issues(throwing in the 4 issues of Big Time from 2010, and the FCBD issues), 2012 has had 22(including the Daredevil crossover). Still waiting on Death Wish/#700 to make it more even, but as it stands...

-2011 has more stories that were just flat-out better
-2011 had the highest highs with Spider-Slayer and Nobody Dies, 2012 had the lowest of the lows with Alpha.

So uh yeah, as the final year of Peter Parker as Spider-Man, kinda weak sauce! No Turning Back is the sole exception that keeps this year from being kinda forgettable. I'm hoping that with this new interesting status quo, a refocused Dan Slott(can we stop with all the damn fill-in writers!?), and Ryan Stegman coming on board, we can have a great book again in 2013.

--

With now the added benefit of "Death Wish" being pretty damn weaksauce ending of the run, 2.5 out of 5, 2012's has REALLY taken the shine off my opinion of Dan Slott's run and skills as a Spidey writer. That's a shame.

[ShaggyB]

Solid "A". Easily the best era for me since the Stern run in the mid-1980's.

need to read 700 still but im leanign towards this. Not sure how i feel about the spoilers but, overall the big time run has been the best thing ive read in years on spider-man.

[ViewtifulJC]

Now, as for a final grade, that's a bit tricky. It's a tale of two halves, really.

The first year is an "A-/B+". One of the finest years for a solo ASM writer ever. There's some mediocre stories here or there, but no out-right stinkers. More importantly, the highs are so high that it mostly doesn't matter. Some of my all-time favorite Spidey stories/issues take place in this year. Hell, they even manged to make a Spider-man event work, after Maximum Carnage, the Clone Saga, and The Other told us otherwise!

The second year though is a straight up "D", sadly. "No Turning Back" aside, this is the worst year for Amazing Spider-Man since the waning days of JMS. "Alpha" is sitting pretty in the top 10 worst Amazing Spider-Man stories I've ever read. And "Death Wish" was such a weak ending to everything, it colors a lot of the good stuff inert(kinda like how OMD leaves such a bad taste in the mouth of JMS' run, even though that Romita Jr section had a LOT of great material).

I hate to have do this, but I gotta go with a "C". If I could just vote for the first half, that'd be great. Or maybe throw in some of Slott's best Spidey stories from pre-Big Time like Mysteriso, Paparazzi, and his masterpiece: Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm With Stupid. But this year ASM has gone from one of my most anticipated books on the stands to...well, I'm really not all that excited about the next issue, to be quite honest.

And I hate this feeling, but I can't deny it. Slott's run has slowly devolved into cliches, bad artwork, horrid characterizations, disappointing twists, rushed/forced plot developments, and now uninteresting status quo changes.

I really hope SSM is awesome. I don't want my lasting impression of Slott's run to be this year's lot of stories.

[Aziz Abbasi]

I like the way you analyze and review the entire run piece by piece ViewtifulJC, I think your general assessment is pretty fair, though I might disagree with some stuff

[Cheesedique]

Torn between voting A and B. Went with B.

Like JC says, there was some strong stuff Slott's first year, while so much this year fell flat.

I feel like Slott waited too long to resolve the Philgoblin / Kingsley stuff, and then had to rush it. Really, that may be what kept me reading this long. I know it sounds crazy, but I hated that Slott made it seem like he killed Kingsley in the Big Time arc, and if that hadn't been reversed, I may have graded his run a D or F.

Good stuff weighs out the bad. I feel like Dan reached high but always didn't deliver. It was still nice to have one writer on ASM again after the BND-era, and Dan seems to have had a story mapped out pretty well for these last 50 issues.

[Russell]

I will review it in a later post, but I had to vote A. It is certainly not one of my absolute favourite eras, but it is one of the best and Slott has cemented his place up there with Spidey royalty like Lee, Conway, Stern, DeMatteis, Jenkins and JMS.

[Lars C]

A weak B or a strong C. The Big Time era had some weaker stories, like Alpha and Ends of the Earth. And while there have been many good plots, I've felt disconnected with the characters in a strange way. This might be the first time ever that I've felt more connected with Bruce Wayne than Peter Parker.

[oldschool]

Call it the "Big Time" era, call it the Slott solo era, call it the final era for ASM (for now), call it what you want but how do you rate these couple of years of ASM? And----please----while "Dying Wish" is certainly on the forefront of our minds now and needs to be taken into account, let's not grade solely based on that story, gigantic though it is. Give a grade based on the total body of work for ASM #648-700 (if you have read them all, that is).

Me? I go a solid "A"; the only bumps in the road for me during this time were the weak (by comparison) Avengers Academy and FF stories and I had decidedly mixed feelings about the "Alpha" arc as well but the A+ quality of Slott's larger arcs like "Spider-Island", "No One Dies", "Big Time" and "Dying Wish" (yup, I loved it) bring the overall grade back up to an "A" for me. Of course, your mileage may vary----so vote!!

[Wayne 26]

Gave the run an A. Seriousy, once ASM 700 came, never has any comicbook run had so much build up and clues along the way to a the grand finale. And Slott is still writing!!