The Return Of The Vulture
Stan opts to close out the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man with a blurb along the lines that nothing about Spider-Man was ever or will ever be typical, and for once he's not waxing hyperbole. Issue 7, which sees the return of The Vulture (who apparently was something of a massive hit for readers back in the day) by popular demand is pretty much the definition of a-typical. While Lee and Ditko sometimes rely on breaking the mold too much to the point where storytelling suffers here (much of Spider-Man's battle with The Vulture is restricted to the office of the Daily Bugle—which is wacky, but ultimately confusing and too cluttered for the tiny panels which detail it), the vast majority of it works just as well as previous outings have benefited from it.
Aside from all the action involved with Spidey's battle with Vulture however, there's the usual high-school shtick that has proved to be just as captivating and interesting as the webhead's escapades. This month however Parker is coming off as more and more frustrated with his high-school buddies who are making his life a living hell. Between cursing under his breath with threats of revenge, and then making quips about a fractured arm and being suspended high above New York City sure to meet his death; Parker comes off a little schizophrenic—like a writer and a certain artist were at odds with how his personality should develop. Wink.
But I guess, once again that's what makes Amazing Spider-Man as unique and exciting to read every month. You don't know what to expect; even when a villain that's already been established shows up and ends up ruining poor Peter's day once more. Perhaps my favourite aspect of this outing however lies in its small character moments which come full circle by story's end when Spidey gets his revenge on Jameson and then Parker more or less gets the girl. Sure, hearing nerdy Parker speaking like playboy Tony Stark is a little jarring, but it's a nice break from the norm that shows yet another side of the hero's personality—something that would continue to grow and develop permanently once a certain blonde would show up sometime down the line.
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