By Fred Van Lente (writer), Robert Atkins (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Jeremy Cox (colors)
The Story: The Chameleon fully adopts Peter’s identity and attempts to use it as an instrument of mass destruction as he overturns Peter’s life and the lives of those he holds dear.
What’s Good: This comic is easily my sleeper surprise of the year. When I read the solicitations about this being a Chameleon story working off MJ’s return I was completely underwhelmed and considered skipping this arc altogether. I decided to go for it as Fred Van Lente has been one of the best ASM writers in the Brain Trust and that decision has paid off as this is reads an incredible comic.
First off, the Chameleon is awesome. Was he ever this great of a villain? I can’t remember his mythos that much (which is usually a sign that it’s forgettable) and the last time he was used was in that terrible, terrible Obama tribute issue. We are treated to his personality and motivations as his voice narrates the story. We see how ruthless, cunning and ingenious he is. Most interesting, however, is the warped sense of morality and dedication he has to those who he has murdered and stolen their identity.
The other great thing about this issue is that Van Lente mines the Spider-Man mythos, showing Peter’s life entire, without Peter making an appearance at all. We see the ties that bind the people and events of Peter’s life as the Chameleon systematically deconstructs them.
This is a slow read, which is a nice change to the usual quick reading that most comics are today. There are lots of moments that linger, like the confrontation between “Peter” and Flash Thompson and especially the last scene with Harry. I really can’t imagine how Peter will recover from the damage that Chameleon has done to his life. It is all going to make for some very interesting stories down the road.
I’m not familiar with Robert Atkins’ art, but he does stellar work in this issue. Just all around great work from the character designs to the panel selection. This is one of those comics where you can tell what a character is going through, what dynamics are in play, without having to rely on the script.
What’s Not So Good: The scene with JJ’s new Spider-hunting gear was kind of a throw away moment. Additionally, there was one or two scenes with JJ which were confusing. He is starting to kind of annoy me and I think the Brain Trust is using him and his antics a little too much.
Conclusion: Fantastic story here. Maybe one of the best post-Brand New Day ASM issues. Incredible character work on the Chameleon who fights the fights of his victims in some twisted sense of loyalty to the lives he’s destroyed. I literally cannot wait for the final installment of this arc in two weeks to see how Peter is going to come out of this one and what effect it will have on his life.
Grade: A-
-Rob G
Filed under: Marvel Comics Tagged: | Amazing Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man #603, Amazing Spider-Man #603 - Review, Comic Book Reviews, comic books, Fred Van Lente, Jeremy Cox, Marvel Reviews, Robert Atkins, Spider-Man, The Chameleon, Victor Olazaba, weekly comic book reviews, Weekly Comic Reviews
I agree wholeheartedly with this review. It’s funny that the most interesting issues with the Spider-Supporting Cast (this, and the one where he accidentally spends months with the Fantastic Four) are the ones where Peter himself is mostly in absentia.