Comics Amazing Spider-Man #600 discussion thread

[Spider-ManHero12]

^^ #200 is still the best, IMO.

 

[Styleshift]

^^ #200 is still the best, IMO.

Agreed.
It could arguably be the ending to the Spider-man Saga.

But I like to see it as the final transition into the man he'll be for the rest of his life. up:

EDIT: I was only able to pick up JRJR's cover for ASM 600 at my LCS.

Which is a great thing, considering it's my favorite cover and artist. But feel like I'm really missing out on the value, and JRsr!

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Agreed.
It could arguably be the ending to the Spider-man Saga.

But I like to see it as the final transition into the man he'll be for the rest of his life. up:

Thst's my exact feelings! it was jsut such awell made book and very powerful as well. Not to mention how awesome the cover was.

 

[Spider-Who?]

EDIT: I was only able to pick up JRJR's cover for ASM 600 at my LCS.

Which is a great thing, considering it's my favorite cover and artist. But feel like I'm really missing out on the value, and JRsr!

they only had JRJR and Ross' covers where I went, but they had a lot of them.

 

[Jack O Lantern]

I loved this issue. Loved it.

Thes best part is the knew dynamic that now exists between Spidey and Ock. Ock always thought of Spidey as a dimwit, he admired his courage and his character but not his intelligence, but in the battle of the minds Spidey wins. How is Ock going to react to that?

I really liked the cameos. The DD one served a purpose, Spidey has been revealing his identity to the NA and the FF but other than Johnny he is closest to Matt. It needed to be addressed. The NA cameo freed Spidey to go after Ock without abandoning the city. And Spidey/Torch by Slott is always welcome.

And around the net some people have said it's strange that Ock wanted to do good before he died. Don't confuse what Ock was doing with goodness. He was doing it because he needed the adulation before he died, nothing else.

The Stan Lee story was funny as hell, who hasn't felt like that shrink after reading comics?

 

[The Joker]

What's your view on Anti-venom Joker??

Personally I think it's just another shallow gimmick to try keep the one note character, Venom, interesting. The sound of the scraping at the of the bottom of the barrell with Venom's character at this stage is enough to make your eardrums bleed.

I loved this issue. Loved it.

Thes best part is the knew dynamic that now exists between Spidey and Ock. Ock always thought of Spidey as a dimwit, he admired his courage and his character but not his intelligence, but in the battle of the minds Spidey wins. How is Ock going to react to that?

I really liked the cameos. The DD one served a purpose, Spidey has been revealing his identity to the NA and the FF but other than Johnny he is closest to Matt. It needed to be addressed. The NA cameo freed Spidey to go after Ock without abandoning the city. And Spidey/Torch by Slott is always welcome.

And around the net some people have said it's strange that Ock wanted to do good before he died. Don't confuse what Ock was doing with goodness. He was doing it because he needed the adulation before he died, nothing else.

The Stan Lee story was funny as hell, who hasn't felt like that shrink after reading comics?

That's a great review, Jack.

I particularly agree with the bolded part

 

[Styleshift]

I really enjoyed the two Batman reference covers.
I immediatley recognised the "Shame of the spider-son" reference from Action Comics #392.



Not sure why 70s "Sweet Christmas" luke was chosen though
Not many kids would get that joke. Heck not many people my age would even get that reference.

 

[stillanerd]

Okay, here’s what I thought about this issue, which, I’ll say up front, definitely deserved to be called a 600th issue. First, of course, is Dan Slott and John Romita Jr.’s main story, which as some folks know I knew most of the details on about five days ago.

Spoiler

*Having John Romita Jr. doing the artwork on Spider-Man always feels like coming home. And in this case, this is some of his best work. Granted, it still has that blocky look, but he’s one of the best comic book artist out there that instills a sense of movement to his panels, especially scenes of Spidey in action. Solid A in my book.
*As for Dan Slott’s story, it’s playful, amusing romp which evokes classic elements of Spider-Man with modern sensibilities. However, that’s also it’s greatest weakness and well as its best advantage. I believe the IGN review for this issue said it best when the reviewer described his style on Amazing as “a gimmicky, overly self-aware cover of Stan Lee's soap operatics” There may be some decent scenes and dialogue here, but it still feels as though Slott is trying way too hard to wax nostalgic.
*That said, if he wanted to capture the Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. version of Peter Parker and Spider-Man, he did an excellent job. This certainly felt like the Spider-Man readers have come to love over the decades and there was some half-way decent quips here.
*You also have to give him credit for his utilization of almost all the current supporting cast. Some work better than others, but the best were Aunt May, Mayor J. Jonah Jameson, and newcomer Norah Winters.
*Of course, having Doc Ock return after so long is great, as I consider him Spidey’s number one arch villain (sorry Green Goblin lovers). Granted, his plan for controlling every device in New York with his brainwaves was practically the same as what Greg Weisman did for Doc Ock in the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon, but it’s definitely worthy--and characteristically arrogant--of such a egomaniacal genius, and I especially liked the angle that he genuinely thought he was doing this for the benefit of the human race. And while it is a clichéd trope, the angle of Doc Ock dying from sustained injuries and radiation poisoning he sustained over the years was rooted in logic. And after all, since Doc Ock uses his mechanical arms anyway, why not go to the extreme and have him completely dependent on them? Sort of like what would happen if Stephen Hawking went completely insane.
*However, with regard to Doc Ock’s new look and design, I’ll paraphrase a famous quote by film critic Roger Ebert and say I hated this new look. Hated hated hated hated hated this new look. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it. What’s more, I think even John Romita Jr. hated this look, or he wouldn’t have been so quick to reassure readers that it wasn’t permanent. Give me John Byrne’s bionic legged, no pants Doc Ock any day over this mummified crap on a stick.
*Another problem was the overabundance of guest appearance in what should be a Spider-Man solo outing, since we not only get Daredevil, but also the New Avengers and the Fantastic Four involved. Even so, at least they served a purpose in the overall story, and it was nice to have Spidey and the Human Torch team-up once again. Not to mention Johnny trying to hit on both Carlie and Norah just seemed so him.
*And speaking of the ladies, one of the weakest elements of the story actually was Peter’s attempt to get a plus one for the wedding. It’s obvious that Slott has a soft spot for Carlie, but it wouldn’t feel so forced if she wasn’t such a cipher for Gwen Stacy and had she been adequately developed as a character like she was supposed to have been since Brand New Day began. Even more contrived was Peter’s eventual date to the wedding--Michelle Gonzales, a.k.a. Vin Gonzales with boobs. These two characters have only interacted ONCE, and she regarded him a total flake. And yet, here she is all chummy with Peter and playfully teasing him like she wants to be his girlfriend. It’s painfully obvious Slott only did this to evoke the moment when the gang saw Peter with Mary Jane for the first time.
*Oh, yeah… Mary Jane is back! And it’s about friggin time! Anytime Marvel attempts to write off this character, the book is poorer because of it, and now that she‘s going to be a regular cast member again, there‘s definitely going to be some much needed sparks. Although, as I hinted before when I had spoilers of this issue, her catching the bouquet could be seen as a slap in the face for some considering how, technically, she’s supposed to be married to Peter already, but also a sign of hope because it hints that Peter and her heading down the tunnel of love once again. And really, she’s been gone for how many months, just shows up out of the blue, literally puts everything to a standstill, and yet acts like it’s no big deal--classic MJ if you ask me.
*But now we come to “milestone” moment of this issue--the wedding of Aunt May and J. Jonah Jameson’s father. I didn’t expect Marvel to actually go ahead and have them get married, so on that score, I’m appreciate being wrong and surprised. It also provided some touching moments with May visiting Uncle Ben’s grave and praying for his help, and the moment where Peter and May relate to each other as if they were mother and son instead of aunt and nephew. Unfortunately, for a “milestone,” Aunt May getting remarried just fell flat. That’s because it is guilty of doing the very thing Joe Quesada et al accused Peter and MJ’s wedding of being--a manufactured, rushed, editorially-driven gimmick that threatens to undermine key aspects of Spider-Man, especially when you consider the fact that Aunt May met, dated, fell in love, had sex, became in engaged, and married within a mere four month period to a character who first debuted last November. It would be tolerable if Jay Jameson, a character who seemed to have so much promise, wasn’t proved to be to Spider-Man what Terry Long was to the Teen Titans: a character who was so good to be true and who had virtually no flaws that he became an absolute bore to read about. Not to mention you know the other shoe is going to drop on some point with him and thus end Aunt May’s newfound marital status in the foreseeable future.
*As for the back-up features, I actually enjoyed them--yes, even Bob Gale’s story (I tell you, I almost fainted from shock). My favorites certainly have to be the first two. How fitting is it that Stan “The Man” Lee himself return to write a story for Amazing Spider-Man. Here, he takes his old concept of Spidey seeing a psychiatrist and turns into a met fictional critique on how Spidey has changed and regressed over his almost fifty year history; heck, given the amount of continuity readers and creators have tried to keep track of over the years, it’s no wonder we’re not all insane by now. And Mark Waid’s examination of Peter and Uncle Ben’s relationship from Ben’s point of view is such a refreshing perspective, considering how much importance he’s played in Spidey’s development. I also thought Wells’s story was amusing; after all, how could ridiculing the Spider-Mobile NOT be. Finally, Kelly’s Madame Web story definitely worked for what it was designed to do--to make you guess and speculate just what was in store for our favorite wall-crawler.
*Oh, and those tongue-in-cheek phony covers? Funny stuff.

So, in the end, I’d say if you are a Spider-Man fan, you couldn’t do worse than picking this one up. And while the main story may be just passable, there’s still good stuff to enjoy, and definitely worthy of being a #600th issue.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I have to say, seeing JRJR's art

Spoiler

for the Avengers panel in issue 600, made me believe that it would be great having Romita Jr. as an artist on New Avengers.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

i enjoyed it but it wasn't the spectacular i was expecting i loved the art but sadly the last page lacked any real impact.

 

[iloveclones]

I really enjoyed the two Batman reference covers.
I immediatley recognised the "Shame of the spider-son" reference from Action Comics #392.



Not sure why 70s "Sweet Christmas" luke was chosen though
Not many kids would get that joke. Heck not many people my age would even get that reference.

I sure didn't. In fact, I thought it was an odd joke. Good find!

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

i enjoyed it but it wasn't the spectacular i was expecting i loved the art but sadly the last page lacked any real impact.

I have ot disagree there, I mean,

Spoiler

MJ returned. That, in itself, is impact.

 

[the_ultimate_evil]

I have ot disagree there, I mean,

Spoiler

MJ returned. That, in itself, is impact.

sorry but not really, a blind deaf mute could tell she was coming back, but sadly JrJr can draw her a lot better, the page itself lacked the impact not the event

 

[The Joker]

MJ's return, and Aunt May's wedding were the least interesting aspects for me. Doc Ock, in all his insane creepiness, made this issue for me.

 

[kguillou]

Doc Ock was really creepy which is why im kinda disappointed that there was no real confrontation between him and Spidey. Was really looking forward to that.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

sorry but not really, a blind deaf mute could tell she was coming back, but sadly JrJr can draw her a lot better, the page itself lacked the impact not the event

Oh, lots of people

Spoiler

knew she was coming back, but I'm saying that her return had an impact. Somewhat, honestly. Obviously, not a huge impact though.

 

[The Lizard]

ASM # 600 was much, much better and more relevant than ASM # 500 was, that's for sure.

I'm undecided about Doc Ock's new look. The 8 arms were cool, but the scrawny little body was just weird. If JRJr was going for creepy, he succeeded. It was great how Spidey proved that his "brain power" was greater than Ock's once and for all.

The back-up stories were merely OK, as to be expected. It was nice to see a Lizard cameo in the "If I was Spider-Man..." story.

 

[SpideyInATree]

First off...John Romita Jr. is the freakin' man! The true definitive artist of the modern day Spider-Man era!

I loved this issue from beginning to end. The main story was just classic Spider-Man to me through and through. What was done with Doc Ock was NOT what I was expecting at all but it was a very interesting take. Dan Slott writes such a great Spider-Man it has been lovely having him write the book and he didn't disappoint not one bit. Loved that he had The Human Torch backing Spidey up and their amazing chemistry with one another, just classic stuff.

And the Daredevil scene was very great too. Basically saying to Peter, "Dude, you got a free pass and you just want to give it away again. DON'T!"

The Stan Lee story was just GREAT! Haha. With the Marcos Martin artwork combined with it man it was quite a treat to read that story. A very classic Stan Lee yarn and I think many fans on this board will enjoy that story.

The one I was disappointed the most with was the one with the kids at the playground talking over how it would be like being Spider-Man. That almost took me out of the book. You take out that story and # 600 is a truely classic book that will be remembered for many, many years to come.

And the mock covers were absolutely hilarious!! Loved that Spidey/Batman team up one. t:

All in all, this was classic stuff and I REALLY REALLY hope that they keep carrying on with all of this momentum going into the coming months. Dan Slott and Romita Jr. are becoming a classic team in comics, in my opinion. Can't wait to see more from them!

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

First off...John Romita Jr. is the freakin' man! The true definitive artist of the modern day Spider-Man era!

Absoloutely! I've always loved the way he's drawn peter. I have to say, MJ was drawn fantastic in the last scene, though, that was to be expected considering how great he's drawn MJ in the past.

 

[SpideyInATree]

I mean it seems Romita Jr. really stepped up big time for this book. You can just tell he really put his heart into it. I loved him when he was doing Peter Parker: Spider-Man back in the '90's. I loved him when he was on his run with JMS and him teaming with Dan Slott was a comic book geek wet dream for me.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

^^ yeah, I mean ,as i said, his run with JMS was really good. It's funny how when Romita left, the next story was bad.

As for Peter Parker: Spider-Man, I actually own the first issue. Loved the cover ot that issue. You know, I love how ROmtia jr.'s work is similar to his fathers', but in hiw own way. It's like a great combination.

 

[carnageehw]

The Good: I loved Doc Ock's motivation. The "It's Doc Ock, one punch and he goes down" line really hit home. Shows Ock needs that little something extra to keep doing what he's been doing for so long.

Loved the Torch/Spidey stuff. Just awesome.

The Bad:
Ock's actual plan wasn't impressive. Well, it was, but it never actually SEEMED that way. Ock's plot just seemed rushed and generic.
More build up would have been awesome. Maybe have Ock succeed for a few issues, get some of the public on his side because he's running things well.

The Mj issue was a HUGE disapointment, likely because I was kind of expecting answers. It might be just me, but I think milestone issues should be the FINAL chapter....not a "to be continued" story. So I was pretty disapointed with that.

 

[Ray-Fu]

I really enjoyed 600 too, but was hoping for a more epic battle between Spidey and Ock, but I guess this would be a build up to Sinister 666 with a deadlier Ock leading the hordes of villians against poor Spidey

I loved the banter and relationships that Slott managed to portray between Spidey and his all his hero friends, and it was great to see them all give him props for winning at the end of the day. That doesn't happen too often...so it was nice to see

This comic was worth every penny...too bad my copy of the Romita Sr cover was damaged and is getting sent back

 

[kguillou]

I agree completely with carnageehw. Although i greatly enjoyed the issue, i wish it was a standalone story rather than just a setup for future stories, that seems to be marvel's thing nowadays. I just wanted a big epic battle between Spidey and Ock, was that so much to ask? I mean wouldnt that have been appropriate for #600?Still this was miles better than both Cap 600 and Hulk 600. Thor 600 is definitely the best out of the bunch. Now THAT was how you do a centennial issue.

 

[Styleshift]

I sure didn't. In fact, I thought it was an odd joke. Good find!

Thank you! t: