stillanerd
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All right, here's my in-depth review and comments about Amazing Spider-Man #625:
Still, this is a very good issue and a proper follow up to Kelly and Fiumaras last collaboration involving the Rhino in issue #617. With a bit of tweaking, this issue could have easily followed right on the heals of issue #617 and acted as a second part, and it makes one wonder why this wasnt actually done in the first place. It may not be perfect since everybody saw what was going to happen well before this issue came out, but it still packs quite an emotional wallop.
*First of all, if there is one thing that goes against this issue, its that its very predictable in terms of how things will eventually pan out. Even Joe Kelly seems to know this as he, to borrow some Norah speak, is stalling at the beginning with the new Rhinos attack at the swearing in ceremony of U.S. immigrants. You know that Oskana, Alexeis wife, is going to get killed. You know that Alexei, because of her death, will once again turn back to his villainous ways and become the Rhino once again. You know that the old Rhino is going to utterly destroy the new Rhino in revenge. And you know that the old Rhino will blame Spider-Man for what happened, and that Spidey himself will fell a tremendous sense of guilt over his failure to make Alexsi stay on the straight and narrow.
*However, despite this, Joe Kellys characterization and dialogue is particularly well done in spite of how you know what the eventual outcome of the story will be. Peter, I thought, was particularly spot on here, in that as Spidey he starts off as his usual wisecracking self. But as the issue goes on, and things become more serious and tragic, the frivolity he had in the beginning has all but dissipated as his sense of guilt overtakes him to the point where, compared to his being in line for unemployment benefits at the beginning, he no longer is interested in getting any sort of handout, which is a rather bittersweet triumph for him.
*There are other good character moments as well. The scene with Peter calling Mary Jane is particularly good as well as heartbreaking. Even though MJ gives Peter a hard time (although she does have a point) over the fact that Peter could have called her and got together with her to talk at any time since she got back to New York, its very clear that, deep down, these two still love and care about one another despite no longer being together, whether theyve admitted this to themselves or not. Likewise, Alexei and Oskana are presented as a very sweet couple, particularly the scene in which they began filling out their witness protection forms. In fact, I would say that Alexei is, quite possibly, the most well-developed, sympathetic, and certainly tragic character in this story, as his love for his wife and devotion to honor is whats also causes him to fall back to the animal within him.
*The weakest character, despite being distinct and well-rounded, is Norah Winters. She comes off as perky but also annoying, as usual, almost a bratty and immature fusion of Mary Jane and Betty Brant. This is even more so considering that, for the bulk of the issue, Kelly has Norah narrate virtually the entire issue through a news article she writes, which I doubt would even make it past the editorial board given her tendency to use ridiculous usage of slang and quirky abbreviations. However, she can still displays having genuine compassion and concern, especially when shes not trying to sound hip.
*Although no where near as lackluster as Paul Azacetas, Max Fiumaras art is still pretty hit or miss. Sometimes are some terrific visuals, like when the New Rhino is doing squats with two semi-trucks, when Spidey pummels the New Rhino with what appear to be multiple fists to indicate his rapid punches, the scene showing Spidey trying to toss people into a web net while the New Rhino throws them off the Brooklyn Bridge, or the way the Alexei, once again as the Rhino, charges on all fours. Its a very dynamic and energetic style, although Im sure some might be a little turned off by the way the characters are presented with exaggerated bodily and facial structures, although much better than Eric Canetes art from issue #611.
*However, despite this, Joe Kellys characterization and dialogue is particularly well done in spite of how you know what the eventual outcome of the story will be. Peter, I thought, was particularly spot on here, in that as Spidey he starts off as his usual wisecracking self. But as the issue goes on, and things become more serious and tragic, the frivolity he had in the beginning has all but dissipated as his sense of guilt overtakes him to the point where, compared to his being in line for unemployment benefits at the beginning, he no longer is interested in getting any sort of handout, which is a rather bittersweet triumph for him.
*There are other good character moments as well. The scene with Peter calling Mary Jane is particularly good as well as heartbreaking. Even though MJ gives Peter a hard time (although she does have a point) over the fact that Peter could have called her and got together with her to talk at any time since she got back to New York, its very clear that, deep down, these two still love and care about one another despite no longer being together, whether theyve admitted this to themselves or not. Likewise, Alexei and Oskana are presented as a very sweet couple, particularly the scene in which they began filling out their witness protection forms. In fact, I would say that Alexei is, quite possibly, the most well-developed, sympathetic, and certainly tragic character in this story, as his love for his wife and devotion to honor is whats also causes him to fall back to the animal within him.
*The weakest character, despite being distinct and well-rounded, is Norah Winters. She comes off as perky but also annoying, as usual, almost a bratty and immature fusion of Mary Jane and Betty Brant. This is even more so considering that, for the bulk of the issue, Kelly has Norah narrate virtually the entire issue through a news article she writes, which I doubt would even make it past the editorial board given her tendency to use ridiculous usage of slang and quirky abbreviations. However, she can still displays having genuine compassion and concern, especially when shes not trying to sound hip.
*Although no where near as lackluster as Paul Azacetas, Max Fiumaras art is still pretty hit or miss. Sometimes are some terrific visuals, like when the New Rhino is doing squats with two semi-trucks, when Spidey pummels the New Rhino with what appear to be multiple fists to indicate his rapid punches, the scene showing Spidey trying to toss people into a web net while the New Rhino throws them off the Brooklyn Bridge, or the way the Alexei, once again as the Rhino, charges on all fours. Its a very dynamic and energetic style, although Im sure some might be a little turned off by the way the characters are presented with exaggerated bodily and facial structures, although much better than Eric Canetes art from issue #611.
Still, this is a very good issue and a proper follow up to Kelly and Fiumaras last collaboration involving the Rhino in issue #617. With a bit of tweaking, this issue could have easily followed right on the heals of issue #617 and acted as a second part, and it makes one wonder why this wasnt actually done in the first place. It may not be perfect since everybody saw what was going to happen well before this issue came out, but it still packs quite an emotional wallop.
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