The story by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos can easily be divided into two-halves. The first is Spidey teaming up with the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the Black Cat (who is trying to seduce Spidey into helping her become an Avenger herself) to stop Doctor Octopus from invading the city with giant, robotic octopi War of the Worlds style, which Slott wisely uses to reference and follow-up Doc Ocks earlier benevolent scheme from issue #600. The Avengers turning to Spidey on advice for how to stop Doc Ock on the grounds that hes had the most experience in fighting him is one of those clever and inspired ideas that you wonder why more writers on Spidey havent used it before. And not only does it provide a rousing action sequence to get readers hooked, but it also allows for an opportunity by Slott to remind readers that Spidey isnt just a wisecracker but that hes also a scientific genius. After all, its not everyday you see someone use daylight savings in order to delay the countdown of a bomb. (Its silly that not all the Avengers know Spideys secret identity, though). Not to mention, Slott definitely knows how to write Spidey in character in here.
However, having characters like Doc Ock, Human Torch, (and later Noarh Winters, Flash Thompson, and Aunt May) drilling into our heads about what a genius Peter is does get rather repetitive, especially since we actually do see Peter get to display that genius. Granted, its done to foreshadow the new job Peter gets at the end of the issue, but it still comes off as heavy-handed. Still, without question, this half of the story was, bar none, my favorite part of the issue overall.
The second-half not only establishes Peters current status quo but also hints at possible upcoming stories. Given the amount of developments Slott introduces here, you really get the impression that a lot of them he wanted to bring up before but couldnt due to the three-times-a-month, rotating creative team schedule brought about by Brand New Day. For instance, thanks to the intervention of Jonah and Marla Jameson, Joe Robertson gets the rights to the Daily Bugle name, and thus the Frontline is now literally the new Daily Bugle, much to Norah Winters chagrin. Also, Michele Gonzales leaves for Chicago--and apparently the series--after resolving the case of her brother Vin (and thank goodness, because her characters welcome had long since gone past its expiration date), which its resulting in yet another series of scenes with Peter calling up and going door-to-door to various people to find a place to crash.
But unlike when Mark Waid did something similar back in issue #601, Slott appropriately uses this as a device to get the readers caught-up on the status of various supporting characters. Among them, we find out that Peters new girlfriend, Carlie Cooper, has joined a roller-derby team (in which Slott seriously makes a not-so-subtle comparison between her new sporting hobby and Peter being Spider-Man of all things) and that Flash and Betty have hooked up again (which is unsurprising, but welcome). Theres even an awkward moment in which Peter attempts to ask Mary Jane if he can move back in with her which they both wind up hysterically laughing at, which thus comes across as yet another post-One More Day Ha! Ha! Peter and MJ arent getting back together, suckers! slap-in-the-face. (Also, if asking your new girlfriend to move in together so soon after you just started a relationship wasnt clueless enough, but to then asking your ex to move in as well while youre in a relationship with someone else? Its amazing Peter has managed to get as far as he has with women.)
We also get introduced to Peters new job at Horizon Labs, but unfortunately, it doesnt come across nearly as impressive as the promotional material--or the story--lets it on to be. With the exception of Marla Jameson helping him get the position, it is thus far the exact same set-up Howard Mackie gave Peter ten odd years ago with his job at Tri-Corp (even though were supposed to believe its not in any way like Tri-Corp), complete with a set of diverse and quirky co-workers as new cast members. This time around we get Peters hip, baby-boomer scientist boss named Max Modell; a heavy-set, chummy, slacker-wanna be named Grady Scraps; and a stoical, east-Indian chick named Salani Jaffrey--all of whom seem come across as being thinly-developed and dull. At least this allows for a rather amusing sequence in which Peter-- after stopping an experiment that has dangerously gone awry--gets a pop-quiz in which his past experience as Spidey coincidentally helps him with the answers.
Along the way, we get some other developments that act as prologues for future stories. We have a mysterious, armored character stalking Jameson and anyone connected with him (which Im guessing might be Alistair Smythe in a new costume); a New Sinister Six (this time comprised of Doc Ock, Electro, Chameleon, Sandman, Mysterio, and Rhino); Norah attempting to investigate a new Green Goblin subculture among the criminal underclass (as evidenced from Vins tattoo from last issue); Mac Gargan being separated from the Venom symbiote; The Kingpin wanting to obtain a synthetic form of Vibranium from Horizon Labs (and thanks for spoiling the end of Shadowland, Marvel!); and the return of Marla Jameson, Phil Urich (Ben Urichs nephew and the former heroic version of the Green Goblin), Col. John Jameson, and, of course, the Hobgoblin (who is confirmed to be Roderick Kingsley).
Yet even though Slott gives the impression that Peters life is starting to move forward and is, for once, not being caught in a vicious circle, it still, paradoxically, feels like hes covering territory already explored by previous Spider-Man writers, and thats certainly my greatest misgiving about the issue overall. Nevertheless, its this is a fun, well-paced, Spider-Man story with snappy dialogue (although I could have done without a particular fart joke) that gets the job done of bringing readers up to speed and setting things in motion, though the residue of Brand New Day still lingers. Also, while I am normally mixed when it comes to the artistic style of Humerto Ramos, I feel its rather appropriate given the type of story, as it helps to add to the fun and kinetic mood Slott is going for. All in all, its not a bad way to kick things off.
