In the first place, Paul Azaceta is not the right artist for a comic like this. It just looks like a bland imitation of Mike Mignolas work on Hellboy only without the atmosphere and energy. Not to mention Javier Rodriguezs coloring doesnt help matters either since it results making the pencils look incredibly flat, stiff, and lifeless. Well, at it somewhat gets better towards the end of the issue when the action starts, though.
Basically, much of Mark Waids script in the first half is Peter Parker, once again, experiencing typical hard-luck, in this case trying to prepare for his date with Carlie Cooper. This includes trying to sell his camera for some ready cash (with Betty Brant having to graciously buy it off him when he cant sell it for a decent price), having to deal with the consequences of being fired and blacklisted by J. Jonah Jameson, forced to wear a ugly sweater in the blazing heat for his date after having no other clothes, and having his ex, Mary Jane, there at the Coffee Bean to entertain Carlie via telling embarrassing stories about him.
Now, this would be fine, if atypical, fare, if Waid offered us a real reason why Peter is so ga-ga over Carlie or why we should care about wanting these two to be a couple. Is it because she was concerned about how hot he was in that sweater? Or that she was worried what happened to Peter when he disappeared after Lily crashed through the Coffee Bean and villains started showing up? Well, so would any other girl Peter would date and who didnt know he was Spider-Man. Again, we keep getting TOLD how wonderful Carlie is for Peter, but not really SHOWN this. And no, having Peter think to himself how different she is from the Black Cat and MJ, or having MJ herself tell Peter she approves of her exs date by saying how she likes her because shes really present and knows theres more to life than her--despite us not actually seeing Carlie exhibit these qualities--is not good enough.
Waid, however, has no such problem with Michele Gonzales, as once again we see why she quickly became one of the more despised members of the supporting cast in Brand New Day: proving that lawyers really are outright crooks and thieves, she sells Peters clothes so that she can get his share of the rent. So much for Fred Van Lente trying to redeem her character in issue #626.
Things pick up though in the second half when Harry Osborns ex-fiancée, Lily Hollister, a.k.a. Menace (and ANOTHER one of Norman Osborns baby mammas), crashes through the coffee shop and starts going into labor. This caused Peter to slip out and change into Spider-Man, just in time for the Shocker and Tombstone, just one of several villains hired by Doctor Octopus to find her. And then Doc Ock himself shows up just in time to perform what is probably the creepiest baby delivery of the week. This part of the story is appropriately fast-paced and frenetic, but it does seem as though its over rather quickly, even though it certainly does set-up a nice cliffhanger for part two.
Make no mistake, out of the two issues of Amazing Spider-Man that have come out this week, this is the better of the two. Unfortunately, what is supposed to kick-off the story arc thats supposed to bring all the various subplots that have been around since Brand New Day to a head comes across like a phoned-in, generic Spider-Man story for at least 2/3 of the issue. Not exactly an ideal start, especially in the wake of One Moment in Time.
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