“Amazing Spider-Man” #600 Review

“Last Legs“

Writer: Dan Slott

Pencils: John Romita Jr.

Inks: Klaus Janson

Colors: Dean White

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, another Spider-wedding is upon us.  As May Parker and J. Jonah Jameson Sr. walk down the aisle, an old foe returns and chaos ensues for the web-head.  Spoilers within! 

Taking place shortly after last week’s ASM Annual, the milestone 600th issue features the return of classic villain Doctor Octopus, his mind now degrading due to the trauma he’s received from punches to the head for years upon years.  Four months later, Daredevil and Spider-Man are breaking up a brawl at The Bar With No Name, and Spidey offers to reveal his identity to Daredevil, who refuses, saying he someone “got the genie back in the bottle”, and he should keep it that way.

The day before the wedding, Jay mysteriously disappears and Peter swings over to check on him, but the city goes insane as everything technological starts attacking.  The New Avengers show up to help as Spidey goes to get help from the Fantastic Four.  With a little help from Human Torch, they manage to find Octopus, who has essentially become one with his computers.  Octopus is bested when Spidey inputs his own brainwaves into the computers, overwriting Doc Ock’s signal and restoring control to the city, but he still manages to escape.  The rescued Jay makes it to the chapel on time, the two get hitched, and Mary Jane Watson catches the bouquet, setting up the start of next week’s “Red Headed Stranger” story.

#600 is a damn great story, containing some wonderful moments, an incredibly creepy revamp of Doc Ock, and probably the funniest page in comics when BND villain Blindside grabs Daredevil.  I’m a bit surprised that there wasn’t a death, as most people figured there would be, but I’m sure JJJ Sr. will be fridged soon enough.  Slott continues to do a fantastic job though, as we continue to enjoy the new Spidey.  And of course, JR Jr. continues to do amazing work, with a Spider-Man that I’ve always seen as a classic interpretation of the character.

There’s a whole mess of back up stories and such here, including a fun story where Spidey visits a psychiatrist, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.  I won’t go into too much detail on those, but they’re still fun stories.  “Amazing Spider-Man” #600 gets an A.