Amazing Spider-Man #642: “Origin of Species Part 1”
Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Paul Azaceta
Well folks, we’ve gotten past the assault on our senses and sensibilities that was “One Moment In Time” and with the official end of Brand New Day, we’ve got “Origin of Species” to lead us to what’s supposed to be Peter Parker’s new status-quo, “Big Time.”
The issue opens somewhat promisingly. A great big helping of Spider-Man’s rogues have been gathered by an unseen figure with an offer they cannot refuse. He’ll make their wildest dreams come true – purge criminal records, upgrade their tech, cure them of any biological ailments which are side-affects of their abilities, as long as they go find him Lily Hollister (who you may remember as Menace. Former girlfriend of Harry Osborn and current baby mama of the incarcerated Norman Osborn) and bring him the child she’s carrying in her womb.
Why? Well apparently this child possesses a unique biology (no doubt due to having two parents with goblin-spliced genes)
Look at those bad guys go? Hey, even Morbius is there! Shame he’s not hanging out with the X-men instead of Blade, that would be fun to read.
Anyways, next up we’ve got *yawn* Peter Parker dealing with money issues. And his roommate being a bitch. Like I said, *yawn.* Michelle hating Peter was cute the first couple of times. Tired of it now. And Peter Parker never having any money stopped being something anyone wanted to read about twenty years ago.
Peter rushes to a date with Carlise at Harry’s coffee shop, only to find Mary Jane there regaling Carlise with embarrassing stories about Peter. Cute. It’s also nice to see Mary Jane not drawn as if she was disfigured, as was the case in OMIT. Carlise, unfortunately, sort of looks like that money from Super-Monkey Ball.
Then a very pregnant Lily Hollister bursts in through the window on a goblin-glider being chased by Tombstone and Shocker (and when was the last time Shocker showed up anywhere?) Peter quickly suits up to tend to the villains while his friends try and help Lily with the whole being in labor thing. Seeing as none of them are trained doctors, it’s a good thing one shows up.
Damn Doc Ock, what the hell happened to you? Guess he didn’t come out of his last encounter with Spidey as well as one would have hoped. He’s sporting new arms now, so I guess that’s a plus of his new look. The good doctor makes short work of Spidey and the other interlopers and retrieves Lily’s son.
Overall Rating – 3/10: Not being overly critical, just not much happens in this issue. Couple that with the trouncing out of narratives devices we’ve grown tired of and art that’s just downright painful at points, I can’t say many good things about this comic. Still, on the positive side, we’ve got a new status-quo for Doc Ock. And Morbius. If you’re wondering why a 3: it’s because I gave the issue a point and half for both of those things.
