Amazing Spider-Man #601 Review

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #601
Red Headed Stranger: No Place Like Home

Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Mario Alberti
Colors by: Andres Mossa
Letterer: VC’s Joe Carmagna
Cover by: J. Scott Campbell

Following the events of issue 600, we finally get a book free of super-villains and get a chance to see just how difficult Peter Parker’s life can be even without Spider-man.

Mark Waid crafts a fun, fairly self-contained story that takes place the day after Aunt May’s wedding. Evidently, Peter gets pretty trashed at the wedding, wakes up in bed with a very angry roommate, and slightly remembers something about a date he has with Mary Jane. Only problem is, he doesn’t know the time or place.

Without a clear villain we get to spend a bit more time with Peter as Spider-man as he tries to figure out what happened the night before, find a new place to live and save the city. This book was funnier than the recent “American Son” storyline, which is a welcome relief as this is how Spider-man is supposed to be, a quipy, one-liner type-of-character, who always has a joke, no matter how down his situation might get. It’s also nice to see some minor characters come back into the spotlight including Betty Brant and Glory Grant. I do worry though how long the Reilly family is going to be hanging around since they don’t add a strong dramatic element and only serve to eat up pages that could be better served with something that’s actually interesting.

After being spoiled in #600 with Romita Jr., Alberti has some big shoes to fill. While it’s not always what you would expect, and sometimes it can be pretty hit and miss, it manages to work, especially the further you get into the book. I get the feeling that Alberti got more comfortable with the material the more he drew. I especially liked Peter’s Captain America boxer shorts.

This is a good issue and solid jumping on point, even if you missed #600. Mark Waid has a strong handle on the character and the art is sufficient despite being nothing special. Also, this remains one of the few books that is still three dollars. An affordable and enjoyable book, what more could you ask for?

B