As much as I've been enjoying Dan Slott's run on Amazing Spidey, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hotly anticipating Mark Waid and Emma Rios' two-part crossover between this title and Waid's own Daredevil. And boy, did it deliver. Big time. Keeping Slott's story progressing forward as Peter continues moping around from his breakup with Carlie, Waid throws Black Cat back into Peter's life as a potential rebound. However, when she's framed for a burglary at Horizon Labs, Spidey enlists Daredevil for help. What results is a truly hilarious study in character interaction and superhero storytelling.
Waid's grasp on the Matt Murdock character is only strengthened by examining it from the perspective of Peter Parker, which is then underlined by the playful banter that he incorporates between the two. In addition, Waid's construction of the story is damn near flawless, offering up an interesting mystery that isn't just a plot, but a progression for all the characters involved. While it's not a revelatory plot in any way, Waid's plotting precision shows why the man has become an industry icon. Moreover, the interplay between Spidey and Black Cat, and more significantly Spidey and Daredevil, is an education in character work.
The real achievement is Waid's successful navigation of keeping this a Spider-Man-centric chapter while still offering significant contributions to the rest of the cast, keeping this book relevant to readers that are only following Amazing Spider-Man and might not be picking up Daredevil. However, if you fall into that group, take this issue as an indicator of just what you're missing.
Thankfully, Emma Rios joins Waid for this two-parter and offers up more of her patented lush and detailed figure work, supplemented by a highly detailed New York City and a gorgeous color palette from Javier Rodriguez. Rios seamlessly blends the superhero action with emotive body language, giving this book a style that offers the best of both worlds – the exaggerated and the realistic – that is a welcome change from the cluttered and absurdly extreme style of Humberto Ramos.
Whether you're only buying this issue to get as much Waid Daredevil as possible or you're a regular reader of this series, Amazing Spider-Man #677 is a stellar achievement for Waid, Rios, and all the characters involved.
It should be illegal for comics to be this charming.
Joey is IGN's Comics Editor and a comic book creator himself. Follow Joey on Twitter, or find him on MyIGN. You may or may not discover a profound number of cat pictures.
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