"TURNING POINT"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: Spider-Man tracks down Betty Brant to Philadelphia, where she has become involved with Doctor Octopus and notorious mobster Blackie Gaxton, in order to clear her brother Bennett's gambling debts...
This review contains heavy spoilers, so if you don't want to know what happens, read ASM #11 first before returning here. You won't regret it.
Review: It could be argued that ASM #11 begins the first two-parter of the series, as Doc Ock returns again in the following issue. I myself see Issues #9-12 as a loose quadrilogy, as the thread of Betty's past is touched upon in all four stories, but each issue can certainly be read separately, as they're all pretty self-contained stories, even Issues 11 and 12. Whichever way you want to look at it, I'd argue that this is the point when ASM goes from being great to excellent, and Issue #11 is emblematic of this shift in quality; from first page to last, it is a tour de force in superhero storytelling, and one of my favourite Spider-Man issues of all time.
Everything about this story feels weighty and important; there's a tangible sense of impending doom that's evident as soon as you open the issue: that gorgeous splash page with Betty pummelling her fists against Spider-Man's chest, screaming that she'll hate him till the day she dies, as the shadow of Doctor Octopus looms over them both, sets the tone perfectly, and immediately hooks you in. The way in which the early scenes of the story unfold: Ock being released from prison, Spider-Man spotting him getting into a car driven by Betty, tracking them down to Philadelphia - thanks to the debut of his new spider tracer - as well as the various cutaways to Bennett Brant, as we see the hold that Blackie Gaxton has over him, all do such a tremendous job of making events feel as if they're tightening, as if fate really is moving the characters into play like chess pieces, shifting them closer to their "date with destiny," as Stan fittingly puts it.
This is the first time tragedy has struck in Spider-Man's life since the death of Uncle Ben, and yet somehow, it feels far more brutal even than that fateful event, because the scene in which Peter and Betty reunite is full of such optimism and joy; the delight on Peter's face as he decides to tell Betty that he's Spider-Man as soon as they get back to New York makes you want more than ever to see him succeed, but at the same time, we know his happiness is only inviting more sorrow into his life. The death of Bennett Brant is largely overlooked in the annals of Spidey history, which is strange, considering it's by far one of the most significant events of the Lee and Ditko era, informing and poisoning Peter and Betty's entire relationship going forward.
It's a magnificent scene, drawn beautifully by Ditko, who imbues Betty's face with such horror as her brother is gunned down beside her, as well as emphasising the tragedy of Bennett's death by having him crumple forward, hiding his face from his only living relative as he breathes his last, insisting that it's better this way, as he was never any good to anyone. I know it can seem a bit of a cheap play for the reader's emotions, introducing a new character only to kill him off in order to bring more tragedy to Peter's life, but here, I feel it works. Stan and Steve ensure that Bennett's death feels gutting, the culmination of all the doom and gloom atmosphere that dominated the early pages of the issue. Tragedy has struck, and Spider-Man's life will never be the same again.
Of course, we can't forget Doctor Octopus, who is better than ever; it could have been a risk forcing him to share the page with Gaxton and his mob, but Ock is too larger than life to ever slip into the background, and I always love seeing Ditko go to town with organised crime characters; that's clearly something he enjoyed drawing, not just in Spider-Man, but in plenty of his other work as well. It takes until page 14 before Spidey and Ock actually begin duking it out, but it's well worth the wait; I love how for most of the fight it feels as if Spider-Man is actually just trying to keep Ock at bay and escape rather than gaining a decisive win; his desperation as he dives below decks to escape Ock's clutches, and webs up doorways just to slow the villain down really ramps up the tension, and their climactic battle aboard the launch is just brilliant - the 90s Spider-Man theme always blares in my head during this scene.
As if it wasn't clear enough already, I adore this issue. It features the return of one of my favourite villains, a satisfying conclusion to the mystery of Betty Brant, and brings a whole load of melodrama to the book, making Spidey more of a tortured character than ever before, doomed to keep his secret to himself for fear of losing the girl he loves. It's just phenomenal stuff, and is one of the best examples of why Lee and Ditko remains such a beloved era for the character, over sixty years later.
Rating: 5/5
Next time, Doc Ock rampages in New York to get his revenge on both Spider-Man, and Betty, and for the first time ever, Spider-Man will be...unmasked!
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