"UNMASKED BY DOCTOR OCTOPUS!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: Doctor Octopus is waging a one-man war against the country in the hopes of luring Spider-Man out into the open for a rematch...
Review: 'Unmasked' covers are almost always a gimmick that doesn't pay off. A comic book cover which depicts the hero being unmasked for all the world to see is purely there to get readers interested and sell copies (as if fans weren't going to to buy the issue already), and the unmasking itself never plays out in a particularly satisfying way. This is very much the case with ASM #12, which promises a momentous shock with its fabulous Ditko cover, depicting a defeated Spider-Man being unmasked as Peter Parker, to the horror of Jameson, Betty, and a group of police officers. In actuality, Peter is unmasked after a very brief fight with Octopus, in which Ock easily gains the upper hand, thanks to Peter suffering from a cold which saps him of his powers. He is unmasked, and because he fought so badly, everyone assumes he can't be the real Spider-Man, and was simply trying a foolish stunt to rescue Betty, who had been kidnapped by the arch villain. It's hardly a satisfying scene after that cover, but I will admit that it is at least clever; technically, Ock does unmask Spider-Man, but nobody believes that Peter could be the wall-crawler. There's a nice twist of irony to it that I appreciate.
Of course, this supposed 'stunt' has ramifications, although not as many as you would have thought. The police don't even tell Peter what an idiot he's been, dressing up as a superhero and trying to fight one of the most dangerous men in the world; instead, they tell him he's a very brave young man, which isn't the best message to be sending to Marvel's younger and more impressionable readers. Aunt May only gives him a brief ticking off, but the biggest (and most amusing) change comes when Liz Allan finally reciprocates Peter's attraction, long after he's lost interest in her and moved on to Betty. It's another fun little slice of irony from this issue, and one that feels very relatable to real life; feelings can often crop up at the most inopportune times.
I realise that I haven't been offering too much praise for this issue so far, which needs to be rectified, because on the whole, it's very enjoyable. Ock is more of a threat than ever, wrecking the entire city just to draw Spider-Man out into the open. Gone are his plans to be renowned as a genius no matter the cost; gone are his ambitions to enter the world of organised crime; now, he's just a ball of pure, crackling rage, wanting revenge on his sworn enemy in any way possible, even at (especially at) the cost of human life. I love it when the power of Doctor Octopus is shown in all its might and glory, and ASM #12 is a prime example of Otto at his rampaging, bloodthirsty best.
The final battle is tremendous, probably the best yet, and Ditko makes great use of several different locations in which the two of them can wage their war against each other: a set of towering smokestacks, the city rooftops, and the beautifully rendered sculptor's studio; this last setting really lets Ditko go to town with the scenery, and allows him to indulge in his love of drawing rooms filled with inanimate, staring faces. All the while, we get these lovely little humorous moments, like the very Frank Drebin-esque police officer urging citizens that there's 'nothing to see here,' as Ock flips a car over behind him, and Jameson getting soaked after a water tower is wrecked during the Spidey/Ock fight. I could have done without the rather pointless scenes of Spider-Man capturing some animals that have been released from the zoo, but this at least shows that Ditko was more than capable of drawing a wide variety of creatures.
ASM #12 is a bit of a step-down from the past three issues; it feels comparatively simple following on from the rich, substantial plots of Issues #9-11, but that's by no means a bad thing. Yes, I could have done with a bit more of the fallout from Betty's grief (Bennett is not even mentioned in the issue). Yes, the stuff with the animals feels as if it's there to pad the story out. Yes, the unmasking scene can be viewed as a bit of a cop-out. But, this issue does still contain some nice character development with Liz's new crush on Peter, some fun little moments of comedy, and Doctor Octopus proving once again just how much of a threat he is, topped off with a truly phenomenal fight sequence. It may not be stellar, but it's still very good.
Rating: 4/5
Next time, Spider-Man begins to wonder if he's unconsciously turning to crime as he faces the illusory menace of...Mysterio!
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