"NEVER STEP ON A SCORPION!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Plot/Pencils: Steve Ditko/Inker: Steve Ditko/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Steve Ditko
Synopsis: The Scorpion breaks out of prison and goes on a mission of revenge against the man who helped create him: J Jonah Jameson...
Review: There was obviously something that Steve Ditko liked about the Scorpion, because he brings the character back in the space of only nine issues, and dedicates practically the entire issue to him having a massive fight with Spider-Man. Of course, there are other things going on as well, but they make up very little of the issue's 20 pages; this is action, action, action all the way. Ordinarily, this wouldn't appeal to me, as I've never been much of a fan of issues that are just one big fight scene, but being such a huge fan of the Scorpion - and Steve Ditko - I'm willing to let it go on this occasion. The battle between Spidey and Scorpey is exceptionally done; you really feel the impact of every punch, every crash, and every swipe of the Scorpion's tail. The highlight has to be when Spider-Man webs Scorpion up using a set of web bolas, before swinging through the city with him attached to a web line; it's a fantastic visual. I will say that the fight doesn't feel quite as brutal as last time, probably because Spider-Man's costume remains intact here, rather than ending up as the torn and scrappy mess it was reduced to after his first fight with Scorpey, but that doesn't matter too much. Scorpion also doesn't exactly get much in the way of development, but I always like him best when he's just a rampaging rage machine that will destroy anything in his path.
As most of the issue is dedicated to the battle, we get very little in the way of character development, but what we do get is pretty significant. Ned Leeds returns home from Europe, leaving Peter with a romantic rival again, and I do appreciate how during his fight with Scorpion, he allows the sight of Ned shielding Betty from the carnage to send him into a rage, exposing himself to the Scorpion's attack; it's a nice way of reminding the reader how Peter's personal life can affect his life as Spider-Man, as well as a good display of just how flawed and human he is. Jameson is as good as ever, cheering on Spider-Man during the fight, before making as if he himself tackled the Scorpion - and Spider-Man - single-handedly once they've gone. We also get some rumblings at the Bugle regarding future plot developments: reports of a cat burglar, and the theft of some scientific equipment; both of these will be brought up again in the following issue, which makes me wonder if Stan still had some level of correspondence with Steve at this point, or perhaps he heard through some of the other Marvel staff what Steve had planned for next time, as there's no hint of these plots in the artwork; it's all in Stan's dialogue. What there is a big hint for, however, is Aunt May having a dizzy spell at the end of the issue, setting up a big conflict for Peter in the issues to come, and it's an effectively ominous way to close the story.
This is going to be a shorter post than usual, because there really isn't a whole lot to say about this issue, save for mentioning every single plot hole - and there are a bucket load in this one - but I don't really want to spend a long time nit-picking. ASM #29 very much is what it says on the tin: a big fight between Spider-Man and Scorpion, and little more, but on this occasion, that's fine. It may be a rehash of the second half of Issue #20, but as long as Steve is giving us his usual fine work with a top tier villain, I don't mind. This used to be an issue I wasn't all that keen on, but it's grown on me over time. It's a good bit of fun, and manages to set up some stories for the future as well. I will admit that I'm glad to be going back to a more substantial plot next time, as the past two issues have both been dominated by big fight scenes and not so much story. I wouldn't want this all the time, but it's a decent issue for what it is.
Rating: 3.5/5
Next time, the Cat Burglar stalks the city's rooftops at night, and Betty Brant makes a startling announcement...
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