"IN THE CLUTCHES OF...THE KINGPIN!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.
Synopsis: With Spider-Man back in action, the city's criminals begin to topple once more, but the Kingpin isn't about to let anything interfere with his plans to capture J. Jonah Jameson...
Review: It seems odd to me that the three part storyline that takes place over ASM #50-52 is referred to as the 'Spider-Man No More' arc, when only the first instalment deals with that iconic tale. Oh well, I suppose it's the simplest way of differentiating it from some of the other three-parters featuring the Kingpin that we'll get during the Lee and Romita era. The Kingpin, as the title - and that absolutely incredible cover - would suggest, really steps up to the plate in this issue and takes a much more active role than last time, which I thoroughly approve of. Whilst we had tantalising glimpses of him in the previous issue, this is a terrific showcase for just how good of a villain he is.
One thing that I miss about the Kingpin once he makes the transition to becoming Daredevil's nemesis - to me, he will always be a Spidey villain first and foremost - is the downplaying of his physical prowess and fighting ability. Yes, we do see some intense fight scenes with the Kingpin post-Miller Daredevil, but he doesn't regularly get out from behind his desk to beat the tar out of somebody, which I feel is a real shame. I love seeing him battle Spider-Man in particular, Spidey's smaller stature and agile movements contrasting really nicely with the big, brutish power of the Kingpin. As well as just being plain fun to read, depriving Kingpin of the chance to show off his fighting skill means that you lose a significant element that defined his character from the outset: the fact that people always underestimate him, thinking he's going to be slow-moving and weak. Too often his first-time opponents mistake his bulk for fat and not the pure muscle that it actually is - as they do in this issue - and I always love seeing the Kingpin humbling these presumptuous pests in his own ruthless manner. I must admit that I do also enjoy seeing him as the Machiavellian schemer that he becomes in the 80s, running the entirety of New York from behind a desk, but you still get that in this issue from decades prior, plus we get treated to the awesome action scenes. Am I not allowed to have my cake and eat it too?
It's also tremendous fun seeing Spider-Man back in action after being largely absent from the previous issue, and Stan's dialogue is just on finest form, with Spidey's quips and zingers better than ever. Romita's artwork is just as exciting, and though I don't like Mike Esposito's inks here as much as I do when they accompany Ross Andru's art, this is still a fantastic looking issue; the action scenes really get the adrenaline going, and you'll have a huge grin plastered over your face as Spider-Man swings into action against the Kingpin's thugs, with the scene in the swanky club being a particularly explosive highlight. Spider-Man is back with such confidence that his ultimate defeat at the hands of the Kingpin is all the more crushing; we've got out hero back, but is he to be met with a swift end so quickly? Well, obviously not, but it's a brilliant ending all the same, and that tension-inducing teaser for the next issue - 'To Die a Hero!' surely had every reader on edge back in '67.
One thing I really appreciate about this issue is just how well Jameson is portrayed. For perhaps the first time ever - though thankfully, it won't be the last - JJ is depicted as a more conscientious and heroic champion of the free press, doggedly pursuing his story about the Kingpin running the city's underworld, and refusing to drop it even when he's threatened. Of course, he still has his usual bluster, but this is one of the first signs of Jameson showing a more human side to contrast with his eccentric outbursts, even if no attention is really drawn to it, though I'd argue that wasn't necessary. We also get debatably the first appearance of Joe Robertson in this issue. He's only in one panel, has just a single line of dialogue, and goes without a name, but he's an African-American man standing over Jameson's shoulder, making a suggestion about which reporter to put on the Kingpin story, so to my mind, he's Robbie. Foswell is great in this issue as well, joining forces with the Kingpin to get his foot back into the criminal underworld, though we can already see his hesitation at these actions when the Kingpin mentions that he will be instrumental in bringing down Jameson - this will have a brilliant pay-off in the following issue. It's actually quite sad seeing Jameson's faith in Foswell destroyed in this issue when he discovers that the man he gave a second chance to has turned to crime once again; the trust between them has completely gone.
ASM #51 may not be as iconic as its immediate predecessor, but it's just as much fun to read, and makes for an excellent full introduction to the Kingpin, easily the best villain to come out of post-Ditko Spider-Man. Well, second only to the original Hobgoblin. A beautiful, eye-catching cover is just the tip of the iceberg, as the story presented here is one of the best that Lee and Romita have produced yet. There's only one more instalment to go in their three-part epic - multi-parters become the norm, rather than the exception, from now on - and I promise that it's just as much of a classic as these first two. This is still only the beginning of a very good time to be a Spider-Man fan.
Also, does anyone else love the way the splash page transitions to the first panel? It looks as if the Kingpin is symbolically smashing New York beneath his giant fist, but when you turn the page you realise he has an actual diorama of New York on his desk that he just destroyed for dramatic effect.
Rating: 5/5
Next time, Spider-Man and Jameson are trapped together, at the mercy of the Kingpin, and someone is going to die a hero...
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