"WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE...!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Breakdowns: John Romita Sr./Penciller: Don Heck/Inker: Mike Esposito/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: John Romita Sr.
Synopsis: Gwen and her still-brainwashed father go on the run after Captain Stacy is photographed stealing police records, but the Kingpin aims to silence his now useless pawn...
Review: Whilst not quite as good as the previous issue, I still feel that this is a really enjoyable conclusion to the Brainwasher Saga. In fact, having said that this was probably my least favourite Kingpin storyline of the Lee and Romita era, I must confess that upon re-reading it, I've grown to appreciate it a lot more. It's pretty solid stuff once you get past that first instalment.
This issue continues the escalating tension and drama that the previous issue laid down, with Gwen and her dad becoming fugitives so that Captain Stacy won't be arrested for crimes he wasn't really aware he was committing; whilst Gwen is clueless about the brainwashing scheme, she knows that her father would never steal police records, and assumes that he must be ill. It's a nice little detail about Gwen that we didn't see prior to Captain Stacy being introduced; her loyalty to and unconditional love for her dad is rather touching, and it's nice to see her being more proactive and getting involved in the plot, even if she does just become a damsel in distress by the end. What I can't entirely fathom is Peter's reasoning for taking the incriminating photos of Stacy and allowing Jameson to print them in the Bugle; he claims that he did it to expose the Kingpin's brainwashing plot, but how exactly is it achieving that? Is he hoping that Stacy will remember something about the brainwashing process should he be apprehended by the police and interrogated? Like a lot of plot details in this storyline, this is a bit of a stretch, and just makes it feel as if Stan was just making things up as he went along, developing scenes and ideas that would have dramatic impact but not really thinking them through logically. Then again, he was writing the vast majority of Marvel's titles at this point in time, as well as being their editor-in-chief, so I can see how things like this could be overlooked.
Some far stronger character moments come from both Norman and Harry Osborn; here we see the first signs that Norman may be starting to remember his past as the Green Goblin, although in this issue all that amounts to is his anxiety at seeing a picture of the Goblin in a newspaper. Stan set up Norman's relapse into becoming the Goblin really well, seeding it carefully throughout the forthcoming issues, until finally bringing the arch-villain back in The Spectacular Spider-Man #2. We also get a neat little insight into Harry's psyche, where he bemoans how little he feels able to help his dad due to his lack of scientific prowess, and how he wishes he had the same level of intellect as Peter. I always like it when we delve into the pettier, more jealous aspects of Harry Osborn, as that's where I feel the character becomes the most interesting, if not always entirely likeable. Here, though, you can't help but feel for him, as he's essentially surrounded by people who are all good at something, and he's just sort of...there.
We get the same exciting action that we've become accustomed to from Lee and Romita, with a couple of really fantastic fight scenes; one near the start where Spidey lays into a trio of the Kingpin's hoods, and towards the end, as the Kingpin prepares to kill Gwen and her father. It's always a pleasure to see Spider-Man and the Kingpin duking it out, and Norman Osborn even gets in on the action, as the Kingpin has abandoned his prior hideout at the Gloom Room A-Go-Go and set up shop at Osborn's chemical plant. He tries to justify this by saying no one will look for him there, but I still feel he's taking a colossal risk; what's to stop Norman or any other technician just wandering into the lab that Kingpin is using as a base of operations? It's another leap in logic, but I do quite like the revelation that Winkler, the Kingpin's scientist, has been working for Osborn this entire time, and as said, the climax to the issue is really sensational, finishing with the brainwashing machine exploding - from one bullet, natch - and Spider-Man swinging in to save Gwen and her dad from being crushed by a falling chemical vat, as the cover depicts; it's rather chilling in hindsight to see Spider-Man so passionately scream that he won't let Gwen die.
It's not perfect, but ASM #61 is just about as enjoyable as the last issue, if featuring a few more plot holes. It boasts plenty of great action and drama, but makes the time to insert some much welcome character insights as well. The Brainwasher Saga is far better than I remember it being, although I still kind of balk at the idea of the Kingpin being featured in such a flagrantly sci-fi plot. He may still be a wonderful adversary, but he really doesn't suit this kind of caper.
Rating: 4/5
Next time, the Inhuman Medusa tackles Spider-Man, and that's about it, really...
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