"AND THEN CAME ELECTRO!"
Writer: Stan Lee/Penciller: John Romita Sr./Inker: Jim Mooney/Letterer: Sam Rosen/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Marie Severin and John Romita Sr.
Synopsis: Peter prepares to make a TV appearance as Spider-Man in order to raise some cash, but Electro has set his sights on unmasking the wall-crawler live on air...
Review: I have a bit of a special connection with ASM #82. This was the very first Lee/Romita issue that I ever read, and one of the first Spider-Man comics I came across. I was introduced to it way back in 2012 in the pages of Secret Origins, a small collection of issues released to coincide with the release of Andrew Garfield's first Spidey movie outing, and like practically every other story in that book, I was immediately entranced. It was an odd choice to include in the book, as the issues were advertised as being ones that inspired the direction that the film would take, and I wouldn't say there's anything in ASM #82 that feels as if it was translated to the big screen, other than perhaps a handful of scenes with Peter and Gwen. Oh well, I'm glad it was chosen for inclusion whatever the reason, because this is another highlight of the era for me.
Much like ASM #80, this issue sees the return of a villain not present in the pages of Amazing since the Ditko days, and again like ASM #80, I couldn't be happier to see him back. Electro is such a simple villain conceptually, but sometimes less is more, and I will never fail to get a charge out of seeing Max Dillon putting on that iconic green and yellow costume and hurling bolts of electricity at the web-slinger; Electro really can make for some of the most fast-paced and thrilling fights in all of Spider-Man. Here we see him on parole and working at the TV station that Spider-Man will be appearing at; it's slightly odd that nobody working at the station realises that he's a former supervillain, but considering the character hadn't appeared in ASM for several years, I think it was right to introduce him as if for the first time. In fact, when I was a kid, I wondered if this was the villain's debut, until I got to page 7 and saw that he'd made two appearances in Spider-Man prior to this.
I love the little scenes of Dillon skulking about his apartment and sneering at his parole officer; they bring such a raw, earthy quality to Electro that hadn't really been seen before now, and when he suits up to take on Spider-Man, it's such a triumphant return for the character. It's a brief battle, but one that I really love, full of sparks flying, people panicking and Spidey leaping about as he dodges Electro's attacks. I also really like how the web-head defeats Electro, by getting the villain to short-circuit himself; a nice example of Peter using his brain to put down a bad guy. It's a bit of a cop-out that Electro doesn't try to unmask the unconscious Spider-Man after the fight's over - I get that he's too weak to fight him, but surely not to pull his mask off? - but I can't complain when we get to see Peter's costume in such a sorry state, full of holes and scorch marks; I love seeing the suit get damaged during a fight; it makes the action feel so much more impactful.
Peter himself is in a bit of a sorry state throughout the whole issue, feeling depressed and morose thanks to all the problems in his life. I for one love this stuff; Peter's worries about not being good enough for Gwen in particular feel really believable and the scenes the two of them share in this issue are some of their very best. When people think of Peter and Gwen, they're thinking of moments like the one on the park bench in this issue, where Gwen reassures Peter that she'd rather be sat with him than anywhere else in the world. A more comical highlight from Peter is the scene where he needs to wash his Spidey costume before appearing on TV, and is forced to take it up to the local laundromat with a bag over his head to disguise himself. It's the only bit of levity he gets in this issue, as for the rest of it, he's one glum web-slinger, but his maudlin mood is portrayed really well and with credibility, and unlike the end of last issue, never feels over-the-top or silly.
This issue is a huge improvement over recent stories when it comes to plotting. The panels are smaller and more numerous again, and they only become larger when the scene calls for it, mainly during the fight with Electro. We actually have proper scenes with the supporting cast; it's like we're back in the early days of the Lee/Romita run again. Mary Jane finally returns after being absent since The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2, and thank God she's gone back to her old hairstyle. She doesn't get to do much beyond flirt with Peter and act as a thorn for Gwen, but to have her back at all is a blessing; she breathes so much life into every scene she's in. Harry finally shaves off that awful moustache, and Flash does his usual friendly jibing with Peter, though in this instance, Peter flies off the handle at him thanks to his bad mood. Jameson stands out as well, conspiring with Electro to unmask Spider-Man; it can be a lot of fun whenever Jameson takes his hatred of Spider-Man too far, and it certainly is here.
ASM #82 is a fantastic return to form for the title. I love the Petrified Tablet Saga and the Prowler two-parter, but this is the first time in a while that a single issue has felt packed with so much content; I feel that Stan really listened to reader complaints that the book had become all style and no substance, and we'll see more of this richer plotting from now on. It may be pretty basic plot-wise, but this has all the hallmarks of a classic Spider-Man story: a brilliant villain, Peter's personal drama, nice turns from the supporting cast, a perfect balance of action and story, and to top it all off, it also has quite possibly my favourite Spidey cover of all time.
Rating: 4.5/5
Next time, the Kingpin returns, but this time, he has a new enemy: the rival crime lord known as the Schemer...
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