“Ha ha. No.“
Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 #63
April 7, 2021
Written by: Nick Spencer
Art by: Federico Vicentini
Recap
Norman Osborn is monologuing to the ice-cubed Kindred about how sorry he is (even though no one else had long-term changes coming from the Sin Eater thing). It pulls back to reveal that Kingpin is watching this scene and inviting Baron Mordo to work magic on KIndred. (Has Mordo ever succeeded at any magical task? Ever?)
Spider-Man and Boomerang are fighting Hammerhead and his goons. . Then Owl and his goons show up.
Robbie and Tombstone react to the Beetle-Robbie relationship.
The Spidey-Boomerang fight continues. Hammerhead and the Owl fight each other and then Spide-Man wraps them up. SPider-Man and JJJ ask inthe popularity.
Randy tries toconvince Robbie that the relationship with the Beetle is worth pursuing and that the Beetle is changing.
Tombstone throws objects at the Beetle and demands she leave the relationship. The Beetle leaves.
We then hav e an intercut scene where Randy tells Peter about the relationship and the Beetle tells her supervillain gang the same thing. Randy says that the Beetle is changing and the supervillains warn that he will try to change her. Both are told to have a serious talk.
After an implied hokup, Randy reveals that he said that the Beetle is reforming. The Beetle gets mad and tries to leave in a huff. But the Crimemaster and his goons enter. Madame Masque comes in and takes out the Beetle. Boomerang and Spider-Man enter in their civvies and everything blows up.
Review
Until I started reviewing these books, I’m not sure I realized how many jump cuts there. There are many. A lot of balls are being kept up in the air. There’s a Norman story, a Kindred story, a Baron Mordo story, a Boomerang story, a Robbie story, a Beetle story, a Robbie story, a JJJ story, a Randy story . . . but, oddly, it makes me wonder about the earlier stories. When are the LIzard and Kraven going to arrive?
Let’s start with the first scene. Norman Osborn caputred Kindred by pretending to hate Harry. Now we’re supposed to believe that Norman Osborn was outsmarted by the Kingpin? Ha, ha. No. I’m laying down a marker: Norman is clearly acting for the camera.
All the Boomerang -Spider-Man gang fight stuff felt a little pro forma. Hammerhead hasn’t been a threat to anyone, other than Bombshell. in the past 20 years. The Owl is sometimes a threat. But it felt like a stall.
All the Randy-Beetle stuff is cutesy. I just want more for Randy or for him to leave an abusive relationship.
Grade: B. I don’t know if all the cylinders are firing. But they’re moving in a way that cylinders move.
