Amazing Spider-Man #61 Review

Welcome to my spider-blog! As the intro states, I am a lifelong fan of Spider-Man, having first been exposed to the character when I was reading comics growing up in the late 80's-early 90's. Spidey has such a robust cast of characters and rogue's gallery that even after almost 50 years, his stories still remain interesting.

In addition to reviewing current issues and touching on Spidey news of the day, I also plan on reviewing classic tales. I'm going to start with Amazing Spider-Man #61. Why 61? Well, that's currently where I'm at in my reading. So I'm going to go forward from #61, and maybe one day look back at #1-60.

Getting caught up: the Kingpin, a thorn in Peter's side since being introduced in ish #50, has used the services of one of Norman Osborne's researchers, a professor Winkler, to create a brain washing machine? Why, you ask? To brainwash police captain extraordinaire George Stacy, also the father of Pete's love interest Gwen, into committing crimes on his behalf. This has caused the police to have a warrant out to arrest Stacy. Norman, still suffering from selective amnesia and forgetting he was the once the insidious Green Goblin, does not know one his employees is engaged in such criminal behavior right under his nose.

We start with Peter web swinging through New York, frantically searching for Capt. Stacy. Along the way, he chides himself for missing class, but knows his mission is of the utmost importance. This is a recurring theme throughout the years, Peter shirking his academic duties because of his duties as Spider-Man. Sadly, when I used that excuse in school it never worked.

He eventually beats up some of the Kingpin's henchmen (something he does a lot of in these issues) to get info on Capt. Stacy's whereabouts, but to no avail. Cut to Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn, informing the ravishing Mary Jane Watson that no one has seen hide nor hare of their buddies Pete and Gwen in days. It's amazing how shallow, and slutty, MJ was written as in those days, decades before she became Peter's loving wife. Actual MJ quote, after Harry asks her why she's so perky: "Because there are more than two billion people alive today, and half of them are mmmmmales!"

So where are Gwen and her dad? If you said captured by the Kingpin, you'd be correct! But before we get to there, we see Norman Osborn looking troubled at a newspaper picture of the Green Goblin. Apparently, There is some documentary retrospective about this now thought-deceased supervillain. Norman feels strange thoughts about the goblin, but doesn't know why. He asks the aforementioned Winkler about the brainwashing device, which he notices in his lab and doesn't remember purchasing, and Winky tells Norman that it's a basic piece of lab machinery, but Norman is suspicious of him.

After some exposition, where Spidey learns that Oscorp has something to do with the brainwashing machine and Kingpin, he shows up there only to find: the Kingpin! Holding Gwen and George Stacy hostage. After Spidey beats up on the Kingpin, calling him "tubby", Winkler points a gun at Gwen and her dad, telling Spider-Man not to move or he'll kill them.

But what's this? Norman shows up on the scene and tackles Winkler, causing him to fire the gun and mistakenly hit and destroy the brain washing device. This causes an explosion, and Peter leaps to rescue Gwen and Capt. Stacy from falling debris just in time. Norman helps clear George Stacy's name by telling the police, who have arrived on the scene, about the brain washing machine. Winkler dies in the explosion and the Kingpin, sadly, escapes.

Grade: 7.0 out of 10. A fun read, if not earth-shattering. everything got wrapped up a bit too easily at the end, with Capt. Stacy getting his name cleared with the help of Norman. How ironic. Also, I really enjoy the john Romita art, especially the covers, from this era.

Next issue: The name of the dame is Medusa!



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