Amazing Spider-Man #667

Cover by Humberto Ramos, Gabrielle Dell'Otto

Amazing Spider-Man #667 (August 10, 2011)

Writer: Dan Slott

Penciller: Humberto Ramos, Carlos Cuevas

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

I know I should get more interested in Spider-Man; I mean, he’s practically analogous to the Marvel Universe and everybody loves him, don’t they?

I don’t.

I don’t know what it is about the guy but something about Peter Parker makes my skin crawl. My superficial understanding of the guy makes me think that he’s a whiny jerk and probably a bad boyfriend. I worry about everyone who comes into contact with him for some reason. I think I equate him somewhat with Eugene from Hey Arnold! and he was a walking bad omen. Spider-Man seems to be the same sort of character.

After reading this issue (totally arbitrarily, I must admit), my theory seems to be true.

Everything has apparently gone straight to hell in New York; everyone is discovering that for some freak reason, ordinary people have spider-powers. Oh man, there are hundreds of inexperienced spider-people running around!

Peter Parker obviously is overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, especially when his girlfriend also has spider-powers. He makes some stupid, juvenile comments to himself about this turn of events (a spider-transmitted disease, har har) and refuses to tell his girlfriend that he, too, has spider-powers. I think they’re relationship is a bit unhealthy.

Anyway, New York City is overrun with spider-people and Marvel heroes jump in to save the day. Too bad they can’t figure out which spider-person is the right Spider-Man and accidentally knock him out. The ending panel shows the pure overwhelming task of trying to get the situation under control in a purely Where’s Waldo-like illustration.

The art by Ramos and Cuevas was super cartoony and I guess kind of cute to illustrate the cartoony nature of the storyline. It was colorful and loud and busy which was sort of fun but also somewhat annoying. But not as annoying as Peter Parker.