Amazing Spiderman: "Revelations" and "Until the Stars Turn Cold" (Amazing Spider-Man S) [Paperback]

One of the best installments in the Amazing Spider-man Series - I had been waiting a long time to get this, Ezekiel is one of the most loveable and enjoyable characters in the series and it was a nice touch to give him almost an entire volume to clear up the mysteries.

This book brings to light all of the strange paranormal happenings that Spidey had faced in previous volumes. The ending seems a bit rushed, and some fans will be left pretty depressed with the major turn in the story, but nonetheless it's a fun and gripping edition and totally worth the buy

As with almost all of Spider-man stories I have found enjoyment and always looked forward to the next one.(I'm a longtime Spiderfan and easy to please). Ezekiel had always been a mysterious, almost immortal figure since popping in to Parker's life. This chapter sums it all up very well, but I was disappointed with the ending. It felt like everything in the last several books culminated to this chapter and now there doesn't feel like there is anything on the horizon for Spider-mans legacy or the Parker's family, although I know better. Perhaps Ezekial will be Peter's Obi-wan Kenobi in future issues. In a way it kinda seemed like J. Micheal Strac. was unexpectedly running out of pages and had to "wrap it" up. Still, I was very pleased I bought this one and it again as I do will the previous chapters (yes--I read them all in order too! LOL).

Title: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 6: Happy Birthday
Publisher: Marvel
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: John Romita Jr.
Collects: Amazing Spider-Man #57-58 & #500-502
Price: $12.99

Ok, here we go again, I wish Marvel would stop it with the re-numbering and then returning to the old numbering. This is not the first time they've done this, nor will it be the last, but it drives me nuts. I know they wanted to put the whole Clone debacle as far behind them as they could, but why return to the initial numbering sequence five years later? Well, in this case, the answer is to hit that "important" 500th issue mark. Spidey's been around quite a while now, and Marvel wanted to recognize this so they simply changed the number on the issues to reflect this. So, now we're back to the old number sequence - at least until we get another really bad writer or storyline on the book. Then I suppose we'll begin back at issue one again and proceed further until we near the 600th issue mark when we can switch back again. Hmm... if I sound jaded, it's just because I am.

Anyway, despite my gripes about the numbering problem, this trade is pretty good, and this is probably the strongest story Straczynski has put forth since his 9/11 issue. Peter finds himself intervening in a major battle in NYC as a portal opens to another dimension and many mindless ones (just large, generic, brutish monsters - not Democrats) come pouring out. The gang's all here: FF, Avengers, X-Men - all trying to stop the destructive hordes and figure out how to get them back where they belong. As usual, Reed Richards figures out a way to do this, but in doing so, accidentally brings Dormammu into our world. Now it's up to Dr. strange to put things back the right way.

As Spidey helps Dr. Strange (or, rather, gets in his way), he is transported to the void - a place that exists before and after time. Rather than listening to and following Dr. Strange's instructions, Spidey attempts to go off on his own and help MJ - or some vision of her. He gets trapped in a past timeline and, from there, must relive and overcome some of the greatest challenges he has ever faced. Along the way, he sees a young Peter Parker bitten by a radioactive spider and a future Spider-Man gunned down by federal agents. He clashes with old enemies in classic battles and has his strength tested again and again. It's kind of like a primer on Spidey's whole history. While this may seem like a contrived way to celebrate Spidey's "anniversary," I found this much more acceptable than an issue where Peter sits down on the couch with MJ to talk about their past and browse a photo album of fond memories. At least this way, we get a review of Spidey's history and a look into his possible future with SOME story attached to it.

At the end of this primary storyline, there is a nice piece of writing where Dr. Strange give Spidey a very special birthday gift. I won't ruin it for anyone who wants to read it for themselves. I'll just suffice it to say that it was a very nice touch.

The remainder of the volume is a collection of two stand-alone stories in which Peter fights two new generic, throw-away villains: Shaker (who can produce seismic vibrations with his powered suit) and Killshot (who is a sniper and nothing more). Really, the action in these two mini-stories is just a backdrop to the more human stories that take place. One focuses on Aunt May and her new, strange relationship with Spider-Man (Notice how I didn't say Peter? That's important.) The other story is one of those typical stories that show that it's not the costume that's important, but the character of the person who is wearing it. In this case, the story focuses on a tailor who repairs and designs costumes for villains and super-heroes alike. It's kind of short and sweet and predictable, but not bad. It's just not anything we haven't seen before.

Overall, I thought the humor in this collection was better than many past volumes, and the inclusion of so many other heroes in the stories just made it more enjoyable for me. Every book needs some guest appearances from time to time, and this book was due for it.

Once again, JRJR does a stand-up job on the art chores. The huge splash pages of the fight between the heroes and the mindless ones were very nice to look at. And even though the new villains introduced here are not really intended for long-term use, the costume design and look of the villains was done very well. No complaints on the art except my normal one. Why does May Parker have such a huge melon on her shoulders?

Writing: 8/10
Artwork: 8/10
Overall: 8/10