Peter Parker’s life continues to see changes after he got a new lease on life after getting control of his body back from Otto Octavius. Amazing Spider-Man #4 was our first full introduction to Cindy Moon, aka Silk, who was the other person that was bitten by the spider that gave Peter his powers. Peter and Cindy’s first meeting was a fiery one, to say the least. With Black Cat and Electro waiting to attack Spider-Man at any moment having Silk by his side may prove vital for the old webhead. Let’s see if that is the case with Amazing Spider-Man #5.
Creative Team
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Humberto Ramos
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Review
There is a lot that can go wrong when introducing a new character, especially one that had a previously unknown history with the longevity of a hero like Spider-Man. You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. To Dan Slott’s credit, he understands how to write fun and engaging character, which is exactly what he has done with the introduction of Cindy Moon, otherwise known as Silk.
Cindy has made a quick impact on Peter’s world that does feel more organic to what Slott has been doing during the course of his run on the Spider-Man franchise. With Amazing Spider-Man #5 we are able to see how her presence quickly changes the dynamic between Peter and his supporting cast. Slott is not writing her as another drama queen, instead, she is a fun character who brings out a different side to Peter.
This was best shown when we see Anna walks in on Peter and Cindy having a spider make-out session in Peter’s apartment. Instead of the situation turning into a catfight between two love interests, there is an inherent lightheartedness to the entire scene. Sure it was awkward but Cindy mentioning how even though she is mad at Peter neither of them can control their “spider-sides” when they are together gave the scene more comedic value. It’s a little thing that helps make Cindy a convincing new love interest that you can see Peter having a long-term relationship with, well as long-term as it can get in a comic book.
This scene, along with Peter’s meeting with J. Jonah Jameson, provided the issue a nice balance to the schemes Black Cat is cooking up in order to get revenge on Spider-Man. So far Slott has done a good job giving Black Cat’s revenge plan multiple layers as she is not just looking to attack and reveal Spider-Man’s identity. While that is part of her plan it’s not all of it. Her meeting with Mr. Negative and the Goblin King show us that. Since we don’t get to see how the entire meeting went I am intrigued by how Slott will bring these big Spider-Man villains into the entire conflict and who else Black Cat may work with in order to humiliate Spider-Man.
The one character I can’t quite get behind in this story is Electro. His whole motivation for returning and teaming up with Black Cat is questionable, and not in a good way. Any time Slott dedicates some time to develop Electro it seems as though he is not sure what direction he wants to go with the character. Does he want to be cured or continue being a villain? It’s an uncertainty that is not being executed as well as it should, especially compared to Black Cat’s development as a Spider-Man antagonist.
That said, I did enjoy seeing Electro fight Silk while Black Cat fought Spider-Man. This is thanks to Humberto Ramos bringing his energetic art style to the forefront as the superheroes and villains duke it out. Ramos’s artwork did a nice job showing off the powers and skillsets of the four people involved in the fight. The fight also highlighted the difference in Spider-Man and Silk’s power levels as Silk’s spider-sense and agility are a step above Spider-Man’s. There was also a nice sense of danger to the fight with Jonah and the other broadcasters trying their best to duck under cover from Electro’s lightning.
Overall: Amazing Spider-Man #5 was another enjoyable issue for a new series that has quickly become one of the comics I look forward to reading every month. This is a big deal given how I did not read Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man, and after more than a year away from reading a comic from this franchise, it feels good to be reading a Spider-Man comic again. So far everything is playing out well, with the exception of Electro’s motivation. And with the hook ending showing us that Black Cat is getting closer to getting her revenge on Spider-Man things should only get more exciting moving forward.