Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #313

Background

Todd McFarlane does The Lizard. Sure, he can draw, but can he do something original with this long-serving hero/villain?

Story 'Slithereens'

Right when you flip open, everyone screams about a shark coming into the Midtown Tunnel, which MJ and Peter happen to be in. With a BOOM, the shark takes the cab's top off, spreading glass about. Luckily, nobody was hurt. Peter gets his web shooter on and takes down the shark, while the taxi driver drives away, wondering how did it fall like that. We switch scenes right to Curt, who tries to stop the transformation he's about to withstand. He doesn't last very long, half a page. Mary Jane and Kristy (some friend fat chick) are talking when May comes back from a trip downtown, looking for Peter. He went bye-bye, web slinging about.

Then we see Martha and Billy, coming to see Curt, who is seperated at the time. She worries that Curt may have became The Lizard all over again and recalls the short tale again for all of us to see. Spidey arrives at E.S.U., looking for Aunt May, just as Martha and Billy arrive below to see Curt. Convinent, huh? Now the story gets extremely weird, the officer who escorts them is evil and sends all these monstars out of a drawer to get the two. Meanwhile, two kids are being attacked by a huge Spidey blimp (wonder if the writer was on medication or something). The Lizard throws the monster out of a window into the daylight (it's night?!) and Spidey pops the blimp to deflate it.

Martha shows a little compassion for Lizard, but he didn't want the monster to kill them for one simple reason...he wanted to! Whatever shall a mother and child do against a big green monster? WHACK, he's kicked away, Spidey's here to save the day! Man, that's one mean kick, crashing into furniture. Lizard gets up and after Spider-Man, choking him, until Spidey throws a serum in his mouth. He turns back.....NOT!

The serum wasn't strong enough and a electro-chemical reaction must be induced.....he should touch a power-line to be shocked into transforming. Billy whines not to hurt him and Spidey gets a tail shot by Lizard. Lizard goes for Billy, but, one arm is reaching for the line (controlled by Curt, the serum partly worked). Must resist.......nope, it's over, Curt's back, but tells everyone to leave him alone in his despair. Not a happy ending, Curt walks off in tattered clothes, his meeting has been cancelled. Little start on next comic (uninterested) and that's it....

General Comments

This story lacked in everything to some extent. Little mistakes here and there, the plot was unfocused and screwy. Yeah, The Lizard had evil intentions, but since when has the family become the target? Is it to destroy Curt emotionally to rid The Lizard of a weakness or what?

Overall Rating

Aw, not much more to say, 2.5 webs is the verdict.