Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #365 (Story 1)

Background

This story is part of the 30th Anniversary issue.

Story 'Fathers and Sins'

We start off seeing The Lizard running and jumping across building tops, while it mentions the torment of Spider-Man #1-5 being over. Now he is on a mission, but we find out soon enough. Actually, he lands..right at the Conner house watching Billy's birthday celebration (11 candles on the cake, take it as how you want it). It's night, why have it then for fear of rapists and muggers outside to get the kids? Anyway, Peter recalls Spider-Man #1-#5 as the last mention of The Lizard, but he doesn't know who's right outside the window. He jumps into a bedroom as Peter and MJ get the ice cream and bowls. Spiper sense goes off and just as Martha goes in the bedroom to get a skateboard (present for Billy). The Lizard shuts the door and Martha gets scared. Lizard growls for his son and has Martha call for him. Coming in the room unknowingly, Billy faces his father, who scratches him on the cheek. Spidey comes through the window and fights a battle with Lizard. Highlights: Tail to the chest, thrown through a wall, gave all the kids recurring nightmares, being slammed pretty bad and Billy hits Lizard with the skateboard! The Lizard stops and looks at his son, who has a tear of hurt in his eye and The Lizard jumps through a window, hit by a tracker on the way.

Geez, Billy looks identical to Johnny Quest as a teen, looks pretty grown up for a young boy. Spider-Man is "Off to see the Lizard" la la la la....oh yeah, wrong movie. Billy feels like he wants to end this nightmare, while Martha tries to tell Billy it's not Curt's fault. He skateboards through the city, just happening to find Spidey jump into a sewer. Meanwhile, two strangers talk about May Parker (those fake parents..read about it elsewhere in this site). Billy follows Spider-Man (why leave the manhole open, anyone could fall down there!), but gets caught shortly and told not to worry and go home. Billy looks nasty as he removes the knife and vows not to mentally. Dang, man with a mission, or pre-teen. Spider-Man finds a complex from Spectacular #175 (Dr. Octopus, I didn't read it, I only cover The Lizard). The Lizard comes in, telling Spidey the whole plan (he's Curt at this time, mind- wise only). He says how the voodoo made his metabolism screwy, so he switched from cold to warm blood and vise versa alot. After a sporatic rage, he found the complex and a machine that could turn him back...with DNA from a direct linkage (it doesn't take a genius to know it was Billy's blood, that scratch was to get DNA). He wants to use the machine, but Spidey says the surge would cause it to explode, killing him. Lizard goes nuts then and they fight again, yay!

Highlights include: Spidey tossed in machines (Ouch), Spidey thrown through a brick wall (Bigger Ouch) and Penn Station falling on top of him (Biggest Ouch). After Lizard finishes his rage and gets pissed off alot, the heartbeat slows down and reason returns back to Curt. Spidey tries to reason, but he won't listen, doing it for Billy's sake. Spider-Man goes through a pep- talk and lifts the thing up, jumping in the hole to find the maching already on (oh yeah, the fake parents visit May, she faints)!! To stop the explosion, Spidey throws a tracer in the beam, zapping him (Pretty big Ouch). As he recovers, he sees Billy with a knife and no one to stop him! He walks up, ready to kill, but Curt (yup, human again) looks up at him and they exchange a couple words. Billy drops the knife and hugs his father. I think I need a tissue, sniff sniff. Happy birthday Billy (Spider-Man says it). Like Curt turns himself in to police (why, Lizard did the bad stuff) and Spidey comes home to MJ, telling him something's wrong at May's. They rush over there and see the fake parents, well they don't know yet, BIG DEAL.....

General Comments

This, for any reader's information, was my first Lizard comic and has more in it too, good deal. Spider-Man #1-5, which was referred to, got me on expanding my collection and so on. I really liked this story, it's a little mushy, but the idea behind it is a good one. They needed to do something about Billy, he had to show involvment in his father's "curse" and he got a chance to. I love this Lizard look, it's the best one I've seen. Not like the McFarlane stuff, but it's a nice way to bring The Lizard back into the spotlight. It still bothers me that Billy looks like Johnny Quest and that he looks older now then even the comics after this one! Also, what did Curt turn himself in for and how did he pay for it? Geez, it kinds of lacks a close. Overall, I would of seen this as a last Lizard appearance, but they haven't decided to do that yet. It's a good story and is off that old boring storyline. This is one to add to your collection (plus, it has a poster with Carnage and Venom, sweet!)

Overall Rating

If only more stories had this kind of plot to them, I'm kind of a sucker for it. I like Billy and his interaction with his father, which before had been limited to holding his mom, saying he's scared and stuff like that. He grew up a bit, but got younger afterwards, like a second childhood, not a good sign. Plus, a couple from the McFarlane stories return to do colors and letters, giving it a feel of a sequel. Ending is a bit different, much better than the "How can we ever thank you" crap, but it left me wondering what happened after. It's one of the best, even if you aren't one that likes this mushy stuff, the battle scenes are good.