Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #407

Background

Ben's been a busy boy for the last little while, what with discovering that he isn't a clone, then thwarting the Jackal's evil plot, then saving reality from the New Doctor Octopus, then having the Scarlet Spider's reputation dragged through the mud by the holographically-created Scarlet Spider (who doesn't show up in these titles, only in the last issues of "Web").

Now that the people of New York are out to get the Scarlet Spider, Ben decides it's a good idea to become the man he thought he'd never be again... Spider-Man! Last issue, he picked up a supporting cast and a new villain. But now what?

Story 'Blasts From The Past!'

After a year of fighting with the Jackal, and then three months of the new Doc Ock, it was quite a refreshing experience to pick up an entire story in one little comic. It was also diferent to go through a cast of characters like this story had. There was Silver Sable, the Sandman, J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson and the Human Torch, but there was no villain! Sure, there was one scene where Mysterio uses his newly-aquired DIT chip to imagine the Human Torch barbequeing Spidey, but what harm does that do?

The story is pretty shallow, with Ben going to meet the Torch on the Statue of Liberty (Torch wants to know why Spidey's changed his costume, and if he's still the same Spidey), when Ben sees Sandman and Silver Sable (who also wants to know if Spidey's still the same guy), and starts dukin' it out with Sandman.

It turns out that Silver Sable sees the difference in Ben and Peter's fighting styles. Sandman is reformed and works for Silver now, and he stops fighting when Silver tells him to. The Torch ends up mad at Spidey, though, for taking the old Spidey's place.

General Comments

Well written by Tom DeFalco, and great art by the Amazing Bagley-Mahlstedt team.

Overall Rating

Five solid webs.

Footnote

One thing to note is the overlap with the "Ben meets Torch" story in the Marvel Spider-Man: 1995 Holiday Special.