Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #504

Background

Recently Spider-Man was involved in some inter-dimensional nonsense with Dr. Strange involving the return of Dormmamu and the imminent end of the world. Part of this involved an inter-deimensional portal being opened during which a cosmic sorcerer, Morwen, escaped and possessed the body of an innocent passerby. Now she's out to run things her own way...

Story Details

Spidey and Loki are hanging out eating hot dogs and chatting, waiting for Morwen to turn up and bless Spidey with her gift. Morwen turns up, there's a little posturing and a then mystical fighting. It's revealed that the body that Morwen possessed is actually one of Loki's illegitimate children, Tess Black. This has made Morwen more powerful than ever! Since Morwen is so powerful she starts whupping Loki's butt. Spidey interferes a bit. Spidey is worried about going all out on Morwen and hurting Tess. Morwen threatens that Tess will die if she is expelled.

Spidey comes with an idea! Maybe he can distract Morwen while Loki tries to contact Tess telepathically whithin Morwen and get her to fight off Morwen! Brilliant! Haven't heard of that one before.... anyway, the plan succeeds, just in time before Morwen kills Spidey and Morwen is expelled and seemingly escapes.

In the aftermath Loki takes off with Tess saying he'll look after her and keep an eye out for Morwen making a comeback. Spidey not satisfied about Tess's safety, decides to track her down and see if she's ok. When he finds her house he discovers that she's left. Loki turns up and says that he's taken care of her. Loki says he owes Spidey one and gives him a token to cash in when he is in need. Spidey heads off thinking that its cool to have a god on his side.

General Comments

In some ways the concluding part of this story was better and others it worse!

I think that Loki was portrayed just a little better this issue. Though he comes across as very naiive. I realise that this is supposed to make him seem 'alien' because he's a god, but it just doesn't work, it makes him seem stupid. Loki's willingness to switch sides when the opportunity arose was more to character and interesting. Morwen's musing on Loki's purpose in life was also slightly insightful.

The only other thing that was 'good' about this issue was Spidey chasing up on whether Tess was ok or not. It links in with Avery's last appearance and the lesson that Spidey learnt about his actions affecting others and how a hero's job isn't necessarily finished when all the fighting is done.

Just about everything else, besides the art, is boring or annoying. There's Spidey's banter being more annoying than funny most of the time. There's the improbability of Loki and Spidey's partnership. Most of all there's the extremely predictable and overused resolution to the plot! Uggh...

Most of all though, there's seems to be absolutely no real point to the story! Surely there's something better to write about than this? Surely this isn't the type of story that was just burning to be told? Isn't there a continuing sub-plot abourt mystical spider totems that we should be getting back to? I'm not the biggest fan of that sub-plot, but I am interested in seeing it resolved and hopeful that it will come good.

Overall Rating

Come on! Give us something better than this!