Spider-Man: Quality of Life #3

Background

In last issue - Spider-Man: Quality of Life #2 - we found out that Billy Connors was also suffering from the same illness as his mother. A desperate Curt Connors is clueless about what to do. Time for Spidey to step in...

Story Details

Spidey breaks into Arliss' office, searching for some proof that Monnano is connected to Martha's cancer. He finds it in the form of an e-mail from a scrupulous employee, Steven Holder, who admits possible guilt and suggests a settlement. He saves it on disk and leaves, but the security cameras spot him, and soon after Yith is holding her Uzi to his face. They have a small scuffle, Spidey leaves, but Yith shoots a hole in the disk. He pays a visit to Connors, and realises how helpful they both are: "You want to help? Then tell me, Spider-Man, how do I fight cancer?"

Yith and Arliss are arguing. He didn't like that she didn't kill Spidey. She doesn't like being yelled at. She's a bit more persuasive. She's willing to dust Spidey for more money, but Arliss tells her that Connors is the problem.

At Connors' hotel, his growing frustration causes him to transform and attack Spidey. They plunge to the ground. He's faster and stronger than ever (yadda, yadda, yadda...). They end up on the top of a cab, and when the Lizard is about to kill a very hurt Spidey, he's shot on the shoulder. Yith tells Spidey to run away, while Lizzy turns and attacks her. She's able to gain the upper hand thanks to his injury, and starts strangling him with her tail. Spidey tries to stop her, but he's also too weak. He tries to reason with her, but that's useless too...

General Comments

Well, looks more and more that this happens in the present time, so there are two questions nagging me:

1) Why is Curt the Lizard again, after he was cured in Lifeline?
2) Why is Curt missing his arm, after he got it back in Lifeline?

The answers? Well, for 1), I never really expected that the Lizard would never show up again, so it wasn't a big surprise. Peter mentions that the chemicals could have triggered the transformation. I can add the fact that Curt has turned into the Lizard out of rage before. Now they're killing his wife. Blind rage is always a good factor to consider when you're wondering why a character turned into a green monster. As for 2), I have no idea. And I'll probably have no idea by the end of book four either.

As for this issue, we are shown more of Yith's mercenary behaviour, and we get a pretty cool three-way fight with a cliffhanger. Things are building up for the final issue.

Overall Rating

Well, no kiddy Pete and no formal Pete, so on the story's and top-notch CGI-art's merit, 4 webs.