Amazing Spider-Man #698 Review

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

Writer:  Dan Slott
Artist:  Richard Elson

WOW!  That was my initial reaction after reading the final pages.  Marvel announced that Amazing Spider-Man #698 was an important lead-in to issue 700 and boy were they correct.  As the heading above states, this will be a spoiler-free review as far as discussing the surprise.  After #698 is released, I may do a follow-up post with my thoughts on what is going on.  But for now, let’s get into our review shall we?

Issue 698 reads as a “day in the life of Spider-Man” book for about 90% of it.  The other 10% shows Doctor Octopus awakening on The Raft (prison for super-villains) and near death.

What I Liked

Dan Slott promised he had something big in store for the final issues of Amazing Spider-Man.  This proves he is definitely off to a good start.  We get to see Spider-Man/Peter Parker interact with his normal assortment of supporting characters and civilians of New York City.  I really am anxious to see how this is all resolved.  For all my guesses I did not see this coming.

On a second reading, I’m noticing something I overlooked before.  Something extra in a panel that, after knowing how it ends, made me care that much more about the overall story.

What I Didn’t Like

Fill-in artist Richard Elson doesn’t do a bad job, but it is still a step-down from the rotating art team of Ryan Stegman, Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli.  Also, the issue is low on the action sequences.  Better to save the big profile artists and action for issue 700 I suppose.

I’ll be anxious to see what the reaction is to #698.  Fans haven’t been really outraged with a Spider-Man comic since his marriage to Mary Jane was tossed out with the trash.  I was not reading Spider-Man at the time, so it will be satisfying to follow along and take it all in.

With only two more issues to go, we won’t have to wait long to see how this ends.  Reading Spider-Man growing up, Doctor Octopus was always one of Spider-Man’s greatest rogues.  Lately he has stepped up his game to a new level and is making sure he goes down as one of Spidey’s fiercest foes.

This review is written in partnership with Pop Culture Network.  They can be found at their website http://www.popculturenetwork.com/

#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE