Amazing Spider-Man #575 cover

This week wasn’t too huge for me, but I had one comic I was really looking forward to: Amazing Spider-Man #576. Now, I meant to write a review for #575 but… well, it just didn’t happen. Nevertheless, these last two issues were utterly fantastic and I’ll go and sum things up in a moment.

Writer Joe Kelly entered the Spider-Man brain trust last week beginning his two-part series, “Family Ties.” Focusing around Hammerhead and the aftermath of him being saved by Mr. Negative this mini-arc is building more and more of the sub-plot that is Mr. Negative (yea, I know all ASM is doing lately is building, but bear with me).

But let’s get into things after the jump and I’ll give you the run down.

Amazing Spider-Man #576 cover

ASM #575 started with a slight odd sound coming from our hero, Spidey, but Joe Kelly jumped right into Spider-Man awesomeness as he kicked back into a previously building plot: Hammerhead.

This issue focuses around gang violence in New York. This is a semi-normal topic in comics like Daredevil, but I don’t think I’ve read a Spidey comic in a while that goes into as far as these two issue do. We’re shown a strange light as we see how one of the major gangs (I think we’re dealing with the ‘Bloods’) function around major crime lords like Kingpin and the new and awesome Spidey baddie, Mr. Negative. The rules are simple: Work with the crime boss or die.

In these two issues, the gang decides to not work with Mr. Negative. Enter Hammerhead.

Did I mention there's a crazy hobo in #575? Because there is.

Spider-Man gets into some serious fighting with this guy and I seriously thought he may die. I mean, I know Spider-Man wasn’t going to die, but it was like “Whoa, he’s seriously getting his ass kicked.” And really, Hammerhead lays it on thick to Peter Parker in disguise.

In the end of this mini-arc, we’re given a bit of a happy ending as a minor character learns that violence isn’t the answer after Spidey gives a serious beat down to the gang members as they pulled a fast one on him and end up working for Mr. Negative. It’s kind of sweet.

This issue is all about two things: Beat-em-ups and building more sub-plot behind Mr. Negative. I want more of this stuff to fall together so we can get a seriously massive end all battle that will end with more story (as always), but still give me some kind of major closure on at least one character.

This is what happens when you fight Spider-Man... eventually.

I’m not going to lie, I liked these two issues a lot. Joe Kelly writes a great Spider-Man for never really having written him before (though he’s doing a fantastic job in I Kill Giants and Four Eyes to give him credit as a great writer) and, despite what some may say, the art from Chris Bachalo is gritty and scratchy enough that it works with this specific story. Both the writing and the art complement each other (although, now that I think of it, Spider-Man is drawn a bit too small for my tastes–it reminded me of Ultimate Spider-Man…).

End all, be all: These last two issues were pretty much awesome. Definitely worth the buy.