First Thoughts – Amazing Spider-Man #648 Big Time

Now, I used to be a huge Spider-Man fan.  Most of my early years going to conventions was spent in search of Spider-Man issues.  I have a Stan Lee signed Spider-Man poster hanging in the store.  If I were ever to get a tattoo, it would probably be of Spider-Man.  But the Clone Saga killed that love.  I remember reading the end and going, gah, that was awful.  I stuck around through all of the Jackal files and Lost Years issues.  And then he was fighting some non-descript bad guy and I decided enough.  I didn’t care anymore.  I didn’t pick up an issue of Spidey again until I opened the store.  But that was in the middle of Civil War, leading right into the angsty ‘Back in Black” period.  Then we had One More Day.  Yuk.  But they promised better stories, 3 times a month.  Some were good, some weren’t.  I was introduced to the wonderful art of Mike McKone and Marcos Martin.  But it was never a top of the pile book.  Many stories I never read.

I was sitting here, people in the store, digging through quarter boxes and such.  Needing to stay at the counter, but nothing really to do.  So I pulled up the online previews.  There it was.  The start of something new for Spidey.  Big Time.  OK, what the heck.

What a pleasant surprise.  This is a story I want to read more of.  Humberto Ramos was born to draw Spidey.  A little cartoony, but that is what this story needs.  Peter is no longer down-and-out depressing Spider-Man.  I don’t want to read that.  There doesn’t appear to be any angst.  Peter gets a job that he is actually suited for.  There is a mystery villain (that I really hope isn’t a guy until that they decide to make it a girl halfway through again).  Kingpin is involved along with the Sinister Six.  Lots and lots of set-up.  But good set-up.  Set-up that I want to read more of.

I don’t want to give anything away, but if you have been looking for a jumping on point to get back into Spider-Man, this may be your chance.