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[ReturnoftheMack]

Joe Kelly is awesome.

Love the new Rhino. Loved the old Rhino. Loved Spidey looking for a "win."

And normally characters like Norah and Michelle would annoy me, but they are both awesome characters.

Solid 9.5

[fieldy snuts]

I liked the issue, but one thing that keeps confusing me about the Rhino is writers either writing him full-blown Russian or American-Russian. My detailed thoughts later.

[Starlord]

Amazing Spider-Man #617

Nice story, hate the art with a capital H. Honestly I haven't been thrilled with a lot of these new "old" character concepts. I'm pretty sure this is a very old theme that Marvel tries every ten years or so. The Vulture comes to my mind off the bat.

Anyway, this works for me only because it is nice to see the original Rhino actually get a chance at happiness. The new Rhino, could care less. He didn't grab me at all.

The art is nothing I can enjoy in any kind of superhero story. I actually think I would even dislike as intensly if I were blind. The panel where Norah places chips and we see her arm looking like something from Plastic Man is a perfect example. Flip to the next page and we see a very Asian Peter Parker.

I have nothing against Asian's... but Peter has never been one. Unless somehow I missed the memo that there is now ANOTHER brand new day where Peter is now living in Tokyo.

Still not a huge fan of anything Spidey 616 at this point, but the original Rhino's part of the story was very enjoyable.

Story: 7
Art: .5
My Score: 5.75

[Old Man]

Story: 7
Art: .5
My Score: 5.75

Did you intend for the art to be 4.5? Or am I once again not understanding your Mathematical Method?

[Starlord]

Did you intend for the art to be 4.5? Or am I once again not understanding your Mathematical Method?

my methods are nothing but maddness, my friend.

And I've been missing you...

[Old Man]

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.
.
Okay, I don't usually review right away, preferring to let my thoughts cogitate for a few days, but here it is. 2 stories, 2 reviews.

Story 1: Remember that last week I said a comic book story was a melding of words and art. This story fails in that regard. Psycho Michelle with a shotgun in Peter Parker's bedroom, hoping to get shagged by him on New Year's Eve. NuRhino is all emo cuz he didn't get to fight Old Man Rhino. Woman held captive at the end of the story not identified. I'm guessing Madame Web?

This was offered as a Stand alone story, yet it has the feel of being part of a much bigger story. Perhaps this is the Dreaded Deadline Doom fill-in story. In this case, several 'stand alone' issues that will be spread across many different months in order to keep Amazing Spider-Man thrice weekly, filling in when a 'regular creative team' can't keep up.

The words weren't so bad, but the art isn't very good. It was so bad I started comparing it with the art in ads that were in the book. (That 'crazy/berserk/savage Wolverine wasn't very good, either.) The stylistic offering left me cold, and the storytelling of the art is pretty weak. But I guess when you are doing a fill-in story, the art doesn't matter.

Story 2: Now this is a comic book story. Old Man Rhino turns himself in, goes to prison, gets out, tries to find a job, scares a young woman, runs into her at a cafe, asks her to dinner, and they live happily ever after. YAYZZZZZ! I love a good love story. (p.s., all that story in just a few pages, not 6 issues; take that, Bendis!)

The art here is much better. It's still not the best, but it surely tells the story in conjunction with the words. I see a couple figures that look like Steve Rude, some things that remind me of Ditko and Kirby, and a whole bunch of JRjr from when he was still very good. I guess if you are going to have influences, those are/were some of the best.

Story 1 gets a 5...I don't care to see this pairing again.
Story 2 gets a 9...I know that will surprise some people.

Final score is a big, fat, horny 7.

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I'm guessing the second story is also new. I looked for a separate copyright date, but didn't see it. As it is the custom to include a reprint with a new story to 'justify' the higher price, I almost didn't read the second story. Glad I did.

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Looking at the indicia, I see that this book was printed in Glasgow, Kentucky. How long has this been going on? I haven't looked at an indicia in months, so as far as I know, it is new, but could have been happening for a year or two.

[Old Man]

my methods are nothing but maddness, my friend.

And I've been missing you...

Missing you, too, my friend. Check your email for 2 messages.

[Old Man]

So annoyed I hav'nt got Siege yet.

You are a better person for not having read it.

[Old Man]

I don't get a chance to go the comic book stores very often so I can't review every week. The nearest store is two hours away and frankly I don't have the expense for online ordering.

I could cheat and download the comic and review that, but it's not fair to the others in the group who buys the comic nor is it fair to the creators of the comic. So you can take my name off the list.

Dazzler, I am opposed to illegal downloads, but I must confess that I didn't buy this week's book...I read it in the comics shop.

[Old Man]

I was a stupid child back then, I can't believe I'll ever change.

FIXED.

[Kerny]

Amazing Spider-Man 617

Joe Kelly rocks. He's consistently been the best ASM writer and he should be on this book when it goes back to monthly. Unforunately they'll probably give it to Slott, who is the epitome of meh

Anyways, Kelly does the impossible and makes me care about the Rhino. Yeah. They've given him a new purpose and direction and I dig it. If people ned their Rhino vs Spidey fix, there's a new guy in town and he's pretty cool too. Norah continues to be cool and Michelle continues to annoy. Spidey actually getting a victory of some sorts was hella cool as well

There's also the back-up story showing us how the old Rhino got to this point. I found it kinda poingant actually.

The art is fantastic. Never seen Fimura's art before(Whats this about a Four Eyes? ) Some of my favorite art on ASM in some time. Paludo also does a nice job in his story, but his faces annoy me.

Story 8.5
Art 9

Overall 8.5

[thefourthman]

um... everyone else seems to be enjoying it as well...

truth be told though, I fucking love Spider-Man. Spider-Man and Batman are the only books I actually collect in single issue format. That being said, this was an awesome issue with an awesome old villain done correctly. Kelly is the fucking man and despite what Starlord says (and he KNOWS I love him) the Fiumara here is an awesome fucking artist.

[thefourthman]

and OM, this was not a fill in story, it was very much a part of the larger Gauntlet story. The actual story here was done in one, whereas the electro and sandman stories have been multiple issue storylines. I think this worked in the best tradition of done in one. The story as presented is complete in and of itself, but it has pieces of the larger story... in fact for me, it was particularly revelatory as I am starting to see things that were put in motion by OMD coming together. There was enough of the bigger story present that if you liked it, you could see that there is more to it. (and yes Michelle is psycho and anyone who has been reading the book can confirm this).

Sorry you didn't like the art. I think the guy is a genius though.

[Punchy]

and OM, this was not a fill in story, it was very much a part of the larger Gauntlet story. The actual story here was done in one, whereas the electro and sandman stories have been multiple issue storylines. I think this worked in the best tradition of done in one. The story as presented is complete in and of itself, but it has pieces of the larger story... in fact for me, it was particularly revelatory as I am starting to see things that were put in motion by OMD coming together. There was enough of the bigger story present that if you liked it, you could see that there is more to it. (and yes Michelle is psycho and anyone who has been reading the book can confirm this).

Sorry you didn't like the art. I think the guy is a genius though.

There's another Rhino issue coming up by Kelly and Fiumura, where the new and old Rhinos fight eachother.

[Starlord]

There's another Rhino issue coming up by Kelly and Fiumura, where the new and old Rhinos fight eachother.

yeah, I just saw that in Prievew and I kind of got excited about it. Guess I enjoyed the story more than I realized.

And Fourthman, I will respectfully agree to disagree and be happy for you that you enjoy the art on this book.