Amazing Spider-Man #17

Writer – Dan Slott, Christos Gage
Artist – Humberto Ramos
Inker – Victor Olazaba
Colours – Edgar Delgado

Spidey is a bit flustered.  After having to tell a web of lies for so long, no pun intended, when it comes to telling the truth he simply is not very good at it.  So when Peter goes to dinner with Anna Maria, Aunt May and her beau Jay, Anna Maria is the one to tell May that she and Peter are no longer together.  And then throughout the rest of the story, Anna Maria does the same thing for Peter at work, essentially covering for him by telling at least a version of the truth.  It is funny to watch as well because it obviously makes Peter uncomfortable, but the end result also frees him up and makes his life easier, which in the end is a good thing.  Dan Slott and Christos Gage also make things hard on Peter in more ways than one as The Ghost is out to put a stop to Parker Industries and their plans to start up a prison for super-villains.  All in all, Spidey has it rough and if he cannot stop The Ghost, then he is going to lose everything. The worst thing about it is that it will be more than just a financial loss, but that of the trust his employees, Jay and his Aunt May have placed in him.  Lately, it has become quite noticeable that Peter is having trouble focusing on the various aspects of his life.  He places more of an import on his time as a hero instead of those he calls friends and family.  If Doc Ock proved one thing, it was that he and his mind were able to multitask and keep everything on track.  Last issue also saw the Black Cat swear to recover her life before Spider-Man put her in jail, namely her possessions.  And having sworn that, she does so with whatever it takes to accomplish the goal with only one item remaining.  As per usual, the book is full of action, drama and some really quality comedy that never fails to make you smile, laugh or chuckle and all of it expertly drawn by the prolific Humberto Ramos.  Amazing Spider-Man is definitely a book filled to the brim with entertainment value.

4 out of 5

Nailbiter #11

Writer – Joshua Williamson
Artist – Mike Henderson
Colours – Adam Guzowski

Currently on hiatus, pending investigation, army interrogator Nicholas Finch is tired of the runaround.  His friend, Elliot Carol has had his arms and legs cut off by someone in the town of Buckaroo and he means to find out once and for all.  That starts now with Edward Charles Warren, the Nailbiter, tied to a chair and Finch ready to use his skills to their fullest.  While Finch and Warren play cat and mouse, trying to throw psychological fastballs at each other, somewhere else is Agent Barker at the mercy of The Butcher, the newest member of Buckaroo’s unique population, that long line of serial killers whose secret still remains just that.  For now at least.  The horror that is Nailbiter continues by Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson and this issue has more blood in it than the last few combined.  Things are heating up for the various residents of the fair town of Buckaroo and for the reader; it is getting really exciting to read about it.  What do these serial killers have to hide?  What is so important that the revealing of this big secret demands that anyone who looks into it be killed?  Watching Finch and the Nailbiter go at each other in a verbal battle is a lot of fun, especially as it frustrates Finch to the fullest knowing that he cannot get to Warren as he would anyone else.  What was not as much fun was watching The Butcher work though it was perfect the way Henderson laid out the pages, alternating between scenes of the Nailbiter and those of The Butcher doing what he does best, butchering.  All that we need now is for that cliff-hanger to pay off before Williamson and Henderson drive us crazy making us wait any longer for what it promises.  If you are looking for a good horror title, one that is both suspenseful and mysterious, this is the book for you.

4 out of 5