Amazing Reads: Amazing Spider-Man #11

We've passed the big #10 and now we have 11, the return of Doc Ock! Do we know his name yet? Has he been called Otto Octavius? Do any of you care? We also get pay off to that little side story of Betty Brant which has been boiling over for a few months.

Okay...I get it, Doc Ock is bad ass. Can we move on?

I don't normally show you these inner covers, mostly because they're pointless, and well, are kind of spoiler-y. Why am I showing you this time? Because this begins the grand cliche of, "Spider-Man was involved in the death of a loved one. I will hate him forever! I love you Peter Parker!" So...yeah. Joy. Onto the real show.

Peter is moping in his room about Betty, when a broadcast over the radio states that Doc Ock is being released that day. Anyone wondering why I continue to use Doc Ock instead of Doctor Octopus like the comic does should realize I'm lazy and I prefer Doc Ock. Apparently a few months is the minimum sentence for assault, kidnapping, and probably some other illegal activities. So Spider-Man leaps into action and threatens the warden of the prison.

DAMN YOU CROTCH LIGHT!

Well the warden explains that he has no authority to hold Doc Ock, and that Spider-Man should get the hell out before he gets real angry. We see the doctor in his sell, which has been reinforced thanks to his arms. (So nice that they tailored an outfit for those arms.) We seem him evilly plotting to himself and smoking using the arms. He must be evil! Well we rejoin Pete in his room building his latest Spidey-Gadget. I may be one of the few people who like this about Spider-Man, but I like all his gadgets, even the glider, even if it doesn't make much sense. What is this device? The Spider-Tracer! Well, I'm impressed.

Why is the prison spending money on suits tailored for those arms!

Soo, Spider-Man is following Doc Ock as he's released from prison. Which leads him to a parked car, with (Drum roll please) Betty Brant as the driver. What is going on folks? Has Betty gone evil? Has the first of Pete's closest friends gone evil? Because that's also the grand cliche. Dead or Evil. He has no friends. Well the car is speeding off, so Spider-Man throws the tracker onto the car. And someone dropped a map, to Philadelphia. Well, ain't that just lucky.

Well, ain't that just a sticky wicket.

We get to the crux of the matter. See Bennett Brant here owes Blackie money. Now I'll take a step back and think about this for a moment. Bennett owed someone in New York a nice chunk of change, which led to the Enforcers getting that debt, and forcing Betty out of town. So either Blackie was the original man with the debt, and got it back when the Big Man fell, or Bennett is an addict. Either way, let's move on.

Seems Bennett is Blackie's lawyer, and owes Blackie money, so instead of doing what every other Lawyer does who's bookie is now in jail, and represent him for free, Bennett is going to get his sister to do dangerous work. What a jerk. Seems Blackie is getting Betty to drive Doc Ock to Philly to break him free. We return to Bennet's apartment. Where Doc has Betty pinned. Bennet is grabbed and Doc Slaps him. Now why I don't show you that panel, well, I found the next one funnier.

INCEST!

 Bennett says he can't leave after the jailbreak, because he doesn't have the balls. He also regrets Betty getting involved, but what you doing to do? Besides being a mature adult and deal with you're own damn problems. Betty breaks down crying after Bennett leaves.

Back to New York, Pete convinces his grandmother Aunt May to let him go to Philly for the weekend. He plans on telling the young woman that he is really Spider-Man. And off he goes, using his spider-tracer and finds Betty. He confronts her, with undying love known only to a hormonal teenager.

They're 18, I think they're being a touch melodramatic.

The scene unfolds underneath in the dark underneath a street lamp. Betty spills the beans, and Pete lets her know Spider-Man is in town, because he'd know that, some how. So we join Doc Ock in jailbreak. He succeeds, as if we're surprised. Spidey arrives in time for the guards to see him, and blame him. Of course. Because evidence means nothing.

Really? Why do people in Philly know Spidey?

Spidey webs up the spot light and swings off before he gets caught, or shot. "Sufferin' Spider-Webs" as our intrepid websligner exclaims as he swings away. Blackie's goons take Bennett and Betty to a small boat, where Blackie and Doc Ock are. Spider-Man swings towards the ship, and we get to see that Bennett may have less than a 10 in intelligence. (Aw, D&D 3.5)

"I had you do my lawyer-ing for free? That didn't tip you off
I was scum when that didn't repay your debt?"

Well, if we're surprised, Blackie cold clocks Bennett, and Betty screams. Spider-Man lands on the boat just in time to get captured. He is taken to see Blackie, and Blackie does the smart thing condemning the fools, because Spidey is too dangerous to keep there. Doc reassures the thug that he has nothing to fear from Spider-Man, just that the Doc is now taking charge. Spider-Man takes this as a cue to start beating up thugs, and even shoves one into Doc Ock, sending them both out a door and down some stairs.

Blackie reaches for his gun. He grabs it, he fires some wild shots and...

"Your fault my one issue wonder brother wasn't able to take a bullet to the heart!"

I'd want to scream Pathos, but I won't. Mostly because there is no reason to feel much for Bennett, a one issue wonder used more as a plot point than a reason to feel bad for his death. Well Spider-Man chooses to chase Blackie and leave behind Betty and Bennett.

Well Spidey catches up to Blackie, with two thugs just holding onto him, trying to beat him with their fists. Spider-Man picks up Blackie and tosses him with all the other thugs on him into a bunch of other thugs. Doc Ock finally gets top side and starts chasing down Spidey. Run Spidey, Run! Well, eventually after trying to get behind the good doctor, which fails by the way, Doc catches him.

"His arms can reach! No fair!"

Spidey grabs some ropes to tie up some of Doc's arms, and forcing him off balance so he'll let go of him. Spidey lands in the ships hold. This is all delay tactics, by the way. Spidey has no chance against the doctor here. He sprays Doc Ock with a fire extinguisher before running away.

"Being a 1960s woman sucks!"

Alternate caption: "JUDU CHOP!" whatever works for you.

So it seems Blackie's lackeys are not very loyal, so they grab the cash and start to run for it. The Doc knocks them out, and takes the brief case full of cash. As Doc is about to escape with Betty as a hostage, Spider-Man leaps in and tackles him. Doc, being ever the pragmatist, says screw the girl, I'm leaving. Spider-Man still follows.

The two titans of strength and speed battle it out in hand to hand combat on top of the boat. The pilot of the small ship jumps from the boat. Spider-Man is losing. What shall ever happen? just as Spider-Man is about to fall, the boat crashes into the jetty. Spider-Man gets away safely, and so does Doc Ock, leaving only Blackie to be caught, which he is then nice enough to explain his plan to the cops, so Betty won't be jailed.

That isn't how the law works!

And so, Pete gives up on revealing himself as the wall crawler. He Peter comforts Betty as she mourns the loss of her brother. She admits she doesn't hate Spider-Man, but when she thinks of him, she thinks of her brother, and that brings her such pain. And Pete says he understands, and that Spidey would too, if he knew. And we leave with Pete walking the streets alone, at night.

Why do I have a slow pining romantic song playing in my head now?

So let us wrap this up with some brief thoughts. Despite being a little confused as to who Bennet owed money too, and how much and all that, it's a pretty good tale. Doc Ock is a menacing foe, who should be taken seriously. He's an A-List villain who has the power, speed, and brains to match Spidey. This is a fun read, and honestly, just as good as Spider-Man #3, if not better.

5 out of 5. 

...I think I wore out the B key thanks to this review.