Comic Book Review: ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #693

After Spider-Man’s new sidekick Alpha was introduced in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ #692, I wasn’t sure where this story would go, but what happened this issue isn’t it… and that’s a wonderful thing.

After the events of last issue, Alpha had taken down the old Fantastic Four villain Giganto with a single punch. As this issue opens, Alpha leaves the cleanup to the FF as he heads home to get some rest. Well… it is a school night after all.

With Alpha completely ignoring the words of advice (and command) from the members of the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and Spider-Man, it’s up to Peter Parker to figure out a way to turn this kid into a hero before he gets out of hand. To help solve his problems and bouce around ideas, Peter stops by to have a chat with Mary Jane. In the middle of their conversation, Peter has a realization that might cause Andy/Alpha some major troubles. Now he’s off to Andy’s house before it’s too late.

Back at the Maguire house, Andy’s girlfriend Chrissy is paying him a visit, and she’s not the only one. Neither Chrissy’s or the strangers’ visits go to well for Alpha or his family. I won’t spoil it for you but Andy’s family and friends end up in terrible danger.

The rest of the issue, Spidey is collecting clues and tracking down Andy before any harm comes to the Maguires and friends. Besides… if a villain can capture and detain an alpha-level superhuman, things must be headed to a dark place. By the issue’s end Peter has made a decision about Alpha that may change the boy’s future forever.

Dan Slott. Dan Slott. Dan Slott. What more can I say about the man. He understands Spider-Man more than any writer since the character’s early years. On top of that, he keeps churning out stories that are not only action-packed and fun, but they also question the very core of what makes Spider-Man such an enduring hero. This issue and the story of Alpha continues that trend as Peter Parker is forced to deal with a kid who essentially has Spider-Man’s origins, but without any of Peter’s sense of morality.

I can’t wait to see where this one goes!

Final Score: