THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #789
Title: The Fall of Parker Part 1 – Top To Bottom
Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Alex Ross
1965 T-Shirt Variant Cover By: Steve Ditko With Michael Kelleher
Lenticular Cover By: Alex Ross After John Romita Sr.’s The Amazing Spider-Man Rockomic
In a final battle with Spider-Man Doc Ock appears to have died, but instead Otto Octavius’ memories are transferred into Peter Parker’s brain transforming him from the Amazing Spider-Man into the Superior Spider-Man. With Otto behind the steering wheel, Peter earned a doctorate and started his own company Parker Industries. But in a final fight on the mindscape Peter fought his way back winning control of his body, unknowingly Otto escaped into the programming of a robot.
From there he laid in wait manipulating events until Ben Reilly returned posing as the Jackal who cloned the body of the original Doc Ock at which point Otto asserted his memories back into the clone body. Working with Jackal to perfect the clones, Otto made a new prototype clone that would serve as his new body and in the finale battle with the Jackal, Doc Ock faked his death one more time transferring his brain into the new clone body becoming the Superior Octopus.
Shortly after Captain America who was secretly working with Hydra thanks to the sentient Cosmic Cube Kobik took over America and Otto Joined the new Hydra to use their resources to regain what he saw was his, Parker Industries. In an extreme takeover battle of the company Peter initiated a final shutdown dismantling the company and everything he owns down affecting millions of people worldwide. Now in the wake of Secret Empire Peter must forge a new path and enter the next chapter of his Legacy.
Recap: The Amazing Spider-Man enters Marvel Legacy with Peter dealing with the fall of Parker Industries. Peter is at an all-time low with his company being destroyed and being sold off in pieces all on top of being the most hated man in New York. That Parker Luck huh?
Story: The story opens up in Bobbie Morse AKA Mockingbird’s apartment where we find out that she and Peter have not only just started dating, but given his lack of income and no one else he can go to that knows he is also Spider-Man are also living together with Peter crashing on the couch. Peter flips through the news networks and every channel is talking about the fall of Parker Industries but it the editorial piece by Joe “Robbie” Robertson that poses the question Peter Parker: Threat of Menace? I loved this stuff, Peter is down, now we have to build him up again.
Robbie’s article pushes Peter to actually leave the apartment and confront him in the Daily Bugle where Robbie tells him it was all true and it sinks in that he did screw up. Peter leaves but not before correcting an article for the science section in a way that Robbie understood it which was something he told the reporter before Peter walked in was that no regular person could understand it. This seems to have sparked something in Robbie. I loved this because it showed those relationships in Peter’s life with the Bugle, but it also shows that Robbie isn’t like JJ, he wrote the facts and put his relationship with Peter aside.
Peter is confronted by angry people outside for the fall of Parker Industries families lost jobs, people lost money on the tech that all shut down with the company. Meanwhile Harry is trying to get a hold of Peter to get his ok on selling some things like the Baxter Building which Liz wants to buy for Alchemax. Everyone goes to a surprise party for Flash where Peter is the subject of a few conversations that Peter overhears and leaves. This was the part I wasn’t crazy about. Good times or bad, Peter’s friends were always there for him and here they were here but when they remember how Peter was this low before and they all threw him a house warming party and bought him furniture then MJ said it would be embarrassing now given his age, it just felt weird coming from her.
Peter is defeated until Bobbi comes home and takes Spider-Man out on patrol with her where they run into the Griffin attacking a food truck and Spidey finds himself fighting not just the Griffin, but also the people of New York who are angry with him because he worked for Peter Parker, but he doesn’t stop and saves the day with Mockingbird, refusing to allow the Griffin to destroy the food truck which in turn makes the owner show his gratitude by offering free Empanadas for life. I liked this scene it shows why Spider-Man is the hero he is, he never gives up the whole city, the whole world can be against him but he will still fight for them. I give the story 4 ½ stars.
Art: The art here is solid as always with Immonen, but there were a few issues with some facial expressions. He does a great job though breaking down the story and telling it through the panels and the art. I also really liked the coloring here, it really tells the mood of the story with the darker shades, it feels like this dark cloud is looming over Peter, while at the same time a subtle lighter tones are breaking through giving us hope which is perfect. I give the art 4 stars.
Verdict: Overall this was really nice issue, I felt like this is the beginning of a new chapter for both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, this was the first Legacy issue I read that really felt like we were heading back into the right direction with the character. So with the story getting 4 ½ stars and the art getting 4 stars I give this an overall of 4 ¼ stars and say pick it up.
Rating: 4 1/4 Stars