Man do I really like Zeb Wells, he tells a mean Spider-Man one shot. While Spider-Man has had his ups and downs since Brand New Day this particular issue of the book was really good. The book pit’s Spidey and the Punisher against Moses Magnum of all people and a new strain of Mutant Growth Hormone. The book has a look and feel that is all its own thanks to the artistic style of Paolo Rivera.

The best part of the issue is the further development of Peter Parkers financial woes. In order to make money he actually tries to get a job as a New York cab driver! The sequence is classic considering that Peter is too used to traversing the city as Spider-Man to know his way around using the streets. I really love Rivera’s use of facial expressions to convey what’s going on in the scene, this book looks awesome.

For the Punishers part, he’s as big and surly as he is supposed to be. It’s awesome when Peter runs into him out of uniform. I could have done without the obligatory fight between the two but at least it was done in a way that made sense. I know that Peter’s spider sense makes it tough for him to be surprised but Wells showed that it can still be pulled off in a believable fashion.

As a standalone issue, this is a great one. I suggest you pick it up because you don’t need any other issues; it’s just a cool Spider-Man story that starts and finishes in this issue. The artwork is original and funny and really adds to the story.

While Brand New Day has left a bad taste in mouths of many, something can be said for what it has done for the Spider-Man book. I must admit that everything seems a wee bit easier now that we don’t have to deal with Mary Jane every issue.

Crave Online Rating: 7.5 out of 10

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