I have a confession to make: I haven't been reading Mark Waid's work on Daredevil. I will say that I have followed the hype of the book and I've been eagerly awaiting this crossover. Amazing Spider-Man #677 delivers on all fronts. It was a blast to read, the interaction between Spidey and the Daredevil didn't feel forced and the characters played off of each other well. Spidey is going through the winter season alone after his relationship with Carlie crashed and burned, and it has left him even touchier than usual.
Which leads us to the catalyst for Waid's crossover, the Black Cat. That sexy, slinky, Felica Hardy is back again, bad luck and all. Spidey bumps into her and makes some rather awkward advances, bumbling over himself in rather Parker-esque fashion. He's rejected but not before the tags her with a spider tracer. Spider-Man the stalker perhaps? Either way she doesn't notice till she gets home, and guess who shows up as she exits the shower? Spider-Man? Nope, the police. Could our illustrious hero be ratting out his friends to the NYPD? Seems unlikely.
Waid delivers Spider-Man in a classic iteration. One of the hardest things to do with Spidey is nail his dialogue. It is easy to have him come across as annoying, or have his one-liners fall flat. Waid's Spidey is down and out the whole issue and Daredevil rubs him the wrong way. It works well in the story. We've all been there, frustrated, feeling a little undervalued, and we tend to take it out on friends.
Rios does an amazing job with the art. It blends a modern feel on the classic style you'd see in the '60s. I loved it. Rodriguez does a great job with the colors on the issue, it is snowing through out the issue and Rodriguez's coloring combined with Rios artwork really brings it to life. It feels like winter, the rough shadows, the patches of snow. The issue is full of acrobatic characters and they twist and turn in a believable fashion. Honestly, this is some of my favorite work in a mainstream comic this month (so far).
Waid's Daredevil works with Spider-Man, they have always been an interesting pair. Both firmly believe in right and wrong, and you can tell Spidey looks up to him in the same vein he looks up to Captain America. Black Cat's bad luck powers are used to an almost comic effect throughout the issue, causing an on looker recording her and Spider-Man to drop his phone, only by muttering, "Butterfingers." The closing in of the issue, as Spider-Man and Daredevil edge closer to what Spider-Man thinks is the bad guys feels like it is missing something. The dialogue is there, but there seems to be something missing. Spidey snaps at Daredevil but it doesn't seem like he should have in that instance. That is really the only thing I could find wrong with the issue. The rest of the dialogue flows well, the art is outstanding and the story can stand on its own.
Dylan B. Tano is a relatively new reviewer powered by a love of bacon and constantly distracted by a kitten who would rather use his laptop as a bed. He grew up idolizing Spider-Man and can’t believe he gets to review comics all day.