lizard

Movie Night [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man

Dr. K7 Comments

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Released: 3 July 2012
Director: Marc Webb
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Budget: $200 to 230 million
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Sally Field, and Martin Sheen

The Plot:
Bitten by a genetically enhanced spider, Peter Parker (Garfield) tries to atone for the death of his beloved Uncle Ben (Sheen) as Spider-Man while romancing science-whiz Gwen Stacy (Stone) and opposing Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connors’ (Ifans) mad plot to turn New York City into lizard people like him!

The Background:
After his debut issue became one of Marvel’s best selling titles, Spider-Man’s popularity cemented him as their flagship character, though his cinematic debut was infamously delayed by rewrites and legal issues. Eventually, Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures Entertainment produced a critical and commercial success with Spider-Man (Raimi, 2002), and one of the greatest superhero movies ever made with Spider-Man 2 (ibid, 2004), before closing the trilogy with the profitable but divisive Spider-Man 3 (ibid, 2007). Initially, Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire were set to return for a fourth movie and Raimi even got as far as casting and storyboarding the film before creative and deadline issues saw the sequel scrapped and Mark Webb hired to helm a reboot. Determined to reinvent Spider-Man, Webb insisted upon including Spidey’s web shooters and worked with costume designer Kym Barrett to create a darker, sleeker costume. Andrew Garfield, a fan of Tobey’s portrayal, took over the title role and went to a lot of effort to research how to move in the suit, as well as legitimately falling for co-star Emma Stone during filming. Though striving for a grounded approach to the action, 3ality Technica presented the new Spidey’s swinging and like never before with their 3D conversion process, and Sony Pictures Imageworks brought classic, tragic Spidey villain the Lizard to life using a mixture of stand-ins, motion capture, and star Rhys Ifans’ performance. The result was a film that earned a little under Spider-Man 2’s final gross and somewhat divided critics. While most of the cast, particularly Garfield, were as praised for their performances as the impressive Spidey effects, the Lizard’s CGI was slated and many labelled the film as an unnecessary rehash of Raimi’s previous efforts. Still, The Amazing Spider-Man did well enough to get a notoriously lambasted sequel two years later, and both Garfield and Ifans reprised their roles about ten years later for the multiversal epic Spider-Man: No Way Home (Watts, 2021).

The Review:
Personally, I’ve always felt it was a bit odd to do a full-on Spider-Man reboot just five years after the end of Sam Raimi’s trilogy. Considering how much The Amazing Spider-Man borrows and rehashes form Raimi’s films, I’ve often wondered if it might’ve been better to simply recast and continue in the world he established, like with the James Bond films or Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies. Even The Amazing Spider-Man’s title sequence is a truncated version of Raimi’s, and James Horner’s score is stylistically similar to Danny Elfman’s. Still, The Amazing Spider-Man tries to separate itself in the early going by showing a glimpse into Peter’s past, where young Peter (Max Charles), is spirited away in the middle of the night by his parents, his heartbroken mother, Mary (Embeth Davidtz) and his secretive scientist father, Richard (Campbell Scott), after his father’s office and work was ransacked during the night. Of course, the confused and scared Peter is left with his doting Aunt May (Field) and Uncle Ben Parker, who raise him after his parents die, offscreen, in a plane crash. The loss of Peter’s parents weighs heavily on him, despite his close relationship with Ben and May, and he’s left with many questions regarding their disappearance and feeling an outcast at home and at school, since he inherited his father’s aptitude for science. However, while Tobey Maguire was a moronic geek who clammed up at the first sign of confrontation, Andrew Garfield is a snarky, skateboarding kid who stands up to the bullish antics of Eugene “Flash” Thompson (Chris Zylka) despite being physically outmatched and who’s more quirky and reclusive than a stereotypical bookworm. When he’s not skateboarding or studying, Peter’s taking photographs for the school bulletin board and helping his uncle with odd jobs, which is how he discovers his father’s battered old briefcase and discovers a bunch of scientific documents and a photograph of his father with a mysterious, one-armed scientist. This piques Peter’s curiosity and leads Ben, remorseful at rarely speaking about Richard, to identify the scientist as Dr. Curt Connors.

Greif-stricken outcast Peter embarks on a vigilante quest for revenge after his beloved uncle is killed.

This leads Peter to amusingly tag along with an intern group at the towering, high-tech Oscorp skyscraper, where the beautiful Gwen Stacy works alongside Dr. Connors as his head intern. There, Peter impresses Dr. Connors (while shocking Gwen with hiss appearance) with his knowledge of cross-species genetics, the very subject Dr. Connors and Richard Parker worked on in the hopes of curing diseases and ailments by infusing the DNA of other species into sick or maimed people. Despite Gwen warning Peter to behave, his curiosity gets the better of him and he wanders into a restricted laboratory, where he discovers a batch of genetically modified spiders created by his father and, while being chastised by Gwen, receives a painful bite. As in Raimi’s first film, Peter experiences bouts of nausea and passes out, only this time he blacks out on the subway and discovers his powers purely on instinct when he’s accosted by other passengers, suddenly springing and clinging to the ceiling and demonstrating superhuman strength and reflexes. This Peter is far more unnerved by his powers, which initially make him anxious and eccentric as he reacts to his enhanced senses, leading to an insatiable hunger, him snatching a fly in mind-air, and some pratfalls as he adapts to his incredible strength. This also gives him the edge to humiliate Flash, much to his uncle’s chagrin, and the additional confidence to up his adorable flirting with Gwen. However, while the film wastes a good hour with all this setup and exploring Peter’s abilities with a skateboarding montage, the euphoria again leads him to forget his responsibilities, leading to a chewing out by his uncle that sees Peter storm out. This time, Peter runs afoul of a convenience store clerk (Michael Barra) and is therefore dismissive when a thuggish gunman (Leif Gantvoort) robs the place. Unfortunately, Uncle Ben gets shot when confronting the robber, leaving Peter grief-stricken and embarking on late-night searches for the killer, accosting any street thugs he encounters and continuously coming up short, eventually crafting a disguise after punks see his face and being inspired by luchador masks.

While Dr. Connors get some spotlight, it’s the chemistry between Peter and Gwen that really impresses.

However, this Spider-Man far less virtuous. Although Peter later gets into a heated debate with Police Captain George Stacy (Leary) he’s about “protecting people” and “stopping bad guys”, Spider-Man is obsessed with finding his uncle’s killer, neglecting his aunt, constantly bruised and morose, and only saves innocents by proxy. It isn’t until Dr. Connors’ first rampage as the monstrous Lizard that Peter realises Spider-Man is capable of more, saving saves young Jack (Jake Ryan Keiffer) from a fall and earning his father’s (C. Thomas Howell) eternal gratitude. This Spider-Man is also far more scientifically gifted, cobbling together his trademark webshooters, piecing together the solution to the “decay-rate algorithm” that’s been dogging Dr. Connors’ work, and helping to synthesise a cure for the Lizard alongside Gwen. Gwen is far more capable than her predecessor as well. Not only does she have fantastic sexual chemistry with Peter, but she’s just as much of a science nerd as he is and aids him in created the cure in the finale. Though attracted to Peter, Gwen’s interest skyrockets when he impulsively reveals his identity, and she remains infatuated despite her apprehension due to her father’s dangerous profession. Similarly, I adored Sally Field as Aunt May. She’s a lot younger than Rosemary Harris and much more of a working-class Aunt May than a doting old woman, but her grief at losing her husband and her anguish at Peter’s constant injuries is palpable. Yet, her love for him remains strong and she desperately tries to reach him even when he’s consumed by anger and guilt, something reflected in the change in Peter’s relationship with Flash. While he starts out as a jock asshole, Flash awkwardly tries to connect with Peter after Ben’s death, leading to them forming a more stable friendship by the film’s end.

While the Lizard suffers from questionable CGI, Stacy embodies the spirit of J. Jonah Jameson.

Although Peter investigates Oscorp and Dr. Connors works there, and the criminally underutilised Doctor Rajit Ratha (Irrfan Khan) exudes the same shady menace as the laughably faceless Norman Osborn, the company merely facilitates the film’s drama and action. Dr. Connors has dreamed of improving himself (and curing others) with his research, only to be labelled a mad scientist and be frustrated by roadblocks, both scientifically and politically. When Peter offers a solution, Dr. Connors’ hope and excitement is reignited, especially after they successfully implant lizard DNA into a rat and regrow its limb. However, when Ratha steals his research and fires him for his hesitance to start human testing, a desperate Dr. Connors injects himself with the serum and is elated when his arm grows back. This quickly turns to horror, however, as he undergoes a startling and monstrous transformation, losing his rational mind to animalistic rage. Stunned by the Lizard, Peter investigates and stupidly leads the crazed scientist to him by leaving his name on one of his cameras! Thirsty for revenge, the Lizard attacks Midtown Science High School and, when Spider-Man pursues him to his makeshift sewer lab, Peter discovers his identity and his plot. Dr. Connors, driven mad, plots to use a mutagenic solution to twist his dream of making everyone “equal” and healthy by transforming them into lizards! As much as I enjoyed finally seeing the Lizard get his time to shine, I have to admit I’ve always been disappointed by his appearance. He looks very off and far too dinosaur-like, sadly shedding his signature tattered lab coat. The film also wastes so much time retreading Spidey’s origin that Dr. Connors’ family is omitted, meaning he lacks a lot of the sympathy often associated with the character. Though Peter tries to warn Captain Stacy of the threat, he’s dismissed, largely because Stacy was unimpressed by Peter’s defence of what he sees as a dangerous and unpredictable vigilante. Indeed, while J. Jonah Jameson is absent, his spirit lives on in Captain Stacy, who publicly denounces Spider-Man, orders his arrest, and hounds him on sight. Still, Stacy’s sharp enough to investigate Dr. Connors and later sees the true threat first-hand, leading to an unlikely team up between the webslinger and the police captain in the finale.

The Nitty-Gritty:
The Amazing Spider-Man initially advertised itself as the “untold story” of Spider-Man and, if you squint, some of that remains amidst all the rehashing of Raimi’s films. The sub-sub-plot about Richard and Mary Parker is intriguing, but sadly little more than a tease as we learn nothing about what happened to them beyond a brief flash of a headline and it’s left somewhat vague about what they were working on and why that was a threat. While threatening Dr. Connors, Ratha suggests the Parkers’ deaths were due to Oscorp but it all feels very tenuous and isn’t as big a deal as I would’ve liked. Instead, The Amazing Spider-Man wastes a lot of time retreading familiar ground, dwelling on Peter’s pre-Spidey life, showing him exploring his powers and making his suit, and detailing how he abandons his selfish crusade for a higher purpose. As much as I loved all the actors and performances, I really think this is a detriment to the film and things could’ve been sped up. It means Dr. Connors doesn’t get much screen time and it makes it harder for Andrew to stand out from Tobey, despite being a far better fit for the role with his uncanny physical performance and much more natural smart mouth. I absolutely think rewriting the film to be a continuation of Raimi’s movies would’ve been far better. We could’ve reduced the origin to a montage and jumped into the action, with Gwen still being the love interest and exploring Peter’s relationship with Dr. Connors in more detail. To its credit, The Amazing Spider-Man does a lot better than Raimi: the webslinging is much more exciting, Peter’s characterisation is a vast improvement, and even the webshooters are a fun addition (as much as I like and prefer organic webbing). It just really hurts the pacing to waste a whole hour redoing the origin rather than getting to the action, especially when the chemistry between Peter and Gwen is so captivating…and hot! Seriously, these two are horny for each other and I am all for it!

While Spidey has never looked or been embodied better, the Lizard’s CGI is questionable, at best.

Still, The Amazing Spider-Man separates itself from Raimi’s films in a few ways, most obviously the redesigned Spidey suit. While I recall many hating the redesign, I’ve always been a fan of it and I was actually a bit disappointed that they switched to a more traditional costume for the sequel. Just as Andrew’s performance and poses are more animalistic and bug-like, so too is his suit more menacing and insectile, sporting a slick, almost wet-looking texture that makes it seem otherworldly. Another way the film stands out is by his dark it is! So much of The Amazing Spider-Man takes place at night, obscuring a lot of the action and CGI (a conscious decision, I’m sure) and also giving an additional menace to Spider-Man, especially when he’s unloading on thugs and evading the cops. Ironically, this Spider-Man is the wittiest and most amusing yet; I especially loved when he feigned horror when a carjacker (Keith Campbell) pulled a small knife on him! This Spidey is faster and leans into his bug-like nature more than ever, cocooning the Lizard in webbing, making a spread of webs to detect the Lizard in the sewers, and being hyperaware of his surroundings in a way not seen before. I was strangely okay with the first-person shots and odd camera choices, and even the obvious moments shot for 3D viewings, especially as I first saw this in 3D and it absolutely worked like a charm. It’s unfortunate, then, that the Lizard looks so awful. I’ve always been forgiving and understanding of this since it’s a difficult, CGI-heavy character and the film had a reduced budget compared to the last film, but the rest of the movie looks so slick and gorgeous (when you can make out the actions) that the Lizard can’t help but be a letdown. Perhaps if the filmmakers had gone for a gradual transformation, using prosthetics with CGI enhancements and saving the final, complete transformation until the end (or using the heavy shadows), it might’ve been executed better. It’s a shame as the Lizard is pretty impressive, slashing and smashing everything in sight and giving Spider-Man not only a far greater physical challenge but also a mental one, as he (and Gwen) must science-up a way to reverse the mad scientist’s formula.

While Spidey foils the Lizard’s plot, the cost is high and a mysterious threat lingers in the background…

This culminates in an action-packed and emotionally charged finale. After clashing with Captain Stacy over branzino and their different opinions on Spider-Man, Stacy goes all-out to try and apprehend Spider-Man even after confirmation of the Lizard’s threat. After realising Dr. Connor’s plot, Spidey races to stop him and is accosted by the cops, eventually shot mid-swing with a taser bolt and left unmasked before the police captain. Stunned, realising he’s been mistaken and yet conflicted between his duty and his morals, Stacy reluctantly allows Peter to leave but Spidey takes a bullet in the process. Luckily, Jack’s father organises some crane operators to clear a path to Oscorp Tower, though the injured Spidey is physically outmatched by the monstrous scientist. Luckily, Stacy (…somehow…) arrives in time to help with a shotgun and the anti-lizard cure, courtesy of the resourceful Gwen. Unfortunately, though Stacy slows the Lizard with repeated shots and some well-placed liquid nitrogen, he gets skewered through the gut, though Spidey just manages to insert the cure before the device activates. The results are near-instantaneous, painfully reverting the Lizard and restoring his sanity in time to not only save Peter and lament the loss of his arm but to realise the gravity of his murderous actions. Though Peter tries to save him, the mortally wounded Stacy begs him off and reconciles with the young hero, begging Peter, with his dying breath, to leave Gwen out of his double life for her safety. Though grief stricken, Peter honours Stacy’s wishes, ending the relationship, only for Gwen to realise it’s because of her father and for Peter to almost immediately walk back his promise, which I think was supposed to be a subversion of Spider-Man’s ending but came across as a bit awkward and spiteful on Peter’s part. Though Peter heads out into the night for a celebratory swing, now fully embracing his newfound purpose as Spider-Man, he’s unaware that a mysterious individual (Michael Massee) visits the remorseful, incarcerated Dr. Connors regarding the Parkers, hinting at some deeper plot concerning Peter’s parents…

The Summary:
Despite the circumstances surrounding its creation, I think time has been quite kind to The Amazing Spider-Man and, on the whole, removed from the confusion and disappointment of the time period, it holds up pretty well. Andrew Garfield remains my favourite Peter Parker/Spider-Man, embodying the character like never before at the time with his physicality, his wit a d his quirky performance. His absolutely raw emotional range and chemistry with Emma Stone oozes off the screen and I loved how capable and smart and sassy Gwen was, a far cry from the source material and her wooden predecessor. The cast, all around, is superb here, with Rhys Ifans giving a sombre and magnetic performance that turns into the right level of over-the-top camp once he transforms and Denis Leary grumbling his way through every line. I just wish we’d gotten more time with some of the actors. Spidey’s suit, movements, and action sequences were top-notch as well, far beyond anything Raimi’s films did, and I loved the subtle edge given to him, where he’s initially driven more by anger and revenge. Unfortunately, The Amazing Spider-Man stumbles due to a hesitancy to go all-in with the reboot idea. Visually and thematically, it’s very similar to Raimi’s films and it retreads far too much of Spidey’s origin to truly stand alone, again making me wish it had simply been a soft reboot set in the same world. Any intrigue surrounding Peter’s parents is swept under the rug and it’s simply there as sequel bait and to make you think this is something new and the reliance on Oscorp was disappointing after three movies of Osborn shenanigans. As much as I enjoyed Ifans as Dr. Connors, the Lizard is painful to watch at times, barely resembling the source material and losing many of the qualities that made him such a strong and sympathetic villain, meaning the film falls back on the tired “crazy scientist” trope that Raimi drove into the ground. It’s a thrilling and exciting adventure at times with some incredible visuals and moments, but a lot of it is lost in all the darkness and poor lighting, meaning Spider-Man doesn’t pop with colour like he should. It’s a shame as there’s a lot to like here, but The Amazing Spider-Man stumbles more than it strides and it’s difficult to look past some of its failings, despite the appeal of its charismatic cast.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Were you a fan of the Amazing Spider-Man or were you surprised to see a reboot so soon after Raimi’s films? What did you think to Andrew Garfield’s performance and his suit? Were you also disappointed by how much of the origin was rehashed and how dark the film was? What did you think to the chemistry between Peter and Gwen? Which Spider-Man film is your favourite and how are you celebrating the wall-crawler this month? Let me know what you think about The Amazing Spider-Man in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Spider-Man content.

Back Issues [Spidey Month]: The Amazing Spider-Man #6

Dr. K1 Comment

Easily Marvel Comics’ most recognisable superhero, unsuspecting teenage nerd Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and learned the meaning of power and responsibility in August 1962. Since then, the Amazing Spider-Man has featured in cartoons, movies, videogames, and countless comic books. To coincide with his day of celebration, I’m dedicating every Monday of August to everyone’s favourite web-head!

Story Title: “Face-to-Face with… the Lizard!”
Published: 8 August 1963 (cover-dated: November 1963)
Writer: Stan Lee
Artist: Steve Ditko

The Background:
After finding success with the Fantastic Four, Marvel editor and head writer Stan Lee dreamed up teenage superhero Peter Parker/Spider-Man, whose Amazing Fantasy debut became a best seller for Marvel Comics. Spider-Man’s subsequent popularity saw him headline numerous comics, including partnering with other, less mainstream superheroes in Marvel Team-Up, and amass perhaps the most colourful and memorable rogues gallery in all of comics. Doctor Curtis “Curt” Connors/The Lizard first appeared in the sixth issue of Spidey’s long-running Amazing Spider-Man book, courtesy of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Like many of Spider-Man’s villains, the Lizard was a tragic victim of science gone wrong and very much in the same vein as Doctor Henry Jekyll and Mister Edward Hyde: a seemingly normal man who underwent a horrific mental and physical transformation due to science. Spidey’s relationship with Dr. Connors became a complicated one, with the two often working together to try and cure the scientist or figure out solutions to Spidey’s latest drama, and them desperately trying to keep the doctor’s condition a secret from his family. Though he’s threatened to turn all of New York City’s inhabitants into lizards and even regressed into a monstrous form, the Lizard has turned towards the light before, though he’s primarily used as a low-tier supervillain in Spidey videogames. The Lizard has also featured in Spider-Man’s animated ventures. Most notably, he featured in the first episode of the 1990’s Spider-Man cartoon (Richardson, 1994) and later helped Spider-Man in the cartoon’s Secret Wars (Shooter et al, 1984 to 1985) adaptation. While we never got to see Dr. Connors (Dylan Baker) become the Lizard in Sam Raimi’s films, the Lizard was the main villain in The Amazing Spider-Man (Webb, 2012). While his design was heavily criticised, Rhys Ifans returned to voice the character nearly ten years later, and the Lizard is generally seen as one of Spidey’s more under-rated villains.

The Review:
Our story opens in “the murky swamps of Florida’s everglades”, where a group of…well, I assume they’re tourists but one of them has a gun so maybe they’re poachers? Or perhaps they just have a well-prepared tour guide? It’s hard to tell and ultimately inconsequential. Anyway, a group of men are suddenly attacked by a giant, man-sized lizard in purple trousers and a lab coat. As if the sight of a six-foot lizard wasn’t shocking enough, the creature speaks (and quite eloquently, too), voicing rage and displeasure at the men for venturing into his swamp. After proving bulletproof, the Lizard causes the trespassers to flee by uprooting a massive tree and waving it about in a threatening manner. Further reports of additional encounters and attacks soon spread, leading the locals to avoid the swamplands and live in fear of the man-lizard in the region. The news is so astonishing that it even reaches the streets of New York, courtesy of the Daily Bugle, whose editor, the miserly J. Jonah Jameson, wastes no time using his publication to challenge Spider-Man to defeat the Lizard. Though he scoffs at the headline, Spider-Man reasons that he might be able to convince Jonah to send him to Florida to snap some pictures of the Lizard. However, Jonah shoots him down, primarily because he believes the whole thing’s a hoax anyway (making me question why he’d risk the Daily Bugle’s reputation printing the headline). Though dejected, Peter heads to the Natural History Museum to brush up on his lizard knowledge. During a lecture on dinosaur anatomy, Peter’s spider-sense alerts him to two thieves, who he quickly subdues, and he’s so bolstered by his actions that he decides to approach Jonah in his masked identity. Spider-Man humiliates Jonah in his office and accepts his challenge, but on the caveat that Jonah sends a photographer to capture the fight, however Peter’s plan backfires somewhat when Jonah insists on tagging along! After saying his farewells to his doting Aunt May, Peter takes his mind off the uncomfortable plane ride by researching Dr. Connors, a lizard expert in the Everglades who he tags as a possible source.

After hearing of Dr. Connors’ tragic fate, Spidey works to find a cure and stop his monstrous rampage.

After ditching Jonah, Peter checks out the swamp-like Everglades and is ambushed by the Lizard! Dragged underwater and nearly drowned, the web-slinger’s reflexes are all that save him from a swipe from the monster’s tail, though the Lizard proves to be as strong as he is fast as he sends the youngster flying with a flick of the appendage! Convinced that he needs more intel, Spidey drops by Dr. Connors’ house and finds his wife, Martha, in tears. She not only reveals that her husband is the Lizard but also fills Spidey in on the whole backstory. A former surgeon, Dr. Connors was forced to retire after losing an arm “during the War” and became obsessed with the unique regenerative properties of lizards. Hoping to not only regrow his arm but also help countless others, Dr. Connors worked tireless in his experiments, fully supported by his loving wife and awestruck son, Billy. After many months, Dr. Connors synthesised a serum from lizard DNA and successfully tested it on a rabbit. Emboldened by this, Dr. Connors wasted no time and downed the solution and, after a brief spot of agony, was delighted when his arm grew back! Unfortunately, his elation quickly turned to horror as he transformed into a hideous, half-human lizard. Although the monstrous Dr. Connors returned to try and reverse the process, his mind quickly degenerated and, with the last vestiges of his humanity, he begged Martha to get herself and Billy to safety. However, some trace of Dr. Connors obviously still remains in the Lizard as Martha’s story is interrupted by Billy being accosted by the creature outside. After getting Billy to safety, Spider-Man fights the Lizard again, this time noting the creature’s tough, dinosaur-like armour plating and ability to snap his webs! When Martha rushes to Billy, the Lizard flees in horror and Spidey spends the next few hours going through the doctor’s notes to try and create a cure.

Spidey endures the Lizard’s assault and cures Dr. Connors, but gets screwed by Jonah.

Thanks to his scientific acumen, Spider-Man is successful and, right on cue, the Lizard attacks the lab. Overwhelmed by the creature’s speed, ferocity, and incredible strength, Spider-Man is beaten unconscious, allowing the Lizard to retrieve his serum to empower the local lizards in a mad plot to conquer the Earth. With no time to call for help and no choice but to pursue, Spidey whips up a pair of “web swamp-shoes” and goes paddling through the stream into the Lizard’s territory, pondering how he’s going to subdue the Lizard without harming Dr. Connors. Reaching an abandoned fort, Spider-Man spots the Lizard monologing to a congregation of alligators, who listen intently and obey his every command, attacking Spider-Man when instructed and forcing the hero to scale the fort’s tower to escape. Determined to keep the Lizard distracted, Spider-Man throws webs and his quick wit at the creature and stays on the move, eventually trapping them both within the fort. When the Lizard pursues him up the walls, Spidey makes a desperate gamble and plunges to the ground, tackling the Lizard in mid-air and forcing the antidote down his throat. Spidey is stunned by the Lizard’s powerful tail and left powerless but, just as the Lizard moves to strike, the antidote takes effect. In a few panels, the Lizard’s transformation regresses and Dr. Connors returns, human and sane again (though still missing an arm) to reunite with his family. After Dr. Connors vows to destroy his research, Spidey takes pity on him and promises to keep his secret, much to their relief. In the aftermath, Jameson destroys the photos Peter brings him, convinced the Lizard was all made up and the trip was a waste. He therefore refuses to pay Peter, adds the cost of the trip to his bill and, to make matters worse, Peter’s shot down by Elizabeth “Liz” Allen since she’s got the hots for Spider-Man!

The Summary:
It’s always funny to me to look back at these old stories and see these now-iconic and nuanced villains treated as simple, run-of-the-mill, monthly issues for our favourite web-spinner. “Face-to-Face with… the Lizard!” has a bit more meat on its bones than some stories from back then thanks to Dr. Connors’ tragic origin story, but it’s still full of a few blunders. I’m not the biggest fan of these single issues wasting time on Peter’s supporting cast and this issue definitely does that with Peter’s visit to the museum. It makes sense for him to brush up on his lizard knowledge, but he visits the dinosaur exhibit, which isn’t really the same thing, and later gets exposition from Martha so this feels like a waste. Sure, we get to see Spidey in action but I feel those panels could’ve been used to add to his later fights with the Lizard. And, yes, we see Eugene “Flash” Thompson and Liz Allen there and that ties into Peter’s ongoing social angst, but he also flirts with Jonah’s secretary, Betty Brant, so I do feel some reshuffling could’ve been done. The worst example, though, is the whole side plot with Jonah tagging along. He doesn’t factor into the story at all except as a bookend so it seems like a waste of time to have him go to Florida. It’s not like we cut away from the main story to see him searching for Peter, arguing with hotel staff, or trying to prove the Lizard is a hoax. He just belittles Peter, laughs at the idea of a man-lizard despite printing headlines about it, then disregards the photographic evidence and vows to make Peter reimburse him. I definitely think Jonah should’ve been taken out or reduced or had some significance to the plot if he was gonna be there. Perhaps he could’ve gotten involved in the Spidey/Lizard fight and the story would end with another outrageous headline claiming Spider-Man is in cahoots with the Lizard. As it is, it feels like unnecessary padding to add to the page count.

Despite some colourful battles, the story and its plot felt very rushed and didn’t live up to its potential.

This is a shame at the best of times but particularly disappointing considering the unique tragic backstory of the Lizard. While we get a decent insight into this thanks to Martha, freeing up panels and page space could’ve gone into more detail about his accident, his drive to help similarly disabled people, and his loving relationship with his family. It also could’ve added to the Lizard’s fights with Spider-Man, which felt very rushed. I was hoping we’d see Spidey out of his element in the swamp and therefore at a disadvantage because of the trees, murky water, and aggressive wildlife and, while these elements are briefly touched upon, it’s nowhere near as in-depth as I’d expect. The fights aren’t given much time to breathe; the Lizard boasts of his superior strength and speed and demonstrates it, but it doesn’t have the impact I’d expect. It’s as though everything’s rushing along rather than having a more natural pace. I liked that Peter scientific acumen was put to the test but find it awfully convenient that he whipped up an antidote in a few hours. The reveal that the Lizard can command alligators was fun but underutilised; again, we could’ve had a few more panels of Spidey tangling with the ‘gators to add to the tension. The serum the Lizard steals disappears, never to be seen again; the Lizard’s said to be a ruthless and animalistic creature but he’s incredible articulate and calculating; and, while the idea that Spidey had to be careful not to harm Dr. Connors had legs, I never felt like there was a danger of that since Spidey couldn’t penetrate the Lizard’s hide and had a magic antidote to cure him. Everything’s very colourful, at least, and I liked seeing Spider-Man in a new environment. I also dug the tragedy of the Lizard and that Spidey took pity on him rather than bringing him to the authorities, especially as Dr. Connors didn’t really hurt anyone. However, I don’t think this is all it could’ve been and it felt very rushed and nonsensical at times. That might not be surprising given the rate Marvel were pumping out stories back then, but it is disappointing and hurt my enjoyment of this issue.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

What are your thoughts on the Lizard’s debut? Are you a fan of the character and, if so, what are some of your favourite Lizard stories? Did you also think the whole Jonah side plot was a waste of time? What did you think to the Lizard’s tragic backstory and his plot to conquer the world with lizards? Were you also disappointed with the pacing of the story? Which of the Lizard’s appearances outside of the comics is your favourite? Feel free to leave your thoughts on the Lizard below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other Spider-Man content.