Amazing Spider Man #6-7

A TRIVIAL PURSUIT pts I-II

Written by Nick Spencer
Penciled by Humberto Ramos
Covers by Humberto Ramos
Published Sept 26 and Oct 10, 2018

   Pete and Mary Jane make out at his shared apartment as supervillain Fred Myers, aka Boomerang, loiters nearby. As he feigns chore duty to hang around, Pete decides to tail him, watching him carouse with some other fellow d-list crooks, but all in all, nothing looks like an imminent threat.

"It's just a bunch of nerd villains!"

   Later, the three roommates talk and Fred lets out the fact he's a Spider-Man expert. Pete corrects him, which inspires the villain to bring him to the famed supervillain drinking spot, the Bar With No Name. Boomerang quickly comes up with an alias for his non-costumed friend, and so Peter Parker is now known as the Liar, allowing him to compete and later excel in Spider-Man trivia night.

It took a little time, but finally something Pete is good at.

   Pete dominates the contest while across town, Mayor Wilson Fisk has decided that Boomerang has become a liability. He texts out an APB to every villain imaginable and suddenly, Boomerang the Liar are wanted men. The duo begins to fight their way out - but it's slow going, and eventually Fred takes a blow he can't shake off.

Boomerang... saves the day?!

   Suddenly the Liar pulls out his own super lie, telling the patrons that their weapons will now immediately backfire. The diversion gives the two of them an instant to escape. Later, the two take a second to rest when Pete clears the air. He knows Fred is still supervillaining as he saw them with the knockoff Sinister Six. Fred explains the sad truth... his old gang were nothing but some doppelgängers he bought from the Tinkerer, and to add insult to injury, they didn’t even function properly. Pete decides to cut his roomie some slack, inviting him to see UCB with him and Robbie because everyone deserves a second chance.

Ok, I guess you can come hang out with us.

   The issue ends with an interesting epilogue. Mayor Wilson Fisk flexes his large muscles when weird bandage bug man appears yet again. He’s had a few cameos in this series so far but this one this one reveals a bit more. After murdering a handful of his associates, the centipede-clad mystery man forces Fisk to bend the knee - which clearly shows he’s a force to be reckoned with. But what’s gonna happen next? We’ll have to wait as this issue is left to be continued.

"Ok, but you have to do EVERYTHING I say.. AND you have to put this gross bug on you."

   So judging by some of Nick Spencer’s previous assignments, he has an odd place in his heart for Boomerang. And you know what? I get it. It reminds me of what Tom King did with Kite Man in Batman a few issues back. Takes an obscure villain and humanize him. Not that it’s anything new but it’s a refreshing approach. Hopefully he keeps Fred around because there’s a lot of places to take him. Nice work for a writer still only 7 issues away from Dan Slott’s shadow, but getting better and better every time. I give this one a 10/10.

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