It is finally time for the Amazing Spider-Man story that I have been drooling over for months now, the return of the Lizard, penned by Zeb Wells and penciled by Chris Bachalo. “Shed,” the arc's title, is a four-parter taking us into the month of June. Here are five reasons why you need to be more than excited for this Wednesday:
5. This is the final finger of The Gauntlet: For 29 issues now, Spider-Man has been running through wave after wave of his villains, revamped, stronger and deadlier than ever. Without a break, Spidey has gone through Doctor Octopus, the Chameleon, Electro, the Sandman, Mysterio, two Rhinos, the Juggernaut, a number of encounters with Mister Negative, Morbius, and a brand new Vulture in succession. But while he has survived each one, the list of causalities are vast, including his job with the Mayor's Office, the destruction of Aunt May's home and even her own yet to be resolved corruption by Mister Negative. With Shed as the final lap before the Grim Hunt can begin, expect no punch to be pulled as everything than can be done to run Spidey through the grinder.
4. Zeb Wells: No stranger to the webs, Zeb has been the brains behind a number of Spider-Man stories about a number of characters over the years, Wells will bring his filmmaking vision, sense of humor, bizarre mindset and incredible talent to put the finishing touches on what has been one of the best Spider-Man mega-arcs in recent memory, if not ever. His experience writing Venom and the symbiote will also come into play here as the prologue pages in last week's ASM gave us a look into both the rational and scientific voice of Dr. Connors and his monstrously creepy alter ego.
3. The Lizard: 90s symbiotes aside, The Lizard is perhaps my favorite Spider-Man villain. Curt Connors, Parker's occasional mentor and friend is also experiencing his own Gauntlet, reduced to working for Phelcorp in order to make ends meet and maintain visitation for his son. Look for the events of Shed to push him towards desperate measures. Unlike the other villains whose animal resemblances come from the outfits they don to gain their powers, Curt Connors, like Peter Parker, is the closest in tune with his "animalistic totem" in that he will always be The Lizard, it is part of his genetics and when he transforms and The Lizard battles The Spider, the encounters are primal, intense, close combat fights that push both participants to their limits. Given that these stories have been all about making Spider-Man's foes deadlier than ever, expect Wells to utilize all of the Lizard's abilities, including his control over reptiles and to put him in situations that will allow for some creative storytelling.
2. Chris Bachalo: If Mark Millar is the Michael Bay of Marvel, Chris Bachalo is the Tim Burton. With a gorgeous exaggerated and quirky manga-ish style that is perfectly suited for the cartoony but occasionally dark world of Spider-Man, Bachalo does it all: phenomenal and inventive layouts, detailed backgrounds, kinetic action, fantastic character designs (as the initial previews of Bachalo's Lizard take reveal) and flawless interpretation of the script. Bachalo is a master storyteller, as comfortable with a multi panel page as he is with a spread. Shed will be his fourth stint in the post-Brand New World day of Spider-Man, with his latest work being Brian Reed's Sinister Spider-Man. Expect him to translate the strange and intensely alien work he put into Venom towards Connor's Lizard.
1. The Chemistry: The last time Wells and Bachalo partnered, the team managed to stop the bleeding and give pause to the feeding frenzy of Spider-haters who were loathing the flagship title's new direction. The mixture of action, dialogue and plot helped stem the tide of doubt and gave the Webheads a chance to re-focus, leading the vanguard towards the New Ways to Die event that righted the ship for the brand. It has been a year and a half since the duo has worked together last, and they have both come a long way, with Bachalo even going on record with how impressed he was with the advancement Zeb has made in his writing. This is a story that has been in the works for a number of months now, with plenty of time allocated so there will be no delays or need for fill-in artists. The longest arc since last spring's American Son, Shed is set to kick off the Spider-Summer and will do so in tremendous fashion. You can anticipate fun, action, excitement, and no doubt a terrarium full of horror.
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