A review of Amazing Spider-Girl #15 By Dave Galanter (Cap) December 22, 2007 Rating: 9.0 / 10

Script, Plot & Pencils: Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
Inks: Sal Buscema

"Dark Destiny!"

Before I begin this month's review, forgive me for being away three months. Sometimes life gets very busy, and that happened for me. I didn't have time to REVIEW Spider-Girl, but I never stopped reading it. The arc I didn't review was awesome in many ways, and I'll touch on some of those elements in this review.

Celebrating 10 years in publication (with only a little down time for a title change and a few--okay, more than a few--reprieves from early cancellation), this issue is one of those milestones I feared this comic would never meet. I can't say how pleased I am it has. Ten years! I knew it had the staying power, I just never imagined my hopes would be fulfilled.

This issue hits all the high points in reminding us why we love Spider-Girl. Her overcoming self-doubt, her normal teen-age concerns, her love of family and friends, the large extended cast... it hit all the notes. And, Tom and team actually put in a nod to one of my pet peeves: the oft forgotten power May has that Peter doesn't--the power to repel things rather than just stick to things. (We were also nicely reminded she has HER Uncle Ben's weaponry: impact webbing and spider-stingers. Nice.) This reminds me that last issue I saw the scene I've been waiting years to see: Ben's spider-powers showing up. I always envisioned a baby crawling on the ceiling, and the team showed me just that scene. I loved it!

The method of seeing--and being reminded--of past foes for this issue was well done and believable. What was hard to believe was how many unique bad guys this book has seen in 10 years. Wow! I'd forgotten some of them, and some I remembered so fondly that I had to smile as I reminisced. Funny Face's great plea to his inanimate side-kick "Bunky" that he save himself when being webbed up? Hysterical.

The art was, as usual, top notch as well. I especially liked older-Benjy looking just like a young Peter--the one we remember seeing in the 70s to boot. I do have a problem telling JJ and Brad apart, but my guess is that this has more to do with May's taste in boys than anything else. She seems to like blonds.

While seeing old blasts from the past is fun, the real fun here was in seeing May overcome her insecurities and learning to trust herself a bit more. I will be interested to see this new battle within her as she has to force herself to put into play what she learned about herself in this story.

Ten years... it's amazing in today's market to keep a book not just alive for that long, but always FRESH. Spider-Girl remains fresh and interesting, and I'm looking forward to the next ten years.

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