the plot: After two years of build up involving the sinister and mysterious Stewart Ward, his true goals are revealed, while New York is being overrun by aliens and the Green Goblin is on the prowl.

the review: First I'll give credit to the soon to be departing Mr. Howard Mackie. He manages to balance all of the stories well. Ward's story involving the Z'Nox (sounds like Z'Sox) makes sense, what with the Maximum Security crossover, and Mackie fits MS into the story rather well. Aunt May's reaction, dismissing the alien invasion as a joke fits in well with her reactions to all things 'super', and it's nice that we see people fussing over something as important as earth being made an alien prison.

Another thing that piqued my fancy was the use of the Green Goblin. It served as a nice tease and lead in to the following issue, which, I'm sure we all know by now, revealed Peter as the inexperienced Goblin.

Finally on the list of good things, I couldn't go without saying how much I liked John Romita's art this issue. I know his art was sketchier and rougher than usual, but I'll chalk that up to the fact that, in addition to this issue penciled the Avengers this month and is getting ready for work on the Incredible Hulk soon. That and the fact that finisher Dan Green's inks are normally sketchy (Re: PP:SM & Spec.). But there were some great scenes in the book. I can't think of another artist who could have pulled off the scene in the Bugle where Ward's virus spreads. That was beautiful.

What wasn't quite so good however was the final showdown with Ward. The explanations that Ward's crafty and that the return of the Z'Nox triggered the virus in Ward, were acceptable in that they at least made sense, but the fact that Ward's whole motivation was to win over the woman who went on to marry Arthur Stacy? That's about as bad as not giving any explantion at all. The scene looks nice though. *sigh*

Well, if anything, Amazing Spider-Man #24 served as a monthly dose of great John Romita artwork, despite some parts of the story that fell a little short. If you can look past a few things (not that you should have to in the first place) it's an all right book.

Oh, and one last thing, pull out your Peter Parker: Spider-Man flashback issues gang to see that Mackie goofed with the name of Arthur's wife, Jean. In the earlier issue she was Nancy! And Mackie wrote that issue!

Bottom line: Mackie's done worse, but at least the Ward story is over. **1/2 out of *****

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