the plot: After nearly being driven over to the "Dark side", Peter tries to learn as much as he can about his father, who he never really knew, while trying to save some old store owners from a villain we though we saw the last of over in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #16...The Squid!

the review: I liked this issue. I really did. I think that now that Howard Mackie has been able to focus his energies into one book he's begun to produce some of the best work of his career. This issue is no exception, and manages to do the impossible, an unheard of practice in comicdom up until late: Making a boring villain interesting. Namely the Squid, a one note villain who appeared amongst others over in PP:SM's "Cliche" issue. The story, the brief explantion for the Squid's earlier appearence and the nice diologue all went towards making this one a winner on the writing side.

The fact that it's a one-shot issue is appealing as well, and appreciated following the recent sea of two and three parters in this title. I personally am a fan of two parters, but feel that they really should be more spread apart, rather than bunched up as they have been here.

Once more we are treated to nice John Romita jr. art, who seemed particularly on the ball this issue. My only complant goes towards Richard (Peter's dad) and Ben (As in Uncle) being the same size in an old photograph. Wasn't Ben supposed to be at least ten or more years older than Richard? Maybe Ben was smaller in his youth?

This was an enjoyable issue, that filled in a few plot threads that I, like others I'm sure, would have gone unfinished. And because I liked this issue as I did, I completely skip over the fact that there was no mention of the robot parents here.

I give Amazing Spider-Man #26 ***1/2 out of *****.

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