Posted - July 5, 2014 | Updated : August 26, 2015


Amazing Spider-Man 116
Suddenly the Smasher




Suddenly the Smasher! Who is the Smasher. Here he is:


smasher hates billboards

That's right we've got one of those two-bit villains this issue, although he is ten feet tall. He strikes me as a powered-down version of this guy Maybe the reason why Smasher's application to the Sinister Six got rejected is because the other Spidey villains wouldn't be caught dead hanging with someone who hates billboards.

That said, this is a wonderful panel by John Romita of Smasher grabbing Spider-Man.


smasher grabs spider-man

I also like how tough Smasher is. He falls maybe five stories? But he's still up.


smasher falls but is unhurt

Smasher is in the wrong comic. I would like this guy in the Fantastic Four duking it out with the Thing.

There's something about John Romita's art that's - something. Look at this Spider-Man panel.


romita spider-man

And this one


romita spider-man

At this time, it was Peter and Gwen. MJ is just a friend. Witness . . .


peter, mj, and harry

The story centers on the popularity of a politician Richard Raleigh.


richard raleigh

This is major beef with this issue. We are shown that everybody, including J. Jonah Jameson, loves Raleigh. The girls, in particular, are crazy for him. But. But. Romita doesn't draw him as having any charisma and Lee keeps telling us this guy is popular but never shows us. The whole Raleigh angle is just a fail.

The funniest panel has got to be this one with J. Jonah. Note the "concluding" comment.


j. jonah jameson makes 
					a speech

That with Jonah's face. Classic

So at some point the ceiling is collapsing on everybody and Peter has to rip out the electrical panel so he can get up there sans costume and save everyone. John Romita gives us this panel.


peter being spider-man in
					the dark

The mood of this panel is just amazing. It really conveys the sheer spookiness of a human spider clambering up their in the dark. Very nice.

Boom! This issue goes down like it was three pages. Yup, one of those.

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