This is a very Ditko sort of comic. That could be seen as an insult, but I really don't mean it that way. It's just that it's a sad sack comic about a guy who tries to do the right thing and always fails, and in the process, becomes a villain. But not in a way that would upset Ditko's Objectivist viewpoints, as Joe never has any say in the matter himself. Of course, Joe does mirror Peter in a lot of ways; Spider-Man always tries to do what's right and ends up vilified by the Daily Bugle, the general public and even his classmates (none of which are his friends by this point). I think Ditko put a lot of himself into Peter Parker in general; Peter even looks like Ditko after all. But the timing of this issue, which ends on such a dour note for our protagonist, is just uncanny. Ditko quit somewhere in the process of making this issue, for feeling that he wasn't getting his due. The cover is literally just a patchwork of art from the issue, so I don't even think Ditko ever did an actual cover. If I remember right, he just showed up and quit one day out of the blue. Of course, it probably wasn't out of the blue for Stan Lee or Steve Ditko. This is just a very significant issue, I think, for reasons obvious and maybe not so obvious.

As for the issue itself, there's a lot to like here and none of it really has to do with Joe himself. Ironically, the unfairly disliked Ne'er Do Well is not very appealing to read about, and a lot of focus is given to him to set him up. However, the interpersonal life of Peter Parker is still a highlight and a very fun time. And Norman Osborn's scheme to defeat Spider-Man is much more interesting. I feel like that's why the last few issues have produced such lackluster villains. They're being used in service of the overall plot more than being given the spotlight themselves. I don't really know how these villains would fare with an entire issue devoted solely to them. I don't think it'd work out honestly. So, that must mean that those characters are more meant to fill up the space than to be a draw all their own. Joe being an odd example of clearly having thought put into the character while also just being something for Spidey to tackle while Norman's goons try to defeat him for ransom.

I really hope they explain why Norman didn't just put on his Goblin suit and go after Spider-Man, and instead send a bunch of random goons to do it. I don't really remember why he didn't do that. I mean, he has a history of using goons at his disposal, so maybe it fits. But it seems weird that Green Goblin wouldn't be the very next step if Spider-Man needed to be gotten rid of. Maybe they explain it in the next few issues, I just haven't read them in a long while.

Quote of the issue: "It's a Good Thing I'm Not the Hyper-Emotional Type! I'd Probably Have Had a Breakdown Long Before This!" more