I still really want to like this storyline. I applaud Quesada for actually telling it. It would have been very easy to just say “Mephisto did it” and move on like “One More Day” was no big deal. However, with that story being so controversial, he felt the fans deserved this story. Then again, the fans that were most pissed off about “One More Day” have no interest in “One Moment in Time.” So, it’s a storyline explaining another storyline, written for people who aren’t going to read it. That said, I felt that if it was pulled off well, it would go down as one of the most important stories in Spider-Man’s history.
Unfortunately, with each issue, it feels more and more like Quesada didn’t have a solid plan going in. At the end of last issue, they showed Peter saving Aunt May’s life. This issue starts off explaining how Peter was able to succeed where the doctors could not. Aunt May’s life was saved through the power of love. Peter Parker; your Friendly Neighborhood Care Bear.
With Aunt May’s life saved, this issue focused on the second major development of “One More Day”; the restoration of Peter’s secret identity. It was a huge deal when Iron man talked Peter into publicly revealing his identity as Spider-Man during Civil War. Moreso than almost any major hero, Spider-Man has a good reason for his secret identity. The reason Aunt May almost died was because Kingpin wanted to hurt Spider-Man, and in this issue we see him going after Mary Jane and her family.
The thought of losing MJ causes Peter to look for help restoring his identity. Who does he go to? Doctor freaking Strange. If the whole point of this storyline is to explain how things happen, replacing “Mephisto did it” with “A wizard did it” is not an acceptable solution. I still want to like this, but the plot is making it difficult. There’s only one issue left, and things still aren’t making a whole lot of sense.
Amazing Spider-Man Issue 640: “One Moment in Time, Part 3”
Marvel Comics
Story: Joe Quesada
Art: Joe Quesada, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove
