By d. emerson eddy — Launching out of the polarizing end to J. Michael Straczynski's Spider-Man run that culminated in “One More Day”, the Spider titles condensed into one thrice monthly Amazing Spider-Man series under the “Brand New Day” banner. Beginning in Amazing Spider-Man #546, the series encompassed a new creative brain trust that alternated arcs, guiding a newly single, back to basics Peter Parker that had his secret identity back and a deal with Mephisto. These rotating creative teams lasted for just over 100 issues before Dan Slott began his years long tenure as sole Spider-scribe.

Towards the end of the “Brand New Day” era, there was an epic, multi-part story-arc, “The Gauntlet”, that was equal parts Batman: Knightfall and Kraven's Last Hunt. It started with Spider-Man being beset by most of his major villains, wearing him down to a confrontation with Kraven's family. Each arc can more or less be read on their own, but together they make an incredible story. The final villain in the gauntlet was the Lizard in the story “Shed” from Zeb Wells, Chris Bachalo, Emma Rios, Tim Townsend, Jamie Mendoza, Victor Olazaba, Mark Irwin, Antonio Fabela, and Joe Caramagna.

As the final stop before the Grim Hunt, I thought it was fitting that the story would revisit the theme from Torment of a new, deadlier Lizard. With a twist. Where that Lizard was feral, driven to a mindless state of aggression by Calypso's war drums, this Lizard takes a different tack. After a little push from the Kravinoffs—and partially the result from Curt Connors messing with his brain chemistry to try to restrain the Lizard again—another new incarnation of the Lizard appears, more intelligent and able to awaken the “reptile brain” in others. It's an interesting way to “shed” the Lizard from his Curt Connors identity and helps further the trauma that Spider-Man has been going through mentally and physically through the Gauntlet story-arc.

Zeb Wells balances the soap opera and humor elements that have permeated the Amazing Spider-Man run since the start of “Brand New Day” with the more horrific elements of the Lizard's reign of terror and inciting incident well, really making the audience feel the terror imparted by this new incarnation. It's nicely aided by Joe Caramagna's lettering approach to the dialogue boxes for the characters' internal monologue, showing more erratic styles for the emerging reptile personas.

The new character design for this deadlier Lizard is wonderfully presented by Chris Bachalo. There's an alien nature to the design that adds to the sense of danger and uneasiness. Along with his team of inkers, Tim Townsend, Jamie Mendoza, Victor Olazaba & Mark Irwin, and colorist Antonio Fabela, the artwork for this arc is incredible. There's a dynamic approach to the layouts that keeps you propelled along. Emma Rios contributes a number of the more grounded, human sequences, coming aboard to keep the book to schedule. Her style is a radical departure from Bachalo's, but it works well as a counterpoint to the exaggeration in his work.

Overall, “Shed”, — presented as Spider-Man: The Gauntlet – Volume 5: Lizard, from Wells, Bachalo, Rios, Townsend, Mendoza, Olazaba, Irwin, Fabela, and Caramagna — continues the legacy set out in Kraven's Last Hunt and carried through Torment, presenting interesting and captivating changes to Spider-Man's rogues gallery, while making you wonder, maybe this is finally the time that Spider-Man will be completely worn down.

Spider-Man - The Gauntlet - Volume 5 - The Lizard

Spider-Man: The Gauntlet – Volume 5: Lizard
Writer: Zeb Wells
Artists: Chris Bachalo & Emma Rios
Inkers: Tim Townsend, Jamie Mendoza, Victor Olazaba & Mark Irwin
Colorist: Antonio Fabela
Letterers: VC's Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects Amazing Spider-Man #630-633. With a son in foster care, and working at the bottom of the pharmaceutical industry, how long will it be before a Lizard breaks the shell of Curt Connors? The Lizard will take over all of Earth unless Spider-Man alone can stop him!
Release Date: February 16 2011 | May 5 2010 – June 16 2010 (Original Story-Arc)
Price: $6.99 | Also available in Spider-Man: The Gauntlet: The Complete Collection Volume 2 ($19.99)
Read It Digitally: Spider-Man - The Gauntlet - Vol. 5 Lizard
Order The Trade: Spider-Man - The Gauntlet - Vol. 5 Lizard

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.