written by Nick Spencer
penciled by Ryan Ottley
inked by Cliff Rathburn
colored by Laura Martin
As grimly established last issue, the freak experiment that has split Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man into two people has resulted in a Peter without power and a Spidey without responsibility, both of which are frightening prospects, but things take a turn for the worse this issue when not only does Spider-Man's irresponsible lifestyle level significant chunks of New York real estate, but apparently, as Peter learns, he and his red-and-blue clad alter-ego may not survive for much longer without each other. In the background, an old, vengeful Spidey bad guy prepares to strike.
It's genuinely amusing how far Nick Spencer has gotten with a story that asks a simple question: what would Peter be like without power, and Spidey be like without responsibility? It's a somewhat silly premise that doesn't hold up terribly well to scrutiny, but apart from that the story makes its point in quite effective and humorous fashion. Nick Spencer, whose HYDRA-Cap story proved to be one of the most polarizing sagas of recent memory and whose personal politics have put him in the crosshairs of more conservative fan groups, tells an interesting, if relatively light-hearted story about conscience and morality through a more "traditional" lens than he's used in the past, and I have to say, it works. Again, I find myself hard-pressed to remember a story quite like it, though the possibility has been there since the very beginning. The "Clone Saga" which is less about duality and more about identity, isn't quite the same thing. As his first arc as a Spider-Man writer nears its conclusion, Spencer really shows why he was the right guy to replace Dan Slott.
Ryan Ottley continues to turn in consistently good, if not particularly splashy work this time around. While I've been satisfied with his run so far, I have to say it mystifies me that he has to take a whole five issues off to recharge his batteries (at least) to make way for Humberto Ramos. I mean, we're not exactly talking about Art Adams' rendering or something like that. Now, unlike a lot of other fans I don't actually mind Ramos' work that much, but I do think this book has needed a fresh approach for awhile and Ottley has definitely brought that to the table, something which continues here, and I would preferred for Ottley to have an equally fresh artist as his reliever.
I look forward to the conclusion of this arc and to what else Spencer has in store.
8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment