Welcome back to Spidey's Creek, or Degrassi Marvel High, for us Canadians. I'm pleased that Marvel's revived this teen drama, and kept the super-hero genre elements to a minimum. This is typical teen fare... the dilemma that forces the heroine to choose between her principles and her boyfriend, the best friend who's become distant... we've seen these sorts of things in teen dramas before. But what makes it work is a strong sense of character. That we know Mary Jane's future in the Marvel Universe doesn't detract from the story at all either. And Miyazawa's art captures the youth of the characters and the safe, soothing nature of their place in the world quite well.
The homecoming dance is coming up, and Mary Jane can't wait for the night when she'll wearing the perfect dress and dance with the perfect guy... not Spider-Man, but her new boyfriend, Harry Osborn. There's just one problem: Harry's dad is threatening to put an end to his social life and his relationship with MJ if his grades don't improve. Even tutoring from the uber-brainy Peter Parker doesn't seem to help, so Harry formulates a new plan -- cheating -- and he recruits MJ's help to carry it out. Meanwhile, MJ worries about Liz, who's been avoiding her and acting weird.
Miyazawa boasts a soft style that's quite appealing and serves this dialogue- and emotion- driven well. The artist captures the chaarcters' vulnerability and innocence, and those are among the most important elements in the book. I wouldn't have thought a super-hero action sequence would be up his alley, but the dream that opens the book boasts some real excitement. Miyazawa does a surprisingly good job of depicting the Green Goblin. Colorist Christina Strain makes some important contributions in the book as well. She bridges the gap between MJ's daydream and the real world by using a spot-color look that was used for coloring comics in years gone by. She also adds texture and warmth to the characters' faces with her subtle computer colors as well.
The story here is a simple one, but it's effective as well. It's easy to relate to Harry here; we've all felt that temptation to take the easy way out. MJ's dilemma is familiar as well. It's not easy to stand up to someone we love when they're doing something wrong. There's a universal quality in the plotting here that serves as the book's strongest lure.
I'm also quite interesting in the secret that Liz is trying to keep from those around her. McKeever has developed a real sense of mystery while not abandoning the grounded nature of the property. The one aspect of the script that didn't sit well for me, though, was the over-the-top bitterness and anger displayed by the kids' teacher. Her hostility is uncalled for. We get the feeling she hates her students, and her behavior just doesn't make sense in this context. 7/10
