SPIDER-GIRL #47
"Gods and Men!"
Not Recommended (2/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writers: Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
Pencils: Ron Frenz
Inks: Livesay
Colors: Christie Scheele & Heroic Age
Letters: John E. Workman
Editors: Tom Brevoort
"Jay Leno & Spider-Man: One Night Only! (Don't Forget to Tip Your Waitress), Part One"
Writer: Ron Zimmerman
Pencils: Greg Capullo
Inks: Danny Miki
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
This is a title that has managed to stave off cancellation thanks to a vocal fan base, and I understand why. There was a time when Spider-Girl captured the fun and appeal of the Silver Age Amazing Spider-Man stories. It served as a gateway into the Marvel Universe for new readers, and it was a nice change of pace for a young female heroine to be spotlighted (as opposed to her breasts) in her own title. More important, though, was the fact that Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe were telling a compelling and entertaining coming-of-age story.
That, however, is no longer the case.
Apox, the Omega Skrull, has attacked Fantastic Five headquarters, and he plans to eradicate the human race. With the big guns out of commission, it's up to Spider-Girl and a couple of allies to prevent disaster. And if that weren't enough, our heroine must also contend with the appearance of her unwanted new sidekick, the Scarlet Spider, and her attraction to Psi-Lord of the Fantastic Five.
I admit I prefer Olliffe's work as regular penciller, Frenz has provided a couple of good fill-ins on this book, and he's familiar with the characters and the tone of the title. But you can't tell that from his work here. The characters are far too exaggerated and some figures look rushed. Given that the art doesn't even resemble Frenz's style at times, I have to suspect that Livesay has gone a bit heavy with the inks, submerging Frenz's style at times. The Apox design is generic and uninteresting at best as well.
Though this issue is not as laden down with subplots as most have been lately, it's still not the most accessible of stories. More importantly, though, the book seems to have lost its more human elements, and in the process, lost its way.
Leno: This is one of two new backup features that are debuting in the back of several new Marvel releases. The other one -- "The Call of Duty" -- was well-crafted, and I look forward to following it. This one, on the other hand, is ill-conceived. An implausible premise, clunky dialogue and distracting art makes for an unpleasant read.
Looking to take a day off, Jay Leno has agreed to do a GM commercial in New York... if Spider-Man takes part in the shoot as well. No one, including Leno, expects ol' Webhead to turn up, but what they don't know is that J. Jonah Jameson has charged freelance photographer Peter Parker to find Spidey and get him to show up.
Well, it seems Marvel has Todd McFarlane handling the art chores on a Spider-Man story... sort of. Capullo's over-exaggerated style is obviously inspired by McFarlane's work, but the figures are so twisted and over the top so as to rob them of a plausible look. Sometimes, less is more (just check out Andi Watson's comic work for proof). Kemp's colors are far too gaudy as well.
There's little in this story that's believable. The premise boasts the simplicity and forced quality worthy of a subpar Silver Age story. The dialogue is far too plentiful and expositionary, and just about every character (several of which go unidentified) are jerks. And on top of that, it's just not funny.
Note: Since the backup story appears in several of this week's Marvel Comics releases, it does no factor into the rating for this review.
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