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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #41
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics
"Looking Back"
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils: John Romita Jr.
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Dan Kemp
"You Can Call Me Al, Part Two"
Writer: Ron Zimmerman
Pencils: Al Rio
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.25 US/$3.75 CAN |
Looking Back: Straczynski's run on this title has really come into focus after the initial story arc. The characterization is sharp, touching and believably strained. On top of that, the supernatural plot is approached from a more down-to-earth, plausible point of view, and it makes what could have been a cliched super-hero adventure into something better.
Spider-Man contacts a police lieutenant that looks after young junkies who are trying to get straight, looking for a lead as to who the metahuman stranger is that's been abducting them. The path leads Spidey and his new cop friend to a mental institution, but not to the right guy. Meanwhile, Peter learns of Aunt May's letter-writing campaign to New York based publications, trying to drum up the positive press she feels her nephew's alter ego deserves.
Romita's art is as dark and gritty as ever. His style is well suited to the urban and supernatural atmospheres that are elicited in this story. At the same time, though, he captures the light-hearted attitude of the title character, right in the middle of all this darkness. Dan Kemp's deep, crisp colors reinforce those moody visuals as well. Romita's pencils capture the intensity and subtlety of emotion that the characters exhibit in this story as well.
Though the plot is fun and interesting, what really makes this issue worth reading is the character interaction. Peter's quiet discomfort around Aunt May, his attempt to fill the silences and his aloof attitude to the news that Mary Jane is coming to town all rang true to me. The same can be said for May's explanation as to why she's undertaken her anonymous letter-writing campaign. Spidey's banter with the cop made for a nice balance to that touching but tense scene as well.
Call Me Al: Ron Zimmerman's rather ordinary super-hero story only has one unique quality, and it's not a good one. As I read of Spidey and Kraven II's meeting, I kept wondering what Kraven's deal was. So he's not a villain? He's definitely not a hero. What does he do then? I have no sense of what drives this guy, where his hostility comes from. I need to know more about him for this story to work.
The art is like the script... unremarkable. Don't get me wrong. Rio offers up fun super-hero/villain action, and his softer style suits the goofy tone of the story. His work here reminds me of the styles of Paul Pelletier and Tom Grummett. But in the end, there's no visual element that really grabs my attention either.
Note: Since the backup story appears in several of this week's Marvel Comics releases, it does not factor into the rating for this review.
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