|
SPIDER-MAN: GET KRAVEN #1
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
|
Marvel Comics
"Get Kraven, Part One"
Pencils: John McCrea
Inks: James Hodgkins
Colors: Lee Loughridge
"You Can Call Me Al"
Pencils: Al Rio
Inks: Sandu Florea
Colors: Avalon Studios
Writer: Ron Zimmerman
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.99 US/$4.75 CAN |
Get Kraven: There's a part of me that really wants to enjoy this story. I've enjoyed McCrea's art since I first saw it on DC's Hitman, but more importantly, I like the idea of a story featuring mainstream Marvel characters that's something other than a super-hero, good-versus-evil, might-makes-right plot. But Zimmerman's exaggeration of Hollywood is so deplorable that it's not funny, and the title character -- Kraven, not Spidey -- comes off as a whiner, not the hero of the piece.
Al Kraven isn't happy. Sure, he's got more money than a venture capitalist and he's in love with his girlfriend, Timby. But Kraven doesn't feel like he has a sense of purpose. And then, a really bad movie and an off-hand remark from Spider-Man (whom he's sought out for advice) give him an idea: travel to Hollywood and become a producer... but of good movies, not the typical blockbuster crap.
McCrea's art suits the... disgusting tone that the opening scene sets for this story. Zimmerman's obviously out to tear Hollywood apart, and McCrea's grotesque vision of movie moguls suits that aim. I was surprised at how well McCrea handled Spider-Man; his style leans toward characters who are more squat and square in appearance, but McCrea captures Spidey's lithe nature nicely. Loughridge's dark, muted colors really nail the urban setting in which Spidey and Kraven find themselves.
Let's see... Kraven's a spoiled brat who thinks that becoming a Hollywood producer will solve his problems. The writer we meet in the opening scene is a naive whiner, and the moguls are disgusting blobs who manage to take advantage of everyone around them despite an obvious lack of intelligence and style. And these are the characters I'm meant to read about? So far, I've found no one to cheer for in this story, no one to relate to.
Call Me Al: When I read the opening scenes of this story in backup form in various Marvel titles last month, I was unimpressed. But as the story went on, I found that Zimmerman actually came up with some compelling characterization. I never expected "You Can Call Me Al" to actually spark my interest in this new Kraven character, but it has. Mind you, the story still has its problems.
Kraven, son of the original villain who hunted Spider-Man, gets a mysterious message to meet someone at his favorite watering hole, a bar where super-villains are known to gather. The individual who gathered them together turns out to be a dead man... at least, he's supposed to be dead. As Spidey and Kraven try to piece together an answer to the mystery, Kraven tries to piece together who he is.
Al Rio normally boasts a cheesecake style that reminds one of the work of J. Scott (Danger Girl) Campbell, but here, his work seems much more like that of Paul (Negation) Pelletier. Ultimately, though the story is told clearly, the visuals aren't particularly remarkable either.
Zimmerman finally gives the reader an idea of what makes this new Kraven character tick. Before the writer's Tangled Web story a couple of months back, I'd never even seen this young Kraven before, and when I did, the idea of yet another child carrying on a villainous legacy didn't appeal to me at all. I'm pleased to discover Kraven's not about that. There's a great deal of potential in the character (too bad it's not realized in the main story).
Despite the strong characterization, the rest of the script leaves a lot to be desired. The plot is paper thin and rehashed from similar stories we've seen before. This is the third story I've seen from Zimmerman using Kraven, and he has a tendency to repeat the same scenes and dialogue; just compare the conversation with Spider-Man in the tiger exhibit in this story with... the conversation with Spider-Man in the tiger exhibit in the main story. And the fact that Kraven contradicts himself here as compared to the main piece -- here, he says he has no desire to move to Los Angeles -- is rather distracting. With the same characters and writer involved, it's fair to expect some continuity but less repetition.
Note: Some of the comments in this review were reproduced from previous reviews on the website.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
|
