Though it was a bit raw, I thought Brett Matthews and Vatche Mavlian's last collaboration -- Spider-Man/Daredevil -- showed some promise for two relatively untested mainstream comics creators. That potential and strength is not to be found here, though, as the art is surprisingly rougher and the premise and script are flat-out implausible. I get the impression that this story was originally intended to be set in Marvel's Ultimate universe, and to be honest, it would have worked better in that newer context.
Peter Parker's day as a high-school science is abruptly interrupted by the delivery of a surprising package, one replete with evidence of his double life as Spider-Man. To avoid being exposed, he meets with the mysterious sender, who has a mission for the webslinging hero. On a small island off of the coast of Japan, a man is being held captive, being tortured by evil men, and he must be rescued. Sounds like a simple enough task for the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, but he's in someone else's neighborhood... someone even more dangerous than the armed men whom he must oppose.
The Todd McFarlane influence on Mavlian's style is still clear, but I also detect a hint of horror artist Bernie Wrightson's gritty approach as well. There's a rushed, sketchy quality in his work there, though, and often, characters' faces are distorted and misshapen. It seems like he's trying to foster a foreboding atmosphere throughout the issue, but it doesn't always work. Furthermore, I'm surprised to find an uneven coloring job from Paul Mounts. Hair colors change inexplicably, for example, making for a couple of confusing moments in the book.
The sequence featuring Peter Parker's encounter with a flirtatious assistant principal was completely unconvincing. Matthews stretches the reader's ability to suspend disbelief too far early on, as the woman practically dry-humps Pete in front of a classroom full of teenagers. Matthews writes Nick Fury in an unusual light. If this was the Fury from the Ultimate universe, it would have worked, but the animosity between the two characters here just doesn't work. I also found Spider-Man's failure to recognize the prisoner (or his voice) at the end of the book to be implausible as well.
The one element of the book that did pique my interest was the odd and revealing conversation that Peter Parker has with an unseen individual. I really do want to know why he exposes his dual lives, and why he doesn't feel as though he's endangering himself or his loved ones.
