SPIDER-MAN: SWEET CHARITY #1
"Sweet Charity"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Ron Zimmerman
Pencils: Darick Robertson
Inks: Rodney Ramos & Darick Robertson
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $4.95 US/$7.95 CAN |
Zimmerman seems to be something of a new golden boy at Marvel Comics, handling a number of Spider-Man spinoffs. None of them have really grabbed me, though, and his work has even come off as a bit repetitive. With Sweet Charity, though, his focus on comedy brings out his strengths. His story doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but sense isn't the point: farce is.
OK, so in this episode, Oscar and Felix are really ticked at each other, right? And thanks to a charity event, they're forced to go off camping together. Yeah, camping. And there's this guy, he hates Oscar and Felix, see? And he wants to kill them, so he follows them into the woods. But here's the hook: it's not Oscar and Felix. Wha? No, it's not Randall and Klugman or Lemmon and Matthau. No, it's Spider-Man and J. Jonah Jameson. In the woods. Together.
OK, the premise is pretty goofy and pushes the limits of suspension of disbelief. But I have to admit, Sweet Charity made me smile. Zimmerman's really funny here, and he even teases the reader, leading one to believe that he's headed for the typical warm, fuzzy ending that sees the main characters develop a respect for one another. It goes on and on and on, but stretching the premise out seems to work here, keeping the reader off guard. And the opening sequence, with its comic timing and effective use of repetition, was quite strong.
Marvel made an excellent move when selecting the artists for this one-shot. Robertson and Romas have proven the strength of their comic (in both senses of the term -- humor and sequential art) collaboration in Warren Ellis's Transmetropolitan time and time again. This time around, though, the writer gives them material that's more Three Stooges/Abbott and Costello than Bill Hicks. Their detailed and energetic work suits the tone of the script quite well.
The book isn't without its flaws, though. The celebrity stuff added nothing to the story, and the same can be said for Kraven's role in the story. But despite a bizarre premise, the Jameson/Spidey conflict was a lot of fun. I was also pleased to see that even Spidey is the butt of the jokes as much as JJJ.
I've talked to a number of people who have seen the Spider-Man movie... some who loved it, some who liked it and some who didn't care for it. But all of them shared one reaction in common: they loved J.K. Simmons's scene as J. Jonah Jameson. For those who loved his over-the-top blustering, Zimmerman and company deliver more of the same here.
Note: Some comments in this review are based on those from a previous feature on the website.
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