My favorite TV show is The West Wing. Among my favorite comic-book series are Gotham Central and Queen & Country. And, of course, The Pulse. One of the reason I so enjoy these stories is that I'm interested in seeing how things work. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain? Fuck that. I not only want to see how things work, but I also want to get to know the people who make things work. Not surprisingly, Bendis offers up some strong characterization here, building on established characters nicely while maintaining an accessible tone for thosereaders who may not be as familiar with them as others.
After learning of his murdered colleague's visit to Oscorp the night of her death, Ben Urich mulls over his history with Norman Osborn. He wrote a Bugle expose and a book about Osborn, identifying him as the face behind the mask of the Green Goblin, and it almost ruined him. Now he faces the unenviable prospect of going up against Osborn again, and this time, he calls in a favor so he can be sure he's doing the right thing. Meanwhile, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage have an uncomfortable conversation about her pregnancy and the future.
Bagley does a great job of conveying emotion in this issue, and that's important, as therein lies the greatest strength of this chapter of the story. Ben's anger explodes off of the page without seeming violent, and Jessica's joy is practically infectious. Of course, Bagley was born to draw Spider-Man, so this issue plays to that strength as well. I have to admit, though, that the inks of his one-time Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator, Art Thibert, seem to suit Bagley's pencils better than Scott Hanna's. Thibert brought a sharper quality to the Bagley artwork. Hanna's inking here is fine; I just prefer the results we get with Thibert's inks. Pete Pantazis maintains a gloomy atmosphere throughout this issue, reinforcing the dark mood with textured greys.
Spidey's speech about wy he hasn't put an end to the threat of Norman Osborn once and for all actually rings true. Bendis brings plausibility to a situation that is completely artificial. The real reason that Spidey hasn't brought down the Goblin is because the ongoing, episodic nature of the genre requires a certain status quo for the villains as well as the heroes. But Bendis gets beyond that and filters the artifice through a lens of credibility. And as a journalist, I appreciated Jonah's reluctance to go after Osborn again. Management in this business always places an emphasis on legal liability. Sometimes, that fear wins out over a drive to tell the truth. Sometimes it doesn't.
Bendis grants Ben and Jessica a couple of powerful voices here. Ben's anger and righteousness doesn't hide his intellect. Jessica's joy doesn't hide her confusion. She's focused on her child and hasn't given much thought to the future of her relationship with Luke. It's flawed and human and engaging.
