This limited series has been one of the stronger, more entertaining things to come out of Marvel's House of M event, not only making the most of the reverse racism premise of the crossover but offering some strong characterization that goes beyond simply the alternate-reality vision of the title character. Of course, as I read this issue, it followed a rather obvious path, and the book seemed to lack the freshness that helped it to stand out when it debuted. But writers Mark Waid and Tom Peyer hit their readers with a wonderful twist by the issue's end that opens our eyes to what they really have to say about Peter Parker. The art is dazzling at times in this issue, but at others, it disappoints. Larroca's uneven performance is thankfully eclipsed by the writing.
Peter Parker is exposed as a fraud; thanks to the petty and vindictive J. Jonah Jameson, the world now knows he is an altered superhuman, not a mutant. The Spider-Man movie has been pulled from theatres, and Parker's company's stock is in freefall. His family is reeling from the revelation, and his dear friend, Crusher Hogan, lies in a hospital bed thanks to an order he issued in anger and haste. To occupy himself, Parker, in his Spidey togs, ends up hunting down his renegade bodyguard, the Rhino. Meanwhile, the mysterious new Green Goblin resurfaces, though, to recruit aid in the further humiliation and destruction of Spider-Man.
Larroca offers some strong visuals in this issue, such as the redesigned Electro and the perfectly paced and presented revelation at the end of the issue. I love his interpretation of the Rhino as well. But it seemed like for every aspect of the art I loved, there was something about it that didn't sit quite so well with me. The crowds swarming around the Spidey/Rhino encounter were rendered incredibly loosely. The angry mob is a key element in that scene, but at times, they look like little more than stick figures. The big moments -- such as the reveal of the Rhino's pals and the exposed truth at the end of the issue -- are ones Larroca handles incredibly well, but those other ancillary details are just as important to the storytelling.
For the first two acts of this issue, the plot proceeds in a rather obvious manner. The flow of the plotting is so logical that it borders on the predictable, and I teetered on the edge of losing interest. I did appreciate the interpersonal dynamics between the elder Parkers and George Stacy, though Jameson's portrayal in this issue comes off as so childish so as to lose credibility.
The final climactic scene in this issue makes it clear that the actual conflict driving this story forward is much different than the readership was originally led to believe. It makes the story more personal and tragic. I'm also pleased this twist comes at the series midway mark; such sudden plot developments are usually reserved for endings. The shift in the story is executed perfectly. 7/10
