SPIDER-GIRL #38
"A New Lease on Life!"
Mildly Recommended (5/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writers: Tom DeFalco & Pat Olliffe
Pencils: Pat Olliffe
Inks: Al Williamson
Colors: Christie Scheele & Heroic Age
Letters: John E. Workman
Editors: Matt Hicks & Tom Brevoort
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
I often extol the virtues of Spider-Girl has a strong title for young readers, those new to the Marvel Universe and those who just enjoy fun super-heroics and a bit of teen drama. However, DeFalco and Olliffe's plotlines are really starting to pile up, and it's hard to make heads or tails of things this month.
The new Green Goblin ends up helping Spider-Girl out in her altercation with Funny Face and Crazy Eight, but Normie Osborn's link to the Goblin isn't what May thought it would be. Meanwhile, the new Spider-Man is still running around unchecked, and Spider-Girl hits a brick wall when it comes to dealing with the brewing gang war between Canis and the Kingpin. On top of all that, May's mother -- Mary Jane Parker -- unleashes a big surprise on her family.
Olliffe's art is as strong as ever. The opening fight scene is choreographed nicely. Olliffe's sketchy, lithe style and Williamson's inks bring a surprising degree of reality to this light super-hero title as well. The book is visually engaging, as there are a plethora of colorful characters running around.
Of course, that abundance of colorful characters makes for a cluttered and inaccessible story. Let's see, we have the title character, two Goblins, a new Spider-Man, Funny Face, Canis, Crazy Eight, Stinger, Mainframe in this issue, and there are just as many non-costumed types involved in the story as well. It's more than a bit overwhelming, and not just for someone coming into the book cold.
The gang-war plotline is unfolding far too slowly as well. Though I love seeing a lot of May's private life, as it makes her character more credible, there seems to be little forward movement in the plot. The fight scene doesn't advance it at all, and there's no indication that things are building to any sort of climax or turning point.
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