As the ongoing Marvel Mangaverse title transitions into a series of limited series, one of the one-shot concepts from January's initial Mangaverse event returns. Andrews and Young tap into the irreverent, urban-trickster appeal of the title character, and provide some novel twists on mainstream Spidey continuity. But in the process, they also lose the character's core appeal: that of an everyday guy who's doing his best while in over his head. This ninja Peter Parker is not a character to which the reader will relate easily.
It's a typical school day for Peter Parker, who's secretly the last member of the ninja Spider-Clan. Well, it's typical except for the addition of a new student to the class, a student who just happens to be using a field trip as an excuse to steal an amulet of great power. She's not the only one after it either. An influential business dispatches ninajs of his own after her, and a mysterious vengeful figure in a devil's mask seeks to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. And there's the diminutive "Spider-Man," stuck right in the middle.
Young's style certainly captures brings a great deal of energy to the story, and some of his designs are quite striking. The evil ninjas boast a dichotomous look that's both menacing and kind of goofy, really. And while I wasn't taken with the Daredevil design, his entrance at the issue's climax makes a powerful impression. The tone of the book -- visual and otherwise -- takes a dramatic shift from the light to the gravely serious at that moment. Still, I find the exaggeration in Young's angular, manga style creates an alien atmosphere that keeps the reader at a distance from the characters.
One has to give Andrews credit... he's captured the same sense of humor that's been part and parcel of Spider-Man's world since the 1960s. Turning Doc Ock into a maniacal high-school science teacher made for some funny sequences, and those featuring Ben-Sensei were amusing as well.
In the end, though, the Eastern elements cause the book's feet of clay to crumble. Daredevil's humanity is lost, and Peter's background just doesn't mesh with his personality here. The remainder of the characters aren't well fleshed out at all. Norman Osborn's one-dimensional villain characterization comes off as hokey as opposed to threatening. It's a cute concept overall, and bound to be of interest to fans of both American super-hero comics and manga, but beyond that, its appeal is limited.
