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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils: John Romita Jr.
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Avalon Studios
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
The all-black cover reflects the sombre mood inside. Stracyznski and Romita Jr. deliver a poignant story. It's heartening to see the most brave and colorful characters with which so many of us grew up affected by Sept. 11 in the same way we were. Mind you, Stracynski sacrifices character over content, but it's understandable, given the relevance of this particular content. This comic book will attract the attention of millions through maintream media coverage (I hope Marvel reprints), and any non-comics readers looking through this issue will be impressed with the power of this sometimes-maligned storytelling medium.
In his years spent swinging from webs and fighting super-villains, Spider-Man has seen a lot of incredible and horrible things... but nothing so horrifying and incomprehensible as the destruction of the World Trade Center's twin towers on Sept.11. As he and other heroes work alongside New York firefighters, police officers and other emergency personnel to save lives, Spider-Man struggles with the grim reality of what has happened and reflects on the hope it has inspired.
Romita's gritty style is well suited to conveying the dusty, fiery chaos of lower Manhattan from two months ago. I was surprised by how colorful this story was, though. I had expected more darkness. There is an atmosphere of despair and sadness that looms over the story, yes, but the color also adds a feeling of hope. Also impressive is the strong level of detail in Romita's pencils, but that's par for the course for the artist.
My only real qualm with this special issue is the narrative voice. The story is told from the title character's point of view, but the narration captions just don't sound like Peter Parker. Though the tone of the story does calls for a more introspective and emotional approach, I think Stracynzski takes it a little too far. I was hoping for a slightly more colloquial tone in the script, if only reflect the more down-to-earth nature of the character, thereby giving the reader a stronger connection.
Overall, though, Straczynski delivers a powerful read. As I thumbed through the pages, I was taken back two months to that awful day. As we watch what Peter Parker would have been doing, we're reminded of our own experiences. Few of us saw the smoke and dust outside of our television screens, but the feelings mirrored Spider-Man's. As I thumbed through these pages, I was taken back to the driver's seat of a Ford Escort, driving to the U.S. border to do a story about security between Canada and our neighbors to the south in light of the devastating events of Sept. 11. It was a strong experience to remember, and I appreciated the reminder.
There's a chance that there are a few folks out there who don't want such a reminder like that, who'd rather forget. They won't enjoy this comic book. Straczynski, Romita and Marvel are, in a way, taking a risk in telling this story. Other storytellers who have tackled this subject haven't done so in such a direct manner, and though some may not react well to their choice of subject matter, they look at an event that merits continued examination.
Email Don MacPherson comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.
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