Zeb Wells is one of those new writers at Marvel whose work is hit or miss with me, and unfortunately, this time ends up in the miss column. However, at the foundation of this brief story arc is a great idea; Wells explores a pair of super-villains from the point of view that they're just two working stiffs who can't get a break. It's easy to relate to them, but an awkwardly paced story and exaggerated art get in the way of what seems to be a down-to-earth story.
It's Monday morning, and the world reluctantly arises to face the drugdgery of yet another work week. The Shocker and Hydro-Man are not immune either, as they're both employed by Hammer Industries, though in a less-than-legal capacity. The Shocker's not getting a lot of satisfaction as a costumed villain these days, and after a particularly bad Monday, he and Hydro-Man decide to try and do something about their lot in life. Meanwhile, Peter Parker struggles with his guilt over Flash Thompson's plight, and laments the common man's seeming lack of appreciation for the good he does.
I love my job most days, but as I write this, it's Sunday night, and in the morning, I face the prospect of setting aside my duties as a reporter for the pagination responsibilities of a fill-in editor. The hours stink, but it's necessary part of the job. I can relate to the two villains' feeling of being in a rut. Wells does an excellent job of humanizing these minor villains.
Unfortunately, the extreme nature of the artwork works against that grounded tone. Clearly, the folks at Marvel were pleased with Humberto Ramos's recent stint on this title, so they... well, they don't bring him back, but they do bring back an artist that apes his style. But that approach robs the characters of their everyday, average-guy qualities as established in the script. Furthermore, Peter Parker is inconsistently drawn, and Aunt May looks just plain creepy.
Wells also makes room for plenty of scenes in which Peter feels sorry for himself, but nothing new is offered up. It's as though the personal subplots really haven't moved forward at all since the recent Green Goblin story arc. Now, I realize that Wells is probably wont to muck about with regular writer Paul Jenkins's plans, but I'd rather he set those subplots aside as opposed to being redundant.
