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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #38
(Best of the Week!)
"The Conversation"
Highly Recommended (10/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils: John Romita Jr.
Inks: Scott Hanna
Colors: Dan Kemp
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
One of the things I learned watching Babylon 5 was that if I was disappointed in an episode, I should always come back for the next week anyway, because Straczynski almost always has greatness ahead of him. That's a lesson that can be applied to Amazing Spider-Man as
well, because while last issue's "very special" issue left me a bit cold, this
month's story is incredible, probably the finest story this creative team has
done to date. It's a status quo changing story for Peter and Aunt May, but while
that change is important, what's more important is how skillfully it is pulled
off, with believable dialogue and interaction and some very sweet moments.
I was amazed by how well
Straczynski captured the down-to-earth reality of the conversation between Peter
and May. I hope that folks who came on from the World Trade center issue are
still reading after last month's issue, because this may be one of the most
accessible comics I've read. While the central issue is about a super-hero's
secret identity, the story is really about having an important conversation that
neither person wants to have. It can be applied to any difficult real-life
situation where loved ones must deliver bad or surprising news to one another.
For example, the tortured imaginings that Peter goes through about what May
might want to talk about are the natural outcome of anyone using the phrase "we
have to talk," although Straczynksi does lighten the mood with a bit of humor
there.
What I really appreciated,
though, was the insight into both Peter and May Parker that was shown in this
issue. May's strength, and Peter's foolish belief that his secret could overcome
it, is shown up quite effectively in her dialogue. And Peter's difficulty in
talking to his aunt, his crushing sense of responsibility, comes through nicely
as well, both in his dialogue and in the expressions on his face.
John Romita Jr. and Scott
Hanna have earned much praise from me in their run on this book for their work
on the giant action sequences, but I'm just as impressed with how they handled
this quiet issue. The emotions of Peter and May are reasonably subtle, as they
are both trying to restrain themselves for the other's benefit, and the artists
really get that restrained but heavy emotion across.
This is similar to the story that ran in Ultimate Spider-Man #13, which remains my favorite issue of that excellent book. It would not surprise me if this issue holds the same place for me in regards to Straczynski's Amazing Spider-Man, and I would think that even casual
fans of the character should pick this one up to see how great he can be when he
is handled by such a skilled creative team.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
