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AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #39
"Meanwhile..."
Recommended (7/10)
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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 |
Once I got over laughing at how late this issue of "'Nuff Said" was, I actually quite enjoyed it. Straczynski addresses a character who has been missing in action for some time, as well as further dealing with the fallout of the conversation between Aunt May and Peter, and though it accomplishes little, like most of the "'Nuff Said" issues, there are some interesting story elements introduced for future stories. Romita Jr. and Hanna do their usual solid job, although the lack of much action made this one of their more subdued performances, not as impressive as the spectacular last couple of issues, which have featured heavy emotional focus. With or without words, this was another solid issue of Amazing Spider-Man from a creative team that is clicking
together really well.
As with most of the best "'Nuff
Said" issues, Straczynski cheats with a lot of text. A lot of the story is
communicated through email messages and newspaper headlines, and while there's
no doubt that Romita Jr. is up to the task of silent storytelling, he does have
a fair bit of help with these text bits. Of course, it's hard to imagine the
issue being quite as funny without those text bits. Aunt May's small bits of
activism to help her nephew are very sweet, and speak to the character's
integrity and heart very well. In addition, the tail end of her email to various
news organizations gave me a chuckle. As with the previous issue, Straczynski
has managed to make May's old-fashioned, doting nature a part of her character
while still keeping her fresh, interesting and funny.
However, the most surprising
aspect of the issue was the presence of Mary Jane. Given that she had been sort
of shunted to the side on purpose, letting Peter lead a more simple, single life
again, it was a surprise to see that side of his life focused on. However, it's
absolutely a part of the character, and Straczynski does a great job of showing
that although the two may be separated, Mary Jane and Peter still have the
affection that made them get married in the first place. Contrasting the every
day routines of their lives with their private moments, where they think about
one another, really brought that buried affection home.
Romita Jr. reinforces the theme
visually, with some very nice scenes of Peter and Mary Jane alone. Without
cheating in terms of email images or other text, Romita Jr. shows Mary Jane
suffering sleepless nights and wistful sadness, and the juxtaposition of Peter
and Mary Jane watching each other on television was really nice as well. In
addition, though I still think Romita Jr.'s depiction of May makes her look a
bit more like a ghoul than just an old woman, he does a terrific job of
conveying both her kindly nature and a mischievous sense of humor.
Like most of the "'Nuff Said" issues, the story in this issue mostly feels like it's over just as it's getting started, but Straczynski and Romita subvert the gimmick enough to deliver a snapshot of the various characters' lives after a fairly major change. This is a nice breather between a bombshell and the inevitable fallout, and while I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the next issue more than I actually enjoyed reading this one, this is certainly another solid issue of Spider-Man from a solid creative team.
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