This is one of those stories that wasn't really begging to be told, more the kind of continuity fill-in I'd expect from John Byrne than from Brian Azzarello. However, it's also an interesting look at the wrestler who was in his way as important to Spidey's origin as Uncle Ben, and it has a lot to say about the events that led up to the unusual wrestling challenge that changed Peter Parker's life. Azzarello and Levy do a convincing job of showing a desperate wrestling outfit looking for something to save them but simultaneously sharing a rare loyalty and integrity, and Camuncoli's art, while not as strong here as it was on Hellblazer, is pretty solid.
Crusher Hogan really isn't a character who needed more fleshing out, anymore than the goons who Spidey webs up on his way to the actual stories do. However, that was also true of Kingpin's enforcers, and the best story that this book has had detailed one of those enforcers, so Crusher Hogan is right up Tangled Web's alley. With Levy onboard, Azzarello writes a very believable sort of wrestler, complete with some niche slang and a look at how some of the business operates that fans don't usually see. Crusher gets plenty of fleshing out, and we can see that while he may not be the nicest guy, he's more than just a faceless obstacle, he was a person who was trying to do right by his friends.
The story has some unpleasant things to say about Spider-Man's origins, actually. We already know that in order for him to become a hero, his Uncle Ben had to die. Now it seems that he put a whole bunch of wrestlers and regular guys out of business (or worse) as well. In fact, while the ending was pretty clear, I found myself wishing there was a second part, because now that we've had this much introduction to these bit players, I'm kind of curious to see where their stories went from here. The story is good, but it almost feels unfinished.
Giuseppe Camuncoli did an issue of Hellblazer with Azzarello that was fairly impressive, but it had a completely different tone and style than this issue of Tangled Web. With Buccellato's colors remaining in my estimation a bit too bright for this book, the work looks more rough-edged and unfinished than shadowy and real, but Camuncoli's art still works to convey the desperation and the rough and tumble style of the lead character. Though the arenas seemed a bit well-lit for his style, I still found the edges and the shadows charming.
When you come down to it, I guess my biggest complaint about this story is that I want to see more of these characters, as Azzarello and Levy have crafted such an intriguing group and told what feels like only half the story. While this means that the story was weak in one regard, it means it was strong in most others, and I choose to hold onto the slim hope that this creative team might come together to give Crusher and his pals a rematch in the pages of Tangled Web.
