by Randy Lander

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36 Recommended (7/10) Marvel Comics Writer: J. Michael Straczynski Pencils: John Romita Jr. Inks: Scott Hanna Colors: Dan Kemp & Avalon Letters: Comicraft Editor: Axel Alonso Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN This is a difficult book to review, because beyond being simply a story, it represents Marvel's official response to the terrorist attacks of 9-11, and it was no doubt a very personal story for all involved in the telling. Any reaction to it is also going to be very personal. But despite the unusual circumstances, this is still a comic-book, and it needs to be judged as one as well. The book is very powerful, and the visuals top-notch, but it just doesn't quite feel as great as I had hoped. Straczynski puts aside Spider-Man's voice to speak with his own, and it's a bit jarring. The tragic events of the real world merge uncomfortably with the fantastic setting of the Marvel Universe, and while there are some great moments that come from that merging, there are also moments that feel wrong or even borderline insulting to the very real victims of the tragedy. Is this a well-crafted tale, one worth telling? Absolutely. But it is not flawless, or even as strong as much of Straczynski's previous Amazing Spider-Man efforts. There's a feeling throughout that the creators are too close to what happened to properly address it in a story. There are angles bound to be unexamined, and we don't have the distance or history to see everything in context yet. This is not a logical story, it is an emotional one. That brings a certain strength, as Straczynski's voice comes through loudly and strongly in his narration, but it also brings a certain weakness in that Spider-Man is really nowhere to be found in that narration. Marvel characters appear here strictly in the visual sense, because the voice behind the story is clearly that of the author, with no consideration to characterization. Essentially, this is a tribute book, not unlike Heroes. Nothing wrong with that, especially when it is bound to bring mainstream audiences into the comic stores and (in the case of Heroes) put more money into the various relief funds that these benefit books serve. However, it doesn't seem to have much to say at this point that has not been said. In the days and weeks following the attacks, we've all heard what everyone had to say about the attacks, whether it was inane (i.e. Falwell) or powerful (Leonard Pitts's column in the Miami Herald, Gail Simone's "They Missed" or most of the work in Heroes) and this issue doesn't offer up much that we haven't heard. John Romita Jr.'s artwork throughout is the aspect of the book that I have no complaints about. His visuals are incredible, and he manages to convey the heroes' presence for the most part without undercutting the real heroism of the firefighters, police and rescue workers. In fact, this story is as much about the real rescue efforts as Spider-Man's reaction to the tragedy, at least in visuals. We're so accustomed to seeing heroes using their powers by attacking others, it was nice to see them using it to rescue and rebuild for a change. Romita's work on this issue represents a career best, and given his impressive career, that's saying something. Bringing the super-heroes into this event was a dicey gamble, one that Straczynski does well with for the most part. While there are trivial questions, such as wondering why Magneto is alive or why he (or Doom) would care about the deaths of random innocents when they themselves have caused such things, there are also some very powerful moments. The silent reaction of Captain America is phenomenal, and Straczynski is wise enough to realize that there aren't any words to make that scene better. The bystanders asking why Spider-Man didn't stop it was also a very chilling moment. There are really two questions at the heart of this review, and I'll attempt to answer both of them now. The first is should I buy this, and to that I say absolutely. The artwork is beautiful and the message powerful. The second is, is it a great Spider-Man story, and to that I must say unfortunately not. It's a good story, but it feels out of place, and it honestly didn't instill in me the same feelings as the similarly-themed Heroes. Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.