Marvel: Spider-Man, Hulk, FF, Power Pack
I like the characters in Amazing Spider-Man #520 (J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato, and Joe Pimentel), but they have the wrong names. The active, take-charge, considerate older woman who decides that she’s going to turn the tables on Jarvis and take care of him is great, but Aunt May was an old-fashioned, elderly lady whom Spider-Man worried about killing with shock if she knew his secret.
The Mary Jane I’ve been hearing about (I just got around to watching the Spider-Man 2 DVD extras) has more sparkle than the supportive wifey we see here, happily following Peter’s orders (”see how May’s doing” “Okay”). The everyday guy approach that made Peter Parker an incredibly popular hero shouldn’t mean he can solve mysteries that stump all of the rest of the Avengers. He’s talented enough at what he does, but he’s not Batman.
Why are the Avengers walking in on a private moment between Peter and MJ to make sure they come to breakfast on time? Who’s the ruffian calling himself Wolverine coming to the table shirtless, with beer and cigar? (Wolverine once was a samurai, so he should understand the purpose of ritual and civilized ceremony.) He takes a dressing-down from May, sacrificing a sensible portrayal just to make the writer’s version of the aunt character look even more in charge.
The majority of the issue is a series of boring fight scenes where everyone talks too much, and in clichés. (”That means getting up close and personal. And I have no problem with that.”) I’d like this a lot more if the writer was using his own characters instead of twisting established ones into whatever he finds convenient.
I haven’t been reading the storyline that concludes in Incredible Hulk #81 (Peter David, Lee Weeks, and Tom Palmer), because I got confused by not knowing any of the characters or their history. However, one thing about this issue really impressed me.
David uses September 11, 2001 to provide a villain’s background, and it’s reasonable, clever, and meaningful without being trite, predictable, or exploitative. That sets it apart from the majority of Marvel comics that have tried to take significance for themselves from that event. The idea that someone called Nightmare was empowered by the event and has been working ever since to reshape our world resonates with me.
Sure, this is superhero fiction, and in the real world, no one’s running around in a green leotard making things as bad as they could be… but it’s an idea that’s seductive in its escapism and helps provide grounding for moving back to reality with more understanding. The best fiction tells us more about ourselves and our world, after all.
This is a version of the Hulk that I want to read more about. He’s direct and elemental, going after whatever he wants and damn the consequences. And isn’t that a terrific cover? It’s eye-catching and intriguing and even comes from the story.
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #0 (Marc Sumerak, Scot Eaton, and Jonathan Glapion). Okay, which genius thought putting visual and text references to “groupies” into the kids’ book relaunch was a good idea?
I only made it through the first six pages. The whole thing, from costume designs to logo to character looks to narration to leaden introductory dialogue, was screaming “like the upcoming movie!” and I just wasn’t interested.
Power Pack #3 (Marc Sumerak and Gurihiru), guest-starring the FF, is a much better choice for the younger set. It’s a simple premise, showing through both Jack and Johnny Storm that teams are stronger than individuals, but the parallels between the two groups are neat.
It’s refreshing to see a strong family life treated as normal. I like these kids, so I like reading about them, even if the art looks like a non-moving cartoon. It’s unfortunate that a major plot point is resolved off-screen, but I guess they needed the space for the Franklin Richards-and-Herbie backup. The image of Katie roasting marshmallows over the Human Torch also made me giggle.
