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Spider-Man published by Marvel Comics
 

The Amazing Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff1990 (SC TPB) 96 pages

Written by Peter David. Pencilled by Rich Buckler. Inks by various.
Colours: various. Letters: Phil Felix, with Rick Parker. Editor: Jim Owsley.

Reprinting: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 (1985-1986)

Additional notes: commentaries by Peter David.

Rating: * * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Number of readings: 2

Again this is a comic which I read and reviewed the first time around but where a second reading maybe made me think my initial reaction was overly harsh. As I've said before, it's not that I necessarily disagree with some of my initial comments, but they seem of lesser importance a second time through. So, without further adieu, my slightly revised review...

The Death of Jean DeWolff begins with the brutal murder of a recurring Spider-Man supporting character, police captain, Jean DeWolff -- the first of a series of murders perpetraated by a vigilante/serial killer, the Sin-Eater. Spider-Man sets out to hunt the killer, forming a relationship with the police detective investigating the case, while fellow super hero, Daredevil, also pursues the killer. When the two heroes eventually cross paths, they don't so much team up as butt heads, with DD attempting a dispassionate investigation, while Spidey is in danger of letting his desire for vengeance run away wih him. (for another Spidey/DD team-up TPB, go here)

Writer Peter David is clearly trying for an ambitious work, mixing elements of a police procedural with an examination of a social climate (in a way that Spike Lee tried, years later, in his movie about the Son of Sam killings) -- as fear of the killer grips the city -- while also grappling with issues of law vs. vigilantism. When it works, it does so pretty well, particularly when David incorporates supporting characters, such as having Marla Jameson invite Betty Brant over to spend the night while both their husbands are out of town, illustrating the idea of a city in fear. Portraying the story, at least nominally, as an investigation, is also nice, along with cutaways to a strange man visiting a confessional which provide threads that we're curious to see in what way they relate to the main plot.

At the same time, characters can engage in awkward conversations that are meant to provide a forum for the story's issues and themes, but which sometimes lack verisimilitude -- the characters being driven by the story, not the other way around. There are a few drawn out fight scenes that aren't very interestingly staged or exciting, and don't serve the story much either, such as a Spidey-stopping-muggers, or a prolonged sequence of Spidey (and DD, in turn) doing the usual roughing up criminals, seeking a clue to the Sin-Eater's identity. But serial killers aren't, generally, part of the "underworld", so even the reader can surmise it's a pointless excercise. Not surprisingly, the sequence results in a dead-end. (With that being said, compared to a lot of comics, the fights are definitely subordinant to the story and characters, which I appreciate).

The ideological conflict between Spidey and DD is also a bit unconvincing. David handles DD very well, portraying him as the level-headed one, and doing something that even a lot of Daredevil's regular writers don't: remembering that he's a lawyer, and that this should influence his motivation both in and out of costume. Too many writers, uninterested in the philosophy behind the law, treat DD's alter ego's profession as about as important to his character as his shoe size. It's David's portrayal of Spidey as a reactionary, "I'm gonna kill 'im" type that rings slightly false, even given the personal nature of the crimes (DeWolff being a friend of his). This is particularly awkward in a drawn out fight between Spidey and DD. Spidey losing his temper in the heat of the moment is one thing -- Spidey chasing DD across the city in a ruunning fight is something else. Much of the final issue, in fact, turns into a polemic as David has his characters, Spidey, DD and others, acting as mouth pieces debating the issues. The Sin-Eater is captured part way through the final issue, so the story, then, literally takes second chair to the idealogical debates. Which might've been okay except, as mentioned, Spidey's behaviour isn't entirely convincing for him, bordering on petulant.

Maybe what adds to it is that David doesn't sustain a sense of Spidey walking an emotional edge, or unravelling over the course of the story. In fact, for much of the story, Spidey seems fairly collected.

Back to the pluses. David delivers some nice, emotionally effective suspense moments, playing up the frailty, the vulnerability of the heroes. DD is torn by indecision a couple of times, resulting in the killer's escape. Sure, David does it so the killer can escape, but they still work as character bits. There's a nice scene of DD, in his alter ego, detecting the Sin-Eater in a crowd with his super senses, but hesitant to say anything for fear of betraying his secret identity. When finally he throws caution to the wind and runs forward, shouting...it's too late, the crowd has dispersed and DD is left alone.

As for the art, I have mixed feelings toward Buckler's work in general. But it's one of the ways that my latest reading splits with my first reading, because I liked it a lot more the second time through. Buckler goes for an unspectacular naturalism that's kind of nice, particularly in a story that's trying so hard to be a story about just people in the urban jungle. His face and figure work is quite good at times, but it can be uneven, and his eye for accentuating the drama of a moment in his panels isn't that great. Of course, the varying inkers don't help, with the results sometimes good, sometimes not, and there are a couple of spots toward the end where the art is so crude, I'd swear another penciller pinch-hitted a couple of pages here and there. I'm also reminded of a comment made by long ago Spider-Man artist John Romita Sr. (in the documentary, Once Upon a Time...the Super Heroes) where he said that he always tried to draw Spidey in unusual positions, hanging from walls and ceiling; that if Spidey was just standing around like a normal person, the character wasn't being used to his fullest. And Buckler tends to draw Spidey just standing around like a normal person. Nor are things helped by the fact that this was when Spidey was wearing his black costume -- a visually dull affair that, I'm convinced, only lasted as long as it did because Marvel didn't want to acknowledge they had blundered in making the change from the red and blue (kind of like the infamous Clone Saga years later). That's probably why Spider-Man isn't depicted on the cover -- modern fans might wonder who the guy in black is.

But, as mentioned, the second time through, flaws accepted, I actually liked the art for the most part.

And just a technical quibble: a couple of pages are switched around in the climax in this collection, making for momentary confusion. Though I did enjoy David's afterward, providing some insight into the story's origin (and explaining some minor dangling plot threads).

Ultimately, when I picked this up I didn't realize Daredevil was a co-star (not quite an equal star, but given a fair amount of page space and character exploration) and it's actually his scenes, and character, that work the best, making this as memorable as a Daredevil saga as it is a Spider-Man one. Alternating between being thoughtful and ambitious, and kind of heavy handed, a second time through I appreciate the strengths and ambitions a whole lot more, making it definitely worth a look as a more ambitious than average Spidey saga, rooted where Spidey is best -- in an approximation of the real world, peopled by real people.

Though since I wasn't that familiar with Jean De Wolff, I can't say whether her death was handled with aplomb, or whether it would leave long time fans with a bad taste in their mouths.

Cover price: $13.25 CDN./$10.95 USA. 

Spider-Man / Doctor Octopus: Out of Reach

Rating: * * 1/2 (out of 5)

Number of readings: 1

   For my review at www.ugo.com, go here.

Spider-Man / Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death 1992 (SC GN) 64 pgs.

Written by Roy Thomas (story: Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway). Illustrated by Michael Bair. Inked by Michael Bair (with Mark Beachum, Mark Texeira).
Colours: Bob Sharen. Letters. Joe Rosen, Rick Parker. Editor: Rob Tokar.

Rating: * * * (out of 5)

Number of readings: 2

Preventing the suicide of Melinda Morrison, Spider-Man finds himself besieged by demons from the Death Dimension. Teaming up with the sorcerer, Dr. Strange, Spidey finds himself dragged into that eerie other-dimension, all part of the machinations of the sorcerer, Xandu.

Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death is an enjoyable read. However, despite the Shakesperian title, and some brooding at the beginning, it's not quite the high minded, serious opus it's selling itself as. It's basically just a fast-paced action/adventure (with some introspection).

Roy Thomas writes Spidey well, both the quips and the melancholy (I'd never read any Spider-Man stories by him before), and Michael Bair's art is enthralling and extremely lavish, mixing dark atmosphere with kinetic action -- something my previous experience with his work (a Batman Annual) would not have led me to realize he could do. There's even a propensity toward pulchritude in the presence of the scantily clad Melinda -- not something one would necessarily expecct from a Spidey tale.

Roy Thomas' take on Dr. Strange, however, is altogether too flippant and colloquial. It's almost as if he couldn't make the switch from Spidey's "voice" when it came to writing the good doctor's dialogue. Also, it's not quite an even team-up. It's close, but it's more Spidey's story than it is Dr. Strange's.

This also raises a question about the whole "graphic novel" format. Spider-Man/Dr. Strange: The Way to Dusty Death is an enjoyable romp, but it is just a romp. The story isn't even all that self-contained, since it requires the usual comic booky technique of characters recalling previous adventures in order for the new reader to understand what's going on (Spidey and Dr. Strange first teamed up back in the '60s...against Xandu). Though it's not to be continued, I should make it clear.

Even the "epicness" of Spidey and Doc Strange travelling to the Death Dimension it turns out is old stuff to them. Spider-Man, for one, had been there before.

And if there's nothing in the subject to set this apart from a regular comic, neither is there anything in the presentation: there's no cussing; despite Melinda's intriguingly form-hugging wardrobe, there's no actual nudity; and Roy Thomas and Michael Bair (thankfully) resist going over-the-top with the nightmarish horror aspects of the story. There's nothing here that couldn't be depicted in a conventional (and cheaper) comic book. Even the colour, though very striking and effective, isn't the painted hues some graphic novels employ.

Although, re-reading it, I realize that Melinda's wardrobe is, uh, extremely form hugging in a couple of panels.

The Way to Dusty Death is enjoyable, particularly for Spidey-fans -- I doubt anyone would be disappointed reading it. It's just that it's not necessarily a must read, either.

Cover price: $8.70 CDN./$6.95 USA.

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