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| THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 10, January 2015 |
Apparently selling approximately 35,000 less copies than
the title’s preceding issue, this edition of “The Amazing Spider-Man” offers
its readers a head-spinning combination of both pulse-pounding action and
frankly more alternative Web-heads than anyone, besides writer Dan Slott, could
possibly have envisaged. This seriously is twenty pages packed full of ‘open
mouth’ moments, as many of Peter Parker’s most committed oaths are broken by
his multi-verse brethren and a plethora of pertinent plot points are
unceremoniously whisked off to be concluded within other ‘Spider-Verse’ comic
books.
Arguably the most shocking feature of the magazine however, bearing in
mind a forewarning of the sudden return of Doc Ock’s Superior Spiderman is
emblazoned across the issue’s front cover, is that so many of the
wall-crawlers featured in “Superior Force” kill… and actually seem willing to
do so with alarming regularity. Assassin Spider-Man of Earth-8351, Spider-Punk
of Earth-138 and “the self-ascribed Superior Spider-Man of Earth-616” all quite
savagely dispatch Verna’s ‘hounds’ within the final panels of the first page alone.
Whilst more than a fair share of lethal force is later used upon Daemos;
something which results in a predictably fatal ending for the Inheritor. At
least until a cloned copy returns for a rematch alongside family members Brix
and Bora.
Less disturbing but possibly more perturbing than such a lack of
murderous inhibitions however is Slott’s creation of an abundantly high head
count of Spider-Men (and women… and animals?) with which to combat the Great
Hunters of Earth-001. In one panel alone there are more than twenty-two
predominantly red and blue-garbed costumed crime-fighters, and that doesn’t
take into consideration the others residing within the Safe Zone on Earth-13.
This assembly is quite simply overwhelming, and whilst eminently recognisable favourites
such as Spider-Ham, Spider-Man 2099, Silk, Spider-Woman and Superior Spider-Man
momentarily remain the key supporting cast for the dialogue, the sheer number
of other secondary characters starts to make the ownership of some speech
bubbles somewhat confusing; as even Spider-Monkey of Earth-8101 has a voice – as Peter Porker states “You’re kiddin’ right?"
Regardless of any difficulties
a reader may have concerning the over-sized comic book troupe, the highlight for
this issue must be penciller Olivier Coipel’s astoundingly good artwork. Whilst
admittedly somewhat indistinct when depicting motionless inanimate figures, the
Frenchman’s ability to draw dynamically charged panels full of energy, action
and frankly violence, are faultless. Especially when so wonderfully inked by
Wade Von Grawbadger and coloured by Justin Ponsor.
As aforementioned it is
sometimes quite difficult to ascertain which Spidey is which amidst all the
frantic action, especially once Brix and Bora join the fray. But even so the
sense of flying bodies, deadly daggers, lashing whips and bone-breaking punches
is palpable.
Disappointingly though, all too soon the action dissipates as the various
multi-verse Web-heads teleport out to their numerous ‘event tie-in’ titles
leaving the reader facing a rather troubling cliff-hanger that the Superior
Spider-Man is “in charge!”
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| Writer: Dan Slott, Penciler: Olivier Coipel, and Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger |
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