AICN COMICS!! GrayHaven Reviews!!

Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.

Comics columns! Yay!

Enjoy!

Considering how Marvel has been breathing new life into previously stale books such as X-FORCE, HULK, and WOLVERINE over the past few years, I decided to throw caution to the wind and explore the newest issue of THOR. The worst case scenerio would be that the issue wasn't any good, right?

Much to my surprise, THOR #55 was actually a highly enjoyable read. In fact, to day that this issue merely impressed me would be a gross understatement.

Quite a while back Joe Quesada and Bill Jemas staged the "Death of a Major Marvel Character" publicity stunt, only to staunchly defended the debacle when the character in question ended-up being Thor's father Odin. While readers and spectators screamed "foul" over the anti-climatic decision, the Marvel execs claimed the Odin's death was indeed "final" and that it would have "huge" ramifications on the THOR monthly title. Although the fallout was not immediately obvious, it seems as if these claims are finally proving true...

After his father's passing, Thor reluctantly took-up the mantle of All-Father of the Gods of Asgard. This added a whole new dimension of responsibility to the Thunder-God's existence, and it seems as if he is now taking his new role quite seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he has begun to use the considerable might at his disposal to make the world a safer place to live for everyone on Earth... whether Earth's political leaders like it or not.

If this sounds like the same premise used in THE AUTHORITY, it should, because Jurgens is using this exact same theme here that THE AUTHORITY used under Warren Ellis and Mark Millar's respective runs on the title. That being said, though, Jurgens is using the theme in a much better way than THE AUTHORITY ever did.

For all of its "we're going to change the world whether you like it or not" talk, I always felt that THE AUTHORITY read more like a book about super-powered vigilantes rather than the socio-political drama it arguably aspired to be. Although the seeds for a wonderful drama were always looming under the surface, both Ellis and Millar ultimately forsook these themes in lieu of wide-screen ultra-violence and "bad-ass" anti-hero attitudes. While made THE AUTHORITY an interesting superhero book, I still feel that the series failed to live up to its full potential by brushing the "real world" issues aside in the name of super-human brawls of mind-numbingly epic proportions. Any "real-world" political drama came down to a pissing contest between the protagonists and the adversaries, with the protagonists always winning because of their seemingly limitless (to the point of self-parody) abilities.

That being said, THOR is taking the high road. Sure, Thor is now toppling corrupt governments and liberating oppressed people, but rather than telling the concerning politicians to "screw-off" (as did The Authority), Issue #55 has him appearing before the United Nations in order to explain his actions... as well as why he plans to stay this course whether the collected world leaders like it or not. The result is a highly-charged emotional debate between a nigh-indestructible god whose actions are bordering on global dictatorship and the UN representatives, some noble and some not, who rightfully fear that Thor is on the verge of taking over the Earth.

Aside from the meeting with the UN, other story elements include Loki's amusement concerning Thor's newfound attitude towards mortals, hints at possible dissension by one of Thor's closest confidantes, a surprising appearance by the Absorbing Man, and a haunting framing sequence by a psychic villain who already knows of the horrors that are yet to come due to Thor's self-appointed rule.

Another pleasant surprise in this book was the incredible artwork by Tom Raney. His thin-line style, which is reminiscent of a cross between Greg Land (SOJOURN) and Ian Churchill (NEW X-MEN, FLASH: IRON HEIGHTS), captures the characters and scenery with a beauty I have never seen afforded to THOR. It is spectacular artwork that helped punctuate both the action and drama throughout this issue.

Quite frankly, THOR seemingly now encompasses everything THE AUTHORITY could have been... only better. To quote the mighty Edgar Allan Poe, this book has "out Heroded-Herod" with its mix of brilliant storytelling, compelling socio-political themes, and gorgeous artwork. It is now up to Marvel to hype the bejeezus out of this book.

If you are even just a casual fan of the "absolute power corrupts absolutely" theme present in books such as THE AUTHORITY or 100 BULLETS, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy of THOR #55 right now.

This is quite possibly the best Marvel book you're not currently reading.

FABLES #6
Written by Bill Willingham and Illustrated by Mark Buckingham
Published by DC Vertigo
Reviewed by Todd Casey

One of the primary reason's FABLES is so successful is because it stokes the fires of nostalgia by using characters that anyone of any age can remember from their childhood picture books. Be it the three blind mice, Snow White or the Big Bad Wolf, they are all there - just not exactly the way we remember. For those who are not familiar with the concept, FABLES is the story of all your childhood fairy tale characters grown up and living in their underground urban community known as "Fabletown." The fact that this book about fuzzy woodland creatures and princesses is put out by Vertigo as a "Mature Readers" title should come as no surprise. After all, the stories we read were about stuffing innocent children into ovens, wolves getting gutted by woodsmen, and a certain pirate with an affinity for decapitating his wives.

This issue begins a new story arc entitled "Animal Farm," a new spin on George Orwell's classic. (It seems no story is safe. Is WATERSHIP DOWN next?) I don't mean these comments to construe this as a problem with the book. Rather, I actually find it to be a virtue. Much like Alan Moore's LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, there are all kinds of little Easter eggs for us to find in the pages (although the ones in FABLES are about a million times more obvious than Mr. Moore's).

The beginning of the story is a wrap-up of the last arc. Under the watchful eye of Bigby Wolf, Jack is mopping floors with the "Fly Catcher" as punishment for his participation in faking Rose Red's death. Meanwhile, Ms. Red has been drafted by her sister Snow White to tag along on an annual trip to the upstate "Animal Farm" to check on the Fables residing there. They travel with Colin, the "little pig" who can't stay out of the big city, in tow. On the way the are forced to stop due to some car trouble and Snow White stumbles upon a number of brass shell casings - an odd find considering no "mundies" (that's normal people) venture up that way and the Fables are not armed. When they arrive at the farm, which Rose Red aptly describes as "Old MacDonald meets Walt Disney meets Munchkin Land," they find it deserted. However, upon further investigation, they stumble into a barn and surprise all the animal Fables who are assembled in a meeting led by the two other "little pigs" Posey and Dun. Ms. White grills the pigs on the subject of their meeting and finds that they are fed up with being confined to the farm. Since they cannot mix in with the mundies as the other human Fables can, and are calling for a revolution to take back their sacred homelands from the forces of The Adversary. They are also quite quick to answer that Weyland Smith, the farmer, has left - apparently he "suddenly resigned." What they don't tell her is that they already have a plan underway for the take over the homelands and that Ms. White will not being seeing Weyland anytime soon...

As he did with the first story-arc, Willingham is again almost setting this arc as a mystery - it's not a mystery per se, but it still has a similar intrigue to it. Willingham likes to drop clues and arouse suspicion.

Those who have read George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM will find that Willingham has captured the deceptive nature of the pigs from that story and placed it into the three little pigs of old. Furthermore, the interaction between Rose Red and Snow White is especially entertaining, as their vitriolic exchanges could only take place between jealous sisters. Rose resents the popularity and success of Snow White, and Snow White is still bitter over the fact that Rose slept with her one-time husband Prince Charming. Since Rose Red was effectively "dead" for the last arc, this is the first time we really get to see a lot of her, and she provides both conflict for Snow White and comic relief. This issue is by and large setting the scene for things to come, but if Willingham can match his performance and pacing from the last arc, this looks like it could build to another impressive story.

Mark Buckingham renders the full and two page panels with impeccable detail. The two-page splash of the Animal Farm is a wonderfully composed scene filled with small farmhouses intermingling with castles, towers, and straw houses... not to mention the Old Woman's shoe and a certain pumpkin house! It is always a treat to scan the pages for recognizable characters, and the meeting in the farmhouse is the perfect opportunity to test one's knowledge of fairy tale characters. Buckingham's ability to pencil anatomically correct animals that still have a humanoid quality is quite striking. The flying monkeys, the three blind mice, Puss n' Boots, and what appears to be Uncle Remus were some of my favorites from the farmhouse meeting - but they only comprise 10% of the cast in that scene. All of the characters retain a certain picture-book quality while still having an air of photo-realism.

This is a great set-up issue and jumping-on point for new readers. Willingham is building slowly here, and appears to be constructing an intriguing story. It is also nice to see that Willingham is not making Bigby Wolf the sine quo non of FABLES. While I like the character, I would rather see him shift around his focus as he does in this issue. Finally, the last panel is a horrifically disturbing image that is also a great literary reference - well worth the price of admission. The next issue, whose title alludes to Barbara Touchman's WWI masterpiece, THE GUNS OF FABLETOWN, could not possibly come soon enough!

GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT
Written by Jai Sen and Illustrated by Rizky Wasisto Edi
Published by Shoto Press
Reviewed by Michael T. Bradley

At 85 pages of 5"x8" dimensions, GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT is a somewhat gentle flower in and of itself: tiny, fragile, and beautiful.

I became interested in this book when I saw that one of the guys who made it had won the Xeric Foundation Award. So far, I've enjoyed every other Xeric winner I've tried (CHIAROSCURO jumps to mind), and beyond that, the authors are Indonesian, which intrigued me, because as far as I know, I've never seen any Indonesian comics. Considering all of these factors, I gave it a go... and it was well worth it.

Partially a vampire tale and partially a tale of would-be-revolution, GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT mainly follows a "grandmother" to a small village on the islands. While trying to care for all her people, she finds out that an evil legend (somewhat similar to a vampire) is roaming the land.

An interesting almost-anime look, plus an intriguing story with some surprising twists toward the end, made this an unforgettable and very well told tale.

Furthermore, they did something with the artwork to make it resemble old deguerrotypes: if you move the book, the shading looks completely different in certain lights. Sometimes it's shiny and sometimes it's dull: it all depends on where you look at it. This means multiple reading experiences! The artwork alone is beautiful, but these "extra bonuses" makes it doubly so, and easily worth the $4.59 entrance cost.

Step into the GARLANDS OF MOONLIGHT... if you dare.

GETTING THE SEX OUT OF THE WAY
Written by Matthew K. Manning and Illustrated by Matthew Loux, et. al.
Published by Meathaus Press
Reviewed by Frank Beaton

The corporate world is a strange and scary place. Naomi Klein's brilliant book NO LOGO opened a lot of eyes to the atrocities that have been committed in the name of advertising, and it was only a matter of time before fiction writers began to realize the massive potential for stories there.

In GETTING THE SEX OUT OF THE WAY, a facial tissue company hires a military research firm to employ state-of-the-art surveillance technology to monitor random people in emotionally-charged situations. This is done in order to determine "why America cries," and somehow use these findings to produce a superior hanky. Don't worry, it's not as weird as it sounds. The research scenario serves as a framing device for a series of vignettes, culminating in a brilliant ensemble scene (reminiscent of Alan Cumming's film "The Anniversary Party") where the subjects each go through their own emotional catharses.

Manning has a keen insight into the American emotional landscape and demonstrates a rare talent for character-specific dialogue. In fact, the announcement in his bio of an upcoming gig on JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES would seem like a waste of talent if it were not such a wonderful opportunity for a brilliant new writer to build an audience.

The book's only flaw lies in the decision to use multiple artists: one for the research lab scenes, one for each vignette, and another for the ending sequence. While this may seem like a valid approach in theory, especially given the nature of the story, in practice it proves far too distracting. The same character rendered by three different artists begins to lose something after a while.

All in all, GETTING THE SEX OUT OF THE WAY is a terrific read. There are few 22-page one-shots that can stand on their own without the benefit of established characters or proven genre formulas, and it's always nice to see a creator making an effort to tap into the zeitgeist, rather than reveling in nostalgia. I expect we'll see a lot more from Matthew Manning in the future... or at least I hope we will!

NOCTURNALS: UNHALLOWED EVE
Written and Illustrated by Dan Brereton
Published by Oni Press
Reviewed by Todd Casey

This most recent trade paper back from Dan Brereton is like a good DVD: a great story with a ton of extras... and this is really what a TPB should consist of, especially for those who have already read the issues. UNHALLOWED EVE is stocked with extras including a cover gallery, pin-ups and a second story featuring a variety of artists who provide their own unique interpretations of this Halloween family.

The first half collects "The Witching Hour," a story that takes place on Halloween night and begins with Halloween Girl trick-or-treating with Gunwitch as her escort. In the meantime, Starfish and The Raccoon are waiting for them so they can all meet with Doc Horror and Polychrome in the cemetery to tell ghost stories. Overall, the family is enjoying their one night to walk around town without having to worry about their appearances scaring the pants off of the locals, except for Halloween Girl, who quickly becomes bored with the town and ventures off into the woods to seek a more genuine Halloween experience. (It should be noted that Halloween Girl looks relatively normal compared to the rest of her family, hence the ability to walk about town freely is no "treat" to her.) When she stumbles upon a small hovel in the woods and knocks on the door, she finds a group of pumpkin-headed people who are horrified by her pumpkin-shaped candy container, fearing she has decapitated one of their own. Meanwhile, Gunwitch is incapacitated by a group of woodland goblins and fairies, The Raccoon throws down with some locals in a pizza place because a man said Starfish had "nice shells", and Doc Horror and Polychrome wonder why the rest of the family has yet to join them.

For Halloween Girl, things go from bad to worse, as the Pumpkin-heads are not quite what they seem and cart her off to be cooked by a hideous witch. Then, as can be expected, it is the Nocturnals to the rescue... but let's be honest here, the story could be written in Slovenian for all I care: it's the painted artwork that yanks me into this book.

Brereton's ability to paint vivid horror-scapes is without parallel in comics. The only other artist who has a similar style is Alex Ross (they both pain in watercolor), but Brereton's work lends itself to horror with its surreal quality and cold, moody colors. He juxtaposes colored panels with frigid gray scenes of Gunwitch and Halloween girl traveling through the woods. Some panels are composed of bluish grays with the only color found in a pumpkin, or Starfish's green skin. This creates a fluid feel to the mood and compliments the pace of the story. As the pace quickens, more colors are added and the panels develop into impossibly chaotic and darkly beautiful images as they become littered with bats, pumpkins, mist and another other symbols of Halloween horror Brereton could think of to throw in. I am particularly partial to Gunwitch, who I find to be both terrifying and very cool in a foreboding way. There is a full-page image of Gunwitch battling woodland goblins that is so impressive that it sends the message: "Don't bother trying to paint comics, because Brereton can do it better than you."

After drooling over his cover gallery, I was equally impressive by the pin-ups provided by Mike Mignola, Arthur Adams, Paul Smith, and even Rob Zombie (of the former metal-band White Zombie fame), who also provides a short introduction to the book. In addition to these extras, there is a short Halloween poem by Brereton that sets up the second story about Halloween Girl and the Devil Lantern.

This second story collects "Troll Bridge," drawn and inked in black and orange - the requisite colors of Halloween. The story follows Halloween Girl and her trips to different bizarre worlds with the Devil Lantern she uncovered in a Troll's dwelling. The rest of her family dimension-hops after her into a plethora of odd and somewhat abstract universes. They eventually come together and come face to face with the "Hideous League," complete with the wielder of the Devil Lantern (who is an homage to the Green Lantern of DC Comics). Once again, it is the art that sells this story; only this time Brereton provides only the last few pages. He is assisted by the likes of Kieron Dwyer (CAPTAIN AMERICA and SUPERMAN), John Heekbink (ELVIRA), Stan Sakai (USAGI YOJIMBO - yes, the Samurai rabbit has a cameo!), Jill Thompson (THE INVISIBLES and SCARY GODMOTHER - who also makes a cameo!) and Bruce Timm (BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES) to name just a few. At times, stories that use a hodgepodge of artists can prove to be a cumbersome read, but because the scene changes from world to world and rotates through the characters as the artists change, the story (and artwork) is easier to enjoy as it doesn't feel so choppy.

Brereton is an obvious fan of Halloween and pretty much all things monster-related. The cast of ghouls that makes up NOCTURNALS is both beautiful and frightening. Gunwitch is arguably one of the cooler looking characters out there and Halloween Girl is quite a likeable little troublemaker. In fact, these two alone could provide for entertaining stories without the rest of the cast! But then there is Doc Horror, Polychrome, Starfish, The Raccoon, Firelion and Komodo too - Brereton has material here to craft enough stories to last until the paint runs out! If you love Halloween or miss the magic of trick-or-treating and the belief in fantastic supernatural beings that came with childhood, NOCTURNALS can provide an engaging escape to a world where it always feels like October 31st.

ONE PLUS ONE #1 (of 5)
Written by Neal Shaffer and Illustrated by Daniel Krall
Published by Oni Press
Reviewed by Frank Beaton

Supernatural mysteries are a dime a dozen. From movies like "The Sixth Sense" to comics like MIDNIGHT, MASS., it seems like everyone is seeing dead people these days. With all this ESP in the air, it's hard to find a work with an original take on an already hackneyed idea. Surprisingly, Oni Press' ONE PLUS ONE manages not only to find a new angle, but they also exploit it masterfully.

Leonard is a lonely man. He spends every night in the same dive bar, drinking the same watery gin and tonics and hoping for a normal life that never comes. You see, working-class Leonard has a peculiar psychic talent: If he looks at anyone for more than a few seconds, he begins to see them not as they are, but as they will be. In other words, he sees them as they will look when they are dead. Leonard's "gift" has taken its toll, forcing him into an isolated existence as a quiet and alcoholic loner. When Leonard meets a strange young man in the bar who seems immune to his gift, a bizarre partnership begins to form.

Neal Shaffer and Daniel Krall have produced a terrific first chapter. Although the actual plot has yet to be revealed, the characters are interesting enough to warrant further reading. Krall's simple, evocative art provides a perfect counterpoint to the baroque captions and hyper-realistic dialogue, and the overall design sense of the book is gorgeous. Michael Avon Oeming's moody cover also adds to the book's tone and perfectly captures the main characters.

ONE PLUS ONE is shaping up to be a terrific mini-series: a smart horror story in the vein of Jamie Delano's run on HELLBLAZER or one of the better Dean Koontz novels. Don't worry about the overdone subject matter: these dead people are worth seeing.

PARADIGM #1
Written by Matt Cashel and Illustrated by Jeremy Haun
Published by Image Comics
Reviewed by Frank Beaton

2002 has been good to me. My girlfriend and I just signed the lease on a beautiful new apartment, my car is running well, and the cats have never been healthier. 2002 also saw the launch of some absolutely brilliant comic books of the kind that renew your faith in the artform: Brian Vaughan's Y: THE LAST MAN, David Lapham's STRAY BULLETS collections, and now, PARADIGM.

Indie-darlings Matt Cashel and Jeremy Haun self-published the first issues of PARADIGM earlier this year under the pseudo-label "Two Irish Guys Press." The buzz was strong enough to attract the attention of Image head-honcho Jim Valentino, who picked up the book, slapped a glossy cover on it, and relaunched it under the Image banner.

PARADIGM is the story of Christopher Howell, a shockingly uninteresting twenty-something whose life seems to revolve around watching timer-taped sitcoms and discussing dogs vs. cats with Emma, his TV-addicted girlfriend. After Chris and Emma's "date night" ends in a round of jaw-dropping violence, Chris's life takes a turn for the weird. Strange British men stop him on the street to discuss obscure plays, his cat develops the power of speech, and he no longer knows which toothbrush is his. This ensemble cast of PARADIGM is skillfully introduced throughout the 48-page issue. A depressed police detective, Chris's burnout neighbor, and an enigmatic blonde woman urging Chris to "Fight for the Sitcom" all add to the surreal vibe of the book and leave you wanting much, much more.

Comics these days are brimming with pop culture awareness, but few have the sort of self-aware, unflinching cynicism required to effectively rip the piss out of an already over-analyzed culture. Cashel and Haun have created a world so utterly real, so familiar, that the slightest variance from the norm is jarring. Imagine "Twin Peaks" as written by Chuck Palahniuk, or J.G. Ballard taking a crack at SANDMAN, and you'll start to get the idea. This is social satire disguised as urban fantasy, and it's done very well.

PARADIGM is one of the most exciting debuts in recent memory. These guys are beating Grant Morrison at his own game and giving us something we've never seen before... and isn't that what we all came here for?

THREE FINGERS
Written and Illustrated by Rich Koslowshi
Published by Top Shelf Comics
Reviewed by Aaron Weisbrod

I like what many people call "deconstructionist" stories. You know, the stories that take a pre-existing character or concept apart and piece it back together again in a different fashion, in the process creating something fairly new yet eerily familiar. It's a tough type of story to do well, but when it happens the results are classics such as Alan Moore's MIRACLEMAN, WATCHMEN, and SWAMP THING; Rick Veitch's THE MAXIMORTAL; Kim Deitch's THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS; or Rich Koslowski's THREE FINGERS.

THREE FINGERS is a book formatted much like an episode of A&E's "Biography" (one of the best, and possibly most addicting, shows on television). The story of the subject is told in a narrative fashion coupled with frequent cuts to comments and insight given by informed parties who knew, or knew of, the subject in question.

Such as was the case in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," toons and humans live together in the world of this pseudo-biographical/historical piece, and the subject of THREE FINGERS is two-fold: it details the lives of Dizzy Walters and his famous cartoon star Rickey Rat.

The book delves deep into the lives of Dizzy and Rickey, including how they met and subsequently climbed the ladder of fame and success together. However, as is the case with the best biographies, the purpose of this tale (no pun intended) is more than just the lives of the subjects. Rather, it also focuses largely on a mystery concerning a certain "ritual" that was rumored to surround Rickey's rise to fame as witnessed by a number of famous toons (most of whom were desperate to gain the levels of popularity that seemed exclusive to Rickey).

It should come as no surprise that the toon characters of THREE FINGERS, all of whom are allusions to popular Disney and Warner Brother characters, steal the show as they offer insight concerning Rickey's rise to power as well as the rumored "ritual" that plays such a significant part of the story. Worthy of particular praise is Carhorn Armwhistle, a creepy and boisterous rooster who virtually steals the show with his blunt comments and chilling understanding of the events surrounding both Rickey's fame as well as the oft discussed "ritual" in question.

Koslowski's artwork throughout THREE FINGERS seamlessly toggles between borderline photo-realism (it almost appears as if he "light-boxed" many of the narrative sequences) and the grotesque (as when he portrays many of the former toon stars, most of whom are now sick, decrepit, or otherwise much the worse for wear). His ability to continuously shift between the two styles without disrupting the flow or pace of the story is a testament to his magnificent artistic ability. (Need more proof? Koslowski's THE THREE GEEKS was nominated for three Eisner awards in 1999... so there!)

Clocking in at over an oversized, 140-page, self-contained story for only $14.95, THREE FINGERS is easily one of the best original graphic novels I've read all year. It's no secret that Top Shelf puts out some of the best "indie" comics (HEY, MISTER!) and original graphic novels (MONKEY VERSUS ROBOT) currently on the market, and THREE FINGERS easily rests at the top of the heap as one of the finest books the company has released to date.

THREE FINGERS is an instant classic, and every fan of animation and/or cartoons in America needs a copy of this book setting on their coffee table... most of them just don't know it yet.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: COMING HOME (TPB)
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Illustrated by John Romita, Jr.
Published by Marvel
Reviewed by Adam Penname

When a character has been around as long as Spider-Man has, it becomes very difficult to create new and original stories. When a character has been around for over forty years, it becomes a massive challenge to stand out, be different, and compete against the plethora of older works and past classics. But in 2001, starting in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, Volume 2, #30, and lasting until #35, new Spider-Man writer J. Michael Straczynski and veteran art team John Romita, Jr. and Scott Hanna created a masterful epic story, the likes of which had never before appeared in a Spider-Man comic.

Straczynski's plot is fantastic, new, and original without being remotely inaccessible. The mystery begins in Chapter One (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #30) in which readers are introduced to the enigmatic Ezekiel, who poses a question not only to Spider-Man, but to readers as well: how can we know that Spider-Man's powers came from the radioactive spider? What if the spider was trying to give him the powers before the radiation killed it? Are there others in the world like Spider-Man? Others with similar spider (or otherwise totemistic) powers?

From this brilliant premise, Straczynski builds an epic adventure over six issues, introducing the unstoppable Morlun, the intriguingly obedient Dex, and also a new supporting cast through Peter's old high school, once Midtown High, now renamed P.S. 108. "Coming Home" is like a vacuum, pulling the reader in issue by issue. At first readers feel as confused and worried as Peter, and that's just part of the intrigue. Suspense builds gradually as Straczynski leads readers towards the inevitable confrontation with Morlun - a fight that Spider-Man seems doomed to lose, but one he must partake in anyway, using brains, not brawn, in order to stay alive and hopefully triumph.

For a new Spider-Man writer, it's amazing how accurately Straczynski portrays pre-existing characters. Peter Parker feels more like Peter Parker than he had for years prior to this story, as Straczynski perfectly captures his humor, his determination, and, most importantly, his responsibility. Even when Spider-Man is certain he will lose and die (and Straczynski makes this about as convincing as possible, considering Spider-Man has to live for the series to keep going), his sense of responsibility will not let him quit. Straczynski's Spider-Man is remarkably likeable and admirable to an extent few other writers have ever managed. New life is brought to Aunt May, as well. Admittedly, she is a bit more sarcastic than readers will remember her, but rather than the unnecessary joke she had been since her "resurrection," she feels like a real character. She's not too integral to this particular story, but her moments are wonderful scenes filled with humor and intelligent advice. This story is evidence as to just how terrific a character Aunt May is able to be when written properly.

Furthermore, Straczynski's new additions are no less interesting. Ezekiel is a fun, instantly likeable character who