POBB April 15, 2022

 

Pick of the Brown Bag

April 15, 2022

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to part two of the Pick of the Brown Bag's recent Spider-Man comics exploration.  Last post I discussed the first of the overlapping series Amazing Spider-Man Beyond.  Mainly.

In summary, Iron Fist cast members Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, under contract for the Beyond Corporation, trained Spider-Man clone Ben Reilly to substitute for a waylaid Peter Parker.

This week's Spider-Man reviews begin with, from my perspective anyway, The Death of Doctor Strange Spider-Man special.

I just picked up the entirety of Death of Dr. Strange in two thick trade paperbacks.  It would have been horrendous trying to read it all as floppies and keep up.  

I guess I wasn't paying that much attention, because the Spider-Man special is the first I saw of maxi-series on the racks.  

Unlike other one-shot tie-ins, the story in Death of Dr. Strange actually connects with events occurring in Spider-Man's regular and irregular titles.  This just complicates matters for somebody who still sees Spider-Man as appearing in Amazing, Spectacular and Marvel Team-Up.  Or wishes it so.

The story opens with Felicia Hardy alias the Black Cat visiting a comatose Peter Parker.  Felicia is an associate and a friendly neighborhood ex-lover of Spider-Man, which is why she knows his secret identity.  

Black Cat is Marvel's top thief.  Like the original Arsene Lupin and Japan's animated Lupin III, she also suffers from bouts of decency.  Jed MacKay writing the Black Cat is a must-buy for me.  I enjoyed the hell out of her title.  So, I knew I would enjoy this.

Ben Reilly pops in to check on Peter, and boy, is Black Cat not happy.

An emergency magical hologram from the now deceased Doctor Strange intervenes in the ensuing argument.

Boom.  Black Cat accompanies Spider-Man to the sanctum of Dr. Strange.  What follows a bit of amusement with Wong is a whirlwind tour of what Dr. Strange did on a steady basis.  For example...

The art by Marcelo Ferreira, Wayne Faucher and Andrew Crossly is stunning.  Far better than what you would expect from a one-shot tie-in.

MacKay's magical anthology is imaginative, frequently hilarious and surprisingly anti-violent.  Except when bringing in a guest-star from another of MacKay's recommended reads.

From this one-shot we move over to MacKay's next.  Mary Jane and Black Cat Beyond.  I've said my piece about the subtitle and weirdly numbered Beyond books.  

However, I don't actually know how Mary Jane and Black Cat rates a Beyond when it's self-contained, connecting only as much as Death of Dr. Strange, and doesn't actually feature any Beyond story devices or characters, including Ben Reilly.

Anyway, on this hospital visit, Black Cat finds Brian Bendis' pet character the Hood holding Mary Jane Watson at gun point.  

I loathe this character.  Bendis channeled his hatred of Tigra into a punk with a magic hood.  

Sometimes, I'm a critical analyst.  Sometimes, I'm along for the ride.  Every once in a while, somebody writes something that just makes my brain crackle.

Her dismissiveness.  Her delivery.  The poise.  From artists C.F. Villa and Erick Arciniega.   Every creative element makes that line sing.  It's the cat's meow.

The Hood doesn't exactly know what Black Cat's connection to Peter Parker may be, but he knows one exists.  So, he strikes a deal to keep everybody alive.  Magnanimous since he's the little shit that threatened everybody's happy existence in the first place.  In any case, Felicia is the one who saves M.J.'s life.  The Hood intended to kill her.

And that's pretty much all you need to know regarding how Mary Jane and the Black Cat wind up working together.  Though it's not quite so simple as that.  There's a lot of ifs when acquiescing to a villain's whims, and Mary Jane helps keep Peter safe by demonstrating the art of the bluff.

With credentials established, MacKay presents a contrast in the two ladies: hardly the Betty and Veronica types that everybody thinks of doing.  Rather MacKay creates winning personalities for both stars.  Playing no favorites. Generating a brilliant character dynamic.

The hunt for the Hood's namesake takes the duo to interesting corners of the Marvel Universe.  MacKay uses the history of both femmes in surprising ways.  

A number of favorite Spider-Man villains enter the picture.  Sometimes, what the ladies cannot schmooze, they simply beat the tar out of.

All roads lead to a major Spider-Man foe that requires some serious out of the box thinking from the Black Cat and M.J. 

It's in essence a variation on the traditional tactic of the World's Finest over at the Distinguished Competition.  

I'll keep quiet on the Big Bad.  As a hint, I'll note that he only became an A-List villain in modern times.  Like Darth Vader, originally, he only rated flunky.

The Black Cat concocts a means to satisfy her contract with the Hood and double-cross him at the same time.  The method is unique, absurd and sooooo very fitting.  Remember, I hate this guy.

Peter regains consciousness at the conclusion of this special.  I suppose you're wondering why there's no spoiler ahoy on this one.  Because, Peter regaining the webs is inevitable and if you're following this storyline, you should know where it begins. After all somebody following Amazing Spider-Man just may skip this femme-centered special.  Though why anybody would escapes me.

After Peter awakens, Black Cat and Mary Jane have an insightful conversation that's likely to gladden the hearts of old Spider-Man fans.  

Though it may puzzle others unaware of Spider-Man's sixties and seventies history.  For some, Mary Jane and the Black Cat may be an education as well as a good ride.  That makes it doubly valuable.

Once you've got Mary Jane and the Black Cat out of the way, Peter's recovery begins properly in The Amazing Spider-Man.  That's right.  Just Amazing Spider-Man.  No, Beyond.  

So, that means we naturally begin with Beyond Corporation and the birth of the Queen Goblin.

I've got to hand it to whomever designed the newest Goblin.  Queen Goblin is a beautiful creation.  Current Amazing artists Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessey, John Dell and colorist Bryan Valenza.  If not progenitors, they nevertheless do the character proud.

She's a vivid combination of color and costuming, with a brave diversion from the traditional green.

While this occurs, Spider-Man discovers he's less than one-hundred percent.

Felicia returns to keep him safe in the most embarrassing way.  

This moment nicely highlights Black Cat's and Spider-Man's close relationship.  I doubt anybody not intimately familiar with a web shooter can use it properly like that.  So, kudos to the insight from writer Patrick Gleason, whom I only knew as an artist.

Incidentally, the Queen attacks The Daily Bugle in order to protect the Beyond Corporation from damaging information.  It's not just a whim.

Unfortunately, Mary Jane is the custodian of that data, and the Goblin quickly scoops her up.  Not realizing she's no damsel.

Fortunately, M.J.'s not without friends in high places.  Once again, it's time for Black Cat's attack of decency, which makes her so winning and darn entertaining.  Mind you.  You'll get more out of this with the bond between M.J. and the Cat reinforced by that one-shot.

What neither M.J. or the Cat know is that there's more than enhanced physique and Beyond gadgetry backing the newest Goblin.

Now, you may say.  That's not fair, and it doesn't even fit the traditonal Goblin precepts.  Well, Emerson stated that "Foolish  consistency is the hobgoblins of little minds."  I'm wondering if the creators of the Queen Goblin didn't think of that quote as a kind of rationale for the gaze.

Once the Goblin has Felecia in her stare, the worst thing imaginable happens in an exquisite, expressive sequence by Bagley and company.  Thank the cosmos, Ben Reilly stepped up to prevent this horrific tragedy.

Nah.  Nah, mate.  Just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, banged up and bedraggled but, never the less, the top hero of the book.  Because...ahem..."With great power comes great responsibility."

Last but not least, the finale of our two part Spider-Man book exploration.  In issue ninety, Spider-Man introduces himself to the new Queen Goblin.  It ain't pretty because the Queen really hasn't contended with Spidey's mouth.

Yeah.  I seem to recall a scene where the Spidey villains talk about the worst thing about fighting Spider-Man is that he can't shut up.  He's not only going to beat you senseless.  He's going to humiliate you first so that every insult is ringing in your head.  Of course, the Goblin does have two things going for her.  The Despondence Stare, and the fact that Spidey happens to fighting on half-speed and half-strength.

Oh, well then.  Skoom to you as well.  As you might expect there's some Beyond Corporation and Ben Reilly stuff in this book but meh.  It's actually Peter's concept of Ben Reilly and writer Gleason's willingness to treat him fairly that's his saving grace.

Wow.  That was a lot, but all these Spider-Man books are worth reading and adding to your collection.  These two overlapping stories will also be likely easy to find at your local comic book shop.  I recommend buying each issue.  Who knows how Marvel will collect them?