A Spider-Man Podcast

Edge of Spider-Verse #1 – REVIEW

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The premise of the Edge of Spider-Verse mini-series seems to be to introduce–and in some cases, re-introduce–characters that will be figuring prominently into the upcoming “Spider-Verse” story arc.  We saw Octavius kick things off in Superior Spider-Man #32 by hopping to other Spider-realities, gathering an army of Spider-folk to face off against an enigmatic force that’s hunting and killing them.  By the final page, we saw the beginnings of his army, including the character featured in Edge of Spider-Verse #1, Spider-Man Noir.

Edge of Spider-Verse 1 Peter May MJ ExpositionIt’s been a few years since I first read the original Spider-Man Noir story, and while some of the story details are fuzzy to me, it’s easy to remember how thrilled I felt at the creators’ take on Spider-Man.  Set in the Prohibition era of the 1930’s, the gritty, gangster-esque take on Spider-Man and the major characters in his life such as Felicia Hardy, the Vulture, and the Green Goblin struck a memorable chord with readers that made the world popular enough to revisit several times.  And while it may not technically adhere to what the term noir should encompass, there can be no denying the popularity of this period piece interpretation of the web-slinger and his world.

That’s what makes Spider-Man Noir an appropriate character to re-visit and feature as we dive into the first issue of Edge of Spider-Verse: he is a highly-regarded and well-established character as far as alternate-reality Spideys go, with a strong backstory that both parallels and differs enough from the “prime” Spider-Man story to capture readers’ attentions and imaginations.  The latest conflict in this world involves the stage magician Quentin Beck, who in his performance persona of Mysterio, challenges Spider-Man to a public conflict at his show.  He is convinced that using Spider-Man’s blood will give him the powers of the spider god Anansi, and to that end enlists the help of his partner Wilson Fisk to abduct Felicia Hardy to lure Peter into the conflict.

I think what I liked most about this issue was the further development of the characters in this Spider-Man’s life.  We see some established faces, such as Aunt May and Felicia Hardy, but we also see Mary Jane, recently returned from fighting a war while she was in Spain, and Wilson Fisk as the Kingpin in a surprisingly small supporting role.  There’s just enough going on with these characters to give you a hint of their importance in Peter’s life, but not so much that you feel bogged down in such a relatively short time.  It’s a delicate balancing act, and one that I feel is pulled off nicely in this story.

Noir Mysterio FightMysterio himself, to me, feels a little forced as a character.  I know he’s a “magician” of sorts with aspirations of being a big crime boss in the prime reality, but here, in the Depression era, as a stage performer, I’m hard-pressed to buy him as a serious contender for controlling crime in the big city.  He was much less interesting to me than, say, the Kingpin, who is presumably the more experienced gang boss in this scenario, but who also seems to be serving at Beck’s… ahem… beck and call.  In his few appearances, Fisk was direct, efficient, and deadly, and I really wish we could have seen more of him this time around.

It’s telling that we’re getting to see a large chunk of story that is firmly grounded in this world before Noir is pulled into the larger collective “Spider-Verse” story by Octavius.  By showing these characters–many of whom it’s been made clear will not live to see the resolution of “Spider-Verse”–as fully-realized, dynamic denizens of their alternate worlds instead of a random assortment of Spider-themed cannon fodder, the writers are working to give them depth and importance.  It’s not an easy trick to establish that kind of relationship when the anticipation of a high death toll hangs in the air, but by working with Noir first, Hine and Sapolsky receive a larger base to work from, which they leverage nicely into further establishing Noir as his own character first.

I also find Mysterio’s focus on the totemic aspects of Spider-Man’s powers, through the idea of his blood being a vessel for a portion of Anansi’s power, to be significant.  This concept, first introduced by J. Michael Straczynski when he began his run on Amazing Spider-Man, was both imaginative and controversial, with many readers uncomfortable that it undercut the scientifically based origin of the wall crawler.  While it could be limited to this particular story, it could also signify that the writing staff is lending more weight to JMS’s theory of totems.  It makes sense, particularly in light of the fact that Morlun, another JMS creation, will figure prominently into the larger story arc, and that he and Ezekiel (yet another JMS character) have already been recently mentioned in connection with these events in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man.

Noir and Octavius DialogArtistically, I thought this was a well done story.  Isanove’s use of shadow and a touch of the surreal lend a dark and gritty undertone to the otherwise well-rendered and surprisingly colorful artwork.  The action during the fight scenes was great, and I particularly enjoyed the illustration of Noir’s surprise attacker, towering fearsomely over him, before the cavalry arrived.  It’s the kind of depiction that makes you think, if only for a second, there’s a chance the hero might not make it through this one.

With the reintroduction of Spider-Man Noir done and his placement in the saga of “Spider-Verse” established, the next issue moves on to a new character, Gwen Stacy’s Spider-Woman.  Already popular from her promotional images, she promises to be an intriguing read.  In the meantime, this mini-series is off to a strong start, and worth a read as we delve into the drama that promises every Spider-Man ever.

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