The first thing I am noticing is how much more prominent the writer information is on current issues. I am not seeing the name of the writer, artist, inker, colorist, or letterist on the front cover. I can see the artist signature "JR JR" down there, but I don't know who it could be. My first thought was John Romita Jr, but his art style is different than this. Which of course made me think John Romita SR, but it doesn't explain the double JR. Not to mention I think SR was a writer, wasn't he??
Anyways, really digging the simplistic cover--it's straightforward and not over-done, but also not boring or too minimalistic.
First page: Good recap within dialogue, but it makes me wonder why Reilly is making Peter solve the case to clear Peter's name. I know that someone framed Reilly, which in turn led back to Peter, so I imagine that Reilly is feeling responsible for it and not wanting Peter to sit in jail or to stand trial for something he didn't do; but it seems to me that Reilly has more information on Kaine and what is going on so he would be able to track everything down more quickly. Also, doesn't he have all the same abilities and talents and memories as Parker??? With no back story, I can't really say for certain, but it seems that Ben Reilly is a bit more qualified to tackle the "clearing their name" front while Peter sits in jail.
Another question: I bet J. Jonah Jameson is making a big toot about Spider-Man being on trial...well, there is a question: is PETER on trial, or is SPIDER-MAN? Because that kind of makes a difference. My question would have been, how could Spider-Man be caught swinging around the city if he is supposed to be sitting in jail; but if it is Peter that is incarcerated, then this is actually really good for the "Peter is totally not Spider-Man" misdirection. Throw some of the more clever wonderers off his back.
Is this Kaine? Because 1) he looks really badass and 2) I thought he was more of a simpleton...kind of like Bizarro from DC, you know? I didn't know he was actually a formidable opponent.
Kaine is viewed as sort of a "Failed" Peter Parker clone from the jackal, isn't he?? Maybe that's where I got the "he's probably the chromosomally challenged one of the group" from; but failed could just mean that he didn't look quiet right. A proper clone would have to look and act and think like Spider-Man.
Did I mention that I am really digging the artwork? The coloring is not my favorite--it is a little grungier than I like, which was kind of the whole tone of the 1990's, when today we favor the more crisp, clean lines and colors (I am thinking); but the art on the whole is really appealing. It lacks the ambiguity that I find frustrating in some works, and the panels are not overly busy.
I was willing to overlook the "drawn you into my web" cheesy pun, but the "let's see how he likes being blind-sided" was a bit much. Granted, this tone is best suited for Spider-Man, especially older spider-man issues, but it kind of distracts me thinking "Oh. That was kind of silly".
Peter is really drawn buff in this issue and I like it. I have never been a fan of the scrawny little teenage Peter Parker look because it doesn't make sense to me. He is very strong, he should at least LOOK strong, especially when in costume.
I am looking around the audience at the hearing, and I am wondering if that dumpy little woman is supposed to be May Parker. Which also makes me wonder--can she tell the difference between Peter and Ben? She is the closest thing Peter has to a mother, and they say a mother can always tell, so it has kind of made me think.
Okay, several pages in and we finally get the title page, lol.
The writer is Todd Dezago. Haven't heard of him, but actually liking him so far, so it works. They did do this cute "courtroom theme" with it--instead of saying writer, Todd Dezago is listed as "courtroom coverage".
Roy Burdine, "Police artist"
Randy Emberlin and Don Hudson are the "courtroom artists".
There are some other names listed, but none really jump out at me. What surprises me is that I am not familiar with any of these names. I thought I would be.
Also, does "police artist" mean Burdine did that neat cover? Because that doesn't exactly explain the JR JR signature.
I was right--Ben Reilly is experiencing some deep (and, in my opinion, rather unwarranted) remorse for the impact he is having on Peter's life. It is not Ben's fault he was born any more than it is any of ours. And he has tried to do right, tried to be the good guy.
Lol, I get the impression that they just inserted some judge-talk into the scene whether it made sense or not. She said "...overrule such an objection", when no one had even made their opening statements yet.
What is Kaine's beef with Reilly? I would think he would want to be the only spider-man, but he hasn't picked up that mantle and seemed to have no problem with Parker until Peter went snooping around looking for him. It sounds like Kaine set up Ben Reilly for those murders, not fully thinking it through admittedly, but then Reilly led Kaine back to Peter. If Kaine wanted all the other versions of "him" dead, then he would be chasing Peter as well as Ben.
Kaine face-planting the hardwood floor of the dance studio made me laugh really really hard.
Real quick--I don't know who the blonde skank is, but why on earth would she be banging Doc Ock?! Talk about an unattractive man, -shudders-
MJ and the baby...? Was this pre-miscarriage time? I didn't even know when that had happened at all, but if she is pregnant now, it makes sense. I never knew them to have full term child.
Why is Kaine so freaky strong? You'd think he would be comparable to Peter.
Who is Traveller? And before you say "He's a guy that teleports"--figured that one out on my own, friend.
End of the issue! I am going to take a nap and then finish the mini series =)
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