RatCreature (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ratcreature) wrote2004-05-17 12:28 am
ratcreature) wrote2004-05-17 12:28 am
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Marvel Knights Spider-Man #2
I've read Marvel Knights Spider-Man #2 (written by Mark Millar, pencils by Terry Dodson, inks by Rachel Dodson) and...
...I'm not sure what to think about this. I mean, I like the art (like this lovely panel of Peter and MJ), the story about Aunt May being kidnapped and Peter trying to find out who targets him is intriguing enough, and I like Millar's Spidey voice most of the time too. But--
First, I've always thought that Marvel Knights, while for older readers, takes place in the main Marvel universe. Now in MK Spider-Man #2 Osborn is in jail, while in The Pulse he runs his company. That confused me. Now granted, I'm not that familiar with the Marvel universe and it could be a timeline thing, with one story just taking place at an earlier time, something that might be obvious to regular readers, but to me it felt as if they didn't care about universe integrity. Also I thought it was kind of a dumb move by Peter to talk to Osborn without temporarily disabling security, because even if the guard on duty is on a toilet-break, how can he be sure that the surveillance in a high security prison is only visual not audio? At worst there's now a tape somewhere with Osborn calling him Parker, and Peter mentioning his aunts name. That doesn't exactly reduce the risk for his secret identity.
That wasn't my main problem, however. While I have no real clue about the Avengers beyond the JLA/Avengers crossover I've read, the Avengers here just didn't come across as heroes. They came across as jerks. And some of that is Peter's POV, sure, but somehow in the classic Spider-Man comics I've read (from the 1960s in the Essential Spider-Man collections), it was still clear that they were heroes, even if Peter wasn't their biggest fan. Peter fighting his way into their headquarters because the security thought he was crank was fun to look at though.
And finally, in the scene with Vulture and Electro in the brothel, I was annoyed at the jokes. Okay, so I can get past the fact that of course Electro could only be attracted to the overweight hooker because she's a shapeshifter (god forbid that someone might be shown not to prefer the bizarro comic book version of the female body with big boobs and this weirdly deformed spine around the waist area), but when he then basically said that prison rape changed his sexual preferences... eh. I know it was supposed to be funny when he told her "My last couple of times up at Riker's really opened up a whole new side of myself I didn't even know existed until lately." [...] then she "Just tell me who you want, handsome-guy. An X-Man, perhaps? Fin-Fang-Foom?" "Well, between you and me, I've always fancied a crack at..." which is the moment Spider-Man appears and interrupts them. For me the humor here just kind of missed.
I like it enough that I'll stick with the series at least through the first arc, but I thought it was a bit uneven in the details.
...I'm not sure what to think about this. I mean, I like the art (like this lovely panel of Peter and MJ), the story about Aunt May being kidnapped and Peter trying to find out who targets him is intriguing enough, and I like Millar's Spidey voice most of the time too. But--
First, I've always thought that Marvel Knights, while for older readers, takes place in the main Marvel universe. Now in MK Spider-Man #2 Osborn is in jail, while in The Pulse he runs his company. That confused me. Now granted, I'm not that familiar with the Marvel universe and it could be a timeline thing, with one story just taking place at an earlier time, something that might be obvious to regular readers, but to me it felt as if they didn't care about universe integrity. Also I thought it was kind of a dumb move by Peter to talk to Osborn without temporarily disabling security, because even if the guard on duty is on a toilet-break, how can he be sure that the surveillance in a high security prison is only visual not audio? At worst there's now a tape somewhere with Osborn calling him Parker, and Peter mentioning his aunts name. That doesn't exactly reduce the risk for his secret identity.
That wasn't my main problem, however. While I have no real clue about the Avengers beyond the JLA/Avengers crossover I've read, the Avengers here just didn't come across as heroes. They came across as jerks. And some of that is Peter's POV, sure, but somehow in the classic Spider-Man comics I've read (from the 1960s in the Essential Spider-Man collections), it was still clear that they were heroes, even if Peter wasn't their biggest fan. Peter fighting his way into their headquarters because the security thought he was crank was fun to look at though.
And finally, in the scene with Vulture and Electro in the brothel, I was annoyed at the jokes. Okay, so I can get past the fact that of course Electro could only be attracted to the overweight hooker because she's a shapeshifter (god forbid that someone might be shown not to prefer the bizarro comic book version of the female body with big boobs and this weirdly deformed spine around the waist area), but when he then basically said that prison rape changed his sexual preferences... eh. I know it was supposed to be funny when he told her "My last couple of times up at Riker's really opened up a whole new side of myself I didn't even know existed until lately." [...] then she "Just tell me who you want, handsome-guy. An X-Man, perhaps? Fin-Fang-Foom?" "Well, between you and me, I've always fancied a crack at..." which is the moment Spider-Man appears and interrupts them. For me the humor here just kind of missed.
I like it enough that I'll stick with the series at least through the first arc, but I thought it was a bit uneven in the details.
no subject
That's probably what it is. From my experiences with X-Men, they don't actually seem to care, all the time, whether parts of their universe match or make sense. It's most annoying.
no subject
The Avengers didn't come off so badly to me (I've primarily read the Ultimate canon, of course) because it seemed clearly that we were seeing them as Spidey saw them, and Spidey was having Issues. It seemed to me that they were talking past each other, that Spidey was being squirrelly and uncooperative when *he* came to *them* so there wasn't a lot they could do.
As a newbie to the regular verse, I have to say, MJ = Supermodel is weirding me out. Whafuck?
no subject
Well that's at least consistent with the Amazing Spider-Man series, though I don't tend to read "supermodel" as "world famous" or anything, but rather as having made a good name for herself in modelling circles with maybe some moderate name recognition in the wider public. I mean, it's not like we see hordes of adoring fans or paparazzi following her in the comics, at least not anywhere I remember. In the recent ASM issues she's been trying to get into acting (with not so encouraging results so far).
no subject
I wondered how Peter knew the guard was (a) going to take a leak, and (b) coming back afterwards? And surely there are cameras away from the cells so that, if someone breaks out of a cell, the guards can track them down relatively quickly? So, why wasn't Peter concerned about being seen by the guards on those other cameras? His having disabled security makes a whole lot more sense from that perspective, too.
Spiderman breaking into the Avengers headquarters, I enjoyed. I thought Spiderman sassing Captain America was amusing. But I also don't much care for the Avengers, so their being portrayed as jerks didn't worry me at all. :-)
As to Electro and Vulture at the end: my brain just shut off when I saw Electro for the third time in under a week. Ten days ago, if you'd mentioned the name Electro to me, I'd have stared at you blankly. Now, everywhere I look, he seems to show up. Electro is like my word of the week. :-)
no subject
His spider-sense perhaps? I have no clue. Also they must have had some serious budget cuts if there isn't even a second guard around for monitoring the inmates.