Firstly, to clarify this is a Panini reprint. These are amazing value, can be found in highstreets across Britain and Ireland, and can be described, without metaphor or exaggeration, as responsible for transforming the landscape of mainstream comics in these Isles. For many years, comics were simply not available outside of specialist shops, or in small quantities of trade paperbacks/graphic novels in bookshops. Comics, particularly American comics, had been replaced by abominations, which still dominate shelf space. These are badly drawn infantile product placements, printed on flimsy paper with a piece of badly designed plastic toy stuck on the front.
But then, slowly, gradually, things began to change. 2000AD seemed to be more visible, but also, something else. These were the same size as the traditional American comic, but printed on better paper, with sophisticted colour reproduction that back in the Twentieth Century had only be the preserve of exlcusive, special editions, not the stuff of newsagents. The Panini reprints had appeared. Yes, the company that were responsible for the craze for football stickers in the early 1980s, had brought Marvel back to the newsagent.
For me this coincided with a gradual return to comics, which had been patchy and occasional for years. It also marked a re-engagement with the Marvel Universe. The only problem with this is that these reprints are somewhat behind events as they are played out in 'the real world' of new American publications. Big news is old by the time you get to read it. I already know who the next major death will be, about a year before I'll get to read it, just as I already know that someone else currently dead has been back for a while in American time.
So...
The cover is great, which is a surprisingly rare thing in superhero comics these days. It is a simple understated image that plays with line and colour. Manhattan skyscrapers climb up at a diagonal that crosses the page, delinated by light filled windows contrasted against black, as Spidey swings past, an arm and leg extended forward. The blue of his costume is as black as the buildings behind him, with no outline to differentiate them. But the simple reason for the cover’s greatness is that it is the work of John Romita Jr.
His work stands out amongst the more generic tendencies in superhero comics. When reading anything drawn by him there is a real sense that this stuff is still drawn by hand, rather than illustrated as part of some digital process. Much of his recent pencilling work has been inked by Klaus Janson, whose reputation was earned in working with Frank Miller in the 80s. This combination is immediately recognizable, and whenever they are involved in a story, I will be happy with at least the way it looks. You are guaranteed a story that looks great, is paced well, told with tension and flair.
But this isn't just a pretty comic. Written by Dan Slott, who had a great run doing humorous and idiosyncratic work writing She Hulk, the story combines the wedding of Aunt May to the father of JJ Jameson with the return of Doctor Octopus. Poor old Doc Ock is suffering from a degenerative illness, losing his mind and is close to death.
He extends his control of his artificial limbs into the technological systems of New York, attempting to control the city, then of course the world, as gift to mankind. His unconscious hatred for Spider-Man, not to mention Aunt May’s wedding, lead to the city turning in violence against its population. The story balances aspects of Peter’s life, a team up with the Torch, and keeps supporting characters busy. A beautifully handled adventure. Even the colour is good. It does everything a Marvel story should, while showing us a Doctor Octopus we haven’t seen before, retaining his old self in a new and believably updated form.
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