We see a different Spider-Man in this book, a darker one set in the noir times of the 1930s. Where crime rules the world, the economy is in ruins (so we can relate to it) and alcohol is prohibited! Dark, dark world…
Let hope Spidey doesn’t turn emo like in a certain film that I will not mention…
Comments below! I want to know if I’m any good at this stuff.
SPIDER-MAN NOIR #1
WRITER: David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky
ARTIST: Carmine Di Giandomenico
LETTERS: Artmonkeys Studios
PLOT:
Policemen run into the offices of the Daily Bugle after responding to a call. They enter to see him dead with the Spider-Man standing over his body with a gun. He says it isn’t how it looks like before the coppers shot at him as he makes his exit through the window.
Three weeks ago…Ben Urich is taking photos for the Bugle and sees May Parker making one of her renowned speeches. Who should be watching, but the Goblin’s enforcers who decide to end the speech. May’s nephew Peter Parker steps in and gets knocked down before May gets tied up by Montana, (not like that, you silly people). Ben intervenes and the Enforcers leave because he’s off-limits…
Ben takes Peter to a speakeasy, (even though Peter is underage, tsk tsk tsk), the Black Cat, run by Felicia Hardy. Peter believes the crime boss, the Goblin a.k.a. Norman Osborn, killed his Uncle Ben, ripped to shreds by “wild dogs”. Urich reveals the Mayor might have something to do with it, when Osborn comes over to their table, with his henchman, Vulture, who looks like he’s just had Venom’s teeth implanted in him. Peter gets angry and him and Urich get kicked out of the club.
Peter still believes, despite what Urich says, that a difference can be made. He’s taken to the Daily Bugle and given a job as Urich’s assistant by J. Jonah Jameson.
Urich begins to see Peter as he once used to be, wanting to make a difference. The only thing is, Urich was easier to corrupt and knows that Uncle Ben wasn’t eaten by dogs, but by the Vulture. The reason he knows that, was because he was there…
LIKES:
-Spider-Man’s new costume
-The feel of the book
DISLIKES:
-Nothing really stood out here or took me by surprise
-Vulture looks like he’s half-shark
-The art is nothing special
THOUGHTS:
Well, here we have another mini-series to help the increasing overexposure Spider-Man gets. Hooray. These are writers and an artist that I’ve never heard of so I was hoping to be surprised. I was looking forward to this because it’s a good idea and can actually be pretty good if done well. Notice I said “if”. This sort of style is very hard to do, though this series succeeds in some ways. The mood is very noir and I’m glad they went the way of crime bosses, instead of something outlandish. I wouldn’t want to see Venom in this book, even if we do have his teeth with Vulture.
Another thing you like to see in these series, is how the characters from the main universe are shown here. In this case, how they have been noir-ised. Not a lot is different, and this is one of the books short failings. Everybody is more or less the same, the Goblin is Norman Osborn, JJJ runs the paper, Urich is a reporter, and Peter is a photographer. The only real difference is Aunt May as a radical towards America. I also like the Black Cat speakeasy. Nice touch.
The art was OK. Didn’t do anything wrong. Matched the feel but sometimes was too colourful for this type of story. Top notch Spider-Man costume though. Pretty badass.
FAVOURITE QUOTE:
FELICIA HARDY: Are you old enough to drink?
PETER PARKER: Tell you what. I’ll show you my birth certificate and you show me your liquor license.
OVERALL:
2.5 webheads out of 5
An OK start but it better pick up the pace. That said, we haven’t seen peter Parer be Spider-Man yet. Could there be a different secret identity in this book?
Doubt it, but a guy can dream.
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very good points ironspiderman1983. now that i think about it, and having read your comments i guess you are right. but again I cant shake teh feeling that this is not teh spidey I know. but maybe i need to wait and see what develops in later issues.
thanks!
persian we disagree on most points and once again i will not disapoint this book is set in the 30’s you want a shy nerdy meek peter parker but thats not who he is because of the sole purpose of how he was raised this version of aunt may is a radical nothing like the doting and feeble may that we all know and apparently Uncle Ben was also a radical of some sort so peter values the ones insilled to him by his aunt and uncle aren’t exactly the same. another thing set in the Great Depression and the meek really didnt last long. I dont think May is written out of character i think the setting has everything to do with her personality its like i said the meek would not last long in this era in order to survive in America, New York no less one had to be made of sterner stuff and may is a representation of that. as for Peter being Brazen i think this will all come to head he’s going to have to learn about power and responsibility and with his current attitude the realization will be a hard one. i enjoyed this book i like the costume design alot and i love seeing a more brazen Peter Parker and i cant wait til february.
you know, at first i thought this might be something similar to that excellent Powerless mini in which Peter had no superpowers but still had a heart of true superhero.
but after reading the first issue of this, i gotta say that i am a tad disappointed. one of teh problems is that Peter is shown as such a bold and even violent character whereas he should be shy and reserved. also, i guess Aunt May is written as out of character.
and remember guys that veveybody likes something diffrent but at the same time and deep down the characters must be the same old characters we all know and love
I also very much enjoyed this book along with Pumkins. It was something very different and it truly did capture the feel that it seems they were going for. The first thing I like is how its not just a rehashment. Pete is no longer a nerd but a boy with a big mouth but no brawn to back it up. The revenge aspect really goes along with the noir as far as uncle ben, and Aunt May has been returned to a CHARACTER once again like she was in the JMS run. I think Aunt May’s role is my favorite part about this book. She works well as as strong supporting character rather than just someone to worry over Peter, or as Kev has said a “caricature.” I honestly enjoyed this issue more than many of the work done in ASM lately.
I actually enjoyed this book. It was a totally different take on Peter Parker actually. For one, this isn’t a guilt-ridden Spider-Man in the least bit (so far). His Uncle Ben was murdered by carnival freaks before becoming Spider-Man and his mentor Urich was there to witness it. There’s no, I could-of, should-of, or would-of mentality, just a stripped-down down-trotted young Peter wanting revenge. Appropriate for this time period, I suppose. This new take on the Vulture as a carny is interesting too and I wasn’t reminded of Venom at all.
Maybe not worth the price of admission to some, but a fun read nonetheless.
Thanks for reviewing this book, you’re absolutely right about Spidey being overexposed these days, but if that wasn’t the case, I think this book would of scored a little higher.
Great review bro as always. I’m a die-hard Spider-Fan and even I didn’t pick this one up. Nothing really sounded that great in the previews.
Nice review. This miniseries seems kind of pointless, but, then, one could say that about most Marvel minis.