AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #587
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Penciler: John Romita Jr.
Inker: Klaus Janson
Story Title: “Character Assassination Part 3”
Plot
Spider-Man in jail! Matt Murdock for the defense. Vin arrested. Trouble in the pokey.
The Commentary
This issue was something of a disappointment to me.
I didn’t want it to be. In all honesty I was enjoying Character Assassination just fine and dandy, dandy and fine. Some people have issues with the identity of Menace but it works for me. The thing is that this chapter felt more out of place than the interlude from last issue, which is kind of weird. The forward momentum of the pacing may have tripped up a bit with the Interlude’s character study but this issue felt like everything came to a screeching halt. I know it didn’t. I am fairly certain this is the way Marc Guggenheim wanted the story to go, but to me having two chapters with fairly brisk pacing where events are coming to head and then the third official chapter turns into a courtroom procedural makes for a haphazard reading experience.
In all honesty I liked the courtroom and jailhouse scenes. They were well written. It was interesting to see Guggenheim go through the dance of keeping Spider-Man’s mask on. I mean I am of the opinion that one of the arresting officers would have ripped that thing off during the arrest process but maybe that’s just me. In any case the scenes with Peter and Matt Murdock were interesting but they had two key problems the first being that they took up most of the issue, which fed into the previously mentioned feeling that the pacing of Character Assassination had been thrown off.
The second and I guess more personal reason is that the two main points of Character Assassination (the revelations of the Spider Tracer killer and the identity of Menace) were either almost completely ignored or given the short shrift. Now Menace just had the interlude, so I can see where you could some foil on that and stick back into the warm oven for an issue but the Spider Tracer sub-plot was completely overshadowed by Peter in jail. Sure there was a significant twist in this issue. Vin’s involvement or lack thereof in the killings was brought to light and he and Carlie were set up by the real bad guys, but instead of focusing on that we get pages and pages of Matt arguing in court and Peter making the decision to save Vin at the end of the issue.
It just didn’t feel right and that may ultimately be my fault. Maybe I am misreading things. Maybe when all is said and done and this thing is wrapped up in a nice hardcover edition it will read just fine. For now, though, I feel like I have been driving home from work at a good clip and suddenly found myself stuck in traffic.
The Final Analysis
John Romita, Jr’s art remained strong in this issue. It is nice to see that he can handle small character scenes just as well as the big action pieces. I also liked seeing him draw Matt Murdock again as I always liked his take on the character. Part of me wanted to like this issue more than I did because the story had been so good. Another part of me told the other to stop being a baby and just accept the fact that I didn’t care for this chapter all that much. I am holding out hope that the resolution will make this installment of Character Assassination worth it and that everything will come to a dramatic and startling conclusion, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed and move on.
3 out of 5 webheads.
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Alex, what’s the point of wasting your time bitching about something you don’t read? FFS!
Enjoy the extra money in your pocket.
hello ALEX its only an isult you you precieve it as one pimpin. at least u get to save ur 2.99 and spend it on some other crap right>
….. I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention… I was trying to figure out what the hell was up with comment #5…
I stopped reading SPider-man comics for good sometime after all the nonsense with Magical Resurrections and the wasted biggest story of all time Unmasking, which was the most pointless thing I’ve ever had the misfortune to read. I read a couple more times including one of these BND issues and boy was it pointless. If something as big as everyone finding out Peter Parker is Spider-man isn’t important as a big story, nothing is. I read about all the news stuff and I’ll never regret not reading this book ever again. It’s an insult to fans.
All the building of the new supporting cast but I wonder if they will still be usable after this. Vin is basically a crooked cop and Lily is a villain.
Personally, I really liked the issue and thought it was much stronger than the first part. I completely disagree with the Spider Tracer killings being given the short shrift – the fact that the whole plot was finally explained and that Vin and Carly were arrested because of it was plenty, especially since we had a year in which absolutely nothing happened with that plot line. My favorite thing about the issue, however, was Vin getting the crap kicked out of him. They could not have done more to make him an unlikable character over the past year and it was nice to see him get his.
Typed Malice instead of Menace three times there for some reason. Maybe I liked that as a name better. Who knows? Weird things happen sometimes.
i agree this issue is fatally flawed where the interlude ends SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER with Harry standing on a goblin glider ready for war this issue doesnt seem to touch upon that at all and im a little angry that the next issue will apprently be a wrap up where it seems TOO much is going to be happening SPOILER DONE.
i did like to see the Murdock doing his thing in a spidey book Vin’s participation in the whole tracer killing angers me slightly SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER him not committing any of the murders angers me i wanted him to have taken a more proactive role in that whole scenario and was left not getting that SPOILER DONE. that being said the issue as a whole wasnt horrible but i have to concur with the review the pacing of the Character Assination has found itself at a crossroads and with no direction so it come to a complete stop its a shame it started off so promising at least the dialogue was good.
Malice? Who’s Malice?