MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY- Spider-Man: Curse of the Man-Thing #1 REVIEW

After just recovering from a worldwide crisis like “King in Black,” some of you may want some additional time to catch a breath. But such is not the case with the Marvel Universe, because another global threat is on the rise, and the Curse of the Man-Thing is threatening all of humanity. This series is actually a crossover among many heroes and titles, but for this website’s purposes, we’re obviously going to focus on the Spider-Man issue. And fortunately for us, we get both Peter Parker and Miles Morales showing up to save the day. And lucky us, our favorite Lizard makes an appearance as well, as he has a very important relationship with the man at the center of all this mess. Get ready for one heck of a wild mind-trip! Literally.

OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS DESCRIPTION:

Spider-Man: Curse of the Man-Thing #1

STORY BY: Steve Orlando

ART BY: Marco Failla

COVER BY: Daniel Acuna, Nick Bradshaw

DISCOVER THE HORROR MAN-THING HIDES WITHIN, IF YOU DARE!

MAN-THING’s supernatural abilities have been pirated thanks to HARROWER, a zealot intent on clearing humanity off the board so a new species can get a shot at the top. The world burns and fear is the accelerant! Meanwhile, SPIDER-MAN races across New York desperate to avert disaster and find the one man that just might be able to get through to Man-Thing…his former colleague CURT CONNORS, A.K.A. THE LIZARD! But deep within the Man-Thing’s psyche, it’s Spider-Man that discovers something he never expected: a devilish secret, and a doctor seeking redemption. Part 2 of 3!

DON’T BE GREEN-MINDED!

PROS:

• The Spider-Man family was very well-represented in this issue, as we got Miles Morales joking around with Captain America, Peter Parker going into the psyche of the Man-Thing, and the Lizard revealing that he goes way back when it comes to the origins of the titular character. I found it hilarious how Miles Morales was simply “shookt” when he heard Captain America purposely tell a joke.
• It is always essential when Peter Parker looks back at his favorite line about responsibility. And his conversation with Sallis makes a very strong point. He tells Sallis that he is not the only person in the world who has ever made a mistake. But Spider-Man emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for the mistakes that you make in life, and making sure that you work hard to fix them. It amazed me when it was clearly Peter Parker who got through to Sallis, whereas the likes of Captain America and the Lizard failed. He successfully brought out the man in the Man-Thing.
• Seeing the two Spider-Men and the Lizard battle monster plants, stalks and growths was entertaining and the art-style captured the action very well. While not as threatening as they could be visually, the pencils and the colors of this entire issue were clean and professional, giving readers a clear picture of everything that was happening despite the chaos and madness of the times.

CONS:

• Not enough introduction or background was given in the book for those Spider-Man fans who just decide to pick up the issue, with no prior knowledge regarding the already ongoing event. The story takes place right smack in the middle of things, so it might take some adjustment and familiarization… or even research before the new readers get a solid hold on what is occurring throughout the pages. But… at least we get an extra-long tale this time around, so there is a lot of room for dialogue and art to put us in the right state of mind.

FINAL GRADE: B

Even if you are not the biggest fan of Man-Thing, there are enough of our favorite heroes to keep you occupied and invested in the book. The last page is also an excellent teaser of things to come, as we can already expect the mutants to start playing a bigger role in this war between Man-Thing and the world… and the war between Man-Thing and himself. My suggestion for those planning to pick this book up is to read the prior issues or do enough research so you know what you are getting yourself into. But if you’re just looking for a good time, and some action-packed panels and sequences, then you will definitely not go wrong with this chapter.