Writer: Peter David
Artist: Greg Land
Hello! I’m back. So since the end of Non-Stop (I’ll never get over that oxymoron) and the delay of Symbiote I have been MIA. Now I’m back finally to bring you fine people the conclusion to Crossroads. The latest David/Land collaboration that explores Peter’s symbiote days. This arc quickly turned into an MCU road trip with Spider-Man and Hulk along for the ride, can the creative team recover and give us a satisfactory ending? Let’s find out.
Depth of Field:
Spider-Man, Hulk and Icarus team up to stop Karnilla from using the Norm stone to obtain Odin like powers.
Focal point:
Being the polite gentlemen that they are Spider-Man, Icarus and the Hulk decide to attack Karnilla in single file. Hulk’s strength and Icarus’ Superman eyes are no match against Karnilla’s godlike powers. Leaving Spider-Man to trip her up using a web snare. That made me smile that a simple attack could be so effective in these other worldly circumstances – though it doesn’t last and Spidey joins the others in defeat.
In a rematch Icarus and Hulk team-up and attack together. Spider-Man comes to and finds the Black Cat offering to help (more on her arrival later). Spider-man’s Spider Sense warn him that there’s danger around and he and Black Cat venture into a cave to explore. They find the Norms, Karnilla’s subjects, and they convince them to help defeat the mad Queen.
Outside the fight continues. It’s well choreographed by Land, and there is a funny series of events where Hulk is referred to by other Marvel character names such as “thing” or a “beast”. Hulk correctly points out “Hulk is Hulk”. The fight ultimately ends with a whimper as Odin himself arrives and quickly removes the Norm stone from Karnilla leaving her in tears. Odin was summoned by the Norms.
Before the consequences of the story can really be explored Spider-Man and Black Cat are transported back to New York and the Hulk is returned to the Crossroads. It’s as if the whole thing didn’t happen.
B Roll:
Well there’s been no announcement of a Black Cat/Doctor Strange team-up book, so I have to wonder why we even bothered.
There interactions in this issue were not as fun as they had been as they seem to have arrived at the same page. As Strange works to bring Spidey home he agrees to help Black Cat join him in the Norm world to help the fight.
While not on show this issue, the interaction between these two we’re definitely the highlight of the arc.
Photobombed:
Following the fight Hulk and Icarus stand shoulder to shoulder. Brothers in arms, before the Hulk without a thought punches him off panel. I don’t think you need to spend too long researching the images Land traced for that gag. I laughed, I admit it.
Negative Exposure:
This series has hit the point of diminishing returns. I like the first arc and thought the second was a clever way of developing the series. Though King in Black and Crossroads have potentially pushed the premises to its limit. How many secret adventures can Peter have between the six issues of Amazing he actually wore the symbiote? Each arc takes him out of New York (whether that’s an alternate reality, space or a mystical realm), but as Peter moves away from his surroundings the stories lose their potency. I wouldn’t mind a final arc to wrap up the series, but I’d want to return to the smaller scale stories from the original mini series.
Grade: C+
Zoom In:
What did you think of Symbiote Spider-Man? Let me know in the comments!
Adam
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@ Aqu@
Rant away, please. I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said.
I did like Alien Reality, probably my favourite of the four series, but your point is definitely valid.
Unfortunately, I suspect this series of mini has always been intended as a way to advertise some other product, be it MCU movies (Spider-Man FFH, Eternals) or comic series (King in Black), using PAD’s fame as a lure.
I felt he wasn’t up to his usual game already from the start of the first one, but he pretty much confirmed it in the podcast interview here on the Crawlspace, where he said something along the line “There was this movie coming out and I thought of adding this character, because I thought: Yeah, why not!”
I was really let down. Adding characters because “why not?” is one of the worst approach to writing, IMHO. It also means you’re completely clueless as to what to write.
Even the only one not clearly linked to ad stunts, i.e. Alien Reality, which I was liking at first, had inconsistent writing eventually: at some point Peter is unconscious and the symbiote takes control (and is silent as it should be), but next issue it behaves like Peter, talking and quipping a lot, only to reconfirm that Peter was still unconscious by the end of the adventure. They also added the sling-ring from the movie, while I don’t think it has ever been a thing in Dr. Strange comics, letting us know how much they care about these titles. (I know editorial preservation of continuity isn’t really big these days, but I’m pretty much convinced that when you’re writing stories in-between stories, inserting them in classic continuity, you should be as twice attentive as ever, to say the least.)
Sorry for the rant, but I’ve felt the need to vent this for a while now.
@ Sthenurus
You’re not wrong. The last two arcs especially have read like a Marvel Team-Up. And not in a good way.
Too many characters so no one really gets chance to shine. This didn’t prime me to watch Eternals, Doctor Strange or Devil Dinosaur. Personally I don’t feel a comics job is to get me to watch the TV show/film, but this comics seemed to set out with that intention and failed its own standard.
Hey Adam
Great review. I wish the mini was as good. I don’t see the point of it really. The story was all over the place, didn’t bring anything new to the table or explore any new concept. It felt more like marvel team up featuring spider-man than a Spidey story.
@Evan thanks for your thoughts on the Eternals. I did want to see it, but the timings never lined up.
“drink every time the Eternals stood in a straight line and stared off into the distance” – oh no – lol
@Adam — Thanks for the clarification. I actually checked a Marvel wiki and found that there is a character named Icarus, who’s the son of Ikarus. To complicate things further, it said something like “Icarus — also Ikarus.” So it’s definitely an understandable misspelling.
I enjoyed Eternals, but the main reason I went to see it was so that I’d be all caught up by the time Spider-man was released, just in case it impacted the story at all. On its own, though, I wondered why that particular story had to be told, unless it was to expand the scope and scale of the MCU and open the doors for what’s ahead. In other words, I feel it sort of stands alone and you probably wouldn’t necessarily have to see it in order to appreciate the more street-level stuff — though, to be fair, Spider-man’s going to be universe-expanding in its own way, as well. I’ll just say that I found myself taking a sip of my drink every time the Eternals stood in a straight line and stared off into the distance.
That’s awesome that your wife can speak to the visual side of your reviews. When I was younger I wanted to be an illustrator, and sometimes I wonder how it would have been if I had continued in that direction.
Have a great day, and thanks again!
I’ve checked, and in my error I have misspelled Ikarus.
The Ikarus in this issue is indeed the character played by Richard Fadden in the recent film. I have never read Eternals before, and due to various reasons I haven’t seen the film yet. Is it good?
My wife is a professional illustrator, and has taught it as well. She has mentioned that tracing is par for the course. I think Land’s issue is that he doesn’t hid it as well as others. He may lean into it more than his peers.
I hope to be back for Savage Spider-Man (Brad willing). Thank you for following my reviews, and hopefully I’ll see you again early 2022.
@Adam — Gosh, I Greg Land embraces the common knowledge that he’s tracing and isn’t ashamed of it. I hadn’t heard of Icarus until I saw Eternals — Forgive my ignorance, but can I assume that this Icarus is the Eternal Ikarus? I thought it was, since it seems timely for the film release.
You’re reviewing Savage Spider-man, right? I’m really, really hoping that you’ll get to review something you enjoy, but I’m having my doubts about that one. Incidentally, when stories end “as if they never happened,” it kind of makes me question why the story was told. And, with Peter turning “savage” (again), it’s only a matter of time before he returns to normal.
Great review!