Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Spider-Man: Reign TPB

The rumors were true. Radioactive bodily fluids are quite deadly.

I really tried to get through Kaare Andrews' pretty trade, but I just couldn't. Fortunately, I picked this up from the library, so I didn't end up buying it. My main problem is that as I read the first issue, I just felt like I was reading The Dark Knight Returns. I mean, that's what this is supposed to be like, right? A future police state with the old hero forced to come out of retirement to face corruption? Old villains rearing their heads to take on the hero?

I mean, that cover should have been a good enough clue of the sheer amount of sadness that permeates this book. But I don't want to read a Spider-Man comic about Peter dreaming of doing it with his dead wife, but waking up tasting Saltines. Just not what I'm looking for, you know? This thing is just packed with sadness. Who wants Saggy Baggy Kingpin?

I wikipedia'd the plot to see what I missed, and it looks like a dead Hypno Hustler and dead Doc Ock calling his arms his "sons." Best of all, the reason why Mary Jane is dead? Radioactive spider-sperm! Really!

So yeah, after the first issue, this trade got the equivalent of "Too Long, Didn't Read." Sorry!

5 comments:

Dom said...

I know you wrote this post because you hate me.

The first issue is so so, but as the story picks up so does the art. The art for the characters in costume is pretty unique and adds to the story after awhile.

Also, the radioactive fluids actually makes sense. A long period of time exposed to radioactive material seems like it should be bad. I think it just feels awkward to talk about love-juice in a Spider-Man book since he is such a goody-goody.

Sure the story has gaps such as "where the heck are all of the other heroes?" and "how did the symbiot contact his sbiotic buddies?", but I think it is a fun futuristic take for Spider-fan-boys...like myself.

Martin Gray said...

Sounds so bad it's ... not my cup of tea. Is Mr Andrews' artwork as 'unique' as it is in Astonishing X-Men?

Dom said...

I haven't picked up the Andrews drawn "Astonishing." I do not know.

Timbotron said...

Not true, Dom! I'm reading just about every trade my library has, and this one was just next on the list!

Dom said...

Haha. What's a library?