stillanerd
Sidekick
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All right, here's some of my more in-depth thoughts and opinions about issue #626 that came out this week:
So, I would have to say this was just an okay issue when it came to the main plot. When it comes to examining the character of Michelle Gonzales, however, it did a really good job in getting her on track after being so long derailed. I may still roll my eyes whenever thinking back on her past behavior and interactions with Peter, but now I at least have a better understanding of who she is as a character. As the saying goes, better late than never.
*The best aspect about this issue, Im surprised to say, was actually Michelle Gonzales. Its pretty much safe to say that, out of all the new supporting characters, Michelle has become the most despised by the readers. Given that she had a drunken one-night stand with Peter, made out with a Peter Parker disguised Chameleon, wound up being Peters overly-controlling girlfriend, and her over-the-top behavior and reactions to all three of these situations, it got to the point of straining credulity as to why Peter would not only continue to put up with Michelles antics and not look elsewhere to live, but also why she didnt kick him out of the apartment altogether. So its evident that the writers believed this situation needed to be salvaged; it falls on Fred Van Lente (who is partly responsible for the bad impression readers got of Michelle in the first place) to do the repairs and for the most part he succeeds. Granted, its a familiar character arc: Michelle is now cast as the crusading defense attorney who is willing to go the extra-mile for her clients she believes to be innocent; and her story is essentially the realization that her client is actually guilty and, as he tries to kill her, the guy who thought was a total jerk saves her life. Still, Van Lente actually makes her come across like a genuine person for once rather than an unfortunate stereotype. So, at the end, when Michelle acknowledges that Peter is actually a pretty stand-up guy, and he finally apologizes for their disastrous one-night stand in turn (even Peter acknowledges he has no idea what took him so long to do so), its now far more credible for these two to continue on as roommates and friends
at least for little longer. Perhaps this should have happened long before now, but Van Lente certainly does deserve credit, and one comes away finding Michelle a lot more tolerable than she once was.
*However, Im a bit mixed when in comes to the female Scorpion, a.k.a. Camilla Black, in this issue, who, for those who have read Amazing Fantasy vol.2 and Avengers: The Initiative, will be more familiar with this character than others. I will say that, given that SHIELD was disbanded and how that she was originally trained to be an assassin by them, it makes sense that now, having nowhere else to go, becomes a independent contractor. I also like the fact that her Scorpion tail (yes she has one now) injects nanobots into her targets that temporarily suppresses their powers, especially how this effects Spidey in the rest of the story after being stunned. However, her brand new costume is just atrocious. Maybe its just Michael Gaydoss art, but the dark green and yellow combination just doesnt look all that appealing visually and could have used a lot more work on the design front, at least for me.
*Speaking of Gaydos, his illustrations were another element of this issue I was unsure about. Its not as though Im unfamiliar with his particular style having seen his work in Brain Michael Bendis Alias, and I have a feeling it had a better fit whenever there were scenes of characters standing or sitting around, engaging in conversation, as theres enough detail and expression within the characters faces that give you time to look at them. However, whenever there were any scenes that required action--which was pretty much almost all but a quarter of the issue--it just didnt work. The characters looked stiff and lifeless. Whats more, given his grainy, minimalist style and the fact that the majority of the issue took place at night, it became really difficult to tell, at times, what was taking place in the panels as you got the feeling you werent actually seeing the action but that Van Lente and characters were describing it. Once again, a good artist who doesnt exactly fit the tone of the comic.
*The weakest aspect to this issue actually was the whole set-up with the Hood organizing a free-for-all brawl among various crooks and thugs to see who will win Mac Gargans original Scorpion costume. As a poster at Spider-Man Crawlspace pointed out, Mac Gargan didnt get his powers entirely from his costume, so the idea of having some random normal guy wear it wouldnt exactly be a real powerhouse. Whats more, despite there being other heavies like Bushwacker and Tombstone making appearances, they really just come across as nothing more than generic window dressing for the Hood and essentially could have just been any two-bit super villains. Even the Hood himself, who is supposed to be the new Kingpin of Crime doesnt really stand out in this issue as hes pretty much reduced to shooting his guns at the female Scorpion and making monologues. Plus given how easily Spidey stops them at the end (um, wouldnt those collapsing steel girders kill them?) it really makes you wonder why the New Avengers, including Spidey, had such a hard time with the Hood and his minions in the past. Then again, since the story was really more about Peter and Michelles roommate relationship and Spidey teaming up so to speak with the female Scorpion, the Hoods gathering is really nothing more than a MacGuffin anyway.
*However, Im a bit mixed when in comes to the female Scorpion, a.k.a. Camilla Black, in this issue, who, for those who have read Amazing Fantasy vol.2 and Avengers: The Initiative, will be more familiar with this character than others. I will say that, given that SHIELD was disbanded and how that she was originally trained to be an assassin by them, it makes sense that now, having nowhere else to go, becomes a independent contractor. I also like the fact that her Scorpion tail (yes she has one now) injects nanobots into her targets that temporarily suppresses their powers, especially how this effects Spidey in the rest of the story after being stunned. However, her brand new costume is just atrocious. Maybe its just Michael Gaydoss art, but the dark green and yellow combination just doesnt look all that appealing visually and could have used a lot more work on the design front, at least for me.
*Speaking of Gaydos, his illustrations were another element of this issue I was unsure about. Its not as though Im unfamiliar with his particular style having seen his work in Brain Michael Bendis Alias, and I have a feeling it had a better fit whenever there were scenes of characters standing or sitting around, engaging in conversation, as theres enough detail and expression within the characters faces that give you time to look at them. However, whenever there were any scenes that required action--which was pretty much almost all but a quarter of the issue--it just didnt work. The characters looked stiff and lifeless. Whats more, given his grainy, minimalist style and the fact that the majority of the issue took place at night, it became really difficult to tell, at times, what was taking place in the panels as you got the feeling you werent actually seeing the action but that Van Lente and characters were describing it. Once again, a good artist who doesnt exactly fit the tone of the comic.
*The weakest aspect to this issue actually was the whole set-up with the Hood organizing a free-for-all brawl among various crooks and thugs to see who will win Mac Gargans original Scorpion costume. As a poster at Spider-Man Crawlspace pointed out, Mac Gargan didnt get his powers entirely from his costume, so the idea of having some random normal guy wear it wouldnt exactly be a real powerhouse. Whats more, despite there being other heavies like Bushwacker and Tombstone making appearances, they really just come across as nothing more than generic window dressing for the Hood and essentially could have just been any two-bit super villains. Even the Hood himself, who is supposed to be the new Kingpin of Crime doesnt really stand out in this issue as hes pretty much reduced to shooting his guns at the female Scorpion and making monologues. Plus given how easily Spidey stops them at the end (um, wouldnt those collapsing steel girders kill them?) it really makes you wonder why the New Avengers, including Spidey, had such a hard time with the Hood and his minions in the past. Then again, since the story was really more about Peter and Michelles roommate relationship and Spidey teaming up so to speak with the female Scorpion, the Hoods gathering is really nothing more than a MacGuffin anyway.
So, I would have to say this was just an okay issue when it came to the main plot. When it comes to examining the character of Michelle Gonzales, however, it did a really good job in getting her on track after being so long derailed. I may still roll my eyes whenever thinking back on her past behavior and interactions with Peter, but now I at least have a better understanding of who she is as a character. As the saying goes, better late than never.
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