Spidey was portrayed as a guy who was surprised by a man's sudden and surprising attack.
We have to remember that most, if not all, of Spidey's villians are really colorful and over-the-top. When it comes to his villians, he's used to simply guys with some exotic way of attacking people robbing banks. Seeing one of his colorful, and more flamboyant characters with a rifle is a fairly big shock.
I disagree. Spidey being shocked that Kraven would use a rifle is silly. He wasn't surprised over the other crazy weapons etc. that any of his villains came up with. Kraven, by nature a big game hunter, using a rifle shouldn't draw anymore shock. But moreover, at the point of KLH Spidey was a superhero with extensive experience. He's fought street crooks, superbeings, aliens.. He wouldn't have made the rookie error of allowing himself to be frozen by surprise. At that point in his career, with all of his experience dodging multiple assailants with automatic weapons, its all instinct and reflex. I have no problem with Kraven defeating Spidey to further the story. But for me to care about Spidey as a hero, I need to believe in him. That he's giving his all. I need to see him make a fight of it. And I need to see Kraven up his game to be able to overcome Spidey. This story is a pre-cursor for what's followed and brought us up to this point. Lazy writers who have Spidey beaten not because the villains come back harder and stronger- but simply "because". And just because we're examining Kraven in the arc, Spidey shouldn't be given the short end of the stick.
Can't really blame the guy--he was "dead" and in a coffin for most of the story, I bet it wouldn't be that interesting.
Seriously, it worked for the story that was made--about a villian who believes he has actually killed his enemy.
That was the decision of the author. Spidey didn't have to be in the coffin for so long. He could've gotten out sooner, but still be reeling from the effects of Kraven's poisons. He could've even been observing as Kraven was acting in his name, wanted to do something to stop it, but had been helpless to.
You get fed with the same food for a while, soon enough you're going to want something different.
The tone of the books doesn't mean that you're getting the same thing. The story is different. Spidey is presented with a new problem to deal with.
Don't get me wrong, I like seeing Spidey trousing villians with a wisecrack with every punch as much as the next guy; but after a while, it can get old. That's why there needs to be stories like this once in a while--to shake things up, to show that Spider-Man's not just a swash-buckling superhero who balances that with his own, normal life, he's an three-demensional character with weight, that can be put in any other kind of story and still stay true to himself.
First off, the wise-cracks are part of who he is. You've seen films like "Man on the moon" where Andy Kaufman, despite facing death, still retained his sense of humor. That's who he was. That's also who Spidey is. Just because a character might inject a humorous take or funny line in a situation doesn't mean it can't be dark, dramatic, painful, etc.
And when has Spidey ever been merely a swashbuckling hero? Since day one he's dealt with the angst of being who he is. His sense of humor is his way of balancing all of that. And it certainly would've added dimension to KLH. I'm not saying Spidey should've been wise-cracking throughout (He never does anyway). But the very dry dialogue they gave him in this story wasn't very good either.
Also: How exactly was this exactly like the other Marvel books at the time? 'Cause honestly, I haven't seen any other comic like this altogether.
Marvel at that point overall was producing that type of dry, sullen pseudo-psychological product. There was pretty much no Marvel books that had a fun-factor to them. And again- it isn't as though Spidey was ever a sitcom styled book. But classic Spidey perfectly balanced the drama with humor and action.
I'll give you that Kraven had a lot of stuff added to him in this arc--while he may not have been such a ***** of a character before, but you have to admit that he was pretty bland.
What Kraven stories are you referring to? Because there were plenty when he was formidable and interesting as a villain.
As for Spidey--he wasn't really that different, I think. He was still a regular guy who dresses up in a costume and fights crime, only sucked into a strange mindgame who beleives a little too much into the idea of animal representation.
But there really was no mind game played on Spidey. Kraven knocked him unconscious. He wakes up in an enclosed space which he has to break free of. It'd be different if we, and Peter were made to think thast he truly was dead, and they explored Peter dealing with his "death". Again, no need for Peter to be guest star in his own book. Each story should deal with him first and foremost.
The thing is, Kraven is as opinionated as he is smart. The way he was characterized throughout the story, he would have never seen that Spidey was the better man, even if it was square in the face. He was a delusional sociopath who believed that, essentially, that the human race is s**t and animals are more purer. Since Spidey denied his inner-animal in the end, Kraven believes him to be s**t and believes he has beaten him. Simple as that.
The point of any story that's meant to be character study should be growth. In KLH, each of the main characters- Spidey, Kraven, MJ, even Vermin (Who served no purpose other than to be something for Kraven and Spidey to beat-up) should experience growth. If Kraven was searching his soul en route to fulfilling and ending his life's purpose, IMO it would have been much stronger if he realized what his life, his struggle and his goals really meant. Just why Spidey, his nemesis is who he is. Why Kraven could never defeat him- even in this case where it appears that he had beaten him. And in realizing that he can never overcome Spidey's spirit, which is his true power, then Kravren deciding to end his life, while wrong, would at least make sense and I think a stronger statement.
No question, KLH is a page-turner and an interesting study in hmuan nature. but I just flet alot- ALOT was missing.
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