Broken Frontier

From the aftermath of Civil War a darker, more violent Spider-Man emerges, intent on revenge for the very real tragedy to befall the Parker family.

As the repercussions of Spider-Man revealing his secret identity continue to hit home, this issue opens with May Parker lying prone, bleeding from a sniper’s bullet. With the Parkers on the run following Peter’s refusal to register as a superhuman it’s up to Mary Jane to clandestinely see to a gravely ill Aunt May’s hospital care. Meanwhile a close-to-the-edge Peter tracks down those responsible for the assassination attempt on himself and his loved ones, adopting his black costume to symbolize his rage. In the background, the Kingpin continues to pull all the strings…

This should be a hugely dramatic issue and read in isolation, with no knowledge of the past few years of Spider-Man history, it probably is. It certainly looks possible that May Parker is about to shuffle off this mortal coil once again. However, for anyone with even a passing knowledge of the character there’s a serious Ho-hum Factor to the proceedings. We’ve just been here far too many times before, grieved alongside Peter and felt his pain only to have the rug pulled out from under our feet when Aunt May inevitably recovers from that minor inconvenience of dying again.

The other major aspect of this issue is Spider-Man’s return to the black costume. Let’s face it, this is a sop to events in the upcoming film and it feels as contrived as you’d expect. In the circumstances would Peter really be that fussed about making this bold fashion statement to reflect his inner torment? Perhaps rage chic is really where it’s at on the catwalks this season, sweetie…

Just to add insult to injury there’s a quite inexcusable continuity error that makes you roll your eyes so far you end up staring at your own brain. Apparently May’s maiden name is now "Fitzgerald" rather than "Reilly" as it has been for many years prior to this story. One would think that after Ben Reilly this would be a pretty difficult thing to forget. It’s too easy to accuse those that point out mistakes like this of pedantry but I feel it’s a legitimate complaint to ask why this got past both writer and editor.

There are two saving graces of this issue. Firstly Ron Garney’s fantastic art is full of emotion, catching Peter’s mental turbulence and distress superbly. Secondly, Straczynski gives us the best Kingpin in a long time. Wilson Fisk may be incarcerated but he’s always in control of the situation, manipulating everyone expertly from the safety of a prison cell.

It would appear we have several issues to look forward to of a Peter Parker who spouts unlikely, Punisher-esque dialogue like "I break his hand. It snaps like dry wood." I can’t help feeling that Marvel have written themselves into a corner with recent Spider-Man developments. How long, I wonder, until they pull a Daredevil on us and the status quo is restored?