Broken Frontier

Originally, I had some reservations about the "One Moment in Time" storyline. Marvel’s been launching a lot of major story arcs lately, and they all seem to be aimed at popularizing a new or obscure character or killing off a popular one.  Amazing Spider-Man #639 continues a very captivating arc that works to develop existing and well-known characters and their personal history.

Ever since the retcon following "One More Day" and "Brand New Day," fans have been wondering what actually happened between Mary Jane and Peter that derailed their relationship so.  They seem to have had the same great relationship when they were young, and even were engaged to be married, but somewhere along the line, Aunt May came back to life and Harry Osborn avoided dying.  These and other questions were never answered, like what did Mary Jane say to Mephisto and why was the devil attacking Peter Parker’s marriage anyway?  The former question was sort of answered in the last issue, #638, and I have a feeling there’s more to the latter than originally conveyed.  

Issue #639 tells us that Peter still did unmask during the Civil War, and that Aunt May was still shot as a result.  It also lets us know that while Mary Jane and Peter did have a huge falling out on their wedding day, which caused them to call off their wedding, the two actually did reconcile and get back together after.  What really drove them apart is still a mystery.

Writer (and Editor in Chief) Joe Quesada is doing an incredible job with this arc. Perhaps it’s just because the story is one fans have been waiting for for a long time, but I think there’s more to it than that.  I (and I’m sure any other big Spider-Fans out there are too) am finding that I can’t wait to turn the page but, at the same time, I'm trying to soak every word and detail in.  That’s a weird feeling… trying to take your time but eagerly wanting to turn the page and find out what happens next.  It comes from a mix of great writing, a well-developed story, and fantastic art.

Paolo Rivera’s pencils are incredible.  There’s a cleanliness and simplicity in his art that captures the essence of the time period this story flashbacks to.  Readers will see that there’s a noticeable difference in the layouts between the "present" storyline and the "past" storyline.  It seems like Rivera’s angles and perspectives have a very traditional feel to them, but with a dynamic and developed twist.  The art isn’t overly simple, like it was when Mary Jane and Peter were married the first time, but the panels aren’t too busy.  Objects, both in the foreground and background, are either there or they’re not.  There are no stray lines or figures.  

I am so glad that Amazing Spider-Man comes out three times a month.  "One Moment in Time" is shaping up to be one of the most valuable and entertaining Spider-Man, or possibly Marvel, stories in recent years.