Broken Frontier

Same school, same friends, new year for Mary Jane Watson. What will her sophomore year bring?

The departure from this title of fan favorite writer Sean McKeever left an opening and into that breach stepped Terry Moore. Probably best known for his indie, human drama Strangers in Paradise, Moore well understands writing slice-of-life stories. But how does he fare when that slice is taken out of the superhero drenched Marvel Universe?

It is the first day of a new school year and, aside from a rather strange dream about Spider-Man, Mary Jane approaches it just like any other school day. Of course, a few things are different this year… Harry Osborn is giving her the cold shoulder, there are hints of drama in theatre class, and MJ has a new job after school. She is, however, still struggling in the aftermath of her parents’ divorce and trying to deal with her mother’s new workaholism. Sometimes it just doesn’t pay to be a teenager.

Moore’s first issue for the re-launched series quickly brings new readers up to speed and those fans who are familiar with Spider-Man’s history will see a lot of familiar faces in this contemporary setting. There is some mild but heartfelt drama that will probably strike a chord with the middle and high school crowd as well as those who remember what those years were like. One thing is for certain – this is not your typical comic book. There are no spandex slug-fests and no sappy, old-fashioned romances either… just one young, high school age girl trying to figure out her place in this weird world.

Some may be disappointed to learn that Moore is not also providing the art for the series but Craig Rousseau fills the bill more than admirably. Rousseau’s figures have a soft, friendly, cartoony look to them and most importantly all the teenagers look like teenagers and not buxom or muscle bound adults who got shrunk in the wash. He keeps his backgrounds spare but not to the point where you don’t have a feel for the setting. The result is a sense of place but also a tight focus on the characters and their reactions.

To be fair, this title will be an acquired taste for some but those who want something a little different – a sweet drama without the saccharineness – should look no further. Yes, it is possible to do a gentle, teenage story in the middle of a superhero world and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is proof of that.