Broken Frontier

As one of Spider-Man’s biggest enemies enters the scene, the sinister secret behind the Reign and the Webb is laid bare.

Already, the comparison to Miller’s Dark Knight Returns is haunting Spider-Man: Reign. And honestly, after the second issue, the comparison’s felt validated. There were a lot of similarities. And, naturally, being held up to such a high standard became a blessing and a curse, especially as Reign really didn’t do too much to differentiate itself.

Then came issue three.

This issue really marks a turning point for the series as it comes into its own. There are so many different layers of emotions going on here, from fear to repression to redemption. By distancing the story from the "government lies through news media to their citizens who have seen the real truth" storyline (which is sadly very redundant when you actually think about it), Andrews steers the story away from something that feels like a rehash, and towards something different: dark and sinister, but also wonderful.

Many stories in this vein, futuristic tales of government oppression and fallen heroes, often rely on keeping the threat subtle throughout until the last possible moment. Here, Andrews decides instead to open the floodgates halfway through this issue. Instead of removing any bit of tension, in this case it adds to the anxiety of the tale that things really are worse then they seem. Here, it’s not much of a question of whether the motives were correct or not, the results are just too horrific. There are absolute villains.

What really adds something special to this story is outside the realm of this series, but rather the state of Marvel Comics today. We’re standing on the verge of something really affecting Peter Parker’s life, something that drives him to don the black costume again. A secret that Marvel has kept tight lipped – very successfully. The side effect of this secret is that it makes the occurrences in Reign seem so much more relevant. So much more plausible. So much more sinister.

Kaare Andrews’s skill with a brush has never been in doubt, and his particular style was made for this book. That goes without question. Yes, visually there can be an argument made for the parallels between this book and The Dark Knight, but Kaare’s past work really invalidates any negatives in that argument. The subdued colors may be reminiscent, but they are also very much required for the tone of this tale. I couldn’t think of any other artist in Marvel’s stable who could illustrate this tale. While the tone is somber, his artwork conveys a feeling – a very small feeling – that there is hope.

Being compared to The Dark Knight Returns can be the greatest obstacle a tale of this magnitude would have to overcome, even if it is also one of the greatest compliments. And with the first issues, Kaare Andrews didn’t show any promise of clearing that obstacle. After issue three, however, Spider-Man: Reign has turned the corner, and – by my vote – has successfully cleared that hurdle. Marvel just may have found its own watermark series of repression and redemption.