This week, worlds collide in the latest crossover spectacular between Marvel and DC icons. Plus a roundup of some other Marvel releases from the week, including Cyclops #3. Let’s get to it.
Marvel/DC: Spider-Man/Superman #1
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
There’s little I enjoy more than a good superhero comic. Truly, these are my favorite vehicles for storytelling, which is why it can be so frustrating when they get compromised by editorial or publishing fiat, economic demands, or simply the realities of an industry built on the backs of freelancers and tight deadlines. When they’re great, they can be almost mythical in their grandeur and evocative scope. And in superhero books there is little more thrilling than a good crossover, where your favorite heroes come together, scrape and scrap, where they are pushed to their limits against cataclysmic threats but persevere anyway because it’s the right thing to do. Superhero stories become a spectacular canvas to blow up our small personal anxieties and fears into something immense and full of epic drama, where life and death and the fate of the world are in the hands of regular, flawed people who somehow find the strength and resilience to use their gifts for the betterment of the world, to protect their communities and loved ones.
Of course, superhero comics can also be trashy, disposable entertainment and that’s good too. And when it comes to crossovers, particularly intercompany crossovers, they’re usually the latter. The realities of intellectual property, of corporate branding and licensing all make it tough to do anything with meaning. I have to admit I love the intercompany crossover, despite the rather spotty track record of genuine quality. But sometimes they beat the odds and mine something elegant or profound. Sometimes you read a story where all the crap about the parent global corporations and intellectual properties and drama of the industry melts away and it’s two guys with the weight of the world on their shoulders finding common ground. Brad Meltzer’s approach to the main story of this Marvel half of the Spider-Man/Superman crossover takes a bold and surprising track by sidelining the bombast and action for an intimate conversation between icons often relegated to mere mascots.
The first few pages are minimalist, with the heroes in a dark, featureless cavern caving in on them. It is tight and cramped and one almost wonders why Pepe Larraz, with his unique talent for sprawling, large scale action, was chosen to draw the story. But then it continues on as the heroes discuss their motivations. Spider-Man pushes himself beyond his limits to keep the roof from collapsing on them while a Kryptonite-weakened Superman struggles to remain on his feet. But then you step back and realize the deceptive, seemingly simplistic brilliance of Larraz’s layouts. The weight of the cavern bears down on the heroes, emphasizes by all the negative vertical space of the page, their desperate and frightening isolation is heightened by the arrangement of their tiny figures in a sprawl of darkness.
Meltzer’s intimate conversation allows Larraz an opportunity to showcase his abilities in expressive facial feature and figure work, as well, as the two heroes offer one another all that they have and face their potential doom with courage and compassion. All that before the big action is unleashed onto the streets of New York and Larraz can go wild with his meticulously detailed, bombastic action. There’s plenty of cameos and small background details to savor throughout as Spidey and Supes face down their enemies. The story closes with another deeply human moment, rooting the story once again in these characters’ personalities and world views. At the heart of this tale is an interrogation of why these two men do what they do, and what sets them apart from one another and what unites them. It’s touching, it’s thrilling, it’s beautiful to look at. Matthew Wilson’s colors elevate the lines and layout, adding depth and mood. The eerie glow of Kryptonite gives those early pages a sense of dread. Clayton Cowles’ work with the lettering wraps around the figures and actions naturally, feeling fully integrated into the artwork. No small feat.
As for the backup features, they are hit and miss, like any collection of short stories. Marcos Martin’s art in the Golden Age Superman/Spider-Man Noir story is, unsurprisingly, a stunning standout with his design sensibility and incredibly creative layouts. Plus he provides a fantastic mashup of the iconic first appearance covers of both heroes. Dan Slott’s plot is fairly rote but it’s a good time. Miles Morales co-creators Brian Bendis and Sara Piccheli reunite for a nice piece that offers a coda to the main feature, with Superman offering the young hero some advice. The highlight for me had to be Jason Aaron and Russel Dauterman’s return to Jane Foster, The Mighty Thor, and her meeting with Wonder Woman. I have a deeply personal connection to that original run and its depiction of chronic illness, and this brief tale does it justice with stunning economy of storytelling and eyepopping visuals (aided of course by colorist Matthew Wilson and VC’s Joe Caramagna). The rest of the backup features include contributions from Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Stephanie Phillips, Phil Noto, Jeph Loeb, Jim Cheung, Louise Simonson, Todd Nauck, and others.
Unlike Deadpool/Batman, where I said the backup features were the draw over a by-the-numbers main story, Meltzer and Larraz’s Spider-Man/Superman is an instant classic for the way it focuses in on the human element of these larger than life icons, and reminds us why they continue to inspire us.
VERDICT: BUY
The Rapid Rundown
- Cyclops #3
- Scott Summers’ blind journey through the forests continue, hunted by maniacal cyborgs, wounded, and guided only by a frightened young mutant who cannot control her powers to be much help. It remains among Marvel’s best books for another month. Alex Paknadel’s script packs plenty of cool moments that showcase Scott’s toughness and mental acuity, while also delivering some of the creepiest, most pathetic villains you’ll find anywhere. Roge Antonio‘s art is stellar, with a clean contrast and stark shading that gives a hint of danger. Fer Sifuente-Sujo does a great job on colors here, too, keeping the visuals in a cooler color zone to make the climactic use of Cyclops’s powers all the more dramatic when it comes. VC’s Joe Caramagna letters with his usual panache. Throw in a killer final page, and this is close to as good as superhero comics get.
- Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: Echoes of Empire #1
- It’s probably smart to not expect much from a comic book designed to tie into a lore change for a section of a theme park to justify changes to the barely existent narrative of said theme park, but somehow Galaxy’s Edge: Echoes of Empire manages to be a satisfying and entertaining book in its own right. Ethan Sacks captures the voices of the characters well, and Jethro Morales and Roi Mercado are well versed in the approach to these characers and world at this point, riding the line between cartooning and likenessess well. The action here is a lot of fun, with a great little battle between Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker. There’s plenty here to enjoy for Star Wars fans, easy to pick up on its own without being familiar with the rest of the Marvel line.
Stay with us for another edition of the Marvel Rundown every Wednesday!
And check out the Beat’s most recent comics reviews!
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