Amazing Spider-Man #549-#551: "Brand New Day" (Menace story arc)

*** (three of five stars) 

Favorite Quote:  "Are we having a team-up?" "Not now, Sara." -- Jackpot-Spidey exchange 

Summary

Dexter Bennett introduces himself as the new owner of the "Daily Bugle," now renamed "The DB!"  Spidey meets Jackpot, the registered hero for New York City (who was introduced in a back-up story in issue #546).  The Blue Shield (whoa, flashback!) arrives to arrest Spidey (due to his unregistered status) and Jackpot halfheartedly helps.  Spidey escapes when Menace (essentially, as Jackpot said, a Gray Goblin) arrives on the scene.  Menace ditches Spidey and says he doesn't want to make him into an enemy like the other Goblins did.  Spidey contacts a police detective about reports that a Spider-Tracer was found in the mouth of a dead body.  In a clandestine meeting with the detective, he discovers that five such dead bodies have contained Spider-Tracers and he's now the prime suspect in the "Tracer Killings."  Menace crashes a campaign rally of mayoral candidate councilwoman Parfrey, who is killed by Menace's glider after Jackpot tackles him.  Spidey decides to visit Jackpot in her secret identity to console her, only to discover she gave him a real name, but the name of someone who isn't her. 

The Review

This storyline was solid in terms of the art and the plot, though it’s a bit on the boring side.  As I mention below, both Jackpot and Menace don’t really seem that compelling of characters to me, so the whole storyline is bit...dull. 

The Good

1) The “Tracer Killings” is proving to be more of an interesting plot than the Jackpot/Menace plot(s).  When the body with the Tracer was first pulled from the river in the last arc, I figured that it was the Tracer from Karnelli (the dim mafia scion) and assumed that Mr. Negative did something with it to frame Spidey.  The fact that it’s an older model and that five bodies have been found with Tracers in them makes it a much more interesting story.  I really enjoyed Spidey’s sarcasm in reminding the cops accusing him of being a serial killer that a) he’d be unlikely to “go off his nut” and suddenly become a serial killer and b) if he did, he probably wouldn’t leave behind Spider-Tracers to, you know, advertise it.  I always enjoy those moments, when the writers anticipate when the readers are going to think, “Wait, a minute, you want me to believe...?” with a “No, no, we know, we just want you to know that some people believe...” so that we can be all, “Oh, OK, that’s cool then...”  The pace of the story arc reminds me of the Hobgoblin mystery arc from way back in the 200s, which spent some time on a slow burn before exploding. 

2) Grace note:  “You’re not a captain, are you?”  “Sergeant.”  “That’s good.  I’m bad luck for captains.”  Awesome.  I mean, sad, because he’s talking about the deceased Captain Stacy and Captain DeWolff, but it’s a nice nod to Spidey's history.  Clearly, the Spidey Brain Trust is trying to emphasize here that it didn't obliterate it, just tweaked it. 

3) I like the “Batman: Year One” vibe of Spidey’s relationship with the police.  He’s not registered, so he’s forced into the shadows.  Plus, now, they think he might be a serial killer.  Spidey’s always had a difficult relationship with the public, so his failure to register gives the writers the opportunity to re-explore that challenge. 

4) Spidey constantly being out of Web-Fluid is great.  It’s been a theme of the last few issues and it does really remind me of the old days. 

5) The weekly format is surprisingly effective.  It gives a flow to the books that they didn’t have back when you had to read "Amazing/Spectacular/Web of/Spider-Man" just to know what was happening in any one plot. 

The Bad

I should probably put something in here about the Jackpot/Spidey banter (I included my favorite exchange above) and the Menace character.  Meh.  I can’t really get too enthused about either character.  Menace seems to be too...sane to be wearing a Goblin mask.  I mean, why dress someone like a Goblin if he’s not going to be a lunatic?  Jackpot is clearly supposed to be MJ and, in all likelihood, will just as clearly not be MJ for that reason, which makes it difficult to care as much as the writers want me to care.  (I did enjoy Spidey and Jackpot’s constant reference, though, to the “team-up.”  Yet another grace note.  Thanks, guys!)