**** (four of five stars)
Summary
In St. Patrick's cathedral, Father Jennifer watches over the "derelicts and homeless people" sleeping in the pews and prays for a sign that things will get better. Her sign arrives, in the form of Spider-Man and the Vulture crashing through a stained-glass window. At Kasey's apartment, Gabe patches up Kasey's flesh wound, which he gave her when he fired at her at the end of last issue. She asks how he got the gun and he tells her that he got it off a Fenris, which impresses her. She mentions that she saw Miguel and Gabe asks if she saw him in Downtown. She wonders why he would think Miguel would be in Downtown, telling him that she saw him at Alchemax. She asks Gabe why he's in Downtown, but a knock on the door interrupts the conversation. Kasey answers it and it's the reinforcements she mentioned in issue #6. In St. Pat's, Father Jennifer tells Spider-Man and the Vulture to leave and Spidey tells her that he's trying. The Vulture notes that he sounds upset and wonders if something besides corporations makes "his heart [beat]." The Vulture reveals that his Freakers are assembled outside and throws Spidey to them. Meanwhile, at Alchemax, Tyler Stone gives Dana a tour of the company's prototypes for Mars and Atlantis colonies, noting that Miguel's research will help not only protect the company from "independent operators" but also create bio-engineered workers who can handle living in "airless space" or "crushing ocean depths." Stone notes that Dana works as an assistant in the "new market agro department" at Synthia East and tells her that Alchemax could use someone with her experience if the projects get off the ground.
In Downtown, Spidey fights the Freakers, threatening to kill them. The Vulture's Sergeant-At-Arms grabs him, noting that his threats seem to indicate that he's gotten wise to the way the world works, because, previously, he had just been "tap dancin' around people." The Vulture tries to slash Spidey, but Miguel maneuvers so he slashes the Sergeant-At-Arms instead. The Sergeant releases Miguel, who makes a break for it. Kasey and her Throwbacks arrive and, once Spider-Man is clear, open fire on the Freakers. Miguel realizes that the Vulture will make short work of Kasey and her group and, rather than fleeing, tries to distract the Vulture. Kasey marvels at Spidey "risking his neck just to help people," and Spidey begins to lead the Vulture higher and higher into the city. The Vulture tells him that he's allowed him to get so high, on the border with Uptown, so that he could taste it again, before the Vulture took it from him. Spidey, though, surprises him by diving at him and webbing up his wings, telling him that he could kill him at that moment if he wanted. The Vulture frees himself and, enraged, follows Spidey, hypothesizing that Spidey is hiding in Uptown because the tight quarters make it difficult for him to maneuver. Spidey attacks again and the Vulture's claws stick, making Spidey note it's the second win for him. Miguel hides behind some pillars and draws out the Vulture, using his agility to swing around a pipe and knock him into a web that he had previously spun. The Vulture, unconscious, begins to fall and Spidey decides to snag him with his webbing before he falls to his death...but doesn't, letting him fall instead. He decides to check on Gabe and then go home. Uptown, a mysterious woman named Angela Daskalakis approaches Sgt. Estevez and offers him a chance to get revenge on Tyler Stone and Spider-Man.
The Review
David really breaks the mold with this issue, having Miguel let the Vulture fall to his death while also raising questions about Miguel's ability to process the events happening around him. In so doing, he really moves Miguel further into the anti-hero category. (If Miguel were a Dungeons and Dragons character, he would definitely be Chaotic Good at this point, if not edging to Chaotic Neutral.)
The Really Good
Whoa. Spider-Man lets the Vulture fall to his death. Jesus. I mean, first, I was originally just going to ask when was the last time you heard Peter Parker say, "I could gut you from crotch to sternum if I felt like it." But, this scene blew my mind. Leonardi does such a great job with it, really building the tension as you watch the Vulture fall through -- and eventually from -- the panels. In terms of Miguel's parallels to Peter, we definitely take a fork in the road here. David has focused on Miguel's lack of a killer instinct in the last few issues. He had the Specialist mention it repeatedly in issue #5, making it the taunt that pushes Miguel over the edge and results in him slashing the Specialist's throat. The Vulture's Sergeant-At-Arms also mentions it here, noting that Miguel "tap dances" around people instead of "stomping" them. It seemed to be David's way of showing Miguel growing into his role as a super-hero, realizing that with great power does come great responsibility and that he has to hold himself to a higher standard. Then, BLAM, he lets the Vulture fall to his death. Fascinating. Really fascinating.
After all, Miguel is a hero. He tries to make sure the Vulture doesn't do too much damage within the church. He takes on the Vulture again outside the church to make sure that he doesn't attack Kasey and her gang of Throwbacks. He doesn't kill the Vulture when he first has the chance. In fact, the whole reason he's Downtown in the first place is that he stuck out his neck to save Kasey from the Specialist. But, David is definitely reminding us that Miguel O'Hara is not Peter Parker and that 2099 is not 1993. He does it by throwing us a total curve ball, giving us something totally unexpected, and making you wonder what other surprises we have in store. Awesome.
The Good
1) I'm yet again a jerk for doubting David, because we see here what Kasey meant by "reinforcements." (I had wondered if he was going to return to the topic in my review for last issue.) Also, David continues to develop the Sgt. Estevez sub-plot, since his conversation with Angela Daskalakis raises all sorts of questions. A dark-haired Greek woman? Hmm. That reminds me of someone...
2) I thought the Father Jennifer stuff was interesting. First, it seems like we're going to see her again, expanding Miguel's cast of supporting characters again. But, perhaps most importantly, it seems like she's going to serve as a counterpoint to the darkness in Miguel that I mentioned above. David hints that Miguel feels a connection with his faith, no matter how lapsed it is, and I wonder if Father Jennifer is going to become Miguel's spiritual guide, trying to get him to listen to the angel on his shoulder (so to speak) instead of the devil. You don't really see authors address religion in comics often, probably because it's so hard to do without pissing off a lot of people. But, David has shown a real knack for it in "X-Factor," in the disputes that Monet and Terry have about their religions, so I wouldn't be surprised if he explored this theme here. Also, as I mention below, he's established that people in the 2099 world are desperate for something in which they can believe. The people have the heroes, so it makes sense that the heroes would need something, too.
3) I love the hint of the "ugly mess" at the end of the Heroic Age. First, I'm intrigued by the use of the term "Heroic Age" here in a comic from 1993 and Marvel's use of it currently. Second, given the hints we got in the time-travel arc that ran in the first few issues of the latest volume of "Avengers," we know some sort of huge war with possibly Ultron likely does spell the end of the Heroic Age. It almost feels like Marvel has been planning this event for 20 years...
4) David showed Kasey's loyalty to Spider-Man last issue, explaining it as something inspired by the fact that few people in 2099 took a stand against the Man. He develops that theme further here, deepening Kasey's admiration for Spider-Man and gaining him, in her gang of Throwbacks, followers, almost similar to the Thorites. David works this development on two levels, though. He's not only building the hero myth of Spider-Man, re-creating the Heroic Age, but he's also showing us a great deal about the 2099 world, showing us, as I mentioned above, how desperate people are for heroes.
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