*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Dana, Gabriel is getting dusty. Where does he keep his damp cloths?" -- Conchata, as she and Dana wait for the boys to exit cyberspace
Summary
In cyberspace, Gabriel reveals that he's known Miguel's identity from the very beginning, recognizing the Day of the Dead costume as Miguel passed him in the hallway while fleeing Venture (in issue #3). Miguel realizes that he's been caught and asks Gabe if he's going to tell. Gabe says that he won't, because it's more fun if only he knows. Miguel tells him that nothing has been fun about being Spider-Man, given that Alchemax and Stark-Fujikawa are trying to get him and "various others have tried to kill me, cannibalize me, fry me." When Miguel asks what sounds fun about that, Gabe responds, "Because it's happening to you, not me." Meanwhile, in Downtown, Kasey and Raff have stolen some sort of vehicle, but they are stopped by someone wearing a S.I.E.G.E. outfit. Kasey asks if it's another kidnapping, but the S.I.E.G.E. figure tells her that it's an invitation and introduces her to its employers, who tell her that they believe their "interests overlap." In cyberspace, a figure riding a horse, named Duke Stratosphere, rides by Gabe's car and thanks him for saving cyberspace. Gabe and Miguel exit, much to Conchata and Dana's relief. Conchata demands that Gabe give up "computer stuff," but Miguel (surprisingly) defends him, saying that he was in a different place the last time that he got hooked and he can now handle dabbling. Gabe agrees, saying that they both know that "letting an alter ego absorb your life is a bad thing." Miguel then grabs Gabe's ear and leads him into the hallway, telling him to cut out the inside jokes or he'll tell Conchata and Dana the truth. Gabe agrees and Miguel asks him to help fix Lyla in exchange for saving him in cyberspace.
At Alchemax, the techs inform Tyler Stone that they should be able to fix everything within the next few hours. Stone watches people cheering for Spider-Man on a video screen, noting that he's more popular than ever. Talking to no one in particular, he declares that the Aesir project was a failure and that it's time to move to Plan B. Elsewhere, two gang members are flying through a crowd, firing weapons, feeling free to do so given that the Public Eye hasn't fully recovered since Discord took down cyberspace. "Waldo" fires at a bystander, but Spider-Man arrives just in time to save him. The two express shock that he's there and try to escape, but Spidey webs the back of their flybikes, causing them to crash. Later, at Miguel's apartment, Gabe arrives and notes the mess made by the security drones, whose parts litter the apartment. Miguel says that he has to clean up everything by himself, given the web residue, the fact that the Babylon Towers' owners might want to know how he managed to defeat the drones, and the fact that the drones' on-board recording systems probably have footage of him destroying them with claws and talons. Gabe asks when Miguel's going to tell him his origin story, but Miguel demurs, putting a droid in a "particle compactor/recycler." He confirms that he dropped off Dana at home and then changed into Spidey to make it across town quicker, given that the Public Eye still isn't fully operational. Gabe questions whether he did it for convenience or because he enjoys it. Miguel tells him to save it and then pushes him to fix Lyla. Gabe suggests that scrapping her might be best, but Miguel insists on saving her. Gabe asks why, and Miguel has a flashback to the day that he bought the apartment. After the agent left, Xina started taking off her clothes, something apparently happening as part of a bet between the two of them. She reveals a tattoo of Marilyn Monroe on her stomach, clearly the inspiration for Lyla.
At Stark-Fujikawa's headquarters, Hikaru-sama orders a complaining Kasey to be quiet. He then tells her that Stark-Fujikawa believes that she has a connection to Spider-Man and would like her to help find him. Kasey asks what happens if she doesn't and Hiraku tells her that they can use her dead or alive. At Miguel's apartment, Gabe says that he can't revive Lyla. Miguel pushes him, reminding him that he saved all of cyberspace. He tells Gabe that whatever Discord did had turned Lyla into a thinking individual, providing an extraordinary research opportunity. He also admits that he misses her. Gabe says that he needs an expert in artificial intelligence and suggests that he goes to Xina, who Miguel apparently dumped to date Dana.
In the back-up story, a young Xina arrives and performs CPR on a young Miguel, who was drowned last issue when someone held his head underwater. Miguel then lies when Angela appears and demands to know what happened, saying that he suffered a "cramp" in his lung. Later, he goes to Xina's room to thank her again, but Xina wants to know who held Miguel underwater, rightfully guessing that the cramp was a lie. She hypothesizes that it was Kron; Miguel admits someone did hold his head under water, but he can't be sure that it was Kron. Xina wants them to go tell Angela to get Kron tossed from school, but Miguel refuses, saying that the school wouldn't expel Kron based just on suspicion and Kron would be even angrier. She accuses him of being scared, something that he admits that he is.
The Review
After last issue's bizarre interlude, we return to the main event, Gabe revealing that he knows Miguel's identity. But, David doesn't just stop there, throwing all sorts of intrigue our way. Miguel's history with Xina, Stark-Fujikawa's offer to Kasey, Tyler's mention of Plan B: the next few issues look like they're going to be rough ones for our man!
The Good
1) As more or less expected, Gabe has known since issue #3 that Miguel is Spider-Man. I have to give credit to David for managing to drag out the reveal in a way that felt natural and somehow still suspenseful. After all, as I mentioned a few reviews ago, Miguel has been pretty busy over the last two months since he got his powers, so it's not like they've really had time for a heart-to-heart. Moreover, I loved how David really used their conversations about it to tease out the relationship between them. Gabe absolutely felt like a little brother here, exulting over finally having something over his big brother. I wonder where David is going to go from here, since this revelation certainly has the potential to make them closer and push them apart. At any rate, it was a joy to read such great character work and learn more about both characters as a result of seeing them interact in a new way.
2) I like how David's exploring Miguel's psychology through Gabe's perspective. Gabe raises concerns here that Miguel's losing himself in his Spider-Man persona, even suggesting that he's "addicted" to the thrill from it despite his protestations to the contrary. I don't recall ever an author ever really discussing a character being addicted to the thrill of being a hero, since we're often just left to assume that they're doing it for purely noble purposes. David once again innovates and amazes.
3) On a side note, a common thread running through Spidey's efforts, so far, in fighting crime has been that he generally doesn't leave the perpetrators for the police. In the present, our Spider-Man usually webs up the criminals for the police to process. However, Miguel doesn't, generally imposing his own penalties on the criminals. Last issue, he made the girls try to make it home on their own without their armor or "black cards" and this issue he leaves the gang members wounded in the wreckage of their flybikes. He's essentially judge, jury, and executioner, a reality that reminds us just how weak the rule of law is in the 2099 world.
The Unknown
1) Plan B certainly isn't going to be good for Miguel.
2) I'm definitely intrigued by the fact that nothing apparently happened between Miguel and Xina (since he had never seen her tattoo) before he bought his apartment and that he would eventually date her, but then leave her for Dana. David certainly knows how to spin a romantic web.
3) I enjoy the morally compromising situation in which David puts Kasey. Will she sell out Spidey, her hero, or won't she? Tune in next week!
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