Honestly, I'm not sure I totally get where we are in the end.
Some of the problem comes from a (accidental or intentional) lack of clarity. Was Fred's girlfriend always the Black Cat? If so, and she took on that identity to steal the portrait of Doom, how did she know that Fred had it in the first place? Moreover, are we supposed to believe that everything that happened over the course of this series was just meant to get Fred on that mound? If so, couldn't he have just gotten his hands on the Chameleon's serum and switched places with the pitcher without, you know, the rest? Some of the problem possibly comes from not following the subtlety of the art or dialogue. For example, I didn't recognize the guy in the Boomerang costume as Abner last issue; I confused him for the pitcher that Fred had kidnapped. It left me naturally confused when he suddenly appears here, particularly when he morphs from Boomerang to Mach-VII. (I have to admit here that it's a stretch that the Chameleon's serum also morphs inorganic material, changing Abner's costume from the Mach-VII one to Boomerang's. But, I'll let it pass.) Some of the problems come from a lack of memory. When did Iron Fist break Speed Demon's ankle exactly?
But, I'm not entirely sure that any of it matters. Spencer has always portrayed Fred as an unreliable narrator, so it's not like we should really expect total clarity. In fact, the confusing nature of Fred's plans, even when they all in theory stand revealed here, say something pretty deep about the chaos that surrounds Fred's life. Spencer manages to toe the line without falling on one side or the other when it comes to whether he thinks that Fred is a criminal mastermind or if Fred just thinks that he is. Was Fred brilliant in putting into effect all these plans? Even if they were overly elaborate (in other words, even if they were only meant to get him on the mound), did they get him what he wanted? Spencer doesn't say, because it's pretty clear that Fred himself doesn't know what he wants. I didn't believe Fred when he told his girlfriend that he wanted to change for her, so I wasn't upset when the Cat wound up duping him. This series doesn't produce any concrete conclusions about Fred's life because it doesn't lend itself to such a tidy summary; as Fred would say, it's complicated.
Marvel took a chance with this series, and I have to applaud them for it. I think a lot of the awkwardness that I mention here would be resolved in reading the issues all in a row, allowing you to absorb the impact of the nuanced story that Spencer and Lieber have told. (I look forward to doing that on a quiet Saturday in the not-too-distant future.) Although this series was often compared to "Hawkeye," the difference is that Spencer and Lieber did their work, getting out issues more or less monthly, and keeping us connected to the characters. In that way, I think the student has become the master.
*** (three of five stars)
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