Edge of Spider-Verse #5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue reminds me of the Spider-Gwen issue, though Way doesn't exactly reach the same heights.

Like Latour, Way hints at the fully formed world where Peni Parker resides.  For example, we learn that Peni had been segregated from her family before becoming SP//dr, evidenced by her questions to "D" about her father (and predecessor as SP//dr) and the fact that she'd never met her Aunt May and Uncle Ben.  But, we're not given all the information, leaving us only with some sense that she lived at some school for potential meta-teens that reminds me of Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go."  D himself opens up the possibility of a world of superheroes with whom SP//dr interacts.  Does this world have an Avengers?  It remains to be seen.  Moreover, Peni's aunt and uncle are working for some sort of organization, but we don't have a sense if the government or a company (like Oscorp) runs it.

But, Latour managed to get us excited about these unknowns while still giving us what we needed to know about Gwen to appreciate her.  Conversely, we have a pretty basic lack of understanding about SP//dr.  Rather than just a radioactive spider that bit Peni once, this radioactive spider is the one in charge, choosing its host.  But, it's unclear why SP//dr seeks out a specific genetic structure or if Peni's family is the only one with that structure.  We also don't understand what motivates Peni.  It feels like she's just doing her duty, without any real sense of agency or responsibilities.  She might be trying to honor her father, but we're only left to infer that; Way doesn't do anything to make that clear.  

In other words, I enjoyed the sense of mystery that came with Spider-Gwen, but we at least had the basic facts that we needed to understand her.  We don't really have that with Peni.  She feels like a cog in a wheel that we don't really see.  If this issue was the first of a three-issue mini-series dedicated to her, we'd have plenty of time.  But, Way had to recognize the limitations of a one-shot a little more than he did here.

** (two of five stars)

Edge of Spider-Verse #4 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

To quote Will Ferrell, "boy, that escalated quickly."

Chapman gives us the most off-beat and unexpected installment of this mini-series, delivering a cannibalistic and sadistic version of Peter Parker.  I can't say that it's fun to watch "Uncle Ted" abuse "Patton Parnell" or Patton later using a mouse as his gateway drug to cannibalism.  But, I definitely found myself surprised that no one's ever previously done this story, given how much it makes sense that Peter had a pretty good shot of becoming a cannibal thanks to the spider that turned him into Spider-Man.  (Chapman lets us know that Patton had the sadism in him well before the spider bit him.)

Chapman keeps the reader guessing throughout the issue by adroitly playing off his/her expectation that Patton is going to be like Peter.  With each unexpected development, I found myself fighting against the pull of the story, figuring that Patton would somehow overcome these urges to become a hero.  It's only when Morlun appears at the end to stop him that you find yourself really accepting that Patton wasn't our Peter.

Speaking of Morlun, we do get confirmation here that it was Morlun that's appeared in previous versions of this series.  He's apparently not as dead as he seemed to be the last time that we saw him, though Slott is going to have to explain how he's now managed to cheat death twice.  But, we still have plenty of time for him to do that.  Now, it's time to enjoy the fifth and final Spider-Man.  After Patton, I feel like everything's on the table with this one.

*** (three of five stars)

Edge of Spider-Verse #3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Aaron Aikman is no Spider-Gwen, but Weaver is definitely onto something.

First, Aikman is interesting because he turned himself into Spider-Man; it wasn't an accident, as it's been for the other Spider-Men that we've seen so far.  Unfortunately, characterization isn't Weaver's strongest suit.  Aikman and his love interest Kaori feel hollow throughout the issue.  In terms of dialogue, Aikman utters bromides to himself such as, "Alone, I stand against the rising tide, and as I live, all evil shall fall."  (I totally say that to myself every morning in the mirror; it really helps motivate me for the day of evil-smiting before me.)  In terms of motivations, Kaori is little more than a plot device.  Weaver takes her beyond even the clichéd role of a grieving mother willing to do anything to help her child and turns her into a monster who abets her obviously possessed daughter's plans to turn dozens of kidnap victims into cyborgs.  In other words, Weaver doesn't really do anything here to make either character all that likable.

Moreover, the plot is still a little unclear.  Kaori's daughter Hannah met some sort of extra-dimensional terror named Naamurah during her years in a coma, and Naamurah traveled into our dimension when Kaori successfully awakened Hannah.  We never learn why Naamurah wants to use the cyborgs to conquer the world, and Weaver doesn't do anything to explain her connection with Morlun (if it's him that appears at the end of the issue).

However, Weaver does create a rather interesting setting, infusing the book with a certain manga sensibility.  Although Aikman is Caucasian and the city where he lives appears to be New York, this corner of the Spider-Verse definitely seems to produce high-tech marvels beyond those that we see even in "our" universe.  You get a sense that more is possible there than in our universe, since this Spider-Man has technology on par with our Iron Man.  (Imagine what "their" Iron Man has.)  Moreover, Weaver does a great job using the secondary aspects of the design to pull you into this world.  The use of the Marvel Comics trading cards to introduce the villains was genius, and their allusions to issues of comics detailing the stories of this universe were definitely successful in making you wish that you knew more about it.

Ultimately, Aikman would have staying power if someone else was writing the character, though Weaver should definitely be left in charge of design.  We'll see how Aikman fares in "Spider-Verse."

** (two of five stars)

Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I don't like Jason Latour at all.  Seriously, sometimes I worry that he'll find my blog and feel bad about the things that I've said about him.  I pretty much constantly accuse him of ruining titles.  "Winter Soldier."  "Wolverine and the X-Men."  They're both titles that I enjoyed before he took over writing responsibilities, but I wound up dropping both of them shortly after his debut.  (Actually, Marvel canceled "Winter Soldier," but I would've dropped it if it had stayed in the line-up.)

However, I'm glad to say that he'll finally find something nice here, because, OMG, I LOVED THIS ISSUE.

First, the concept is amazing.  Actually, so many aspects of the concept are amazing.  Gwen Stacy is in a band called the Mary Janes front (of course) by Mary Jane Watson.  A spider bites Gwen and gives her powers; she becomes Spider-Woman.  Peter Parker feels insecure after she saves him from Flash Thompson and creates a formula to give him powers, turning into the Lizard.  He dies in Gwen's arms, telling her that he just wanted to be special like her.  She realizes that she has to honor his death by accepting the responsibility that come with her powers.  Amazing.  It's all amazing.

But, the part that makes it amazing is that it's not just a cut/paste origin story.  Gwen isn't a science geek trying to honor her uncle after she indirectly winds up responsible for his death.  The Green Goblin doesn't throw Peter off the Brooklyn Bridge.  It's not the same.  Latour allows Gwen to be different from Peter, but it a way that honors the mythos of Spider-Man.  She learns with great power comes great responsibility because she wants to make Peter's death mean something.  Her father serves as her Uncle Bean because he's a police officer that can teach her what she needs to know about facing her fears.  Peter's death weighs on her.

(I have to say that I had trouble focusing on the later part of the issue, because the revelation that Peter became the Lizard was so mind blowing.  Peter never had to face high school without his powers in our universe, so we never know what he would've down as the Age of Marvels unfolded around him.  It's a question that I never considered, but it unfolds in parallel to the story that Slott is telling in "Amazing Spider-Man:  Learning to Crawl," where another teenage genius decides to use his smarts to become something "special.")

Moreover, Gwen has her own problems.  Just like Peter back in the day, she's trying to find a way to balance the things that are important to her in her civilian life -- like her music -- with the responsibilities that come with her costumed identity.  She also faces the scorn of JJJ, Jr., because, hey, somethings don't change.

Also like Slott in "Amazing Spider-Man:  Learning to Crawl," Latour brings Gwen into the present.  It's hard to think of Gwen beyond the nerd wish-fulfillment figure that she represented when she debuted in the 1960s.  But, Latour is making exactly that point.  It's not your mother's Gwen Stacy.  This Gwen Stacy had a more modern childhood, leading her to be a bit more audacious than the original one.  She's a little more like Peter in that regard, fast with the quips and the snark like a kid raised in the Internet era would be.  In this way, Latour gives us the right amount of adolescent rebellion while still getting across the fact that she's a good kid.  It's why putting her in a band and college is such a great idea, because it's not only forcing her to chose between her civilian identity and her Spider-Woman responsibilities, but also between traditional and non-linear paths.  But, she's recognizable by her good heart.  The original Gwen saw through Peter's awkwardness to see something inside Peter that she loved and this Gwen Stacy is no different.

Also, Latour leaves us with the feeling that Gwen inhabits a fully realized world that we just haven't seen yet.  Beyond just the back story involving Peter, we also learn that Matt Murdoch is the Kingpin's lackey, sending the Rhino to kill Captain Stacy and "help" Spider-Woman in ending his crusade against her.  We have no idea why he would want to help her, but it can't be good.

Finally, the art is great.  Rodriguez is the right person for this gig.  Gwen is fluid like liquid, with a grace that seems impossible to catch on paper.  But, Rodriguez also gets across real emotion, like the sadness that Gwen's hunched shoulders convey as she holds Peter or the shock on Captain Stacy's face when she reveals her identity to him.  I haven't even mentioned her costume.  Usually, these sorts of new character costumes are too over the top, but, in using a pretty simple black-and-white base, Rodriguez has created something really eye-catching.

I just...yeah.  I just can't believe that I'm reading a book about Gwen Stacy and she's not a fossilized relic from the 1960s or a bad ret-con victim.

I've rambled enough.  BUY THIS BOOK.  Even if you're not collecting "Spider-Verse," BUY THIS BOOK.

Gwen Stacy is dead.  Long live Gwen Stacy!

***** (five of five stars)

Edge of Spider-Verse #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

My only exposure to Spider-Man Noir has been from the "Spider-Man:  Shattered Dimension."  His parts of the game were probably the coolest, so I have to say that I was excited to see that he was going to play a prominent role in the "Spider-Verse" event.  This issue wasn't exactly disappointing in that regard, but, in terms of the story itself, it wasn't exactly easy to follow.

It took me two readings to realize that Mysterio wanted Peter's blood to gain Spider-Powers.  At first, I thought that Mysterio was actually Morlun, so I was confused why he'd want to steal Peter's blood rather than drain his energy (or whatever it is that he does).  When Morlun appeared at the end of the issue, it became clear that Mysterio wanted the blood for his own reasons.  But, Hine doesn't do us a lot of favors in terms of clarifying what Mysterio wants to do with it.  We know that he and his assistant spent some time in the Amazon and, given their knowledge of Ansani, it stands to reason that Mysterio wanted to gain Spider-Powers in the same way that Ezekiel gained his powers.  Mysterio makes an off-hand comment about Spidey's blood running through his veins, but that's all the confirmation that we really get.  Moreover, the nature of Ezekiel's blood connection to the spider-totem was never made all that clear.  It seemed to have more to do with the letting of his blood at the temple in Peru than the injection of the blood of someone with powers.  That leaves me right where I began, confused about Mysterio's intentions.

Regarding the larger story, we don't really make any progress here, other than Spider-Man Noir joining Otto's team.  At some point we're going to have to learn how Morlun is still alive and why he's decided to take on the Spider-Men all at the same time.  But, I'm assuming those revelations are going to appear in the issue that Slott's writes.  In terms of this issue, it's a perfectly fine story, but Hine could've done a better job of making it more accessible for folks without the requisite Spider-Man Noir or Ezekiel background.

(NOTE:  We later clarify that the vampire here is Karn, not Morlun.)

*** (three of five stars)