"Down Among the Dead Men - Part Three”
Writer: Mark Millar
Artists: Terry Dodson (p), Rachel Dodson (i)
Publisher: Marvel
Plot:
With Spidey at a low ebb after the kidnapping of his Aunt May by the mystery-bad-guy-in-chief, he heads out after Electro and the Vulture at the Owl's behest. But what is Spidey letting himself in for when he tangles with the reinvigorated master of electricity...?
Comments:
This issue is exactly what the fledgling Marvel Knights title needed. An extended battle sequence with some notable plot developments towards the end provides a shot in the arm for a series which started well, but seemed to be flagging already by the time issue #2 came around. With no more tongue in cheek dalliances with the Avengers or potential-hostage wives to contend with, Spidey and Electro cut loose with a sprawling battle that would provide a great storyboard if they ever decided to select Max Dillon as the main bad guy in the next Spidey movie. It's Millar-brand cinematic widescreen action time, and the Dodson's do him proud with some dynamic fighting and massive explosions that bear complimentary comparison with Bryan Hitch's work on Millar's Ultimates.
A fight scene is only as good as it has been written, and a well-choreographed comic book battle often seems to be unappreciated as the work of a good writer as well as a talented art team. Electro's arsenal is widened with a new bag of tricks, allowing him to inflict some real pain on poor Peter Parker (who really should invest in some insulated boots. You'd think he would have learnt by now). As the battle reaches its climax, there's a real sense of the stakes getting higher as civilians get involved and Spidey really seems to lose it for a while, leaving him in a sorry state by the end of the issue. There's also a nice twist on the Owl's involvement, which questions the often too-simple logic of superhero comics at the same time as it affords another of Spidey's rogues' gallery an albeit brief appearance. The cliffhanger (with all its well-thought-out attendant details about secret identities and superhero surgery) is as compelling as any threat to Marvel's cash cow can ever really get, and definitely sets up a solid fourth issue to conclude the first mini-arc of this overarching story. If Millar set out to put Spidey through the wringer and get all his enemies involved in a saga to challenge Batman's recent Hush misadventure, he's going the right way about it. Let's just hope the conclusion is more satsifying than Jeph Loeb managed for those 12 issues.
All in all, this is a fine issue. The Dodsons artwork seems to be getting better and better - even if I'm not a fan of Spidey with toes and glass eyepieces, or an Electro costume with a constantly face-changing mask shape (an inconsistency which gets a bit confusing after a while, especially with the two brawlers constant baiting about their costume changes). It remains to be seen where this story is going, but Millar's throwing in enough Red Herrings and guest appearances to make the series as compelling as possible and even if it's not the smartest or most adult-oriented comic in the Marvel Knights stable, it deserves credit for being unashamedly entertaining. Just don't let the Avengers back in it. Please?
Final Word:
The fears induced by last issue's drop-off in quality have been successfully driven away with a third issue which happily lives up to the promise of the first. Next up, the Vulture!
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