Writer: Tom DeFalco Artists: Pat Oliffe(p), Al Williamson(i), Christie Scheele(c) Publisher: Marvel
Plot: A chapter in the Buzz's life closes.
Tony Stark's a bit of a skunk in this story, but Spider-Girl features a future that may not happen, and since Kurt Busiek left Iron Man he may end up to be more like the manipulative character portrayed in the last of the MC2 books. I hope no irreparable damage will dent Tony's suit of armor, but I would not be surprised to see him rust away.
The confrontation given Tony's character works and shows just how far ahead Tony thinks. Given his divergence from the Iron Man we know--or rather whom we used to know, Mr. DeFalco quickly shows how Spider-Girl can plausibly distrust the man who was once one of the planet's greatest heroes.
While obviously the thread in the story is redemption: May's attempts to help Normie escape the Goblin curse, Raptor's first act as a hero, it's also pleasing to see how Mr. DeFalco twists the comic book traditions that have become trite. The slug-fest between heroes for instance is a depressing and stupid time-waster. It's often an insult to the intelligence of the reader and betrays the characters' intellects. Mr. DeFalco finds an ingenious way to engage a slug-fest without falling into similar pitfalls. He's also in tune with his creations to know that not everyone will fight even given an excuse.
Then we have a buttocks commentary. Is somebody other than myself reading the Pick of the Brown Bag and its Line of Fire cousin? As many of my loyal readers know, my association with Chuck Dixon's writing was sealed and buried beneath a sea of contempt for his sexist comments in Birds of Prey: Manhunt in which--forgive the skipping cd--Black Canary and Huntress identify a felon by his butt. Wrong on so many levels, the mini-series made me forever suspicious of Mr. Dixon's writing and especially of the writing to be found in Birds of Prey. Tom DeFalco gets it right with the snappy repartee between Spider-Girl and Raptor.
"Whoa! Remind me to keep out of that man's reach. Although he is kind o' cute." "Keep your mind on the fight, Girl!" "Like you didn't check out his butt too!" "I tried, but that stupid cape keep's getting in the way."
The dialogue does not in any way affect the plot. In other words, their brief thoughts on his buttocks are not vital to the story. The dialogue is characteristic. The girls like guys. No harm in that. The dialogue is funny and light not crude. The act in the Dixon project was meant to be a plot-point, and the Black Canary's insinuation was slimy. The dialogue can be countered by many male heroes from the Marvel universe. The same cannot be said about the Dixon scene which simply treads on the characters of two fan-favorite female heroes. Spider-Girl and surprisingly the Raptor still retain a resonance that makes them enjoyable to read.
