Reinventing the Rogue
Lately it has been difficult to decipher what makes a good character in comics. This is mainly due to writers trying to make a character the polar opposite of what they are. Superman is evil, Iron Man a complete buffoon, and so on.
My main problem with Marvel’s core Spider-Man title has always been my ability to connect with Spidey’s rogues gallery. In previous issues, the trend seemed to be that one of the fantastical villains (Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, etc.) or resident thugs/crime lords (Kingpin, Silvermane and the hybrid Mr. Negative) would take on the web-slinger. So when I decided to jump in for one story arc, I figured I knew what to expect. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by what I was presented with.
First let’s talk about the art: Chris Bachalo has an insane kinetic flow to his lines. Most the series is drawn by other artists and the reader is treated to a traditional style, but Bachalo lends a very slick and organic look to his panels. While the other artists handle the calmer moments in the story, Bachalo’s art shines as the true selling point for this series. This is not to discredit the other artists who worked on the book, but many of the nuances are likely to be lost on the new reader and would not to make for an exciting cover. The cover art more often than not, is the reason people pick up books or trades, and it is why I picked up this particular arc.
