Amazing Spider-Man #541

Amazing Spider-Man #541
By: Ken

"Back in Black" (Part 3 of 5)

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artists: Ron Garney (p), Bill Reinhold (i), Matt Milla (colors)
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Summary: Spider-Man interrogates Jim (accessory to Aunt May's murder by killing the actual hired assassin responsible for Aunt May's comatose state) basically to have him spread to the Underworld Community that Spidey's family is off limits and that there is a very different and dangerous Spider-Man these days. At the hospital Aunt May is still comatose, but Mary Jane and Peter are running out of finances but are drawing suspicion by paying the expensive hospital bills by cash. This leads Peter to try a long shot personal procedure to save Aunt May. This sequence shows that underneath all that newly acquired "Frank Miller's, Batman Dark Knight" persona, there lies a scientist with a brilliant mind.

Meanwhile, The Kingpin makes his bid for better scenery. Money talks and honor walks as Wilson Fisk bribes the correction officer which will also lead to include other law enforcement officials in the correction facility. The way the bribe money was accessed by The Kingpin and shown to the correction officer just shows how prepared The Kingpin is in almost all facets of emergencies. I wonder, did George Washington really have wooden teeth? And if so, was there a gold coin inside that teeth? I wonder.

Needless to say, The Kingpin in all his regalness will walk out of the facility with no problem. Of course, there's the last page that just might not allow him to leave the premises.

Comments: Ron Garney is a perfect fit for this title. Partner that with Bill Reinhold's inks and they create the mood of a dark reality. The reader can visually infer that Spider-Man's current world is not peopled by idealistic good people. Instead, it is populated mostly by people who are corruptible and whose primary motivation in life is material. And in this setting, it draws out the worst in Spider-Man. Losing a dearly beloved can have a person embrace his dark side. Perhaps it is a defense mechanism of the mind to help the person cope with the pain and hopelessness of the situation. The tunnel scene brilliantly conveys the mood and character of Peter Parker. The menacing picture of predator and a helpless prey captures the mood of this story arc. Indeed. This is not your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Garney and Reinhold captures Peter's rage both unmasked and in the black Spider-Man costume. By having most of Peter's face fall into blackness, Garney and Reinhold makes Spider-Man more sinister. Visually disturbing in this tunnel scene, Ron Garney gets his chance to shine.

Wilson Fisk has always been a sinister figure in the Marvel Universe. Ron Garney's pencils brings out the power in The Kingpin in terms of control. His eyes both convey a sense of impeccable confidence and guile. He is larger than life, drawn as a hulking figure. Near the end of the book, Ron Garney shows that The Kingpin indeed has total control. He shows this with a simple drawing of a jeweled ring in the middle finger while holding the diamond-tipped scepter, and a pair of correction officers with their backs turned away from the video screens and the corridor leading to the jail cells.

In the hospital scene at Aunt May's room, the general feeling of sadness is excellently portrayed by Mary Jane's gloomy face. Mary Jane is a stunning model and actress. But here in the hospital, helplessness and desperation takes its toll on her. There is no twinkle in her eyes. She looks more tired with a glazed look in her eyes. The essence of helplessness experienced by family members watching over a comatose family member in bed is portrayed simply and captured perfectly. Great job by Ron Garney. Every reader who has been to a hospital overnight watching over a terminally ill loved one cannot help but be drawn in and feel the emotions running through both Mary Jane and Peter Parker.

Straczynski keys into what makes The Kingpin so dangerous. The Kingpin is shown as more prepared than a majestic King. I have never seen so much money in a jail cell. He has more control of outcomes than an elected public servant. Regular working people with families are nothing but measly insects when compared to The Kingpin.

Spider-Man, though more violent by nature now, is still shown as a hero. He does not kill the captured criminal. Straczynski makes a point to show Peter's personality changes reflecting his surrounding. Straczynski also uses one of Spider-Man's defining characteristics, that of the cognitive scientist by having him a conduct a risky scientific procedure that just might save Aunt May's life or perhaps make it worse. This side of Peter Parker is seldom used. One of the most interesting aspects of Peter Parker is the classic Parker luck which returned in a unique twist. Peter, always portrayed most of his life with almost no cash available at his disposal, is shown here having the capacity to pay the hospital bills by cash with no problem should the current cash flow run out. However, continually doing so would draw attention to them and bring in the negative elements of the criminal society at their midst.

However, Straczynski crafts The Kingpin and Spider-Man in their separate journey towards their inevitable encounter where I look forward to some intense gratification for Spider-Man, finally quenching his thirst for revenge. And perhaps bring back the Red and Blue heroic Spider-Man, replacing the current Black-clad anti-hero by the upcoming weekly Amazing Spider-Man. After all, Peter Parker is the Amazing Spider-Man. He is not Spider-Man, The Dark Knight.

Final Word: The "Back in Black" storyline is basically having Spider-Man return to his black costume to reflect his mood. This comic book captures the darkness of that mood. When some element tries to hurt a person's loved one, that person's dark side is brought out, which results in anger. As Spider-Man's universe shifts into a darker reality, the result is an anti-hero Wallcrawler. The scene where Spider-Man interrogates the criminal in the tunnels reminds me of a scene in which Indiana Jones was trapped in a tunnel full of snakes, rats, insects, etc. Those pages alone made me pick up this book. It was an entertaining spin on Peter's anger. The Kingpin's scenes almost stole the show.

I always wanted to read a story that reflects Peter's darker side, showing no inhibitions in escalating his violence towards those who deserved it. Straczynski's portrayal of Peter is genuine of a person motivated by anger and revenge towards those who are responsible for hurting his loved ones.