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cyberghostface ([info]cyberghostface) wrote in [info]scans_daily,
@ 2009-10-15 22:14:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:char: j. jonah jameson jr., char: kraven/sergei kravinoff, char: mary jane watson, char: mysterio/quentin beck, char: sandman/flint marko/william baker, char: spider-man/peter parker, char: venom/anti-venom/eddie brock, creator: kaare andrews, title: spider-man: reign

Spider-Man: Reign #4
 

So, this is the final issue of Spider-Man: Reign. Once again, I had to cut out a lot of good stuff, so if you do like what you've seen you should check it out.

The issue opens with Spider-Man, back in his red-and-blues, crawling up the building with the Six waiting for him inside.

Outside, the unnamed girl is ringing the bell, scaring away the symbiotes. Mayor Waters calls Sandman on his walkie-talkie and tells him to stop the kids from ringing the bell. When Sandman responds that it's the only thing keeping the civilians safe from the monsters, Waters tells them that the civilians are terrorists that want to destroy the city, and threatens to push the button to the remote explosive placed inside Sandman if he doesn't comply.









The first member of the Sinner Six that Spidey encounters is Electro, who's with Hydro-Man. Electro plans to have Hydro-Man douse Spidey with water before electrocuting him. Calling it the "lamest team-up" he's ever seen, Spider-Man manages to trip Electro with his webbing (his boots were insulated), causing Electro to fry and Hydro-Man to evaporate. As Spidey points out, electricity and water don't mix.

Spider-Man runs into Scorpion next. Scorpion has a new suit, and tells Spidey that he can do "anything" with it. Spidey asks him if he can fly, and kicks him out the window, where he goes splat on the pavement.



Spider-Man later encounters Mysterio, who with his fear gas(?) makes Spider-Man think that Mary-Jane is back. Spider-Man sees through the charade. He later encounters Kraven, who deliberately inhales Mysterio's gas like hunters who take hallucinatory mushrooms before hunting their beast. Spider-Man does this as well, and sees his Uncle Ben and Aunt May coming after him. Once again, Peter defeats his adversary.





Finally, Spider-Man reaches the top of the building.





In his rage, Venom plans on killing everyone in the room. Scared for his life, Waters flees. He runs into Sandman, who is clearly pissed. He tells Waters he has something he wants. Waters begs Sandman not to kill him. "I can't make any promises." Sandman says. This is the last time we see Waters.

As Spider-Man is absorbed into Venom's gigantic mass, he can feel Mary-Jane again.





Spider-Man escapes from Venom and begins to lead the symbiotes away from the people below and up the tower. Everyone watches as Spider-Man marches to his presumable death, and he realizes that him dying will only make them fight harder. "But I'm not doing this for them. Mary-Jane is watching."

The symbiotes begin savagely attacking Peter, and he prepares himself for the inevitable.





In the aftermath of the explosion, a young boy asks Jonah what this all means. 

"It's a second chance."





(Post a new comment)


[info]auggie18
2009-10-16 03:13 am UTC (link)
Wow. This really tied it together. The first parts just felt over-whelmingly depressing, but this was powerful. Particularly the three daughters speech.

(Reply to this)


[info]ravenous_raven
2009-10-16 03:41 am UTC (link)
Wow. when I first read the summary of this comic, I felt all squeamish at the idea of Spiderman made gritty and angsty. but this...this makes a lot of sense. the characters aren't melodramatic in their heroics, it's just something they've got to do, a responsibility that they pursue doggedly. that to me is a whole lot more real than most other comics I've read. also love the panel-to-panel foiled stick-up.

Too bad the art's a little too rough and colored in bland shades otherwise I'd love the comic in its entirety.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]kingrockwell
2009-10-16 04:35 am UTC (link)
I believe the art was a deliberate homage to DKR. Not pretty, certainly, but it illustrates a world gone sour pretty effectively.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]statham1986
2009-10-16 08:54 am UTC (link)
I think sometimes it's important to remember that Spider-Man is as much a child of angst and pain as Batman is, really. Losing Uncle Ben and his parents is easily the equivalent of the Wayne Murders, I guess, but what's different is that Spider-Man allows Peter to be something different - I'd argue that he needs to be Spidey much more than Bruce Wayne needs to be Batman, and this is what this story is all about. Reassumption of responsibility and the realisation that he needs to be Spider-Man to be happy, especially now that Mary Jane's gone. So I liked seeing that displayed in this series - Every time Peter puts the costume on, it's almost joyous for him.

And I love that the abandonment of Venom is something you can pin on Peter - It's classic in the same way that he let Uncle Ben die because he didn't stop the crook. By not accepting the symbiote the first time around, he effectively causes all the terror and pain Venom wreaks on New York, and is indirectly responsible for Carnage. So I think that Andrews understands the themes and ideas of Spider-Man incredibly well, if he's a little on-the-nose with them at times, and I think he displays much, much more respect for the character than Quesada, Slott and others do.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]mullon
2009-10-16 04:13 am UTC (link)
Art aside, that was a very enjoyable comic to read.

(Reply to this)


[info]sailorlibra
2009-10-16 04:15 am UTC (link)
Spider-Man/Mary Jane OTP, y/y?

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]hearthemvoices
2009-10-16 07:37 am UTC (link)
Y!

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]kagome654
2009-10-16 02:00 pm UTC (link)
Y

Of course.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]endis_ni
2009-10-16 03:18 pm UTC (link)
Y. Always.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]felinephoenix
2009-10-16 04:42 pm UTC (link)
MFY!

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]starwolf_oakley
2009-10-16 04:16 am UTC (link)
It was hard to tell if Spider-Man was killing the members of the "Sinner Six" or not. I first thought the Scorpion died, but it's been pointed out to me that between his strength and his armor, he most likely survived the fall. Even a 50+ Spider-Man isn't going to start killing his enemies, crazed symbiotes excepted, of course.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]cyberghostface
2009-10-16 04:23 am UTC (link)
Well, he does set off the explosives that were placed inside each of them. And Electro was clearly killed in his encounter.

That was really one of my few problems with the series. I understand the situation he was in, but Spider-Man was portrayed as being more or less indifferent to their fates.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]liliaeth
2009-10-16 08:42 am UTC (link)
My main problem with it was that for the most part of the series. Peter wasn't the hero of it. In a lot of ways, the little girl and Jonah were portrayed as far more heroic and responsible than Peter. And that just didn't feel right.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]kingrockwell
2009-10-16 04:33 am UTC (link)
If they hadn't already last time around, these posts would make me buy this book again. It is such a wonderful send-up to the Spidey universe.

(Reply to this)


(Anonymous)
2009-10-16 04:47 am UTC (link)
I will never not love those two pages of Mary Jane explaining exactly why Peter is a hero and that is why she loves him.

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]neuhallidae
2009-10-16 02:43 pm UTC (link)
Motto.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]abagnale008
2009-10-16 04:52 am UTC (link)
One little nitpick, Sandman going down so easily against the symbiotes. And I know this will be an unpopular opinion, but if this ever become a live action movie, I'd want him to be played Arnie.

And it's pretty cool that Kraven hallucinated a rhino, which I guess is a small easter egg.

(Reply to this)

Go get 'em, Tiger!
[info]schala_kid
2009-10-16 04:55 am UTC (link)
That part with Mary Jane and young nerdy Peter, that there is another reason why they're OTP! No other woman inspires Peter to get up and fight the bad guys like MJ does!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Go get 'em, Tiger!
[info]comicoz
2009-10-16 03:23 pm UTC (link)
Which is my personal reason to hate BND

/soapbox

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Go get 'em, Tiger!
(Anonymous)
2009-11-04 03:54 am UTC (link)
Where does this story fit in relation to the whole BND thing? Is this story canon or even in the same timeline?

-Tonks07 @ lj

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Go get 'em, Tiger!
[info]cyberghostface
2009-11-05 07:10 pm UTC (link)
Reign is not canon at all. They're reacting more to the importance of MJ here as compared to her role in BND.

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]trelas
2009-10-16 05:08 am UTC (link)
I also quite enjoyed this story, thank you for posting it.

The comparison's to TDK are quite reasonable, but only in a more thematic sense. In the stories both Batman and Spider-man have lost their ways and initially try to find their path first the wrong way, pushed down by their villains. Yet in the end they both remember what made them powerful in the first place, not because they were physically powerful or capable, but rather their mental drive and qualities. In the end both stories also reflect how different the mentalities of the two characters are.

(Reply to this)

Pfft, what a load...
[info]lbd_nytetrayn
2009-10-16 05:43 am UTC (link)
Spider-man isn't about responsibility. Everyone knows that. How did this crap ever even manage to finish its run?

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

(Reply to this)


[info]zechs27
2009-10-16 06:07 am UTC (link)
Thanks for posting this :) T'was a great read.

(Reply to this)


[info]wizardru
2009-10-16 12:10 pm UTC (link)
This sounded much worse in concept than it actually turned out to be. Yes, I'm not a fan or the art. Yes, I'm not terribly thrilled with the grim-and-gritty stuff. And the previous posts made it seem pretty bleak...but this really tied the whole thing together in a pretty powerful way.

It really seems to hit the emotional core of Spiderman, which sometimes the comics forget to do (and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, you understand, but sometimes it feels like some writers don't 'get' Spidey).

(Reply to this)


[info]spooky_lemur
2009-10-16 04:21 pm UTC (link)
That scene with Sandman trying desperately to save his daughter is what really makes this series for me. There are lots of gold throughout the series but that really is the pinnacle for me.

(Reply to this)

Mod Note
[info]sandoz_iscariot
2009-10-16 05:45 pm UTC (link)
How long was this issue? If it was a 48-pager, you're three scans over the limit.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

Re: Mod Note
[info]cyberghostface
2009-10-16 06:23 pm UTC (link)
Alright, I removed four pages.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Mod Note
[info]sandoz_iscariot
2009-10-16 06:26 pm UTC (link)
Thanks!

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]goobalicious
2009-10-16 07:07 pm UTC (link)
Thank you for posting this! I was getting kind of tired of the series getting such a bad name when it is really gorgeous at parts (particularly the MJ/Pete relationship and Sandman and his daughter.)

(Reply to this)


[info]kelseyg
2009-10-16 07:59 pm UTC (link)
Wow, this is great. The pages with MJ and Peter... makes me hate current 616verse all over again.

Anyone else think the picture above the fold is a reference to Goya's Saturn Devouring his Son? (http://knowledgenews.net/picturethis/goya_saturn_devouring.jpg)

(Reply to this)


[info]angelophile
2009-10-16 10:52 pm UTC (link)
Damn it, you made me tear up again by posting the scans of poor, doomed concrete girl.

(Reply to this)



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