Alford Notes: ASM 16/817 – Road to Hunted

The Road to Hunted is here!  Well, in the past, any title that starts with “The Road to” has been less than spectacular (or even ‘Web of’).  Will Nick Spencer be able to change my mind?  Will we get more Black Ant and Taskmaster?  Will Billy Connors get to meet his dream date and have a happily ever after?  Will Aunt May win more at online poker?  And maybe the most pressing question of all – will we even see Spider-Man in this issue?  Join me, my friends, grab your copy of ASM 16 and let’s find out together!

 

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Story Title:  The Road to Hunted

Writer: Nick Spencer

Penciler: Ryan Ottley and Alberto Alburquerque

Inkers: Cliff Rathburn and Alberto Alburquerque

Colorist: Laura Martin Brian Reber, Carlos Lopez

Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga

Cover Artist:  Cully Hamner and Justin Ponsor

Designer: Anthony Gambino

Asst. Editor: Kathleen Wisneki

Editor: Nick Lowe

Published: March 27, 2019

 

Remedial ASM 101

Kraven has been busy stalking some rich hunter in Africa, making deals with Arcade to build an elaborate confined arena around Central Park or all of New York, and hiring Black Ant and Taskmaster to collect animal-related supervillains in New York.  Oh, and slowly making his own way to New York.  So slowly….

 

The Story – Pay Attention, This Will Be on the Test

Flashback (my least favorite literary term) – Kraven took his family to the Savage Land and killed all but one daughter because they were less than worthy of his name. She renounces the Kraven name and leaves.  He then proceeds to strong arm the High Evolutionary into cloning Kraven 87 times.  The mini-mes growth are accelerated so that he combines the terrible twos and fours into a month’s worth of hassle (wish I had thought of that) and raises the children, teaching them all they need to know about the great hunt.  When they get old enough (looks to be about 20?) he sends them out on missions to prove their worth.  One returns with the heads of the other 86.  Kraven embraces him as a true heir.  We get a public service announcement about poaching, but Kraven isn’t killing the great white hunters.  Instead, he is offering them the ultimate hunting experience.  Kraven 87 doesn’t understand, but Kraven tells him it is all about legacy.

Present day – The great white hunters are packed into an auditorium where Arcade delivers stand-up comedy.  Kraven comes on and reveals that they are being offered the ultimate hunt – man in animal form!  He presents the savage six in alliterative form – Vulture, Tarantula, Rhino, Stegron, Scorpion, and King Cobra – all in cages.  He promises more.  Everyone claps.  It certainly has a pyramid scheme recruitment convention feel.

Meanwhile – Black Ant and Taskmaster continue to collect animal-themed people for the hunted menagerie and one of those includes little Billy Connors.  Despite being both sick and horribly drawn, Peter agrees to find Spider-Man for Doc Connors and get his help in finding Billy.  Spider-Man not only fails to save him, but also learns that Black Cat is captured.

Meanwhile² – Arcade checks into the Plaza Hotel along with a load of rich hunters revealing that it was New York all along!

 

What Passed

Characterization –   Spencer really shines when he does this with villains.  Not only is he developing Kraven, but we are about to get a whole slew of villains for Spencer to play with.  I’m hyped!  The point of the “Road to” issue is to get us excited about the upcoming story, and I feel that  this was achieved, despite the long exposition that this turned out to be.

Every scene with Black and Taskmaster in it –   I love the idea that they are in the M&M store and people in New York just treat it like any other day.

 

What Failed

The narrative hook –  In a plot line, you start with the exposition, which is usually as short as possible, followed by the hook that gets you into the story.  While I am excited by Spencer taking on a lot of villains, I was confused by what was supposed to whet my appetite – the New York setting.  In the last issue, it was made clear that Kraven wanted to put a dome over part of New York. This issue acted like they were shipping everyone to Kraven’s home in Africa, only to reveal on the last page that they were all in New York.  This would have been so much more effective had they not already revealed it.

The back-up art –  Alberto Alburquerque’s art is so rough, especially juxtaposed to Ottley’s clean style that I actually miss Chris Bachalo’s pencils.  I used to think Eric Larsen drew the sleaziest looking Mary Jane in the world, but Alburquerque blew his record away.

 

Analysis

Again, we see Spencer giving us an actual relationship between MJ and Peter. I’ve read reviews that say this is a shallow and overdone relationship, but to me, this pairing is more than just a fan shipping.  It is a rich look at what a relationship between a superhero and a nonpowered person should look like.  In this case, Peter’s sick sick and we know that, while it doesn’t happen often, a minor cold and sap Peter of all his powers.  When Connors calls, we all know that Peter is going to go out there looking for the kid.  MJ makes the token plea for him to stay in bed, but when it is clear that he is going to go out anyway, she doesn’t get all angsty.  Instead we get this:

Kraven’s story is…odd.  While I was reading it, it was enjoyable, but when I start to list out the plot, well, it is very silly.  Eighty-seven clones?  High Evolutionary?  I feel like this plot came out of the ‘70s.  But I like it! Maybe it will culminate in Kraven proposing to Aunt May!  It is an enjoyable read and I am ready for the next one.  I am particularly excited for the .HU issues since they will focus on the villains.  We are told in the letters pages (which, thankfully, Chi-Town is NOT in!*)

Predictions

Kraven 87 will not be impressed by Kraven’s new legacy and will attack him.  The final showdown will be between those two.  They will momentarily put aside their differences to try and kill Spider-Man.

Taskmaster, when all is said and done, be told to capture Black Ant.  I think pretty much everyone has seen that coming.  However, I’m going out on a limb here and am going to say that he will NOT comply with that order.

Billy’s fate is uncertain.  If he dies, it would bring about the savage side of the Lizard and months of Peter agonizing over how he could not save him.  Instead, I think he will ultimately be rescued when Spider-Man and Lizard team up.  Connors will learn Peter’s id and they will have a strong teacher/student relationship going forward.

 

Study Question

Black Cat has her own Spider-tracer?  Since when?

Extra Credit

OK, we get the end of Arcade’s joke.  Bonus points to anyone who can give a good beginning to it!

Bad Villain Round Up

So not only do Black Ant and Taskmaster collect the Savage Six, but they make good on Kraven’s promise to deliver more.  It is clear now that their mission is collect any animal-themed super-powered individuals.  They add: Puma, Owl, Beetle, the Serpent Society (I’m not an expert on this group in the least, but I think I saw at least Fer-de-Lance, Rock Python, Cottonmouth, Bushmaster, Black Mamba, Puff Adder, Black Racer, and one other with a green half-face mask – someone let me know who that is, please), White Rabbit, Some guy with bunny ears, and some guy with octopus tentacles protruding from his back.

 

Final Grade

I enjoyed it.  It was a fun read. However, there was little Spider-Man in it, the back-up art is so jarring, and the unforgivable sin here – they charged me an extra dollar for it.

B

 

Your Turn

What grade do YOU give it?

But Wait!  There’s More!

Arcade checks into the Plaza Hotel.  You can too for at minimum $650 a night (Reserve your spot now!). This is the same hotel that Donald Trump used to own (he compares the building to the Mona Lisa), the same hotel that appears in The Great Gatsby, and, the most impressive of all, is the setting for Home Alone 2.

 

 

What’s Next?

• Black Cat’s luck is on the rise.
• She came out of the run-in with the Thieves Guild still intact, her bridges with Spider-Man are mostly mended and the world is her oyster (well, it is NOW).
• But the job she just took is going to change everything…

Chi-Town will take you through that one and then I’ll be back for

“HUNTED” PART 1

We’ve been teasing a huge Kraven story since ASM #1 — and “HUNTED” is here to deliver it! Sergei Kravinoff and his minions have been kidnapping animal-themed characters for months, but they need one more to complete the collection — the Spider. But what does Kraven even want with all of them?! Find out in “HUNTED”!

 

Here is the checklist if you want all the comics:

 

Nick Lowe has asked people to let the Spider office know how they are doing by sending an email to spideyoffice@marvel.com and to make sure you mark it “OK to print”.  If you get published, make sure to draw our attention to it!

 

*O.K., I might be a tad jealous that he got two letters published when mine was not.

 

‘Nuff Said!