Folk’s this issue has it all – the return of a beloved supporting cast member (a female who means much to Peter, but has been largely absent lately), a fight between Spider-Man villains to the death(-ish), and art from big named artist of Spider-Man’s past. What could go wrong? I’m sure it will be one to remember! Probably…
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Story Title: Sins Rising: part 1
Writer: Nick Spencer
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inkers: John Dell with Andy Owens
Colorist: David Curiel
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga
Cover Artist: Casanovas
Asst. Editor: Kathleen Wisneki
Editor: Nick Lowe
Published: July 29, 2020
Remedial ASM 101
Kindred has been haunting Spider-Man’s dreams as of late and he has resurrected the Sin Eater with all new powers. But Spidey knows none of this.
The Story – Pay Attention, This Will Be on the Test
She’s back – the triumphant return of Carlie Cooper! You know that just warms the heart of our pal George.
Peter’s on a date… by himself… when Overdrive comes blasting through a crowded street, cops hot on his tail. He is so glad to see Spider-Man because Sin Eater is after him. Peter remembers that he dreamed this already. He gets Overdrive to relative safety and confronts Sin Eater, who (in classic Sin Eater fashion) doesn’t waste too much time talking and blasts Overdrive anyway. Spidey tries to take the bullet for Overdrive, but it goes right through Spidey without harm and hits Overdrive in the chest. Sin Eater gets away. Later, we see that Carlie Cooper was working on Overdrive’s body in that opening scene and low and behold, he is healed.
What Passed and Failed
PASS – Shakespeare! – Come on, you know I’m an English teacher. You had to see this coming. And what a refresher to cleanse the palette after starting my comic off with Carlie Cooper.
FAIL – Art – Bagley can draw a good Spider-Man, but you wouldn’t look at this issue and think, “This is a classic Spider-Man artist!” His depiction of people are mostly just odd and his drawing of Mary Jane… well, I can only imagine the horrors Chi-Town was going through. Neil, I’m going to need your artistic expertise to explain to me how I’m wrong on this one.
And you can’t really blame this on poor inking, because check out Bagley’s work on ASM #398:
But when I looked at it the first time (and unfortunately the subsequent times needed to write this review), it looks less and less like Mary Jane, and more like a Ditko villain. In fact, I’ll let you decide which one looks more like Bagley’s Mary Jane here:
PASS – Overdrive – I really like how Spencer has always handled him as a crook who wants to be a good guy, but just can’t seem to make it work. He is almost as intent on wanting Spider-Man to believe in him as he is surviving. And we FINALLY get Overdrive’s name. James Beverly. (Those of you in Georgia ought to recognize that name!)
FAIL – Carlie Cooper surviving this issue – I thought when we saw her going through her life’s story at the beginning, it was mirroring the opening to the Death of Jean DeWolff, which also opened up on DeWolffe’s life. I was very much expecting to see this as our opening splash panel:
OOTI (Onomatopoeia of the Issue)
On a scale of 1 (POW) to 10 (BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB), KA-CHOOM rates a 6. A small twist on a classic Ka-Boom!, but really, it’s just not eye-catching.
Analysis
Mary Jane – No, I’m done talking about that awful image. I am interested in how Peter had the tables turned on him. This could be just a little plot playing on Spencer’s part, but since he has really been laying it on heavy that MJ and Peter are destined to be together, maybe this is more. Peter will now have empathy when he ditches MJ rather than just blowing it off and thinking, “It stinks, but, well, she understands.”
Sin Eater – Sin Eater’s mission here is… different. He’s got cool new teleporting powers and I think we can assume that what he did to those Inner Demons in Peter’s dream really happened. But instead of killing, he redeems? So what does that mean for Overdrive’s future? Is he now free from the cowardice that made him stay a criminal? Will he be the good guy that he’s talked about being after far back as at least Superior Foes, if not farther? Now that Boomerang is a hero(-ish), will we see a new Heroes for Hire? (Please, can we?) I’m not sure how I feel about Sin Eater’s revival just yet. I loved the two Peter David stories and felt like the story was done, but I’m open to Spencer handling it.
Kindred – While we get no real clues to his identity here, we do get something else – He brought back Sin Eater with the ability to actually cleanse one of their sins. Overdrive is alive. Does this reflect Kindred’s plans? In the last issue’s review comments, ac and Jack Brooks speculated that Kindred doesn’t want to kill Peter, but get Peter to reconcile his behavior. This issue seems to point in that direction. I believe that ac and Jack are right, but I am going to also say that after Peter has been cleanses, Kindred will still try to kill him.
Extra Credit
Am I the only one who sees this video when I look at the cover of this issue?
Final Grade
I’m intrigued by the story and I liked Overdrive’s desire to be seen as a decent guy by Spider-Man before he dies, but Bagley’s art was sporadic at best and at times distracting.
B-
What’s Next?
- The Lethal Legion returns to threaten the Big Apple, and only Sin-Eater can save us?
- How can Spider-Man stop the murderous vigilante and… should he?
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!
‘Nuff Said!
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@David Blyth: From what I’ve seen on line, I don’t think there’s any way to really reconcile the two continuities. “MJ should have gotten back earlier” may be the best they could manage.
@David Blyth – I’m not up to date on AMJ, so you are coming at it with more background context than I am. That’s just how it looks to me just from ASM, but I feel that it could be read either way without deviating from what Spencer wants us to get from it.
Fair enough perspective…I was just trying to untangle the continuity of the Mary Jane book and reconcile it with what we know from this issue, as this was what Peter got up to after issue 6 of Amazing MJ. Boy do we need that book out
@David Blyth – I believe it is a part of the fantasy based on the caption box for that panel. It says, “There was a plan.” and the next one says, “MJ was supposed to be back in town hyping up her new movie.” To me it suggests that this and all the other panels was what Peter expected to have happened, but did not go down that way. I believe the push by Spencer to show Peter being stood up completely just like he has done to her countless times before. At least, that’s the way I read it.
Was Peter and MJ’s airport reunion part of a fantasy? I don’t think it was, sure everything else in the page IS a fantasy, but this issue is meant to run paralel with Amazing MJ#6…and in that issue, MJ was on a late night talk show, her plan was to then head over to the restaurant where Peter was situated. I’m sure Peter and MJ meeting and kissing at the airport actually happened.
@Sammers – I am glad you liked the art better than I did. We do agree that it had been inconsistent, which is jarring at times. I have heard the Kindred and MJ/airport kiss theory. I thought about it a lot, but think it is a coincidence. I do think the throwing away if the marriage is going to play a factor, but with Kindred being active before that (he was already powerful enough to lead Mysterio out of hell before the devil-deal), I can’t buy into that being a major factor. We’ll see sooner or later! If you are right, make sure to brag about it on the review of that issue and I will praise your insightfulness!
Mark: Oh I definitely went with the Max Dillion.
Great review. Really enjoyed the issue. I just can’t agree with you about the art. I thought Bagley did a fine job. The art on ASM has been inconsistent at best (and at its worst borderline impressionistic). I thought the angles here were dynamic and exciting, and I liked the atmosphere the colors and inking brought. It felt appropriate. Granted, maybe Bagley needs to shake the rust off a little (how long has it been since he drew 616 Spidey?).
Did anyone notice the panel of Peter and MJ kissing at the airport? This has been pointed out elsewhere, but back in ASM #143, they shared their first kiss at an airport, and in that issue MJ was wearing a purple coat (not unlike Kindred’s), and Peter was sporting a bandaged hand (not unlike Kindred’s bandaged arms and legs). Now in ASM #45, MJ is wearing purple jeans in Peter’s fantasy. I don’t think this is a coincidence. When MJ left for L.A. she was shown packing, and in one panel, the articles in her suitcase had that same Kindred color scheme.
There has to be some link between Peter and MJ’s relationship, and what Kindred actually is – either a representation of what was thrown away in OMD, or some reflection of that Mephisto deal that Peter has neglected in wanting to propose again.
I was leaning toward MJ looking like Max Dillon. Who did you think she looked like?
The HORRORS! Seeing Carlie Cooper was bad enough, but seeing how she was drawn better than Mary Jane is JUST WRONG!