| Sensational Spider-Man #41 |
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| Posted by Sam Holland |
06:50 AM Wednesday, 19 December 2007 |
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 Part three of One More Day is easily the best chapter thus far. And it's also the worst. Don't worry, it'll all make sense soon enough. Peter has been running around for two issues trying to find a way to save Aunt May who is on her death bed. He's explored the scientific and the mystical, sought council from both heroes and villains with no solution forthcoming. Time is running out, and all seems lost. Then he meets a little girl who literally and figuratively leads him down a path of discovery. This issue has a great message on how our choices define the people we become. Peter gets to see two different threads of what his life could have been like if he hadn't been bitten by that spider all those years ago. In one, he becomes introverted and bitter, the other, successful and empty. There is, of course, at least one more way his life could have gone that he isn't shown. But what do you expect from the Devil? Mephisto, the Marvel universe version of the devil, offers to save his dear aunt- at a price. I know what you're thinking, and it's not his soul, that would be too cliché. No, he wants his and Mary Jane's love. Peter and MJ are given a choice, a rock and a hard place kind of choice that sends their world reeling. Straczynski excels when placing his hero in the pit of a moral dilemma. The theme of choices is one he's covered many times in his other work, so it's easy to see his passion for the subject in this issue. It's no secret that he disagrees with the current editorial direction of the book (so much so that he almost had his name removed from it), but he doesn't let it affect his story telling. It's sharp writing about dealing with demons both within and without. In past installments it seemed like Quesada was trying so hard to make it all perfect that it fell flat, but he's in a groove on this issue. His layout and pacing makes the story easy to read and he does a fine job of capturing the surreal, moody atmosphere this issue requires. Mephisto has never looked creepier. So why is the worst? Because although Peter has been given a choice, the decision has already been made. This sets up the inevitable demise of the Peter-MJ marriage that Quesada has long railed against and paves the way for a Brand New Day. But we'll get into that when Amazing Spider-Man #545 hits the stands (still a week and a half away). And who knows, maybe I'll be on time with that review. I can get it done, no problem. All I need is one more day. Comments (0) |
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