{"id":5490,"date":"2010-09-13T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-13T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=5490"},"modified":"2010-09-15T18:54:59","modified_gmt":"2010-09-15T18:54:59","slug":"amazing-spider-man-crime-and-punisher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2010\/09\/13\/amazing-spider-man-crime-and-punisher\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazing Spider-Man: Crime and Punisher"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Marc Guggenheim<\/strong>, Joe Kelly<\/strong>, Barry Kitson<\/strong>, Chris Bachalo<\/strong> & various (Marvel Comics)
\nISBN: 978-0-7851-5417-6<\/p>\n

Although a little disingenuous and rather disjointed for my tastes Crime and Punisher<\/strong> is a splendid slice of spidery superhero shenanigans that proves the modern Wall-Crawler still has a broad reach and plot-themes to suit many moods and occasions.<\/p>\n

First off ignore the term \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Crime\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as the very best part of this collection (comprising Amazing Spider-Man<\/strong> #474-577, and portions of Spider-Man: Brand New Day -Extra<\/strong>!! #1) is a poignant and moving human interest tale with oldest friend Flash Thompson reaching a huge and shocking turning point in his life after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq.<\/p>\n

Written by Marc Guggenheim, illustrated by Barry Kitson & Mark Farmer, this low-key tale of inspiration and ordinary heroism is a genuinely moving tribute to soldiers and one of the best Spidey tales of the last twenty years, but it is light-years away from the dark and frenetic retooling of the strictly B-List villain that follows.<\/p>\n

‘Death of a Wise Guy’<\/em> <\/strong>by Joe Kelly, Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend (from Spider-Man: Brand New Day -Extra<\/strong>!! #1) tells the secret history of the screen-gangster obsessed young Mafioso who became the brain-damaged cyborg Hammerhead and how his painful rehabilitation and rebuilding under the aegis of new criminal mastermind Mister Negative elevates a clownish super-thug to the top of the villain heap\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

When the Spider-Man continuity was drastically and controversially altered at the end of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153One More Day\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong> publishing event a refreshed, now single-and-never-been-married Peter Parker was parachuted into a new life, so if this is your first Web-spinning yarn in a while or if you’re drawing your cues from the movies be prepared to be a little confused.<\/p>\n

Therefore this tale from the follow-up \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Brand New Day\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong> event sees Parker, a photographer for independent newspaper Front Line stumbling on Negative and Hammerhead’s scheme to consolidate the street gangs into a vast army of boy-soldiers, in ‘Family Ties’<\/em> (Amazing Spider-Man<\/strong> #475-6, with additional inks from Jaime Mendoza & Al Vey), a brooding, brutally epic clash wherein Parker puts his life on the line to save Gangsta kids from the Cyborg’s join-or-die recruitment campaign. Kelly’s signature wild comedy perfectly counterpoints the savage battles and highlights the quantum leap in malice the new Hammerhead is capable of\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

The book ends with Punisher reluctantly and spectacularly reuniting with Spider-Man to stop their mutual old foe Moses Magnum, a ruthless arms-merchant who has found a way to weaponise Gamma radiation: giving any buyer a serum that producers berserker incredible Hulks to order\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

‘Old Hunting Buddies’<\/em> (Amazing Spider-Man<\/strong> #477) parts 1 and 2 are written by Zeb Wells, drawn by Paolo Rivera and coloured by Javier Rodriguez & Dean White, with Kelly Kitson & Farmer’s ‘A Bookie Minute Mystery’<\/em> bisecting the saga. This last is a cheery little interlude that touches base with J. Jonah Jameson, recovering from heart-surgery and already making plans for his inevitable return\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Fast-paced, bold and extremely engrossing the quality of the individual tales is undeniable, but like an old time Vaudeville Show there’s a marked lack of cohesion, a start instead of a beginning and a close but no ending. Pretty even if lacking in context, it would be a shame if these stories were missed or passed over, so any Fights ‘n’ Tights fan should really give this book a look if they haven’t already\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n