Spider-Man: Arachnis Project #2

 Posted: Sep 2011
 Staff: Dan North (E-Mail)

Background

Continued from the first issue.

Story 'Bringing Down the House!'

  Spider-Man: Arachnis Project #2
Summary: Warrant, The Diggers, Spoiler, Sneak-Thief
Arc: Part 2 of 'The Arachnis Project' (1-2-3-4-5-6)
Editor: Eric Fein
Writer: Mike Lackey
Pencils: Andrew Wildman
Inker: Stephen Baskerville

Two muscle-bound gun-wielding goons bust in as Spider-Man attempts to thwart Sneak-Thief from stealing a vase in D.C.

Their names are revealed as Spoiler and Warrant and before they can start shooting at Sneak-Thief Spider-Man pulls her out of the webbing and carries her away from the two. He webs her to a pole and returns to the fray.

They battle and Spoiler escapes. Warrant is revealed to be the one who killed the lizard in Web of Spider-Man #112. Spider-Man tries to stop Warrant from escaping but is stopped by federal agents.

Meanwhile Sneak-Thief escapes the webbing and prepares to flee in a modified car. She is followed by Warrant who arrests her and returns the vase to the museum curator. Before the federal agents can cart Sneak-Thief away a giant robot, codenamed “Digger” bursts through the ground and kidnaps Sneak-Thief, despite Spider-Man’s interference.

Meanwhile federal agents threaten Mr. Mikashi, and the Jury talks about Venom and does lots of expository things for the reader.

Peter visit’s Mr.Mikashi after he learns that his former professor was working on a new weapon for the government. Peter and Mikashi talk and are then attacked by federal agents.

General Comments

I don’t ask for a lot from an issue of a Spider-Man comic. I really don’t. I want serviceable art, okay dialogue and a plot. Emphasis on the plot part.

Now you guys just read my summary of this issue and tell me something: did this issue have a plot or was it just a collection of events? That’s right it was just a collection of events.

Now to be fair with a talented writer a collection of events can work as an issue with some flow between said events. But to be frank this issue was not written well.

The art was… serviceable. I could always tell what was going on and that’s pretty much all I can say about it.

Before I close up I’ll say this: I am a big fan of the 90’s era of Spider-Man. In fact my favorite issue of Spider-Man is from the 90’s. Yes, the era is hated but it’s hated because of a large majority of the comics were like this one.

I didn’t enjoy writing this review because I don’t like saying bad things about comics. If I don’t enjoy it I usually tend not to talk about it but this is a review and that’s what reviews are for. So I’ll leave it at this: this was truly a painful reading experience.

Overall Rating

It kills me to give any comic a 0.5 but this issue deserves it. I’m very glad I got this whole limited series for 50 cents a pop.

 Posted: Sep 2011
 Staff: Dan North (E-Mail)