Matt Defends Reg Hudlin

 In: Rave > 2005
 Posted: 2005
 Fan: Matt Morrison

I have just read your recently published review of Marvel Knights: Spider-Man #13, and I have to ask. Are you all getting kick-backs from Mark Millar now? Must everything that does not conform to the haphzard continuity of the alleged pride of Ireland now be condemned as out of character for Spider-Man?

In all seriousness, the gentleman who reviewed the issue seemed to be totally unwilling to give the new team a fair chance. I agree with his points about the art being a bit off (Peter does look more college age than late-20s, but that's always been a problem with Spider-Artists) but it is my opinion as a Spider-Man fan of over twenty-years that his review was totally inaccurate in regards to the writing.

Consider that one of his major complaints about the book is that it seems out of sequence with what is happening in the other books. I thought it was well-understood by most comic fans that sometimes books get delayed and some stories wind up being released before others. This should not affect how you feel about the story itself.

Besides, conflicts between books unrelated to shipping delays are the fault of the editor, not the writer. He says he's confused by seeing Peter walking up to Stark Tower as his house just got destroyed in the last Amazing Spider-Man and that Wolverine is on the team even though he hasn't joined it in New Avengers yet. I think that's more the fault of the increasingly late creative team behind New Avengers than it is the writer of MK Spidey, don't you?

I think it's also a bit early to begin decrying how Peter has lost all of his character growth simply because he's changed jobs again. Because it is certainly against type for Peter to lose a job because of bad luck and have to lean on Jolly Jonah for help. That's NEVER happened before.

And I personally found the opening scene hilarious. I thought it was perfectly obvious that Jarvis was putting the mack on Aunt May and Peter was upset about the idea of his sainted Aunt even thinking about moving on past Uncle Ben. Like many sons are when their widowed moms are about the idea of their dad being replaced.

And while Peter does know Wolverine, they've never been particuarly chummy or liked each other that much. I know the last time they DID do a team-up of considerably length, Logan found Peter's jokes annoying and Peter hated Logan's violent tendencies. So Peter coming home to find Logan with his wife (and knowing bloody well how Logan is about redheads... Scott Summers has talked) and being annoyed about it is rather understandable.

I don't mean for this to sound rude or insulting. I've always enjoyed your magazine in the past and have usually foud its' reviews to be right on the money. I just wonder in this case if you haven't found yourself the pulpit for a Millar apologist who is determined to destroy anything that does not conform to the vision of his favorite writer. I noticed that in this other writers reviews, he always accuses other writers of ignoring what Millar is doing in his title. Might it not be possible that it is the other way around and Millar is in fact ignoring what the rest of the Spider-Man writers are doing? Just a thought.

 In: Rave > 2005
 Posted: 2005
 Fan: Matt Morrison