Spider-Man Noir #4

Background

Ulrich is dead and the files containing information to bring the goblin to justice are safely with Felicia Hardy. The Goblin assumes that Peter has them and wants to end the game once and for all. We last saw Aunt May looking for Peter while the Vulture is hanging above her waiting...

Story Details

The Vulture pounces on May, taunting her by saying "Husssband had more meat on him." Claiming he was delicious. Just then the spider is behind him telling Toomes to drop May. Toomes drops May and Peter thinks about Uncle Ben and shoots Toomes three times killing him. Aunt May is outraged that Spider-man shot an unarmed man, even though she was going to be killed. She asks why he couldn't have used his webs instead of his gun, now believing what the papers say about Spider-man. May demands the gun from him, but Peter knowing the Goblin will never stop declines and leaves.

Spider-man heads to a place that is called the "Torture House" to find Jameson. Inside Felicia demands to be let go, but Norman shows her that JJ has been captive there for weeks and demanding hasn't worked for him. Felicia is stunned to see Jameson alive. Osborn assumes she sent the Spider-man to kill Jonah, but Felicia reveals that she had the files in her possession when Ulrich asked her for them and she was in the apartment when Ben was shot. She managed to flee through the fire escape and at the first chance she got she shot Jameson where he sat. The Goblin then with that information decides that Ms. Hardy must be punished for killing one of his men.

Felicia scratches Normans face, causing him to make her death a slow and painful one by throwing her into a case with spiders, but only until the Vulture arrives with Peter. Just then spider-man jumps down from the ceiling where he has been watching the whole time and starts webbing up Montana and dodges the bullets fired from Kraven's gun. Spider-man picks up a big pipe and whacks Ox out cold with it. Kraven shoots again at spider-man, but Spidey throws the Kraven's pet monkey in the line of fire and it is shot dead. Kraven comments that Spider-man will pay for that, before getting hit with the pipe himself.

The goblin presses a lever that opens up a tiger cage beside JJ's . Just as the tiger is about to pounce on Jonah, Spider-man jumps on the beasts back and webs it mouth shut. Spidey tries to free Jameson who tells Spidey to go after Felicia first, who is getting dragged away as a hostage of the Goblin. Kraven gets back up, his mouth broken mumbles some words, Spider-man makes a joke and pushes Kraven into the case of spiders which all climb and bite Kraven.

The Goblin and Felicia are in the sewers running away. Felicia is telling Norman his days are over and that every politician and crooked cop will be after him to make sure he doesn't rat anyone of them out. Spider-man catches up to the both of them and wrestles Osborn to the ground causing the gun to into the murky water. During the scuffle Osborn takes off Spider-mans mask to reveal Peter's face. Peter also grabs at Norman's face to show that he is wearing a mask as well!

The Goblin explains he was also a part of the freak show and was tormented by the kids throwing rocks at him, and now he gets respect, he is feared. Goblin then tells Peter that to pull the trigger, be a hero. But Pete think about Ulrich, his Uncle Ben and about what his aunt said about not wanting to live in a world where people kill one another like animals and decides not to kill the goblin, but rather make sure that the goblin stands trial. Norman picks up Peters gun and aims at Pete, who quickly uses his webs to clog the gun causing it to backfire. As the Goblin tries to get away he runs into Kraven who is covered in spiders. Kraven attacks the Goblin and the two disappear into the sewer water.

Two months later Felicia is sitting in her apartment reading the paper a loud with her many, many cats. The article reports that seventeen high-ranking officers and a number of politicians are going to be charged with corruption. Spider-man shows up in her window and she asks him to take the mask off, which he obliges to. He asks Felicia about her relationship to the Goblin and if she left Ben for him. Felicia doesn't answer the question commenting that "It's none of your business. " Before leaving Peter hands her a photo of Ben and Felicia holding each other smiling. And Felicia is left alone with the small token.

The ending wraps up saying that the Goblin and his cronies are either in jail or dead, JJ is back to his post as Editor for the Bugle and May is still on her soapbox. Peter continues to fight the monsters and evil in the world because as he says "Good guys always win."

General Comments

The artwork and scripting was just brilliant. Sapolsky did an amazing job; the artwork just jumps off the page and is so vivid and wonderful. His faces and poses are spot on for every panel. At times it feels like there is just too much coming at you in this comic, but it never overwhelms you to the point where you feel like you head is going to explode, or confuse you. Peter inner thoughts are very interesting and deep in thought. I left them out of the story details because it would do no justice. You need to see what is going on in order to fully appreciate the full context of what his is saying.

Overall Rating

As the last part of Noir this was wrapped up beautifully. We finally get to see Spider-man use his trademark wit and his character gets built to a point where he learns to never cross the line of killing a man. I for one really hope they do a second story.