Web of Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #3 (Story 1)

Background

This continues the Gauntlet origin stories

Story 'Gauntlet Origins: Rhino'

In a South American dictatorship, Rhino is a hired gun. He levels a rebel village but is thinking of his origin. Back when he was in the collection racket, his boss put him in contact with Russian dissidents. They used their technology to turn him into the near indestructible Rhino to help them make them richer. But he didn’t really understand the procedure himself.

Back in the present, his bosses tell him he took out the wrong people. They are working FOR the rebels. Rhino made a mistake as the flag he was looking at was upside down.

His boss and creator is furious ... calling Rhino stupid. That’s pretty much the last we see of him! Rhino says he’s not stupid – he’s simple and that there’s a difference. He says when he gets a job he completes a job. He finds the President’s train and charges it, wiping the vehicle out.

General Comments

I really enjoyed issue two but, for me, this is back to being as irrelevant as issue #1. While I thought the last issue told us some more about Electro – ie how he helped develop his own powers and clearly has some scientific prowess – I’m not really sure what we learned from this at all. Rhino’s a bit stupid but considers himself simple? Well, so what, really?

Again, this just seems like needless filler ($4 at that). The art is lovely but that can only take the story so far. I just don’t understand what I’m supposed to be taking from this issue that I didn’t already know.

Overall Rating

Largely a waste of time and money