SPIDER-MAN/BLACK CAT: THE EVIL THAT MEN DO #2

By: Arnold T. Blumberg
Date: Friday, August 23, 2002

As much as I enjoy some aspects of Kevin Smith's fanboy-inspired humor, I have to say that his excessively juvenile attitude can occasionally rub me the wrong way. It becomes especially grating when it seems to demean characters and events that deserve a greater level of respect. But whereas Smith's adolescent fixation on lesbians and immature sexual double entendres is annoying at worst, mildly amusing at best, at least he doesn't sink to the level of turning Spider-Man into a prattling, insult-hurling jackass. That would be Ron Zimmerman at the wheel, and the less said about him the better.

No, all things considered, Smith's new Spider-Man/Black Cat "team-up" seems to be picking up steam - and not necessarily in a sexual way. Spidey and his ex have re-established their old partnership, more or less, and are rediscovering the many things that attracted each of them to the other all those years ago. While Pete is still technically a married man, there's something enticing about a woman who shares all your secrets and can keep pace with you as you swing through the city streets. Will Peter find himself falling for Felicia all over again? What of Mary Jane, his estranged wife? And let's not forget that this isn't a one-sided thing either: Felicia is remembering just what kind of a man she let go, and she might not want to let the wall-crawler out of her sight again. Sounds like divorce proceedings might be in order.

Smith's scripting of the dialogue scenes between Spidey and the Cat are as near to pitch perfect as any fan could hope for, although I must admit that I can't figure out why Peter persists in hurling weight-related jabs at the incredibly slim and sultry Felicia. Thankfully, Smith has her fire back at the politically incorrect Parker, so he comes off as less of a bully and more of a resentful ex-beau. By the end of this issue, you almost want to see them give it another shot, even if it means Peter must betray Mary Jane to do it. Let's face it: Felicia was always a better choice for a permanent companion, since she could not only deal with Parker's double life but participate in it. Still, I doubt Marvel is ready to deal with marital infidelity in the pages of a Spider-book.

Oh yeah, and there's also a whole criminal plot concerning a Mr. Brownstone, and a lady Scorpion poses a problem for the newly reunited super-duo, but that's as may be. The real attraction here is seeing an '80s couple taking up their webs and ropes once more and swinging into action just like they did in the good old days. So who cares if it's a little juvenile?