Writer: Greg Weisman
Artist: Emilio Laiso
Colorist: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Production: Gabriel Mata
Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski
Cover Artists: Emilio Laiso & Edgar Delgado; Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 5, 2025
The Electros are charged up and ready to fry. Peter and Miles may be used to electrifying experiences, but Max and Francine reduce Elementary to a puddle and still Anna Romney’s cheating heart. Will the Electros finish off their spider prey, or will the Lizard rush in to save the day? Let's grab a "Parker" from Max Vinck, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #13, and find out!
Story
While Peter and Miles mended their broken lives with their friends in the Coffee Bean, Max and Francine came to blows in The Bar With No Name. Peter Parker and Miles Morales happily share their moniker. Yet Max and Francine contested for ownership of their supervillain brand. Peter and Miles' teamwork prompted Max and Francine to work together to defeat their mutual enemies. In Spectacular Spider-Men #13, the joys of partnership make Max and Francine contemplate a long-term team-up.
Shelly and Kenny were the glue that bonded the Spider-Men's weekly meetups. But Max Vinck has ascended from the bemused barista who insisted everyone buy something to imagining a future with Juliet. When Anna lies in a pool of the girl he's strictly friends with, Max shines in Greg Weisman's story. Max Vinck even engages in humorous dialogue once the Spideys awaken. (You didn't think they would die, did you?) He's not ready for superlative quipping yet, but with Max demonstrating heroism, perhaps he will follow in the splashy footsteps of Juliet (aka Elementary).
Speaking of Elementary, she has already endured enough pain and loss to justify her superhero status. In Spectacular Spider-Men #13, Juliet discovers another downside to defending people against supervillains. Her newly minted status comes with no guarantees, though. If the perils of superpowers overwhelm her fragile feelings, the most formidable person Ben Grimm has ever trained could end up drinking alongside Max and Francine at The Bar With No Name.
Art
Emilio Laiso gives Curt Connors a stone-cold demeanor. After exposing his fears when the Electros kidnap his son, Curt shows no emotion as the Lizard sinks his teeth into Max Dillon's arm. While the Lizard's green hide links him with the villains, his glowing eyes and Connor's frown while phoning make clear they're not intent on turning the other cheek.
As Peter and Miles play a version of Who’s On First In The Spider-Verse with Max Vinck, Elementary's brown form recalls her earliest transformations in the Coffee Bean. When tears stream down her face, Elementary's blue uniform suggests the mentors she most identified with. While Edgar Delgado delivers a loaded palette on this nighttime adventure in Spectacular Spider-Men #13, yellow and green dominate, and white proves the most shocking.
Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes while Max and Francine hold hands. Dialogue grows bold and swells when Francine designates Max as her partner in crime. Balloons get cloudy when heroes arise. The Lizard may have helped Misty Knight and Peter battle vampires. But his growled, italicized words show he's nobody's hero. Red growls and roars join white sizzling. The names and descriptions in white boxes remind us why we care about heroes and villains, whether their power comes from their personalities or caring for others. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
As action and humor vie for attention, drama demands the spotlight as Juliet Marcos (aka Elementary) suffers the aftereffects of Arcade and Mentallo’s manipulations. But far from dwelling on a love triangle, Spectacular Spider-Men #13 is all about love: how we find it, how it threatens other relationships, and what we will do to protect those we cherish.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
No comments:
Post a Comment