Spider-Girl #77 Review

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Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: A Taste for Treachery

Script, Plot, and Pencils by: Tom DeFalco & Ron Frenz
Finished Art by: Sal Buscema
Colored by: Gotham
Lettered by: V.C.’s Dave Sharpe
Assistant Editor: Nicole Wiley
Editor: Andy Schmidt
Publisher: Marvel Comics

If you hadn’t read comics in twenty-five years and you picked Spider-Girl up on a lark, it’s probably the only Marvel or DC book that would be somewhat recognizable to the all-ages roots of comicdom, plus give you the impression that there’s been some real progression in the last quarter century. The style used by DeFalco and Frenz captures the spirit of what comics used to be, but still updates it with a contemporary sense. You never feel like you’re reading a 20 year old comic, but you feel like you’re reading the logical continuation of those older books.

The subplots and supporting characters continue to shine above most books out there. DeFalco and Frenz juggle quite well between Mayday’s life at home, school, as well as her involvement with various super-humans. With all this going on you might feel like you can’t just pick this title up and enjoy. Well that is the furthest thing from the truth. I’ve a little more than a dozen issues of the series (which includes the recent Marvel Age digest) and I’ve never felt lost. Spider-Girl is written to be very approachable to new readers. You might not get all of the subtexts that are going on, but the main story ideas are wholly approachable.

I’m not trying to sound down on the comic industry of today. There are probably more consistently-excellent reads each month then ever before. Yet, there just aren’t enough books that are evocative of comic’s glory days. Spider-Girl is one of the best in that regard!

The plots seems to be spinning its wheels slightly at the onset this month, but there are several important revelations, plot resolutions, as well as the start of what should conclude the most recent storyline next month. A score of big happenings is de rigueur for this book every month. While this story is part of a rather epic storyline that’s been going on for several months, there is a strong build-up here with and this part, like the parts before, feels complete in of itself.

A really cool touch this month was a plot element where Mayday actually asks her dad (a retired from web-slinging Peter Parker) for some aid in her current battle against the would-be Kingpin >>>>>>>> and the Lady Octopus. In the time that I’ve been reading she seems to leave her parents who’ve lived through it all out of the loop. It’s a perfectly believable scenario for a teen. Yet, it’s nice to see her going to the right people for some help too. It shows that May is growing up.

I like Spider-Girl more and more each month. I can’t believe it took me so long to get into it. Now if Marvel would get cracking with more Digests!