Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: N/A
Script, Plot, and Artwork by: Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz
Colored by: Gotham
Lettered by: V.C.’s Dave Sharpe
Editor: Nicole Wiley
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Superhero weddings always have one major conceit that is expected: the bad guys show up and wreak havoc. Well, it seems, engagement parties with ex-super-villains that are the stepson of a superheroes best friend, go that way too.
This month’s tale begins at the engagement party of one Normie Osborn, grandson of Norman Osborn (the original Green Goblin), and stepson of Foggy Nelson, Daredevil’s best buddy. In the past, Normie was known to don the Green Goblin gear. He has since gone straight and become good friends with our hero, Spider-Girl. Spider-Girl’s alter-ego, Mayday Parker, her dad, Peter Parker (the original Spider-Man), and Johnny Storm are also in attendance at the engagement party.
That’s a recipe for a rather disorderly party.
As these things go, Fury (The Goblin Queen), essentially the new Green Goblin, shows up and ruins the affair. Making things worse, Fury has gotten hold of the Venom symbiote, which she fuses to Normie. Fury and Venom then escape into the night to wreak havoc.
Since this is Spider-Girl and not one of many other titles on the comic rack, we’re only just getting started. After getting home, Mayday, to the disapproval of dad, dons the Spidey gear and hits the webs. She meets up with Fury and Venom, and a rocking fight scene ensues. The confrontation brings Darkdevil (the heir to Daredevil) into the fray, albeit to disastrous results. Along the way Tom DeFalco inserts some excellent character moments with Mayday, and her relationship to her mother and father, Normie, as well as her new boyfriend, Chris. As always, this month’s Spider-Girl contains tons of characterization, outstanding narration, and exciting action sequences.
Not to be forgotten, Ron Frenz does his usual stellar job. Frenz has a knack for pulling off fight scenes that are entertaining, hard hitting, but flow well from panel-to-panel. One of my favorite moments in the issue is the calm when the bad guys seem to have Spider-Girl defeated and Darkdevil shows up. The first image on page nineteen shows Fury and Venom worried as hell looking up at a rapidly descending Darkdevil–just brilliant reactions.
The fact that Venom shows up should help to bring in some new readers for Spider-Girl. Anytime you bring a character in with crossover appeal, the key is not to waste the opportunity to nab new readers. Tom DeFalco doesn’t waste the chance with the opening narration getting you caught up on Mayday and the rest of the cast. This issue serves as a great jumping on point. Of course, almost every issue of Spider-Girl is a great jumping on point. Spider-Girl remains a beautiful link to classic comic storytelling, written like a comic book and not part of a trade paperback.
