By Brian Reed (Writer), Chris Bachalo (Pencils & Colors), Tim Townsend (Inks), and Antonio Fabela (Color Guides)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m a huge fan of Chris Bachalo’s artwork and I’ve enjoyed nearly everything that I’ve read from Brian Reed. So, needless to say, Sinister Spider-Man #1 was an easy purchase. I expect good things…
The Story: Mac Gargan is Spider-Man… The Dark Avengers’ version at least. Posing as Spider-Man while the Venom symbiote messes with the stability of his mind, Gargan stops a bank robbery, hits a strip joint, and comes up with a plan to get back at the one that made him who he is, J. Jonah Jameson! Meanwhile, a mysterious figure that calls himself The Redeemer wants to help some of the people that Spider-Man put away…
What’s Good: Dark, twisted, funny, stylish, and also a little bit obnoxious, Sinister Spider-Man #1 kicks all sorts of ass. The writing compliments the visuals and vice versa in such a way that the first chapter of Mac Gargan’s Dark Reign tie-in reads and looks like something truly unique. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the start of the Sinister Spidey mini just might be one of the most fun comics I’ve read in quite some time.
Brian Reed’s take on Mac Gargan hits all the right notes. It brings to mind what Warren Ellis did with the character during the critically acclaimed Thunderbolts run that reintroduced Venom to the masses. The one key difference is that Reed’s Gargan is a little less psychotic and a little more comfortable with what he’s become. It’s a fair trade considering how Gargan has to take front and center as opposed to strictly playing off other teammates. Reed’s Gargan is a crass, sarcastic lowlife that’s pretty satisfied with his new position of power and ready to take advantage of everything that the new position offers. There’s a number of great lines throughout the book and leaves you feeling as though Gargan is written exactly the way he should be for a book about a Sinister version of Spider-Man (which, brilliantly, feels like an extension of the ongoing Amazing Spider-Man series).
I can’t say enough about how awesome the work by Chris Bachalo and the rest of the art team looks. It’s very distinct and proves to be a great fit for the crazy tone of the book. Bachalo’s characters are loaded with personality and his unique panel layouts do a great job of reflecting the feel of each individual scene. Also worthy of note is how striking the few black and white scenes are. While they look a bit simplified at times, they serve as a neat look into Gargan’s twisted mind.
What’s Not So Good: Simply put, Sinister Spider-Man #1 isn’t a book for everyone. It’s every bit the “love it or hate it” book that I assumed it would be when I first heard about it. Chris Bachalo’s artwork is clearly going to divide audiences and Brian Reed’s dialogue is most definitely going to offend some (Dead stripper dark humor…’nuff said).
Conclusion: Sinister Spider-Man #1 is awesome…IF you are the type of person that can get into what it offers. I expected good, what I got was great. While I certainly can’t recommend it to everyone, I can still give it the grade I feel it deserves…
Grade: A
-Kyle Posluszny
Filed under: Reviews, Marvel Comics Tagged: | Spider-Man, Marvel Comics, Chris Bachalo, Venom, Brian Reed, Spider-Man, Tim Townsend, Norman Osborn, Mac Gargan, Thunderbolts, Comic Book Reviews, Weekly Comic Book Review, Dark Reign, weeklycomicbookreview.com, dark avengers, Kyle Posluszny, Comic Book Review, Antonia Fabela, Sinister Spider-Man #1, Redeemer, Sinister Spider-Man #1 review
