Deron Generally
Deron Generally
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #6
Marvel Comics
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Michael Walsh
Colors by Ian Herring
Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham
In one of the most surreal scenes to begin a comic, Spider-Man sits down to dinner with J. Jonah Jameson. No Peter Parker isn’t having dinner with his old boss, Spider-Man is sitting down with the one person who has hated him harder and longer than any member of the Sinister Six ever could. Unfortunately, these two are not meeting as friends, colleagues or even acquaintences, Peter needs information from Jameson about Teresa Durand (Peter’s possible long lost sister) and Jameson won’t give it to him unless he agrees to an interview. The beginning of the interview goes as well as expected with insults flying back and forth.
As the two decide to try again, Jameson gives Spidey info on the former S.H.I.E.L.D agent now fugitive including the reason for her to go on the run and its connection to The Tinkerer. With that, Spider-Man honors his part of the agreement and the interview begins. The interview gets more intense as Jameson grills him on his motivations and doesn’t believe the answers he’s given, even though they’re true. When confronted with Jameson’s role in trying to kill Spider-Man through the years, the truth behind Jameson’s hatred for Spidey comes out.
As the two of them continue to snipe at each other back and forth, the history they share forces Spider-Man to make a decision that will change the relationship between these two men forever.
I like the possibility of taking time away from action and adventure and diving into character and relationship. This issue does that. The long history and buried anger that readers have known for years finally comes to the surface with both men giving as good as they take. Zdarsky does a great job of calling back to the seminal moments that not only defined Jameson’s relationship with Spider-Man, but gives Peter the opportunity to confront Jameson’s actions and how they’ve affected everyone around him. Walsh’s art is subtle and conveys the real humanity behind these characters. The use of close-ups works to convey the intimacy of two people talking. I really enjoyed it.
