Death Week Mega-Post - Kraven's Last Hunt

[alexanderlucard]

This has always been my favourite Spidey story of all time, so I figured what better time to post it than during this week.

Beneath the cut are 28 pages from the 146 page Marvel Premiere Classic hardcover or specifically, seven pages from Web of Spider-Man #31, four pages from Amazing Spider-Man #293, four and a third pages from Spectacular Spider-Man #131, six pages from Web of Spider-Man #32, and six pages from Amazing Spider-Man #294.





























































Suggested Tags: Char: Spider-Man, Char: Kraven The Hunter/Sergei Kravinov, Creator: J.M. DeMatteis, Creator: Mike Zeck

Comments

[alexanderlucard]

If I had been alloted a few more pages I'd have done the few where Mary Jane is attacked by a gang and is saved by Spider-Kraven or the set where she gets this sensation that Peter is dead and then kills a rat in their apartment.

[jcbaggee]

But again, not gratuitous, as those moments serve to further characterization and overall plot, and aren't just GRIM!DARK!RAPE!SEX!DEATH

[alexanderlucard]

Agreed. I don't really see Kraven's Last Hunt as GRIMDARK. I mean, through it all it's primarily a love story between Mary Jane and Peter, along with a really strong character analysis of Kraven the Hunter. Kraven even points out he is over seventy at this point and looks far younger than he really is due to herbs and jungle tonics. I always viewed Kraven's narrative as an elderly man who may possibly be bi-polar and his descent into dementia (partly from his age, partly from bi-polar being a genetically inherited mental disorder, and partly from the drugs kept to keep his body young and vital).

You have this ultimate hunter who always viewed Peter Parker not as a man, not as even Spider-Man but as a SPIDER who walked like a man and through this entire six part arc, he comes to realize Spider-Man is a MAN who happened to be spider-esque. He finally caught his ultimate game and unlike some hunters who kill their prey simply to kill, Kraven did a "catch and release" on Spidey, and having achieved his ultimate goal in life, killed himself before madness/dementia could claim his mind. Euthanasia if you will instead of having what would remain of his mind trapped in a very healthy but slowly (if at all) aging body.