Spider-Man: Reign #2

[cyberghostface.insanejournal.com]

Quick recap: This takes place in a near future where New York has essentially become an authoritarian government run by Mayor Waters. Waters backs a "laser-powered protective barrier", the Webb, which will supposedly protect the city from any "super-terrorist attack". He has also suspended the normal electoral processes, remaining in office without an election and justifying this as a security issue. Super-powered crime is now a thing of the past, and the city is "protected" by a police force known as the Reign.

Peter Parker is now a broken-down old man, living by himself and being haunted by the ghost of his dead wife. One night, a much older J. Jonah Jameson knocks on his door with a package--Spider-Man's black mask. Peter shuts the door in Jonah's face, so Jonah goads the Reign agents into attacking him, causing Peter to come out of retirement.

As with issue #1, the issue is 40 pages.







Saks describes these men as the "Sinner Six". Waters points out that by unleashing them onto the public, the Webb will essentially trap them with the Six. Saks tells him that microthermal explosives are being implanted into the Six's bodies that will detonate if they attempt to stray from the flock. If they serve their penance, they will be released outside the city after the Webb has been activated, preventing them from returning.

There's a couple of pages of Peter talking to "Mary-Jane" and trying to get packed and leave. He knows now they'll be looking for him, and he shaves off his beard to prevent them from recognizing him.

The unnamed girl is reading one of Jonah's Bugle papers but it is quickly taken away from her by Reign agents, calling it illegal contraband. A young boy named Kasey spots her from an alley, and tells her to follow him.





This causes every television screen and other forms of electronic media to be replaced by Jonah's messages, telling everyone that Spider-Man has returned. This causes quite an uproar in the streets, and the Reign officers try to calm everyone down.

The Hypno Hustler, now an old man with an afro and disco outfit, makes a rather bizarre appearance. Wanting to help Spider-Man out, he plays his boom box to make everyone dance but the batteries die out and he gets shot. Peter and "Mary-Jane" witness this through the window. Peter doesn't know how, but he's back in his costume.

Comments

[joysweeper.insanejournal.com]

This does make me wonder where the rest of the MU is. I mean, New York is practically the center of that world. Wouldn't they have had something to say about it being taken over by facists?

In a couple hundred years, sure, it could well be another Latveria, but within the lifespans of human characters?

[domino_blue.insanejournal.com]

Who knows it's like the X-men books that way what happens to all the non mutant heroes in the bad future? I mean we get explanations here and there but we never see it. I for one would love to see Captain America lead a team to take on the Sentinels who will enslave mankind.

[arilou_skiff.insanejournal.com]

IIRC in most of those stories the implication is that he does... And loses. I believe at least one of the dystopian X-futures had his shield around.

[wizardru.insanejournal.com]

IIRC, the original Days of Future Past made it pretty clear that groups like the Avengers fought and lost against the Sentinel onslaught. Gravestone markers existed for members of the Avengers, the FF and some other groups in background shots, I think. Specific reference was made that the Sentinels killed off most superheroes because they didn't conform closely enough to the 'standard human template' and were in the Sentinels eyes, just as much mutants as the X-men.

[domino_blue.insanejournal.com]

Yeah but like I said I rather see than tell like a cool flashback.

[nagaoka.insanejournal.com]

Nooo! I wanted to see creepy dead Doc Ock D :

[zechs27.insanejournal.com]

Isn't creepy Dead ock in #3?

[cyberghostface.insanejournal.com]

He is.

[nagaoka.insanejournal.com]

Haven't read it. I wouldn't know. I just want to see it.

[thokstar.insanejournal.com]

So I went and spoiled myself on the twist of the villain by looking at wikipedia, and it's interesting to see how it's foreshadowed (both in the speaking habits of the character, and in the plot.)

[punishermax.insanejournal.com]

This...really feels like a gigantic ripoff of Fark Knight Returns.

[zechs27.insanejournal.com]

It's intended to be just more tragic and Spidey is fighting Capt America. The villain behind all of this is just too good to spoil.

[omgwtflolbbqbye.insanejournal.com]

It's not really ripping it off TDK since the writer and artist constantly name drop it and acknowledge it as inspiring their story in the first place. Also they named two of the characters after Miller and Jansen...

Anyways, aside from the initial concept of 'old/washed-up hero returns in dystopian future', the story isn't that similar to DKR. The characters are still uniquely Spider-Man-ish as are their problems, arcs, and themes within the miniseries.

[angelophile.insanejournal.com]

For me it always felt like a deliberate riff on TDK for the reasons you state: It blatantly starts off using the same themes and concepts, including the constant media interruptions. But it's where it goes from there that's interesting. It's sort of a "What If TDK was about Spider-man not Batman" and rather than changing Spidey's character to be Batman, it clearly highlights why he's NOT Batman by the end of the book.

That's how I always thought of it anyway.

[menagerie.insanejournal.com]

I'd also say that the quasi religious angle of it is not at all reminiscent of the TDK.

[cyberghostface.insanejournal.com]

Right. There are similarities, as you said, to the concept of the old hero in a dystopian future and a general dark tone. But besides that, the stories are pretty different. Even the talking media heads which are used to compare Reign to DKR is executed differently--here they're basically spokespersons for the government, whereas in DKR they were used to show society's views on Batman.

If people want to a see real ripoff go look up Zinda and see how it compares to Oldboy.

[comicoz.insanejournal.com]

The hypno hustler scene is so awesome I wish you had posted it, but I understand why you posted what you did. Nice job on trying to hit the highlights with the limit you have. This series loses a lot with the trimmed pages =/

SD - The CliffNotes of Comic books.

[cyberghostface.insanejournal.com]

Sorry. :( I wanted to post it too but there was just no room. There's a number of stuff that I was going to post but had to cut out (such as the scene where Peter tells MJ's "ghost" to start packing and he cuts himself shaving).

But I guess that gives incentive for people to actually read the whole thing on their own.

That being said, would someone else be allowed to post it? If so, I can send over the pages...

[angelophile.insanejournal.com]

No, it's a third of an issue in total that can be posted, across multiple posts. So you can't get three people posting a third each to construct an entire issue, for example.

[cainofdreaming.insanejournal.com]

I must say, that's a great mod hat.

[comicoz.insanejournal.com]

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't ripping you. I think you did a great job of picking just enough pages to show the story moving while still trying to show the art of the book.

Just sad because the scene itself was one of the few that I can completely recall despite reading it a year+ ago. It's a good one. Go read, people!

[espanolbot.insanejournal.com]

Heh, funny that people are mentioning the Dark Knight Returns references in the story, but in the top image Sandman (I think that's who it is) looks like Marv.

Personally though I kind of prefered Batman: Year 100, even though the premise behind it distorts the fourth wall in a bizarre way.

[nagaoka.insanejournal.com]

I was looking at the wikipedia article and noticed this

"The tentacles dig up Mary Jane's body, and Peter recalls how he killed her with his radioactive sperm."

*sigh*

[angelophile.insanejournal.com]

What you have to remember is that often Wikipedia articles are written by idiots.

[comicoz.insanejournal.com]

Therein is the definition of Wikipedia, and the reason most modern learning institutions forbid you from even referencing it.

[freeman333.insanejournal.com]

I wasn't overly fond of this series--didn't totally hate it, but didn't really like it either--but I have to say, that shot of Peter, back in the costume at last, flying out of the explosion shouting "Woo Hoo!" is really, really good. The kinetic qualities of the motion are carried in a really effective way, and Pete' obvious joy at being back in action--the exuberance created simply by being in costume, ready to fly into a hopeless battle--just makes me squeal.

Also, I've always loved the way they handle Doc Ock, as the next post shows. Those, along with Sandman's daughter, were pretty much the only things I really liked in this series.