Taking ninth place in my list of "Top Ten Spider-Man issues by Stan and Steve" is "Bring Back My Goblin To Me," which provides the wrap-up to the story of the Master Planner.This one ranks high on my list because it's such an offbeat story. In an ordinary super-hero comic, the good guy is faced with a puzzle and solves it with Sherlock Holmes-like efficiency.
Not Spidey. He's faced with two mystery figures - the Green Goblin and the Master Planner, both of whom are trying to take command of the gangs in New York. He spends the issue trying to track down the real identity of those mystery figures, and seems to be on the right track - but shockingly, he gets just about every fact wrong. In fact, it's the police who ultimately solve one of the issue's big mysteries - not Spidey.
What kind of hero is he, anyway? The issue begins with Spider-Man unconscious, captured by the Goblin and presented to the gangs as proof of the Goblin's leadership skills. The gang members quickly wrap chains around Spidey, and are about to unmask him when he regains consciousness, and a wild fight breaks out.
Spider-Man is rescued by three policemen (responding to a tip) who wade into the gang of criminals and hold their own until Spidey can free himself and join the fun. I don't know that anyone has ever matched Ditko for the Spider-Man style of acrobatic, freewheeling combat.
Of course, Ditko always gets praise for his original, energetic art style, but here he also deserves credit for the story plot, which winds around through numerous characters, keeping the reader guessing but never able to see those final twists. The story is loaded with humor, sight gags (especially Spidey's slipshod costume), action and some sweet moments between Peter Parker and Aunt May.
Stan's dialogue, as always, is spot on and keeps the reader focused on the story and characters. Each character has a distinct voice, and even the secondary characters stand out as individuals.
I also think Stan doesn't get nearly enough credit for his work as an editor. As proof that he's one of the best ever, I'd like to point out that (in my opinion) every artist who worked with Stan turned in some of his or her all-time best work under Stan's guidance. Of course, I wasn't there - maybe they gave their best efforts because he simply gave them the freedom to tell the stories they wanted to tell. Or perhaps it was because of his incisive guidance every step of the way. Whatever the answer, his method worked, and he should be honored for it.
This issue can be Exhibit "A."
Grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment