Spider-man's Tangled Web #6

The last issue ended with the Rhino, after being spurned by his newest infatuation - a mob boss's daughter named Stella - undergoing a treatment to enhance his brain power.

Brains and brawn you say?  All in one package?  What could happen?

Well, in short, Rhino wins Stella back, breaks out some of his buddies, and goes on a crime spree.  And is surprisingly successful!

He goes on to live a life of wealth, culture and luxury - and eventually all the things that brought him joy (Stella, the theatre, poetry...weird to think of the Rhino reading Yeats or Elliot) have lost their luster...the world, it seems to the Rhino, is now an extremely boring place.

Stella, claiming the passion of their relationship has faded, leaves the Rhino, and he sets up a meeting with his long time enemy, Spider-man.  The Rhino revels to Spider-man that he's discovered Peter's secret.  Cut to the Brooklyn Bridge, where a revelation occurs.

He needs to be dumb again.  So, he goes back to the Doctor, has the operation reversed and by the end of the book, he's happily running through walls again.

This is a great little two part story about a villain who is mainly used as a punching bag for either Spider-man or the Hulk.  The art is a bit odd - it treads a line that is at times very realistic and at times very stylized.  But it can't quite seem to make up its mind.  I'll admit, a very cartoony portrayal of these events would not have worked, as the subject matter necessitates a more true to life feel.   It really shows the potential Rhino has...but on the other hand, just how unhappy that potential can make us.  Is ignorance really bliss?  Are we better off being dumb and joyous or smart and miserable?

But - hey - it's just a comic book...they can't possibly illicit these kinds of deep questions, right?

Until next time - happy reading.

Credits:

Peter Milligan - Writer
Duncan Ferredo - Art

Spider-man's Tangled Web #5

Did you ever wonder how the Rhino sleeps or how he spends a Saturday night?  I mean, the guy is covered in enhanced rhino skin and has a horn on his head.

Ever wonder what it takes to really get under that thick skin?

This issue (along with the next) help to shed some light on the man known as the Rhino.

We open with a girl being held hostage.  There's a rumbling in the distance and the Rhino breaks through the wall.  He scoops up the girl and runs off.  She smiles at him, the Rhino's heart melts.  Then he realizes she's not smiling at him, but at Spider-man - who just happened be there w/ a full camera crew.  Rhino takes Stella (the girl he rescued) to a waiting limo, then proceeds to get his butt kicked on camera.

Rhino goes to jail, breaks out and goes to see a doctor.  Rhino wants his skin off; he can't find happiness.  He sleeps on a bed of cinder block and spends money on women who don't care whether he lives or dies.  The dude from the limo shows up while Rhino's drowning his sorrows and offers him another job protecting Stella.  He accepts and takes down the thugs holding Stella and thinks he'll get a hero's welcome.

He receives a tongue lashing; basically, Stella calls him an idoit.

So, Rhino goes to his doctor to get a procedure done - one that will give him the one thing he lacks: smarts.

Now, this is the beginning of a nice little 2 part story - the art is okay, but nothing to write home about.  It tries to be realistic, but it's kind of hard to make a guy in rhino skin look believable.  Also. at times, the line weight is way to heavy.

But, the pay off comes in the next issue.  Until then, happy reading!

Credits:

Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Duncan Fegredo

Batman #454

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Kieron Dwyer and Dennis Janke

So, we last saw Batman holding a choking child and a silver dagger.  No other option but to perform a tracheotomy.  In true Batman style, the baby lives and Batman tracks the Riddler to a fun house, where our hero fights a guy with a flame thrower in front of the last baby and a goat.  Batman saves the last baby, and takes off after the Riddler.  He ends up in a warehouse, that has a basement with a skeleton in it - the same basement where a demon was summoned.

Turns out, the demon was using the Riddler to prep Batman as a new sacrifice.  Cool plot twist.  Riddler locks Bats in the basement and lights the place on fire.  After a long dialog between Batman and the skeleton of the girl, Alfred shows up and saves the day.  Batman buries the girl in the Wayne plot and wonders how much of his destiny the Demon controlled.

This is a perfect ending - this demon created its own savior.  The demon runs through Gotham - is in every street, brick and stop light - and has been shaping the city since the 1700's.

I can't sum up how good this story is - go out and read it.  It hasn't been collected in a trade, but the single issues shouldn't run you more than $3 an issue.

Well, happy Thanksgiving and happy reading. 

Batman #453

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Kieron Dwyer and Dennis Jenke


So we last left Batman in a cemetery full zombies and the Riddler still had three babies held hostage. Bats fights the zombies and realizes all but one are robots. Before Batman can interogate the thug, the Riddler sets off a tiny bomb embedded in his henchman's neck. No more henchman.

The Riddler doesn't normally act like this (his death toll is usually low) and Batman knows it too. He knows the Riddler is just playing with him. In the cemetary, our hero finds the second baby alive and a riddle...

...Back in 1764, a botched sacrifice occurs in what would be modern day Gotham....

... Our hero figures out the riddle, which leads him under the streets of Gotham where the Riddler has endangered another life. He's stuck a pin-pong ball down one of the babies' throats and it's up to Batman to perform emergency surgery to save a life. And the issue ends.

Again, this story never misses a step. The timing is right on, the art is simple and refreshing, and the story is full of twists. I'd recommend these issues to anyone.

Come back tomorrow and find how steady Batman's hand is and why the Riddler is acting so weird . Until then, happy reading.

Batman # 452

Written by: Peter Milligan
Art by: Kieron Dwyer and Dennis Janke

So I need something a bit more entertaining to cleanse my palette after that last issue of Mutant X. So, after about 15 minutes of digging, I came across the Dark City Dark Knight 3 parter by Peter Milligan.

This first issue is insane. I can't explain the plot in a short manner. All I can say is the Riddler shots a security guard in cold blood, hangs a man, kidnaps babies (one of which Batman almost runs over), covers Batman in gallons of blood and the issue ends with Batman in a graveyard with zombies. All that and there's a side story about a demon and a human sacrifice!

Wow, talk about a tense issue. Batman fails to save 3 out of 4 victims. Not a good day for the Caped Crusader.

The art keeps up with the manic story - not a single panel is wasted. The scene where the security guard is killed is particular good. For a book from 1990, the art still holds up. It's refreshing to see comic book art in a comic book. No painted panels, no washes, no effects. Just paper and ink. Great issue - a must read if you like the Dark Knight.