Review: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #9

When Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man hit the racks the bar was set pretty high in light of Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley’s brilliant turn on Amazing, however Tom Taylor proved to be more than up to the task. Taylor hit the ground running and hasn’t slowed down, introducing a cast of engaging supporting characters and gripping plots tempered with just enough classic Spidey tropes to make any old-school web-head happy. The current arc has been exciting and action packed while allowing Taylor to do some first rate character development particularly concerning The Rumor. Taylor does a fantastic job weaving details of the character’s backstory into the narrative; her involvement with Captain America figures prominently into the story as does her time spent in a Japanese internment camp. Apparently during her tumultuous past she was part of a “superhuman arms race” that provided her with the opportunity to team up with an extremely inexperienced Steve Rogers circa WW II. The Rumor is without question one of the most compelling new characters to cross Spider-Man’s path, besides being female and of Japanese lineage there is a sense of melancholy to The Rumor that shrouds her in an emotional darkness, certainly this can be at least partially attributed to her time in the internment camps, but there is also an ethereal darkness to her that is enhanced by her unknown age. This kind of ambiguity lends a timelessness to her, almost like a vampiric or immortal element. Taylor is no stranger to exploring thematically darker terrain, his penchant for horror influenced narratives is evident not only here, but in his previous run on X-23 as well as his current DC title, DCeased. Spider-Man is likewise no stranger to the darkness, frequently finding himself in the hands of horror inspired scribes. Many ofÂ his most poignant arcs have been slanted toward the spooky, especially the now legendary Kraven’s Last Hunt.

Not content with just introducing an imaginative new heroine, Taylor also sheds substantial light on the antagonist of the arc, Helminth. While the origin of The Rumor makes up the lion’s share of the narrative, Helminth provides ample trouble to keep not only Spidey busy, but also fellow Queens resident Hobie Brown aka The Prowler. Taylor does such an impressive turn writing the dialog for these two dynamic characters, beyond the witty banter we see the chemistry that exists between the two masked acquaintances. There is a similar dynamic at work here to the one shared by Spidey and Deadpool, albeit far less comedic. There is more of a friendship between Spider-Man and Hobie Brown, Taylor astutely builds on that element at the very beginning of this narrative when Spider-Man happens upon The Prowler appearing to burglarize Aunt May’s office at the F.E.A.S.T homeless shelter. The fear that his friend may be returning to his old criminal activities prompts Spider-Man to delve into the real reason Hobie has entered the office, he’s on the trail of the shady crowdfunding company, Fairgray Pay.Â This issue picks up after these events and smack dab in the middle of the battle with then unnamed villain, Helminth.

Since much of this issue is told in flashbacks, the artwork is handled by artists Ken Lashley and Juann Cabal. While the shift in visual styles is not jarring, the difference is quite obvious. There is a vastly different energy to each segment, the current or present time narrative is more kinetic, Lashley’s line work is more jagged, sketchy with a very definite sense of movement, not so much a fluidity, but certainly motion. Cabal’s flashback sequences are almost serene in composition however this is in direst juxtaposition to the subject matter. There is a sadness, an emotional weight to Cabal’s images and a more strict interpretation of anatomy where Lashley renders his characters in a more idealized fashion, not overly exaggerated anatomically but more stylized. Nolan Woodward’s colors are as intense as it gets. The vibrant hues turn up the electricity on the action sequences to eleven, Spider-Man and The Prowler’s costumes seem to pulsate with energy. Marcio Menyz’s more subtle and nuanced coloring of the flashback sequences is a perfect fit, lending the feel of old photographs to the panels.

Both artists capture the tone of each segment with extremely well rendered acting, facial expression and body language. Lashley’s more erratic and irregularly sized panels work nicely in the more action heavy scenes, while Cabal opts for a more measured approached to page design in the flashbacks. Overall this is an extremely effective visual collaboration. The varied and contrasting styles follow Taylor’s narrative prompts with absolute precision, keeping the narrative tempo lively and the plot unfolding in a consistent progression while working the backstory into the overarching story. Taylor’s talent as a storyteller in undeniable, he has steadily proven himself while creating one heck of an impressive resume. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has proven to be a perfect fit for his energetic style of storytelling and I for one hope he sticks around on the title for a good long time. 4/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer- Tom Taylor
Artists- Ken Lashley & Juann Cabal
Color Artists- Nolan Woodward & Marcio Menyz
Letterer- Vc’s Travis Lanham