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This week, “Threat Level: Red” begins and one has to wonder what the red stands for when Zodiac is the big bad villain. Maybe it’s for Spider-Man? Let’s find out!
So what’s it about?
Read the preview.
Why does this matter?
A new story arc, this time written by Dan Slott and Christos Gage, has Spider-Man saying goodbye to even more of what Slott created under Parker Industries. Plus, a goblin bomb sighting showed up in the preview, which can only mean one thing.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Dun dunnn dunnnnn.
This issue juggles the remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Peter Parker’s ex co-workers well. You get the sense that Slott (and Gage) are putting away a lot of what he built, possibly for use in Slott’s upcoming Iron Man series. Be that as it may, it’s got an epilogue feel when it comes to these supporting elements. That includes Zodiac, who makes a triumphant return in this issue. He’s utilized well and his dastardly plan comes with one hell of a Spider-Man strategic moment. It will not only make you laugh, but also get excited about what could happen next.
This issue also has a nice beginning that sets up something very big you won’t necessarily see coming on the final page. It actually confirms something we reported a few days ago and it’s quite a fun cliffhanger. Bring on what comes next with this one!
The art by Stuart Immonen continues to be excellent. The color artist Marte Gracia has a lot of work on his hands with this issue, as Immonen draws so many well-lit scenes. That includes the glowing Zodiac Key and some excellent laser blasts and smoke. Immonen has always been a great Spider-Man artist and you can see it in the emotion he adds in mostly subtle, but sometimes big ways.
Those look familiar.
It can’t be perfect can it?
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This is a very interestingly plotted issue as it has you thinking one way and then shifts all that aside. That’s in part due to the writers closing the door on characters from Parker Industries they’ve developed. The Zodiac villain is also not explained very well. If you didn’t jump on when he was fighting Spider-Man (which seems like years ago) you may not understand what is going on, but then again it’s a zany action sequence more or less so it doesn’t require too much backstory.
Is It Good?
This is an exciting issue that’s plotted well in a way that delivers a few surprises and some big time action. It also closes the door on a few characters we’ve come to know from Spider-Man’s Parker Industries days. The cliffhanger though? That’s going to have us all seeing red very soon.
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