Spider-Man: Reign
The Marvel Knights Mini-Series conveys a Darker Tone for Spider-Man
Marvel Knights is to Marvel what Vertigo is to DC in many ways. It's a place where the creator has free reign, unconstrained from the continuity of the "normal" comics universe. This type of freedom can lead to some of the greatest work a company can put out. Spider-Man: Reign, written and illustrated by Kaare Andrews, is no exception.
The World
Spider-Man is synonymous with New York City. But Reign's New York is a bleak, 1984-style city of the near future. It looks more like Batman's Gotham City than Spider-Man's New York. The talking heads on the local news praise the government unconditionally. Heavily-armed, government-sponsored thugs roam the streets dispensing harsh "justice" in the name of public security. Throughout, Andrews seems to be drawing parallels to the current "war on terror."
The Characters
Peter Parker has always had a guilty conscience. He feels an enormous responsibility for everything and everybody around him because he has the means, his powers, to protect people from evil. The reader meets an aging Parker who has long since given up being Spider-Man because of guilt. We've seen this before in Spider-Man comics but the difference this time is that he feels responsible for the death of his wife Mary Jane. This guilt is in overdrive and it's ruined Parker's life. The only thing he feels is angst.
J. Jonah Jameson, cantankerous as ever, here the retired, former Publisher of The Daily Bugle, has become a gadfly, decrying the police state and the corrupt city government. A gang of rebellious children is featured, reminiscent of Oliver Twist, although the main player in this gang is a girl. Many classic Spider-Man villains appear but very rigidly. This story mostly focuses on Peter Parker's inner struggle despite the socio-political themes. Although the appearances of The Sandman and Dr. Octopus prove to be memorable.
The Art
Andrews' artistic style expertly reflects the bleak tone of the plot and narrative. The color range is minimal, mostly inky blacks and flat grays and browns. Most of the characters have a stringy, tired, nearly emaciated look. It makes sense that people would be affected that way living in a strict dictatorship. Most of the panels are small. But this is effective because it conveys the tense emotion and stress most of the characters feel page to page, action scene or no.
The Bottom Line
Spider-Man has always been about hope. About the little guy doing great things and overcoming adversity. Despite it's bleak nature, Reign is no different. It illuminates the importance of true freedom, what the struggle for it can cost a person and the benefits of fighting for what you believe in. And at the very least, this is an entertaining story outside of the norm for Spider-Man in artistic style and plot.
Spider-Man: Reign
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