Spider-Man ‘94 #4 (Marvel Comics)
Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! This week I'm going to be reviewing the 4th issue of Spider-Man ‘94 from Marvel Comics!
J.M. DeMatteis has brought back the beloved version of Spider-Man we all know and love from the animated series in the 90s! It’s been a great nostalgia trip with some familiar faces, but there’s also some new faces to go along with it. So just what happens when Peter comes face to face with Kraven? Let’s jump into it!
Credit: Marvel Comics // Spider-Man ‘94 #4 by J.M. DeMatteis (Writer), Jim Towe (Artist), Jim Campbell (Color Artist), VC’s Joe Caramagna (Letterer), Nick Bradshaw & Rachelle Rosenberg (Cover) is an intriguing issue that continues the familiar feel.
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The Story
Everything about this series so far has been an incredible so far. It’s felt like such a genuine continuation of the animated series but with a modern twist on things. We’ve seen Kaine brought into the story, along with Morlun for a very intriguing twist. Now things are starting to get very interesting, and we’re adding a new thread to the tapestry.
That thread is in the form of Ezekiel Sims, who’s introducing solar power plant powerful enough to provide power to the entire east coast of the US. Obviously that’s just the start of the project, and he has higher goals in mind. However the intriguing part is WHO he’s presenting the project to. This whole sequence has more to it than it appears if you ask me. I’m sure it will come back around down the road, but it feels like the start of another plot thread.
We also get a little bit of an update what’s going on with Kraven since we last saw him in the animated series. It’s a tragic story, but one that provides an explanation as to why he’s here. Seeing him team up with Peter in the issue was great to see, especially with the foes they go up against. It had such a Saturday morning cartoon feel to it that I couldn’t help but smile while reading it.
In cartoon time, I get the feeling that we’re in the second half of the “episode” so I have to imagine this portion of the story is coming to an end soon. However there could always be the “cliffhanger” ending that leaves us wanting more. It’ll be interesting to see how the several plot threads we’ve seen established play out. However I can’t wait to see how far this story & universe expand.
The Artwork
Jim Towe & Jim Campbell continue to excel at their craft in this issue with the artwork. They do such an incredible job at recreating the look & feel of the animated series that’s so beloved. They do a great job with the original characters & making the new ones match that same look and feel. Plus they do a great job with the backgrounds and capturing that same look from the series. They both do a great job transporting you back to Saturday morning’s, the only thing missing is a bowl of cereal.
FINAL POINT: It’s a great issue that continues the familiar look & feel of the animated series that we all know and love. J.M. DeMatteis’ story is one of the best ones at the comic shop right now, and the artwork is right up there with it. This series should be at the top of your reading list.
Overall Grade: 9/10
Thank you for taking the time to check out my review. Be sure to reach out to me on Twitter, and let me know what you thought of the issue!
