Superior Foes of Spider-Man #2

Writer:  Nick Spencer

Art:  Steve Lieber, Rachelle Rosenberg

Get Caught Up...

Fred Myers (Boomerang) is the hapless leader of the Sinister Six (Five).  Tired of being bit players, they want to move up in the game.  And Chameleon is up to something dastardly.

What's Good?

Pretty much everything.  This very much feels like something outside of Marvel's wheelhouse, but is very successful nonetheless.  

Spencer has a gift for taking us beyond the mask with these characters.  He's taken these low-tier villains, most of whom are jokes, and fleshed them out into real characters capable of carrying the weight of their own book.  I'm even starting to root for them a little.  What is really impressive is that Spencer hasn't let us forget that these are villains.  They lie, they cheat, they steal.  Whether or not we have fun watching them is a moot point.

This installment brings us a great deal more of the plot of this story arc.  There are guest stars,  there is deception, there are twists.  Everything is starting to come together nicely.  An overarching story is starting to come together.  One that is deeper than I expected.  The deception between teammates is expected, but the way it was presented worked.

I can’t say enough about Lieber and Rosenberg’s art on this book.  Just the right amount of cartoon vs. realism.  It isn’t an easy balance, but they find it.

What's Not So Good?

I want more?  That's not really an issue.  I guess my worry is that the storytelling might become stale down the line.  There are no hints of that yet, but it it's something Spencer will need to keep in mind.

The Verdict...

Great story, great art.  This is a refreshing series that I plan on keeping up with.  Just the right amount of quirky storytelling to be charming.  

Oh, Yeah, And...

There is an alternate version of Boomerang's daydream during his meeting with his lawyer.  It wasn't suitable for printing, and it's pretty great.  Track it down.  It is out there on the interwebs somewhere.