"THE BEAUTY AND THE BRUTE"
Writer: Roy Thomas/Penciller: Gil Kane/Inker: Frank Giacoia/Letterer: Artie Simek/Editor: Stan Lee/Cover Art: Gil Kane
Synopsis: With Gwen captured by Kraven the Hunter and his alien servant Gog, it's up to Spider-Man and Ka-Zar to save the day, and the Savage Land...
Review: Roy Thomas rounds out his incredibly brief stint on ASM with an entertaining enough issue that manages to improve on the previous one, even if the story still doesn't really feel all that suited to Spider-Man.
The big positive about the issue is the return of Kraven, only briefly shown in the last issue. It had been far too long since we last saw the Hunter in action (in a Spider-Man book, anyway), so seeing him turn up again in all his glory is a real treat, especially when Gil Kane draws him so well, capturing all the regal pride and bestial ferocity of the character that we all know and love. The only real issue is...he doesn't fight Spider-Man! The web-head deals with Gog, whilst Ka-Zar gets to battle with Kraven. Now, I get that Kraven had fought Ka-Zar a couple of times in the Ka-Zar feature of Astonishing Tales (which Roy Thomas also wrote). To be fair, the two do make for natural enemies. But as a Spider-Man fan, and this being a Spider-Man book, I kind of want to see the web-slinger fighting the big villain, and not some giant alien monster that feels out of place in ASM to begin with.
At least Kraven himself is acting more or less in character, although I'm slightly confused as to why he would want Gwen to be his jungle bride, considering the two have absolutely no history together (unless you count the time he crashed a party she just happened to be attending). I guess you can chalk it up to the guy being ever so slightly insane, which I'm willing to accept as an explanation. I do also like Kraven's plan to best Ka-Zar and rule the Savage Land for himself: desiring the rule of a jungle kingdom populated by all manner of beasts to hunt, plus a group of natives ready to fall down and worship your every deed feels very in character for Kraven. Perhaps the most interesting aspect to the villain this time around, however, is the bond he forms with the alien Gog, after saving its life from a doomed spaceship that crash-landed in the Savage Land. Though we don't see much of it, this tender side of Kraven is definitely something interesting, and it'll be explored further in his next appearance in ASM.
Gog himself meets an untimely end unfortunately, after being tricked into drowning in quicksand by Spider-Man. Not exactly the web-head's finest hour, but at least he admits to feeling sick about doing it. I'm not entirely convinced things needed to end this way, as Spidey only does this to avoid leading the pursuing Gog back to where Gwen is - surely with spider-speed on his side, he could have picked her up and got out of there pretty quickly, couldn't he? Oh well, it does at least make for a dramatic conclusion to the issue, which on the whole boasts some great action scenes: despite my misgivings, the fight between Ka-Zar and Kraven is pretty great, Spidey leading Gog through the jungle is fun, and I rather enjoyed the brief tussle between Gog and a T-Rex (another of Roy's little homages to King Kong). One odd thing that I feel the need to point out is that Gil Kane seems to have forgotten how to draw Spider-Man's eyes: they just look like vague teardrop shapes rather than the classic Spidey eyelet we all recognise. It's the only black mark on an otherwise beautiful looking comic.
With Kraven seemingly plunging to his death (yeah, right), and Gwen saved, it's time to head home to New York and back to some stories that actually feel appropriate for a Spider-Man comic. This issue is definitely an improvement on the last one, and I actually had some fun with it on re-read. The artwork is lovely as always, Kraven is always a welcome addition, and there are some nice little moments peppered here and there, like Spidey's struggle to escape the quicksand, or Jameson's relief at seeing Peter and Gwen alive and well being quickly replaced with his typical grumpiness, complaining that the two are necking on the Bugle's time. As with the last issue, it's definitely not what I want to see from Spider-Man, as it strays too far from that classic blend of grounded character drama and urban superhero action, but it's harmless enough, and kept me reasonably engrossed throughout.
Rating: 3/5
We'll never know just how things might have turned out had Roy Thomas stayed on ASM for longer than these four issues, and to be honest, I'm glad. Not because the Savage Land story isn't to my taste (remember I really like the Six-Armed Saga), but because if things had taken a different route behind the scenes, we most likely wouldn't have had the Gerry Conway run, and I would never want to lose as wonderful an era for Spider-Man as that. Roy ably produced four issues whilst Stan took a break, and that's all he needed to do. The fact that in the process he co-created a character with as long a legacy as Morbius is to be commended, and let's face it: his contributions to the wider Marvel Universe ensure he'll be remembered.
Next time, we're revisiting some more well-remembered stories (plus one not-so-well-remembered one) with the eighth ASM annual...
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