This is not only a review of an old 90’s comic, it was also a Christmas gift, so I’m late in writing this review on top of that. I actually forgot about it after reading it and tossed it in a stack of comics. When I found it later, I decided to review it. This was a thoughtful gift from my co-worker, Taylor. This might have been out of his collection. I did not have the heart to tell him that I bought this when it came out, though I sold it with most of my collection later.
The Marvel 2099
universe was yet another attempt by the company to use their well-liked
characters in another setting. Other
than a couple of issues of this Spider-Man, I didn’t get into it. Most other readers did the same and it eventually
became a failed universe to add to the pile after the 90’s ended.
It was also yet another knockoff Spider-Man. Marvel really
should have stopped after Spider-Woman
and maybe Peter Porker, the
Spectacular Spider-Ham. (I had the
original comic book of that.) The 2099
version is sort of a more ethnic take with its hero, Miguel O’Hara, but it’s a throwaway marketing reference. I prefer, in terms of alternate universe
Spider-Men, the MC2 version, Spider-Girl. That universe featured descendant characters
of the originals. Honestly, it was a good
take. I’m sorry it’s gone. Spider-Girl really worked.
Bluraugh! I just
puked from remembering all the other Spider-verse carbon copies. Not to mention the whole Spider-Clone thing.
Urggggg! Another brown wave. The best I can say is that Spider-Gwen makes a nice pinup. That’s all she’s good for.
As for the comic itself, it has a thick, cardstock cover with
shiny red foil. (Definitely from the 90’s.) The cover price was elevated, but the inside
pages are regular old newsprint (and turning yellow) with a normal number of
story pages. The artwork is dynamic, if
a bit messy. I question the inking and
the yellow, orange, and green color palette, but overall, it’s good.
The setting is high-tech, though nobody has a
cellphone. (In spite of Star Trek Communicators from the 60’s,
nobody saw cellphones coming.) There is
a corporate surveillance state, which is too easy to relate to these days. This does strain the credibility of an
independent superhero trying to stay under the radar. I read at least one other issue of this
series. Miguel had to go to elaborate measures
to avoid being tracked.
Our hero works for future P-fizer as their star researcher. When Miguel tries to quit over ethical concerns, (“This shot is neither ‘safe’ nor ‘effective!’), his boss surreptitiously slips him a highly addictive drug (legally made by the company, of course) to force Miguel to continue to work for them in order to be supplied with the drug. (Actually, they were trying to recreate Spider-Man’s powers in test subjects. It’s the thin thread that connects this title to Spider-Man.) Miguel tries to use an experimental gene sequencer to reset his metabolism, but is sabotaged by his jealous assistant. He emerges from the machine a monster.
The premise, at least from the first issue, is that Miguel
would be fighting his evil corporate overlords at Big Pharma, along with some
body horror. The little backward claws
on his fingers make him unsuitable for saving people. In the next issue, he rips up a falling guy’s
arms trying to grab him. He’s a bit too
bad ass 90’s to be a hero, frankly. (How
does he make a fist without cutting himself?)
So, this comic had problems from its inception, but it
hung around for a while. It had
Spider-Man in the title and a very cool costume. Unfortunately, this may have convinced Marvel
that they could sell any comic that they called “Spider-Man,” regardless of
what was in it. The bottom line,
however, is that this is okay for a comic book.
It’s harmless fun.
The story itself wasn’t the main thing I noticed in this issue, though. That’s why this review is going to a Part 2.
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