Thursday 15 October 2009

UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #13

I finally grabbed good copies of "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" series, I read some of them and from what I read the most amazing issues is issue #13, the issue that deals with the death of "Sally Avril" who is a blond girl in the current "Spectacular Spectacular Spider-Man Animated Series". Unlike the animated, Sally has much more depth than just the annoying girl who doesn't like to see someone get hurt even "Puny Stinking Pete"

It starts with Spider-Man telling a story to someone, the story of how everything began, how "Blue Bird" was fighting some thugs because they witnessed her spying on them about "The Black Knight", Spider-Man came to save her and taught her a lesson by letting one thug give her just one punch to understand the dangers of fighting crime, of how she won't always have Spider-Man as her guardian angel before he knocks that thug unconscious (Sheesh, and Batman trains 10-12 years old and let them work with him in fighting crime? Get reasonable Batman)

Spider-Man took the info about the "Black Knight" and went to fight him, Sally took advantage of the piece of info she got and gave Spidey to take action shots of the event and sell to the Bugle, she was rushing her friend "Jason Ionello" who drove his fathers Jeep with no license to the site of action and they passed a red traffic light, a bus hit the jeep causing Jason to get a minor concussion and Sally died. The shock of seeing Sally dies gave "black Knight" an opening to strike Spider-Man unconscious for hours.

The theme of guilt hit Peter for a long time, when most people left the funeral of the young girl a news bulletin was cast on the radio about the Knight & his hostage in the "Chrysler Building" (because I first saw it as Kingpin's building in the 90s animated Spider-Man series I always recognize it as "Fisk Tower"), Peter had to leave the funeral and go there.

Eugene & the rest of Peter's class mates knew Peter is a photographer for the "Daily Bugle" because Peter told them so and showed them some of the pictures he took of Spider-Man in the "Show & Talk" day. "Eugene 'Flash' Thomspon" got harsh with Peter mocking his heroism and praising "Sally/Blue Bird" and describing her heroism to the coward (this is the best part of Flash thinking his best friend and former fun target too far from being Spider-Man)

Spider-Man saved the daughter of the diplomat, stopped "Black Knight" thugs, defeated the villain with bitteness in his heart. "The Human Torch" entered the scene and stopped Spider-Man from punching B.K more after he defeated him, the walls around them collapsed, B.K is gone & Spider-Man told the Torch the story (back to the First Panel/Splash Page)
Spider-Man acted as his usual "Drama Queen" self in whining (at least he's not like this all the time, and he feels the need to save not to avenge or destroy) until the Torch eased up on his friends grief by telling him what differences he made (Way to Go Torch), but Peter still is ubset by the loss of a classmate in such a tragic accident

COMMENTS:
This feels much like Spider-Man's debut in "Amazing Fantasy #15" back in 1962, but with him older and with different people, this is one of the times I enjoy his drowsing in self pitty though I really enjoy him more not whining but still acts in responsibility like "Roger Stern" & "Bill Mantlo's" runs, as well as the current direction issues out of "Joe Kelly's" work

5 perfect webs. "Kurt David Busiek" & "Pat Oliffie" know how to deliver excellent stories