The Spider #9

The Spider began as one of the most exciting and different comics about a vigilante style hero available. It continued to be great throughout the first arc and beyond, but with this two-issue arc I feel like it is spinning it's wheel. The Hater is just not that interesting of a villian. His motivation is just cliche and his personality is something we've seen all too often. In contrast to villains in past issues, he just pales in comparison. Villains aside, though, what really made The Spider stand out from its peers is the unique aspect of Richard Wentworth's psyche. The comic is at its best when it is exploring the dark psycchology of this character. In this issue, we get more of the love triangle drama that began last month, but that doesn't cut it for me. Where is the guy who threw his Dad through a window? Where's the guy who couldn't keep shit straight in his head and nearly gave away his secret identity? This is the Spider that I love. Sure, there is some typical extreme violence in this issue, but overall it is just average.

That said, don't think I'm writing The Spider off. David Liss has been doing fantastic work with the character and I have confidence he will in the future. This issue is still a fun read and continues to build the world of the Spider. Jackson's role is increased, Detective Hilt is given an opportunity to further pressure Richard, and there are other plot threads that have been slowly being pulled tighter in the last few issues that are sure to explode soon.