The past continues to impact the present.
Creative Staff:
Story: Chris Roberson
Art: Cezar Razek
Colors: Dijo Lima
What They Say:
While investigating a series of man-made earthquakes that have ravaged South America, Doc Savage finds evidence that links the current case to another which he thought had been closed six decades before, when he and his friends had been all that stood between a private army and the destruction of the lost Mayan empire that was the source of Doc’s vast wealth: the Valley of the Vanished.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Spider’s Web miniseries from Dynamite Entertainment was certainly interesting enough in its first installment as I had to go through the “adjustment” of seeing the character in the present and how that was all unfolding. I’ve never been huge into the character but I like to revisit different properties over the course of my life when new miniseries come out simply because my own perspectives change as well. The book did a solid job of playing in the present while also giving fans of the older era Doc Savage and crew a chance to shine and that’s largely replicated here as we get more backstory so that we have both events playing out. I can see that as it gets closer to the end that it’ll flip more to the present and that works well in giving each side its due.
With the team having discovered the electronics part from the earthquake zone, that’s lead to the research phase of things. Which certainly isn’t bad at all because there’s a lot of fun to be explored there, even if it relies on super coincidences of the gold used in the parts being connected to something that Savage was involved in years ago. The present day side is admittedly weaker here overall, but we do get to see how the team connects and works with each other in a very seamless and engaging way, a kind of long term family mentality and ease combined with the comfort of knowing that everyone does their jobs to the fullest, all very capable. The lack of snapping or bickering with each other is kind of refreshing these days as they all come across as a polished and professional team with more meaning to each other.
The flashback story is interested but also suffers from being just that, placed within the existing pages in the present and having to rush a bit. Savage knows where the gold comes from as it’s part of the Hidalgo gold from the Hidden Valley adventures back in the 50’s, which goes back even further with Savage’s father and the relationship established there. This introduces us to Queen Monja and the struggles of that hidden kingdom, which could probably fill a miniseries of its own quite easily. It serves to establish more foundations for the present day and the extent of the behind the scenes wealth and power that moves throughout the world, but it doesn’t give us a lot of answers. The story moves well and I like the expansion overall as it reminds us of the origins of the character and the way so much of the world was unknown. At the same time, it doesn’t feel like we get anything truly tangible to latch onto beyond an angle for the team to work with in knowing that it may all be connected.
In Summary:
I continue to be curious to see where this book goes as I like the overall tone of it as it tries to balance the needs of the present with the requirements of a character firmly rooted in the past. Roberson largely handles it well, though at times it feels like we should have two different miniseries so that each time period can really flex. Razek is definitely a solid choice for either time period as the artwork looks great and there’s a certain sense of ruggedness about a lot of the cast that hits the sweet spot needed for it to feel authentic but not forced or out of place. My curiosity continues to be there, though my enthusiasm has dipped slightly for it.
Grade: B-
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: January 13th. 2016
MSRP: $3.99
