Stillanerd Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 16 review

This year’s upcoming event for Amazing Spider-Man kicks with a look at what Kraven the Hunter was doing all those years he’s been away.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 16 (LGY No. 817)

“Hunted, Prelude”

Writer: Nick Spencer

Pencilers: Ryan Ottley and Alberto Alburquerque

Inkers: Cliff Rathburn and Alberto Alburquerque

Colorists: Laura Martin, Brian Reber, and Carlos Lopez

Covers: Cully Hammer and Justin Ponsor; Mike Hawthrone and Nathan Fairbairn (Captain Marvel variant)

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Let’s get right to the point: Kraven the Hunter should have stayed dead. Despite being one of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original creations, this Spider-Man villain languished in the comics as B-lister for decades. That is until “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” Widely regarded as one of the best Spider-Man stories of all time, it elevated Kraven’s status, even though it also seemingly killed him off for good. Not that readers complained, because like George Costanza from Seinfeld, you might as well go out on a high note.

Unfortunately, and perhaps because “Kraven’s Last Hunt” is such as beloved classic, Marvel decided to bring Kraven back with 2010’s “The Grim Hunt.” And to the surprise of absolutely no one, Marvel didn’t know what to do with him. Former Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott, citing “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” refused to have him appear in his comics except for flashbacks. Thus shuffled off into lesser and languishing titles like Scarlet Spider, Kraven has essentially been persona no grata for almost ten years.

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Laura Martin, Brian Reber, and Carlos Lopez (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 16

…it seems Amazing Spider-Man‘s current writer, Nick Spencer, loves himself a challenge. Why else build-up and craft a multi-part story centered around Kraven? And based on this prologue issue for this upcoming story, Spencer’s come up with an interesting premise.

Yet it seems Amazing Spider-Man‘s current writer, Nick Spencer, loves himself a challenge. Why else build up and craft a multi-part story centered around Kraven? And based on this prologue issue for this upcoming story, Spencer has come up with an interesting premise. What if instead of just hunting Spider-Man, Kraven started hunting other animal-themed costumed characters? And what if he also decided to have others join him in the hunt?

Thus Amazing Spider-Man No. 16 (LGY No. 817) reveals that, instead of killing the poacher as previous issues have suggested, Kraven takes him and other would-be hunters under his wing. Moreover, having killed his entire family (save for his daughter), Kraven has himself cloned eighty-seven times by the High Evolutionary, sends his “sons” off into the wilds of the Savage Land, and proclaims the lone survivor as his “true heir.” In short, Kraven’s obsessions aren’t just limited to hunting or having a glorious death; it also includes leaving behind a lasting legacy.

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Laura Martin, Brian Reber, and Carlos Lopez (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 16

It’s a direction which makes perfect sense. As a character, Kraven has always been a vilification of the Great White Hunter, and “Kraven’s Last Hunt” acted as a dark, twisted take on own his midlife crisis. What Spencer has done is take these same concepts to transform Kraven into a twisted mentor and patriarch. That Kraven considers his own clone as his “real son” speaks volumes.

One might be quick to wonder why Kraven, who’s made his fortune on hunting animals for sport, would now castigate poachers. Yet a careful reading shows that Kraven condemns them not because they hunt, but because they do so without putting their own lives at risk as he did. The same goes for those animal-themed heroes and villains he considers unworthy to wear “the skin of an animal.” Hypocritical? Of course, and it also further rounds out what is already a brilliant characterization of a homicidal maniac.

Equally brilliant are Ryan Ottley’s illustrations, which, although predominantly dialogue scenes, are still as vibrant as any action scene. Whether it’s Kraven’s tears of joy suddenly becoming an expression of joy and pride, or of a sun setting on the South African veldt, the panels capture and hold your attention as effectively as any film. Particularly impressive is Ottley’s character design of Kraven Jr. Enhanced by Laura Martin, Brian Reber, and Carlos Lopez’s coloring and emblazoned with a stylized tiger tattoo across the chest, it’s a look which appropriately both honors and updates the original Kraven without superseding him.

Credit: Alberto Alburquerque, Laura Martin, Brian Reber, and Carlos Lopez (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 16

Amazing Spider-Man No. 16 serves as a great opening salvo for “Hunted” and an even better character study of Kraven. While not as complex a portrayal as was in “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” it’s still an effective updating of an underused villain seeking to move him beyond a single-note motivation.

Unfortunately, when it comes to art, the same cannot be said for Alberto Alburquerque who pencils and inks the comic’s back-up story. With bulbous faces, disproportionate bodies, and distorted angles, nearly every panel is the visual equivalent of looking at the world through a fisheye lens. There is no better descriptor of what Alburquerque’s style than his own image of Peter Parker throwing up in a toilet. At least when it comes to depicting Spider-Man in costume, the wall-crawler looks somewhat decent.

Overall, though, Amazing Spider-Man No. 16 serves as a great opening salvo for “Hunted” and an even better character study of Kraven. While not as complex a portrayal as was in “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” it’s still an effective updating of an underused villain seeking to move him beyond a single-note motivation. If “Hunted” manages to be a worthy successor to “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” something “The Grim Hunt” tried and failed at doing, that would be an accomplishment in and of itself.

Stillanerd’s Score: 4 out of 5

Next. Stillanerd Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 15 review. dark

Stillanerd’s Nerdy Nitpicks (watch out for possible spoilers)

Credit: Ryan Ottley, Cliff Rathburn, Laura Martin, Brian Reber, and Carlos Lopez (Marvel Comics); from Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 5 No. 16

Yes, Kraven, because when someone screams in terror of their life, that’s a sure sign they’ve got killer instincts right there.
Just so you know, the High Evolutionary has a super genius-level intellect, whose powers include telekinesis and matter manipulation, and has gone against the likes of Thor, Galactus, and Celestials. There is no way he’d be the least bit scared of Kraven, let alone be forced to create clones of him.
And with any luck, Ana Kravinoff walking away from her father and renouncing the family name will be the last time we’ll ever see her.
Also, if they started off as babies, how were these Kraven clones weaned? Also, if there was no outside influence other than Kraven’s, how is it that each one of them adopted different hairstyles, facial hair, adornments, and tattoos?
One minor flaw in Kraven’s master plan: just because someone hunts animals doesn’t mean they’re also capable of murdering their fellow human beings. Yes, they’ll be hunting supervillains who’ve likely committed all sorts of crimes, but even so.
Just so you know, this isn’t the first time a Savage Six has been formed in the pages of a Marvel comic. Venom had a Savage Six consisting of Crime Master, Death Adder, the Human Fly, Jack O’ Lantern, Megatak, and Eddie Brock as Toxin. Yeah, methinks the current Savage Six of Vulture, Scorpion, Tarantula, Stegron, King Cobra, and Rhino have a slight edge on those guys.
So Taskmaster and Black Ant also captured Puma, Beetle, the Owl, the White Rabbit, Kangaroo, Black Cat, and the entire Serpent Society. What about Kraven’s old pal, the Gibbon? Or Panda-Mania? Or the Walrus?
Okay, when Billy 2.0 snuck out, Connors was asleep at his desk in human form. He’s now just waking up that same night, in bed, wearing a tank top and boxers, in his Lizard form. So much for consistency between issues.
“…I haven’t been this sick in ages. Not since–” Since…when? Although yes, when was the last time Peter Parker had to deal with flu-like symptoms while swinging around as Spider-Man?
Hey, Billy, look on the bright side. If you weren’t half-reptile, then Becca would’ve laughed in your face over that the fact that you’re still twelve to thirteen years old and she’s, what? Over eighteen? Her screaming in terror is far less humiliating.
Good grief, MJ, it’s not that hard to make soup. You pour it a saucepan, set the stove on medium until starts to simmer and–bingo! Hot soup!
Oh, so Taskmaster and Black Ant opt for capturing Billy 2.0 instead of the Lizard–like they were originally supposed to–because they’re lazy.
Really, Arcade. Was putting a Kraven-style handlebar mustache on those armored battle suits absolutely necessary?

Next. Top 50 super villains in comic book history. dark

What did you think of Amazing Spider-Man No. 15, and are you looking forward to a multi-part story, with Kraven as the main antagonist? What you think of the premise behind “Hunted,” in that having Kraven act as a guide to white-collar would-be hunters of animal-themed heroes and villains? Do you think Kraven should’ve been brought back from the dead at all? How would you feel if he wound up getting killed off again in “Hunted?”

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