Spider-Girl

Spider-Girl 14, 17-19, 21-23, 26, 37, 51

The rest of the DeFalco issues read the same as yesterday’s - Perfectly serviceable and entire forgettable.  There’s nothing there that I can’t get anywhere else for a decent superhero fix. I’m cutting the whole collection, with the exception of issue 51.  Sean McKeever writes that issue, and it showcases the sensibility that he’ll go on to provide for the Mary Jane titles a couple of years later.

Issue 51 speaks way too closely to my own experiences growing up.  I was that same shy kid, in love with a girl and ill-equipped to properly handle my feelings.  I, too, utilized the method of writing multiple letters that I would never send to her. At least that was better than the times I actually delivered them, I suppose - There are fewer things more horrifying in retrospect than the 3 AM email where you actually hit the Send button.

Which isn’t to say that I regret that time of my life.  I needed to get through that phase in order to reach the next, the one where I learned that self-confidence is a lot more attractive than the lovelorn mooning that looks so romantic in the movies.  The one where you should make sure there’s some sort of mutual attraction before devoting your every waking moment to winning her love. The one where you should leave her alone after she tells you she’s not interested.  Persistent grand gestures is a lot more creepy in real life.

Yet even as I recognize the futility of the boy’s letter, I also see the purity of his feelings.  As foolish as his love may be, his heart is good and his intent is true. Love Actually got a lot of stuff wrong, but I firmly believe that it nailed this one:

Ahem.  Clearly McKeever tapped into something with this issue.  It’s definitely something that I haven’t gotten in any other comic book, and for that, it gets my highest appreciation.    

Regret buying? Yes

Would buy again? No

Would read again? No

Rating: Fine (Cutting everything but 51)

For Issue 51:

Regret buying? No

Would buy again? Yes

Would read again? Yes

Rating: Major Feels