By Robert Johnston
By Robert Johnston
The Web #1, is a story about a man, named John Raymond (The Web) who wears a technological suit that grants him a few abilities: Bullet-proof armor, flight, enhanced strength, night-vision goggles, and an interface that connects him to GPS and the internet.
He has a lair like the Batcave complete with a supercomputer that alerts him to crimes. The Story starts out with the lead character, exacting revenge on his brother’s (David Raymond) killer, but cuts away to delve into backstory, revealing more personal character developments that does a good job of balancing normal superhero fistfights, with a little bit of drama. The old Shadow comics comes to mind here.
As we watch The Web delve into the mystery of his brothers death, he learns that his brother was wrapped up into some new kind of drug called “Vyce”, a drug that makes you do “strange things”. Vyce is distributed around the city inside a pair game dice. The only way you could get some, was to text a number on your phone, and then the dealers would text you back with a location for pick-up.
The story cuts back and forth between the fight scenes, and John’s search for the drug dealers. They cut back to the fist fight with his brothers killer, whom we learn is really just a foot soldier. The Web beats him, and ties him up on a flag pole, high above the city. Then via the internet, sends live streaming video to the police, that this was the killer (of his brother), and to come pick the villain up. Nice “web” tie in there.
The Web then proceeds to follow the trail, that leads him to the real mastermind behind his brothers death, and behind the drugs. The mastermind, Dr. Archer, begins to explain, through his conversation with The Web, that he is experimenting on peoples minds, via the Vyce drug.
He says he killed John’s brother David, because he got in the way. John’s brother David, was a social worker that worked with people whom had problems with daily life. The Web then tells Dr. Archer, that now he is in there way. Dr. Archer is not impressed, and blasts The Web with an energy blast from the lab they are in, creating the cliffhanger that will make us wait for the next issue to resolve.
The Comic has a beautifully painted cover, however the interior art, lacked the flair of the cover substantially. One wonders, why the cover artist couldn’t handle the interiors in the same way. The Web’s suit colors, bright yellows and greens, could have been better designed, as they do not give him the ability to to sleuth around in the dark without being noticed very well. That being said, the comic was a nice start.
The story is solid for the most part, and is interesting enough to keep following. The first issue is out in the comics shops now, and online for ordering. “The Web” is a re-do, of an old Archie Comics Hero. DC Comics picked it up from them, and introduced The Web, as a team run by the U.S. Government. It was produced under DC Comics Sub Imprint, “Impact Comics” in 1991, aimed at younger audiences. Its titles featured the adventures of altered versions of superheroes licensed from Archie Comics. Impact Comics went under in 1993, and the imprint was canceled.
Most recently in 2008, DC Re-acquired the license and properties to the Archie Comics superhero line of characters. All characters and concepts were again reimagined. The Web is the third incarnation of this property.
