TANGLED WEB #16: SPOOON-FED REVIEW

TANGLED WEB #16: SPOOON-FED REVIEW

Writer: Daniel Way Artist: Leandro Hernandez Colors: Steve Buccellatto Letterer: RS/Comicraft + Jimmy Eds: John Miesegaes, Axel Alonso, Joe Quesada Imprint/Publisher: Marvel

Spoiler Space

And now, a word from the Spooonser

The plot in brief: When Tombstone has a heart attack during a bank robbery, he is easily captured, de-powered, and locked up in a prison for similarly de-powered meta-humans.

Tombstone was never one of my favorite characters and I always associate him with one of the most wrong-headed story lines from Spectacular Spider-man

One thing I was wondering: Is the 'Big Ben' who appears in this story supposed to be the same guy from LUKE CAGE, HERO FOR HIRE #14? If so, it doesn't seem right that he should be there...in his original appearance, Big Ben Donovan wasn't a villain, just a big angry guy who thought (incorrectly) that a girl he had dated was two-timing him with Cage. Sure, they had a knock-down drag-out fight, but Big Ben wasn't a criminal...he was a lawyer. (Please, no 'what's the difference?' jokes.)

Of course, that initial story is the only appearance I'm familiar with...for all I know, perhaps there have been subsequent stories in which Big Ben really did turn to crime. (I could see his hot temper leading to assault charges.) Even then, though, I would think he'd wind up in a run-of-the-mill prison rather than a facility for super-villains. Although he was powerfully built and extremely strong, he wasn't superhuman and he didn't wear a costume (unless you want to consider those funky '70s suits a costume).

As he was described in the captions of that story:

(after Cage thinks that his opponent has to weigh at least 300 pounds) 'Three hundred and thirty pounds is more like it, Cage, as you will soon discover! And this poundage comes not from fat, but from solid muscle...just like the Spider-Man's old foe, the Kingpin! But, where the Kingpin is merely mean...Big Ben Donovan is NASTY!'

Ah, they don't write 'em like that anymore...

Erich

'I'm like a tree, I'm all root, hep to the jep what it's all aboot.'