While Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #3 starts with an aerial battle between Spidey and his new foe Evangeline, complete with all the quipping and thwipping you know and love, that’s not the best part of the issue. The best part comes about halfway through, when Peter Parker and Harry Osborn have an open discussion about their love lives. That might seem melodramatic to some, but to me it feels like an examination of the best parts of Spider-Man.
The “Torn” subtitle in this miniseries doesn’t just refer to how Evangeline had her humanity torn from her because of her crimes, or to Peter being torn between his everyday life and his duties as Spider-Man. It’s the pull that he feels between Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Even though Gwen is now romantically involved with Harry, she and Peter used to have feelings for one another. MJ and Peter are trying to make it work, but Peter’s wounds from his fight and Gwen’s tending to him drive another wedge between them.
In a lesser writer’s hands, this would quickly devolve into poorly written melodrama. Thankfully, J. Michael Straczynski’s gift for character work is on full display throughout this issue. Straczynski has Peter and Harry airing out their feelings, expressing how they feel about their respective lovers and Harry even mentioning his issues with his father – a subtle way of hinting at Norman Osborn’s further descent into the madness of the Green Goblin. A conversation between MJ and Peter’s Aunt May holds similar weight, with May delivering the perfect example of why Peter fights so hard as Spider-Man without knowing he’s Spider-Man.
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It doesn’t hurt that Pere Perez matches the intensity of Straczynski’s words with his art, especially in the opening sequences. Spidey and Evangeline tumble throughout the air, as she slashes at him with her massive claws while he ducks and fires webbing, even sticking to the wall in a last-minute dive. Perez’s facial expressions speak volumes, as well. When Peter tries to shrug off getting clawed in his civilian identity, his face clearly screams, “I’m far from fine.” Likewise, MJ tries to play off Peter getting into a car with Gwen, but any reader can tell from the tears streaming down her face that it’s part of the party girl act she used to put on.
For all of the strong character work and art on display, I still find myself unimpressed with Evangeline as an antagonist. She’s been transformed into a monster? So were Morbius and the Lizard. She’s a massive mystical menace? So was Morlun, and he at least had a personality. She’s a thief? So are Mysterio and the Chameleon. There’s very little that makes her stand out from Spidey’s other foes, and the introduction of another mysterious menace does little to solve the problem. Then again, there’s two issues left so there’s plenty of time to turn things around.
Amazing Spider-Man: Torn #3 continues to thrive on its strong character work and dynamic art, which more than make up for a boilerplate villain. Straczynski understands that the best Peter Parker stories aren’t just about the quips and thwips – it’s the human element that makes him one of the best superheroes ever created.
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