Where Spider-Man ’94 last left off, Peter Parker was seemingly at the mercy of the immortal Inheritor Morlun, not to mention one of his former foes Kraven the Hunter. Spider-Man ’94 #4 reveals that Kraven isn’t there to kill Spidey; Quite the opposite – he’s on the hunt for Morlun, as the formula that gave him his powers is slowly killing him. Meanwhile, Mary Jane Watson has come face-to-face with Kaine, who’s struggling with Peter’s memories and a changing sense of purpose.
It’s the Kraven scenes that J.M. DeMatteis and Jim Towe excel at, particularly because DeMatteis has had experience writing Kraven – specifically, “Kraven’s Last Hunt”, which most fans (yours truly included) consider to be one of the best Spider-Man stories of all time. Kraven even refers to his pursuit of Morlun as his “last hunt”, which could have come off as a groan-worthy moment if anyone else wrote it. In DeMatteis’ case, it feels more elegiac because Kraven has resigned himself to potentially dying. There’s also a connection between Kraven and Spidey, as both have suffered immense losses yet continue to fight the good fight.
Equally as well-crafted is Kaine’s breakdown, as he struggles to figure out who he truly is. Not only does this make for an actually interesting take on the Clone Saga, but it also shows that if you clone Peter Parker, the same element that drives him to protect others will spread to those clones. As someone who’s grown to like Kaine as a character — particularly after reading Christopher Yost’s supremely underrated Scarlet Spider run — I’m glad that DeMatteis is giving him some depth.
Marvel
While Towe’s artwork has been the subject of much controversy since Spider-Man ’94 started, it’s probably at its strongest in this issue. The standout sequence pits Spidey and Kraven against a horde of genetically engineered “totems” that Morlun has been using to keep himself young, and they look like refugees from the island of Dr. Moreau. A spider has a head with multiple human faces instead of the usual arachnid features; a gorilla has four arms; and there’s something that looks like a cross between a hawk and a chicken. The body horror even extends to Kaine, as Towe puts his thoroughly scarred face on display. Thanks to Jim Campbell’s colors, these creatures’ muted palettes are a sharp contrast to Spidey’s bright red and blues.
Things get really freaky toward the end of the issue. I won’t say much due to potential spoilers, but the fight between Spidey, Morlun, Kraven, and Kaine takes a wild turn, hinting at an equally wild finale. That’s true to the spirit of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which would often take wild swings with iconic comic stories. It should hopefully open the door for more stories set in this world, as I could imagine DeMatteis and Towe applying their style to said stories.
Spider-Man ’94 #4 shines when it focuses on Kraven the Hunter, as he and Spidey enter into their final battle against Morlun. While this series might have had a slow start, its ending is firing on all cylinders – which makes me even more excited for the final issue.
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