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by Dave Scrimgeour and Kevin McCluskey   Writer- J.M. DeMatteis Penciller- Mike Zeck Inker- Bob McLeod Letterer- Rick Parker Colourists- Mike Zeck & Ian Tetrault SYNOPSISSpidey returns to the sewers to capture Vermin and put an end to his killing spree, whilst Kraven is laid to rest. Dave So here we are again, at the end of another saga, part 6, the conclusion, 'Ascending,' Spidey Vs Vermin. Kev Yep. Showdown in the sewers. With the rats as the audience. It's yet another nice cover. Dave Yeah, it gets straight to the point of what is in this issue, but also, this is really about the aftermath of Kraven's actions, and the trauma he has caused to both of these characters and how they cope with it, or not cope with it, as the case may be. It's PTSD really, isn't it? Kev Definitely. I always thought this sixth part was more like an epilogue to ‘Fearful Symmetry,' rather than the conclusion to it, but having read it again, arguably a more critical reading, I can see that it's wrapping-up the key themes of the story. Dave It seems to cover the theme of victimisation, by a man who was also a victim of his own traumatised mind. The haunting arc of the story really continues throughout this issue. The first page works well with the clash of black and white background colours.  Peter is the opposite of The Fiend. Kev Yeah, everyone is the victim of some form of trauma or another in this story. The use of white here is great, because it shows Peter struggling to reach for the light, which becomes quite a big thing by the end of this issue. Dave The full page panel, of Spidey looking very buffed up wading his way through the murk of the sewers is a cracker.  The Muck and the mire. Kev Yeah, that splash page is amazing. Superb work by Zeck and McLeod. You're right, Peter looks big, alright. I can’t help but think that he looks quite Kraven-esque in terms of his build. He must've re-hydrated after that, Kraven enforced, two week weight cut. Peter returning to the sewers in search of Vermin, also triggers the claustrophobia from which he is suffering as a result of spending a fortnight in a coffin. The fear. Dave Good point, his claustrophobia is really kicking in. It shows how human a character he still is. Even though he has these super powers, and has quite a bit of experience as Spidey, he has still not completely moved on from his years when he was ordinary Peter Parker, with his natural fears and anxieties. Kev Definitely not. Plus, it's also worth remembering that this is only a day or so removed from him escaping from the grave he spent a fortnight in. There is absolutely no way that he has recovered from that yet. Neither physically, nor mentally. Dave That rain still is relentless, even as the grave for Kraven is being dug. I feel like the rain is another character in this story. Kev I agree, the rain is certainly a constant, yeah. These page layouts, with the central panels showing the earth falling in and onto Peter’s face, are superb. They’re the very definition of suffocating. Dave And yet, his sense of duty is the element that keeps driving him onward, and prevents him from falling apart completely. Yeah, these pages are really rich in narrative, as Spidey pops out of the sewer tunnel. Kev Yep. There's a lot of death and rebirth stuff going on here. Dave The black costume so suits this story. It works well with the atmosphere DeMatteis and Zeck have created. It's in the title, "Ascending.” Far more subtle than reborn. Kev Yeah. It's the ascending towards the light metaphor as well, the reaching for the good, rather than falling into evil, heaven and hell. All that good stuff. Dave That is a great page where he is being attacked by the rats and freaking out. And in the middle of it all, his haunting visions of being put in the coffin, which is setting off his anxiety. The next page gives us a bit of background on Vermin, as well as showing that Spidey's natural empathy is still prominent.  Peter Parker's soliloquy. Kev Yeh, it's explored in more detail later in this issue, but it really is Peter's empathy that makes him the man, and the hero that he is. I like the rat biting Peter’s finger as he’s crawling through the sewers, and then the rest of them swarming on him. DeMatteis is excellent at using a stream of consciousness style to convey Peter’s PTSD. I mean, it’s no Molly Bloom’s monologue, but it’s not bad. I also really like the page with the cops, Carson and Brodsky. I think little asides like this help to ground the superheroes in a real world setting, so to speak. Dave I like these supporting characters in this story as well. They add to the slightly noirish feel, and Kraven has kindly left the movie rights to the cops, in the form of a full confession. The icing on the cake for a true narcissist. Kev That's a good point. It does lend that crime noir-ish element to it, doesn't it? And, right enough, a narcissist like Kraven would have to get the last word in, wouldn't he? Even the panels of Spidey just walking through the sewers are superb. Zeck and McLeod really have been firing on all cylinders with this story. And I’ve always been a fan of the wavy spider-sense lines above Spidey’s head. It’s such a simple, yet effective visual representation of that particular ability of Peter’s. Dave The pace of this storytelling is great. Very methodical, taking it's time, then suddenly Vermin pounces for attack. Kev I'm a big fan of the pacing of this story as well. It flows, and reads so well. I also like how self-aware Peter is, in terms of knowing that he uses the quips to hide his fear. Dave Peter is still cracking jokes while all this is going on. The smart-alec approach is so in-built for Peter, but even he is questioning it now. Kev It's an automatic response for him, isn't it? Dave Yeah. This is where the boiling over of his fear really happens. Being submerged underwater brings back the trauma of being buried underground. Kev Yes! The comparison between Peter suffocating in the coffin, and drowning in the sewer is excellent too. Those panels of his hands clawing their way from under the earth are so evocative. I reckon drowning, or suffocating in that manner, would be one of the worst ways to die. Dave Vermin is a very competent battler. He is giving Spidey a fair pounding. He is physically very strong.  "Can't plant seeds on a grave with dead folks. From the darkest level of death, Rza, pass the shovel and step." Kev Vermin's a formidable opponent, alright. The choreography for this fight scene is brilliant. It’s close quarters, it's in the pocket, it’s claustrophobic, and that sequence of Spidey performing the wall-run to take Vermin back under the water is fantastic. Peter’s fighting style lends itself to fighting at range. He needs space to perform his signature flips, kicks and punching combinations, and the sewer is just not providing him with that. Dave And the use of the gravedigger, again, is the intercut motif. The ticking of time. The calmness in contrast to the mania. Kev Ah, that's a good point about the serenity of the gravedigger. That hadn't occurred to me. You're right, it's like a little piece of calm in a storm. Peter being afraid that he’s still under the earth, possibly dead, and that this is all just a hallucination, his last synapse firing, is a great way to toy with the idea of him being an unreliable narrator of sorts, at this point.  This is taking drinking out of the toilet to a whole new level, Vermin. Dave I love that panel of Spidey using the shadows, looming over Vermin like a ninja warrior, as Vermin is trying to find him. Vermin's narrative is a real insight to his state of mind and his own trauma. Kev Yeah, Vermin really does come across like an abused animal, or a child. It's pretty tragic. The fact that he feels guilty for punching Vermin in the face to stop him from summoning the rats speaks volumes to Peter's heart and compassion. Despite everything Peter’s been through, and despite everything Vermin has done, Peter still feels sorry for him, and still wants to help him. Dave It's part of who he is. He can relate to the victim, being that way to a certain degree himself, when he was a teenager. This is his chance to make a difference, and help someone else. Kev Good shout. He was the victim of bullying when he was a teenager, right enough. That's one of the things I love about Peter/Spidey; he never punches down. And here we have the crux of ‘Fearful Symmetry,’ right here; it’s the fact that Peter chooses, always chooses, to pull away from the darkness, and head towards the light that makes Spider-Man who, and what he is. Vermin chooses darkness. Kraven chose darkness. And that’s why Kraven could never truly be Spider-Man. Never truly be a hero. And never truly be superior to Peter. Dave The wrath of Vermin is very powerful, and Pete's fear is still overwhelming him. Kev Totally. Dave I like those three panels of Spidey running through the tunnel. Kev Yeah, I love the way that those panels mirror each other as well. Dave And in the gravedigger panel, the rain has finally stopped, reflecting the light taking over from the darkness. Again, from the darkness into the light.  "Yo, and what did you expect? Choppin' mad necks. Pass the shovel and step." Kev Yeh, the rain seems to stop just as Vermin rises from the sewers into the light. I suppose "It can't rain all the time." Those two pages of Vermin being overwhelmed as he comes up into the busy New York street are reminiscent of the end of 'Captain America: The First Avenger,' when he runs out into Times Square. Dave Yeah, the panel when Vermin first emerges into the street is superb. The monochromatic colours blend so well against the bright sunset of the background. Kev Plus, Vermin essentially shuts down, and Peter has to save him from being hit by the oncoming traffic. Dave It's certainly a clever tactic by Spidey, taking Vermin into his own territory and using his senses against him. Essentially making him feel uncomfortable. Perhaps his eyes are so adjusted to the dark, that he was unable to handle the shiny light. Kev Ah, good call. Those hues of the dawn sky are lovely, yeh. Peter was at a disadvantage fighting Vermin on Vermin's home turf, alright. Much better odds for him to take the conflict out into the open.  "And I still believe in the good. And I still believe in the light. And I wanna feel the sun. I wanna free you tonight." Dave I think the whole catching Vermin and handing him straight to the police was actually a bit of a cop-out, no pun intended, for the final act. It is a real let down after the previous tasty rumble. Kev That's a good point, it's a wee bit too convenient and rushed, isn't it? Dave And the cops giving it the whole, "Hell of a guy," speech about Spidey, especially after everything that was done to him, is also a bit cheesy. Kev Yeah, I'm not keen on that piece of dialogue either. I suspect DeMatteis is trying to inject a bit of hope and levity into what has otherwise been a pretty bleak storyline. Dave It is quite similar to the old style comic books where the stories were more like that, more cartoonish. Kev Ha, ha! Yeah, it is a bit of a Public Service Announcement, isn't it? Dave Saying that though, they were possibly running out of space and needed a quick ending to this. I suspect the original draft didn't end like that. Kev You may be right. Dave I do like the panel of Spidey swinging away from an aerial close up.  We were going to throw some 'Good To Be Back' lyrics in here, but we didn't want to pull a 'Joker' card. Kev Yeh, it's a cracking page art-wise, right enough. Dave The next page is really good. Again, there's very little dialogue required to show the power of Pete and MJ’s reunion. Kev Yep, Peter gets to go home. To his wife. Where it's safe, and secure. Where there is love, not fear. And finally, we end on two superbly rendered pages of Kraven being buried, with the leopard print draped over the coffin and a headstone that reads, “He died with honour.” Dave Yeah, the final two pages are superb. It's great artwork, and great colouring. Kev Definitely. There's finally some light, some love and hope in this story, after the fear and despair of the past six issues. Dave It's the end to a very hard hitting story, which started with Kraven, and ends with him. Kev I love these last two pages. The panel of the gravedigger, crouched over the grave is fantastic. It’s interesting that Kraven chose to be laid to rest in a plot next to the one he had earmarked for Peter. That’s a very intimate gesture. We also get the spider and the rat, still fighting it out in the grave, and being buried alive, along with Kraven’s coffin. And, of course, the interpolation of the William Blake poem ‘The Tyger.’ We're back to where we started. The circle of life. It's a very circular story.  "Yeah, more graves to dig, goodbye. There's no need to cry, 'cause we all die." Dave It certainly is a memorable piece, full of so many themes. It is very well balanced, in terms of physical action, the psychological elements, and the horror infused with noir. Kev Yeah, it's pretty dense and rich in terms of the themes explored within it, and it's a very rewarding read as a result. Particularly upon rereads. And despite what I said last time, about how the story would've been better served ending with the emotional climax of Kraven taking his own life, having read this issue again, I'm not so sure about that now. I think I may have been talking bollocks. Because with this issue, we get to see the aftermath of his actions. Peter having to clean up the mess he left behind with Vermin still being on the loose, and Kraven's goons having to discover his body, as well as make and carry out the necessary arrangements. It's all very emotional, and tragic, and sad. It still feels like a bit of an outlier Spidey story to me though, more a story featuring Spider-Man, than a traditional Spider-Man style story. And even after all this time, some 30 plus years later, it's still one of my favourites. Dave Yeah, it still stands up after all these years. (D) & (K) The end.  Home is where the heart is.
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