The Last Stand

by Mark Millar

"Contains material originally published in magazine form as Marvel Knights Spider-Man #9-12"--Cover p. [2].

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785116761
• ISBN13: 9780785116769
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
• Length: 1 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.8" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Graphic SF Reader

This is reasonable, apart from The Scorpion is the new Venom? The Green Goblin is treating his relationship with Spider-Man as a series of battles, done to his twisted code. His problem is that he is about to be assassinated in prison, and only Spider-Man can get him out. Mostly due to the fact he is going to murder his hostage Aunt. Images of well built girlfriends and other relatives, friends and associates of the pushing up the daisies varieties haunt Spider-Man throughout. Much of the story is internal to the wallcrawler here, not really any of the usual battles with quippage.

It all comes to an end...

This third act of the year-long story arc is unbelievable. Although the whole set-up reminded me a bit of Batman: Hush with the manipulation of Spideman's villians, it was still amazing. There's a reason why the Green Goblin is Peter's worst foe -- because he's one bad-a$$! And in this book, he is in full form. Also, very interesting is Millar's idea of super villians. Ponder this one over. It's very, very cool!

Rhyme & Reason

The highly successful combination Millar and Dodson bring to a close the last arc in their Marvel Knights Spider-Man series with "The Last Stand." Millar's story injects each character - hero or villian - with a captivating sense of realism, humanity, and heart. Early on I felt the Spider-Man stories were driven by Peter Parker's challanges while growing up and balancing his "life" apart from the mask. Most of the villans and obstacles thrown at him were just reflections of his problems and were never flushed out. Now the characters have real motivations and real problems that lead them to their confrontations with the Wallcrawler. All of this is amazingly complimented by the Dodson-Duo's art. Both Dodson's bring their unique style to their work, but overall the splashes, panels, and pacing throughout pages feel consistent. Do yourself a favor if your a Spider-Fan and pick a copy of this as well as the first installments "Down Among the Dead Men" and "Venomous."

Mark Millar's stunning conclusion

Mark Millar's year long arc on Marvel Knights Spider-Man comes to a stunner of a conclusion as he ties up all the loose ends he's set up the past year while revealing who kidnapped Peter Parker's beloved Aunt May and just who was behind it. Who did it and why isn't really much of a surprise here, but the culmination of which is, as Spidey faces off against the newly formed Sinister Twelve, led by the Green Goblin and the Scorpion, who has now come into posession of Eddie Brock's auctioned off Venom symbiote costume. Everything else, such as who is controling Doctor Octopus and why is revealed, along with which side is the Black Cat really on. Ending in a last battle with the Green Goblin with odes to the classic death of Gwen Stacy tale, Millar brings his year long run to a close in style, and once again the art of his Trouble team of Terry and Rachel Dodson is superb. All in all, this final chapter of one of the best Spider-Man stories to be told in the last few years is completely satisfying, and the splash page featuring the Green Goblin with Mary Jane as a hostage in a very chilling and familiar looking scene is worth the price of admission alone.