The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude, published by Marvel Comics this week, beautifully sets the stage for an old character in Spider-Man history to make a big return in the upcoming Sins Rising event. The story is gripping, incredibly well-drawn, and sure to captivate any fans of the web-slinger, new or old.
About the book:
Featuring writing from Nick Spencer, art from Guillermo Sanna, colors from Jordie Bellaire, and lettering from VC’s Joe Caramagna, The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude tells a story unlike most. The prelude focuses on Stan Carter, also known as the Sin-Eater, as his life story is told, and we discover why this deceased character is back once again. First featured in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #107 – #110, the Sin-Eater was responsible for the murder of Jean DeWolff, one of Peter Parker’s closest friends. The Sin-Eater then returned in Peter Parker: Spider-Man #134 – #136, which ended with his death. Now, the Sin-Eater has returned thanks to the help of Kindred — a malicious demon — and they both are sure to cause trouble for our favorite web-slinger.
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“Sins Rising Prelude” Story
Surprisingly, this issue of The Amazing Spider-Man features the title character very lightly. Instead, the story revolves around a character that died in a 1988 story, and refreshes the reader’s memory of him, as well as introduce him to new readers. This includes talking about the origin of the Sin-Eater, the crimes he had previously committed that made him such a notable character, and how this deceased individual made his way back to the world of the living. Spencer tells a dark tale that sets the stage for the upcoming event.
The story of the Sins Rising Prelude is not entirely linear in nature. Interspersed with the main story that recaps the history of the Sin-Eater is a fictional television interview show. The appearance of this fictional show during the main story is at first confusing but comes together neatly with the rest of the tale in a moment that makes the reader appreciate the storytelling. At one point, the fictional television show makes mention of the death of a certain character right before she is introduced into the main story, which causes the reader to pause. The whole circumstance is confusing, but worth the experience of seeing the story come together near the end of the issue.
Art
The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude features astonishing pencils and inks from Guillermo Sanna that rely heavily on shadow to emphasize the faces of characters. This complements the dark tones of the story and gives an unbelievably cool look to the Sin-Eater, who has a very simple costume if it were nor for the shading of Sanna. The panel layout for a few scenes is also very peculiar for mainstream comic books, with some panels tilted on the page or borders being made out of slanted lines. This help attributes to the hectic nature of some scenes, and are a nice change of pace from typical paneling in mainstream comic books.
The colors of Jordie Bellaire do wonders for the tone of the Sins Rising Prelude. Most of the scenes are colored with a broad spectrum of color,s and then certain other scenes are overpowered with a specific tone. Whether it is a dark blue to depict the sad and empty mood of the scene or red to illustrate intense violence, the color does a fantastic job of working with the story through stark contrast.
The lettering of VC’s Joe Caramagna works with all of the scenes in The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude with ease, to the point where it is barely noticeable, and you can experience the comic book as if the characters were speaking to you. The most remarkable aspect of the lettering was when certain characters’ names would be said, and the font would change and increase in size. Not an unusual technique, but all of the lettering paired nicely with everything else.
Conclusion
The Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising Prelude is a fantastic way to bring back an old character. It brings the Sin-Eater back and introduces him to readers who were unfamiliar with the character. The story and art are thrilling, and the issue is sure to excite people for the upcoming event.
