Written by: Zeb Wells
Art by: Adam Kubert, Francesco Mortarino, Scott Hanna
Colors by: Frank Martin, GURU eFX
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Adam Kubert, Frank Martin\
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: February 1, 2023
Dark Web: Finale #1 ends the Dark Web event with a battle to control Limbo and the right to be its ruler. When all is said and done, NYC will never be the same.
Is It Good?
“How do I get my money back?” is the question you’ll probably be asking yourself after reading this issue, and frankly, I don’t blame you. How has the mighty Marvel fallen so far that they would call this loose collection of nonsense an event? The world may never know.
When last we left,,, well,,,, everybody, Madelyne Pryor called a truce, Chasm didn’t take it well, and he stole the magic scythe away to declare himself the king of Limbo, complete with a costume upgrade that makes him look like a Devilman knockoff. Now, the combined might of Madelyne Pryor, the X-Men, and Spidey and his friends let loose in Limbo against Chasm’s demon army to settle the matter.
On paper, that sounds like it could be an epic finale. In execution, it’s anything but. The action is standard enough to keep you interested. Still, the dialog is pretty damn bad (a common theme among Marvel books this week), Wells’s off-putting mix of bad humor deflates any dramatic tension or impact, and the fight ends without the slightest feeling that the good guys would lose. Ultimately, Chasm is defeated when Madelyne Pryor simply yanks the scythe away from him, making you feel like you’re reading an over-produced story about a schoolyard brawl.
As I mentioned in the review for the previous issue, this event is, by design, a joke. Nobody takes anything with complete seriousness, and that’s how the story comes across – as a goof.
Unfortunately, the art also suffers in what should be the best event issue. A small squadron of artists was brought in to complete the issue on time, and it shows. Style consistency is mismatched from one page to the next, and the artists deliver varying levels of quality. The final result felt cobbled together and rushed.
Before you go, there is a new status quo for NYC. Spoilers ahead if you don’t want to know.
As a condition of the treaty with Limbo and penance for Chasm’s transactions, a permanent Limbo Embassy is established in the heart of NYC. What makes that creative choice bizarre is that the embassy acts more like a prison than an embassy, setting up the future potential for a prison break, sure to create a big mess in the Big Apple. Marvel and DC writers have been on an anti-prison propaganda kick lately, so for Wells to take this route seems like an extra-strange choice.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts:
Dark Web: Finale #1 ends the event the way it began – with bad humor, nonsensical plot points, and weird creative choices. If ever there was a case to say an event didn’t need to exist, this is it.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 