Hallow's Eve 2 Spoilers + Review: Where Wolf?

[Pav]

Hello to all those who go ga-ga over Janine Godbe! Once again, we get to enjoy a new chapter in the life of the one, true Spider-Man's best gal, and overall I thought it was another fun issue full of excellent characterization for the main players -- Janine especially.

As always, let me walk you through my thoughts as I go for a second read of the issues!

1) This issue begins with the return of Marcus, the former second-in-command to Maxine Danger. Looks like he's been demoted to customer service. Suddenly, Janine crashes through his window with the use of a Black-Cat (but not THE Black Cat) mask. Once Marcus realizes it's Janine, he asks her if she's become a supervillain. Her response? "No... not really."

2) We then go to Beyond Headquarters, where Maxine Danger's science nerds are analyzing the blood and hair that was stolen from the crime scene in the prior issue. It's a lot of talk about how unusual the specimens are, and we once again get reference to Maxine really liking werewolves, which is an odd little detail about her. Can't help but wonder whether it's foreshadowing.

3) Back to Janine and Marcus, who are discussing how Janine got her powers and her current problem: turning that cop into a werewolf by accident. Marcus asks Janine what OUR BESTEST BENNY BOY thinks about what's going on with Janine, and she quickly evades the question. Of note is how severely Janine wants to make right her wrongs. Also, Marcus reference something from an earlier issue that I either didn't read about or have forgotten: Project Purgatory. Hopefully someone can remind us what that is, other than it being the reason Janine's masks are "technically property of Beyond" according to Marcus. Makes me wonder if Janine's masks end up in the hands of Maxine. Anyway, Janine is going to use her cop mask to try to do some undercover work.

4) Meanwhile, the werewolf cop is wandering around who-knows-where and scaring off people until he finally reverts back to his human form.

5) Now knowing of her involvement, Maxine comments on all the reasons Janine has been and will continue to be easily manipulated -- and that she's jealous Janine is somehow now a werewolf. Maxine then comes up with some super-science that allows her to go after the cop werewolf guy.

6) Elsewhere, Janine uses her cop mask to travel safely through the city and ends up at the cop werewolf guy's house -- just as Detective Sebbens arrives as well! The fake name that Janine gives the detective? Office Reilly, of course! They go inside and talk with the wife of the copwolf; Janine empathizes with her, as she can't be with the man she loves either. (Apparently she's not allowed in the Limbo Tower?) Janine feels like she might have hit a dead-end, until Sebbens gets report of a fight that includes the copwolf missing-person.

7) Sebbens drives off, while Janine decides to try a faster way there: flight, using her dreaded vampire mask! (I IMMEDIATELY decided I want Janine to meet Morbius, the Living Vampire.) Anyway, we then cut to the now-normal cop guy, who is surrounded by Beyond goons. It's not long before they get him in the back of their truck; luckily, Janine spots the truck, flies down, rips a hole in the top of the truck, and tells the goons that their victim belongs to her!

And that's the issue! I thought it did a great job of continuing to present Janine as a three-dimensional, believable character who we should be rooting for despite any flaws she might have. I'm glad that, despite her actions in Dark Web, Janine doesn't see herself as a villain -- and that her actions in this issue support that self-knowledge: she cares A LOT about helping the guy whose life she inadvertently ruined through the use of her powers. I'm particularly intrigued by how those powers might accidentally make matters worse in future issues, especially now that the vampire mask is in use.

Looks like the next issue sees Peter Parker become involved in the storyline, but I'm more curious about whether the one, true Spider-Man will show up -- especially since seeing Zeb Wells say that his fellow writers are interested in using Ben/Chasm in other comics. One would think that, by the end of this miniseries, Janine will have some kind of opportunity to contact Ben; I only hope, if we do get a scene in that manner, that it emphasizes the love between Ben and Janine rather than driving a wedge between them for whatever reason.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing what others think about today's issue!

-Pav, who is imagining an anti-hero Spider-Team consisting of Chasm, Hallows' Eve, Morbius, and maybe some symbiote-users...

[Huntsman Spider]

A decent review for a decent issue. Would also be intrigued to see a more anti-heroic version of the Slingers with The Chasm Formerly Known as Ben Reilly, Hallows' Eve, Morbius . . . could throw in the current Agony, Gemma Shin, if we're talking symbiote hosts, after her stint in Chip Zdarsky's current run on Daredevil following Devil's Reign. And for a fifth . . . could dust off Cardiac, too, if we're talking anti-heroes who debuted and have been involved in the Spider-Man comics.

[scarletspidey]

Give the writer the ASM gig, she has shown more care for characteristics, history and tone of voice than anyone else who has touched Ben Reilly or his nearest and dearest other than JMD! Plus I think its high time we had a female ASM writer

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

One would think that, by the end of this miniseries, Janine will have some kind of opportunity to contact Ben; I only hope, if we do get a scene in that manner, that it emphasizes the love between Ben and Janine rather than driving a wedge between them for whatever reason.

The writer's said in an interview Janine will manage to get to Ben in this series, but that you'll "probably be surprised" by his reaction.

Either way, it was another solid issue. I think little touches like Janine choosing "Reilly" as her alias actually conveys a kind of warmth to the whole story very well.

[Sr. Bungle]

The writer's said in an interview Janine will manage to get to Ben in this series, but that you'll "probably be surprised" by his reaction.

Either way, it was another solid issue. I think little touches like Janine choosing "Reilly" as her alias actually conveys a kind of warmth to the whole story very well.

Yeah I'm afraid they want to split Janine and Ben

[Frontier]

Yeah I'm afraid they want to split Janine and Ben

Marvel does love breaking couples up, especially when one of them gets a solo book.

[Sr. Bungle]

3) Back to Janine and Marcus, who are discussing how Janine got her powers and her current problem: turning that cop into a werewolf by accident. Marcus asks Janine what OUR BESTEST BENNY BOY thinks about what's going on with Janine, and she quickly evades the question. Of note is how severely Janine wants to make right her wrongs. Also, Marcus reference something from an earlier issue that I either didn't read about or have forgotten: Project Purgatory. Hopefully someone can remind us what that is, other than it being the reason Janine's masks are "technically property of Beyond" according to Marcus. Makes me wonder if Janine's masks end up in the hands of Maxine. Anyway, Janine is going to use her cop mask to try to do some undercover work.

That was the portal to LImbo as seen in Wells' New Mutants run that opens with flesh from mutant babies.

Ben found this tech when raiding beyound warehouses. It was initally a military project and it seems Beyond acquired the patents somehow.

[Huntsman Spider]

Give the writer the ASM gig, she has shown more care for characteristics, history and tone of voice than anyone else who has touched Ben Reilly or his nearest and dearest other than JMD! Plus I think its high time we had a female ASM writer

Cosigned for now, but I'd rather wait to see how this all ends, even if I do agree with you that it's high time we had a female ASM writer for the long term.

That was the portal to LImbo as seen in Wells' New Mutants run that opens with flesh from mutant babies.

Ben found this tech when raiding beyound warehouses. It was initally a military project and it seems Beyond acquired the patents somehow.

Beyond Corp acquires a lot of s*** through shady corporate acquisitions and buyouts, so there is precedent.

[SplinteringHeart]

Marvel does love breaking couples up, especially when one of them gets a solo book.

It seems that Marvel would rather their writers write about the angst of couples being separated than put in the effort of writing couples just being together with some positivity...

[Huntsman Spider]

It seems that Marvel would rather their writers write about the angst of couples being separated than put in the effort of writing couples just being together with some positivity...

Sadly, yeah. I wonder what they think that says about them that they can't conceive of a couple with a genuinely happy, loving, supportive, and enduring relationship.

[Digifiend]

The writer's said in an interview Janine will manage to get to Ben in this series, but that you'll "probably be surprised" by his reaction.

Either way, it was another solid issue. I think little touches like Janine choosing "Reilly" as her alias actually conveys a kind of warmth to the whole story very well.

Well, she does want to become Mrs Reilly doesn't she?