Writer – Nick Spencer
Artist – Emma Rios
Colorist: Javier Rodriguez
Letter: VC’S Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: 08/10/11
Price: 2.99
Cloak and Dagger. Just the mention of the name brings back memories of picking up Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spiderman #64, back when comics were only 60 cents a book and found on spin racks in grocery stores, pharmacies and of course, the newsstand. Back then Spectacular and Amazing Spiderman where right up there on my monthly buy list, I’d ride down to the local newsstand just to see what sorts of adventures ol pete was up to, and in the Spectacular title things had taken a more mature tone. As Spiderman fought local crime and drug runners, issue 64 introduced us to two teens, Tandy Bowen and Tyrone Johnson, each running from something, ending up kidnapped and forced to test designer heroin. These two teens somehow survived while all the other kidnapped teens died. In an doing so became something more, Cloak and Dagger. Together, a force for good in a dark world, protecting runaways and troubled teens when no others would in a world when it was easier to look away.
So as you can see, my love for these characters goes back quite a way. I’ve seen them get their own title, lose it and somehow, somehow end up as second stringer support cast, showing up in event titles but never getting their just due. So when I heard that the duo was getting a Spider Island tie in I had mixed emotions, both one of excitement for seeing this team in a title of their own again and one of dread, since it was a tie in to a Spider Man mini event. I mean, how good could it be, only telling the tale of their fights against the hordes of Spider Powered folk in NYC. Well, I can tell you, its definitely worth the time and money to pick this one up. Nick Spencer does a great job putting the reader in the eyes of the characters, a brief introduction of the team in the first page leads right into the every day life of Tandy and Ty as they find themselves evicted from their classic lair, an old abandoned church they’ve used for their home since day one. Everything from their eviction to their run in with the Avengers flows in such a way that any hesitation I had for this title was washed away. Its actually pretty funny since the “Tie In” lasts for only page and a half and Tandy casually dismisses it as a waste of their time. As for the quality of the book, the art by Emma Rios has grown on me so much since I first saw it in the Osborne Mini Series that I’m finding myself more then a little upset that this is only a three issue mini series. If you’ve waited like me for the team of Cloak and Dagger to get another chance at the limelight or even if you’ve only seen them in X-Men or the Event tie ins and thought they where pretty cool, give this book a try. Here’s hoping for more from this creative team in the future!
comicjunkies 