Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Mark Bagley; Scott Hanna; Pete Pantazis; & Virtual Calligraphy’s Cory Petit
Cover Art by Mike Mayhew & Avalon’s Andy Troy
SUMMARY:
Entitled “Thin Air, Part 4,” Marvel Comics released this issue for September 2004. Emotionally drained, Daily Bugle investigative journalist Ben Urich summons an incredulous Spider-Man to compare notes re: Norman Osborn. Suffice to say, Spider-Man is mighty peeved that former colleague, Urich, has deduced his secret identity. The worst comes out when Urich confides that Osborn is now killing his own employees (and a fellow Bugle journalist).
Having settled the journalist’s long-held suspicions re: the Green Goblin’s identity, Spider-Man realizes that it’s time for a decisive showdown with Osborn. Meanwhile, on the Bugle’s payroll as an investigative consultant, a pregnant Jessica Jones shares an uneasy phone call with her boyfriend, Luke Cage.
Having cajoled J. Jonah Jameson to again risk exposing Osborn’s evil, Urich goes to the police. Accompanying the police’s search warrant for Oscorp’s HQ, Jessica & Urich horrifically find out how unhinged Osborn is. This initial storyline concludes in Issue # 5.
REVIEW:
Excellent read! Brian Michael Bendis is on his game, as he deftly involves Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Ben Urich, Robbie Robertson, and J. Jonah Jameson in an engrossing crime thriller. The same applies to Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, as he oozes plenty of vile menace off-screen — the cover image, however, is spot-on.
The underrated MVP is a low-key Jessica Jones, who imbues The Pulse series with a likable, down-to-earth presence. Her rebooted persona is an intriguing step forward in her character’s evolution moving past her dark Alias solo series, which was cancelled the year before.
The art squad’s visuals are above-average. To their credit, their imagery sticks to the script’s plausibly dramatic aspects. In that sense, Mark Bagley’s creative style is an ideal fit for The Pulse. Considering how underrated The Pulse series was (it ran only 14 official issues), Issue # 4 is definitely worth re-discovery. If anything, it’s a welcome dose of depth-building that precedes Bendis’ 2005 New Avengers launch, with Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones in the cast.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The first page includes credits and a “Thin Air” storyline-to-date summary.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
