A Dark Side of Justice
Imagine reading a story in the newspaper about a man dressed in black creeping around in the dark, he is armed and very dangerous and wanted for murder. Would this fit the description of a super hero? No heroes from the Marvel Noir series are by any means your average heroes, least of all Spider Man.
This image is of Spider Man Noir, it came from the fifth issue of the comic book. The image is centered on Spider Man Noir who is framed by the 1933 New York City. The dark colors symbolize the darker Noir themes. The Spider Man is very different than the other Spider Men. Spider Man Noir goes against everything we think a hero is.
Spider Man Noir is the main focus of the image with New York City spreading out behind him. He is climbing onto an unfinished building with a smoking gun in his hand. His mask gives him the appearance of being mad.
The dark colors and shadows in the image express the ideas behind the Noir series. The dark colors represent the perspectives of the characters. Peter Parker is driven to become Spider Man to get revenge on the Goblin for the murder and mutilation of Uncle Ben, the only father figure in his life. The shadows in the image show how the hero can at the same time be a villain. Noir heroes will murder, steal and break numerous laws to accomplish their goals.
His actions and appearance are not the only differences between this Spider Man and other Spider Men. Rather than gaining his powers from the bite of a radioactive spider Peter Parker is “cursed with the gift of power” by an African spider goddess when a mystical spider bites him when he was investigating a heist. Also unlike other Spider Men his powers are not so refined, meaning he can’t swing around on webs or climb up walls.