Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Gianluca Gugliotta
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The first new villain of Spider-Mans brand new day has gotten himself a tie-in mini-series and he's pitted against New York's new Kingpin of crime the Hood. Can the Hood and his crime syndicate take over Mr. Negative's home soil of Chinatown?
In 2007's MODOK'S 11, Van Lente had proven that he knew how to handle D and E list villains, and he brings this skill back to this issue and he mixes the lesser Spider-Man foes in with a tale of how new A list villain, Mr. Negative's alter ego came to America.
Mr Negative's current story is intertwined with Spider-Man supporting characters, and it's Betty Brant who offers us a retrospective of his arrival. But it's where the action kicks in that the issue really kicks into gear. A corrupted White Dragon, Scorcher, White Rabbit, Bloodshed and the Squid... You may not have heard of them but they bring great character to the story and bring us a true Battle Royale on the streets of China Town.
Gugliotta's artwork is incredibly in tune with the words as he brings swagger to all the characters involved.
Mr Negative's a good book to have fun with, whether you're following Dark Reign or not.