There are story arcs that forever redefine comic book heroes.

Kraven's Last Hunt was that arc for Spider-Man. The wisecracking, webspinning arachnid of the Marvel Universe was soundly defeated and put through a wrenching experience at the hands of a once-minor foe -- the kind of experience that could easily weaken many people's grasp on sanity. Although he struggled back to reality and won out in the end -- well, sort of -- the impact of this six-issue storyline would surely be felt by Spider-Man and his alter-ego, Peter Parker, for years to come.

OK, maybe not. Marvel definitely dropped the ball on this one, quickly sweeping up the after-effects of the story and turning its attention to goofy clone sagas and the ongoing resurrection of dead characters. While Kraven, whose death in this book is foreshadowed by its title, was never brought back to life (yet -- give them time), Marvel didn't waste too much time in bringing back first his ghost, then a formerly unheard-of son whose modern ways earned him few fans and a hasty demise, and then another formerly unheard-of son who -- can you guess? -- is just like his dad!

But enough about the bungles that have haunted the aftermath of this book. Kraven's Last Hunt remains a landmark storyline that brought, however briefly, powerful new styles of storytelling and art to the long-lived title. (Actually, three titles: the storyline was divided equally among The Amazing Spider-Man issues 293-294, Spectacular Spider-Man issues 131-132 and The Web of Spider-Man issues 32-33.

It features Peter during the days of his cool black-and-white costume, a short-lived fashion change that led to the creation of a new villain before he reverted to his old red-and-blue suit. But Peter, who always manages to find something to be depressed about, is feeling glum about the recent death of Joe Face, a small-time snitch who's served in the past as an informer for Spider-Man. It has him contemplating his own mortality.

And then there's Kraven, who is naked and beating up on various stuffed trophies. He's feeling his age, contemplating bitterly the circumstances that forced his once-noble family from Russia in days past, and pondering the one foe he's never completely defeated. Spider-Man, of course. This leads Kraven to a room full of vicious-looking arachnids, many of which he (blecch) eats ravenously. At that moment Peter wakes in a cold sweat, and he takes to the skyways to swing off his tension.

When he finally encounters Kraven he's been shot with a mind-altering drug even before he has time to react. Still, he knows Kraven as a small-time foe and he doesn't take him too seriously -- until, when it's too late, he notices the uncharacteristic rifle in the villain's hands. Peter barely has time for a last thought for his wife, Mary Jane, before he's shot at pointblank range.

Spider-Man is buried during a thunderstorm on Kraven's manor estate. He remains suited and masked, laid out in a fine casket and entombed beneath a large stone: "Here lies Spider-Man, Slain by the Hunter." But it's not enough for Kraven to beat the Spider; he also needs to prove himself superior to his erstwhile foe. Dressed in an exact copy of the black-and-white costume, Kraven sets out into the city to test himself. Meanwhile, Mary Jane has gone looking for her missing husband. And, around the city, people are disappearing and being (yecch) eaten.

Kraven becomes a brutal Spider-Man. He beats the bad guys he finds mercilessly, hospitalizing many and killing one. Then he goes after Vermin, the cannibal responsible for the recent missing people, a sewer-dwelling man-monster Spider-Man was only able to defeat in the past with the help of Captain America. But Kraven does him one better, crushing Vermin in a wild rumble before carrying the unconscious creature back to his manor.

And then Peter Parker, in a drugged stasis and buried underground for weeks, wakes up. He claws his way through coffin and packed soil to break free and reclaim his life. (We'll ignore for the moment the fact that Spider-Man was "killed" and buried for two weeks, and yet he hurries home to make out with his wife without first stopping to, um, tidy up a bit.) Of course, Peter Parker can never be content to stay home in a warm bed with a supermodel wife when he can go out and swing through the rain and engage in a brawl or two, so he very quickly slips out to find Kraven.

He's perhaps a bit confused when Kraven refuses to fight him. But Kraven has finally achieved his goal; he's beaten Spider-Man and feels no need to prove his superiority again. But to drive the point home for Peter, Kraven releases Vermin -- who is, once again, able to beat Spider-Man at his own game. Only Kraven's intervention saves Peter's life. He frees Vermin and, after trying to explain his version of honor, lets Spider-Man go as well. And he takes the only exit left to him, now that everything else is accomplished.

For all that it's easy to poke fun at certain aspects of this storyline, Kraven's Last Hunt remains at the peak of Spider-Man tales. It gives us a villain who isn't always villainous -- a man who follows a certain code of honor, as twisted as it may seem to others, and who manages by the end to show compassion in victory. It offers a second villain, one who commits great evil without intent -- simply acting true to his nature, following his instincts to survive. It gives us a hero who isn't always the easy winner, who doesn't always understand the motivations of those he fights, and yet, who continues to plug away against unbeatable odds, simply because he refuses to be beaten.

Writer J.M. DeMatteis did a bang-up job on this one, and the aftermath -- including an angry reaction from some readers who felt he glorified suicide -- was unfortunate. Art by Mike Zeck and Bob McLeod provided an excellent basis for the tale, which stands tall for sheer powerful storytelling.

This isn't standard comic-book fare, and Marvel would have done well to stick to this path for a while longer. Perhaps it's still not too late.

[ by Tom Knapp ]