Friendly Neighborhood Mary Jane #1: Lights! Camera! Action!

t’s a brand new day for MJ! No longer the host of Venom, Marvel’s favorite redheaded starlet is starting her own production company! However, not everything is all glitz and glamour as the call of heroism is not too far behind her.

Fresh off an admittedly entertaining stint as Venom, Mary Jane is once again the star of her own book. Spinning out of the “Mary Jane: Face It, Tiger” anniversary special a few months ago, MJ is looking to re-establish herself once again with her first love: acting. It’s a bit of a tired trope for her but this first outing adds a couple of elements that could make it more interesting than before. It’s a bit of a soft reset for the character, but it doesn’t sacrifice anything that came before it, she even retains a literal piece of Venom in the form of “Fang”, a small, non-verbal symbiote that acts more of a, as MJ puts it, “swiss army knife” than full-fledged partner like its parent. While nothing too exciting, a lot of elements in this issue have potential to be more.

Ashley Allen has a good voice for MJ, having her not just be fun, but also clever and resourceful as well. Allen gives a very brief history of the character up to this point and sprinkles in some humor throughout to keep things light. This is clearly a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it doesn’t need to be. Also the idea of positioning Chameleon as MJ’s nemesis fits given the pair’s history with one another.

Phil Noto’s art doesn’t really reach some of the heights he’s normally known for, but what’s offered here is fine enough. The characters (especially MJ) are very expressive and there are some very fun sequences, like MJ’s fight with Stilt-Man.