Showing posts with label Peter Parker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter Parker. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2014
Marvel Cinematic Universe preparing for CIVIL WAR
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Amazing Spider-Man 6, X-Force 9
Amazing Spider-Man 6
Black Cat unmasks Spider-Man on live TV but Jameson inadvertently blocks the shot the entire time in a swing and a miss at humor. Silk manages to bust Peter out of the fight before any lasting harm can come of it but they know now to be prepared for Electro and Black Cat at every turn, which is good because the villains, on the sort-of coerced advice of Sajani, plan an attack on Parker Industries' big reveal of their new Electro-depowering tech. Everything at the press conference goes crazy but the ultimate result is a massive explosion that falls on Parker Industries and Spider-Man's rep, though it does indeed manage to depower Electro. Black Cat escapes and finds herself back in the good graces of a slew of underling supervillains, pledging to become the queen of the thieves, while Silk gets an internship with a news station in hopes of finding more about her family, and Peter feels rejuvenated by the success of the Electro device and believes he's in a good place with his work and his friends Sajani and Anna Maria, who are whispering even now about undermining some of his work.
I've already voiced some disapproval and concern about this book as it has focused on a pair of villains who just come off as crazy and well out of their own character, particularly Black Cat (I think Electro has been slightly better and a little more interesting). Cat has oscillated between petty criminal and vigilante for some time now so this full U-turn to hardcore crime boss because she's been wronged continues to seem really far-fetched. It may seem overkill to keep harping on that but right now that's what the entire story hinges itself on so it's impossible to overlook or to overstate its significance. What's more, the writing has been exposition heavy and the repeated attempts at jokes and humor have come off forced and mostly weak. I think there are interesting nuggets here and there (Sajani's sort-of betrayal, Anna Maria as sort-of sidekick to Spider-Man, Peter's determination to "heal" supervillains, etc.) but they're hard to find right now beneath the problems of the book.
Total Score: 2/5
X-Force 9
X-Force has been revealed in the desert and, despite Dr. Nemesis' hopes for a dialogue, a fight breaks out between X-Force and Pete Wisdom's team. Meanwhile, Agent Mel, the leader of the soldiers, is taken right from under their noses by the guerrilla Quaddees they were chasing in the first place, which, along with the insane power the seemingly least powerful soldier has, serves to end the fight and open a dialogue, to Nemesis' satisfaction. The soldiers in this unit have volunteered for superpowers, essentially, that will kill them all within a year but that will aid Volga until then. Now aware of their situation and the stakes, they agree to accompany X-Force to find their missing commander. When the team finds her, they're overwhelmed by powered-up Quaddees. Psylocke and Meme manage to bust through and read the captured Mel's mind, learning about the experiments and the power of the soldiers. Unfortunately, there seems to be no reasonable way out of this scenario so X-Force is x-forced to stick to Mel's plan, which involves her own team self-destructing, more or less, to take out the Quaddees and to stop their own powers from getting out into the work. Wisdom leads his team back home, though he warns Cable first about the bugs around them as Volga's spies (which we saw just two issues or so ago).
Things remain a little confusing this issue, as they were last issue, but Spurrier's managed to clear up enough and to keep a lot of the banter entertaining enough to allow us to proceed with the story. It's a true in media res story overall as we only get bits and pieces of the soldiers' mission, only the parts we need to know as they pertain to X-Force, which makes for a bit of a confusing issue but still allows us to come out the other side with a slightly better sense of our team and of Volga's capabilities, not hurt by Wisdom's reveal. It's a particularly strong Dr. Nemesis issue (a character Spurrier unabashedly loves, and rightfully so) as his unending disdain for superheroes finds a real home with this team. Some strong writing and fun character moments (one of the constant joys of this series is watching Fantomex repeatedly assert he is the best as whatever he's doing only to be proven wrong immediately, a joke that never seems to get old) carry this one.
Total Score: 4/5
I've already voiced some disapproval and concern about this book as it has focused on a pair of villains who just come off as crazy and well out of their own character, particularly Black Cat (I think Electro has been slightly better and a little more interesting). Cat has oscillated between petty criminal and vigilante for some time now so this full U-turn to hardcore crime boss because she's been wronged continues to seem really far-fetched. It may seem overkill to keep harping on that but right now that's what the entire story hinges itself on so it's impossible to overlook or to overstate its significance. What's more, the writing has been exposition heavy and the repeated attempts at jokes and humor have come off forced and mostly weak. I think there are interesting nuggets here and there (Sajani's sort-of betrayal, Anna Maria as sort-of sidekick to Spider-Man, Peter's determination to "heal" supervillains, etc.) but they're hard to find right now beneath the problems of the book.
Total Score: 2/5
X-Force 9
Total Score: 4/5
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Amazing Spider-Man 4, Daredevil 6
Amazing Spider-Man 4
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Parker Industries is trying to work out ways to safely capture Electro, including an electric proof net (which is such a cartoon idea. In fact, it's so cartoon that it's something Team Rocket constantly uses), but again Peter is quick to disappear when an Avengers call comes in, to the concern of Anna Maria and to the frustration of Sajani. She storms off and is taken by the onlooking Black Cat, who has stolen some of the plans for the Electro capture tech and needs someone to help her understand them. Meanwhile, Peter arrives at the ORIGINAL SIN storyline, thrilled to be hanging out with his Avengers pals again, as the truth bomb reveals to him that there was another person bitten by the spider that bit him. Ezekiel Sims, totem of the spider and convinced that Peter is too, found young Cindy Moon and had her locked away while she trained and explored her powers, claiming to do it to stop Morlun from finding and killing her. Peter races to go save his totem sister and lets her out of the room she's in, telling her Morlun is dead. As Cindy, codename Silk, excitedly joins Peter out in the world, he admits that Morlun has a way of coming back from the dead and she flips out on him, proving that her skills are maybe even a little more advanced than his. Indeed, though, Morlun does wake from some sort of slumber, awakened by "the spider-bride." And then Peter and Cindy make out. PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY, YOU GUYS.
We're four issues back with Peter and it remains very clear that Dan Slott loves writing the true Peter Parker. He should, too, he's pretty good at it. There's always a sense of fun and, dare I say, whimsy to the character under Slott's direction. The other thing Slott always manages to do really well with Peter, even if it doesn't always look like it's heading that way, is construct a story that feels rather like it's closing in on our hero at all times. There are always wheelings, dealing, stealings, healings, and feelings that Peter isn't privy to but that the audience sees from issue to issue and that tend to culminate all at once. That's happening pretty blatantly here and it's entirely possible, maybe even likely, that it will wind its way towards an excellent conclusion. However, it's also possible that it will remain as skeptical-eyebrow-raising and frustrating as it is now. There are still moments to enjoy in this issue but the Black Cat/Electro storyline makes very little sense to me (with Black Cat on some sort of crazed revenge fantasy and Electro just crazed, seemingly to correlate with the worst parts of the last Spider-Man movie) and it's clearly making its way into the spotlight. On top of that, I've never been a big supporter of the Spider Mythology sort of storyline that the series occasionally heads back to. I like Peter Parker and I think his longevity and his appeal, part of it anyway, comes from the fact that he's just an average guy who gained these powers and, after a brief hiccup of being a jerk, realizes he has a responsibility to use his powers to help, not for self-profit. The totem stuff makes it feel that he's not an everyman, he's a very specific man and he was chosen to be Spider-Man, not that he himself chose to be Spider-Man. I think it weakens his story and plays more to the idea of fate rather than choice, which rather feels like the opposite of Spider-Man's story. LOOK, what I'm trying to say is that it's kind of weird that the Spider would have these two make out.
Total Score: 2/5
Daredevil 6
Waid (w) and J. Rodriguez (p) and A. Lopez (i) and J. Rodriguez (c) and Caramagna (l)
Daredevil's been ORIGINAL SIN'd and he's learned, perhaps, that there was more than meets the eye to his father, or, in the very least, that he'd repressed some seriously bad memories of the man who has stood so tall over Matt's life. Memories rush back to him of a beaten and bruised mother with Battlin' Jack standing over her and he has to know the truth. He tries to track his mother, a nun, only to learn that she and two other nuns have been arrested and await extradition to Wakanda for trial after trespassing and graffiti-ing on private Wakandan property. Matt can't believe the story and moreover can't believe the extreme punishment for what amounts to a tiny infraction. He attempts to investigate but is shut down in every direction, eventually leading him to stay silent in a closet in the Wakandan embassy for hours in the hopes of hearing some hint of the proceedings. Eventually he does, learning that there's a coverup from the American military involved as well. He confronts the Wakandan and an army general only find himself stopped dead in his tracks by a waiting sonic. The Wakandan informs him that Wakanda has purchased the land onto which his mother trespassed, making it officially Wakandan soil and therefore any crimes committed are to be treated as crimes against Wakanda, dealt with however they want. With perhaps more than a hint of WATCHMEN, the Wakandan tells Matt that he's only giving out this information because there's nothing the hero can do about it as the nuns were sent on a plane an hour ago.
Let me say this first: I think the Wakandan storyline, while a bit farfetched because of my biases towards Wakandan and the idea that Black Panther wouldn't check his cellphone once in a while from someone who he's been so close to in the past as Daredevil, is a fairly interesting one. I think pitting Matt against such a powerful nation on behalf of his rarely-seen mother is an intriguing storyline. I think that the abusive father storyline, while not necessarily unexpected out of a down-and-out boxer, is perhaps a bit overdone in the Marvel Universe as a whole. Not to say it's not pertinent or meaningful for the character, particularly one like Matt who rather sees his father through rose-colored glasses (because ALL OF HIS GLASSES ARE ROSE-COLORED, though I suppose he doesn't really see through them so never mind, my bit is ruined). Still, I couldn't help saying "aww, nooo" when the reveal was made. Again, it's not necessarily unexpected and it's not exactly farfetched (it may not even be the first time this has been seen from Battlin' Jack, I'm not sure) but it did kind of make me go "aw, can't we just have one character without daddy issues?" I'm not saying this to minimize the horror and wrongness of abuse (particularly in the light of Ravens running back Ray Rice's minuscule two-game suspension for pretty clear and public spousal abuse and the terrible comments from the terrible people on the ESPN comment sections on any articles referring to it) but rather to shine it as something of an overused trope in fiction (important to remember they could just as easily have not made Jack hit Maggie as these aren't real people with real histories) which makes the actual act seem less flagrant by its overwhelmingly abundant usage. LOOK, maybe when I make a real statement of some sort, I shouldn't conflate it by adding two long parenthetical statements in the middle. LOOK, maybe we're all just learning that now?
Total Score: 3/5
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Parker Industries is trying to work out ways to safely capture Electro, including an electric proof net (which is such a cartoon idea. In fact, it's so cartoon that it's something Team Rocket constantly uses), but again Peter is quick to disappear when an Avengers call comes in, to the concern of Anna Maria and to the frustration of Sajani. She storms off and is taken by the onlooking Black Cat, who has stolen some of the plans for the Electro capture tech and needs someone to help her understand them. Meanwhile, Peter arrives at the ORIGINAL SIN storyline, thrilled to be hanging out with his Avengers pals again, as the truth bomb reveals to him that there was another person bitten by the spider that bit him. Ezekiel Sims, totem of the spider and convinced that Peter is too, found young Cindy Moon and had her locked away while she trained and explored her powers, claiming to do it to stop Morlun from finding and killing her. Peter races to go save his totem sister and lets her out of the room she's in, telling her Morlun is dead. As Cindy, codename Silk, excitedly joins Peter out in the world, he admits that Morlun has a way of coming back from the dead and she flips out on him, proving that her skills are maybe even a little more advanced than his. Indeed, though, Morlun does wake from some sort of slumber, awakened by "the spider-bride." And then Peter and Cindy make out. PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY, YOU GUYS.We're four issues back with Peter and it remains very clear that Dan Slott loves writing the true Peter Parker. He should, too, he's pretty good at it. There's always a sense of fun and, dare I say, whimsy to the character under Slott's direction. The other thing Slott always manages to do really well with Peter, even if it doesn't always look like it's heading that way, is construct a story that feels rather like it's closing in on our hero at all times. There are always wheelings, dealing, stealings, healings, and feelings that Peter isn't privy to but that the audience sees from issue to issue and that tend to culminate all at once. That's happening pretty blatantly here and it's entirely possible, maybe even likely, that it will wind its way towards an excellent conclusion. However, it's also possible that it will remain as skeptical-eyebrow-raising and frustrating as it is now. There are still moments to enjoy in this issue but the Black Cat/Electro storyline makes very little sense to me (with Black Cat on some sort of crazed revenge fantasy and Electro just crazed, seemingly to correlate with the worst parts of the last Spider-Man movie) and it's clearly making its way into the spotlight. On top of that, I've never been a big supporter of the Spider Mythology sort of storyline that the series occasionally heads back to. I like Peter Parker and I think his longevity and his appeal, part of it anyway, comes from the fact that he's just an average guy who gained these powers and, after a brief hiccup of being a jerk, realizes he has a responsibility to use his powers to help, not for self-profit. The totem stuff makes it feel that he's not an everyman, he's a very specific man and he was chosen to be Spider-Man, not that he himself chose to be Spider-Man. I think it weakens his story and plays more to the idea of fate rather than choice, which rather feels like the opposite of Spider-Man's story. LOOK, what I'm trying to say is that it's kind of weird that the Spider would have these two make out.
Total Score: 2/5
Daredevil 6
Waid (w) and J. Rodriguez (p) and A. Lopez (i) and J. Rodriguez (c) and Caramagna (l)
Daredevil's been ORIGINAL SIN'd and he's learned, perhaps, that there was more than meets the eye to his father, or, in the very least, that he'd repressed some seriously bad memories of the man who has stood so tall over Matt's life. Memories rush back to him of a beaten and bruised mother with Battlin' Jack standing over her and he has to know the truth. He tries to track his mother, a nun, only to learn that she and two other nuns have been arrested and await extradition to Wakanda for trial after trespassing and graffiti-ing on private Wakandan property. Matt can't believe the story and moreover can't believe the extreme punishment for what amounts to a tiny infraction. He attempts to investigate but is shut down in every direction, eventually leading him to stay silent in a closet in the Wakandan embassy for hours in the hopes of hearing some hint of the proceedings. Eventually he does, learning that there's a coverup from the American military involved as well. He confronts the Wakandan and an army general only find himself stopped dead in his tracks by a waiting sonic. The Wakandan informs him that Wakanda has purchased the land onto which his mother trespassed, making it officially Wakandan soil and therefore any crimes committed are to be treated as crimes against Wakanda, dealt with however they want. With perhaps more than a hint of WATCHMEN, the Wakandan tells Matt that he's only giving out this information because there's nothing the hero can do about it as the nuns were sent on a plane an hour ago.Let me say this first: I think the Wakandan storyline, while a bit farfetched because of my biases towards Wakandan and the idea that Black Panther wouldn't check his cellphone once in a while from someone who he's been so close to in the past as Daredevil, is a fairly interesting one. I think pitting Matt against such a powerful nation on behalf of his rarely-seen mother is an intriguing storyline. I think that the abusive father storyline, while not necessarily unexpected out of a down-and-out boxer, is perhaps a bit overdone in the Marvel Universe as a whole. Not to say it's not pertinent or meaningful for the character, particularly one like Matt who rather sees his father through rose-colored glasses (because ALL OF HIS GLASSES ARE ROSE-COLORED, though I suppose he doesn't really see through them so never mind, my bit is ruined). Still, I couldn't help saying "aww, nooo" when the reveal was made. Again, it's not necessarily unexpected and it's not exactly farfetched (it may not even be the first time this has been seen from Battlin' Jack, I'm not sure) but it did kind of make me go "aw, can't we just have one character without daddy issues?" I'm not saying this to minimize the horror and wrongness of abuse (particularly in the light of Ravens running back Ray Rice's minuscule two-game suspension for pretty clear and public spousal abuse and the terrible comments from the terrible people on the ESPN comment sections on any articles referring to it) but rather to shine it as something of an overused trope in fiction (important to remember they could just as easily have not made Jack hit Maggie as these aren't real people with real histories) which makes the actual act seem less flagrant by its overwhelmingly abundant usage. LOOK, maybe when I make a real statement of some sort, I shouldn't conflate it by adding two long parenthetical statements in the middle. LOOK, maybe we're all just learning that now?
Total Score: 3/5
Friday, June 13, 2014
Amazing Spider-Man 1.2, Deadpool 30
Amazing Spider-Man 1.2
Slott (w) and R. Pérez (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)
With Peter still trying to attend counseling and maintain the busy Spider-Man schedule on the down-low, new possible hero Clash has his first outing, which goes rather unsuccessfully. Clayton Cole, though, unlike Peter Parker, comes from a wealthy family and is able to literally buy time with Spider-Man through his agent. Spidey, needing the money, shows up but is pretty quickly creeped out and webs Clash up and leaves, making himself a new enemy in the process.
There's a lot to this little limited tie-in series that could enrich a reader's understanding or view of Peter Parker at the start of his career, which is certainly a nice thing, but it also rather means that the story runs a little slowly as there's just maybe a little too much context, particularly for older readers. It is certainly still a valid Peter Parker story and does an interesting job weaving and winding between classic Spidey stories but it tends to move pretty slowly between those stories (seeing Peter Parker in counseling, it turns out, is maybe not so thrilling, partly because it's more Peter pretending not to be Spider-Man which wears a little thin after 50 years and partly because who would actually think that would be thrilling?). Still an entertaining enough story, even if Clash starts to sound a little like Max Dillon in Amazing Spider-Man 2, a villain I had a lot of trouble with (was he actually mentally handicapped? Should we be rooting for Spider-Man to defeat the mentally handicapped villain?).
Total Score: 3/5
Deadpool 30
Posehn and Duggan (w) and J. Lucas (a) and Staples (c) and Sabino (l)
While Deadpool and Dazzler, at the behest of Shiklah, seek out vampire nests all throughout New York, Preston and Adsit deal with what they saw in the ORIGINAL SIN explosion. Preston saw where she can find Eleanor and Adsit saw something horrible enough he's refusing to talk about it. Preston goes by herself to Chicago to visit Butler's brother. She finds Eleanor, hidden away in a doghouse and, back turned to the camera, Preston reacts to her visage.
Deadpool's plan to take down the vampires (a plan my girlfriend, not reading the series, referred to as "pretty funny, actually") is working pretty well, even if it's grossing Dazzler out. We get maybe a teensy bit too much of it here as things start to turn to obvious jokes and quips, making things a little cheesy to read at times. However, the plan remains an interesting one and the Deadpool-Dazzler team-up is fun and fresh. There are more hints to dire goings-on as Adsit remains silent on what he saw in the explosion, though hints that maybe he's not going to be so thrilled with Deadpool the next time they meet, and as Preston meets Eleanor only to be horrified by whatever she looks like or is or something. Plenty fun enough to read, slows down a little maybe midway through as we hit the point where they have to drag the issue on a little to leave the reveal for next time.
Total Score: 4/5
Slott (w) and R. Pérez (a) and Herring (c) and Caramagna (l)
There's a lot to this little limited tie-in series that could enrich a reader's understanding or view of Peter Parker at the start of his career, which is certainly a nice thing, but it also rather means that the story runs a little slowly as there's just maybe a little too much context, particularly for older readers. It is certainly still a valid Peter Parker story and does an interesting job weaving and winding between classic Spidey stories but it tends to move pretty slowly between those stories (seeing Peter Parker in counseling, it turns out, is maybe not so thrilling, partly because it's more Peter pretending not to be Spider-Man which wears a little thin after 50 years and partly because who would actually think that would be thrilling?). Still an entertaining enough story, even if Clash starts to sound a little like Max Dillon in Amazing Spider-Man 2, a villain I had a lot of trouble with (was he actually mentally handicapped? Should we be rooting for Spider-Man to defeat the mentally handicapped villain?).
Total Score: 3/5
Deadpool 30
Posehn and Duggan (w) and J. Lucas (a) and Staples (c) and Sabino (l)
Deadpool's plan to take down the vampires (a plan my girlfriend, not reading the series, referred to as "pretty funny, actually") is working pretty well, even if it's grossing Dazzler out. We get maybe a teensy bit too much of it here as things start to turn to obvious jokes and quips, making things a little cheesy to read at times. However, the plan remains an interesting one and the Deadpool-Dazzler team-up is fun and fresh. There are more hints to dire goings-on as Adsit remains silent on what he saw in the explosion, though hints that maybe he's not going to be so thrilled with Deadpool the next time they meet, and as Preston meets Eleanor only to be horrified by whatever she looks like or is or something. Plenty fun enough to read, slows down a little maybe midway through as we hit the point where they have to drag the issue on a little to leave the reveal for next time.
Total Score: 4/5
Sunday, May 25, 2014
This week's picks
Plenty of books out there this week but the top three rather stand out to me. Guess I can't ask for easier than that? AND, spoilers, THEY'RE ALL FROM ONE REVIEW THIS WEEK.
Amazing Spider-Man 2
I'm particularly impressed in this issue how much Slott is setting up without it ever feeling like "geez, we get it." I got that feeling a few times nearing the end of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN (or perhaps it was the middle, when Spidey 2099 started popping up and Sup Spidey was kicked out of Horizon and so on) and I've seen Slott fall into that trap before. Instead, here, he's rearing to go with a lot of stories (you just know that Dan Slott has been the one most eagerly anticipating Peter's return) but he's, as of now, planning to roll them out only when it's really time to roll them out. With so much happening already in the plot, it's nice to see the book waiting until the time is right to add more stories in. On top of that, this issue was strong in its own right, fast and fun and this volume still has the new car smell so we should all be excited to show it off to all our friends before it starts to get worn in.
Daredevil 3
There are weeks when I try a little harder (or the books try a little harder, I suppose) to make my picks a little less standard, trying to shine a light on other books that have the ability to unseat one of my typical choices. NOT THIS WEEK, friends. I praised DAREDEVIL on its consistency this week and I don't just mean that it's consistently putting out a readable book, which would be a feat in its own right. No, this book is consistently one of the best books on the shelves and 2013 saw it winning its fair share of "best of" lists (or at least placing near the top). Mark Waid has been writing a really engaging Daredevil while telling a really interesting story and Chris Samnee has been doing stellar work all the way through. Even steps that should have felt a little predictable in this issue feel fresh and exciting and the writing and tone alone would make for a completely worthwhile top pick, but Chris Samnee and Javier Rodriguez's art just always shoot this book up to another level. Great work.
Elektra 2
Though we're only two issues in, I'm really enjoying this series. It's a little hard not to draw critical comparisons to BLACK WIDOW as we see two typically colder characters, both professionals and neither afraid to get their hands dirty, start to get their own unique narratives and enter into their own unique stories, but I'm not about to start complaining (about either book). Mike Del Mundo's art is gorgeous, the story is compelling, and the characters, from what we've seen about them so far, seem more than capable of carrying this series. Both Edmondson of BLACK WIDOW and Blackman of ELEKTRA are also doing the smart thing with the dialogue: neither of these protagonists are chatterboxes and neither writer is finding it necessary to turn them into such to advance the plot. They're both excellent at showing, not telling, and at building character through action and, of course, narrative (never hurts to have a direct line into the thoughts of a character, even though these books are still keeping those somewhat close to the vest). Really neat book so far.
Amazing Spider-Man 2
Daredevil 3
Elektra 2
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Amazing Spider-Man 2, Daredevil 3, Elektra 2
Amazing Spider-Man 2
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Peter Parker's got a lot on his plate as he reveals his secret to Anna Maria and reveals that she's been dating Doc Ock all this time (she takes it remarkably in stride). He clears some things up with the Avengers when he goes in for some tests and he confirms that Flash is Venom (he never knew before and he's not so thrilled to learn now). He squares off with Electro in New York City and immediately begins to feel some of the burden left on him by Doc Ock. Electro is forced to flee (spared with a little luck from his indebted onlooker Black Cat) but it turns Peter to thinking about how Parker Industries can best serve the public: from now on, they'll shelve their cybernetic work (which he doesn't understand ANYWAY) and focus on depowering and imprisoning super villains in the wake of Electro's destruction of New York's last prison.
Story
It's hard not to be impressed with how much Dan Slott is getting through in these first couple issues. He's got a lot of ground to cover to explain to Peter what's happened and to show us how much those changes will play a role in this new series but he stays ambitious and shows us some of the new and coming storylines that we should be looking at (including Black Cat's, the coming storyline that's been hinted at in interviews and previews featuring new character the Silk with a similar origin to Peter and who, according to this issue, knows Peter's identity, etc.). Still, the story of this one, focusing on Peter's mess of a life and Electro's broken powers particularly, is certainly compelling enough and more than enough to kick this volume off. 5/5
Character
Despite all of the story that Slott has to keep moving, we get nice little character bits from everyone. Peter's back into his old ways, quipping and having fun and enjoying his new lease on life even as he tries to deal with the numerous things in his way. Anna Maria comes off pretty well here as she keeps it pretty well together upon all of these big revelations and even stands by to support Peter and to keep his life intact (she helps explain some cybernetics stuff to him and helps him with Ock's new webbing formula). There are lots of small appearances from other characters that seem to fit their personas pretty well but our big focuses are Spidey, Anna Maria, and Electro, who also has a lot on his plate right now and who is fracturing pretty badly. 5/5
Writing
Pretty strong writing here as Slott gets his story and character bits across while also making sure to keep the tone upbeat, making it feel like a real Amazing Spider-Man story instead of a Superior Spider-Man story. He's helped by the fact that the tones of the two books couldn't be more different but he still does his part to facilitate the switch by never erring towards dark in this early issue. That's not to say that Spider-Man books can't get dark or that this one won't, but it's smart to steer clear of it as we emerge from SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN to allow readers to get their bearings and see what a difference it's been. 5/5
Art
Humberto Ramos is great and continues to be great. His action is some of the most fun action out there, very fluid and kinetic, just as his character moments are driven strongly by their emotion, sometimes a little overblown but never so much that it's distracting. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Another solid issue. This is one of those books that feels like it's never done crafting, that there are stories lined up for years at any one time. I think it's probably the burden of being one of the most popular comic characters in the world and one who has a world so tightly wound that threats and enemies and friends are popping up all over at all times.
Total Score: 5/5
Daredevil 3
Waid (w) and Samnee (a) and J. Rodriguez (c) and Caramagna (l)
The Owl is getting reports that the Shroud is making a play for his empire just as the Shroud has lured Daredevil to his own hideout where he's keeping top Owl lieutenants tied up. Daredevil fights the Shroud briefly only to discover that Shroud's plan is to capture Daredevil to build his own reputation so that he can get enough credibility to meet with Owl where he can take down the villain himself. Daredevil admits it's a decent skeleton of a plan but he doesn't like the details of it. Instead, they formulate their own plan to distract Owl with Matt Murdock appearing by himself at Owl's hideout, drawing all eyes to him, while Shroud gets the drop on the boss. The plan works to perfection until, with Shroud's knife pressed to Owl's throat, Owl reveals that he can find Shroud's one-time love Julia Carpenter and Shroud sells Murdock out to Owl for the information.
Story
It wasn't too hard to see the "Shroud's not really evil" twist coming but it still plays well here as that wasn't the real betrayal planned here. In fact, it kind of draws the reader's attention of the idea of the Shroud turning on Daredevil just in time for the Shroud to turn on Daredevil. Between Matt's proactive attack on the Owl and the full re-emergence of Foggy Nelson (who gets cabin fever in the safehouse he's supposed to keep to), the story certainly works. 5/5
Character
Strong Daredevil showing here, plenty of fun and exciting movements for Matt and a pretty spiffy blind-man team-up to boot. Matt's personality is kind of always out in force in this (and the preceding) series as he doesn't suffer fools and he maybe has a little too much confidence in his own plans. Good character pieces from Kirsten and Foggy too as they argue over Foggy's appearance out in the world and Foggy has to swallow the bitterness of being made to appear dead while he recovers thanks to Matt's proclamation to the world. 5/5
Writing
This series seems like it will always have strong writing. The pacing and the tone are always on and never seem to miss a beat. That consistency and that smoothness are rare even in the best of books and it's cemented DAREDEVIL's place on many pull lists. Also a nice little SAGA reference for indie comic fans out there. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Did I tell you guys that I went on a huge reading binge of indie books? I'm totally caught up on a ton of books (EAST OF WEST, SAGA, NOWHERE MEN, AMERICAN VAMPIRES, THE WAKE, pretty much anything that's come up in Eisner nominees) and mostly caught up on FABLES. Look, this probably isn't the time.
Total Score: 5/5
Elektra 2
W.H. Blackman (w) and Del Mundo (a) and Del Mundo w/ D'Alfonso (c) and Cowles (l)
Elektra has made it to Monster Island and realizes quickly she's not alone there. Also on the trail of Cape Crow are fellow assassins Scalphunter and Lady Bullseye. While Scalphunter is brought down by one of the monsters on said island, Elektra bullseyes Lady Bullseye (is it cool if I make that a verb?) and leaves her for dead while she pursues their target. She discovers that the person luring them away from Cape Crow's hideout and wearing Cape Crow's armor is Cape Crow's son Kento Roe. He admits that he hired Matchmaker and, specifically, Elektra to find Cape Crow and bring him in alive because CC is his father and Kento believes that he's not the assassin he's charged with being (any more). While Elektra considers still taking the case, even though Kento doesn't have nearly the money he promised, Bloody Lips finds the wounded Lady Bullseye and tastes the blood on her blade, making him determined to find her and taste some more (he's a pretty weird dude, you guys).
Story
The assassin chase is typically a pretty compelling story by itself and while the reveal that Kento's son is involved may be a little cliche, the story does seem to be working pretty well here. It's also affected by the interesting Bloody Lips, who eats the flesh and blood of his victims and takes on some extent of their powers (he now seems to have increased strength and the ability to see in the dark, on top of his natural abilities, and he can use anything as a weapon in the way Bullseye could after attacking Bullseye). He's definitely worth watching at this point. 5/5
Character
There's more narrative and dialogue running through the issue this time and we get a little more of a window into the cold and reserved Elektra. We also get some of the other characters, like Lady Bullseye and Matchmaker, on top of seeing a good deal more of Bloody Lips, who is sufficiently creepy as well as powerful to keep things interesting. 5/5
Writing
The tone of the book, which is matched perfectly by the art, is driving this series so far. It's sufficiently creepy (which is, I'm sure, why we kicked this whole thing off on a place called Monster Island) and detached to make the story interesting and to give the characters a chance to shine. As such, the tone of the book feels like it's guiding the series to a perfect place. 5/5
Art
Del Mundo's art continues to be astounding and, though there are a couple of double page spreads that I'm not sure are totally necessary here, the layout of the pages are pretty strong. When Elektra does bullseye Lady Bullseye (she gets to sai her right through the gut), it's kind of a gorgeous panel as is the follow-up, which shows Elektra watching as Lady Bullseye falls. I love Del Mundo's style and it's on full display here. 5/5
Miscellaneous
I'm really enjoying this series as a whole and I'm interested in some of the decisions that have been made, such as the vibrantly pink lettering for anything Matchmaker says. Also it kind of feels like they're aiming this book directly at me, with Del Mundo's art and the compellingly dark but also kind of ludicrous story and the fact that Matchmaker wears one of those pilot caps that are 100% the best. So much of this is great and I think so much of this is maybe only great for me?
Total Score: 5/5
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopoulos (l)
Story
It's hard not to be impressed with how much Dan Slott is getting through in these first couple issues. He's got a lot of ground to cover to explain to Peter what's happened and to show us how much those changes will play a role in this new series but he stays ambitious and shows us some of the new and coming storylines that we should be looking at (including Black Cat's, the coming storyline that's been hinted at in interviews and previews featuring new character the Silk with a similar origin to Peter and who, according to this issue, knows Peter's identity, etc.). Still, the story of this one, focusing on Peter's mess of a life and Electro's broken powers particularly, is certainly compelling enough and more than enough to kick this volume off. 5/5
Character
Despite all of the story that Slott has to keep moving, we get nice little character bits from everyone. Peter's back into his old ways, quipping and having fun and enjoying his new lease on life even as he tries to deal with the numerous things in his way. Anna Maria comes off pretty well here as she keeps it pretty well together upon all of these big revelations and even stands by to support Peter and to keep his life intact (she helps explain some cybernetics stuff to him and helps him with Ock's new webbing formula). There are lots of small appearances from other characters that seem to fit their personas pretty well but our big focuses are Spidey, Anna Maria, and Electro, who also has a lot on his plate right now and who is fracturing pretty badly. 5/5
Writing
Pretty strong writing here as Slott gets his story and character bits across while also making sure to keep the tone upbeat, making it feel like a real Amazing Spider-Man story instead of a Superior Spider-Man story. He's helped by the fact that the tones of the two books couldn't be more different but he still does his part to facilitate the switch by never erring towards dark in this early issue. That's not to say that Spider-Man books can't get dark or that this one won't, but it's smart to steer clear of it as we emerge from SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN to allow readers to get their bearings and see what a difference it's been. 5/5
Art
Humberto Ramos is great and continues to be great. His action is some of the most fun action out there, very fluid and kinetic, just as his character moments are driven strongly by their emotion, sometimes a little overblown but never so much that it's distracting. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Another solid issue. This is one of those books that feels like it's never done crafting, that there are stories lined up for years at any one time. I think it's probably the burden of being one of the most popular comic characters in the world and one who has a world so tightly wound that threats and enemies and friends are popping up all over at all times.
Total Score: 5/5
Daredevil 3
Waid (w) and Samnee (a) and J. Rodriguez (c) and Caramagna (l)
Story
It wasn't too hard to see the "Shroud's not really evil" twist coming but it still plays well here as that wasn't the real betrayal planned here. In fact, it kind of draws the reader's attention of the idea of the Shroud turning on Daredevil just in time for the Shroud to turn on Daredevil. Between Matt's proactive attack on the Owl and the full re-emergence of Foggy Nelson (who gets cabin fever in the safehouse he's supposed to keep to), the story certainly works. 5/5
Character
Strong Daredevil showing here, plenty of fun and exciting movements for Matt and a pretty spiffy blind-man team-up to boot. Matt's personality is kind of always out in force in this (and the preceding) series as he doesn't suffer fools and he maybe has a little too much confidence in his own plans. Good character pieces from Kirsten and Foggy too as they argue over Foggy's appearance out in the world and Foggy has to swallow the bitterness of being made to appear dead while he recovers thanks to Matt's proclamation to the world. 5/5
Writing
This series seems like it will always have strong writing. The pacing and the tone are always on and never seem to miss a beat. That consistency and that smoothness are rare even in the best of books and it's cemented DAREDEVIL's place on many pull lists. Also a nice little SAGA reference for indie comic fans out there. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Did I tell you guys that I went on a huge reading binge of indie books? I'm totally caught up on a ton of books (EAST OF WEST, SAGA, NOWHERE MEN, AMERICAN VAMPIRES, THE WAKE, pretty much anything that's come up in Eisner nominees) and mostly caught up on FABLES. Look, this probably isn't the time.
Total Score: 5/5
Elektra 2
W.H. Blackman (w) and Del Mundo (a) and Del Mundo w/ D'Alfonso (c) and Cowles (l)
Story
The assassin chase is typically a pretty compelling story by itself and while the reveal that Kento's son is involved may be a little cliche, the story does seem to be working pretty well here. It's also affected by the interesting Bloody Lips, who eats the flesh and blood of his victims and takes on some extent of their powers (he now seems to have increased strength and the ability to see in the dark, on top of his natural abilities, and he can use anything as a weapon in the way Bullseye could after attacking Bullseye). He's definitely worth watching at this point. 5/5
Character
There's more narrative and dialogue running through the issue this time and we get a little more of a window into the cold and reserved Elektra. We also get some of the other characters, like Lady Bullseye and Matchmaker, on top of seeing a good deal more of Bloody Lips, who is sufficiently creepy as well as powerful to keep things interesting. 5/5
Writing
The tone of the book, which is matched perfectly by the art, is driving this series so far. It's sufficiently creepy (which is, I'm sure, why we kicked this whole thing off on a place called Monster Island) and detached to make the story interesting and to give the characters a chance to shine. As such, the tone of the book feels like it's guiding the series to a perfect place. 5/5
Art
Del Mundo's art continues to be astounding and, though there are a couple of double page spreads that I'm not sure are totally necessary here, the layout of the pages are pretty strong. When Elektra does bullseye Lady Bullseye (she gets to sai her right through the gut), it's kind of a gorgeous panel as is the follow-up, which shows Elektra watching as Lady Bullseye falls. I love Del Mundo's style and it's on full display here. 5/5
Miscellaneous
I'm really enjoying this series as a whole and I'm interested in some of the decisions that have been made, such as the vibrantly pink lettering for anything Matchmaker says. Also it kind of feels like they're aiming this book directly at me, with Del Mundo's art and the compellingly dark but also kind of ludicrous story and the fact that Matchmaker wears one of those pilot caps that are 100% the best. So much of this is great and I think so much of this is maybe only great for me?
Total Score: 5/5
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Comics this week
A slew of books out this week, friends, but it comes with a bit of a warning on this end. I've been feeling terrible of late (springtime allergies are absolutely wrecking me) so there's a chance books this week have the SUPER QUICK REVIEWS on them like many did last week. JUST A HEADS-UP.
Amazing Spider-Man 2
Peter Parker has a lot of figuring out to do as he returns to his life and tries to discover exactly the shape in which Doc Ock has left it. As if it weren't a hard enough job, Doc Ock's girlfriend Anna Maria Marconi has discovered that Peter is Spider-Man. Will Spider-Man have to erase the entire world's memories to stop his secret getting out? I mean, hopefully not.
Daredevil 3
Daredevil continues his new life in San Francisco and it's quickly put him up against San Fran vigilante the Shroud. Is this going to be a real fight or just one of your standard superhero misunderstandings? Find out THIS VERY WEEK in DAREDEVIL 3.
Elektra 2
I was definitely a fan of the first issue of ELEKTRA, which came complete with plenty of really gorgeous double-page spreads. I thought they really helped to establish both Elektra's story and character while also showing off Mike Del Mundo's art. Of course, too many issues like that can verge into style>substance territory, so it might be for the best if this week eases off the gas on that and delves further into story/character. Of course, could be wrong and it could still be great.
Original Sin 2
I wasn't big into ORIGINAL SIN 1, which had a lot to do with the fact that we already rather knew the conceit of the book going in so the fact we had to read a first issue entirely about that conceit slowed things down a little too much. That's not necessarily a fault of the book (though I had other complaints on top of that one) but hopefully now that the story's more or less established we can get into more interesting territory.
Ultimate FF 2
I don't think I realized that I was looking forward to this book until last week when I kept mistaking ALL-NEW ULTIMATES on my list for ULTIMATE FF and then was disappointed when I realized which of the two was really out. This one makes the pre-game cut because apparently I thought the first issue was pretty good?
Amazing Spider-Man 2
Peter Parker has a lot of figuring out to do as he returns to his life and tries to discover exactly the shape in which Doc Ock has left it. As if it weren't a hard enough job, Doc Ock's girlfriend Anna Maria Marconi has discovered that Peter is Spider-Man. Will Spider-Man have to erase the entire world's memories to stop his secret getting out? I mean, hopefully not.
Daredevil 3
Daredevil continues his new life in San Francisco and it's quickly put him up against San Fran vigilante the Shroud. Is this going to be a real fight or just one of your standard superhero misunderstandings? Find out THIS VERY WEEK in DAREDEVIL 3.
Elektra 2
I was definitely a fan of the first issue of ELEKTRA, which came complete with plenty of really gorgeous double-page spreads. I thought they really helped to establish both Elektra's story and character while also showing off Mike Del Mundo's art. Of course, too many issues like that can verge into style>substance territory, so it might be for the best if this week eases off the gas on that and delves further into story/character. Of course, could be wrong and it could still be great.
Original Sin 2
I wasn't big into ORIGINAL SIN 1, which had a lot to do with the fact that we already rather knew the conceit of the book going in so the fact we had to read a first issue entirely about that conceit slowed things down a little too much. That's not necessarily a fault of the book (though I had other complaints on top of that one) but hopefully now that the story's more or less established we can get into more interesting territory.
Ultimate FF 2
I don't think I realized that I was looking forward to this book until last week when I kept mistaking ALL-NEW ULTIMATES on my list for ULTIMATE FF and then was disappointed when I realized which of the two was really out. This one makes the pre-game cut because apparently I thought the first issue was pretty good?
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man 1, Amazing Spider-Man 1.1
Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man 1
Bendis (w) and Marquez (a) and Ponsor (c) and Petit (l)
Miles Morales has been through a lot in a really short time. After the death of his mother, the events of CATACLYSM have left the world without a true superhero team and unsure where they stand. Likewise, Miles has lost seemingly an entire support structure with the destruction of the senior team he was starting to gain acceptance with and the disappearance of his father, who left and hasn't been heard from since discovering his son is Spider-Man. Miles' life is a little in the air as he stays with Ganke and his parents and debates telling his girlfriend Kate Bishop about his double life. Things get more complicated with the emergence of two twin criminals dressed similarly to Spider-Man and with the surprise appearance of none other than possibly Peter Parker in Miles' room.
Story
Bendis is sowing some seeds here as the new series picks up while also making sure to establish the old ones (like how you always establish old seeds). Miles has reached the time where he has to decide whether or not to tell Kate he's Spider-Man and now has to debate everything that comes with that age-old decision (it's a very important time in a young boy's life when he has to decide whether or not to reveal his secret identity). On top of it, we've established a couple new villains (though Miles is dutifully ignoring them right now) and seen a twist at the end. Bendis is setting this one up to welcome in new readers (helped by a pretty neat cover) and kick off a new era in Miles' life. 5/5
Character
We get a decent look at Miles Morales here as he reacts to the disappearance of his father and he tries to figure out what he should do in regards to Kate but there are too many things to set up here to really go deep into character in the first issue of the new series. Marquez helps Bendis out here as he draws plenty of emotions for Miles that give us a sense of him despite space limitations. I'd have liked to see a little more out of him in the first issue here instead of the wavering (which is warranted but doesn't create the strongest first impression). 4/5
Writing
Despite the new villains (who back-and-forth it up) and the last page reveal, this is very clearly more of a resting issue, acting less like a Marvel superhero comic and more like...well, more like ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, I guess. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN won over a lot of fans when it kicked off and continued to surprise because it focused on Peter Parker every bit as much as it focused on Spider-Man. Bendis is sure to kick this new volume off with that same expectation for readers. It moves a bit slower than a purely action-based issue but that's what this book wants. 4/5
Art
Marquez's art really helps the book along, as I mentioned in the character section, by letting us see Miles' emotions in scenes where the space is too limited to really tell us what's going on. His emotions and action are both strong, though we don't see as much of the latter here. Can't complain. 5/5
Miscellaneous
I really like that cover.
Total score: 4/5
Amazing Spider-Man 1.1
Slott (w) and R. Perez (a) and Herring (c) and Eliopoulos w/Caramagna (l)
Flashback to Peter's early Spider-Man days as he flaunts his skills for money to help around the house. He's doing some minor crime fighting on the side but, in the wake of Uncle Ben's death, he feels responsible for bringing in money for the family (not to mention, of course, responsibility over Ben's death). While he tries to navigate the world of entertainment and begins to learn more about power/responsibility (and which must come with which), fellow high school prodigy (though, perhaps, even more prodigious than Peter) Clayton Cole continues to be inspired by the webslinger and develops his own web-tech, eventually donning a costume himself and calling himself Clash.
Story
Continuing on from one of the backing stories to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1, we see a little of Peter's past, a time where he continued to work in the entertainment business to make some more money before being called away to full-time crime fighting (and being a real Peter Parker). On top of it, we see our first glimpse of the new superhero/villain Clash, the brilliant young Clayton Cole in full costume. It's interesting to see Slott go back and retool the history a little bit, tying up some loose ends we didn't really know were there. 5/5
Character
Plenty to see from Peter here as we get the mix of pre- and post-Uncle Ben turning point. He's trying to learn the lessons his uncle taught him while also trying to establish where he'll go next and negotiate it with who he was before. There's a lot happening and a lot for Peter to react to and all of it works at establishing exactly who Peter was at the time. Pretty strong stuff. 5/5
Writing
Mostly strong writing here as Slott has a lot to set up and not a lot of time in which to do it. We get a sense of tons of characters (everyone from Aunt May to Peter to Liz Allan to Flash to Clayton Cole and a few other new characters) and of our entire story. Still, thanks to Slott's writing and the switch to Ramon Perez on art and Ian Herring on colors, the story carries a slightly darker tone than the typical Spider-Man story. Good work all around. 5/5
Art
As I intimated above, Perez and Herring do pretty phenomenal work to create a real tone for the book beyond everything great artists like Humberto Ramos have done with Peter recently. The book ends up having a tone like something illustrated by Francisco Francavilla or colored by Bettie Breitweiser, which is a pretty drastic tone change, certainly enough to show us a big difference between this story and the main series. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Certainly worth a read, even as something labeled as merely a .1.
Total score: 5/5
Bendis (w) and Marquez (a) and Ponsor (c) and Petit (l)
Story
Bendis is sowing some seeds here as the new series picks up while also making sure to establish the old ones (like how you always establish old seeds). Miles has reached the time where he has to decide whether or not to tell Kate he's Spider-Man and now has to debate everything that comes with that age-old decision (it's a very important time in a young boy's life when he has to decide whether or not to reveal his secret identity). On top of it, we've established a couple new villains (though Miles is dutifully ignoring them right now) and seen a twist at the end. Bendis is setting this one up to welcome in new readers (helped by a pretty neat cover) and kick off a new era in Miles' life. 5/5
Character
We get a decent look at Miles Morales here as he reacts to the disappearance of his father and he tries to figure out what he should do in regards to Kate but there are too many things to set up here to really go deep into character in the first issue of the new series. Marquez helps Bendis out here as he draws plenty of emotions for Miles that give us a sense of him despite space limitations. I'd have liked to see a little more out of him in the first issue here instead of the wavering (which is warranted but doesn't create the strongest first impression). 4/5
Writing
Despite the new villains (who back-and-forth it up) and the last page reveal, this is very clearly more of a resting issue, acting less like a Marvel superhero comic and more like...well, more like ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, I guess. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN won over a lot of fans when it kicked off and continued to surprise because it focused on Peter Parker every bit as much as it focused on Spider-Man. Bendis is sure to kick this new volume off with that same expectation for readers. It moves a bit slower than a purely action-based issue but that's what this book wants. 4/5
Art
Marquez's art really helps the book along, as I mentioned in the character section, by letting us see Miles' emotions in scenes where the space is too limited to really tell us what's going on. His emotions and action are both strong, though we don't see as much of the latter here. Can't complain. 5/5
Miscellaneous
I really like that cover.
Total score: 4/5
Amazing Spider-Man 1.1
Slott (w) and R. Perez (a) and Herring (c) and Eliopoulos w/Caramagna (l)
Story
Continuing on from one of the backing stories to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1, we see a little of Peter's past, a time where he continued to work in the entertainment business to make some more money before being called away to full-time crime fighting (and being a real Peter Parker). On top of it, we see our first glimpse of the new superhero/villain Clash, the brilliant young Clayton Cole in full costume. It's interesting to see Slott go back and retool the history a little bit, tying up some loose ends we didn't really know were there. 5/5
Character
Plenty to see from Peter here as we get the mix of pre- and post-Uncle Ben turning point. He's trying to learn the lessons his uncle taught him while also trying to establish where he'll go next and negotiate it with who he was before. There's a lot happening and a lot for Peter to react to and all of it works at establishing exactly who Peter was at the time. Pretty strong stuff. 5/5
Writing
Mostly strong writing here as Slott has a lot to set up and not a lot of time in which to do it. We get a sense of tons of characters (everyone from Aunt May to Peter to Liz Allan to Flash to Clayton Cole and a few other new characters) and of our entire story. Still, thanks to Slott's writing and the switch to Ramon Perez on art and Ian Herring on colors, the story carries a slightly darker tone than the typical Spider-Man story. Good work all around. 5/5
Art
As I intimated above, Perez and Herring do pretty phenomenal work to create a real tone for the book beyond everything great artists like Humberto Ramos have done with Peter recently. The book ends up having a tone like something illustrated by Francisco Francavilla or colored by Bettie Breitweiser, which is a pretty drastic tone change, certainly enough to show us a big difference between this story and the main series. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Certainly worth a read, even as something labeled as merely a .1.
Total score: 5/5
Sunday, May 4, 2014
This week's picks
Hey everyone, sorry for the no-post yesterday. I scheduled myself to have Saturday open so I could, if I chose, review the free comic book day books yesterday. Instead, I chose not to. Still, hopefully you guys all went and had a good time at your LCS. Now on to the top picks of the week!
Amazing Spider-Man 1
Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, and Edgar Delgado return to the world of Peter Parker and very quickly show us that they're ready to pick up right where they left off. With a solid lead story and a number of fun and interesting shorter stories to follow it, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 gives enough book and enough excitement to justify its $5.99 price tag but I couldn't help wondering this whole week about what I talked about at such length in my little miscellaneous section in the main review (linked to above). I still can't help but think that putting this book out for the regular $3.99, even if you sell it at a loss, encourages a ton more people to pick up this book and erases questions of "is the book worth the money?" and replaces it with "this book was well worth $3.99." ESPECIALLY for a big launch the week of FCBD. Get your new readers, dummies.
Avengers 28
I like it when things come to a head in a book in a way I don't expect. For all that I've loved the Illuminati and wondered about who would find out about the incursions next, I never jumped to Banner (though I very clearly should have, considering who comprises the Illuminati as is) and I never thought about all of the repercussions that would have. Hickman did something pretty clever by shell-gaming us with Captain America, kicked out of the Illuminati and memory erased while we sit and wonder when that's going to backfire on them. While we were looking at Cap, there was Hulk with the biggest of all axes to grind with this team. Hickman brings out the tension and the anger beautifully in this book before deflating it with a few well-placed Tony words. Really strong.
X-Force 4
I love Fantomex and I love what Spurrier had teased about Fantomex and I love issues that fundamentally change the way we look at a character but stay, somehow, in the realm of what we know of a character. That was a tough sentence to get through. ANYWAY, this issue has a bit of everything. Fantomex struggles with his programmed self-worth/self-assuredness as he can't help but recognize the skills of the people around him. Between that and the building sense of doubt around EVA and the explanation of the white hot room, Spurrier continues to bring out the very best (which is sometimes the very worst) in characters and really knows how to get them to a place where he can use them to tell the most effective stories. Great work all around.
Amazing Spider-Man 1
Avengers 28
X-Force 4
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Quick review: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Hey all my buddies. Just saw Amazing Spider-Man 2 for the first time and I thought I'd throw up a quick review. As ever, this quick review won't have any spoilers, just initial thoughts.
I went in worrying a little that this one would suffer from too many villains or too much grit. If you're worried about it too, don't worry too much. There are some moments where the villains start to get a little too conveniently crazy but by and large there's nothing to fret about there. In addition, this movie maybe more than any other recent comic movie, embraces the comic world. Sure, it's still a real world, as it were, but it's one that understands who exists out here. It doesn't have to be Batman's dark and gritty Gotham, it has to be a world where superheroes exist and where CGI drives certain sequences because that's what these guys are: living CGI. Marc Webb embraces that and it pays off here. Lots of real personality to this movie and it works incredibly well.
Amazing Spider-Man 1
Amazing Spider-Man 1
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopolous (l)
Peter Parker is back and needs to catch up pretty quickly to the months he's missed. Parker Industries is in some trouble and he has to start getting out of it by severing ties with Spider-Man. Even that may not cut it as their big rollout invention is steeped in nano-tech (Nah Nohtek, shout out to my Croach the Trackers out there) and other cybernetics, a skill of Octavius' and not of Peter's. In addition, the city has turned on him in a much more vocal way than ever before. In the past, he's been seen as maybe a villain but never with the sort of antipathy and fear they have for him now. His first busted crime goes a little awry too as he brings down new villains White Rabbit, Skein, Panda-Mania, and Hippo but only after Skein, who has control over fabrics, disrobes him entirely but for his mask. He returns home to find Anna Maria waiting for him (who had found a wedding ring stashed away in their apartment) with, thanks to the videos that surfaced of a nearly naked Spider-Man stopping crime, accusations about his double life. This special quadruple size issue also includes a plethora of stories from the likes of writers Dan Slott, Chris Gage, Chris Yost, Joe Caramagna (stepping away from lettering to do a quick little writing pass with fellow letterer Chris Eliopolous as his artist), and Peter David and artists Javier Rodriguez, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Will Sliney, David Baldeon, and more that tell stories spanning from a recent attack on another prison that went badly for Electro, check-ins on Spider-Man 2099 and Kaine, the introduction of a new character we'll see in a special AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1.1, and a look at exactly how Black Cat is doing after her betrayal. The start of the issue gives a very brief recap of his origin and sets things up for the ORIGINAL SIN tie-in that's coming which will have to do a little more with the spider that first bit Peter. Also included in this issue is a special reprint of INHUMANS 1.
Story
Just looking at the main story, Peter is thrown exactly as far under the bus as seems necessary to kick things off. He's startled to find out just how much things have changed in his absence and it forces him instantly back into the reactive sort of Peter Parker we all know and love. Slott puts him up against a small gang of easily defeated adversaries for his first match-up back which gives us enough of an opportunity to see him in action while also knowing that he's not going to lose the fight so we don't have to worry too much about stakes, we can simply see how the world is reacting to Spider-Man these days. It's a smart play and, even amidst the blatant comedy of Spider-Man losing his costume right out of the gate, it helps to set up some of what's coming. There are plenty of irons in the fire as both the main issue and the many little stories indicate and Slott is ready to dive right back into things. 5/5
Character
What can you say? Peter Parker is back. This is most certainly the same Peter Parker we've known for so long and Slott finds himself in the position of having very few character developments and instead letting us watch the character in a world that's developed around him. Peter rarely actually develops as a character in the same way that Steve Rogers rarely develops as a character; neither of them have the moral ups and downs that so often frequent heroes and anti-heroes. They're both set in their moral goodness and righteousness (though occasionally a particular writer will skew that one direction or another with varying results) and so it's the world around them that changes and they constantly need to find their place in said world. Peter's getting his legs back under him and this issue proves effectively that it's going to take some time. 5/5
Writing
I love Spider-Man. I love him as a character (how do you write a Marvel blog and not love Spider-Man?), I love his various titles, I love his stories, etc. I quite like Dan Slott too. And yet, I don't think I'll ever call this the best written series out there. There are people doing better things writing-wise and pulling out better tricks and using less exposition and so on and so forth. Still, Spider-Man gets something of a pass for this, almost like a legacy title, with rules that are grandfathered in. CAPTAIN AMERICA wouldn't have survived only being written one way. THE AVENGERS wouldn't have thrived with just one writing style through all of time. Just about anyone you can think of has seen writing styles change massively over their decades of existence. Not SPIDER-MAN though. SPIDER-MAN abides because this style of writing, this lighter tone (though obviously not always) and this hopefulness (that's really more what it is than a "lighter tone") is what we know and want from Spider-Man. I can't promise that I'll swoon over any writing technique out of this book like something out of HAWKEYE or EAST OF WEST or PRETTY DEADLY (which may as well be poetry) but it's hard to be particularly dissatisfied with it. 5/5
Art
With the return of Peter Parker comes the return of Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, and Edgar Delgado, three guys so inextricably tied to Dan Slott's Spider-Man that it would have been nearly impossible to see this book kicked off with anyone else's style. It's great to see so many good and effective styles in the stories following the main story but these guys embody this Spider-Man and they immediately return to form. Great way to start things off again. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Few things here. First off, this number one retails for 5.99, which is quite a price to pay for a single issue. Of course, within that single issue, we also get an extra 20-30 pages of tie-in stories and a special reprint of INHUMANS 1. I'm not sure I love the 5.99 price point for the book still; with Marvel's line wide price hike to 3.99 and amidst all the heat their taking from comic stars like Robert Kirkman and Eric Stephenson, I'd love to have seen a show-of-good-faith sort of thing for this launch and giving this much content for the now-regular 3.99 price. I'm not a businessman at Marvel so I can't say if that would have been feasible (though I do think I'm enough of a businessman to speculate that an incredibly profitable company like Marvel, who knows this book is going to sell like crazy particularly if it's all this content for 3.99, could have handled it), but it would have been a solid gesture, as opposed to charging 5.99 for it and still releasing about a hundred variants (also a little bummed because my girlfriend and I went all around checking out local and not-so-local comic book stores to see what variants were in stock and found retailers marking up the incredible Marcos Martin variant to as high as 40 dollars right out of the gate and even seeing the Skottie Young variant up to around $15). Is it worth it for the 5.99? Yeah, probably. If you're a Spidey fan or a regular Spidey reader, definitely. Do I get it if you're not willing to buy this book instead of buying two regular issues of many books (PARTICULARLY in a week when Image released a slew of reprinted number ones for just a dollar)? Absolutely. I do legitimately think that if this issue, in its current state, had been released for 3.99, we'd all be praising the price instead of eyeing it suspiciously.
Second order of business: I really dug myself into a hole here when I made that final issue a post all its own, didn't I? Now I feel compelled to do it for this number one. Hopefully this is the last isolated Spidey post, though, in truth, I clearly talked enough for this to warrant its own post, if only for that last paragraph I just wrote.
Thirdly: that Marcos Martin cover is gorgeous. It's right there, over to the left of that long miscellaneous paragraph.
Fourth: I swear I'll stop praising even the flaws of Spider-Man comics now that this one's done. I've been particularly easy on it as SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN ended and with this kick-off because I do think they were particularly good comics but also because, you know, we're just all happy to have Peter Parker back and at the end of the day I'd rather give out good reviews than bad ones because I'm a happy sort of person.
Fifth: Sorry for this really long section here, I love you all, have a great day.
Total score: 5/5
Slott (w) and Ramos (p) and Olazaba (i) and Delgado (c) and Eliopolous (l)
Story
Just looking at the main story, Peter is thrown exactly as far under the bus as seems necessary to kick things off. He's startled to find out just how much things have changed in his absence and it forces him instantly back into the reactive sort of Peter Parker we all know and love. Slott puts him up against a small gang of easily defeated adversaries for his first match-up back which gives us enough of an opportunity to see him in action while also knowing that he's not going to lose the fight so we don't have to worry too much about stakes, we can simply see how the world is reacting to Spider-Man these days. It's a smart play and, even amidst the blatant comedy of Spider-Man losing his costume right out of the gate, it helps to set up some of what's coming. There are plenty of irons in the fire as both the main issue and the many little stories indicate and Slott is ready to dive right back into things. 5/5
Character
What can you say? Peter Parker is back. This is most certainly the same Peter Parker we've known for so long and Slott finds himself in the position of having very few character developments and instead letting us watch the character in a world that's developed around him. Peter rarely actually develops as a character in the same way that Steve Rogers rarely develops as a character; neither of them have the moral ups and downs that so often frequent heroes and anti-heroes. They're both set in their moral goodness and righteousness (though occasionally a particular writer will skew that one direction or another with varying results) and so it's the world around them that changes and they constantly need to find their place in said world. Peter's getting his legs back under him and this issue proves effectively that it's going to take some time. 5/5
Writing
I love Spider-Man. I love him as a character (how do you write a Marvel blog and not love Spider-Man?), I love his various titles, I love his stories, etc. I quite like Dan Slott too. And yet, I don't think I'll ever call this the best written series out there. There are people doing better things writing-wise and pulling out better tricks and using less exposition and so on and so forth. Still, Spider-Man gets something of a pass for this, almost like a legacy title, with rules that are grandfathered in. CAPTAIN AMERICA wouldn't have survived only being written one way. THE AVENGERS wouldn't have thrived with just one writing style through all of time. Just about anyone you can think of has seen writing styles change massively over their decades of existence. Not SPIDER-MAN though. SPIDER-MAN abides because this style of writing, this lighter tone (though obviously not always) and this hopefulness (that's really more what it is than a "lighter tone") is what we know and want from Spider-Man. I can't promise that I'll swoon over any writing technique out of this book like something out of HAWKEYE or EAST OF WEST or PRETTY DEADLY (which may as well be poetry) but it's hard to be particularly dissatisfied with it. 5/5
Art
With the return of Peter Parker comes the return of Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, and Edgar Delgado, three guys so inextricably tied to Dan Slott's Spider-Man that it would have been nearly impossible to see this book kicked off with anyone else's style. It's great to see so many good and effective styles in the stories following the main story but these guys embody this Spider-Man and they immediately return to form. Great way to start things off again. 5/5
Miscellaneous
Second order of business: I really dug myself into a hole here when I made that final issue a post all its own, didn't I? Now I feel compelled to do it for this number one. Hopefully this is the last isolated Spidey post, though, in truth, I clearly talked enough for this to warrant its own post, if only for that last paragraph I just wrote.
Thirdly: that Marcos Martin cover is gorgeous. It's right there, over to the left of that long miscellaneous paragraph.
Fourth: I swear I'll stop praising even the flaws of Spider-Man comics now that this one's done. I've been particularly easy on it as SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN ended and with this kick-off because I do think they were particularly good comics but also because, you know, we're just all happy to have Peter Parker back and at the end of the day I'd rather give out good reviews than bad ones because I'm a happy sort of person.
Fifth: Sorry for this really long section here, I love you all, have a great day.
Total score: 5/5
Monday, April 21, 2014
This week's picks
Sorry for the no-post yesterday everyone. Festivities kind of snuck up on me and i only realized halfway through an Italian feast that I had made no post. Guys. My bad. Anyway, let's talk about the best of the week.
Superior Spider-Man 31
SPIDER-MAN is always a tricky book to name top book of the week if just because I tend to think it over-explains and sometimes has choppy writing for it. I don't think this week's issue was the smoothest issue but there was a real sense of love to it, which shines through overall and carries the book. That's what you want from a SPIDER-MAN book; the characters are some of our favorite at Marvel, the stories endure, and Spider-Man continues to make the great power=great responsibility theme matter even after all of these years. So it may not have technically been the best book out there this week but Peter Parker is back and the creative team here is thrilled about it. It shines through and it makes this book absolutely worth reading.
Winter Soldier: Bitter March 3
This was a tough one to put on the list, barely beating out ULTIMATE FF and NOVA (which I had thought would be a sure thing this week when I was reading it because it was so fun and so sure of itself), but it largely made it here because of its art, which I think is fitting this book so well and deserves recognition. The story is pretty great, the characters are compelling to watch, and the writing is sharp, but it's really the art putting this one over the top, particularly the way the art works with the tone of the book and the story of the book. It also benefits from, for the second issue in a row, a somewhat weaker release week. Still, you could definitely do worse than checking this limited series out.
X-Force 3
Very little makes me happier than a book that I want/expect to be good being great. I've been burned in the past by books I've wanted nothing more than to love but then I just couldn't be excited about. It's nice to have things work out this way instead. X-FORCE is already proving itself to be a strong, character-driven title. The special thing about a character-driven book is that the plot can falter and we'll still be sucked in because we want to see what these characters are up to. Spurrier does some of the best character stuff out there right now, between his work on X-MEN LEGACY and his web/print comic CROSSED: WISH YOU WERE HERE and now on X-FORCE. Even this early on, it's hard not to recognize that Spurrier is weaving narratives together and building up some really interesting players for this book. We've had a look at three of our four characters from their own perspectives (though this week's Psylocke perspective was admittedly more guarded, though she laid out her thoughts to her teammates well) and it's building a definite tone for the series. The writing, the art, the tone, the story, it's all working right now.
Superior Spider-Man 31
Winter Soldier: Bitter March 3
X-Force 3
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Superior Spider-Man 31
Superior Spider-Man 31
Slott (s) and Gage (w) and Camuncoli (p) and Dell and Pallot (i) and Fabela (c) and Eliopolous (l)
Peter Parker is back and he's ready to start setting things right. Carlie explains a little of what's happened to him at Parker Labs and he sets off, gaining the trust of Spider-Man 2099 on the way and helping where he can as he moves towards the Green Goblin and Anna Maria. The two spiders fight their way to the Alchemax building and "rescue" Liz Allan and son Normie, as well as Tiberius Stone (all of whom are still, you know, pretty evil, but they pretend they're not). As 2099 leads them out, Peter heads for the roof where Goblin has Anna Maria strapped to a pumpkin bomb. Goblin quickly realizes it's Peter, not Doc Ock, and begins to flee. Peter follows and unmasks him, revealing that it is Norman Osborn but with a completely different face, one that will be less recognizable. Peter's mini-spiderbots flood Norman's face and inject him with the goblin cure just as Anna Maria frees herself from her bonds and flings herself from the roof. Spider-Man catches her and Goblin and brings them back down to the ground, where Goblin still manages to escape with the help of Liz Allan. Goblin is devoid of his strength and stamina but he's also cured of his madness; the next time he goes after Spider-Man, it'll be at full mind power. Spider-Man meets with Anna Maria and learns that she's totally in love with the Peter she knew and he realizes that not everyone gets to win.
Story
This is it, the big finale of the 31 issue SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. It's a strong issue, one that wraps up GOBLIN NATION nicely and one that ensures that the right people know Spider-Man is back to being Spider-Man. There are still plenty of hints at new possible stories and a bonus mini-issue at the end (written by Gage with art from Will Sliney and Edgar Delgado) shows where some of the people in his life might end up now (MJ is out of his life but still in the city, Carlie's leaving New York, Jonah Jameson has resigned). It's a story people knew was coming but no one anticipated a 30-issue run and it wraps up neatly here, setting Peter Parker up for a totally fresh start in just two weeks with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1. 5/5
Character
Peter Parker is back from the kind-of dead so that's really the big character change to look at. He's instantly back to quipping and helping out non-lethally, returning immediately to "no one dies" mentality. The idea that his personality is so pervasive, that it's so intimately known to everyone, plays a role here as people begin instantly to trust him again, even despite everything that's happened. It's a nice moment when he quips at Goblin and Goblin instantly realizes it's Peter and not Doc Ock and it's a testament to the strength of Peter Parker. There are some things that feel maybe like they're being set right a little too quickly if only because we're expecting him to have a hard road back to being a hero, but it all works here and it's nice to see. 5/5
Writing
Spider-Man books still have a bit of a tendency to over-explain and this issue is no different. Typically I'd have issues with that but somehow Spider-Man feels grandfathered in to over-explanation (I don't always feel this way with Spider-Man but I'm feeling good that Peter's back). Still, I'm not sure I needed shots of what seems like everyone he knows going "well geez, at least he seems to be back to normal!" You can leave some things for us to find out. Also there's a bit too much 2099 talk here and UGH do I hate 2099 talk. Nervous about when the new SPIDER-MAN 2099 series kicks off because I'll have to put that hatred aside. Anyway, certainly on par with SPIDER-MAN writing, maybe a hair better. 4/5
Art
I often confuse (on name alone) Giuseppe Camuncoli with Marco Checchetto, which is totally unfair and often hurts how much I like the art in a book. I tend to be lukewarm on Camuncoli's stuff and I really like Checchetto's. In this issue though, Camuncoli shines. The art is easy to follow, even considering how much ground Spider-Man is covering, how many fights he's entering into, and how many characters look similar to one another. With Peter Parker's return, he has to come face-to-face with a slew of people and Camuncoli does them all justice. Solid work. 5/5
Miscellaneous
What more is there to say? Peter Parker is back.
Total score: 5/5
Sorry guys, got a bit of a busy day today so I'll be back later to review the other books I have scheduled for today but for now, this is just a single-issue review. Figured if any book deserved to have a light shined on it this week, it'd be this one. The blog kicked off with a single-issue review of the death of Peter Parker, seems fitting to dedicate a single-issue review to his rebirth.
Slott (s) and Gage (w) and Camuncoli (p) and Dell and Pallot (i) and Fabela (c) and Eliopolous (l)
Story
This is it, the big finale of the 31 issue SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. It's a strong issue, one that wraps up GOBLIN NATION nicely and one that ensures that the right people know Spider-Man is back to being Spider-Man. There are still plenty of hints at new possible stories and a bonus mini-issue at the end (written by Gage with art from Will Sliney and Edgar Delgado) shows where some of the people in his life might end up now (MJ is out of his life but still in the city, Carlie's leaving New York, Jonah Jameson has resigned). It's a story people knew was coming but no one anticipated a 30-issue run and it wraps up neatly here, setting Peter Parker up for a totally fresh start in just two weeks with AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1. 5/5
Character
Peter Parker is back from the kind-of dead so that's really the big character change to look at. He's instantly back to quipping and helping out non-lethally, returning immediately to "no one dies" mentality. The idea that his personality is so pervasive, that it's so intimately known to everyone, plays a role here as people begin instantly to trust him again, even despite everything that's happened. It's a nice moment when he quips at Goblin and Goblin instantly realizes it's Peter and not Doc Ock and it's a testament to the strength of Peter Parker. There are some things that feel maybe like they're being set right a little too quickly if only because we're expecting him to have a hard road back to being a hero, but it all works here and it's nice to see. 5/5
Writing
Spider-Man books still have a bit of a tendency to over-explain and this issue is no different. Typically I'd have issues with that but somehow Spider-Man feels grandfathered in to over-explanation (I don't always feel this way with Spider-Man but I'm feeling good that Peter's back). Still, I'm not sure I needed shots of what seems like everyone he knows going "well geez, at least he seems to be back to normal!" You can leave some things for us to find out. Also there's a bit too much 2099 talk here and UGH do I hate 2099 talk. Nervous about when the new SPIDER-MAN 2099 series kicks off because I'll have to put that hatred aside. Anyway, certainly on par with SPIDER-MAN writing, maybe a hair better. 4/5
Art
I often confuse (on name alone) Giuseppe Camuncoli with Marco Checchetto, which is totally unfair and often hurts how much I like the art in a book. I tend to be lukewarm on Camuncoli's stuff and I really like Checchetto's. In this issue though, Camuncoli shines. The art is easy to follow, even considering how much ground Spider-Man is covering, how many fights he's entering into, and how many characters look similar to one another. With Peter Parker's return, he has to come face-to-face with a slew of people and Camuncoli does them all justice. Solid work. 5/5
Miscellaneous
What more is there to say? Peter Parker is back.
Total score: 5/5
Sorry guys, got a bit of a busy day today so I'll be back later to review the other books I have scheduled for today but for now, this is just a single-issue review. Figured if any book deserved to have a light shined on it this week, it'd be this one. The blog kicked off with a single-issue review of the death of Peter Parker, seems fitting to dedicate a single-issue review to his rebirth.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Loki: Agent of Asgard 3, Ultimate Spider-Man 200
Loki: Agent of Asgard 3
Ewing (w) and Garbett (a) and Woodard (c)
As god of mischief Loki spends some time with Verity Willis (guys, I haven't STOPPED rolling my eyes about her since my last review) and Lorelai, god of evil Loki, trapped in a cell in Asgardia while the All-Mother tries to figure out what to do with him, writes a piece of his own history, jumping in time to a day when Odin himself was just a young prince. Loki meets up with his adopted father and together they slay a giant otter who turns out to be a shapeshifting man. They run afoul of the man's family, all according to Loki's plan, and barter for their life with gold Loki procures from an ancient legend named Andvari who has spent his whole life as a giant pike (fish-type pike, not like a spear-type pike) guarding his treasures. Loki separates him from it with a bazooka and brings it, cursed though it is, to the man's family in exchange for their freedom. Meanwhile, one of the brother's, Fafnir, of the man slays their father and tries to slay his other brother, Regin, in order to keep all the gold for himself. The betrayal and lust for gold makes Fafnir transform into a hideous dragon who guards the gold forever until Sigurd, legendary hero of Asgard, is enlisted by Regin to find and slay the dragon with a special sword Regin has made. The sword is Gram, the truth-dealing sword. Sigurd does it, he ends up having to stab Regin with it because Regin actually hates Asgardians and eventually the sword falls into Odin's hands and Loki has him make a box with five locks and five keys to hold it and then later god of mischief Loki got it and he used it way back in the first issue and Sigurd is looking for it in the modern day and WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS BOOK.
This may be the single most roundabout story I've ever read in Marvel. Sometimes things like that, things that make me furrow my brow the entire issue until some sort of crazy reveal puts it all together at the end, shock me and win me over by the final page. This did no such thing. I, of course, say this knowing full well that there could be some sort of reveal coming that slides pieces into place but I wholeheartedly believe that that will end up being too little too late. There's just so much here I have trouble buying and have trouble coping with. Maybe that's partly on me but GEEZ, a horribly paced comic didn't help things. I swear this one took me half an hour to get through in the first place, thanks to the wordiness, and then I'd have to double check things to see if pieces were falling into place. FUN FACT: they never were. I think that Ewing's building to something (good god I hope so, otherwise this was just the craziest way to tell us how Loki got Gram, something I hadn't been bothering to ask, and why he's going to have to go up against Sigurd) but issues like this one make me wonder why I should care. Oftentimes you hear the saying that it's the journey, not the destination (or the band Journey and the band Destination's Child) but this one had the single most convoluted journey for the most inconsequential destination that I have to wonder if this is some sort of "What is Art?" post-modern art exhibit.
Ultimate Spider-Man 200
Bendis (w) and Marquez, Lafuente, Pichelli, Brooks, Bagley, and Hennessy (a) and Ponsor (c)
It's been two years in the Ultimate Universe since Peter Parker died and May, before she sells the house, wants to hold a gathering with those closest to him to commemorate his life. Attending are Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, Kitty Pryde, Iceman, Human Torch, Liz Allen, Kenny McFarlane, Jessica Drew, Lana Baumgartner, Miles Morales, and Ganke Lee, although the last two admit to not really knowing him so well. Tony Stark, though invited, could not attend and sends tons and tons of food from a world-renowned chef in his place. Everyone present reminisces about Peter and speculates on what he'd be up to if he was still alive, or indeed what he'd have done with his future in the long run. The answers vary from Spider-Manning with science, Spider-Manning with reporting, Spider-Manning with Spider-Man, and more. All of the memories make everyone present want to do some good with themselves and Miles suggests they bring the food to those who need it, an idea they all agree to and which makes May incredibly proud. After a day of volunteering and helping those less fortunate, everyone goes their separate ways even as someone mysterious watches from the bushes.
It's a milestone issue from ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, unquestionably the most influential and most liked book in the Ultimate line, so it's certainly fitting that those involved would want to reminisce a bit. Interestingly, there's not actually that much reminiscing. There's really more speculating about a potential future gone. What could that mean, the idea that they didn't remember things about their lost friend but rather that they thought about what he could be doing? Well, I mean, your guess is as good as mine and I'd say both our guesses are pretty spot-on. ANYWAY, the issue is pretty nice though it does come with a lot of my personal qualms with Bendis books (back-and-forth dialogue, insane amounts of double page spreads, a still entirely weak, in my perspective, Kitty Pryde, and random tone shifts that seem entirely out of place almost every time they occur, to name a few) but I'm going to sit back and not dissect every bit of this one (sorry if I couldn't really help myself just then). For all of my irritations with Bendis, the truth here is that he's created something well-loved and deservedly so. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN should always be viewed as one of the high points of Bendis' long and esteemed career. It really was a game-changer and I think, in a lot of ways, it was a game-changer for good. Of course, there are many people who came after the success of the book and tried simply to ape the style to varying degrees of success but the real shift was that people saw comics as something different. Now somewhat stranger, more character-driven and maybe less action-driven stuff could exist because Marvel knew it could sell. Of course, Spider-Man has always been a character defined by his personality and who he is rather than by the fight scenes he would have so it was a logical choice to let him jumpstart this series but Bendis took it and made it his own and really changed the face of mainstream comics. I don't necessarily agree with everything he does at Marvel and I certainly don't always like everything he does but I give him a lot of credit for his work with this series. More times than not, I feel like this series gets brought up in the conversation about a person's favorite series. It's well-deserved. I remember binge-reading over a hundred issues of this within a few days myself. Issue 200 isn't just a big milestone, it's a huge achievement and one that's often hard to hit with a new series these days. Well done Brian Michael Bendis and well done to all of the artists who have contributed to this series (many of whom, if not all of whom, contributed as artists on this issue).
Ewing (w) and Garbett (a) and Woodard (c)
This may be the single most roundabout story I've ever read in Marvel. Sometimes things like that, things that make me furrow my brow the entire issue until some sort of crazy reveal puts it all together at the end, shock me and win me over by the final page. This did no such thing. I, of course, say this knowing full well that there could be some sort of reveal coming that slides pieces into place but I wholeheartedly believe that that will end up being too little too late. There's just so much here I have trouble buying and have trouble coping with. Maybe that's partly on me but GEEZ, a horribly paced comic didn't help things. I swear this one took me half an hour to get through in the first place, thanks to the wordiness, and then I'd have to double check things to see if pieces were falling into place. FUN FACT: they never were. I think that Ewing's building to something (good god I hope so, otherwise this was just the craziest way to tell us how Loki got Gram, something I hadn't been bothering to ask, and why he's going to have to go up against Sigurd) but issues like this one make me wonder why I should care. Oftentimes you hear the saying that it's the journey, not the destination (or the band Journey and the band Destination's Child) but this one had the single most convoluted journey for the most inconsequential destination that I have to wonder if this is some sort of "What is Art?" post-modern art exhibit.
Ultimate Spider-Man 200
Bendis (w) and Marquez, Lafuente, Pichelli, Brooks, Bagley, and Hennessy (a) and Ponsor (c)
It's a milestone issue from ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, unquestionably the most influential and most liked book in the Ultimate line, so it's certainly fitting that those involved would want to reminisce a bit. Interestingly, there's not actually that much reminiscing. There's really more speculating about a potential future gone. What could that mean, the idea that they didn't remember things about their lost friend but rather that they thought about what he could be doing? Well, I mean, your guess is as good as mine and I'd say both our guesses are pretty spot-on. ANYWAY, the issue is pretty nice though it does come with a lot of my personal qualms with Bendis books (back-and-forth dialogue, insane amounts of double page spreads, a still entirely weak, in my perspective, Kitty Pryde, and random tone shifts that seem entirely out of place almost every time they occur, to name a few) but I'm going to sit back and not dissect every bit of this one (sorry if I couldn't really help myself just then). For all of my irritations with Bendis, the truth here is that he's created something well-loved and deservedly so. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN should always be viewed as one of the high points of Bendis' long and esteemed career. It really was a game-changer and I think, in a lot of ways, it was a game-changer for good. Of course, there are many people who came after the success of the book and tried simply to ape the style to varying degrees of success but the real shift was that people saw comics as something different. Now somewhat stranger, more character-driven and maybe less action-driven stuff could exist because Marvel knew it could sell. Of course, Spider-Man has always been a character defined by his personality and who he is rather than by the fight scenes he would have so it was a logical choice to let him jumpstart this series but Bendis took it and made it his own and really changed the face of mainstream comics. I don't necessarily agree with everything he does at Marvel and I certainly don't always like everything he does but I give him a lot of credit for his work with this series. More times than not, I feel like this series gets brought up in the conversation about a person's favorite series. It's well-deserved. I remember binge-reading over a hundred issues of this within a few days myself. Issue 200 isn't just a big milestone, it's a huge achievement and one that's often hard to hit with a new series these days. Well done Brian Michael Bendis and well done to all of the artists who have contributed to this series (many of whom, if not all of whom, contributed as artists on this issue).
Sunday, March 30, 2014
This week's picks
Another long and exciting week of Marvel comics down so it's another attempt to choose the three most worthy of recognition this week. Tricky in a week full of ambitious number ones, game-changing ultimate or penultimate issues, and fifth issues of varying degrees of interest. Look, lots of books out this week, is what I'm saying. Let's pick some.
All-New Ghost Rider 1
I don't know that this is truly one of the top three books of the week (it edges out books like UNCANNY AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS, AVENGERS ASSEMBLE, SILVER SURFER, etc.) but it is the most ambitious of the new books out this week and probably of all the other books out this week. The unique art style and coloring, on top of the creation of a new character who tries to shield his younger brother from the darkness of the world suddenly becoming one of the darkest anti-heroes out there, made for a book that feels like it's got places it can go. For a number one, not being locked in to some specific trajectory so early on feels like such a big first step. Robbie Reyes has a whole world out in front of him and we'll see that world with art that isn't really any where else on the shelves right now.
Hawkeye 18
Don't get me wrong, I adore this series. But as a reviewer, it was almost a relief when HAWKEYE stumbled a bit in production and took a little longer to come out than it normally would have because then there were wild cards in the weekly pull list post. With HAWKEYE rocketing out several times in the last month+, it's almost a given that it's going to wind up on this list every single time. Annie Wu's art is tremendous and matches the tone and style of Fraction's writing for Kate, the story is compelling and engaging, the characters in Kate's new life are well-developed, and the stakes of the story rise at what seems like the perfect speed. It's a phenomenal series. Don't let the fact that it's regularly up on this list make you feel like it's going to stagnate at a certain point, albeit a rather high point. Each one makes it on to this list for all of the same reasons but also entirely new reasons. It's clearly Fraction, Aja, Wu, and Hollingsworth aren't really up for doing the same thing twice at any point with this book. Check it out if, for some ridiculous reason, you haven't already.
Superior Spider-Man 30
I'll be honest, this one, like so many issues of SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN or even AMAZING SPIDER-MAN before it isn't necessarily as clean as the books I tend to pick and put up here (which is why these books tend to go through waves of making the list and not making the list); it often has a little more over-explanation than I'm looking for in a book, maybe a few too many mentions that Spider-Man 2099 is from the future, maybe it gets a little more heavy-handed and leaves a little less to the audience. HOWEVER, Slott and Gage both clearly understand the reasons we're involved in a Spider-Man story and even though we all pretty firmly knew that Peter Parker was on his way back (particularly as solicit news broke it a couple months ago) seeing him get back into action is fulfilling in every way as a Spider-Man fan. So as the trials and tribulations of the Superior Spider-Man come to a close, Gage and Slott do a fantastic job to get us back into the swing of things (PUN) with Peter Parker's triumphant return. Boy, he's got a lot of cleaning up to do. Nothing's ever easy for that guy.
REAL BEST BOOK OF THE WEEK:
Captain America 117
I mean obviously this was the best book of this week and any other week it "debuted." WATCH, AS RED SKULL ENACTS HIS MOST DASTARDLY PLAN: NOT PAYING FOR A CAB RIDE ACROSS TOWN.
All-New Ghost Rider 1
Hawkeye 18
Superior Spider-Man 30
REAL BEST BOOK OF THE WEEK:
Captain America 117
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Superior Spider-Man 30, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up 11
Superior Spider-Man 30
Slott and Gage (w) and Camuncoli, Dell, and Pallot (a) and Fabela (c)
Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099 are locked in combat with the new wave of Spider-Slayers when Goblin reveals to Spidey that he has Anna Maria and that he'll have to leave 2099 to fight a battle he can't possibly win by himself if he wants to save-oh, he left? Okay, cool, he's going after Anna Maria, leaving 2099 by himself. Spidey doesn't know where to go but he's intercepted by Menace as she flies by, taunting about their new captive. He follows her underground while, inside of Doc Ock's mind, Peter Parker continues to see Doc's memories. He gets to the point of Ock's memories where he manages to swap consciousnesses with Peter and, just as Peter's whole life flashed before his eyes then, it flashes before the ethereal Peter's eyes now. Suddenly, instead of losing himself to Ock's personality, he's regained all of his memories, all of the Spider-Man times and the Peter Parker times and all of his entire history. Fully charged by this, Peter jumps into Otto's mind again just in time to find that he's wavering about saving Amy Chen, the girl Otto saved alongside Cardiac and another captive the Goblins have taken, worrying that he'll injure himself and there will be no one left to save Anna Maria. Peter leaps into action, taking over the body and forcing Otto to swing in and save the girl. Peter, his presence again known to Otto, yells at his enemy and tells him that now isn't the time for plotting and planning, it's the time to act. Otto admits his weakness and the two leave, discussing what's happening. Otto reveals that he has overcompensated and has deemed himself superior only because he didn't really believes himself to be, whereas Peter always played down his intelligence and abilities because he was never so arrogant. Otto concedes that Peter truly is the superior one and rushes back to Parker Industries. He goes into his lab and enters the mindscape, deleting all traces of Otto's villainous history and even of his recent history, making sure to wipe the slate clean and leaving only the consciousness of Peter behind. Back in control at last, Peter dons his original costume and prepares to once more face off against Green Goblin.
This is the major turning point for the series, no question. Finally the moment we've all waited over a year for has come and we're rewarded by Peter taking control in his ever impressive way. The planner is replaced by the man of action in a time where action is most necessary and Otto's seemingly final act in the body he took such measures to steal is to learn a real lesson about heroism FINALLY. It's a huge moment and, while this is clearly the A-story, it's not the only thing happening. The Avengers continue to fight their fights (all the while reminding us their current feelings on Spider-Man and so on), Spider-Man 2099 continues his fight against the Slayers and Alchemax (all the while reminding us he's from the future), and the city is turning on J. Jonah Jameson thanks, in part, to Alchemax revealing that he commissioned and signed off on the Slayers despite Liz Allan's warnings that he shouldn't. On top of that, Liz is hiding something to do with this whole goblin mess and that will likely come to a head as we reach the conclusion of this storyline. Lots still to come here. Worth picking this book up for the reappearance of the triumphant Peter Parker and the special reprint of BLACK WIDOW 1 that comes tied to the book.
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up 11
Shinick (w) and Checchetto, Frenz, and Buscema (a) and Rosenberg (c)
In the middle of Goblin Nation, we take a quick look at a former relationship between Otto and Norman Osborn as Otto reminisces on a time when the two teamed up after (one of) the death(s) of Norman Osborn. They managed to put aside their differences and got along amicably enough as they built up plans to destroy Spider-Man, building up a friendship in the process. Of course, Norman's a bit crazy for Otto's liking and the craziness rears its head on more than one occasion, finally coming to a head when, after a heartfelt talk about their friendships in the past, Norman tracks down and hospitalizes a woman to whom Otto was once engaged, hoping that the pain in Otto's soul makes him realize what Norman is trying to accomplish with Spider-Man.
I'm not a big fan of this issue simply because I don't really buy it. Sure I can see a tentative team-up between Goblin and Doc Ock happening but I don't believe that either truly would form any sort of bond. Also, there's a sense between both this and SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN right now that they want Goblin built into the Joker of this universe (there were even chases in SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN this week that reminded me a little of the famous Batman story THE KILLING JOKE) and I have some amount of trouble believing this if only because we've seen enough of Osborn's backstory that it's hard to draw those comparisons. We've seen him be human and simply cold without any sort of craziness to him and then, on occasion, we've seen that craziness come back up. This one feels very all or nothing and, in truth, is more all than nothing. I have some trouble buying the conceit of this book and, on top of it, I don't love the writing as a whole. Maybe I just don't care and there's more to be talking about in the middle of Goblin Nation.
Slott and Gage (w) and Camuncoli, Dell, and Pallot (a) and Fabela (c)
This is the major turning point for the series, no question. Finally the moment we've all waited over a year for has come and we're rewarded by Peter taking control in his ever impressive way. The planner is replaced by the man of action in a time where action is most necessary and Otto's seemingly final act in the body he took such measures to steal is to learn a real lesson about heroism FINALLY. It's a huge moment and, while this is clearly the A-story, it's not the only thing happening. The Avengers continue to fight their fights (all the while reminding us their current feelings on Spider-Man and so on), Spider-Man 2099 continues his fight against the Slayers and Alchemax (all the while reminding us he's from the future), and the city is turning on J. Jonah Jameson thanks, in part, to Alchemax revealing that he commissioned and signed off on the Slayers despite Liz Allan's warnings that he shouldn't. On top of that, Liz is hiding something to do with this whole goblin mess and that will likely come to a head as we reach the conclusion of this storyline. Lots still to come here. Worth picking this book up for the reappearance of the triumphant Peter Parker and the special reprint of BLACK WIDOW 1 that comes tied to the book.
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up 11
Shinick (w) and Checchetto, Frenz, and Buscema (a) and Rosenberg (c)
I'm not a big fan of this issue simply because I don't really buy it. Sure I can see a tentative team-up between Goblin and Doc Ock happening but I don't believe that either truly would form any sort of bond. Also, there's a sense between both this and SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN right now that they want Goblin built into the Joker of this universe (there were even chases in SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN this week that reminded me a little of the famous Batman story THE KILLING JOKE) and I have some amount of trouble believing this if only because we've seen enough of Osborn's backstory that it's hard to draw those comparisons. We've seen him be human and simply cold without any sort of craziness to him and then, on occasion, we've seen that craziness come back up. This one feels very all or nothing and, in truth, is more all than nothing. I have some trouble buying the conceit of this book and, on top of it, I don't love the writing as a whole. Maybe I just don't care and there's more to be talking about in the middle of Goblin Nation.
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