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

Deadpool 29, Giant-Size Spider-Man 1

Deadpool 29
Posehn and Duggan (w) and J. Lucas (a) and Staples (c) and Sabino (l)

Deadpool and Shiklah have been targeted by Dracula and his legion of vampires after Deadpool broke up Drac and Shiklah's one-time affair and ended up marrying Shiklah. Now Dracula's out for vengeance and it's up to Deadpool to deal with the attack while Shiklah tries to handle things through negotiation. Deadpool's plan is to enlist Dazzler, which proves difficult because Dazzler is actually Mystique. So instead, he travels back in time (thanks to some F4 device) to rope in the past Dazzler, disco star. Meanwhile, ORIGINAL SIN rages on behind them and Agents Preston and Adsit discover that Deadpool's daughter had been raised by Butler's brother.

It's the first ORIGINAL SIN tie-in both for this series and, really, for the greater Marvel Universe. Of course, AVENGERS is technically an ORIGINAL SIN tie-in right now but it's not exactly so clear-cut as that. Here, though it's currently the B-plot, we see a different angle of the final scene from ORIGINAL SIN 2 and it leads to the knowledge about Deadpool's daughter Eleanor. Deadpool is still dutifully ignoring the idea of his daughter (though he can't help but ask about it when he runs into Preston and Adsit) and doing what he can to embrace his wife's life. It still feels like there's something darker to Deadpool's new life and his willful ignorance of his possible daughter (because we're told repeatedly there's more there) but we'll put it aside for a story that pits Deadpool and Dazzler against Dracula's vampires. There's maybe a story in here but it feels a teeny bit disjointed, as is sometimes the case with a tie-in issue.

Total Score: 3/5


Giant-Size Spider-Man 1
Caramagna (w) and Koblish, Caracuzzo, Ciregia, Casagrande, and Seeley (a) and Sotocolor (c) and Caramagna (l)

It's a slew of stories from Spider-Man's start from expert letterer Joe Caramagna in this triple-sized issue which tells three stories, including Spider-Man's origin, a run-in with Vulture, with Dr. Octopus, and with Sandman. It ends with Peter, for the sake of his aunt, setting up weekly meetings with the school counselor to work through his issues with Uncle Ben's death.

I always like seeing people who are known for one thing in comics (Caramagna as a letter showing off as writer here, Chris Eliopolous as a letterer drawing phenomenal art for a recent HAWKEYE issue, Javier Rodriguez jumping from colorist to full pencils and inks and colors for DAREDEVIL) do a separate thing and do it pretty well. Caramagna isn't doing anything here that's blowing anyone out of the water (I actually preferred his little catch-up story in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 1 because its fun tone felt more decisive) but it's nice to see. Overall, though, the story is a watered down version of one that Spidey fans have seen about a million times without too much added. It's a whirlwind rush through a few introductions to Spider-Man's villains with really condensed origins for the three of them so maybe it'll work for people looking to dive into his history a little without much knowledge to start. It's not terrible by any stretch but it's not really anything I can point to for a big recommendation. Peek through it if you're not super familiar with the character and would like to be. For those who already have some thoughts on Spidey, it's not really going to change your outlook in anyway and it might be a bit of a slog.

Total Score: 2/5

SUPER QUICK REVIEWS: All-New Ultimates 2, Deadpool 28

All-New Ultimates 2
Fiffe (w) and Pinna (a) and Woodard (c) and Cowles (l)

The new Ultimates find themselves fighting the Serpent Skulls (led by Diamondback and just, like, so many others) as the police try to sort everything out. At a breaking point (which is to say "after there have been like, seven pages of introductions"), the Skulls flee and the Ultimates disappear into Cloak's cape and are transported back to Hell's Kitchen, but not before one of the Skulls stabs Black Widow with a poison syringe. Bombshell quits the team and Black Widow, back home with Kitty, passes out. Meanwhile, a new character (Scourge) is on his own path of vengeance, shooting just a bunch of people.

I kept thinking all week that this book was ULTIMATE FF and I was more excited about that, which should tell you a bit about both books even this early on. There's a real weirdness to the tone on this one that makes it feel like it wants to be an '80s action movie. Even the look of the Serpent Skulls (and Black Widow's ridiculous new costume) and the way the villains talk harkens back to Stallone, not really a place you want to be (or, at least, not really a place I want you to be). Also, the book really did kick off with about seven pages of introducing characters. PRO-TIP, don't do that.

Total Score: 2/5


Deadpool 28
Posehn and Duggan (w) and Koblish (a) and Staples (c) and Sabino (l)

Deadpool and Shiklah journey to Japan for the first leg of their honeymoon, despite the protestations of Shiklah, who cannot understand why they've gone to Japan. Deadpool is adamant about it though and things start to go crazy when a young street urchin steals his super important briefcase and two imagination-based monsters (controlled by two other kids) attack the husband and wife to distract them. Shiklah deals with them as her little pet dragon traces the kid, eventually pitting them against the Yakuza and the Hand (who see the briefcase and figure it must be worthwhile) and drawing the (f)ire of Sunfire (enraged that Deadpool is in town). Finally, with the briefcase back in hand, Deadpool delivers it (and the money inside) to Kim, the Nightcrawler-like refugee from North Korea, hoping that this will help him start his life and find his family.

It's a fun little story that turns into a sweet little story. As fun as the chase is and as creative as the villains are (there's a particularly nice beat where the leader of the children, an adult, realizes they stole from Deadpool and immediately understands the implications, plus another one where the Yakuza simply see the chase below a window and decide that's probably something they should get in on), the story turns on its emotional beat of Deadpool doing what he can to help Kim and the other North Korean refugees. It's not all well and good, though, as it seems Kim is sick as the issue ends, coughing and wheezing after he leaves Deadpool. Still a sweet issue that manages not to get all maudlin.

Total Score: 4/5

Deadpool 27, Thunderbolts 24, All-New Ghost Rider 2

Deadpool 27
Posehn and Duggan (w) and Hawthorne (a) and Bellaire (c)
SO MANY OTHER STORIES: Duggan, Koblish, Staples, Posehn, Nicieza, Hepburn, Waid, McCrea, Elder, Kelly, Medina, Vlasco, Curiel, Priest, Henrichon, Palmiotti, Timms, Gandini, Tieri, Soy, Simone, A. Lee, Way, and Barberi

Deadpool is getting married and everyone's invited. The bride is a former prospective bride of Dracula and a current queen of monsters named Shiklah. Deadpool invites just about everyone (as evidenced by the Guinness Record breaking cover at left) and sets up the wedding in Central Park with Nightcrawler officiating. It's a nice ceremony with a nice and hero-filled reception wherein Deadpool finally has a nice day. However, Ultimatum, still after him for blowing up their helicarrier, thinks they've discovered his lost daughter.

This is a ten dollar issue so many people might write it off as a gimmicky issue. It may well be that BUT I can tell you that this one is understandable at ten dollars. On top of the record breaking cover (right, it's pretty cool but don't spend ten dollars just on that), there are about ninety pages in this book that features the regular sized wedding story and a week's worth of creators filling out the majority of the book with silly little throwaway stories about all the other times Deadpool has been married. It very much feels like creators were given the objective (tell a Deadpool-gets-married story) and were set loose, leading to a lot of fun and interesting stories. Of course, like any compilation of stories, some are going to be better or more attuned to your own tastes than others. Gail Simone adds a pair of solid stories in her return to the Marvel Universe (she'll also be writing on SAVAGE WOLVERINE, if memory serves, before too long). Other big names like Mark Waid, Christopher Priest, Frank Tieri, and longtime DEADPOOL scribe Daniel Way also contribute to the issue. Certainly worth thumbing through and, if you're a Deadpool fan, probably worth finding the money to drop on this one.

Thunderbolts 24
Soule (w) and P. Diaz (a) and Silva (c)

The Thunderbolts are on a new mission, one picked by General Ross. Years previous, a team of Ross' men had gone into the jungle in search of a weapon that could potentially bring down the Hulk. After enlisting the services of the reluctant crime boss who had led Ross' team into the forest long before, the team sets off. While on a boat into the jungle, Ross explains the mission to Elektra, revealing that he's looking for his team but has ulterior motives for why. Apparently one of his men had appeared to him on a plane and asked for him to return and find them, then wiped the plane from existence. Ross wants to find the men but also to make sure they don't strike against the world with whatever unearthly powers they may have now. While he tells this story, Deadpool decides to go for a swim, drawing the ire of a river monster lurking nearby. 'Pool escapes, though he's injured, as a woman claiming to know Ross parachutes in. She lands in the water and Ross instantly dives in to rescue her. Saved, she embraces and kisses Ross as she pulls a gun on him.

There's a lot of character development happening here for Ross, who typically keeps everything pretty close to the chest. The great thing about a team book is that character development for Ross also means character development for the rest of the team. We get a lot about Ross, including a little of the way that his mind works and what he holds important (like keeping people unaware that he's Red Hulk, even to the point of fighting a pair of much younger thugs to gain the services of the crime boss as the elderly Ross), but we also see some from Elektra as she accuses Ross of hiding things from the team that they need to know and as characters like Punisher and Leader specifically don't ask questions about what they're doing. Lots going on here and another interesting story to follow as Soule enters into what is likely his final arc on the book before Acker and Blacker take it over.


All-New Ghost Rider 2
F. Smith (w) and T. Moore (a) and Staples (c)

The Ghost Rider sets off to find the men who killed Robbie Reyes and blew up the car. He tracks their small envoy leaving the area and drives his car through one of the cars in their procession. Though it annihilates that group, he loses the others. He returns to Robbie's home and Robbie, completely healed, returns to his life, confused about what happened the night before. He returns to the body shop that night to see the car he remembered being shot up and destroyed returned to pristine condition. He decides to take it out again that night to see if he can shed some light on what happened. As he tries to leave, he's accosted by the same men who killed him the night before, a gang working for villain Mr. Hyde and selling drugs that seem to make people Hyde out (a la Hulk out, not like hideout) who are now missing some of the drugs from the night before. They attack Reyes only to have him Ghost Rider out and attack them instead. After dispatching them, Robbie drives to a junkyard and sees the reflection of Ghost Rider, asking what he is only to have Ghost Rider ask "what are we?"

Robbie's still getting his bearings and Smith has hit on an interesting idea here, making Robbie unsure of what Ghost Rider is and that he seems to be going through this transformation. Smith does a good job showing Robbie in something of a daze as he goes through his normal business the day after dying. He ignores the bullies who beat him up the day prior in school, he doesn't seem to realize that he's healed from said beating until it's brought to his attention, and he's just typically zoned out throughout the day. I think it's a really strong characterization to have that be his reaction rather than freaking out or even beginning to understand what's happened. Tradd Moore's art continues to be outstanding as it brings something of a cartoony element to it, almost at odds with the dark content of the book. It's almost a relief that this book is so dark but the art is so light. It gives ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER a different feel than any other sort of gritty and dark book out there, swapping out the blacks and grays and blurred characters for vibrant colors and sharply outlined people. Sometimes the action, which looks good, gets a little confusing as it feels like the book tries to do a little too much at once but it's easy to get past because it still looks good. This one's off to a strong start out of the gate and things are only going to get more interesting as Robbie pieces together what's happening.