Category Archives: Spider-Man
Review: Scarlet Spider #21
That cover is no fakeout, my friends. The classic Scarlet Spider appears in this issue! Who else is super excited? Granted, it’s not Ben Reilly come back from the dead. That would be too much to hope for. But somebody does wear the classic Scarlet Spider costume, and that’s cool enough for me. As I mentioned in last week’s List of Six, I’m a big fan of the Clone Saga, and an even bigger fan of Ben Reilly and the Scarlet Spider. Why do you think I’m reviewing this Scarlet Spider series in this larger review format? Because a fanboy’s gonna love what a fanboy’s gonna love.
Scarlet Spider #21
Scarlet Spider #21 is a set-up issue for the next big danger that Kaine must fight his way through. The fact that it features a call back to the original Scarlet Spider is the sweetest of icings on this cake.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
Say what you will about the sleeveless hoodie, the visible webshooters and the pouches around the ankles, but I love the Scarlet Spider costume. It’s possibly my favorite alternate Spider-Man costume ever. You better believe I unlock it as soon as possible whenever I’m playing a Spider-Man video game. I like the sleekness of the design, plus I loved the character. And I like the visible webshooters. They’re a neat alteration. I even like the ankle pouches. So sue me. The 90s were a time when pouches were in, and I started reading comics in the 90s. We all like what we all like.
So anyway, Scarlet Spider is still going strong, and Kaine is still on a downward spiral of self-loathing. The guy feels like crap, and that carries over into this issue. He’s dealing with a lot of baggage. Of course, that’s the perfect time to start a new storyline, and this issue delivers in spades. Heck, if I didn’t know any better, this could almost serve as a grand finale, but I’m pretty sure Kaine isn’t being cancelled. A villain with ties to Kaine’s past returns and starts picking apart Kaine’s life, taking down the friends he’s made in Houston. This seems to be leading up to a brawl to end them all, and I’m very much of looking forward to that. After everything Kaine has been through lately, I want to see him just use all of that anger and pain to really kick some ass!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #26
Back in business and ain’t it grand? Mile Morales has suited up again as Spider-Man, and he’s back to web-slinging and joking around, just like the good old days. He really takes to it well, with some snappy banter and a good heart. That he gets to team up with Spider-Woman is a real treat, as is the fact that they’re going after Bombshell! I am very excited to see her again too!
Ultimate Spider-Man #26
Ultimate Spider-Man is back in business, with Miles suited up and ready to face the evils of the Roxxon Corporation. Ultimate Spider-Man #26 is a fun return to form, with the promise of more fun down the line. Though let’s hope there is a ‘down the line’.
Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.
Back before Peter Parker was killed, the storyline I was enjoying most in Ultimate Spider-Man was that of the teenage Bombshell. She and her mother are original characters for the Ultimate Universe, and the story went that the daughter started going to Peter Parker’s school. In fact, Bendis started building up a friendship between the two, possibly even a romance. The loss of that Peter/Bombshell storyline was the thing I miss most from when Peter was killed, so it’s really cool to see her show up again, even if it’s not the same.
I don’t know if a relationship with Miles would be as good as a relationship with Peter. There was something about Peter and his love life that I thought Bombshell fit into perfectly, and I wanted to see explored. But Miles hasn’t had the relationship drama that Peter did, so I don’t know how I’d feel about that kind of story. But Miles could always just be friends with Bombshell. We’ll see where it goes.
Also, this issue introduces Ultimate Taskmaster, so that’s pretty badass.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
6 Things I Love That Everybody Else Hates
Wow, people really seem to hate Ben Affleck. When it was announced last week that Affleck had been cast as the new Batman, the Internet exploded! And after that, I think there were more articles about the negative fan reaction than there were articles about the actual announcement. It seems the Internet really, really doesn’t want Ben Affleck to play Batman.
But why not? I like Ben Affleck just fine, and I’m excited to see what he’ll do with the character.
Give him a Boston accent, probably
So that got me thinking, what are other pop culture things that I love but everybody else seems to hate? I know there are more than a few movies on that list, but what else? Being the student of the Internet that I am, keeping track of the various hate rage is just something that comes gradually. We all know that the Internet loves bacon and Joss Whedon, and we also know that everybody hates the Star Wars prequels and, apparently, Ben Affleck. These are just accepted facts of pop culture society these days.
Well I’ve put together a list of six things I absolutely love that everybody else seems to hate. And I’d love to hear some of yours in the comments.
Good Guy Green Goblin: Why the Little Guy Matters in Comics
I don’t remember how or why I came to possess a copy of Green Goblin #1 in 1995, I only remember the joy I felt flipping through its pages. I can remember marveling at the artwork by Scott McDaniel, possibly the first time I ever actually appreciated comic book art. I can remember haphazardly scouring the comic book shops and supermarkets in Central New York searching for all the follow-up issues, before I ever even knew that comic books come out on Wednesdays. And I can remember waiting 10 years, well into adulthood, before I finally managed to track down the final issue online, and how reading it after all those years was like stepping back in time. The series was just as good as I remembered – if a little dated.
With the Green Goblin series in the mid-90s, Marvel Comics was trying desperately to reach out to both youth culture and longtime fans by mixing a semi-familiar brand name with a slacker protagonist. Green Goblin was a blatant cash-grab. It only lasted 13 issues.
But those 13 issues may be the very reason why I’m such a big comic book fan today. Green Goblin was my ‘gateway drug’. And Phil Urich is my hero.
He’s a funny guy
Some of you reading this have probably never even heard of Phil Urich. He’s no Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne, that’s for sure. But nevertheless, Phil Urich came along at just the right time to hook me into comic books. Green Goblin wasn’t the first comic I had ever read, but it was the first series I ever started collecting on my own. And when all 13 issues were over, I kept reading and I kept looking for more new comics. It was a fun little series with a lot of energy and some cool ideas.
After it was cancelled, one would reasonably expect never to see Phil Urich again. His story hadn’t sold, it was cancelled; shouldn’t that be the end of it?
Nope! Apparently not! And that’s why Phil Urich is such a fascinating character. Phil kept coming back. New writers like Brian K. Vaughn and Dan Slott came long with new ideas and new roles for Phil to play. And through their work, Phil Urich’s story continues to be told, even after all these years. And that’s one of the things I love about comics: through unexpected teamwork, through new writers and new ideas, even the little guys get their own stories. Phil will never be as popular as Spider-Man or Batman, but he’s got a story nonetheless.
Join me after the jump if you’d like to hear it.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/24/13
For the first time in a very long time, DC Comics owns the week! The New 52 comics have been in a downward spiral for me for a long time. But this week, they score a one-two punch of success. For awhile now, I’ve been worried that comics just don’t reach me anymore, that everything is just generic superhero filler, that nobody is trying anymore. But between Batman and Nightwing #23 and Wonder Woman #23, DC shows me twice in one week that somebody still cares. Characters still matter.
There are a lot of good comics this week. Superior Spider-Man puts Phil Urich front and center, so you know I’m happy about that. Avengers and Justice League Dark continue their respective crossovers, though neither one is particularly special. And by popular request, I decided to pick up the latest issue of Thunderbolts to give that another try. Not too shabby. But the week belongs to DC. Wonder Woman easily snatches up another Comic Book of the Week.
Did we know she could go Super Saiyan?
Though Batman and Nightwing (or as it should have been called, Batman and Alfred), isn’t far behind.
Comic Reviews: Avengers #18, Batman and Nightwing #23, Batwoman #23, Justice League Dark #23, Superior Spider-Man #16, Superman Unchained #3, Thunderbolts #14, and Wonder Woman #23.
Henchman-4-Hire 