Category Archives: Spider-Man
Marvel is Putting Together Yet Another Avengers Team
Because why not?
Apparently Marvel took a look at their exhaustive Avengers comic book franchise – Avengers, New Avengers, Dark Avengers, Secret Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Avengers Assemble and Avengers Arena – and realized that they don’t have a comic using the adjective ‘Mighty’, which is the classic Avengers adjective. So faster than you can say “give me another Avengers comic”, it seems that Marvel is going to do just that.
All week long, Marvel has been unveiling the lineup for a new series that so far is only titled ‘Mighty’. But why else use that adjective if you’re not then going to combine it with ‘Avengers’? The new comic isn’t going to be called ‘Mighty Heroes 4 Hire, that’s for sure’. That would never sell. The concept for the team is going to revolve around the upcoming series Infinity, Marvel’s next Big Event comic. While the normal Avengers are out in space dealing with Infinity, Luke Cage is going to remain on Earth and assemble a new team. I guess that’s a good enough reason to pop out yet another Avengers comic.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t care less about the characters on the team.
We’ve got Cage, She-Hulk, Superior Spider-Man, White Tiger, the new Power Man and Adam, the Blue Marvel, a character you’ve probably never heard of before because he only ever appeared in a single mini-series several years ago as a Superman-esque hero.
Are you kidding me!? Brian Michael Bendis is taking an obscure, Superman rip-off who only ever appeared in a single old mini-series and turning him into an Avenger? Does he live in some kind of fantasy land where he thinks people actually liked the Sentry? The Sentry was terrible. How could Marvel possibly think the Blue Marvel could be any better?
Alright, enough angry ranting. I just wish I knew what rules are in place when a writer puts together a new superhero team. How many times has this been done before? A writer creates a new comic and throws in a bunch of random characters to make a team. Bendis himself does it at least once a year. His original New Avengers reboot was that exact thing. As was every iteration of the Avengers comic that Bendis ever wrote. What about Matt Fraction’s Defenders series from a few years ago? Or any of a bajillion different X-Men comics?
I just don’t think team membership means anything to anyone anymore. Where are the days when team members actually meant something to one another? When they could actually build bonds and stick together for awhile? Why are these characters so utterly interchangeable, and why does Marvel feel the need to just keep cranking out random assortments of superheroes and calling them Avengers?
Anyway, that’s my rant for today. Take it for what you will.
Review: Scarlet Spider #17
Aracely is just adorable. I bet writer Chris Yost has a blast writing her alongside Kaine. The two of them – the straight man and the silly girl – are definitely the heart of this series, and Scarlet Spider #17 is the two of them on an adorable field trip to New York. Granted, Kaine is going there to kill Wolverine, but the trip is still a blast. No one says they can’t enjoy the trip while they’re there.
Scarlet Spider #17
This is one of the most fun issues of Scarlet Spider yet. Free of any other concerns, Yost dives into a free-standing crossover with the X-Men that’s mostly about Kaine and Aracely being awesome.
Comic Rating: 4.5/5 – Very Good.
I’ll share some of the best moments in the full synopsis. I suppose your enjoyment of this issue depends entirely on how much you can stand Aracely. I love her. Yost is clearly having a lot of fun writing her dialogue, and Kaine makes for the perfect companion. He’s willing to put up with her because he clearly cares for her, but everything she does seems to drive him bonkers. It’s a great buddy comedy set up. I think Yost could stand to start answering some questions about Aracely, or maybe explore a bit deeper her relationship with Kaine, but for now, I’m not complaining.
This is just a fun issue, and it works very well as a crossover too. Yost handles the X-Men just as well as he handles his own characters, and it’s great to see the Scarlet Spider interact with the larger Marvel Universe. I doubt he’ll be headlining any Big Events anytime soon, but any acknowledgement that Kaine is indeed part of the Marvel Universe is a welcome one.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/25/13
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to DC writer Geoff Johns. Oh sure, he’s still going to be writing Aquaman, and a couple Justice League comics, but DC won’t be the same now that Johns is leaving Green Lantern after nearly 10 years on the title. This is a truly sad moment, because none of his other comic work as been as good as his stories on Green Lantern. And he has told some remarkable stories. Green Lantern was a minor character at best before Johns came along. This one guy with his brilliant ideas almost single-handedly made Green Lantern popular enough to warrant a live action big screen movie, in a world where DC only makes Batman and Superman movies. Johns made Green Lantern so popular that he was one of only two superheroes to remain unchanged in the New 52 reboot.
Johns work on Green Lantern is nothing short of spectacular. It’s no wonder DC eventually promoted him to DC’s head of creativity. The guy definitely made me a believer in the awesomeness of Green Lantern.
Fortunately for us all, Johns’ final issue on the series is as good as any other he’s written. Green Lantern #20 easily wins Comic Book of the Week for it’s sheer awesome audacity. Johns threw out all the stops with his final issue, bringing everything his fevered mind could think up to the final party.
Just look at that picture and tell me you don’t love everything about it.
Comic Reviews: Green Lantern #20, Justice League #20, Superior Spider-Man #10, Talon #8, and Uncanny X-Men #6.
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #23
Wow. Forget everything you thought you knew about Miles Morales. When that kid tore up his Spider-Man costume at the end of last issue and declared “No more!” he really meant it. On the very first page of this new issue, Miles hasn’t been Spider-Man for an entire year! And now everything is different! I guess writer Brian Michael Bendis may have spoiled this in some interviews, but I had no idea that Ultimate Spider-Man was going to jump ahead one year. It was a complete surprise – and a glorious one at that.
Ultimate Spider-Man #23
The one-year jump is always a risky maneuver in fiction, but Bendis sticks the landing with ease, giving us a more mature, young adult Miles Morales, and successfully taking us into this new chapter of his life.
Comic Rating: 4.5/5: Very Good.
I am in awe at the skill from both Bendis and artist David Marquez in showing the passage of time, and how it has changed Miles and his supporting cast. Miles clearly went through a growth spurt sometime in the past year, and is clearly in the harsh grips of puberty. Ganke too. Both of them look a little taller. Their faces, the way they carry themselves – everything about them looks a little more mature, but just enough that they still look like teenagers. Ganke is still pudgy, but his body is definitely growing into his weight. He’s not the chubby-faced little kid he was just one issue ago. Their dialogue is different too, at least with Miles. He’s not a different person, but like another reviewer said, you can practically hear his deeper voice. The change in these characters is a marvel to behold.
The story this issue is basically just a tour of Miles’ new status quo, with visits to his father, Gwen Stacy, Spider-Woman and even his new girlfriend! As we all could have guessed, that cute girl with the colorful hair who was eyeing Miles in class is now his girlfriend, and she’s Kate Bishop from the Young Avengers! How fun. With the exception of some cliffhanger action at the end, this issue is all talking heads, which is Bendis’ specialty, and he is at the top of the game. The conversations are full of character and do an excellent job of getting us situated in Miles’ new world. I love a good talking heads issue.
I also have to agree with Bendis that we probably didn’t need to see the days, weeks and months after Miles’ mother died. It was probably just filled with grief, horror and tough reconciliation. This is definitely a much stronger footing to start the next chapter in Miles’ life.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Phil Urich Dead!? Crossover with Kaine?! Ben Reilly Returns!?
Solicitations have come out for the Superior Spider-Man family of comics in August, and they all seem geared to characters I love. What’s up with that? But hey, I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if that gift horse tastes like rancid, bitter tears!
First up, in Superior Spider-Man itself, it seems that Otto is going to target the new Hobgoblin, otherwise known as Phil Urich, otherwise known as one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. I’m always pleased when Phil pops up in the pages of Spider-Man, but based on the solicitations, it looks like Phil’s days might be numbered!
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #15
DAN SLOTT 
• HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
“Run, Goblin, Run!” Part 1 of 2
• What’s it like to be a villain in the Marvel Universe…once the Superior Spider-Man sets his sights on you?
• Find out, from Phil Urich’s point of view, in what might be the final days of the Hobgoblin.
• Plus, what is the secret of “The Tinkerer’s Apprentice”? Who’s been helping the Terrible Tinkerer? And how is he, of all people, the reason everything in Spider-Man’s life will be changed forever?!
Superior Spider-Man #15
That would really, really suck. But I’m not going to nerd rage about one of my favorite characters being killed. Slott has been building to a confrontation like this with Phil ever since he started writing Spider-Man. So I’m just going to look forward to an awesome Hobgoblin story. And check out Spidey’s new evil costume! Villains always go for black.
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #16
DAN SLOTT • HUMBERTO RAMOS (A/C)
“Run, Goblin, Run!” Part 2 of 2
• How has the Hobgoblin evaded the Superior Spider-Man for so long? And does that hold the key to the Superior Spider-Man’s greatest success — or greatest failure? It’s the end of the line for Hobgoblin, and possibly an end for a big chapter in the history of Spider-Man.
Superior Spider-Man #16
Everybody keep your fingers crossed. The Phil Urich Death Watch begins here!
Next, it looks like we’re finally going to get the first crossover between Spider-Man and the Scarlet Spider. Chris Yost writes both Scarlet Spider and The Avengers Spider-Man (which will soon be renamed Superior Spider-Man Team-Up), so in August, he’s bringing the two comics together for a two-part story of Scarlet Spider meeting the Superior Spider-Man. Kaine and Otto have a torrid history stretching back to Kaine’s heyday in the 90s, when he killed Otto by snapping his neck with his bare hands. So one would think that Otto probably isn’t going to like running into Kaine again.
Marvel has an interview with Yost on their website. And we get a better look at the new Superior Spider-Man costume. Looks almost like an inverted version of Kaine’s costume.
But more importantly, check out the last question of that interview. The interview is about Scarlet Spider #20, but he question looks ahead to the solicitation for Scarlet Spider #21, which apparently mentions a confrontation with Ben Reilly!? And Yost says that the last page of the crossover will be a real game changer.
So, for reals, it looks like Ben Reilly might be coming back! I will tell you more when it becomes available.
Here are the covers.
Scarlet Spider #20
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2
That should make for an awesome team up. Though I’m a little disappointed that it’s not happening in the actual Superior Spider-Man series, as if this crossover doesn’t warrant anything more than just the secondary Spidey titles. But I can live with that.
So Phil Urich and the Scarlet Spider are a big deal in August! It’s like the 90s all over again!
Henchman-4-Hire 