Category Archives: Spider-Man
Review: Scarlet Spider #18
Who knew Kaine could be so funny? I know he’s a clone of Peter Parker and everything, but he’s usually a sourpuss straight man. I guess with Aracely mostly sitting this issue out, somebody’s got to keep up the chuckles. Because what would a book like Scarlet Spider be without some humor? And Wolverine isn’t about to deliver. That guy is as sourpuss as they come. But I’m not going to complain when Scarlet Spider gets some attention from the rest of the Marvel Universe.
Scarlet Spider #18
The continuing Scarlet Spider/Wolverine team-up is as entertaining as it was last issue, albeit for different reasons. Writer Chris Yost is doing a team-up right.
Comic Rating: 4/5 – Good.
Somehow, seemingly against all reason, Scarlet Spider is still chugging along 18 issues later. I’ve never seen it mentioned as a comic due for cancellation. Does it have an audience? Is it actually selling? Because that would be fantastic. Maybe this Wolverine cameo will help punch up sales for a little bit. It was a classic maneuver back in the day for new comics to guest star Wolverine or Spider-Man as quickly as possible. What better way to sell a new hero to audiences than by giving him or her some team-up time with the big shots? That’s kind of what happens here. Maybe this is even an homage. Scarlet Spider and Wolverine team up to take on some colorful bad guys. It’s as classic as comic books get.
The art by Carlo Barberi and Ale Garza is, likewise, top notch. It’s clear, detailed and full of action. I was unhappy for the longest time with Scarlet Spider‘s artist, but now the series has got that taken care of. So at this point, Scarlet Spider needs to take the comic to the next level. It’s got solid storytelling, solid characters and solid art. It’s entertaining and fun to read. But it could stand to be…something more. One can’t exactly say what it could use, or what exactly could be done. Deeper stories. More meaningful character development. Maybe a hot romantic relationship? Who knows! But when you’ve got a good, quality comic, you can’t just rest on your laurels. Kick things up a notch, Chris Yost! Take Scarlet Spider to the next level!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Review: Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man #24
Prepare to get hit right in the feels, people. Writer Brian Michael Bendis introduces us to Cloak and Dagger this issue, then immediately makes them the most likable characters ever…then also immediately breaks your heart. All of Bendis’ skills as a storyteller and character creator are on display this issue as he updates Cloak and Dagger’s origins, turning them into some of the most sympathetic heroes ever. I feel for them. Heaven help Cloak and Dagger.
Ultimate Spider-Man #24
Bendis still writes a pretty good Spider-Man. But this is Cloak and Dagger’s issue, and we’re all the better for it.
Comic Rating: 4.5/5 – Very Good!
This issue is told almost exclusively in flashback, presenting the tragic origin of Cloak and Dagger. The origin is very well done, and in only a matter of pages, Bendis creates two very real, very amazing people. The actual superheroic origin is tied a little too awkwardly to the rest of the Ultimate Universe, but not in a distracting way. Bendis comes up with an acceptable way to give superpowers to Tandy Bowen and Ty Johnson. But seriously, the powers are only secondary. These two are most definitely people first, superheroes second, which I love. But it also makes the superhero scenes a little weird. This issue doesn’t contain the transition between the origin story and how the pair wound up fighting Bombshell outside a Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn, so there’s a bit of a disconnect between the issue’s two storylines.
Basically, I’m just not sure how Cloak and Dagger go from their tragic origin to trying to playing crimefighter. But I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.
Miles barely appears in the issue, but he has some strong scenes as he continues to deny his responsibility as Spider-Man. Gwen Stacy gives him a piece of her mind, and both come off well in this issue. I think Bendis is doing an OK job building up Miles’ return as Spider-Man. Part of me is worried that he’ll waste it on someone as minor as Bombshell, but if Bendis somehow connects the tragedy of Cloak and Dagger into Miles’ return to heroism, he’ll have pulled off a masterstroke!
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/22/13
Age of Ultron is the worst Big Event Comic that Brian Michael Bendis has ever written. The man is a writing god when it comes to small comics – like Ultimate Spider-Man or his current X-Men series – but he just can’t handle Big Events. He can come up with some really neat ideas, but for some reason he just can’t execute them. I don’t know what it is. How did the man who created Miles Morales write Age of Ultron? Whatever. It’s over. Age of Ultron is done and it’s just as bad as the rest of the series. But now we all have Angela to look forward to…so…yay? I guess. Ugh.
Thankfully, the rest of the comics this week are all winners. From Avengers and New Avengers carrying through with some grand ideas to comics like Batwoman and Superior Spider-Man continuing their general greatness. Quality reads through and through. As for Comic Book of the Week, that distinction has to go to Wonder Woman #21, for Brian Azzarello for really amping up the action and excitement, and actually getting me to like a New God.
I never thought I’d live to see the day.
Comic Reviews: Age of Ultron #10, Avengers #14, Batman and Batgirl #21, Batwoman #21, Green Lantern: New Guardians #21, New Avengers #7, Superior Spider-Man #12, and Wonder Woman #21.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 6/8/13
It’s a week of fresh starts in comic book land, some good, and some bad. First up is a new #1 issue for Astro City, the brilliant and hugely creative superhero series from writer Kurt Busiek. If you’re not familiar with Astro City, I’ll explain more about it in the actual review, and I consider it one of the crowning achievements of superhero storytelling in the past decade. Astro City isn’t based on any of the well-known heroes like Superman or Spider-Man, instead creating a superhero world all its own, but then taking it to the next level. I’m very excited to see what Busiek does with this new volume, and I might just have to go back and reread the original series.
The other fresh start is the first issue of Green Lantern in the post-Geoff Johns world. The entire Green Lantern franchise has been given new creative teams, and I do not envy these guys. Geoff Johns’ run was legendary, and now they’ve got to somehow keep everyone’s interest in Green Lantern and come up with new and exciting stories. Unfortunately, they’re not off to a great start so far. Astro City easily beats Green Lantern for Comic Book of the Week.
And American Chibi might be the new character find of 2013!
Comic Reviews: Age of Ultron #9, All-New X-Men #12, Astro City #1, Detective Comics #21, Green Lantern #21, Superior Spider-Man #11.
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.
