Amazing Spider-Man #9

So my daughters and I read most of our comics together these days and Amazing Spider-Man is on the list of favorites. (I have to skim over and block some of Pete and Silk’s dialogue, but other than that the book is very kid-friendly.)

My 10-year-old is a huge Mayday Parker fan, thanks to years of back issue bin diving. So Dan Slott's Spider-verse story was right up our alley, based on what we’d heard. She’s a smart kid; concepts like alternate realities and multiple Earths don’t scare her off. But, after reading the opening chapter of Spider-verse, I was feeling a big confused. I don’t know anything about Morlun’s family. Are they new? Where do they live? Why do they get the Earth-1 designation? These things were bothering me! So I figured I’d ask my daughter to tell me what SHE thinks Spider-verse is about.

“Spider-verse is about a ton of Spider-people coming together to team up. The spider-people think our Peter Parker is really important, but he’s just confused. One of the Spider-Men is very powerful. A family of vampire-type thingamabobs want to eat all the spider-people. One is named Morlun. One has a name that starts with a D. And their Dad looks like a sasquatch. And there is a pig Spider-Man.”

So really, what else does she need to know? I guess it really isn’t that complicated, is it? She and her sister both love Peter Porker after one appearance. They are intrigued by Gwen Stacy as Spider-Woman. They love Silk and the Scarlet Spider. (And boy, are my kiddos worried about the New Warriors.) They have fewer reservations about the complexity than I do!

I will say this; my daughter is very, very worried that Peter and MJ from the MC2 Universe are really dead. She’s going to be mighty upset to see her beloved Mayday lose both her parents. I’m hoping Slott will give us some sort of an out before the end of this storyline.

I’m also very hopeful that the Spiders are going to eliminate some of the Morlun family’s more forgettable members. They look too much alike and have too similar of goals for me to easily differentiate between them. Morlun never had the most unique look when he was alone, having “fat Morlun” “girl Morlun” and “hairy Morlun” isn’t quite enough for me.

Olivier Coipel does a great job on art, as always. My daughters thought Mayday looked “different” and I’d have to agree. Seeing her rendered in Coipel’s modern style is a bit jarring after a hundred issues of Ron Frenz’s far more “classic” pencils.

This is a GOOD comic, continuing Slott’s epic run on the wall-crawler. It’s even worth the extra buck at $4.99!

Silver Surfer #1 & 2

What a delight. From the opening page through each and every “PLORP,” this comic is just unapologetic fun.

I knew I was enjoying the book, based on the insane synergy of Dan Slott and Mike Allred. The wacky aliens, the tremendous poses, the insane 50’s style tech. These are all design elements Allred’s fans know and love, so seeing them implanted in the Marvel U was always going to be awesome. And Slott clearly knows his Surfer, too. In the second issue, he actually works in the Surfer crying out “Where the Surfer soars, he soars alone!” If there is one thing I love about the Surfer, it is that NO ONE mopes about his situation more. That dude can WHINE! And I love it!

What I wasn’t expecting was the Dr. Who twist of giving the Surfer a manic pixie dream girl companion to guide along the space ways. Dawn Greenwood is a tremendous breath of fresh air in Norrin Radd’s world. She brings a sense of joy and excitement to every page. Seeing her instantly bond with great alien extras like Mr. Plorp is priceless. The calm way she takes in all the madness after living her life in an isolated vacation town proves that she needs to see more worlds too. The glimpses of possible futures in issue 2 shows that she has a lot of potential with the Surfer personally too.

Mike Allred’s surfer is, of course, amazing. The poses are fantastic, the alien vistas are stunning, and the actual aliens are original and amusing. I also wish we could have seen more of the mighty hero Battle Jack! Maybe his father will get in the armor soon? I also have to laugh at the conveniently placed polka dots on Dawn’s shirt. That isn’t a coincidence, right?

This is an EXCELLENT comic. Plus, it is another book I can read with my daughters. The combination of the Surfer’s inherent coolness and a plucky Earth girl has made this one of their most anticipated reads. They are asking me every day if the next issue is out!

Amazing Spider-Man #1 (2014)

So here we are, a pretty Saturday morning, heading out for Free Comic Book Day. Westfield Comics has two posters up that my daughters are looking at as they get excited about picking up free comics. One poster is the cover to this issue, with a very happy-looking Peter Parker joyously swinging over New York, reveling in being a super hero. The other poster is Batman Eternal #1, showing the dour Dark Knight splashed in blood brooding on a rooftop. Now, I admit the Batman image is striking, and well within the expectations for the character. But I asked my daughter, “who’s blood do you think that is?” and she couldn’t answer. I can’t either. At this point, I honestly don’t know which is more likely, that Batman would be posing on rooftops after getting the crap kicked out of him, or if he’s stand around showing off the tremendous about of blood he managed to wring out of some criminal. Either way, I know which comic I want to read.

Dan Slott has clearly been waiting to bring back Peter Parker. There are multiple things in this issue that simply would not have worked with Doc Ock in the webs. The silliest part is Skein (formerly Gypsy Moth) dissolving Spidey’s costume. Spider-Woman’s response to this is absolutely perfect, and nails the tone Slott wants in this issue. Peter Parker has crazy adventures, folks, and he’s got bad luck that won’t always hurt him, but he isn’t going to come out looking good.

Slott takes time to check in with most of Pete’s supporting cast, and they all seem pretty OK with the returned Spidey. I’m one of those older readers that will always pine for a return to the Pete & MJ dynamic, but it certainly doesn’t seem imminent here. That’s OK, at this point most new readers wouldn’t even recognize that as an acceptable status quo. I also love that the cliffhanger comes from a Peter Parker relationship, not from a super-villain. If that doesn’t scream “Spider-Man” then I don’t know what does.

I LOVE the villains used in this issue. I’m not the world’s biggest Humberto Ramos fan, but he does draw striking ladies, so giving him a team of cute animal gals (and the Hippo) is a good choice. White Rabbit is fun as always (maybe Marvel should start treating her like Harley Quinn?), and Skein is always interesting. Although I have to say, I don’t know how to pronounce her name. The newest member of the Rabbit’s Menagerie is a panda villain with the type of too-clever pun name that makes comic books work.

One other comment on Ramos’ art; my daughter didn’t says he disliked it, but she did comment that Spidey looked awfully skinny to have such huge muscles! She also commented that the art looked a lot like one of her other favorites; Nova.

This is a fun, entertaining comic and a GOOD sign that Spider-Man’s continuing adventures are still in good hands. 

Superior Spider-Man #31

It is a triumph of storytelling that Dan Slott can leave his readers with a twinge of regret at the end of this issue. Peter Parker is one of the most popular, enduring characters of all time, yet I know I felt a bit bummed out that I won’t get any more adventures of Otto Octavius as the Superior Spider-Man. This era of the comic got me back into Spidey, so I have to thank Slott for re-energizing my interest in the wall crawler.

SPOILERS BELOW!

Peter actually reclaimed control of his body last issue, so this is all about the final confrontation with the Goblins. Slott delivers on that score, and he even gives us a few hints about how much work Pete has ahead of him in trying to get his life back in order. But when acquaintances like Spider-Man 2099 can instantly tell when Spider-Man is back to normal, it isn’t shocking that former girlfriends like Mary Jane and Carlie Cooper can see things are straightened out. In fact, it will be interesting seeing how much drama Slott lays out for Peter to try and wade through. Other than a renewed antagonism with J. Jonah Jameson, it seems like Pete’s life isn’t out of control, even after months of Otto behind the wheel.

Anyway, back to the core conflict. While Peter Parker might be a bit confused on his personal status quo and what exactly is going on in the world, there is one area where he is very confident. He knows he can beat up the Green Goblin. After months of overconfidence from Otto, Peter exhibits some confidence of his own, never showing a shadow of doubt that he can handle the situation. It’s great seeing Pete take it to his old foes both verbally and physically. (Green Goblin is another character that can instantly recognize Peter’s return.)

I’m not sure how I feel about Norman Osborn going undercover and taking on new identities, but I really dig the use of Liz Allen and Normie Osborn as new foils for Spidey. Especially if the new Spider-Man 2099 series will be based out of Liz Allen’s Alchemax. It will be interesting seeing how much Osborn gets used with this new gimmick; the character was so overexposed during Dark Reign that his time away has been a nice break.

How long before we get the Molten Man involved? If Liz is going full-on villain, let’s get that guy involved!

Giuseppe Camuncoli delivers solid art, as always, but some of the panels look a bit rushed. I’m not sure if it is a printing error or what, but the pages with the Avengers taking on the Spider-Slayers looked blurry and unfinished. (Odd, since artists usually love the chance to draw big-name guest stars.)When it counts, Camuncoli nails it. The crux of the issue is in that last panel, the moment when Peter Parker realizes that Otto actually did do some good as Spider-Man. And Peter has to admit that people are going to grieve for his old foe. It’s a classic Spidey image, and Camuncoli expresses the emotion perfectly.

The story is clearly Good. I can’t say the same about the price.

Now listen, Marvel. I like Christos Gage a lot, but $5.99 is too pricey for a single comic. Especially one bound with a standard cover. I could feel the paper disintegrating as I read the issue. I’m not sure if Marvel is testing the waters for a $4.99 standard price, but I can promise that when that day comes, no digital copy is going to get me to stick around. Fair warning, I’m not going higher than $3.99 (and it better have the digital code, or I’ll drop it like I’m dropping Superior Foes.)

Superior Spider-Man: Goblin War

Time to look at one of the most consistent books on the stands. Great since issue one...

Dan Slott has been doing some amazing things on this title. Who would have thought that so many of us would be distressed at the thought of losing the Doc Ock-driven Spider-Man? With Peter’s return in Amazing just around the corner, I know I’m very torn about it. I love Otto’s Superior Spider-Man, and I haven’t been this invested in Spider-Man in years. Could there be room for both?

For now, this is still Otto’s show. Things are finally starting to turn for the guy, though. He spent 20 or so issues getting Peter Parker’s life in order; getting a girlfriend, graduating with a doctorate, starting a company, hiring an army, and putting J. Jonah Jameson in line. But all of that is crashing down in the current Goblin War storyline. While Otto may have been able to handle everything that has come his way so far, the Green Goblin might be beyond him.

I can’t remember exactly what Norman Osborn’s status is right now, but it sure sounds like him behind the old mask. Surrounding himself with his goblin family has set up a nice gauntlet of flunkies for Otto to work through before finishing the story too. Monster, Menace, the Goblin Knight, and the many, many flunkies on the scene provide plenty of scaling villains for Otto to deal with.

I’m happy that Spider-Man 2099 seems to be coming back into the spotlight too. I loved the character from his first appearance, and giving the reader a straight-up good guy to root for is a very wise move.

Slott clearly has affection for Spider-Man history too. His use of Roderick Kingsley has been inspired; Kingsley “franchises” out-of-use villain IDs to losers in exchange for a cut of their take. Kingsley also remains one of the smarter villains in the book, sending doubles and replacements to keep himself safe. One thing I really like about Slott’s villains is how he mixes in different eras of characters, with 90’s characters like Stunner and Cardiac playing important roles too.

One area where this book shines is in the use of a supporting cast. There aren’t a lot of comics that still utilize the supporting cast like in the old days; it seems most heroes just hang out with other spandex folks now. Not Slott’s Spider-Man. Mary Jane is doing fine on her own, with a new boyfriend and occasional links back to the main story. Aunt May is still around and still important. Otto’s girlfriend, coworkers, Jonah, and the rest round out a cast that makes this book feel like a lived-in world. The regular Avengers appearances are icing on the cake.

I’m amazed at the pace that this book comes out. I felt like I hadn’t read an issue for awhile, and when I opened up my Comixology account, I had 4 issues waiting! I swear it had only been a month or so since I’d read an issue. For a guy with an online reputation for lateness, Slott is pumping this book out very quickly.

He wouldn’t be able to hit this schedule without the assistance of his very able artistic bullpen. Humberto Ramos, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and more swap storylines to make sure each chapter has a consistent look while maintaining a decent through-style. I think I like Camuncoli the most right now, but there aren’t any real weak links on this title. I particularly like the Goblin Knight design; I don’t love Phil Urich as a villain, but if he has to do it, at least he looks awesome.

I never thought I’d say this, but I think I’d keep reading this book if it keeps going after Amazing returns. This comic is so GOOD, it will be holding its spot on my sublist and adding another for Amazing in a few months. 

SAFE

Superior Spider-Man #8

Sure, the Avengers made the cover. But this would have been my #1 read of the week had I known that CARDIAC was appearing!!!! Cardiac! The crusading doctor who looks out for the little man while blasting his foes with his beta-staff. One of my favorite relics of the 1990’s is back!

Dan Slott pulls off a great, natural intersection in this one. The book opens at Cardiac’s clinic, where the crusading doctor is looking for some specific equipment to save a young patient. The reader instantly sympathizes and roots for Cardiac, there is no doubting the guy’s motivations after those first few pages. Contrast that with the always annoying Superior Otto-Spidey. Otto gets summoned to the scene where he enlists the local cops to aid him and then barges in. Peter Parker’s consciousness continues to sit in the backseat, mentally speaking. He spends the issue yelling at Otto that Cardiac is really just a good guy.

Thanks to the groundwork laid in the last few issues, there is a real concern at what Otto might do to Cardiac after seeing the Superior Spider-Man put Boomerang, Vulture, Jester, and Screwball in the hospital, and Massacre in the morgue. Will Otto go too far and take out a good-hearted vigilante? I won’t say, but remember that Cardiac might have something to say too.

The rest of the issue has the Avengers finally picking up on Otto’s odd behavior while he’s been Spider-Man. When the team wants to do a full examination on Spidey, Otto’s not having it. I love that the Avengers aren’t letting him leave, too. I expected Spidey to get kicked off, but not an actual battle!

I’m not the world’s biggest Humberto Ramos fan. But man, does he hit a homerun with Cardiac. The guy looks awesome; bulky, powerful, and heroic all at once. I always liked his design, but Ramos updates it and amps up the features while still retaining the classic feel. It’s a great piece of super-hero design. What other 90’s classics can he take on? Anyone remember Mongoose?

Good