Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #1

I do love these in-jokey type things when they are packaged well. I have no idea who any of the current assistant editors are like, but each one gets some good, quick development in the framing story surrounding three pretty strong tales in this one shot. I have been shying away from 3.99 books to wait for the trade, but I'm not sure these would ever be reprinted anywhere, so I'm willing to fork over the money for neat ideas like this one.

The D-Man story by Brian Patchett and Xurxo Penalta is decent, and has some nice ideas. The core concept of D-Man trying to make it in the military is fun (check out his uniform with added GI helmet!). I liked seeing the different ways his team looked at him when they found out his past too. This was an interesting little story in a different style than we usually see from Marvel.

In most anthologies, Jason Aaron and Richard Isanove's story would steal the show (see below why it didn't). I loved Aaron's use of American Eagle as the official hero on the scene, where the Initiative's team had no jurisdiction, and seeing him take on a great old villain like Cottonmouth was great. I loved the whole feel of the short story, with Eagle functioning as both sheriff and judge. Isanove's backgrounds are pretty sparse, and I'm not sure that is by choice of if he's skimping. His figure work is strong though.

Chris Giarrusso is the man. I think there is a good chance my love of the Hawkeye character is partially due to the great work Giarrusso has done in the mini-Marvel stories. Hawkeye and Dr. Strange have to deal with the Crimson Crown and Archeology Jackson and it is hilarious. Heck, Iron Man leaves a note that says "We didn't bother waking you up because you have no powers and are useless to us. You are only an Avenger because Captain America thinks it will stop you from being a bad guy or something." That's just awesome.

Fair + Good + Excellent = a strong Good for this anthology

Marvel Apes: Speedball Special #1

I'm disappointed. After reading the Marvel Apes books a few months ago, I'd hoped that Ape X, the gorilla luchador teased at the end of that series would be a super-powered luchadore. Instead, he's still a super-ape, just like he is in the ape-verse. I'm not sure I entirely understand how that works, but he does still seem like a fun character. The special follows the ape Speedball as he tries to become a hero in the Marvel U, even signing up with the Initiative. I suppose the idea is ok. Most of the ideas here are decent, like Gorilla Girl and SB having an "ape alliance" while together in trainging, and the use of Red Ghost and the super-apes makes perfect sense. I'm a little blurry on how exactly Red Ghost can travel thorugh dimensions now, but it isn't that big a deal. I'm also just a bit unclear on where the story leaves the Ghost and SB. Are they back in the monkey-verse? I do think that the Gibbon was a tad more entertaining as the POV of the previous series, the monkey-Speedball just makes me miss the real Speedball.

Ramon Bachs brings a very cartoony style to the special, and it looks fine, but I think he's certainly good enough to be drawing a higher profile book. Seeing Reilly Brown, another of my favorites doing the next issue surprises me too. I'd think these guys (and writer Karl Kesel too, for that matter) could and should be working on more mainstream books.

Fair

Avengers: The Initiative Special: Reptil #1

Ok, Reptil is spelled ridiculously, he has kind of terrible powers, and he's not very cool looking. That said, he's a great new character. He comes from a classic Marvel background (missing parents, and he's being raised by an awesome grandfather), a strong sense of responsibility, and a healthy fandom of the other heroes of the Marvel U. So I definitely could stand to see more of the character, he's pretty darn fun. He is left in a neat place too, so there is a lot of potential in his next story. I have faith that Christos Gage will pick it up somewhere too, there is no one better at handling ongoing plots wherever he has to, that is, he'll pick this up in any special or annual he has to in order to continue this story. I'll be waiting.

The rest of the Initiative is pretty neat in this, as Gage gives each of them some time to shine. He really makes Tigra a great leading character here. She's an established hero with a good rep and a kind outlook, she really shines. I love how she recapped her own early Avengers days, and Reptil's description of her smelling like a mountain lion was logical, and hilarious. It was nice to get to see more of Prodigy too, I'd say he got the most development time here after Tigra, since most of the Komodo info we already knew. It is nice seeing how well used Komodo and Cloud 9 are though, like they are pillars of the Marvel U now. Bat Boy is always nice to see too. I believe he is a Untold Tales of Spidey character, so him sounding so much like an early Peter Parker is a nice touch. If I'm wrong, disregard that last sentence.

Steve Uy is not my favorite. I don't like how computerized the coloring is in his work, and everyone's faces look kind of puffy and too young. However, he did a good job in this issue. His storytelling was clear and his dinosaurs looked pretty darn neat. I especially liked when Reptil turned into a duckbill for his big honk.

Good