Amazing Spider-Man #1 – Review

By: Dan Slott (Writer), Humberto Ramos (Penciller), Victor Olazaba (Inker), Edgar Delgado (Color Artist) and Chris Eliopoulos (Letterer); Other stories by Dan Slott & Christos Gage, Javier Rodriquez, Alvaro Lopez, Guiseppe Camuncoli, John Dell & Cam Smith, Antonio Fabela, Joe Caramagna, Chris Eliopoulos, Jim Charalampidis, Peter David, Will Sliney, Chris Yost, David Baldeon, Jordi Tarragona, Rachelle Rosenberg, Ramón Pérez, and Ian Herring

There are two forces at play in this issue: Is it “All-New”, or is it “Back to Basics” for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?

On the “All-New” side of the debate, we remember that the main character has largely been absent from “his” own series, and now Peter Parker/Spider-Man returned for a new series and suddenly found himself in a strange “new” status quo. He is CEO of Parker Industries, has a doctorate, and has a soon-to-be fiancee. On the other hand, Spider-Man must also contend with “classic” situations that have become cornerstones to any Spidey story, such as the infamous “Parker luck,” one-note animal villains, and those pesky “I must but I must not” dilemmas.

Thankfully, these are not mutually exclusive extremes, and the two years-worth of stories set up by Otto Octavius/Superior Spider-Man have allowed Peter Parker to seamlessly slip into all-new situations with his classic voice, characteristics, and plot tropes.

Some situations do work better than others, admittedly. Some heroes, represented by Spider-Woman, echo the citizens of New York who basically say “Well, I guess ‘our’ Spider-Man is back now” a little bit too cavalierly. And the framing sequence with Spidey’s battle against The Menagerie is more jarring, disruptive, than it should be, perhaps because it’s so, well, incidental. There’s no singular moment in an of itself that stands out, but rather you have to take everything as a whole. Indeed, on the face of it, the issue is essentially a checklist of various supporting cast members and subplots sandwiched by the framing sequence.

That’s not a bad thing, however, as it allows for some ground rules and entry points that you should find in any #1 issue, and since, taken as a whole, we are anticipating some very interesting thematic conflict in the future. Truly classic “Spider-Man Stories” have themes of youth and making-your-way-in-the-world, but now, Peter Parker has suddenly been thrust into a very “adult” world, one where he has already accomplished several making-your-way milestones. So this thematic conflict really is Back-to-Basics, in a way, and with a kind of narrative momentum that will likely have to bring Peter down before he is brought up. Good thing these are exactly the kind of stories that make reading Spider-Man so roller-coasterly enjoyable.

All of the above describes the 20 pages of main story presented by Slott and Ramos. The remainder of the oversized issue contains smaller chapters by various writers/artists. The first two are, in fact, subplots to the main story, and are quite explicitly set-ups for the next two issues. These quick, 5-page interludes could have easily been placed into the main narrative if it weren’t for the need to use multiple artists with different styles to Ramos. Both of them even share the same resolution– villains who blame Spider-Man for their current lot in life and vow revenge. Of the two Rodriquez and Lopez’ Electro story is more effective, although his art style seems at odds with the seriousness of Slott/Gage’s script. The Black Cat’s story is fine, but here Slott/Gage play around a bit with the plot’s timeline, and Camuncoli’s pencils have chosen some awkward panels that confuses some things and misfires on some dramatic opportunities.

The last story serves the same subplot-y purpose as these, but in fact you may not notice this, as you only learn that once you get to the “to be continued in…” blurb on the last panel. You would think instead that it’s a re-telling of Spider-Man’s origin, through the eyes of yet-another-we’ve-never-seen-before who happened to be there along the way. In fact, I was a bit put off by the first page, which did not ease me into the story it wanted to tell and then took a more leisurely 8 pages to tell it. There were some fun nods (if not more-than-direct “homage”) to Ditko’s layouts in Amazing Fantasy #15 which were nice, and the art was expressive and effective. But for the last words of the story to be “this’s gonna be great” it’s not very convincing.

Superior Spider-Man #20 – Review

by Dan Slott (Writer), Giuseppe Camuncoli, John Dell (Artists), Antonio Fabela (Colorist)

The Story: Spider-Ock has an encounter with Black Cat, then goes on to make some progress on some of his current projects.

The Review: Dan Slott has put himself in a nice spot right now with this series in terms of plot progression. Currently playing with the Spider-Man mythos in new ways, there is a pattern of smaller arcs with a bunch of two to three issues that serves as larger pieces to the ongoing narrative, followed by smaller issues where Slott either introduce newer elements or fiddle around with those already in place. It allows him to be a bit more playful with expectations while maintaining a certain momentum in his series, yet things must happen in order to maintain a certain interest in everything that is going on. Does Slott use this issue to its full advantage after the big three-parter with Spider-Man 2099?

The writer does allow this issue to work, for the most part, as he develops multiple situations and plot points at once, delivering on unexpected jokes and hooks that may feed this title new threads for its future. Never letting most of his elements in his narrative gets stale or at least unattended, Slott spins a lot of plates in this issue, which let his characters and situations evolve in bold or at the very least fun ways.

The focus on Otto himself work as always, as his arrogance, his methods and his actions all serve a certain purpose, be it to entertain, give exposition or to simply propel things forward. Not all of what is shown here is as exciting, yet the fact that Otto’s trying to build a company or just how he deals with Black Cat are interesting, setting newer possible interactions and a new direction for the series that could work in the long term. Otto, as always, provide a lot of fun with how Slott manage to introduce a good lot of chaos with the Spider-Man mythology with the ambiguity that is Spider-Ock.

Defenders #11 – Review

by Matt Fraction (story), Mirco Pierfederici (art), Jordie Bellaire (colors), and Clayton Cowles (letters)

The Story:  As the Death Celestial runs rampant, the Defenders discover the true nature and purpose of the Concordance Engines.

The Review:  In reading this sadly pen-ultimate issue of Defenders, I kept feeling like this was constantly teetering right on the edge of becoming a hot mess.  I think a lot of that is because of the ridiculous scale of Fraction’s story, the sheer size of his ideas, and the fact that, somehow, he only has one more issue after this to finish it all up.  I don’t know how the hell he’s going to manage that, but as far as this issue goes, it thankfully never implodes and said hot mess, though flirted with, never comes to fruition.

The big highlight this month is Fraction finally revealing the nature of the Concordance Engines, a reveal that really forms the heart of this issue.  Quite frankly, I thought Fraction’s explanation of their purpose was straight up amazing.  Fraction is a writer that often messes about with grand ideas and while they often go awry or end up overly ambiguous, he hits it out of the park in this one.  If I’ve understood the issue properly, the Concordance Engines’ effect on the Marvel Universe is so staggering that it’s actually mind-boggling; once you grasp what Fraction is actually saying, the implications are staggering.  There’s grand scale and then there’s….this, an idea so massive that it almost become metatextual.  Without revealing anything else, I’ll just say that the Concordance Engines basically answers how one universe can have so many superpowered beings when compared to a universe like, say, ours that is much more mundane.  Yes, there is a comparison there that Fraction implicitly draws between superhero shared universes and our world.  It’s pretty ballsy stuff and have fun wrapping your head around it.

Fraction also does a great job of milking the post-apocalyptic world he’s dumped his heroes in.  While it does lead to action and adventure, there is one scene involving Dr. Strange and Wong that is an absolute, emotional gut-punch.  It was amazing how a scene that came seemingly out of left-field with so little build up could nonetheless have such a substantial emotional impact.  In fact, I think that it IS such a surprise lends it a lot of its impact.  It’s a great scene and a definite highlight of the run.

The Defenders #7 – Review

by Matt Fraction (writer), Terry Dodson (penciller), Rachel Dodson (inker), Sonia Oback (colorist), and Clayton Cowles (letterer)

The Story: Black Cat gets recruited by weirdoes to steal weird stuff; the Defenders take their hunt for John Aman to Wakanda.

The Review:  As my top picks for this week can attest, I was looking forward to this issue, but this actually managed to exceed expectations.  Suffice to say, should Marvel ever consider a solo Black Cat series, Matt Fraction would definitely be on my short-list for the book.

Fraction’s has a naturally strong handle of Black Cat and her particular voice and he wisely has her narration the portions of the book in which she appears, allowing him to show off his understanding and clear love of the character.  Felicia Hardy is just as she should be: sassy, living on the edge, thrill-seeking, and cocky.  She leaps off the page and showcases everything that makes her a fan favourite.  Put simply, it’s impossible not to like Fraction’s Black Cat.  The way she’s introduced is also a stroke of genius: we get to see Felicia working an office job, which is comedy gold.  It also, of course, helps to have the Dodsons on art.  While their work overall on the issue is beautiful, as expected, having them draw Cat is a natural choice, given that drawing good-looking women has become one of their trademarks, having published several sketchbooks dedicated solely to doing just that.

Taking the Defenders to Wakanda is also a nice touch.  I’m really enjoying Fraction’s using this book not only as a way to spotlight disparate, B to C list characters, but also as a way to visit the far-flung corners of the Marvel Universe.  It adds a sense of vibrance and diversity to the book that makes it rather trippy, setting it apart from Marvel’s line.  I also cannot emphasize enough how much I loved the way Fraction introduced Wakanda itself: as the Defender’s land, they’re accompanied by narration that sounds like a voice-over from a cheesy old adventure movie or travelogue; it’s so amusing, that it’s guaranteed to have you hearing it in your head.

Daredevil #10 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Paolo Rivera (pencils), Joe Rivera (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Daredevil cuts Mole Man’s twisted romance short.

The Review:  This issue is a key example of why I enjoy Mark Waid’s take on Daredevil and why it’s been so critically beloved in general.  It features Matt battling a gigantic subterranean monster and dueling Mole Man in a diamond mine.  It so happens that I’m currently re-reading Brian Bendis’ celebrated run and it’s amazing just how different Waid’s story is.  Quite simply, Mark Waid is turning pre-conceived notions of what constitutes a “Daredevil story” on its head and continues to challenge limits and expand the kinds of stories that can be told about old horn-head while still staying true to the character.

Fighting Mole Man and giant monsters in subterranean monsters seems totally contrary to the “street-level” Daredevil comic, and yet it works here simply because Waid imbues it with enough pure fun and daring-do to still make for an enjoyable read.  Morever, despite the crazy circumstances, Waid accompanies it with narration by Matt that keeps it tied to the character.  Even in these wild situations, the story remains tied to Matt’s psyche and character so, in this sense, this still feels like a “Daredevil comic” despite monsters and moloids subbing for thugs and hoods and giant caves standing in for the mean streets of Hell’s Kitchen.  While it’s refreshing and fun, it’s still the life of a superhero very much through Matt’s eyes and THAT is ultimately what makes it feel truly “Daredevil” above all else.

Waid also does a great job in his writing of Mole Man, who is perhaps surprisingly competent in physical combat, giving his fight with Daredevil a vaguely slapstick feel that fits Paolo Rivera’s style perfectly.  Waid’s depiction of Mole Man is very engaging as well – he’s pathetic and disturbed, but not “evil”.  Basically, Waid makes it much more nuanced than he’d necessarily have to.  He gives us a peak into a disturbed mind, which leads to a fully realized, three-dimensional villain.

Amazing Spider-Man #650 – Review

By: Dan Slott (writer), Humberto Ramos (pencils), Carlos Cuevas, Nikki Damon & Victor Olazaba (inks), Edgar Delgado (colors), Joe Caramanga (letters) & Stephen Wacker (editor)

Marc Gargan back-up: Slott (writer), Neil Edwards (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Morry Hollowell (colors) & Chris Eliopoulos (letters)

The Story: A new Spidey-suit makes its debut, as Peter Parker gets ready to take on the new Hobgoblin.

What’s Good: Slott and Ramos are off to such a strong start on their run on ASM.  The days of the rotating Spidey-creators produced a lot of good stories and looking through my notes, the “average grade” for those stories was ~B, but Slott/Ramos have just taken this to another level.  They should be glad that there is no “comic creators’ union” because they would be getting a harsh talking to for making other creators look bad.

The story itself is just fast, well-paced fun.  It starts out with a very well done action sequence with Spidey tangling with the new Hobgoblin, but the middle and latter part of the issue do great stuff with Peter’s supporting cast.  But, the stuff that really stands out to me are the scenes in Peter’s lab at his new job.  I love how Slott is making use of Peter’s science background and these scenes could consist of nothing but Peter spouting some techno-babble while working on some “stuff”.  But, Slott uses MJ and Carlie in a really clever scene that features Peter and Carlie talking WAY over the top of MJ’s head about science stuff.  This is way more effective that any jabbering about flux-capacitors could be.

Oh…and you might have heard…there is a new Spidey-costume.  You can see it on the cover art and if you’ve followed online teasers or message boards, you’ve probably already seen opinions about what/why this costume is here.  My favorite speculation was that it was for some sort of tie-in with the TRON movie.  Ha!  Turns out the costume has a very specific and sensible purpose, although I do wonder how Slott will make this costume go away because if I were Spidey, THIS would be my permanent costume forever.

I hate to say that Ramos is “killing it” on the art, because I think that is such an unimaginative thing to say, but it is really true in this case.  I love his exaggerated cartooning style because it allows him to be freed from the constraints of physics and anatomy in a way that a more realistic artist cannot.  When they draw a character with a leg that is too long it just looks screwed up, but when Ramos does it, it just screams that these characters are alive.  Ramos is truly one of the modern masters at this style (along with Chris Bachalo) and I think this run on ASM is as good as anything I’ve ever seen from him.   He draws a great Spidey, a great Peter Parker, a great Carlie Cooper, a great Black Cat. I kinda feel sorry for the artist on the next arc.  Why can’t Ramos and Bachalo just alternate arcs?

Amazing Spider-Man #649 – Review

By: Dan Slott (writer), Humberto Ramos (pencils), Carlos Cuevas (inks), Edgar Delgado (colors), Joe Caramanga (letters) & Tom Brennan (Associate Editor)

The Story: Hobgoblin is back, but is it the Hobgoblin we’ve been expecting.

What’s Good: This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for good Spider-Man comics.  My comic happiness meter is somewhat tied to the quality of the Spider-Man comics.  When they’re good, I’m happy and enjoy the hobby.  When they’re not so good, it really just bums me out.  So, we should all be very thankful for what Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos are feeding us right now.

A vital element of good Spidey stories is the emotional roller coaster.  The guy has a hectic life, so the story needs to keep moving like an overcaffinated jackal.  Slott does a great job with this as he rarely spends more than a page or two on any particular story element.  It is just a wonderful job of pacing that allows him to make great use of the 30-page format to tell a LOT of story. We cover a lot of ground: we learn who the Hobgoblin is, see Spidey & Black Cat save Norah from some bikers, touch on Peter’s love life, see Peter’s first day on the job at Horizon labs, Captain Steve needling Jonah, the saga of Mac Gargan and a great cliffhanger.  Through it all, it hits all the emotional notes that you want in a Spider-Man story.  There’s even a great emotional high for Aunt May in here.  So there!

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #4 – Review

By: Jen Van Meter (writer), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: This Black Cat mini comes to a close.  Will Black Cat be able to save her Mom from the Kravinoff’s?  Will events tie into Amazing Spider Man?  And what will happen with all the stolen loot?

What’s Good: This was a really refreshing end to what has mostly been a fun little series.  All of the confusion that started to plague Issue #3 is gone as this story quickly became very streamlined: Save the Mom and escape from the Kravinoff’s.  There is also a lot of wrap up in this issue that ties events nicely into the continuity of Amazing Spider-Man, including a few really good Black-Cat/Spider-Man scenes.

Ms. Van Meter does a wonderful job capturing Black Cat’s “naughty but not evil” persona.  If you like the character Black Cat, you should be reading this series or at least watch for the trade when it comes out.  Ms. Van Meter also continues to develop Ana Kravinoff into a really neat character.  She just has the gleefully murderous aspect to her that makes her fun and one hopes that the next creator to fiddle with Ana continues the momentum her character has because there is a kernel of a new villain here (but they shouldn’t make her too evil as her childishness is what makes her special).

Web of Spider-Man #12 – Review

The Ex-Terminators by: Fred van Lente (writer), Pepe Larraz (art), Andres Mossa (colors) & Clayton Cowles (letters)

Arms against a Sea of Troubles by: Roger Stern (writer), Philippe Briones (art), Chris Sotomayor (colors) & Dave Sharpe (letters)

The Story: The Black Cat – Mary Jane team-up continues and we get a reminder of Doc Ock’s origins.

What’s Good: I like anthology books for two major reasons: (a) there is a surprise in what kind of stories you get and anything bad is over quickly and (b) they tend to be a showcase for new(er) comic artists who Marvel/DC wouldn’t put on a major book yet.

I really enjoyed the first story in this issue (The Ex-terminators) which continues the team up between Black Cat & MJ as they try to find a missing Spidey.  What’s not to like about that?  There is just all kinds of fun, silly dialog between the two ex-girlfriends that would be a little out of place in a standard Amazing Spider-Man story, but works just fine as a short-story in Web.  The art on this was kinda a revelation too because I enjoyed what Larraz was doing.  For one thing, he switches effortlessly between a very contemporary digitally-drawn-comics look and a flash-back that is old-fashioned scratchy pencils.  For another, he just has all kinds of interesting panel compositions and perspectives going on.  How can you not respect that: guy gets a shot to do some comic work for Marvel (working with van Lente) and actually flexes his muscles a little.  Bravo!  Kudos to Mossa on a really nice coloring job too.  Point is, there are more than a few “pause worthy” panels and pages in here.

The Doc Ock story is just a condensed origin tale and that story is nothing special, but it too features some nice art.  In this case it is more of a classic pencil/ink look which makes sense for an origin of an established character.

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #3 – Review

By: Jen van Meter (writer), Javier Rodriguez & Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth & Rodriguez (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The somewhat confusing story of Black Cat being forced to steal items for the Kravinoff family continues.

What’s Good: Honestly, not a whole lot.  If you are a die-hard Black Cat fan, this will be essential reading, but otherwise….

There are also a whopping 4 pages of art by Javier Pulido that look nice even if they are clearly rushed.

What’s Not So Good: Sheesh did I lose the narrative on this comic.  My most common thought as I was reading was: “Huh????”  I was honestly having a hard time remembering who was scheming against Black Cat and who was trying to help her.  It probably isn’t really that hard to figure out, but the story wasn’t captivating enough that I wanted to put forth the effort to flip back through the issue a second time, much less dig out issues #1 and #2.

The story is also leaving me flat because I had kinda had enough of the Kravinoff family after The Grim Hunt story arc in Amazing Spider-Man.  I know that was only about a month ago, but it seems like ancient history and I just don’t want to see the Kravinoffs again so soon.  This series probably should have run in the month leading up to Grim Hunt.

Black Cat #2 – Review

By: Jen van Menter (writer), Javier Pulido & Javier Rodriguez (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: The stakes are raised as an attendant of the Kravinoff family kidnaps Black Cat’s mother to force her to steal precious items that used to belong to the Kravinoff family.

What’s Good: I really like Javier Pulido’s art in this issue.  After a little bit of an uncertain style in Black Cat #1, his art really sings in this issue.  For starters, I love the whimsical style that Pulido is using.  It is perfect for a character like Black Cat.  Working nicely with this style are the white panel borders he leaves between panels.  I wish more artists would do this.  Panels do not always need to touch!  Nor do panels all need to be rectangular or of uniform size; Pulido really mixes it up with his panel designs and layouts.  Finally, I really enjoy the flat colors that Hollingsworth is using here.  It’s a perfect fit with the art.  All in all, this is a striking book from a visual standpoint.

Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #1 – Review

By: Jen van Meter (writer), Javier Pulido (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), Joe Caramanga (letters); Grim Hunt Prologue: Joe Kelly (writer), Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors) & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: Someone is stealing priceless Russian artifacts and trying to frame Black Cat.  But why?

What’s good: This issue has an unadvertised back up story that is a prologue to The Grim Hunt (ASM #634).  I really wish I’d known that before reading #634 and I don’t understand why Marvel didn’t put a note on the cover hyping this prologue because it is really good.  By the same creative team as #634, it really sets the stage well for The Grim Hunt.

I bought this issue mostly because Javier Pulido was handling the artistic duties and although the art was a mixed bag (more on that below), there are some great pages and panels (especially a page where Black Cat surprises the impostor-thief and goes looping down the impostor’s zip cord).  In fact, a few odd panels aside, the art is very good in this issue.

The story is serviceable.  This is really a tie-in of sorts to The Grim Hunt as the Kravinoffs are involved in the theft of these Russian artifacts.  So far this story promises to be “okay”, but nothing special.

What’s Not So Good: There really isn’t much weight to this story.  Here’s a funny thing: I probably wouldn’t have bought this if it were pitched as a “Grim Hunt” tie-in.  But, that is really what we’re dealing with: this is a tie-in to a 4-issue story arc in Amazing Spider-Man.  That’s what we’ve fallen to folks: a comic that comes out 3-4 times every month has a tie-in miniseries.

Amazing Spider-Man #612 – Review

Lead story by Mark Waid (writer), Paul Azaceta (artist), Dave Stewart (colorist)

Backup story by Joe Kelly (writer), JM Ken Niimura (artist, colorist and letterer)

The Story: Power to the People, Part I: Spider-Man and Max Dillon both discover a new Electro, one transformed and redefined by the melting economy and his own decaying health.  We are also treated to a backup story featuring Spider-Man and Black Cat.

What’s Good: I dumped on Waid’s work on Strange #1 earlier this month, but pointed out that Waid does a lot of good books.  This is one of them.  The entry-point of the book is a neutral, newspaper text that brings us up to speed.  But then, right away, we’re into some really creepy monologue in the head of Max Dillon (Electro).  I love how Waid has shown Electro and his problems in this issue.  Dillon’s got himself some real and unconventional problems and some half-justifiable chips on his shoulder that Waid takes in a direction that was unexpected to me and to Spider-Man.  Most importantly, while Dillon is still a schmuck in a rubber coat, Waid gives us enough of his side to make him sympathetic.  Never thought I’d appreciate this loser, so good work by the writer.

On the art side, Azaceta makes New York, Electro and the Thinker gritty and dirty, Spider-Man heroic and clean, and Peter Parker and his friends authentic and likable.  That’s quite a range and I want to point out that not a lot of artists seem to be able to make their characters’ faces look different, but Azaceta really succeeds.  Jameson, Peter, Dexter, Michelle, Dillon and Betty all have different types of faces that you could tell apart even without context.  The action is dynamic (check out Spider-man trying to grab Electro at the Stock Exchange) and clear the gritty style works for this book.  Azaceta is the right artist to tell this story.

What’s Not So Good: No real complaints about the lead story.   On the backup story, the writing was fine, but for some reason, when the art doesn’t fit, it ruins the whole experience for me.  Niimura is obviously a competent artist with an interesting style, but as I noted with Strange #1, an anime-style doesn’t really suit a lot of Marvel stories, so this story detracted from the book as a whole.

Conclusion: Waid and Azeceta effectively launched the new Gauntlet arc.  They’ve hit the right tone, put the menace in place, have some secret plan hatching and it’s all going south for Spidey.  The editors unfortunately inserted a backup story that artistically doesn’t fit the mood of the main book and the gear-shift didn’t work for me.  I’ll still tune in for the next issue, though.

Grade: B (A- for the lead story, D+ for the backup story)

–DS Arsenault

 

Amazing Spider-Man #606/ Amazing Spider-Man #607 – Double Review

#606 – By Joe Kelly (Writer), Mike McKone (Pencils), Andy Lanning (Inks), Chris Chuckry (Colors)

#607 – By Joe Kelly (Writer), Mike McKone & Adriana Melo (Pencils), McKone, Lanning, Justice, Smith, & Benes (Inks), and Chris Chuckry & Jeremy Cox (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Since Amazing Spider-Man #606 slipped through the cracks last week, I figured it might be worth reviewing both of Joe Kelly’s newest Spider-Man books in one review.

The Story: Peter Parker’s got girl problems. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get much worse, the Black Cat finds her way back into Spider-Man’s life. A flame is quickly re-ignited as the two must work together to solve a bizarre murder and bring down the villain known as Diablo.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Let me start off by saying that Joe Kelly absolutely knocks the Black Cat stuff completely out of the park. In both #606 and #607, the funny, entertaining dialogue that goes back and forth between the conflicted Spider-Man and the flirtatious Black Cat is loaded with personality. Simply put, it’s an absolutely blast to read. Spider-Man’s inner dialogue proves to be equally impressive and really gets across the conflicted, frustrated feelings that Peter’s been wrestling with recently. It’s also funny as hell at times. Also, props to Kelly for allowing Peter to let loose and enjoy himself a bit throughout both issues. Even though what Spidey does isn’t necessarily the “right” thing, it’s certainly a good thing for the character as a whole.

So the character work is great, but what about the storyline that takes place around all of it? Thankfully, that’s pretty good as well. While the unique villain Diablo is a bit goofy for my taste, the murder mystery plot is solid all around and constructed in a way that allows the relationship of Black Cat and Spider-Man to take front and center at nearly all times. That’s a good thing because it not only keeps the interplay between the characters going but also puts Black Cat’s “bad luck” powers to use in clever, funny ways throughout the story.

The highlight of the artwork by Mike McKone in Amazing Spider-Man #606 has to be the character work. McKone’s characters convey the personality of the script and, for the most part, flow through the crazy action scenes with ease (though there is an awkward pose here and there). One noticeable negative about the character work is that Spider-Man looks a bit like a child in a Spider-Man costume in a few panels, either due to the small panel size or the way the scene is put together. It’s nothing more than a minor annoyance, but it does look a bit odd. As for the Black Cat, McKone makes sure she oozes sexuality and personality in nearly every panel. She’s a bit too “posey” at times, but I think that was sort of the point since she’s got a thing for Spidey.

The artwork in Spider-Man #607 is something of a mess. The phrase “Too many cooks in the kitchen” comes to mind. While the pencil work by McKone and Adriana Melo is well done (McKone stays on par while Melo ups the sexuality of things a bit), there’s an inconsistency from page to page that simply cannot be ignored. One page near the end looks particularly rough and, in truth, very rushed. Hard to believe it make it into the book as it is.

Conclusion: Amazing Spider-Man #606 and #607 are extremely fun comics that should please pretty much anyone. While the art problems are worth noting, they don’t bring down the overall quality of the creative package all that much.

Grades:

#606 : B+

#607: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Marvel Divas #1 – Review

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Writer), Tonci Zonjic (Art), and Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic & June Chung (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: It will be interesting to see how Marvel’s Divas stack up against Gotham’s Sirens…

The Story: Patsy Walker (Hellcat), Monica Rambeau (Captain Marvel/leader of Nextwave), Felicia Hardy (Black Cat), and Angelica Jones (Firestar) are superhero “gal-pals” trying to navigate the social scene of the Marvel Universe. In Marvel Divas #1, we learn how they became friends, see three of them attend a party for Patsy Walker’s latest book, and talk about, well, girl stuff (guys, the social scene, sex, relationships, etc.).

About That Cover: Ignore the rather obnoxious J. Scott Campbell cover… Actually, scratch that…Take a good look at the J. Scott Campbell cover because it’s really the only thing about Marvel Divas #1 that deserves to fall into the “Not So Good” category. That’s not to say that the cover looks bad (cheesecake certainly has its place), but it couldn’t possibly be a worse fit for a book that succeeds almost entirely because it avoids all the baggage that comes with a cover that says “Marvel Divas” and features four ladies in skintight outfits posing in a way that accentuates their… uh… assets. Now, with that out of the way…

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: As far as story and tone is concerned, Marvel Divas truly is Sex and the City meets the Marvel Universe. Is it really my type of thing? Absolutely not. But that doesn’t mean that the mini-series should be dismissed in any way. And that’s because, on a creative level, Marvel Divas is as strong as some of the best books on the stands.

Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa does an excellent job of giving Marvel Divas a distinct flavor for a Marvel comic. In other words, there’s very little superhero stuff and a whole lot of girl talk, girl power, and clever banter. The four main characters are written in a way that makes it easy for readers to quickly understand the important personalities (though one or two come across as a bit stereotypical) and where they fit in the Marvel universe. Aguirre-Sacasa also does a nice job of humorously breaking the fourth wall at appropriate times (“Company wide crossover”) to keep the interest of those that are picking the book up out of curiosity.

My only real complaint about the writing in Marvel Divas is actually not really a complaint and more of an observation: Aguirre-Sacasa clearly isn’t aiming for that “all inclusive” feel (though the writer certainly doesn’t have to) . What I mean is that it will quickly become clear whether Marvel Divas is for you or not. I am clearly not a part of the intended audience, yet I can certainly appreciate the mini-series for what it is.

The artwork by Tonci Zonjic for Marvel Divas is perfectly suited to the tone that Aguirre-Sacasa amazingly establishes. Stylish, expressive, and subtle, Zonjic’s work effortlessly brings out the personality and high points of the script. The only negative thing about Zonjic’s style is that character faces all tend to look similar. Skin tones and hairstyles keep faces distinct, but some more facial detail would definitely be welcome.

Conclusion: Even though Marvel Divas isn’t a series for your average fanboys, it’s definitely one unique and creative piece.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Spider-Man / Human Torch #1-5 – Review

By Dan Slott (writer), Ty Templeton (pencils), Tom Palmer, Nelson, Frank D’Armata, Drew Geraci (inkers), Sotocolor, J. Rauch (colors)

If you love Spider-Man, then this mini-series is a must read. I’m flabbergasted when I talk to people about this series and they’ve never heard of it. I can’t believe how much of a low-profile project this was when it came out. Even to this day, it’s not as widely recognized as it should. Marvel’s never put out a trade (only a hard to find digest), and back issues are tough to find (especially issue #2). But if you manage to hunt these issues down, I promise you a world of enjoyment.

Spider-Man / Human Torch contains the best Spider-Man stories since Kraven’s Last Hunt. It’s also the best Spider-Man mini-series ever produced. Dan Slott is the perfect writer for Spider-Man. He gets it. It’s so obvious that this guy’s read every single issue of Amazing Spider-Man because the way he tells his stories – the references, the nuances, and the dialog – they all harken back to classic Stan Lee storytelling. This series isn’t a story arc either,  instead we’re given five wonderful issues that each tell a different story at different times of the wallcrawler’s (and Human Torch’s) life.

For instance, the first issue’s story is one that could easily be inserted within the first 20 or so issues of Amazing Spider-Man. While the third issue comes in around the 150s. Slott doesn’t mess around either. He takes out all the toys and things we wished were buried (like the Spider Buggy) and shows them off proudly. As silly and cheeseball as it sounds, he makes it all work wonderfully. Reading these books made me feel like a kid again. The kindred essence that makes Spider-Man so attractive to kids (and now grown-ups) is completely captured in this mini-series. And we don’t necessarily see Spidey’s relationship with the Human Torch grow. Instead, Slott opts to show us how the relationship has evolved.

Speaking of evolving, Ty Templeton deserves a lot of accolades for his artwork in this series. He works hard to keep it in-step with the time period he’s working with and he pulls it off. Sotocolor also deserves credit for doing the same with the color work. The faux zippatone effects work well, but in the end, it’s still computer coloring. It’s not perfect, but the sentiment is definitely appreciated.

If you want a comic that embodies all that is fun and good about Spider-Man, this is the series to read. It’s got touching moments, lots of gags that’ll make you laugh out loud, and classic Spidey moments. This is still, by far, Dan Slott’s best work to date. Marvel needs to put this out in a trade like yesterday. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes