Superior Foes of Spider-Man #11 – Review

By: Elliott Kalan & Tom Peyer (writers); Steve Lieber, Carmen Carnero, Terry Pallot, & Nuno Plati (artists); Chris Sotomayor & John Rauch (colors)

The Story: The first step is acknowledging that you have a problem…and that the problem is not Spiderman…

The Review: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man has carved out a fun little niche for itself, examining the hopes and aspirations of a very different class of supervillain, those just looking for the next big score or an ounce of respect. It’s a fascinating corner of the superhero genre that few books have really examined.

While Boomerang has served as our focal point, last issue gave us a look at the other four members of the Sinister Six. Now, with our roster ‘exhausted’, we turn to an even lower tier of crook, the recovering villains that Mach VII introduced Boomerang to way back when. The issue is split into two stories, the first about the Grizzly and the second about the Looter.
The Grizzly story is a pretty funny tale. The former wrestler is down on his luck, reduced to luring drunks into ambushes, but rather than simply mug them he takes just what he needs and splits a pizza with them. It’s a cute concept and one that brings a couple of resonant moments to the issue.

The strongest element of “A Grizzly Situation” is the way that all the parts work together. There are a couple distinct ideas at play in Grizzly’s character but, in the end, it all comes back to nostalgia and self-loathing. It makes sense why Maxwell ended up in a twelve step program.

Spider-Man Family #7 – Review

By: Karl Kesel, Todd Dezago, Mark Waid (story), Karl Kesel (art), Val Staples (colors)

This issue of Spider-Man Family is a loving tribute to Mike Wieringo. Many of the writers he’s worked with in the past have come back for this special issue to craft a story that very much centers around Wieringo’s kindred spirit. So, don’t expect something emotional and heavy – this story is completely light-hearted.

The title of the story says it all – “Looter’s Quest” is a 30-page globe trotting adventure featuring about one of Spidey’s most ridiculous foes. The Looter is completely obsessed with finding the “twin” meteorite that matches the one that gave him his powers. Why? Because he wants to be smarter (and probably a more intelligent villain). Spider-Man catches on to his plot and follows him from place to place, yet the Looter somehow manages to outwit him time and again!

Giving nods  Mike Wieringo, we’re treated to many of the characters he worked on such as Spider-Man (duh), Doctor Strange, and the Fantastic Four. As you can imagine, it’s silly and full of cheese. While this story may not win any awards, but its sentiment is heartfelt.

As for the other stories, well, they’re nothing too special. We have a reprinting of Venom #1 by David Michelinie and Mark Bagley, Spider-Man: Death & Destiny #1, and another installment of Spider-Man J – the manga version of Spider-Man. Priced at $4.99, Spider-Man Family weighs in at a hefty 104 pages, which if you think about it, is a bargain. (Grade: B-)

-J. Montes