Amazing Spider-Man Annual #38 – Review

By: John Layman (writer), Lee Garbett (pencils), Mark Pennington (inks), Fabio D’Auria (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters), Ellie Pyle (assistant editor), Alejandro Arbona (associate editor) & Stephen Wacker (editor)

The Story: It’s alternate universe time as Spidey (and Deadpool and Hulk) are sucked into an alternate universe.

What’s Good: This is just a fun alternate universe story with the basic premise being that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man gets pulled into an alternate reality via an accident at his new job at Horizon Labs.  As with any alternate universe story, the fun lies in seeing what’s the same and what’s different as compared to our world.

We learn much of this through the eyes our Peter Parker as he is forced to fill in for his counterpart as The Spider.  The big difference we find is that The Spider is THE superhero of NYC and is beloved by everyone.  As good as Peter’s life is in our reality, he has in WAY better in this other world (including having the companionship of a people who are dead in our reality).  Hmm… Maybe he should just stay there???   Of course, there will end up being a few tiny little problems with this world and you’ll have to discover those yourself, but the plot twist at the end is pretty neat.

Not a whole lot of Deadpool and Hulk action in this issue.  Surely their stories will be front-and-center in their respective annuals.

Amazing Spider-Man #647 – Review

By: Fred Van Lente, Zeb Wells, Bob Gale, Joe Kelly, Mark Waid, Marc Guggenheim & Dan Slott (writers), Max Fiumara, Michael Del Mundo, Karl Kesel, J.M. Ken Niimura, Paul Azaceta, Graham Nolan, Mark Pennington & Adam Archer (art), Morry Hollowell & Antonio Fabela (colors) & J.M. Ken Niimura & Joe Caramanga (letters)

The Story: Brand New Day and the thrice monthly Amazing Spider-Man goes out with a bang and each of the writers (and many of the artists) who were part of BND get to play.

What’s Good: These oversized ASM issues are just gold.  In addition to the “main story” by Fred Van Lente, there are all sorts of short stories that will scratch just about every itch a Spidey-fan might have.  Of the short stories, the winner is probably the fun Norah Winters story by Joe Kelly with art by the very unique J.M. Ken Niimura.  But, there are all sorts of short stories in this issue and although they are all different, they all show just how central Spider-Man is to Marvel’s NYC and the people who live there.

But, the star of the issue is the main story by FVL.  Van Lente is one of the best writers that Marvel has, that doesn’t seem to be settled into one of the major titles.  The guy is so versatile and funny and never cranks out a stinker.  This story is focused squarely on the love life of Peter Parker and his inability to make a move on Carlie Cooper.  Peter’s love life is so central to the tale of Spider-Man and FVL does a great job of capturing the essence of Peter’s problem.  He has no luck with the ladies, but he never has any shortage of smart, attractive and available women hovering around his life.  If he could just get his act together, he could go far and that is the story of this issue.  FVL also gets bonus points for having Spidey fighting crime in a cheap Spider-Man Halloween costume.  Brilliant!

Dark Avengers #8 – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Luke Ross (Pencils & Inks), Rick Magyar & Mark Pennington (Inks), and Dean White (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Anyone else getting annoyed by “X” crossovers? First the Messiah War came and screwed up all the momentum that X-Force had. Then Utopia started and completely derailed the Dark Avengers…

The Story: As the new X-Men establish themselves with the public, Cyclops pulls the trigger on his plan…

What’s Good: Matt Fraction finally gets to the point of his Utopia crossover in Dark Avengers #8. That’s really the best thing about the issue. While our no-spoiler policy prevents me from going into detail, I can at least say that it’s nice to see that Utopia actually leads to something.

What’s Not So Good: The penultimate chapter of Utopia is, quite possibly, the worst. Seriously. Outside of (maybe) the big reveal that feels like change for the sake of change more than anything else (though I will admit that it does hold some potential), I can’t imagine anyone finding anything about Dark Avengers #8 to be all that memorable.

Writer Matt Fraction does what he can to juggle his gigantic cast, but ultimately fails to find a satisfying balance between driving the story forward and delivering the character moments he is known for. In truth, it honestly seems as though Fraction is playing catch up with his own story. I find that really surprising because, in my opinion, Utopia has already had its fair share of padding (would anyone miss the bio-sentinals?!). By cramming so much into the last half of the book, there just really isn’t any room for anything that doesn’t bring the events of Utopia to a head. There’s a decent line here and there, but some of the character work just flat out misses the mark. A few examples: Hawkeye sounds like Wolverine in one panel, Weapon Omega is NOTHING like the character re-established in Dark X-Men: The Beginning, Dark Beast sounds like Beast then all of a sudden blurts out “The hell?” as though Fractions random hip line generator accidentally turned on, and Daken says “You’re done, son.”

The quality of the artwork in Dark Avengers #8 varies depending on who inked Luke Ross’ pencil work. I know that sounds strange, but the art almost needs to be reviewed on a panel by panel basis. At times, the art hovers between good and great (the opening scene and some “zoomed-in” character shots come to mind). Then again, far more often the art looks either average or downright poor (crowded, busy, or colorful panels come to mind because they really lack detail). In addition, the action is confusing, poses look stiff (or wrong/awkward), and females all tend to look the same (good luck keeping Dagger, the Cuckoo, Frost, Magick, and other blonds straight). Also, what’s the deal with Dr. Kavita Rao looking like Ms. Sinister (Introduced in X-Men: Legacy)?! Or being white for that matter?!

I honestly have no idea how anybody thought that Utopia was a good idea. While I actually don’t have a problem with what the story finally accomplishes, I can’t for the life of me figure out why it took a momentum killing crossover to do it. There had to have been a better way, especially since the Dark Avengers are just sort of… there.

Conclusion: The fifth chapter of Utopia is, quite frankly, a mess. It’s only worth picking up if you absolutely have to know what’s next for the mutant race. And if you are picking it up for the Dark Avengers? Don’t even bother.

Grade: D

-Kyle Posluszny

Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon #4 – Review

By David Lapham (Writer), Koi Turnbull (Pencils), Scott Hanna w/ Mark Pennington (Inks), Juan Doe (Art on pgs. 11-23), and C. Garcia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I really hope Mr. Terror has a future sooner rather than later. David Lapham has done great things with Terror during the Apocalypse Soon mini-series, so it’d be a shame to see all that excellent character work go to waste.

The Story: Zahhak’s got Terror’s head… But maybe that was part of the plan to save the world the whole time.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Thanks to David Lapham’s sharp dialogue and a plot that successfully manages to be heavy, yet fun, the final chapter of Apocalypse Soon brings a very good MAX story to a satisfying conclusion. My only real complaint is that, for the second issue in a row, the artwork is split between two artists. While I’m a fan of both artists, Koi Turnbull and Juan Doe have styles that simply don’t go together all that well. In addition, both artists seem to have rushed their work. The quality from panel to panel varies so much that Terror Inc. #4 is rather frustrating to look at. As a result, the final chapter of Apocalypse Soon gets a grade that’s a bit lower than what the rest of the series has gotten.

Conclusion: More Terror would’ve definitely been a good thing.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Fantastic Four #567 – Review

By Mark Millar (writer) Bryan Hitch (pencils) Cam Smith, Andrew Currie, Victor Olazaba, and Mark Pennington (inks), Paul Mounts (colors)

The Story: The Marquis of Death, Dr. Doom’s master, continues his assault on Doom and takes the first steps to destroying the entire universe. Through the battle, we learn about Doom’s dreams and aspirations, his psychology,  and what his true potential might be. Also, Latveria goes through another dramatic phase in its history.

What’s Good: I’m loving the Masters of Doom arc; and this issue keeps the energy and pace of its previous installments. The Marquis of Death is a great character, especially when taking into account his origin story from Marvel 1985. I am really looking forward to his looming confrontation with the FF. Also, his apprentice finally does and says stuff in this issue. The fact that he is constantly being hidden in the background and his face hidden under a hood makes me confident that his identity will be of both surprise and importance. I’m betting on him being a character that we know.

I like the character study on Doom in this book. Although his subconscious desires are all pretty predictable, it was still cool to see. It was also amazing to see how his former master ripped them out of him and used them against him in such devastating fashion.

Hitch’s art is off the hook in this issue and I think this is the strongest outing in this entire run. His design and exposition of the Marquis of Death is the stuff nightmares are built on. My critique on the art in previous issues of this run was on the faces being ugly and inconsistent, but Hitch has righted that problem, as expressions are clear and asthetically pleasing, even if the character itself is ugly.

What’s Not So Good: I don’t see much wrong with this issue, but I question Millar’s use of narration text boxes during Doom’s future. They came out of nowhere and created a forced, fake feel to the story. They also didn’t add much to the story except filling in a few details that could have been deduced from the scenes that followed.

I can see why readers get fed up with Miller as he finds a formula and sticks to it. For example, we see the Marquis of Death wear his fallen enemy’s costume; for those reading Old Man Logan, you saw the Red Skull do the same thing with Captain America’s uniform. So, I see how that can be annoying for readers. I for one am a sucker for those type of scenes and since it works well, I say, go for it.

Conclusion: Millar and Hitch continue their roll with this issue of FF. As I mentioned in previous reviews, I never had any interest in the FF until Millar started crafting these insanely entertaining stories and scenarios that the team has had to deal with. This arc is head and shoulders above the previous installments for both its art and content, as it features the most novel and daring concepts of any comic on the shelves. Well, except for maybe Old Man Logan.

Grade: A-

-Rob G.

Terror Inc. – Apocalypse Soon #2

By David Lapham (Writer), Koi Turnbull (Pencils), Scott Hanna & Mark Pennington (Inks), and Sotocolor’s C. Garcia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The character work in the first issue of Terror Inc. impressed me far more than the plots being developed.  I hope things get more exciting and less predictable in the second issue because it’d be a shame if such a fun character was held back by a weak story.

The Story: It turns out that the young kid rescued by Terror last issue is a “typhoid mary” capable of spreading the deadly virus Terror was sent to retrieve.  Now that very kid is back in the hands of the terrorists that planned on using him, it’s up to Terror to find and return the kid so that a cure can be found for those infected by whatever it is that “Kid A” is carrying.  The issue also advances Terror’s story about The Duque he dealt with quite some time ago and it seems that it has some times to the present situation….

What’s Good and  What’s Not So Good: Terror Inc. #2 is a solid step up from Terror Inc. #1 in almost every way.  The artwork is a bit more dynamic, the storylines become more exciting, Terror becomes even more interesting, and lastly, things come together in a more satisfying manner.

I’m particularly fond of the way that David Lapham weaves the story he’s telling into the story that Terror tells. It brings some interesting twists into a plot that initially felt pretty generic.  In addition, credit is due to Koi Turnbull and the rest of the art team for being able to keep up with a fairly wild story that is headlined by an even more wild character.  It calls for some challenging scenes and the art team pulls them off extremely well.  While a few panels are a bit cluttered and some things look a little rough, the book, as a whole, is quite nice looking considering the material.

Conclusion: Terror Inc. continues to impress.  In fact, I would go as far as to say the series is almost as awesome as the covers for the series.

Grade:  A-

-Kyle Posluszny

Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-Man #1 – Review

By Brian Reed (writer), Marco Santucci (pencils), Mark Pennington (inks)

The best word to describe this series? Obligatory.

I’m a fan of Brian Reed (love his Ms. Marvel work) and I actually have been enjoying Brand New Day. But this book serves as nothing more than to tell fans, “Hey, Brand New Day is part of the Marvel Universe!”. And then Brian Reed goes on to prove it.

The Skrulls attack New York and the Daily Bugle staff is caught in the middle of it. Spider-Man isn’t even in this book because (surprise, surprise) he’s in the Savage Land with the rest of the Avengers! This seemingly leaves Jackpot around as the only person who can save the day. The story is pretty silly and all the events seem trite or forced. Without its flagship character, the book is souless, because let’s be honest, the supporting cast isn’t enough to carry this book. If I wanted stories about newspaper reporters and Skrull invaders I’d just as well read Frontline – which I am – which is a superior book.

This book adds nothing to the overall Secret Invasion storyline, nor does it have a compelling plot. Save your money. Avoid this one or just wait for the trade if you must. I’m sure the real Spider-Man will show up eventually. (Grade: D)

– J. Montes

Amazing Spider-Man #566 – Review

By Marc Guggenheim (Writer), Phil Jimenez (Breakdowns), Mark Pennington (Finishes), and Chris Chuckry and Jeromy Cox (Colors)

Please tell me I’m not an idiot, and that I’m not the only person who didn’t realize that Kraven had captured Vin and not Pete at the end of last issue. Going back and looking at #565, I realize now that it does look like Vin, but his small goatee could have easily been a shadow on Pete’s chin. I do suppose this at least undoes my complaint that Kraven automatically assumed Peter was Spider-Man.

Putting my initial confusion aside, I absolutely loved this issue; without a doubt it was the best yet since the reboot. As Kraven continues to prep “Spider-Man” for her hunt we are reintroduced to what I thought was a forgotten character: Vermin. Not only do continuity fans regain one of the creepiest Spider-Man villains in existence, we also get some answers as to what is still canon. Peter mentions that he first met Vermin shortly after he and MJ moved in together. So it does appear that the Kraven’s Last Hunt storyline, which featured Vermin, still happened exactly as it should have, except with Pete and MJ just living together instead of being married.

While I know Spider-Man has had similar stories before, I can’t help but feel worried for his secret identity once again as he realizes that both Vin and his costume are missing. While this issue still has plenty of worry and suspense between Pete’s and Vin’s perils, Marc Guggenheim still finds time to throw in some humor as Peter (wearing street clothes and a web-mask) asks Daredevil to borrow a spare costume to look for Vin. Of course, Peter’s fears are completely unfounded since Vin is not using the suit as evidence to indict Pete, and this leads him on the wrong chase for a crucial period of time. When Spidey does finally get on the right trail, he is impeded once more, and it looks to be disaster for both Pete and Vin.

Now, I don’t know how I’m supposed to wait three weeks for the next installment. To those who hated One More Day as much as I did, picking up this arc may finally help you to alleviate your anger. You can argue all you want whether or not a retcon was necessary, but this is undeniably good Spider-Man writing. (Grade: B+)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

When I read the end of Amazing Spider-Man #565, I mistakenly thought Peter was captured by Kraven instead of his roommate Vin Gonzales. Then again put a guy in a Spidey suit and see if you can pick out the real one- which elegantly segues into discussing this issue.

So Vin, Peter’s Spider-Man hating cop roommate, finds himself wearing Spider-Man’s costume in the clutches of Kraven, who has mistaken identified him as the real Spider-man. She pumps him full of Mutant Growth Hormone and the hunt begins! Meanwhile, Peter discovers his roommate is gone and starts to worry. He then finds his costume missing and begins to panic. So Peter decides to locate his missing roommate but first stops by Matthew Murdock’s office and borrow his Daredevil outfit.

Essentially, this story arc is a case of mistaken identity getting incrementally worse with each page. There is very good chance this will not end well for either Vin or Peter, and Marc Guggenheim does a very good job in developing this tension. As Kraven is confronted by Vermin in the sewers, Vin is instantly horrified by the character’s entrance as well as the fight that ensues. Yet, he summons the strength to act: “All right, Vin. Don’t think you’re gonna get a better chance than this. Like dad says, times like this you have to “man up.”” The thought calls back to Vin’s close relationship with his father in issue #564, and uses that to catalyze the character into action with bravery.

Similarly, Spider-Man’s own fight with Vermin is equally distressing but far less spirited. The bout dissolves into madness as the disgusting villain sicks his rats and sinks his teeth into Peter. Jimenez draws the scene to frightening effect, showing Peter fledging against Vermin’s grip and slowly passing out as he is bitten. Phil Jimenez’s art is much cleaner in this issue, with less cross-hatching and shading, thanks to Mark Pennington’s finishes.

It was Jimenez’s excess of lines that probably confused me last issue and subsequently aided my lazy reading in mistaking Vin for Peter. Nonetheless, Amazing Spider-Man #566 is definitely the darkest of the Brand New Day series, save for the other Guggenheim story where the Jackpot accidentally let the Menace kill a mayoral candidate.

Brand New Day has been very accessible to new readers, but so far hasn’t developed much of Spidey’s periphery characters until now. So if you’re looking for a darker, character developing Spider-Man story, check out “The Spectacularly Dark and Character Developing Spider-Man # never gonna happen” or Amazing Spider-Man #566. (Grade: A-)

-Steven M. Bari

A Third Opinion

I guess I was the only one who knew it was Vin who was captured by Kraven last issue! Anyway, I’m going to keep my redundancies to a minimum. This is a great issue and Marc Guggenheim’s strongest outting to date. The connection this story has to Kraven’s Last Hunt was an unexpected surprise, yet respectfully done. And Spidey using “borrowing” Daredevil’s outfit is just a priceless moment. Loved it.

But how come Peter doesn’t have a spare Spider-Man suit around?! (Grade: A-)

– J. Montes