Justice League United #4 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Mike McKone (art), Cam Smith (inks), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Nothing like opposing dimensional polarities to put a crimp in the marriage.

The Review: So we’ve come to Justice League United‘s fourth issue, and as some of you may know, that means it’s time to decide whether to stick to the series or leave it by the wayside. I’ll cut to the chase: I’m not buying it. JLU just doesn’t really stand out in a market that’s lately crowded with ambitious and unusual concepts. It’s pretty much how I feel about In ‘n’ Out: I like it fine, but there are new burgers in the neighborhood that I’m more excited to try.

On the most basic level, JLU‘s cast has little chemistry going for it. The situation’s a bit like the early days of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in which the characters woodenly played their archetypical roles for months. Eventually, things clicked together, but what a drag while it lasted. That’s exactly the word you’d use to describe the character interaction in this issue: a drag. Lemire labors to inject tension into the issue; the problem is you can see the sweat involved.

Justice League United #3 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Mike McKone (art), Cam Smith & Guillermo Ortego (inks), Marcelo Maiolo & Andrew Dalhouse (colors)

The Story: Dealing with a traumatized child is a lot easier if you have psychic powers.

The Review: Last month, I suggested that Justice League United may be the least enjoyable part of Justice League United, which I meant only partly in jest. Acknowledging that team chemistry is probably a difficult thing to generate from scratch, it must be said that the JLU has very little of it. That’s not totally unnatural, given how new the team is and how unformed their personalities are, but it does make for a duller read, and there seems to be little improvement in that respect on the horizon.

Lemire’s so distracted with carrying the plot forward that we get few interactions among the cast in the first place that isn’t exposition-related, and what few we do have rise to a very tepid degree of liveliness. After Kara socks Lobo into the stratosphere, Buddy remarks, “Wow. Nice punch, kid.”

“Hey, what about my arrow?” Ollie complains, referring to the shaft he just earlier put into Lobo’s shoulder.*

Buddy, unbothered: “Meh.”

Justice League United #2 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Mike McKone (art), Dexter Vines & Cam Smith (inks), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Some folks take the saying, “Children are the hope of the future,” a bit too far.

The Review: So I just took my second mock bar yesterday. The good news: got a passing score, barely. The bad news: it was purely freak chance as I guessed on at least a dozen questions. Analysis: still got some work to do. In the meantime, the work of comic book reviewing goes on. As far as this series goes, it’s starting to feel like the thing Lemire least likes about writing Justice League United is the Justice League United.

Let’s fact facts. By far the best part of the issue—the one that feels most natural and Lemire spends the most time on—is Sardath of Rann explaining the whole space war that brought about this whole storyline. Incorporating half of the most prominent alien races in the DCU, the premise has a sci-fi purity that meshes perfectly with Lemire’s sensibilities. If the issue had been nothing but this, in a series titled The Spectacular Adam Strange (or something more original), we’d have a much stronger book.

Justice League United #1 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Mike McKone (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Parents should rejoice in the knowledge that it takes a whole League to handle a baby.

The Review: Blame it on the original incarnation of the Justice League or Grant Morrison’s “pantheon” conception for the JLA, but nowadays, we have a pretty specific idea of what the Justice League roster should look like. Anytime you deviate from that line-up, the thought becomes that this is a lesser or leftovers League, which means they’re already coming from behind from the moment they start out. That’s the position the Justice League United finds itself in.

If you’re not working with the classic League, which can sell itself purely on the names involved, there’s only two ways to make the League work otherwise, which is basically how you make any superhero team work: a great combination of power sets or some great team chemistry. Obviously, managing to do both would be ideal, but right now, the JLU is struggling to generate either, which doesn’t bode well for its long-term success. The Justice League of America had a similar problem and look where it ended up: the bulk of its cast dispersed and the rest shunted to Canada for some inexplicable reason.

Justice League United #0 – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (story), Mike McKone (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: The Justice League does Canada.

The Review: It’s an interesting choice when a series starts with a #0 issue instead of a #1. What is that supposed to mean, exactly? If a #1 is properly understood to be the beginning of a story, then logically, a #0 must precede even the beginning. A prologue of sorts, then. Prologues are, at bottom, the essence of a beginning. A prologue is both teaser and cold open, the keyhole through which you can glimpse an outline of the larger story.

With that in mind, Lemire produces a functional, if not quite awe-inspiring, #0 issue. In short order, we get a flash of the story’s future stakes, appearances from all the principal characters, and the seeds of several plotlines. On a technical level, everything works fine; it’s just that nothing really moves you to that tingly feeling of excitement. That’s not a good sign from yet another series leeching off the Justice League name, even by the relatively small expectations of a prologue.

Infinity – Free Comic Book Day Review

By: Jonathan Hickman, Warren Ellis, Scott Edelman (Writers), Jim Cheung, Mike Zeck, Mike Mckone (Artists), Justin Ponsor, Chris Eliopoulos (Colorists)

The Story (The interesting one): Thanos sends assassins and envoys to other planets, demanding tributes for his crushing conquests of their ancient home.

(The less interesting ones): Thanos wants to crush a flower, because he’s a bad man! Meanwhile, we get a preview we have already seen of a book by an author many actually like.

The Review: It is pretty easy to completely disregard free comic book day. It is, after all, something that many actual fans of comics might not be so enthusiastic about, since most offerings are either tease at bigger things to come yet, or reprints of stuff we have already seen before. From a bigger perspective, this seems more like a move made to gather people who are not thoroughly interested in the media to begin with, to give them a taste of how versatile the market can be. Sure, there are some terrific books in these free selections, like Atomic Robo, Mouse Guard or any that actually create new and compelling content for people to enjoy.

Of course, what most people will look for is what kind of offering the big two is giving away this year. While DC side has already been explored, Marvel hasn’t, as they have decided to give us a proper tease of their next big event involving one of the most beloved villains of the Marvel universe: Thanos. While it is merely to set up the stage and to excite their fan base, how does it actually fare as a proper comic?

Fear Itself: Spider-Man #2 – Review

By: Chris Yost (writer), Mike McKone (art), Jeromy Cox (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters), Ellie Pyle (assistant editor) & Stephen Wacker (editor)

The Story: Spider-Man tries to help in a NYC gripped by fear.

What’s Good: After reviewing the first issue of this event tie-in, I think I said that I was out.  Silly rabbit!  I’m way to compulsive for that!

For what it’s worth, I’m glad I stuck around.  If you’re “all in” on Fear Itself, this is going to be a worthwhile read because it captures the street-level terror raging through NYC as the civilians go nuts and chaos ensues.  In doing this, it is giving us extra flavoring that we aren’t getting in Fear Itself-proper which has focused much more on folks getting hammers, smashing stuff and ripping off of bionic arms.

There are lots of good little moments in this issue as we see Spidey trying to help people in spite of the fear that is creeping into him, but the best moment is when he confronts Jonah Jameson in the Mayor’s office.  Their whole interaction and relationship could be summed up when Spidey asks, “Jonah… Aren’t you scared?” and Jonah proceeds to tell Spidey about his inner source of strength (his brave son) and inspires Spidey to get back out there and help.  I do love these little moments when Spidey and Jonah can find common ground in their love of NYC.

McKone’s art is mostly solid.  He does a great job with the story telling and while his Spidey gets a little wonky in places (skinny and with a big head), I’d say the art is an overall positive.

Amazing Spider-Man #660 – Review

By: Fred Van Lente & Dan Slott (writers), Mike McKone & Stefano Caselli (art), Marte Gracia (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters), Ellie Pyle (assistant editor) & Stephen Wacker (editor)

Infestation back-up by: Slott (writer), Lee Garbett (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Edgar Delgado (colors) & Caramagna (letters)

Ghost Rider back-up by: Rob Williams (writer), Garbett (pencils), Alejandro Sicat (inks), Fabio D’Auria (colors), Caramagna (letters) & Pyle & Wacker (editors)

The Story: Spider-Man and the FF are forced to square off against the Sinister Six on a Caribbean island.

What’s Good: One of the minor problems I had with ASM #659 was that the Sinister Six just didn’t seem to be a big enough challenge for the Spidey + FF combo (especially once you toss in the FF kids).  I kinda looked at that cliffhanger last issue and thought, “Those bad guys are going to get a BAD beat down!”  Granted, the bad guys always get a beat-down, but the writers have to come up with ways to make the same old villains seem freshly threatening to the same old heroes who have kicked their asses hundreds of times over the decades and we’ve certainly seen Spidey clobber these guys before.  So, it was with some glee that I saw that the danger wasn’t quite as straightforward as it seemed last issue.  That shouldn’t be surprising since both Slott and Van Lente are really smart writers who simply don’t do pedestrian superhero comics, especially when one of the villains is Mysterio.

Basically any time Mysterio is in a comic, you know that whatever is being shown to you is NOT the true story and I should have known better.  But still, I didn’t anticipate the neat wrinkle that [SPOILER] Mysterio and Chameleon are the only SS members actually in the Caribbean while the rest of the villains are breaking into the Baxter Building and thereby setting up another cool cliffhanger.

It was also really nice to see that Carlie Cooper’s little tattoo adventure didn’t turn out the way it was broadcast in the last issue.  I didn’t see any way getting a Goblin tattoo would turn out well for her, so I’m glad she made a different (though still ironic) choice.  Knowing the dynamics of Peter’s love-life, you know that his time with Carlie is probably coming to an end and that’s a shame because I’m just starting to really like her.

Mike McKone guest stars on art and does a GREAT job.  His style shades much more toward the realism, but he has enough of a cartooning background to pull off some of these crazy scenes where the FF’s powers get all mixed up.

What’s Not So Good: I’m not a huge fan of misdirection in my comics.  I know it is a standard writing tool and I don’t mind when things are left unclear, but it does kinda bug me when you have a scene in #659 where Carlie is pretty clearly picking out the Goblin tattoo only to see that she finally got something else in this issue.  It just seems that talented writers like Slott and Van Lente shouldn’t have to resort to that blunt instrument of deliberately misleading the reader.  They’re too good for that and those two writers plus a nice artist like Caselli could have made a really neat scene that left Carlie’s tattoo choice ambiguous.

Fear Itself: Spider-Man #1 – Review

By: Chris Yost (writer), Mike McKone (artist), Jeromy Cox (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters), Ellie Pyle (assistant editor) & Stephen Wacker (senior editor)

The Story: As fear grips NYC, Spider-Man tries to maintain order.

What’s Good: In Fear Itself #2, we saw how “fear” is sweeping the globe and causing mass pandemonium.  Even though I can tell I’m not going to be spending a lot of time extolling the virtues of this issue, it is generally a good one just because it drives home the plot point of street-level panic in NYC: The people are afraid and threatening to beat the snot out of some poor Iranian cab driver and Spidey has to save the guy.  Then he has to save a guy ready to throw himself out of a 30th floor window who is afraid to live anymore, etc., etc.  Hey people: FEAR ITSELF!!!!!

It all plays on the age-old sense of responsibility that Spidey has where he wants to keep everyone safe and can’t.  It also plays with the notion that while he’s worrying about all of these strangers, he’s not tending to his own loved ones and spends much of the issue trying to get a hold of Aunt May on the cell phone.

Mike McKone’s art tells the story very effectively.  He’s really a very solid artist who usually isn’t trying to show off too much.  He has a really clean line and doesn’t embellish just for the sake of embellishment.

Avengers Academy #9 – Review

By: Christos Gage (writer), Mike McKone (pencils), Rebecca Buchman (inks), Jeromy Cox (colors), Joe Caramanga (letters) & Bill Rosemann (editor)

The Story: Are Finesse, Hazmat, Veil and Striker really getting kicked out of the Avengers Academy?  Also, Finesse goes to check out an old Taskmaster training facility to find out if he might be her daddy.

What’s Good: I LOVE these old fashioned “someone’s-getting-kicked-off-the-team” issues.  Even though you know that Finesse, Hazmat, Veil and Striker aren’t going anywhere, because they’re all the interesting characters, it is so much fun to hear all the sanctimony from Tigra about how “This is NOT how we do things as Avengers, dammit!  We don’t torture people!  That’s what makes us better than the bad guys and if we lose that– well, I don’t even want to think about it.”  And then some of the other characters remind her that none of them are in any position to throw stones; and then everyone’s happy again.  Yeah!  Good times!

The sneaky star of this mission is Finesse.  She’s kinda the breakout star of this series so far and in typical Finesse fashion, rather than stay behind to whine at the teachers about how she doesn’t want to get kicked out of school, she goes to check out an old Taskmaster training facility.  Of course, she runs into Taskmaster (who is a great kinda-villain), they fight with all their memorized moves, but end up with a conversation that is more heart-felt and moving than what you probably expected.  One of my biggest complaints with some comic writers it that they seem dimly aware of current continuity, but Gage has clearly read Fred Van Lente’s recent Taskmaster miniseries.  As a reader, you needn’t have read that mini to enjoy this issue, but it is so nice for us readers who have to see Gage make a couple of nods to that great miniseries (and make us feel like we didn’t waste $16 dollars on a miniseries that no one cares about).  My feeling with all the continuity is that if Marvel wants to publish 100 titles per month, they need to make sure that their writers are aware of 100 titles per month and Gage does that in this case.  Nice job!

Avengers Academy #6 – Review

Christos Gage (writer), Mike McKone (penciller)

The Story: The revolving spotlight falls on Reptil this issue as Humberto is made Class Leader of the Academy, making a childhood dream of his come true.  But what happens when Reptil realizes that his dreams have been ruined by the secrets and lies that permeate not only the Academy’s mission statement but also the motivations and actions of his classmates?

What’s Good: “Reptil is lame.”  That was my first thought when I was done reading the special Avengers: The Initiative one-shot that introduced the character a couple of years ago.  A kid that can shape shift parts of his body into dinosaur parts kind of sounds interesting on paper maybe, but the execution did nothing for me.  When I saw that he was going to be on the roster of the Academy team, I’m pretty sure I rolled my eyes.  This issue has changed my opinion immensely.  I still think the dinosaur powers thing, even with the upgrade of going “full Dinosaur”, is sort of blah.  However, Gage has managed to make me completely disregard that aspect of the character by centering on Reptil’s inner workings.

You’d think that the characters who are morally questionable would easily be the more intriguing, but positioning Reptil as the good kid trying to hold it all together, despite knowing that the people around him are doing bad things, has proven that assumption wrong.  Gage establishes the character’s motivations smartly, making it his dream since childhood to be an Avenger.  This not only adds an interesting layer to his place here, but it also gives his motivations about keeping the team together an added dimension.  He desperately doesn’t want to lose this good thing.  It’s an easily understood emotion that any reader can understand and makes the character that much more relatable.  Kudos, Gage. You made me like Reptil.  Who’d have thought?

Avengers Academy #4 – Review

by Christos Gage (writer), Mike McKone (penciller)

The Story: The “Scared Straight” non-crossover with the Thunderbolts continues as three of the Academy recruits confront Norman Osborn and the rest of the Avengers (young and old alike) help the T-Bolts contain a prison riot on the The Raft.

What’s Good: There’s a lot to like in this month’s installment of Avengers Academy.  Gage’s script allows for plenty of powerful scenes that reinforce how strong a title this comic book has become since its debut and I’m nothing but pleased to see this trend continue.  Opening the issue with a flashback to Mettle’s recent past, showcasing how exactly he became the person he is today, was a smart decision.  Establishing the character’s mellow (a word used quite effectively throughout the issue) personality, only to see that laid back point of view rewarded with nothing but suffering, effectively brought what the students confronting Osborn must be feeling into focus.  They’ve all done nothing wrong in their eyes, yet their lives have been wrenched from them violently and they’ve all been condemned to struggle and, for some, an early death.  Of course they want to murder Osborn, not for being totally responsible for their current situations, but for playing a part and, well, just for being a tangible target.  It’s to the writer’s credit that despite how sympathetic he’s made our protagonists’ plight, he still manages to make Osborn come off as somewhat reasonable and convincing.  It’s really a standout scene and to say any more would ruin it, but Osborn really plays the part of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden insanely well .  There are plenty of other great moments to be enjoyed as well, from Quicksilver’s laugh out loud “Miss Daisy” comment to Hazmat’s bad-ass “I’ll give you cancer” retort.  Overall, Gage is slowly but surely establishing this book as a contender for the best Avengers title out there.  Some might scoff at that opinion, but if he continues on this path, I’m standing by it.

New Avengers #64 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike McKone (art), Dave McCaig (colors), and Albert Deschesne (letters)

The Story: The Hood regroups and Loki makes a shocking move to help combat the unleashed Sentry.

What’s Good: It’s been a long time since I actually, genuinely cared about the Hood and what the future holds for him.  That Bendis makes me want to see more of the character is no small feat.

In focusing most of this issue on the Hood, Madame Masque, and their crew, Bendis ends up putting the Hood in a very, very interesting place post-Siege.  It’s the sort of thing that could spawn a new ongoing series, or at least a limited series.  Suddenly unsure of himself and afraid, this Parker Robbins presents an intriguing character whose future adventures are sure to be something to enjoy.

Bendis also bolsters the Masque/Hood relationship further, which only aids this new direction for the character.  She becomes Parker’s crutch and motivating force, while also being a total badass.  It’s strange; by issue’s end, it’s clear that these two are still villains, but I find myself oddly rooting for them.  To further highlight this, Bendis has a rather cool scene that parallels Madame Masque and the Hood’s relationship with that of Hawkeye and Mockingbird.  While on opposite sides of the hero/villain dichotomy, the love shared by both couples is equally genuine.

The other big news, of course, is the big twist involving Loki.  Loki performs a, well, fairly heroic action, as he actually helps the Avengers.  No, not Osborn’s Avengers.  After the role Loki’s been in for the last few years, this was a really cool, out of nowhere moment that made my eyes go wide.  I only wish it was given more space but even as such, this ruled.

Then there’s Norman Osborn’s role in the issue, as Bendis continues to try to paint him as at least a little sympathetic as Siege falls on his head.  Norman’s good qualities are dwelt on, as he is shown to be capable of loyalty and integrity in his relationship with the Hood.  It’s an issue where he doesn’t quite come off as the simple, cackling, totally rotten villain.

The art on this issue is also gorgeous, as Mike McKone does his best Stuart Immonen impersonation.  Indeed, I struggled to tell the two apart here, were it not for McKone’s Mockingbird, a character that Immonen draws to absolute perfection.  This is great stuff all around that is just plain fun to look at, with McKone’s Hood and Masque looking especially strong.

New Avengers #63 – Review

by Brian Michael Bendis (writer), Mike McKone (art), Dave McCaig (colors), and Albert Deschesne (letters)

The Story: The motivations of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Ronin, and Mockingbird are explored in the days leading up to Siege.

What’s Good: This is probably the best issue of New Avengers to come around in some time, and it’s largely because it avoids many of the pitfalls that other comics in its position often fall prey to.  Simply put, everything in this comic that happens feels like it means something.

Take the dialogue for instance.  This issue is surprisingly heavy on character moments and conversation.  Before you run for the hills, it’s definitely pleasant to see that none of this dialogue is the sort of circular, pointless chatter that Bendis is often accused of.  All of it feels emotionally significant and necessary, giving life to the characters while also having them discuss subjects that need addressing.  It’s all pitch-perfect, with every character both feeling very human and true to their voices and personalities.

After this book, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve gotten to know Clint, Bobbi, Luke, and Jessica a little better and even if this isn’t the case, you’ll probably like them all as people just a bit more.  Heading into a cataclysmic series of events like Siege, that’s exactly the sort of thing Bendis should accomplish, as it makes the fight more than just a bunch of random faces scrapping on the page.  It’s also pretty cool that both conversation scenes also give little glimpses of what’s to come for the characters post-Siege.

And sure enough, it works.  After these dialogue portions, the action suddenly becomes meaningful despite the plethora of characters involved.  Luke’s grumbling and Mockingbird’s loving, mischievous glance at Ronin make the fight mean so much more.  In big events like these, it’s often easy to lose track of the participants as individuals, but thanks to the time he invests this month, Bendis bucks the trend.  The battle isn’t just about plot progression in the Marvel Universe, it’s about the people involved and the individual struggles of each of them within the massive, swirling melee.

I also have to mention that McKone draws a wonderful Mockingbird.  I’ve always liked the characters current design, but Bobbi really looks dynamic and lovable under McKone’s hand.

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

Amazing Spider-Man #594 – Review

By Mark Waid (writer), Barry Kitson and Mike McKone (pencils), Rags Morales and Andy Lanning (inks), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: Peter battles the new Vulture only to survive and have to face-off against his new ultra-bossy roommate. JJ and Osborn scheme against good ol’ Spidey as the public, inevitably turns against him.

What’s Good: I would be remiss in not stating what perhaps is my favorite aspect of this arc entitled “24/7:” the covers. Seriously, Joe Quesada put out three awesome– dare I say classic, Spider-Man covers in this arc. All of them catch a special tone of the city, while revealing something unique about Spidey as an iconic character. Completely beautiful!

Anyway, onto the book itself. As I mentioned in my last review, I like this new Vulture, which is a more animalistic and threatening version of the old and mostly harmless version. Although they were a bit overly-expressive, I like the way Mark Waid scripted out the battles with the Vulture. These fight scenes take up the bulk of the book and although I usually zone out over long battle scenes, these kept me interested. The fight that probably stood out the most was the final battle at Yankee stadium, which reversed the cliche of “hero beating up bad guy in front of adorning crowd.”  Also, the way Spidey disposed of the Vulture was unexpected and interesting.

I also like Peter’s bold decision at the end of this issue to pursue his mortal enemy. I always thought Peter made a much more interesting character when he would progressively go-for-broke against all odds, rather than being a passive victim to outside forces.

What’s Not So Good: Overall, there were more clumsy moments in this issue than the previous two. These impasses were most noticeable in the art. I’m not sure if it was Mike McKone taking a front seat while Berry Kitson grabbed the front, but there was a big drop in the quality here.

My biggest gripe is that right when I was beginning to think Marvel was cleaning house of annoying supporting cast around Spidey, they bring in the most irritating character to date: Peter’s new roommate. I am not looking forward to her direct effect in Spidey’s life for the foreseeable future. That aside, the addition of JJ’s father to ASM is a solid move and will make for a richer texture to Peter’s life. Additionally, I was a bit let down that some of the high drama that ended last issue, namely Spidey’s traumatic injury, was so easily worked out of the plot.

Conclusion: An unspectacular conclusion to a solid arc. However, everything post Character Assassination has been enjoyable and worth the time and money. Also, don’t forget that Joe Kelley kicks off a new arc next week. These are good days to be an ASM fan. Let’s just hope the editors don’t get punchdrunk and bring the focus back to Harry Osborn and crew.

Grade: B

-Rob G.

Amazing Spider-Man #593 – Review

By Mark Waid (writer), Mike McKone (pencils), Lanning and Kessel (inks), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: “24/7” continues! When Peter returns from a cosmic voyage with the Fantastic Four he discovers that he has lost two months of his life. However, that was the smallest surprise he is greeted with while the biggest is that J.J. Jameson has been elected mayor of NYC.  In an effort to annoy and trump over the new Mayor, Peter decides to be Spider-Man 24/7, hence the name of this arc.

This issue picks up the story as Peter has walked in on Aunt May in bed with a surprise character–someone who is close to both Peter and JJ. He then must deal with JJ’s spidey hit squad, followed by a memorable encounter with the new Vulture.

What’s Good: Its hard to say what is better in this issue: the writing or the art. Both Mark Waid and Mike McKone are firing on both cylinders. However, the edge goes to McKone for an outstanding diversity of expression and tone. For example, Peter’s emotions are clearly visible, the fight scenes with the Vulture (and the new Vulture himself) are terrifying, and landscapes and rooms are clean and detailed.

The new conception of Vulture is really well done and unexpected. When I heard there was going to be a new Vulture I was a little apprehensive, but this new vulture is chock full of mystery and seems like a real threat to Spidey, for a change. I also really enjoy the way Waid portrays Peter and narrates his thought process alongside his actions. Of all the writers currently working on Spider-Man, he seems to have the most “authentic” take on Peter. Waid also naturally nails classic Spidey humor and hi-jinx.

What’s Not So Good: There were some moments in this story that had poor plot logic. Take when Peter walks in on Aunt May and her lover. One would think that Peter would leave the house (where he entered unannounced) and distance himself from the awkward moment, but instead he…takes a shower! At her house! Huh? I understand that Waid had to have a scene where Peter and May talk about what happened, but this particular scripting doesn’t make any sense.

Also, there was a point in the story where Peter reveals his suppressed emotions around Norman Osborn. Obviously, it was interjected as a foreshadow for Joe Kelly’s, “American Son” arc that kicks off soon, but it just seemed forced and unnecessary.

Conclusion: This is good Spider-Man. The ending was particularly well played and I was left with the sense that something important, at least for the short term, had transpired in Spidey Mythos. I can’t recall experiencing McKone’s art before, but he’s made a fan out of me. I look forward to seeing how this arc wraps up think that ASM is coming back to life after the dud of “Character Assassination” and all those plot lines. Interestingly, there had been a lot of banter on the web, especially from our modest web site, for the editors of ASM to lose the focus on new cast of characters in Peter’s life post- Brand New Day. It seems that is exactly what has happened of late and ASM is all the better for it.

Grade: B+

-Rob G.

Amazing Spider-Man # 582

Writer Dan Slott (writer), Mike McKone (pencils) Andy Lanning and Kris Justice (inks), Jeremy Cox (color)

Story: As Molten Man’s powers get out of hand, Spidey battles him in the  house, then the lawn, and then finally the street before Harry permanently finishes the battle. Following the episode’s aftermath, Liz and Harry reconcile.

What’s Good: This issue was printed in color and written in English in a medium called the “comic book.”

What’s Not So Good: Let me preface by saying, I’m not a “Brand New Day hater.” I don’t really care what happens to continuity as long as the story is good. I’ve never been a purist, so I a have no biases coming to this issue. Yet, this issue is simply bad. You have a villain– Molten Man, that Petey essentially treats like a punk the whole issue. At no point do you think, “Hey, Spider-Man might lose this one!” So, no real conflict dives the story. Then you have Harry and Liz’s relationship that is so inconsequential and boring that one wonders why the Spidey “brain trust ” decided to explore such a banal situation in the first place. Lastly, you have the one thing that I hate most about Spider-Man comics, which is when it is so obvious that any character with a heart beat and cerebral cortex would figure out that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. It shows an overall laziness on the writer’s part to make the secret identity switch believable and logical.

One more thing. Peter is endearing as a humble, spastic, and a yeoman super-hero. When he calls himself a genius in his inner monologue, all those attributes are totally negated.

Conclusion: Skip this two-parter. It’s becoming a rule of thumb that any issue that involves the new supporting cast warrants grabbing any other comic off the rack. Go for Sonic the Hedge Hog or Archie. You’ll probably enjoy those much more and feel much better after reading it.

Grade: F-

Rob G

Amazing Spider-Man #581 – Review

By Dan Slott (story), Mike McKone (pencils), Andy Lanning (inks), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: Harry and Peter go on a road trip to New Jersey to pay a visit to Harry’s estranged wife, Liz Allan and their son, Normie. Also holed up in Liz’s house is Molten Man who just happens to have a bone to pick with Harry. With Brand New Day now nearly a year old, fans will be pleased to finally get some long awaited answers (to some glaring questions).

The Good? At long freaking last we get the answers regarding Harry Osborn’s alleged resurrection! These answers may not be to everyone’s liking but at least we’re given a logical explanation.

Like his previous story arc, New Ways to Die, Dan Slott packs the pages with lots of dialogue and a story that progresses rather quickly. In all honesty, I thought this was a double-sized issue because of its meaty story that almost never seemed to end. Quite a feat for 22 pages of story. Mike McKone’s art is delicious right from the start. His crisp style works well for this book but the pedestrian sequences seem a bit too bland at times. However, his layouts and panel choices are pure fun to the eyes.

What’s Not So Good? When Harry Osborn tells Peter where he’s been and how he’s still alive, well, it just sounds like Marvel editorial talking to us – not Harry Osborn. It’s like, “Here’s my reason and you’re going to take it.” Sorry, but I still don’t buy Harry’s resurrection and I still think his retcon stinks. Also, a genuine WTF moment happens when Carlie lectures Peter. Talk about feeling out of place and off kilter!

Bottom Line: Not one of Dan Slott’s best stories, but entertaining nonetheless. Peter’s new supporting cast is still not very likable and too full of themselves. I wouldn’t cry if someone like Menace killed them all.

Grade: C+

– J. Montes

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 – Review

By Marc Guggenheim (writer), Mike McKone (pencils), Andy Lanning (inks), Jeremy Cox (colors)

The Story: After a year of speculation, the mystery behind Jackpot is revealed. Spider-Man, fed up with the games and half-truths sets out to discover the identity of Jackpot and her motives. Little does he know that he’s going to discover more than he bargained for. Mutant Growth Hormone, drugs, and deceit all play a role in this surprising story that treads down a road the reader is most likely not expecting.

What’s Good? It’s a complete story and told in such a manner that readers not too familiar with Jackpot or Brand New Day will be able to follow along. The art by Mike McKone is clean and sharp in such a way that it fits perfectly with a Spider-Man book — or maybe it’s me enjoying Spider-Man rendered in a classic way. Either way you look at it, McKone’s work represents the character well.

Marc Guggenheim gives us some fun moments with Spidey and Jackpot doing their thing. It evokes memories of classic Marvel Team-Up action. I enjoyed these sequences and there seems to be genuine chemistry between the two characters.

What Sucks? The realization by Marc Guggenheim and the Spider-Man “Brain trust” that Jackpot is a useless character that’s run her course. I beg to differ, but that’s just me. Granted, the door is left open for Jackpot’s return, I just feel this character is a wasted opportunity. Also, the stupidity of the character blows the doors right open. I can’t believe the she lasted this long given her history with drugs and lack of training.

And then there’s Spider-Man chasing Blindspot around his home without using his webshooters to stop him. Talk about a waste of two pages. I’m sorry, but Spider-Man is not THIS stupid.

Finally, how is this Amazing Spider-Man #1? This is the 35th annual, people! Stop resetting the numbering to sell more copies. You can’t use this Brand New Day crap as an excuse forever.

Conclusion: This book plays out more like a double-sized issue than an annual. There’s no back-up stories, no pin-ups, no specials.  It’s a story that finally gives us some answers, yes, but the manner in which the answers are delivered leaves a lot to be desired (and feels cheap).

Grade: D

– J. Montes

Amazing Spider-Man #563 – Review

By Bob Gale (Writer), Mike McKone (Penciler), Marlo Alquiza (Inker), and Jeremy Cox & Antonio Fabela (Colorists)

Nothing’s better than picking up a Spider-Man comic written by Bob Gale and not wincing. He’s a funny guy, but he sometimes over does it with the funnies. Not here though. Everything resonates well and leaves you feeling good about the status quo of Amazing Spider-Man.

When Spider-man discovers online sensation/criminal Speedball impersonating him in an Off-Fight-Scene-Betting scam, ol’ Webhead follows the money to the “Bar with No Name” and comes face to face with 20 or so drunken, costumed goons. The scene that ensues is hilarious, as Spider-man quips like the smart-ass he is and beats the sauced squad with similar comedic effect.

Unlike the other Brand New Day writers Slott, Guggenheim, and Wells, Gale readily makes use of the editor’s caption as part of the narrative. This really works in this issue, as it did last issue when Gale tried to figure out in what issue Spider-Man fought the Basher (Answer: Spider-Man never fought the Basher). Gale utilizes the captions to conveniently segue into a side story of Aunt May at the soup kitchen without losing the momentum of the main narrative.

Also worth mentioning is artist Mike McKone, who does good job overall, capturing the main character’s body. Spider-Man’s physique should reflect his underdog persona. McKone depicts Spidey with a tight, but diminutive frame. The effect provides both youthful airs and vulnerability.

Gale also employs numerous side characters with distinct voices and crafts Spidey’s adventure around them. This gives the issue heft (because there is a lot of dialogue) and subsequently a larger scope, as Webhead’s world becomes bigger than just super-villains, Aunt May, and sexual frustration. It’s The Bookie and his gambling father, the sensible but sneaky bartender Deke, and the honest villain Ox, that makes the story more relevant and touching.

And honestly with a cover of Spider-Man being chased in a Coney Island bumper car, how can you resist? (Grade: A-)

-Steven M. Bari

A Second Opinion

This book is good… for a Bob Gale issue. Frankly, I was surprised at how he managed to turn things around within the first few pages of the book. I even laughed out loud at a couple of the jokes, too. But that doesn’t mean this story is without faults. Though it does it a lot less than normal, this book, once again jumps around. You know what I’m talking about – that weird one page detour to Aunt May’s soup kitchen. Any momentum that was built up was lost all because one page left me saying, “WTF!?” to myself.

The story is entertaining, there’s no qualms there, but I don’t like how easily Spidey takes down The Enforcers. If you’ve been reading the latest issues of Daredevil, Ox just by himself is a formidable opponent. Here, he and the rest of his team are relegated to loser status, and I don’t like it. We have enough losers in this book as it is (most of the villains in the bar and the “Bookie family”), why take one of the classic groups of bad guys and completely neuter them?

Mike McKone’s art is definitely the highlight of this book. His compositions are tight, clean, and just beautiful. He brings a lot of energy to Bob Gale’s script and allows the reader to skip through all the unneeded dialogue (not that I condone doing this) while preserving the story. As I said, this is a good issue for Bob Gale. Hopefully, he’ll continue to improve, because he’s not out of the woods yet. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes

Amazing Spider-Man #562 – Review

By Bob Gale (Writer), Mike McKone (Pencils), Andy Lanning (Inks), and Jeromy Cox (Colors)

This should have been a good issue. It was written by Bob Gale, my favorite member of Spidey’s “Braintrust”. It featured the Bookie, a character who, up until now, I thoroughly enjoyed. And the mass advertising of it in other Marvel mags certainly made it seem like we would finally learn the mystery of the “Other Spider-Man” aka the Spider-Tracer Killer.

Not so.

I don’t want to spoil too much, but to be cryptic, the “Other Spidey” introduced in this issue is just that. Anyone likening to Brand New Day who has been looking forward to finally learning something about the mystery killer (that’s teased us over the last several months) will be severely disappointed. The Spider-Man featured here is a third Spider-Man created just to fool everyone into believing that they needed to pick up this book. Perhaps to add insult to injury, the true identity of this Spider-Man is an annoying character that I thought we had gotten rid of, only to return to further “grace” these pages with his/her/its presence.

This book wasn’t all bad. We get to see the complicated life of Peter Parker as he interacts with his supporting cast (which almost always provides for an entertaining read). Likewise, the interaction between the two “Spider-Men,” had plenty of classic Spidey quips that kept me chuckling. Perhaps the best part of the book was the visit to the home of the Bookie and the humor that bounced around between him and his family. Truthfully, I’m not sure if I feel sorry for the guy, but I could have read an entire issue of his family dilemmas because the dynamic that exists there is simply comical. Once again, attempting not to reveal anything, but we soon learn that the Bookie has done something that personally takes away my interest in the character.

The one saving point that runs throughout is the art. I wasn’t a fan of Mike McKone on Fantastic Four (his Sue looked just plain odd), but his art was flawless here. With the exception of Steve McNiven (who has no competition), McKone is perhaps the best artist to visit Brand New Day since Phil Jimenez. His characters never look cartoony, and he excels at illustrating the various “Spider-poses.” If we could get the art in Spidey to always revolve between McNiven, Jimenez, and McKone, I’d think I’d died and gone to comic heaven. Still, great art can’t save this issue from what it was: a cheat, a cop out, a con. Therefore, it gets a…  (Grade: C)

-M. Staples

A Second Opinion

Mister Staples has some interesting opinions regarding who he’d like to see on art. And while I agree that the three artists he mentions are all excellent, none will triumph more than the return of John Romita Jr. this summer. And how could he fail to mention Marcos Martin? Gah! Anyway, here’s what I thought about this issue…

I honestly didn’t feel cheated, but then again, it’s been so long since the Spider-Tracer Killer’s been touched upon (he’s always mentioned in passing like a running gag and that’s about it), that I could honestly care less when he’s revealed. That said, I knew who the “imposter” was immediately and it was way too easy to predict. It’s also a character that I think is (or should be) universally hated. And is it me, or is there really a good chance that Menace may be female (and a red head *wink wink*). Check out the way he/she’s drawn in this issue. Very curious.

As for the story, it moves around quite a bit and is packed with a lot of dense dialogue. Bob Gale doesn’t seem to know when to shut his characters up because they all ramble more than Spider-Man. To his credit, the scenes we’re given of the Bookie’s home life are pathetic and hilarious at the same time. The plot movement we get with a now unemployed Peter Parker is also welcomed. All in all, it’s a decent story that’s hampered with too much throw away dialogue.

Mike McKone’s art is excellent, by the way. He’s given the task of drawing a wide range of characters and villains with this issue and does a fantastic job on all of them. His storytelling excels too, especially during the rooftop chase scene. The lineage of great Brand New Day artists continues and Bob Gale once again proves he’s the weakest link of Spidey’s “Braintrust”. (Grade: C+)

– J. Montes