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.

Ms. Marvel #45 – Review

By Brian Reed (Writer), Philippe Briones (Artist), and Ikari Studios (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: The War of the Marvels has been entertaining enough so far, but a part of me wishes that Brian Reed had let Karla Sofen truly take over the series for a couple more issues.

The Story: Karla Sofen and Carol Danvers throw down one more time. Meanwhile, Catherine Donovan tries to figure out just what the hell is going on as her physical abilities amplify depending on the situation.

What’s Good And What’s Not So Good: Ms. Marvel #45 is all about two things: The mystery that surrounds Catherine Donovan and the fight between the Marvels. Both parts have some positives, but unfortunately, they also have some pretty big negatives that threaten to overpower the good stuff. Allow me to explain.

As the War of the Marvels begins to draw to a close, Brian Reed throws in a twist that is sure to divide his audience. On the surface, it seems like a huge deus ex machina. And while it could definitely be considered to be one, it does sort of work in a strange way because it brings some dangling plot threads back to the forefront. The main problem is that the Catherine Donovan reveal is so weird, so bizarre that it’s pretty hard to really accept. That, my friends, is why the deus ex machina charge holds weight.

The big fight scene is something of a mess. While I like Philippe Briones style and the unique color work by Ikari Studios, the fight, as a whole, is poorly executed. Body proportions seem out of whack, faces are inconsistent, and the various poses do not tell the story or flow of the battle all that well. In addition, the banter written by Brian Reed just isn’t up to par. While some of it is enjoyable, it makes you think that Reed might be running out of banter dialogue (“fat Ms. Marvel” – Really?!).

Truth be told, the artwork is actually problematic throughout the entire comic. And for the same reasons it’s problematic during the action scenes. That said, it’s not all bad. Briones delivers one hell of a cool Iron Patriot and there is an impressive level of detail to a few scenes.

Conclusion: Ms. Marvel #45 is the weakest chapter of the War of the Marvels so far. The twist is something of a “wtf” moment and the artwork, though it has its merits, is pretty rough.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny