Last month, Marvel Comics and writer Dan Slott generated considerable attention with the 700th issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, arguably their flagship title. All they had to do was kill Peter Parker. To their credit, there was something decidedly novel about the way it was done. In issue #698 Peter swapped bodies with one of his worst enemies, Doctor Octopus, who happened to be dying at the time. Doc Ock's body then died two issues later, and Peter's mind supposedly along with it. It was the the culmination of a storyline that, according to Slott, has been brewing since issue #600 way back in 2009 in which Doc Ock's progressively deteriorating condition is first disclosed. I actually have that issue, so I can attest to this.
The cat is sort of out of the bag now, as it has been revealed in Superior Spider-man #1 that Peter Parker isn't really dead; he's, for lack of a better description, a disembodied consciousness, one that's apparently even capable of influencing Doc Ock's decisions on a subconscious level as he prevents Ock using his body to kill supervillains. So instead of a "permanent" change as was strongly suggested by Slott and Marvel's marketing crew, in order to quell the more cynical fan reactions, this development is more of an extended storyline, the idea behind which, I suppose, being to follow Peter's journey back into his own body, and to see what happens to it in the meantime. Marvel's marketing materials are already teasing that Spider-Ock gets booted off the Avengers, no doubt because he's still an egomaniac and a prick.
Down the line, I may give this story a look in collected form, but I really can't help but shake my head at all the hype that basically surrounded what is destined to be a finite storyline, much line the Clone Saga of the 1990s, in which Peter Parker was replaced by his clone. In fact, to the credit of the creators of the Clone Saga, the change they had in mind, however harebrained, was a permanent one, and it was only violent fan reaction (in the pre-internet age, no less) that stayed their hand. The thing is, the only way to really get people's attention is to fool them into thinking that the plot development is for keeps.
In a way, Marvel are in a better position now than they were when they destroyed Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane Watson; because that change was always envisioned as permanent it was inevitable that they were going to alienate fans. Now that the truth has been revealed about the Spider-Ock saga, fans who may have been ready to drop the book with the apparently demise of Peter Parker may now be willing to give this story development a chance to see where Slott can go with it.
The ball, therefore, is in Slott's court, and Marvel's.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Ultimate Spider-Man #13 to #18
Writer: Brian Bendis
Artists: David Marquez and Pepe Larraz
Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales, already a veteran of crossover comics such as the Spider-Men miniseries, this time gets to team up with several other players in the "ultimate" Marvel Universe in the "Divided We Fall; United We Stand" line-wide crossover.
Some interesting things happen in this story that push Miles' character forward: he acquires the late Peter Parker's webshooters and the chemical formula to make the web from no less than Peter's Aunt May, he joins the Ultimates, and fights alongside them in a civil war, in which the ultimate version of the Marvel Comics' staple bad-guy organization HYDRA is attempting to overthrow the government. Not only that, but there appear to be some interesting developments involving Miles' father Jefferson.
With Peter Parker having swapped minds with a dying Doctor Octopus in the pages of the flagship Spider-Man title Amazing Spider-Man in a storyline that culminated with the apparent death of Doctor Octopus' body and therefore Peter Parker's mind, Miles Morales is now Marvel's "senior" Spider-Man, having held the mantle for over two years now. Considering a well-meaning kid is certainly easier for me to swallow as Marvel's flagship superhero than a murderous supervillain, at least while that particular gimmick lasts, this is going to be my Spidey book of choice for the time being.
The problem with this particular storyarc is that it does not, unlike the first two arcs and, to an extent the Spider-Men miniseries, make a hugely compelling argument for Miles Morales stepping into Peter's shoes, save perhaps for a couple of pretty cool action sequences, including a climactic confrontation with a H.Y.D.R.A. agent possessing what is known as in the ultimate universe as "height multiplication" abilities. Apart from the moment when he receives Peter's webshooters, Miles does not have any particularly character-defining moments, certainly not the way he did in the first dozen issues of this new series. One could argue that writer Brian Michael Bendis was hobbled by the need to service the "Divided We Fall" storyline which played out mainly in The Ultimates, but overall this just didn't feel nearly as visceral as Miles' first few steps as the new Spider-Man. It's to be expected, I suppose that the novelty of a different Spider-Man would peter off, but I didn't think it would happen quite so early.
If the art had been handled solely by David Marquez, who has, as of writing, already left this title to work with Bendis on All New X-Men, I would have nothing but praise for it, but unfortunately, Pepe Larraz had to spell Marquez for two issues, and the shift is jarring, not just because of the difference in style but because, to my mind, Larraz really isn't anywhere near as talented. No sense in being diplomatic here. At least Marquez handled the crucial web shooters issue and wrapped up the storyline with the exciting Giant-Woman fight. This guy is really quite talented and will be a most worthy successor to Stuart Immonen when he takes over the art duties on Bendis' X-Men book.
I take some consolation knowing that series co-creator Sara Pichelli is due back next issue, in time for what looks like a very promising story as Miles crosses paths with ultimate Venom. This is presaged in issue 16.1, which doesn't actually have Miles in it, and is unrelated to the "Divided We Fall" storyline, but which features very good, character-driven writing by Bendis and some fantastic art by Marquez. This story is actually more compelling than most of the main story arc from which it takes a break.
All told, this run of issues deserves some praise for its mostly-great artwork, at least one defining character moment, and some pretty impressive action sequences, but considering that individual comics issues nowadays cost $4 for only 20 pages of story, I honestly think we're entitled to expect a little bit more.
At any rate, things should pick up a little as, starting next issue, Miles goes toe-to-toe with fan-favorite bad guy Venom.
Rating ("Divided We Fall" storyline): 3.5/5
Artists: David Marquez and Pepe Larraz
Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales, already a veteran of crossover comics such as the Spider-Men miniseries, this time gets to team up with several other players in the "ultimate" Marvel Universe in the "Divided We Fall; United We Stand" line-wide crossover.
Some interesting things happen in this story that push Miles' character forward: he acquires the late Peter Parker's webshooters and the chemical formula to make the web from no less than Peter's Aunt May, he joins the Ultimates, and fights alongside them in a civil war, in which the ultimate version of the Marvel Comics' staple bad-guy organization HYDRA is attempting to overthrow the government. Not only that, but there appear to be some interesting developments involving Miles' father Jefferson.
With Peter Parker having swapped minds with a dying Doctor Octopus in the pages of the flagship Spider-Man title Amazing Spider-Man in a storyline that culminated with the apparent death of Doctor Octopus' body and therefore Peter Parker's mind, Miles Morales is now Marvel's "senior" Spider-Man, having held the mantle for over two years now. Considering a well-meaning kid is certainly easier for me to swallow as Marvel's flagship superhero than a murderous supervillain, at least while that particular gimmick lasts, this is going to be my Spidey book of choice for the time being.
The problem with this particular storyarc is that it does not, unlike the first two arcs and, to an extent the Spider-Men miniseries, make a hugely compelling argument for Miles Morales stepping into Peter's shoes, save perhaps for a couple of pretty cool action sequences, including a climactic confrontation with a H.Y.D.R.A. agent possessing what is known as in the ultimate universe as "height multiplication" abilities. Apart from the moment when he receives Peter's webshooters, Miles does not have any particularly character-defining moments, certainly not the way he did in the first dozen issues of this new series. One could argue that writer Brian Michael Bendis was hobbled by the need to service the "Divided We Fall" storyline which played out mainly in The Ultimates, but overall this just didn't feel nearly as visceral as Miles' first few steps as the new Spider-Man. It's to be expected, I suppose that the novelty of a different Spider-Man would peter off, but I didn't think it would happen quite so early.
If the art had been handled solely by David Marquez, who has, as of writing, already left this title to work with Bendis on All New X-Men, I would have nothing but praise for it, but unfortunately, Pepe Larraz had to spell Marquez for two issues, and the shift is jarring, not just because of the difference in style but because, to my mind, Larraz really isn't anywhere near as talented. No sense in being diplomatic here. At least Marquez handled the crucial web shooters issue and wrapped up the storyline with the exciting Giant-Woman fight. This guy is really quite talented and will be a most worthy successor to Stuart Immonen when he takes over the art duties on Bendis' X-Men book.
I take some consolation knowing that series co-creator Sara Pichelli is due back next issue, in time for what looks like a very promising story as Miles crosses paths with ultimate Venom. This is presaged in issue 16.1, which doesn't actually have Miles in it, and is unrelated to the "Divided We Fall" storyline, but which features very good, character-driven writing by Bendis and some fantastic art by Marquez. This story is actually more compelling than most of the main story arc from which it takes a break.
All told, this run of issues deserves some praise for its mostly-great artwork, at least one defining character moment, and some pretty impressive action sequences, but considering that individual comics issues nowadays cost $4 for only 20 pages of story, I honestly think we're entitled to expect a little bit more.
At any rate, things should pick up a little as, starting next issue, Miles goes toe-to-toe with fan-favorite bad guy Venom.
Rating ("Divided We Fall" storyline): 3.5/5
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Walking Dead Season 3 (Episodes 5 to 8)
As the wildly popular TV series The Walking Dead winds down the first half of the third season, a lot transpires. Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his group of survivors deal with the aftermath of the walker invasion of the prison which they have made their home, and in particular Rick deals with the death of his wife Laurie (Sarah Wayne Callies). Andrea (Laurie Holden) settles into Woodbury and even starts sleeping with the Governor (David Morrissey), unaware of his darker side, while Michonne (Danai Gurira) leaves Woodbury, after making some startling discoveries, only to be assaulted by Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) and several Woodbury thugs acting on the governor's orders. Not long thereafter, two of Rick's group, namely Glenn (Steven Yuen) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) find themselves in the clutches of Merle and the other Woodbury survivors. A wounded Michonne, on the other hand, makes her way to Rick's group. It all ends with a wild climax and a jaw-dropping cliffhanger that left this particular fan counting the days till the series resumes in February 2013.
The beauty of "The Walking Dead" as an ongoing narrative is how the show is basically its own thing, following the spirit of the comic book series but never afraid to stray from established storylines. While the body count of the comics and the TV series may not be significantly different, the manner in which the deaths racked up has differed substantially. Some of the deaths may feel toned-down from the off-the-hook, downright shocking deaths that took place in the original series, but there have been so many twists and turns that it's hard to fault the writers of the show their creative liberties. The biggest of these creative deviations, of course, has been the inclusion of the Dixon brothers in the story, with series mainstay Daryl (Norman Reedus) apparently being an audience favorite.
The presence of the Dixon brothers, or at least Daryl, almost guarantees that the TV series will pursue its own course no matter what happens in the comic books, and although I was curious as to rumblings of Daryl's possible inclusion in the comic book series in the same way that Marvel Comics eventually included the likes of Firestar and X-23, both created for cartoons, among their pantheon of comic-book heroes, now I see that keeping him exclusive to the show is a good thing because it means that Robert Kirkman does not necessarily get to play God with him the way he has with every other character who has come and gone from the comic book series.
More than just flipping the bird to the comic book continuity, though, and basically keeping everyone in the dark about what will happen, the creators of this show deserve to be commended for maintaining the one thing that's made this series so eminently watchable, and it isn't the gore and zombies but the characters fighting for their lives. The manner in which Rick grapples with his latest tragedy, and the rather interesting narrative device used, is both haunting and poignant, while the maltreatment Glenn and Maggie endure at the hands of the Governor and his men underlines what a bastard the series' new villain really is. It strains credulity at times that he is able to conceal his true side from series mainstay Andrea, but it definitely adds to the narrative tension.
What fascinates about the governor is that, while he is clearly corrupt, he nonetheless remains distinctly human, as evidenced by his love for his daughter, who has long since transformed into a walker and who he keeps with him in the hope of curing her. While admittedly, the bad guy with a soft spot in his heart is a well-worn story trope, there's something else about him, too, that, while not necessarily a redeeming quality, makes an argument for his "approach" to handling the end of the world. The fact that he has created a genuine community that has helped survivors cope with what has happened to the world is probably the strongest thing going for him. Although the cracks in his makeshift utopia are clearly evident as the series progresses, the little world he has built still stands in stark contrast to the horrors that Rick and his group have had to endure. Rick's hands are not entirely clean, after all; he has killed in order to protect his group, just as the governor has. However one views either character vis-a-vis the other, though, one thing is certain; it's going to be a hell of ride for the remainder of the second season.
4.5/5
The beauty of "The Walking Dead" as an ongoing narrative is how the show is basically its own thing, following the spirit of the comic book series but never afraid to stray from established storylines. While the body count of the comics and the TV series may not be significantly different, the manner in which the deaths racked up has differed substantially. Some of the deaths may feel toned-down from the off-the-hook, downright shocking deaths that took place in the original series, but there have been so many twists and turns that it's hard to fault the writers of the show their creative liberties. The biggest of these creative deviations, of course, has been the inclusion of the Dixon brothers in the story, with series mainstay Daryl (Norman Reedus) apparently being an audience favorite.
The presence of the Dixon brothers, or at least Daryl, almost guarantees that the TV series will pursue its own course no matter what happens in the comic books, and although I was curious as to rumblings of Daryl's possible inclusion in the comic book series in the same way that Marvel Comics eventually included the likes of Firestar and X-23, both created for cartoons, among their pantheon of comic-book heroes, now I see that keeping him exclusive to the show is a good thing because it means that Robert Kirkman does not necessarily get to play God with him the way he has with every other character who has come and gone from the comic book series.
More than just flipping the bird to the comic book continuity, though, and basically keeping everyone in the dark about what will happen, the creators of this show deserve to be commended for maintaining the one thing that's made this series so eminently watchable, and it isn't the gore and zombies but the characters fighting for their lives. The manner in which Rick grapples with his latest tragedy, and the rather interesting narrative device used, is both haunting and poignant, while the maltreatment Glenn and Maggie endure at the hands of the Governor and his men underlines what a bastard the series' new villain really is. It strains credulity at times that he is able to conceal his true side from series mainstay Andrea, but it definitely adds to the narrative tension.
What fascinates about the governor is that, while he is clearly corrupt, he nonetheless remains distinctly human, as evidenced by his love for his daughter, who has long since transformed into a walker and who he keeps with him in the hope of curing her. While admittedly, the bad guy with a soft spot in his heart is a well-worn story trope, there's something else about him, too, that, while not necessarily a redeeming quality, makes an argument for his "approach" to handling the end of the world. The fact that he has created a genuine community that has helped survivors cope with what has happened to the world is probably the strongest thing going for him. Although the cracks in his makeshift utopia are clearly evident as the series progresses, the little world he has built still stands in stark contrast to the horrors that Rick and his group have had to endure. Rick's hands are not entirely clean, after all; he has killed in order to protect his group, just as the governor has. However one views either character vis-a-vis the other, though, one thing is certain; it's going to be a hell of ride for the remainder of the second season.
4.5/5
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