written by Dan Slott
drawn by Jim Cheung (p) John Dell and Cory Smith (i)
colored by Justin Ponsor
Spider-Man's showdown with a new and improved (and surprisingly familiar) Jackal continues as his adversary and one-time ally tries hard to sell him on the concept of his clone utopia, where death is a thing of the past. Peter reflects on his attitude towards death, including his "no one dies" vow that he made several years ago, realizes how foolish he was to make such promises, and not only does he respectfully decline, but he says something that manages to serious piss the Jackal off. Meanwhile, Anna Maria Marconi and her erstwhile lover Doctor Octopus (albeit no longer in Peter Parker's borrowed body), work together to defeat the cellular degeneration that is plaguing all of the clones, Spider-Gwen--er--Woman, comes to Kaine's rescue, and basically all hell breaks loose...all with one issue left in this miniseries to go.
It irks me that a lot has gone on between the last issue and this one, particularly in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, and it calls to mind why I hate "events" that require reading several other books aside from the main title. It seriously diminishes the narrative experience, but the good thing here is that Peter's key realization regarding death is at the core of this story, and the moment he makes it everything leading up to this moment pays off pretty well. I'm quite interested to see how things will turn out for this iteration of the Jackal next issue, especially in view of Marvel's marketing department already dropping massive spoilers as to what happens to him. From what I've read here and in other issues, he clearly isn't painted as a villain as much as he is a misguided, broken soul, though his actions near the end of the issue lean a little bit towards straight-up bad guy.
One moment that stood out for me was when the Jackal offered Anna Maria Marconi a "better" body, or one unaffected by dwarfism, and her response, was one of the more heroic things I've seen in a superhero comic book lately, and a nice shout out to "different" people at a time when racism and discrimination in America are getting a serious shot in the arm courtesy of the country's new President being an outspoken bigot.
Throughout this issue, Jim Cheung maintains, more or less, the standard of quality that has made this series easy on the eyes, though having a new inker in Cory Smith brings a slightly different feel to his work. The preview pages of issue #5 promise more of the art that I have been loving all throughout this series, and for this I'm very grateful. This guy deserves to be regarded as a Marvel legend.
Having seen the marketing material, I don't see myself following the regular series that will sprout out of this event, but I'm glad to have picked it up just the same.
8.5/10
Sunday, January 22, 2017
The End is Near: A Review of Black Widow #10 (Mild Spoilers)
written by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid
drawn by Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
Following her encounter with the Winter Soldier and the vengeful Red Room graduate Recluse, Natasha finds herself en route to the moon with the Winter Soldier as well as her unwilling conscript the Weeping Lion to meet, of all people, Nick Fury, whose appearance has radically changed since the last time they saw each other. Meanwhile Recluse sets her own master plan into motion, and the Weeping Lion's saga of revenge takes a rather sudden, unexpected twist. It appears things will be coming to a head very soon.
As much as I have enjoyed Chris Samnee's exponential growth as both a draftsman and a storyteller, with a little help from Mark Waid, I am not entirely happy with the way things are playing out in what appears to be a hasty attempt on Samnee's part to tie up loose ends in time for this book's demise, which is projected to happen right after this arc. Samnee set up a back story for the Weeping Lion, which, while a little cliched, nonetheless portended an interesting turn for the character, but judging from the events of this issue that little plotline is pretty much a dead-end; Samnee is clearly setting up a big showdown between Widow and Recluse; to introduce any new significant characters at this point would just be bad storytelling.
Samnee's art is really the best it's ever been, but I'm nowhere near as fired up by this story as I was by the first arc, which was shrouded in a considerable amount of mystery. If I may give my honest assessment of his skills as a writer based on this arc alone, I sincerely think Samnee needs to polish his craft a little bit when he starts work on his next project.
6.5/10
drawn by Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
Following her encounter with the Winter Soldier and the vengeful Red Room graduate Recluse, Natasha finds herself en route to the moon with the Winter Soldier as well as her unwilling conscript the Weeping Lion to meet, of all people, Nick Fury, whose appearance has radically changed since the last time they saw each other. Meanwhile Recluse sets her own master plan into motion, and the Weeping Lion's saga of revenge takes a rather sudden, unexpected twist. It appears things will be coming to a head very soon.
As much as I have enjoyed Chris Samnee's exponential growth as both a draftsman and a storyteller, with a little help from Mark Waid, I am not entirely happy with the way things are playing out in what appears to be a hasty attempt on Samnee's part to tie up loose ends in time for this book's demise, which is projected to happen right after this arc. Samnee set up a back story for the Weeping Lion, which, while a little cliched, nonetheless portended an interesting turn for the character, but judging from the events of this issue that little plotline is pretty much a dead-end; Samnee is clearly setting up a big showdown between Widow and Recluse; to introduce any new significant characters at this point would just be bad storytelling.
Samnee's art is really the best it's ever been, but I'm nowhere near as fired up by this story as I was by the first arc, which was shrouded in a considerable amount of mystery. If I may give my honest assessment of his skills as a writer based on this arc alone, I sincerely think Samnee needs to polish his craft a little bit when he starts work on his next project.
6.5/10
Monday, January 16, 2017
Lapsed Catholic: A Review of Daredevil #15
written by Charles Soule
drawn by Goran Sudzuka
colored by Matt Milla
Following the shocking conclusion of "Dark Art," Matt Murdock/Daredevil is beside himself with guilt and grief at the misfortune that has fallen his crimefighting protege Sam Chung a.k.a. Blindspot, whose encounter with the serial killer Muse has left him completely blind after his eyes were basically gouged out. Treating Blindspot, even in the Marvel Universe, is difficult enough, but complicating things further is the fact that Sam isn't actually an American citizen, but rather an undocumented alien, and as a result has no healthcare coverage whatsoever. Desperate to help his friend, Matt hatches a moneymaking scheme that involves putting a hit on his alter-ego Daredevil, which may have disastrous consequences as an old enemy, long thought out of the picture, throws his hat into the ring. Also, Daredevil goes to confession again, like a good Catholic...sort of.
I've been quite vocal about how much I enjoyed "Dark Art" and I quite like how this new story flows naturally out of the events that took place there, with Daredevil's actions being driven by what happened to his friend. Soule seems to have really hit his stride with that arc after stalling a little bit with his shorter stories starring Elektra and Spider-Man, and the reintroduction of a major Daredevil villain is electrifying, especially considering his physical state the last time readers saw him. Soule is clearly raising the stakes here. Also it's really interesting to see just how Matt plans to make money with this crazy scheme, even though smarter people than I have probably already figured it out.
I also liked the small touch of Daredevil going to confession and getting a good talking to from the priest. It was an aspect of the character that was barely touched upon when Waid and Samnee were on the book, and I'm glad Soule is finally revisiting one of the character's more defining traits.
If there's anything I regret it's that the series' main artist Ron Garney, who did a commendable job on "Dark Art" has taken a sabbatical for this story and that Marvel has again tapped Goran Sudzuka to spell him. I'm really not a big fan of the current artist rotation on this title. Maybe Chris Samnee could come back? He and Soule might make an interesting pairing. Still, there are a lot of other artists that could have done this book better than this guy.
7/10
drawn by Goran Sudzuka
colored by Matt Milla
Following the shocking conclusion of "Dark Art," Matt Murdock/Daredevil is beside himself with guilt and grief at the misfortune that has fallen his crimefighting protege Sam Chung a.k.a. Blindspot, whose encounter with the serial killer Muse has left him completely blind after his eyes were basically gouged out. Treating Blindspot, even in the Marvel Universe, is difficult enough, but complicating things further is the fact that Sam isn't actually an American citizen, but rather an undocumented alien, and as a result has no healthcare coverage whatsoever. Desperate to help his friend, Matt hatches a moneymaking scheme that involves putting a hit on his alter-ego Daredevil, which may have disastrous consequences as an old enemy, long thought out of the picture, throws his hat into the ring. Also, Daredevil goes to confession again, like a good Catholic...sort of.
I've been quite vocal about how much I enjoyed "Dark Art" and I quite like how this new story flows naturally out of the events that took place there, with Daredevil's actions being driven by what happened to his friend. Soule seems to have really hit his stride with that arc after stalling a little bit with his shorter stories starring Elektra and Spider-Man, and the reintroduction of a major Daredevil villain is electrifying, especially considering his physical state the last time readers saw him. Soule is clearly raising the stakes here. Also it's really interesting to see just how Matt plans to make money with this crazy scheme, even though smarter people than I have probably already figured it out.
I also liked the small touch of Daredevil going to confession and getting a good talking to from the priest. It was an aspect of the character that was barely touched upon when Waid and Samnee were on the book, and I'm glad Soule is finally revisiting one of the character's more defining traits.
If there's anything I regret it's that the series' main artist Ron Garney, who did a commendable job on "Dark Art" has taken a sabbatical for this story and that Marvel has again tapped Goran Sudzuka to spell him. I'm really not a big fan of the current artist rotation on this title. Maybe Chris Samnee could come back? He and Soule might make an interesting pairing. Still, there are a lot of other artists that could have done this book better than this guy.
7/10
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Catch-Up Reading: A Review of Black Widow #9
written by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid
drawn by Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
"No More Secrets" continiues as Black Widow's childhood rival Recluse strikes a deadly blow against one of her oldest allies, and not even an impromptu team up with her one-time flame and partner in the field, the Winter Soldier may be enough to take her down. Meanwhile, Widow's unwilling partner, the Weeping Lion, continues to plot behind her back.
As entertaining as Samnee's yarn for Black Widow is, I can't help but feel the story's being stretched a bit thin, and his cool, minimalist storytelling that felt new and refreshing way back in issue #1, which was just an extended fight scene, is starting to feel a little old. This is still an entertaining read, though. Waid's dialogue still has some pep in it, though he really is just along for the ride on this one.
Also, it's hard to begrudge Samnee his storytelling indulgences when he delivers work this stunning. This is the first time Samnee has drawn the character since his five-issue run on the "Captain America and Bucky" series over half a decade ago, and I was struck by how much he's grown as an artist since then. The rendering is incredible.
The sad thing, is, though, that seeing just how incredible Samnee's work is here just makes me wish he was working on a book I could enjoy more. That, I realize is the harshest indictment I can give this book; it's got me thinking of what else Samnee can do.
Another tragedy is that, with comic book prices escalating the way they are, I don't know if I'll be able to follow Samnee (or any other creator) whether he stays or goes. What I do know is that if I only get to follow one set of comic book creators, Waid and Samnee would be on the top of that list.
6.5/10
drawn by Samnee
colored by Matt Wilson
"No More Secrets" continiues as Black Widow's childhood rival Recluse strikes a deadly blow against one of her oldest allies, and not even an impromptu team up with her one-time flame and partner in the field, the Winter Soldier may be enough to take her down. Meanwhile, Widow's unwilling partner, the Weeping Lion, continues to plot behind her back.
As entertaining as Samnee's yarn for Black Widow is, I can't help but feel the story's being stretched a bit thin, and his cool, minimalist storytelling that felt new and refreshing way back in issue #1, which was just an extended fight scene, is starting to feel a little old. This is still an entertaining read, though. Waid's dialogue still has some pep in it, though he really is just along for the ride on this one.
Also, it's hard to begrudge Samnee his storytelling indulgences when he delivers work this stunning. This is the first time Samnee has drawn the character since his five-issue run on the "Captain America and Bucky" series over half a decade ago, and I was struck by how much he's grown as an artist since then. The rendering is incredible.
The sad thing, is, though, that seeing just how incredible Samnee's work is here just makes me wish he was working on a book I could enjoy more. That, I realize is the harshest indictment I can give this book; it's got me thinking of what else Samnee can do.
Another tragedy is that, with comic book prices escalating the way they are, I don't know if I'll be able to follow Samnee (or any other creator) whether he stays or goes. What I do know is that if I only get to follow one set of comic book creators, Waid and Samnee would be on the top of that list.
6.5/10
Monday, January 2, 2017
Wedded Bliss in Another Life: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (Vol. 2) #s 1 and 2
written by Gerry Conway
drawn by Ryan Stegman
colored by Sonia Oback
About a year ago, I genuinely enjoyed the work of legendary Spider-Man scribe Gerry Conway on a five-part story-arc in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man called "Spiral" which pitted Spider-Man against his one-time ally, the Wraith, a policewoman who also moonlighted as a costumed crime fighter, whose methods were becoming increasingly brutal (hence the title, implying her "spiral" into darkness). It was a satisfying read, and I honestly marveled at how sharp Conway, who's gotten on a bit in years, still was in terms of both his plotting and scripting. This is the man who killed Gwen Stacy over forty years ago, after all, but his dialogue is nicely updated and he still has a good handle on what makes Spidey tick.
In "Renew Your Vows" Conway revisits an alternate universe first imagined by regular Spider-Man writer Dan Slott several years ago, a reality in which Peter Parker and Mary Jane remain married with a daughter, Annie May Parker. In the first series, Spider-Man and his family faced off against Regent, a terrifying villain who, through a dazzling array of technology was able to absorb the powers of, and consequently defeat, several of the Marvel Universe's most powerful hereoes.
Here, Peter still takes pictures for the Daily Bugle rather than run his own company, though at least this time he's upgraded to a drone camera that takes better shots, while Mary Jane is an entrepreneur-cum-fashion blogger. In the first two issues of this new series, the Parkers face off against two opponents, Norman "Normie" Osborn II, who has bought the land where the vanquished Regent conducted his experiments, and all of the remaining technology on it, and the Mole Man, who can't really be bothered with the legal niceties of actually acquiring Regent's leftover tech and decides to take it the old-fashioned way: through monsters and moloids. Having used Regent's technology, Peter is able to transfer some of his powers to Mary Jane, and as a result, the Spider-powered family is all that stands in both Osborn's and the Mole Man's way.
It's gratifying that a writer who can claim as one of his career-defining moments the fact that he killed one of Spider-Man's supporting characters has managed to continue a story that brought back to life something which Marvel had long put in its grave: Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane Watson.
This is still very much an "alternate universe" story given that the mainstream Spider-Man over in the main title and its current event book, The Clone Conspiracy remains notably single, but it reads like the kind of Spider-Man book that I grew up with, though I confess I'm not much of a fan of Peter relying solely on his Spider-Man pics for his income. After all, over 15 years ago, J. Michael Straczynski had Peter take on the job of a high school teacher, and that run was well received, both critically and commercially. The whole photojournalist thing, after all Peter's been through, feels too much like a forced regression, even for a different reality. Still, Conway runs with it; the notion of a drone snapping pics is a winning idea, though one wonders why no one else seems to have thought of it. It's not earth-shattering stuff for the webslinger and his family, but these issues were an entertaining read just the same.
Stegman, whose art was a hit-or-miss affair for me back when he was drawing Superior Spider-Man appears to have greatly improved his craft since then, and although I'm not a fan of his design for Mary Jane's Spider-costume (assuming it was his), I generally enjoyed his work here, which looks a lot cleaner than it did when he drew the adventures of Spider-Ock.
Interestingly, sales for this book, or this "reality" seem pretty robust so far, so one wonders if Marvel has any plans to further milk this cow, and how long they'll do so.
8/10 for both issues
drawn by Ryan Stegman
colored by Sonia Oback
About a year ago, I genuinely enjoyed the work of legendary Spider-Man scribe Gerry Conway on a five-part story-arc in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man called "Spiral" which pitted Spider-Man against his one-time ally, the Wraith, a policewoman who also moonlighted as a costumed crime fighter, whose methods were becoming increasingly brutal (hence the title, implying her "spiral" into darkness). It was a satisfying read, and I honestly marveled at how sharp Conway, who's gotten on a bit in years, still was in terms of both his plotting and scripting. This is the man who killed Gwen Stacy over forty years ago, after all, but his dialogue is nicely updated and he still has a good handle on what makes Spidey tick.
In "Renew Your Vows" Conway revisits an alternate universe first imagined by regular Spider-Man writer Dan Slott several years ago, a reality in which Peter Parker and Mary Jane remain married with a daughter, Annie May Parker. In the first series, Spider-Man and his family faced off against Regent, a terrifying villain who, through a dazzling array of technology was able to absorb the powers of, and consequently defeat, several of the Marvel Universe's most powerful hereoes.
Here, Peter still takes pictures for the Daily Bugle rather than run his own company, though at least this time he's upgraded to a drone camera that takes better shots, while Mary Jane is an entrepreneur-cum-fashion blogger. In the first two issues of this new series, the Parkers face off against two opponents, Norman "Normie" Osborn II, who has bought the land where the vanquished Regent conducted his experiments, and all of the remaining technology on it, and the Mole Man, who can't really be bothered with the legal niceties of actually acquiring Regent's leftover tech and decides to take it the old-fashioned way: through monsters and moloids. Having used Regent's technology, Peter is able to transfer some of his powers to Mary Jane, and as a result, the Spider-powered family is all that stands in both Osborn's and the Mole Man's way.
It's gratifying that a writer who can claim as one of his career-defining moments the fact that he killed one of Spider-Man's supporting characters has managed to continue a story that brought back to life something which Marvel had long put in its grave: Peter Parker's marriage to Mary Jane Watson.
This is still very much an "alternate universe" story given that the mainstream Spider-Man over in the main title and its current event book, The Clone Conspiracy remains notably single, but it reads like the kind of Spider-Man book that I grew up with, though I confess I'm not much of a fan of Peter relying solely on his Spider-Man pics for his income. After all, over 15 years ago, J. Michael Straczynski had Peter take on the job of a high school teacher, and that run was well received, both critically and commercially. The whole photojournalist thing, after all Peter's been through, feels too much like a forced regression, even for a different reality. Still, Conway runs with it; the notion of a drone snapping pics is a winning idea, though one wonders why no one else seems to have thought of it. It's not earth-shattering stuff for the webslinger and his family, but these issues were an entertaining read just the same.
Stegman, whose art was a hit-or-miss affair for me back when he was drawing Superior Spider-Man appears to have greatly improved his craft since then, and although I'm not a fan of his design for Mary Jane's Spider-costume (assuming it was his), I generally enjoyed his work here, which looks a lot cleaner than it did when he drew the adventures of Spider-Ock.
Interestingly, sales for this book, or this "reality" seem pretty robust so far, so one wonders if Marvel has any plans to further milk this cow, and how long they'll do so.
8/10 for both issues
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