This won't be a long post.
The initial figures are in, and it seems that the return of Peter Parker to the pages of Spider-Man is quite highly anticipated, by comic book retailers at the very least. Orders for April's The Amazing Spider-Man #1 are estimated at over 500,000 copies (close to 600,000, actually). This is the most copies sold of any single issue since 2009's The Amazing Spider-Man #583, which featured a then newly-inaugurated President Barack Obama on the cover. These figures have, without a doubt, been inflated somewhat by the usual practice of offering variant covers as incentives to retailers, but it is still undoubtedly impressive.
I find myself chuckling at the thought of Peter's return generating such gargantuan sales considering that, prior to his "death" and replacement by Otto Octavius at the end of issue #700 of The Amazing Spider-Man, the title was averaging sales in the high 50,000s, with the occasional spike in sales due to some "event" storyline (or, as in the case of the Obama issue, a once-in-a-lifetime gimmick). For the thirty issues that Otto has been in charge, the flagship Spider-Man book, Superior Spider-Man, has never sold fewer than 75,000 copies in the United States. People liked the new direction.
Still, it apparently wasn't easy for writer Dan Slott, who actually received death threats, apart from the expected hate mail, over Peter's "death" back in 2012. He and Marvel must be heaving huge sighs of relief that their new series is off to such an "amazing" start.
Of course, it remains to be seen if the retailers' zeal is reflective of what their customers want, and even assuming they've got it right, it also remains to be seen what kind of long-term sales this new story direction can sustain. After all, gimmick-free, variant-cover-free Peter, back when he was still married and being written by J. Michael Straczynski, was regularly selling over 100,000 copies on the average, the kind of numbers publishers would probably kill for nowadays, but post "Brand New Day" Peter couldn't regularly sell much more than half that amount, barring the odd spike every so often due to "event" storylines.
Assuming Marvel have gotten it right and this new Amazing Spider-Man sustains, if not improves upon the monthly sales of Superior Spider-Man, I will definitely find it funny that to get people to read about Peter Parker's adventures, Marvel actually had to keep him out of his own title for over a year.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Monday, April 7, 2014
Spider-Jam: A Review of Ultimate Spider-Man #200
(writer) Brian Michael Bendis
(artists) David Marquez, Mark Bagley, Sara Pichelli, Mark Brooks, David LaFuente
In the three years that have passed since Marvel killed off the "ultimate" version of Peter Parker, a lot has happened to the world in which he used to live. Miles Morales has assumed the Spider-Man identity. The earth was almost destroyed by Galactus, and much death and destruction resulted.
In this issue, Peter's friends and loved ones meet up at May Parker's house to celebrate his life, while Miles, who never actually met Peter, has also been invited considering that he has chosen to carry on Peter's legacy. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and his artists take the opportunity of the 200th issue of Ultimate Spider-Man to truly and properly say goodbye to ultimate Peter Parker,
Each of the gathered characters asks the singular question: what would Peter have been like if he had lived to adulthood? The speculative answers which several members of Peter's supporting cast, and even Miles himself, give are visualized in lavish two-page spreads by the myriad guest artists whose work adorns this issue. Interestingly, and perhaps understandably enough, it's Miles' "vision" for Peter that is the least interesting, but illustrated as it is by Sara Pichelli, it still looks great.
Bendis has done this sort of thing --i.e. working with several artists on a single issue-- before, several times in fact, but perhaps most notably with the Avengers: Finale that Marvel published way back in 2004, where each of the Avengers (and Jarvis), in the wake of the death and destruction that resulted from the "Event" storyline titled "Avengers Disassembled" reminisced on what they thought the Avengers' greatest achievement was as a team.
This book is actually Bendis' best "jam session" yet, thanks to some very cohesive work from his artists. David Marquez's art provides the glue that effectively holds everything together, and Justin Ponsor's palette of colors really makes the work of each and every artist on the book pop. It doesn't have the disjointed feel that marred several of Bendis' previous "jam" works.
The writing feels more focused here, which says a lot considering how Bendis can often meander with his dialogue. It really comes across as a heartfelt sendoff to a character that Bendis genuinely loved, but who, in view of developments in the "mainstream" Marvel universe, had really just become superfluous. As sendoffs go, they don't get much better than this.
8.5/10
(artists) David Marquez, Mark Bagley, Sara Pichelli, Mark Brooks, David LaFuente
In the three years that have passed since Marvel killed off the "ultimate" version of Peter Parker, a lot has happened to the world in which he used to live. Miles Morales has assumed the Spider-Man identity. The earth was almost destroyed by Galactus, and much death and destruction resulted.
In this issue, Peter's friends and loved ones meet up at May Parker's house to celebrate his life, while Miles, who never actually met Peter, has also been invited considering that he has chosen to carry on Peter's legacy. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and his artists take the opportunity of the 200th issue of Ultimate Spider-Man to truly and properly say goodbye to ultimate Peter Parker,
Each of the gathered characters asks the singular question: what would Peter have been like if he had lived to adulthood? The speculative answers which several members of Peter's supporting cast, and even Miles himself, give are visualized in lavish two-page spreads by the myriad guest artists whose work adorns this issue. Interestingly, and perhaps understandably enough, it's Miles' "vision" for Peter that is the least interesting, but illustrated as it is by Sara Pichelli, it still looks great.
Bendis has done this sort of thing --i.e. working with several artists on a single issue-- before, several times in fact, but perhaps most notably with the Avengers: Finale that Marvel published way back in 2004, where each of the Avengers (and Jarvis), in the wake of the death and destruction that resulted from the "Event" storyline titled "Avengers Disassembled" reminisced on what they thought the Avengers' greatest achievement was as a team.
This book is actually Bendis' best "jam session" yet, thanks to some very cohesive work from his artists. David Marquez's art provides the glue that effectively holds everything together, and Justin Ponsor's palette of colors really makes the work of each and every artist on the book pop. It doesn't have the disjointed feel that marred several of Bendis' previous "jam" works.
The writing feels more focused here, which says a lot considering how Bendis can often meander with his dialogue. It really comes across as a heartfelt sendoff to a character that Bendis genuinely loved, but who, in view of developments in the "mainstream" Marvel universe, had really just become superfluous. As sendoffs go, they don't get much better than this.
8.5/10
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Late to the Party: A Review of Night of the Living Deadpool #3 and #4
(writer) Cullen Bunn
(artist) Ramon Rosanas
When I reviewed the first two issues of this miniseries I honestly didn't quite see the point, other than to cash in on the "Walking Dead"-inspired zombie craze and to showcase some gorgeous art by Spanish artist Ramon Rosanas. As it turns out, there's a method to all this madness. It doesn't quite justify what has been a largely hollow experience, but at least it ends on a high note (which I will not spoil). I got both these issues late, but given that I already reviewed the first two I decided to finish off the miniseries.
In issue #3, Deadpool deals with the genocidal old women he met at the end of issue #2 and is welcomed into what seems to be a thriving community of survivors. It is there that he meets former Advanced Idea Mechanics scientist and learns that he caused the outbreak in the first place. Also, a bite from a zombie that Deadpool sustained in issue #2 comes back to haunt him in a big way.
In issue #4, Deadpool sets out to cure the world of the zombie malady by heading back to where it all started: the laboratories of A.I.M., but what he finds out is not quite what he expected.
Considering that Wade Wilson/Deadpool was originally conceived as a parody of DC Comics' Slade Wilson/Deathstroke the Terminator, it is only fitting that he is placed smack in the middle of a parody of one of the most well-worn pop-culture genres, the zombie apocalypse. The first two issues went through the laundry list of zombie story tropes, seemingly without much new to say, but the third issue picks things up a little bit, and the fourth issue delivers a surprising, if somewhat anticlimactic finale. Still, it's a very, very "Deadpool" way to end the miniseries.
My favorite Deadpool miniseries remains to be "Wade Wilson's War" because of how unabashedly crazy it was, and how both writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Jason Pearson captured that insanity in the four issues spanning the miniseries. This series is nowhere near the acid-trip that series was and, really, is just yet another zombie book with a nice twist at the end. Bunn turns in a serviceable story but really, it never did stand out, even as a parody.
Ramon Rosanas' work, though, is really something wonderful to behold, and I for one would really love it if he worked on a more mainstream book someday.
7/10 (both issues)
(artist) Ramon Rosanas
When I reviewed the first two issues of this miniseries I honestly didn't quite see the point, other than to cash in on the "Walking Dead"-inspired zombie craze and to showcase some gorgeous art by Spanish artist Ramon Rosanas. As it turns out, there's a method to all this madness. It doesn't quite justify what has been a largely hollow experience, but at least it ends on a high note (which I will not spoil). I got both these issues late, but given that I already reviewed the first two I decided to finish off the miniseries.
In issue #3, Deadpool deals with the genocidal old women he met at the end of issue #2 and is welcomed into what seems to be a thriving community of survivors. It is there that he meets former Advanced Idea Mechanics scientist and learns that he caused the outbreak in the first place. Also, a bite from a zombie that Deadpool sustained in issue #2 comes back to haunt him in a big way.
In issue #4, Deadpool sets out to cure the world of the zombie malady by heading back to where it all started: the laboratories of A.I.M., but what he finds out is not quite what he expected.
Considering that Wade Wilson/Deadpool was originally conceived as a parody of DC Comics' Slade Wilson/Deathstroke the Terminator, it is only fitting that he is placed smack in the middle of a parody of one of the most well-worn pop-culture genres, the zombie apocalypse. The first two issues went through the laundry list of zombie story tropes, seemingly without much new to say, but the third issue picks things up a little bit, and the fourth issue delivers a surprising, if somewhat anticlimactic finale. Still, it's a very, very "Deadpool" way to end the miniseries.
My favorite Deadpool miniseries remains to be "Wade Wilson's War" because of how unabashedly crazy it was, and how both writer Duane Swierczynski and artist Jason Pearson captured that insanity in the four issues spanning the miniseries. This series is nowhere near the acid-trip that series was and, really, is just yet another zombie book with a nice twist at the end. Bunn turns in a serviceable story but really, it never did stand out, even as a parody.
Ramon Rosanas' work, though, is really something wonderful to behold, and I for one would really love it if he worked on a more mainstream book someday.
7/10 (both issues)
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
A Spoiler Free Review of the Season 4 Finale of "The Walking Dead"
"A"
written by Scott Gimple
directed by Michelle MacLaren
After getting basically knocked on my ass by the recent episode of The Walking Dead, title "The Grove," which featured some arguably some of the most disturbing fratricide ever featured on television if not mass media in general, I expected a truly terrifying finale. The penultimate episode, while it featured quite a few zombies, felt somewhat transitional, like it was designed simply to get the characters involved into a certain position in time for the finale.
The last episode definitely delivered on its promise of chills, and as with the more truly disturbing TWD episodes, it was living, breathing humans, not the walking dead, that proved to be truly scary.
To be as spoiler-free as possible I will keep the synopsis short and sweet. This episode focuses on Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Carl (Chandler Rigg), Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). It features two climactic, extremely violent confrontations, and ends with one hell of a cliffhanger. Suffice to say, "Terminus," which has been the buzzword for the entire second half of season 4, was not at all what the survivors were hoping to find. That's basically it; anything more could give away some of the nasty shocks the episode has in store for viewers.
Fans of the show familiar with the comic book series and its twists may recognize Terminus and the true nature of its inhabitants, but to the credit of the people running the TV show, although they've shown us a little bit of what the "Terminians" are really like, as well as certain hints here and there, they haven't quite shown their hand just yet; they're saving that for Season 5.
This episode, however, belongs to Rick. The narrative is interspersed with flashbacks to the prison which, prior to the second invasion by governor-led forces of its walls, was truly becoming a home to Rick, and which are effectively juxtaposed with the violence and paranoia in which Rick and the tattered remains of his crew find themselves caught up. He is both cunning and unbelievably brutal in this episode, and both Scott Gimple's script and Andrew Lincoln's gut-wrenching performance remind viewers why Rick is the series' lead character, even though he's been away for several episodes at a time. Rick's journey is an utterly compelling one, and the manner in which Lincoln inhabits the character makes it hard for me to imagine anyone else playing him with the same effectiveness.
Though these events may be familiar to readers of the comic book, the TV creators have shown time and again that, while they strive for the most part to pay faithful homage to those pages, they have not shied away from some pretty radical deviations time and again. People hale and hearty in the comics have bitten the dust (or been bitten) in the TV show, so basically the rule is that nobody is safe.
Heck of a way to end the season, really...
9/10
written by Scott Gimple
directed by Michelle MacLaren
After getting basically knocked on my ass by the recent episode of The Walking Dead, title "The Grove," which featured some arguably some of the most disturbing fratricide ever featured on television if not mass media in general, I expected a truly terrifying finale. The penultimate episode, while it featured quite a few zombies, felt somewhat transitional, like it was designed simply to get the characters involved into a certain position in time for the finale.
The last episode definitely delivered on its promise of chills, and as with the more truly disturbing TWD episodes, it was living, breathing humans, not the walking dead, that proved to be truly scary.
To be as spoiler-free as possible I will keep the synopsis short and sweet. This episode focuses on Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Carl (Chandler Rigg), Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Daryl (Norman Reedus). It features two climactic, extremely violent confrontations, and ends with one hell of a cliffhanger. Suffice to say, "Terminus," which has been the buzzword for the entire second half of season 4, was not at all what the survivors were hoping to find. That's basically it; anything more could give away some of the nasty shocks the episode has in store for viewers.
Fans of the show familiar with the comic book series and its twists may recognize Terminus and the true nature of its inhabitants, but to the credit of the people running the TV show, although they've shown us a little bit of what the "Terminians" are really like, as well as certain hints here and there, they haven't quite shown their hand just yet; they're saving that for Season 5.
This episode, however, belongs to Rick. The narrative is interspersed with flashbacks to the prison which, prior to the second invasion by governor-led forces of its walls, was truly becoming a home to Rick, and which are effectively juxtaposed with the violence and paranoia in which Rick and the tattered remains of his crew find themselves caught up. He is both cunning and unbelievably brutal in this episode, and both Scott Gimple's script and Andrew Lincoln's gut-wrenching performance remind viewers why Rick is the series' lead character, even though he's been away for several episodes at a time. Rick's journey is an utterly compelling one, and the manner in which Lincoln inhabits the character makes it hard for me to imagine anyone else playing him with the same effectiveness.
Though these events may be familiar to readers of the comic book, the TV creators have shown time and again that, while they strive for the most part to pay faithful homage to those pages, they have not shied away from some pretty radical deviations time and again. People hale and hearty in the comics have bitten the dust (or been bitten) in the TV show, so basically the rule is that nobody is safe.
Heck of a way to end the season, really...
9/10
Thursday, March 27, 2014
(MAJOR SPOILERS) A Review of Superior Spider-Man #30
(writers) Dan Slott and Christos Gage
(penciler) Giuseppe Camuncoli
(inkers) John Dell, Terry Fallot
(colorist) Antonio Fabela
Again...SPOILERS. You've been warned.
This issue, the penultimate issue of the Superior Spider-Man series, features the full restoration of Peter Parker as the master of his own body, ending Otto Octavius's thirty issue tenure as Spider-Man. Peter's consciousness reemerged, after having been apparently deleted by Otto back in issue #9, back in issue #25 to defeat the Venom symbiote, but he kept a low profile, biding his time and waiting for the right opportunity. In this issue, with the Green Goblin and his crew having turned New York City upside down and with Spider-Ock basically helpless to stop them, Peter finally makes his presence known once more to Spider-Ock, who makes an unexpectedly noble decision.
The next issue wraps up the series and the "Goblin War" saga, but to my mind THIS is the issue that really counts, THIS is the issue that fans will be talking about years after its publication, because it is here that Peter makes his grand return, and in such a striking fashion. He doesn't wrest his life back from Otto Octavius; Otto willingly and with all humility cedes it to him. This isn't even a case of Otto abandoning his duties as Spider-Man when the odds prove too great; he doesn't abdicate the responsibilities he has assumed as Spider-Man in the face of the ongoing threat and leave Peter to clean up the mess.
No, the scene in which Otto returns Peter's body to him is some of the most powerful writing I have seen in the pages of a Spider-Man comic book. For me, it's right up there with Peter's conversation with Aunt May back in 2002 in which she, finally having uncovered his secret identity, took him to task for lying to her for years. Otto takes his leave of Spider-Man's body because he realizes, and admits that Peter Parker is and always will be the better hero, and that it is Peter Parker that New York needs right now. This is the moment of redemption for Otto Octavius that Dan Slott promised for the character when this series was launched. Otto finally has the courage to do the right thing and embrace the death that was waiting for him when he was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury years ago.
Granted, comics being comics, Otto will probably be back eventually, and things being the way they are I'm sure some writer will come up with an excuse to have him act like a villain again, but after this series in general and this issue in particular I cannot imagine any writer or editor wanting to restore the Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus dynamic to the way it used to be. The way I see it, whenever Doc Ock should pop up again down the line, things between him and Spidey will never be the same again.
I have never been the biggest fan of artist Giuseppe Camuncoli, whom the people at Marvel fondly call "Cammo," but to my mind he's done himself proud here, even though his dodgy anatomy issues, as well as the other quirks that keep me from really getting into his art, pop up time and again. The important thing is that in this issue, he gets his art right in the scenes where it really counts.
Given that the first three issues of the relaunched Amazing Spider-Man series have already been solicited, it is officially a given that Peter will take down the Goblin Army somehow, and it was always something of a given anyway, so this is the issue that really and truly matters.
If I may be so bold as to make a prediction, however, it is this: given that Spider-Ock has effectively turned Spider-Man into public enemy #1, even among his fellow superheroes, he is going to have a hell of a time convincing people he's on the side of the angels, and therefore anyone who might help convince people of that will be dispatched. I will hazard a guess that the one other character aside from Peter who knows about the mind swap, namely Carlie Cooper, will die.
I guess we'll find out in two weeks' time...
4/5
(penciler) Giuseppe Camuncoli
(inkers) John Dell, Terry Fallot
(colorist) Antonio Fabela
Again...SPOILERS. You've been warned.
This issue, the penultimate issue of the Superior Spider-Man series, features the full restoration of Peter Parker as the master of his own body, ending Otto Octavius's thirty issue tenure as Spider-Man. Peter's consciousness reemerged, after having been apparently deleted by Otto back in issue #9, back in issue #25 to defeat the Venom symbiote, but he kept a low profile, biding his time and waiting for the right opportunity. In this issue, with the Green Goblin and his crew having turned New York City upside down and with Spider-Ock basically helpless to stop them, Peter finally makes his presence known once more to Spider-Ock, who makes an unexpectedly noble decision.
The next issue wraps up the series and the "Goblin War" saga, but to my mind THIS is the issue that really counts, THIS is the issue that fans will be talking about years after its publication, because it is here that Peter makes his grand return, and in such a striking fashion. He doesn't wrest his life back from Otto Octavius; Otto willingly and with all humility cedes it to him. This isn't even a case of Otto abandoning his duties as Spider-Man when the odds prove too great; he doesn't abdicate the responsibilities he has assumed as Spider-Man in the face of the ongoing threat and leave Peter to clean up the mess.
No, the scene in which Otto returns Peter's body to him is some of the most powerful writing I have seen in the pages of a Spider-Man comic book. For me, it's right up there with Peter's conversation with Aunt May back in 2002 in which she, finally having uncovered his secret identity, took him to task for lying to her for years. Otto takes his leave of Spider-Man's body because he realizes, and admits that Peter Parker is and always will be the better hero, and that it is Peter Parker that New York needs right now. This is the moment of redemption for Otto Octavius that Dan Slott promised for the character when this series was launched. Otto finally has the courage to do the right thing and embrace the death that was waiting for him when he was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury years ago.
Granted, comics being comics, Otto will probably be back eventually, and things being the way they are I'm sure some writer will come up with an excuse to have him act like a villain again, but after this series in general and this issue in particular I cannot imagine any writer or editor wanting to restore the Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus dynamic to the way it used to be. The way I see it, whenever Doc Ock should pop up again down the line, things between him and Spidey will never be the same again.
I have never been the biggest fan of artist Giuseppe Camuncoli, whom the people at Marvel fondly call "Cammo," but to my mind he's done himself proud here, even though his dodgy anatomy issues, as well as the other quirks that keep me from really getting into his art, pop up time and again. The important thing is that in this issue, he gets his art right in the scenes where it really counts.
Given that the first three issues of the relaunched Amazing Spider-Man series have already been solicited, it is officially a given that Peter will take down the Goblin Army somehow, and it was always something of a given anyway, so this is the issue that really and truly matters.
If I may be so bold as to make a prediction, however, it is this: given that Spider-Ock has effectively turned Spider-Man into public enemy #1, even among his fellow superheroes, he is going to have a hell of a time convincing people he's on the side of the angels, and therefore anyone who might help convince people of that will be dispatched. I will hazard a guess that the one other character aside from Peter who knows about the mind swap, namely Carlie Cooper, will die.
I guess we'll find out in two weeks' time...
4/5
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Multiple Spideys and Dan Slott
Well, Peter Parker isn't even back in control of his own skin yet, but it seems Marvel have already got a heck of a lot lined up for him upon his much-hyped return. Later this year, every single Spider-Man who ever saw publication will team up with Peter in five-issue adventure pitting him (and them, I assume) against Morlun, the deadly, seemingly unstoppable quasi-vampire created by former Spidey writer J. Michael Straczynski back in 2001, who nearly killed Spidey in the very first story in which he was introduced, and who ACTUALLY killed him four years later in another mammoth storyline, "The Other." Spider-Man got better, of course, only to be "killed" by Doctor Octopus some years later, but apparently Morlun wants to take another crack at putting Peter Parker in the ground for good.
With French artist Olivier Coipel (of Thor and The Siege fame) on art duties, I feel assured that this book will look better than it has in years; with due respect to the current rotating crop of artists like Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli, their work is, at its best competent, and at its worst (especially in Ramos' case) quite difficult to look at, while Coipel is certified A-list.
The real question for me, though, is how writer Dan Slott will pull such an ambitious story off; his audacious Ock-as-Spidey series was basically just one extended storyline, and even though it definitely had its pitfalls here and then I really have to hand it to the guy for having the balls to attempt and actually succeed at something that, years ago, might have seemed bats**t crazy to the folks at Marvel editorial.
Slott's not my favorite writer at the moment, that distinction goes to Mark Waid, currently writing Daredevil and who has also written an upcoming Spider-Man graphic novel with James Robinson and Gabrielle Del'Otto, but I do enjoy his work quite a bit, and, love him or hate him, I don't think anyone can deny that where Spidey is concerned, the guy thinks big. Slott's predecessor, J. Michael Straczynski had a storied, often debated six-year run on The Amazing Spider-Man, of which I have the first thirty-three issues (with John Romita Jr.) a few in between, and the controversial final four (which contained the status-quo shattering "One More Day" storyline with art by then Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada). In none of the issues that I have, nor any of those that I have read or heard about, have I seen a sense of scope to rival that which Slott puts on display in his run. It's not that Slott's necessarily a better writer; he's just more ambitious in terms of scope.
Straczynski was content to write his own Spidey stories and introduce new, ultimately forgettable characters like the Shade, a Doc Ock usurper named Carlyle, the gamma-powered monster made up of dead mobsters called Digger, and Shathra, a mysterious, murderous woman who, I think, was meant to be a spider-wasp. And then, of course, there was the debacle of having Norman Osborn retroactively sire twins by the late, lamented Gwen Stacy, twins which were actually supposed to have been Peter's. Fortunately, I didn't stick around for that story. Morlun, however, stood out, and though he may be derivative in some respects, being a vampire of sorts whose name sounds a little too much like Morbius, an existing Marvel vampire, for comfort, those first six issues of his appearance were really electrifying to read. I am therefore genuinely curious to see what Slott has planned for the character, who has quite literally been in limbo, or Marvel Comics' version of it, since another writer used him in a Black Panther story.
Sure the hype machine is starting up early for this story, but considering that Marvel actually delivered on the last Spider-event it hyped, namely Superior Spider-Man, I'm definitely along for the ride this time.
With French artist Olivier Coipel (of Thor and The Siege fame) on art duties, I feel assured that this book will look better than it has in years; with due respect to the current rotating crop of artists like Humberto Ramos and Giuseppe Camuncoli, their work is, at its best competent, and at its worst (especially in Ramos' case) quite difficult to look at, while Coipel is certified A-list.
The real question for me, though, is how writer Dan Slott will pull such an ambitious story off; his audacious Ock-as-Spidey series was basically just one extended storyline, and even though it definitely had its pitfalls here and then I really have to hand it to the guy for having the balls to attempt and actually succeed at something that, years ago, might have seemed bats**t crazy to the folks at Marvel editorial.
Slott's not my favorite writer at the moment, that distinction goes to Mark Waid, currently writing Daredevil and who has also written an upcoming Spider-Man graphic novel with James Robinson and Gabrielle Del'Otto, but I do enjoy his work quite a bit, and, love him or hate him, I don't think anyone can deny that where Spidey is concerned, the guy thinks big. Slott's predecessor, J. Michael Straczynski had a storied, often debated six-year run on The Amazing Spider-Man, of which I have the first thirty-three issues (with John Romita Jr.) a few in between, and the controversial final four (which contained the status-quo shattering "One More Day" storyline with art by then Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada). In none of the issues that I have, nor any of those that I have read or heard about, have I seen a sense of scope to rival that which Slott puts on display in his run. It's not that Slott's necessarily a better writer; he's just more ambitious in terms of scope.
Straczynski was content to write his own Spidey stories and introduce new, ultimately forgettable characters like the Shade, a Doc Ock usurper named Carlyle, the gamma-powered monster made up of dead mobsters called Digger, and Shathra, a mysterious, murderous woman who, I think, was meant to be a spider-wasp. And then, of course, there was the debacle of having Norman Osborn retroactively sire twins by the late, lamented Gwen Stacy, twins which were actually supposed to have been Peter's. Fortunately, I didn't stick around for that story. Morlun, however, stood out, and though he may be derivative in some respects, being a vampire of sorts whose name sounds a little too much like Morbius, an existing Marvel vampire, for comfort, those first six issues of his appearance were really electrifying to read. I am therefore genuinely curious to see what Slott has planned for the character, who has quite literally been in limbo, or Marvel Comics' version of it, since another writer used him in a Black Panther story.
Sure the hype machine is starting up early for this story, but considering that Marvel actually delivered on the last Spider-event it hyped, namely Superior Spider-Man, I'm definitely along for the ride this time.
Monday, March 24, 2014
New Numbering, Same Awesomeness: A Review of Daredevil #1
Mark Waid (writer)
Chris Samnee (artist)
Javier Rodriguez (colorist)
When Mark Waid rebooted Daredevil some three years ago, with artist Paolo Rivera, he completely ripped up the form book on the character, throwing out a Frank Milleresque/noir-inspired status quo that had been in place for decades. Much more importantly, he wrote some of the best stories that had been seen on the book in years, and people took notice. As it turns out, however, he was just getting started and when he was joined by artist Chris Samnee more or less a year into this new direction for the character, their collaboration became one for the ages. Month after month, the book maintained a steady, if not quite large fanbase, and critics gushed on a regular basis.
A little over a year into the Waid/Samnee team-up, Marvel decided that it was worth raising the profile of this partnership a little bit, and therefore "rewarded" the duo with a spanking new #1 and a redesigned logo. Waid and Samnee built up to this relaunch with two meaty story arcs that expertly set the stage for a radically different status quo for the title character as well as his supporting cast and opened a lot of new possibilities.
This new relaunch opens with lawyer Matt Murdock, who moonlights as costumed vigilante Daredevil, having left his native New York and moved to the West Coast, specifically San Francisco, in view of the events of the last few issues of the previous series (which I will not spoil). He faces a new threat; a mysterious group of men kidnap the daughter of the deputy mayor, apparently as part of a planned terrorist attack. Of course, none of them factored Daredevil into their plans.
This issue had a lot to live up to; it had to justify the re-numbering, carry on the standard of quality that Waid and Samnee had established, and, as with all #1s entice new readers. I have no idea how successful Marvel were at the third goal, but to my mind they'd accomplished the first and the second spectacularly. They basically started this new series sprinting right out the gate, or firing on all cylinders, depending on one's choice of high-performance metaphors.
In particular, they achieved, with this issue, the rare feat of giving readers a "done-in-one" or an issue that tells a complete, standalone story, and at the same time rather brilliantly setting up what I'm sure is a larger narrative thread. This is something I rarely see; writers like Grant Morrison and Mark Millar made rather self-serving claims to have written such issues of the comic books they were writing in the past (both of which I have read), but neither of them quite captured that perfect blend of both "standalone" and "part of something bigger" that this issue did.
More than simple chop-sockey, fast-paced action, though, what really set this issue, and the book in general, apart was how it placed emphasis on Murdock's greatest weapon in his fight against crime: his brain. Daredevil is far from some omniscient, uber-genius who can cobble together a suit of armor from scrap metal or build a wide array of gadgets, vehicles and weapons with which to fight crime, but his greatest asset, (one which Waid arguably uses better than almost anyone else who has written this character) is his ability to think on his feet, or to be more literal about it, in mid-air. Samnee captures it all perfectly, giving easily the most kinetically-charged issue I've seen from this team so far, and it's only been one issue!
Waid leaves plenty of breadcrumbs to entice readers to come back for future issues, such as the fate of Matt's law partner Foggy Nelson, still battling cancer as he was at the end of the last series, but with an apparently new twist. To my mind, however, these little teases are not at all necessary; I'm already on board for the long haul.
What's the justification for the additional dollar on the cover price (and its equivalent in our Philippine peso)? Well quite frankly, if it means paying Waid and Samnee more than they used to receive, I can't think of two gentlemen in the comics industry who deserve it more.
5/5
Chris Samnee (artist)
Javier Rodriguez (colorist)
When Mark Waid rebooted Daredevil some three years ago, with artist Paolo Rivera, he completely ripped up the form book on the character, throwing out a Frank Milleresque/noir-inspired status quo that had been in place for decades. Much more importantly, he wrote some of the best stories that had been seen on the book in years, and people took notice. As it turns out, however, he was just getting started and when he was joined by artist Chris Samnee more or less a year into this new direction for the character, their collaboration became one for the ages. Month after month, the book maintained a steady, if not quite large fanbase, and critics gushed on a regular basis.
A little over a year into the Waid/Samnee team-up, Marvel decided that it was worth raising the profile of this partnership a little bit, and therefore "rewarded" the duo with a spanking new #1 and a redesigned logo. Waid and Samnee built up to this relaunch with two meaty story arcs that expertly set the stage for a radically different status quo for the title character as well as his supporting cast and opened a lot of new possibilities.
This new relaunch opens with lawyer Matt Murdock, who moonlights as costumed vigilante Daredevil, having left his native New York and moved to the West Coast, specifically San Francisco, in view of the events of the last few issues of the previous series (which I will not spoil). He faces a new threat; a mysterious group of men kidnap the daughter of the deputy mayor, apparently as part of a planned terrorist attack. Of course, none of them factored Daredevil into their plans.
This issue had a lot to live up to; it had to justify the re-numbering, carry on the standard of quality that Waid and Samnee had established, and, as with all #1s entice new readers. I have no idea how successful Marvel were at the third goal, but to my mind they'd accomplished the first and the second spectacularly. They basically started this new series sprinting right out the gate, or firing on all cylinders, depending on one's choice of high-performance metaphors.
In particular, they achieved, with this issue, the rare feat of giving readers a "done-in-one" or an issue that tells a complete, standalone story, and at the same time rather brilliantly setting up what I'm sure is a larger narrative thread. This is something I rarely see; writers like Grant Morrison and Mark Millar made rather self-serving claims to have written such issues of the comic books they were writing in the past (both of which I have read), but neither of them quite captured that perfect blend of both "standalone" and "part of something bigger" that this issue did.
More than simple chop-sockey, fast-paced action, though, what really set this issue, and the book in general, apart was how it placed emphasis on Murdock's greatest weapon in his fight against crime: his brain. Daredevil is far from some omniscient, uber-genius who can cobble together a suit of armor from scrap metal or build a wide array of gadgets, vehicles and weapons with which to fight crime, but his greatest asset, (one which Waid arguably uses better than almost anyone else who has written this character) is his ability to think on his feet, or to be more literal about it, in mid-air. Samnee captures it all perfectly, giving easily the most kinetically-charged issue I've seen from this team so far, and it's only been one issue!
Waid leaves plenty of breadcrumbs to entice readers to come back for future issues, such as the fate of Matt's law partner Foggy Nelson, still battling cancer as he was at the end of the last series, but with an apparently new twist. To my mind, however, these little teases are not at all necessary; I'm already on board for the long haul.
What's the justification for the additional dollar on the cover price (and its equivalent in our Philippine peso)? Well quite frankly, if it means paying Waid and Samnee more than they used to receive, I can't think of two gentlemen in the comics industry who deserve it more.
5/5
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