Forming the Fist: A Review of Daredevil #2, #3 and #4

 written by Chip Zdarsky

drawn by Marco Checchetto, Rafael de la Torre (issues #2, 3, and 4) and various (issue #2)

Having wrapped up his first three years on Daredevil with the highly satisfying "Devil's Reign" writer Chip Zdarsky and his rotating roster of artists led by DD veteran Marco Checchetto now set about telling the story of how Matt and Elektra will team up to take down the Hand, once and for all (or at least until another writer comes up with a more "definitive" story about the Hand).  It involves Matt tying up some loose ends, like saying his goodbyes to his old life in New York, and diving into a supernatural world the likes of which even he has never seen before, and committing to not only his cause, but to Elektra, in a way he never has before.

Basically Zdarsky shakes up the status quo yet again, albeit this time following two years of foreshadowing. This feels like Act 2 of Zdarsky's plan for the character, and while I quite vocally disagreed with some of his creative decisions in his 2018-2021 run of issues, "Devil's Reign" was more than enough compensation and I'm willing to see this through. With this four issue run, though, one of them being a supersized anniversary issue, Zdarsky isn't off to the smoothest start as a lot of these three issues felt like filler, especially the anniversary issue which was basically just an excuse to showcase the work of guest artists, but at least things are moving along.

I was genuinely impressed that Marco Checchetto managed to draw all six issues of "Devil's Reign" so I confess to being slightly disappointed that he did not manage the first four issues of this new run, but at least Rafael de la Torre is of comparable talent, and there is a bit of visual consistency here, so I'm hoping they can keep it together for the duration of this run. 

7.5/10

Goblins, Goblins and More Goblins: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #s 11, 12 and 13

 written by Zeb Wells

drawn by John Romita, Jr. and Scott Hanna

colored by Marcio Menyz

Following the single-issue crossover with the Avengers vs. X-Men vs. Eternals event, Judgment Day, Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man resumes his adventures, this time having to face off against an old enemy, the Hobgoblin, who may or may not be Ned Leeds or Roderick Kingsley. Meanwhile, Peter has to keep an eye on his employer, Norman Osborn who has apparently been conducting dealings with the sinister Kingsley and may well be flirting with the darker past he professes to have left behind. It all comes to a head when Hobgoblin launches a deadly, sudden strike and Spider-Man has to chase him down, only to get way more than what he bargained for.

Thirteen issues into this new status quo, I find it distinctly gratifying that at no point has writer Zeb Wells introduced a brand new character or brought about a "shocking" new status quo for any existing ones. Everything featured in this story is pretty much an organic continuation of what Wells' predecessors on this book, particularly Nick Spencer, have already laid down. I especially like how Wells has created genuine tension around the "will he, won't he" question of whether or not Norman Osborn can be goaded back into his old, villainous self after the literally soul-changing events of "Sins Past."  As a reader, I genuinely find myself rooting for old Norman here; the Parker arch-nemesis shtick was getting old, whether it was Slott or even Spencer retreading it. It's really nice to see Wells further developing Spencer's ideas. Again, by excising "Sins Past" from the canon, Spencer has made it possible to really plumb the depths of Osborn's conscience, including how he now feels about the murder of Gwen Stacy, and Wells is doing a really good job running with the baton here.

I know there are at least some readers taking issue with how Wells has broken up Peter and Mary Jane yet again, and who are basically pointing out that Marvel is perpetually stunting Peter's emotional growth. While I understand that frustration, I must respectfully disagree with it, as this iteration of Peter has learned form mistakes and heartache; he's working with Norman not just because he's hard on his luck and in need of a job but because he genuinely wants to help him be the better person that Norman is trying to be. This Peter is definitely a wiser, more experienced Peter and Wells has paid due respect to the stories that have come before. Sure, he may have broken up with Mary Jane for now, but I know the explanation is forthcoming. I also trust, given how well Zeb Wells is handling this story, that it will be  a reasonable one.  

Another factor that makes this book consistently compelling to read is something I didn't think I'd see with John Romita Jr.'s return to the book; his work actually seems to be getting incrementally better with each passing issue. 

Now, I don't mean that JR Jr is suddenly reinventing himself; this is an elder statesman of the comic book world, after all, as the guy is in his mid sixties.   I had noted, though that towards the end of his days on The Amazing Spider-Man with J. Michael Straczynski, his work simply didn't look quite as clean as it did in the best issues of that thirty-something issue run. My favorites, in particular were his issues that came out in 2002 and 2003. He even came back for a couple of brief runs during the whole "Brand New Day" era but the magic was never quite recaptured, even when he moved on to other Marvel books and over to DC.  His work here on his run with Wells looks cleaner than it has in years, and his normally harsh, blocky line-work has, however incrementally, softened a bit, allowing for more expression in his characters' faces.  He may not have changed his art style, but it is surprisingly nice to see that even this late in his decades-long career he is still capable of fine-tuning his approach. 

Next issue, the much-hyped "Dark Web" crossover with the X-Men books finally begins, but from the preview material I've seen it looks like the ongoing saga of Norman Osborn's rehabilitation from his life of violent crime will continue, and I for one am very much along for the ride. 

9/10

Judgment Day: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #10

 written by Zeb Wells

drawn by Nick Dragotta

colored by Marcio Menyz

From teasing one crossover to actually taking part in another, The Amazing Spider-Man features a single issue story that ties into the ongoing crossover event featuring the Avengers vs X-Men vs Eternals. Unlike the "Dark Web" tease that Marvel gave readers last issue, though, which was pretty light on story, this issue, in just a few pages gives arguably one of the meatiest Peter Parker stories I've read in a long time, right up there with the likes of "The Conversation" by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr. 

In a nutshell, following the events of A v X v E, the Progenitor, the Celestial which used to serve as the Avengers' headquarters, has decided  to judge all of humanity, and that means appearing to each and every human everywhere and telling them if they're "worthy," whatever that means.  In many cases, apparently the Celestial appears to people as someone significant from their lives, and after observing them for a time, passes judgment on them.

In Peter Parker's case, the Celestial manifests to him as the late Gwen Stacy and as Peter goes about his day, with "Gwen" hovering around him with watchful eyes he finds himself wondering just how Gwen would judge the way he has lived his life.  This is what concerns him, even more than the imminent judgment of the Progenitor.

This is the kind of story that Nick Spencer, by undoing the abominable "Sins Past" made possible.  The stain that story left on Gwen Stacy as a character made it hard...if not impossible...to write stories about her without that getting brought up. Thank you again, Nick Spencer, 

And thank you, Zeb Wells.  It's interesting how it took a writer who's even younger than I am to tell a story that exemplifies just what Gwen Stacy means to Peter. By now, she has been dead far, far longer than she was ever alive in the comics, and yet her legacy of her character, and what she means to the Spider-Man mythos, is as strong as it has ever been. This is some of Wells' strongest work on a run in which he has gone from strength to strength.

The art by guest artist Nick Dragotta is charming and has a lovely Marcos Martin and even Tim Sale vibe to it.   I wouldn't mind seeing more from him down the line.

If the last issue felt disposable, this feels like essential reading, the kind of story that could show up in compilations of moments that really mattered in Peter's life. 

9.5/10

Chillin' in Krakoa: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #9

 written by Zeb Wells

drawn by Patrick Gleason

colored by Marcio Menyz

As a bit of a teaser to "Dark Web," an upcoming multi-issue crossover even between Spider-Man and the X-Men,  Marvel has Spidey show up in the X-Men's home country of Krakoa, where he kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. He and Wolverine take on the big bad person of the moment, Moira MacTaggert (whom I actually thought was a good guy, but that just goes to show I haven't been following the book), who's holding Peter's estranged flame Mary Jane Watson hostage.

Writer Zeb Wells reunites with his "Beyond" era collaborator Patrick Gleason, whose work here is still eye-candy but nowhere near the level he was at when he was illustrating the adventures of Ben Reilly. It's a somewhat disposable story and a bit of a blip in Wells' otherwise sterling track record on this series so far.  It's...very nice to look at but there's not much else to say about it, really. 

Oddly enough, I'm fond of one-shot issues; they seem increasingly rare nowadays, but the strength really relies on the story, and this one just falls short of the standard Wells has set recently. 

7/10

Old Enemies, New Friends: A Review of The Amazing Spider-Man #7 and #8

written by Zeb Wells

drawn John Romita, Jr. (p) Scott Hanna (i)

colored by Marcio Menyz

Peter Parker's latest series of misadventures continues as he meets up with Norman Osborn to discuss a potential job offer.  When Peter sees that Norman has made a ham-handed attempt to get him to talking to his estranged girlfriend Mary Jane, who has also paid Osborn's company a visit, he storms out, even though he and Norman have started work on a rather special project together, one that they had apparently started during the mysterious six months that preceded the current status quo. When an old enemy launches an unexpectedly brutal attack, though, Peter realizes he may need to get his hands on that special project after all, as his very life may depend on it.

This is a late review because things got in the way of my picking up these issues, and because, odd as this may sound, I was actually so satisfied with the mammoth issue #6 I wasn't quite ready to resume following Spidey's adventures. 

Anyway, Zeb Wells reunites with John Romita, Jr. for a brief but exciting  two-issue story pitting Peter against a particularly unhinged Vulture, and debuting the long-hyped new suit that Peter developed with no less than his old arch-enemy Norman Osborn.  After taking several months off following Nick Spencer's explosive conclusion to his run, Osborn is back, and, apparently has completely turned over a new leaf, courtesy of Spencer's "Sins Past" arc which had a resurrected Sin Eater quite literally erasing Norman's sins, something neither he nor Peter really understand.  I quite like how Wells' has taken Spencer's shift to the status quo and made it particularly interesting by posing a simple question: how long will Norman stay "good?" Rather than make it a foregone conclusion that his conversion is a temporary thing, Wells actually makes it a point of tension that could keep things interesting for quite a while. 

Then, there's Romita Jr.'s artwork, which, again, looks better than it has in years. I know I've said this already, but Wells really seems to grasp better than many, if not most of the writers who've worked with JR Jr just how extraordinary his storytelling prowess is. He's not just a guy drawing the writer's pictures; he's very much a co-narrator, and these issues reinforce that. 

I'm not a huge fan of the "new suit" which doesn't really look all that different from the old one, but I'm willing to wait and see what they have in store for this new outfit. The last one they tried to introduce last year didn't really go anywhere, so I don't really see this one sticking around very long either. Still, it is an interesting story point. 

9/10

First Year is Done: A Review of Strange Academy, Vol. 3

written by Skottie Young

drawn by Humberto Ramos

colored by Edgar Delgado

A thing I have found funny about comic books featuring kids is how weirdly elastic time can be. 

Strange Academy, a book which kicked off just before the COVID-19 pandemic, ended its first 18 issues earlier this year, and within the book, the kids' first school has just ended with a bit of a bang. Suffice it to say that Emily Bright and the vast majority of her classmates have had enough of the lies and manipulations perpetrated by the adults running the Strange Academy, led here by Jericho Drumm, aka Doctor Voodoo and have taken drastic action. Also, Doyle Dormammu confronts anew the terrible visions he's been shown of the future and comes to a frightening realization. Also, how will all of this play out given that Doctor Strange is dead?

As I was saying earlier, time is an oddly elastic thing in comic books. Peter Parker, for example, has been a twentysomething college graduate for forty years now. He stopped aging in real time sometime in the 1970s and even though he's progressed a bit over the years, every so often, every time he's been on the the cusp of some very adult breakthrough in terms of achievements or responsibility, an invisible temporal rubber band has snapped him back to that sweet spot of youth, when he's always on the verge of realizing his vast potential.

Oddly enough, though, Marvel doesn't give that treatment to all of their characters, especially those who exist in an academic setting. Many of the teachers of Strange Academy were quite notably once teen characters themselves, like the New Mutants' Magik or the Runaways' Sister Grimm, and an entire school year has just passed in more or less real time. This isn't so much as a complaint as it is an observation I make with some amusement.  The series ends (for now) on an intriguing cliffhanger with an actual academic year having passed in story time.

Young and Ramos have created some pretty engaging and, dare I say, memorable characters like Emily Bright, Doyle Dormammua and Calvin Morse, among others.  Emily in particular has the most potential because unlike many of her contemporaries in the Strange Academy she's not tied into any preexisting characters, whether it's the lord of the Dark Dimension or the Enchantress of Asgard of anything like that. There's a lot of potential to chart a unique path for her and I'm fairly confident that with the upcoming series reboot/continuation Young and Ramos, have more planned for her and the rest of the gang. 

I'm quite grateful for this book because it's really gotten my youngest kid, who spends too much of her spare time playing online games, to actually read something and I like how Young and Ramos have created characters that a young reader can connect with as she has done. 

I look forward to the next chapter. 

8.5/10  

Yearlong Hunt: A Review of Strange Academy Vol. 2

 written by Skottie Young

drawn by Humberto Ramos

colored by Edgar Delgado

It's hard to believe it's been over a year since I reviewed Volume I of Marvel's teen book Strange Academy, and indeed I had to double-check to make sure I hadn't made a mistake. It has, in fact, been over a year since I gave Strange Academy Vol I a glowing review, and in that year I've struggled to find Volume II. Oddly enough, I found and read Volume III first, before I finally was able to track down a copy of Volume II. It wouldn't feel right reviewing Volume III first so here I go with Volume II.

Following the cliffhanger at the end of Volume I, in which one of the students at the Strange Academy dies, it's resolved pretty quickly. Spoiler alert: the student in question gets better.  After that there are quite a few traditional school activities, like a Family Day in which some parents prove to be competitive than others, and a field trip during which one of the students discovers another's dark secret. The volume ends with a two-parter in which the secret behind of the students' magic is discovered, and it is a frightening secret indeed. 

There's no overarching plot that ties the next six issues together, the way there was in the first volume, but now we get to know some of the kids in the class a bit better.  While one could argue that some of the archetypes play out in a predictable way, overall Skottie Young's storytelling still works, though I feel some other characters could've had their moment in the spotlight as well. As it was, well, the six issues contained in the volume still devote most of the story to the main characters like Emily Bright and Doyle Dormammu, with Iric Brorson of Asgard and Calvin Morse briefly getting the spotlight as well. I guess they had to focus a bit to make sure the story stayed coherent.

I wasn't as gobsmacked by this compilation as I was by the first volume, but it was an engaging read nonetheless. Young and artist Humberto Ramos maintain their storytelling mojo and really bring these characters to life, even as some get more attention than others. There's a cameo by a fan favorite character than plays out pretty darned well. 

It may have taken over a year to find this book, but it was worth the search.

8/10