The Amazing Spider-Man: Peter Parker, The One And Only TP
Like all the "point one" comics Marvel has released, this trade paperback attempts to bring new readers up to speed on what the real Peter Parker was like before his body was stolen by Doc Ock. This was clearly in response to Superior Spider-Man ending in a couple of months and a new volume of "The Amazing Spider-Man" title taking over. The trade consists of three stories (six if you count the back-ups) that reintroduce familiar elements of Spider-Man, whether it's a quaint reminder that he's one of us (an ordinary citizen), a run-of-the-mill super villain beat-down, or as an acquaintance of the Fantastic Four. Two of the stories worked for me; the rest, not so much.
Under any other circumstances, like say during 2018, this trade would have been just another series of cliched stories that we've seen done a hundred different times in other Spider-Man books, and therefore, provided yet another proof that an "ambitious" storyline like "Superior Spider-Man" was a good idea to shake things up. And in spite of that, what gave the trade its impact and resonance was its timely release alongside the end of said ambitious story. In a period when Spider-Man was an antihero praised and celebrated for his unorthodox methods, here comes something old-fashioned that explored the true essence of Spider-Man and what heroism really meant. In fact, I would even say this book was a necessary existence at the time, especially its opening story, "Frost."
Frost David Morrell has no known history of ever writing Spider-Man, but you might have known him as the author of "First Blood," a novel that was adapted into that one Rambo film many people claimed to be the only quality one. Seems like an odd choice to bring a novel writer of such calibre to a comic book series (let alone one that was so desperate that it needed to kill off its titular character to boost sales). That said, I grew to enjoy his writing just a few pages into the book.
Frost has a simple premise: a snowstorm hits the city, May Parker is in danger of freezing to death, and Peter struggles with the dilemma of saving people or coming to his aunt's rescue. Yet, the somber telling of it with barely any dialogue or Spider-quipping, combined with Kaus Janson's effective use of body language and Steve Buccellatto's proper use of moody colors and lighting, gave us a poignant and contemplative look at Peter's brand of heroism. Morrell has spent a few years writing this story, and it certainly shows in his firm grasp of Spider-Man's solid characterization (in spite of having no prior experience writing for the character). In a situation between helping out the firemen with a burning building and rushing to his aunt's rescue, Spider-Man would always choose the former.
That's the defining trait that separates Peter from Doc Ock - he can't ignore the possibility of people dying in his presence. If it was up to SpOck, the "Superior Spider-Man," he would have just let the firemen handle it, not knowing that they were having trouble getting people out and would have probably failed in their duty, as it is shown here. Peter could never take that chance, having prior knowledge what consequences his negligence had. Is it naive? Maybe. Is it more irresponsible for Peter to ignore his own responsibility to his aunt? That's a question you'll have to ask the very same firemen 'ignoring' their responsibility to their own family.
Such revisitation of Spider-Man's defining essence isn't even what I love most about this story. On paper, this might as well have been a generic rehash of the many "reminders" out there of Spidey's heroism. But what makes this truly special is something I've already mentioned: the telling of it. By giving a novel author like Morrell the role of a comic book writer, we get a story that doesn't quite feel as bombastic or grandiose as most mainstream comic books, particularly Marvel comics. Instead, it feels more like a Vertigo book like Watchmen or even Sandman. There's a very tranquil atmosphere painted throughout the story that slowed down the pacing of it, giving readers ample time to absorb the mood of this world and Peter's utter exhaustion in this stormy weather.
If this was your typical comic book, there would be plenty of speech bubble exposition, setting up some conspicuous super villain antagonist, along with many weak jokes intended to pad out the book with frivolous humor. Instead, what we've got here feels more like an observation of people on the streets of New York going about their lives in preparation for the coming storm. Some people might even call it "boring" because the spotlight was often shed not on Spider-Man, Peter Parker, or any of the supporting cast, but these unnamed citizens with very distinct characteristics. You see people of various shapes, races, and personality here, almost as if Morrell was giving significance to the identity of these people (instead of using a bunch of forgettable stock characters). A mother and her son, a cancer patient and her caretaker, and last but not least, a snow plow driver who has had a long night clearing the roads. These are not just stock characters, but recognizable individuals of New York you would probably see in real life, just like Peter Parker. They are going about their mundane lives trying to survive the storm, just like Peter Parker.
I think that's what's really beautiful about this story, bringing Spider-Man down to the level of your average citizen. Such a depiction usually produces my favorite stories because they are the most relatable. I think the best Spider-Man stories usually ask the question: what does Spider-Man mean to us, the people down here on street? And for such stories, it's important to not just use stock characters, but show the people Spidey interact with as memorable and realistic individuals. Morrell and his team has done a beautiful job of showing this.
The Black Lodge The second story, unfortunately, is where the book starts to fall apart. It has a unique concept about a supervillain hospital, one where Spider-Man inadvertantly lands himself in as a burnt victim. I was so disappointed with this because all the potential of exploring medical care for villains was squandered for a cheap and generic supervillain fight in the second-half. The entire hospital along with its doctors and nurses (whose motivations towards these criminal patients we never got to explore) become nothing but a forgettable punchline about how Spidey won't be visiting another hospital soon. Yeesh.
Spider-Man & the Human Torch Save the Universe The third and final story is a fun and lighthearted tale about the Human Torch and Spider-Man trying to stop a device that might wipe out the entire universe from going off. Despite the seemingly serious premise, it's actually a pretty funny one with a witty punchline, though the telling of the joke was probably too long for its own good, making the story feel rather cumbersome. Nothing thought-provoking, but it doesn't have to be.
There are three back-up stories: "Cat and Mouse: A Black Cat Story," "Three O'Clock High!" and "What Would Spider-Man Do?
Cat and Mouse felt unnecessary and uninspired. It's a Spider-Man trade titled "Peter Parker: The One and Only." Not only was Peter not the focus of the story, he didn't even appear in it. And it wasn't even an interesting Black Cat story. It introduces a "Black Cat Jr." whose only remotely interesting aspect - her troubled family life - didn't even get properly resolved. But I suppose you can't do much with a back-up story meant to stretch out the book.
Three O'Clock High is also a cliched story about Spider-Man helping out a kid, like the many similar back-ups we've seen before, but at least its decent message about bullying is sympathizing and relatable for me. Stories about bullying have always been socially relevant, and with what I heard on the news around the time of this book's release, it's not a bad story for children to be exposed to.
Finally, there's my second favorite story of this book, What Would Spider-Man Do? This one really broke my heart. I haven't shed a tear reading a Spider-Man book since the Ultimate Death of Spider-Man. It's about a boy named Tommy, a fan of Spider-Man who "helped" the hero by pushing a bank robber out of the way. He was shot in the back because of it. I guess you could already tell from my emotional reaction that this story doesn't end well.
But it's not just what happened to the kid that broke me; it's how he described Spider-Man in a fanmade comic book gifted to him. He summed up Spider-Man with scribbles and crayons better than Dan Slott ever did in his entire professional career. “Spider-Man is the greatest hero and always does what’s right. He doesn’t care about the odds, or how impossible the fight. He isn’t always perfect, and isn’t always smart. But Spidey knows I have his back, because I listen to my heart. Even if he falls, he always gets back on his feet. He taught me how to be a hero and to never accept defeat. So when I’m feeling sad, and I don’t know what to do…I close my eyes and say out loud, ‘What would Spider-Man do?’”
Where did these onions come from?
Aside from its obvious resemblance to another favorite story of mine, "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man," the main reason this story had such resonance with me is because this fan of Spider-Man brought up a trait that I'm sure many of us fans have associated Spidey with as well: perseverance. Whenever I thought about why Spider-Man's one of the greatest superheroes in the world, I don't think of his powers, his webs, or even his strong morality. I think of his everlasting perseverance, his will to never give up. Tommy here perfectly sums up that trait very well, and I feel like he speaks for many Spider-fans all over the world.
This back-up story should have been how the 50th anniversary was celebrated. But you know what? I'm glad it was released at the end of Superior Spider-Man. Combining with "Frost," both stories managed to remind people why people love Spider-Man so very much, and why he's sure an endearing character.
The trade as a whole definitely has its flaws. But if you have the chance, grab #700.1 and #700.2 for "Frost," and #700.5 for its back-up story. If you couldn't find these issues separately, then this trade is, in my opinion, well worth the small price of 17 bucks as well. If you ever felt that Slott has ruined Spider-Man as a character with his Parker Industries nonsense, then be sure to pick up this book and be reminded of the true Spider-Man, the one and only Peter Parker.
Batman: White Knight This was a great read. Bravo to Sean Murphy. I’d be surprised if anything beats this to Limited Run in the 2018 awards. Hope for more.
Ditto, such a great book. Apparently he's going to announce another Batman project at NYCC so the speculation is a sequel. Here's hoping.
I could have sworn they'd already confirmed he was doing something else, but a quick googling shows that he just strongly hinted at. He defined rules for the "Murphyverse" - rules that would be totally unnecessary if White Knight doesn't get some kind of continuation.
Ant-Man & The Wasp #1 - Waid & Garron distinguish this from the title characters' last outings by setting it in the Microverse. Nice non-romantic male/female odd couple pairing with Scott and Nadia.
Deadpool #1 - It has a hard act to follow. But it address it by adjusting to be closer to the movie version of Deadpool (complete with Negasonic Teenage Warhead) and by having some absolutely cracking Nic Klein art, including a new character that looks like the unholy spawn of Kirby and Bisley.
Immortal Hulk #1 - I can see people not liking the very different tone for a Hulk comic, or Bennett's art (he's not quite good enough to fully pull off what he's attempting). But in terms of how to write a first issue, this is hard to beat. A single issue story that establishes the concept and characters. By the time it's over you know exactly what this comic is about. Charles Soule take note!
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol. 2: Superior Six This was a fun one. SpOck using mind-control supervillains. The single entertainment value I've always found in Superior stories was shock value, and seeing him doing something as unethical as mind-control (and in Superior Annual #1, full-blown torture) was the only interesting thing I've ever seen after the surprise element dialed down past #9. More importantly, actual character motivation for why SpOck wants to be a hero! Sun Girl, an effective parallel to SpOck's brand of heroism! Finally, meaningful character development! Good job, Yost.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Peter Parker, The One and Only I've already wrote a review for this one. It's an appropriate series of .1 issues that came at the right time - reminding people the essence of Peter Parker and why he's the true hero of our story. "Frost" and "What Would Spider-Man Do?" were great; the rest, not so much.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business A fun globe-trotting adventure. Nothing very groundbreaking, but it doesn't have to be because it's fun. I don't care that Peter's identity reveal never amounted to anything in the end because the suspense of seeing Kingpin learning his identity again (a problem we've seen the consequence of in Civil War) was thrilling. I don't care that Peter's sister sub-plot was cleanly swept away with a stupid plot-device, because it wasn't really "swept away" to begin with, and there's a tease that she's still Peter's sister. It's a fun spy thriller that even felt James Bondesque during the casino scene, and that's enough for me. The appearance of Kingpin, one of my favorite Spider-Man villains of all time (yes, I said Spider-Man, not Daredevil), is just another reason why I like this story. He's true to his nature here, scheming behind the scenes before making the big reveal at the end. A perfect characterization of this cunning antagonist.
One thing that does bug me is that Kingpin could have triggered the booby trap (the Sleeper) without Peter, so that particular sub-plot makes no lick of sense.
I don't care that Peter's sister sub-plot was cleanly swept away with a stupid plot-device, because it wasn't really "swept away" to begin with, and there's a tease that she's still Peter's sister.
Chip Zdarsky's Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man has been addressing this sub-plot with gusto.
Golosseum - It's a political satire meets wrestling comic! And it's flippin' brilliant! A strange technology makes people immune to convention weapons, forcing everyone to return to hand-to-hand combat to settle their differences. Russian President Vladimir Putinov (yes...exactly what you're thinking) pits his new super-powered soldiers against all comers (including a very Hulk Hogan-esque representative for America, brutha!). This sucker is well-drawn, well-translated, and frickin' hilarious and fun at the same time. I'm in for the long haul.
Satan's Secretary - Awake after many years of slumber, Ol' Scratch sends his demons out to abduct some hapless humans for him to torment. Unfortunately, one of them happens to be an extremely efficient office worker who just might be better at world domination than the man himself. The cover says it best - "Let us eradicate all humans...Except Me...From the Face of the Earth!"
Thor #1 - Thor vs. Juggernaut! Something that might have been a Fate reference! Mike Del Mundo! Family soap opera! Namor! Balder! Skurge! A monster truck jeep! Plus: And an All Father Thor story too.
Aaron's Avengers is not that hot, mostly because it feels like he's writing to McGuinness' strengths to the detriment of his own. But this long ongoing tale of Thor (and family, friends & enemies) continues to be his crowning achievement at Marvel.
Not a number one!
Exiles #4 - Here we go! Javier Rodriguez gets back up to Dr Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme speed in this issue with the best Thing I have seen in an age and a double page spread that is wonder of gutterless sequential storytelling. Great colours too from Chis O'Halloran.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse TPB A bunch of stories about other Spider-Men from alternate universes. Spider-Man Noir and SP//dr don't have much of a story and felt like obligatory tie-ins to the bigger Spider-Verse storyline. SP//dr in particular was a disappointment. Considering all the Evangelion references thrown in there, I wanted to see more of that "child soldier" aspect that writer Gerald Way was teasing in the story (with the barely five year old daughter taking over the reins of her father's military armor).
And then there's Spider-Gwen. She's... okay. I'm not as hyped up about her as other people, but I do like the teen rebellion angle that Stan tried to incorporate into Peter in the Ditko days before the comic code stifled that. The use of rock music to further that metaphor is a nice touch. Having Peter turning into the Lizard to tie-in with the 2012 movie felt lazy, considering that the reason Curt used the lizard serum in the first place was because of their limb-regrowing ability; here, Peter merely turned into the Lizard because they needed him to be involved in a science experiment gone wrong. He could have turned into any freakazoid and it wouldn't make a difference, including a giant spider. That said, I do like the speech Gwen gave her father and how she compared being Spider-Woman to her father putting on his police badge. Very nice touch.
Aaron Aikman as a Japanese man in a spider-armor suit has a bunch of expositions and world-building going on, but we never really learned why he became Spider-Man or his heroic motivations. The tragic sub-plot involving Ikegami and her daughter is the best thing about this story, which shouldn't be the case when your main highlight should be the Spider-Man himself, who is kinda uninteresting beyond his robotic suit.
Finally, we have my favorite story out of these five, "I Walked With A Spider," an EC Comic horror story that might as well have been a Tales from the Crypt episode. By the way, Ben Raab wrote a similar story in What If? Vol. 2 #88, titled "What if Spider-Man continued to mutate?" where Peter had a hunger for human flesh. This particular story, however, used the same cannibalism scenario, but with a much more clinical and sociopathic Peter with none of that love of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Very intense and dark, but not grisly enough for it to be satisfying IMO. I mean, these kind of stories lie in their shock value, so you might as well go all the way. The conclusion is okay, another boring tie-in to Spider-Verse that I couldn't care about. Love the final page though, that twist ending you'd often see in horror anthology stories. Very nice touch.
Final Rating: One really good story, two kind-of-okay story, and two disappointing ones. Three webs.
Tony Stark - Iron Man #1 Like Immortal Hulk this is a splendid example of how to do a first issue. Like Slott's Spider-Man it draws a lot from late 70s-80s era of Marvel. Bethany Cabe is back, Rhodey isn't War Machine, multiple armour for different situations, Jocasta and hints of Iron Man 2020. And Fin Fang Foom is here too with an appearance that nods towards Roger Langridge's approach to the giant dragon's personality.
Not a number one!
X-Men Gold #30 Was not a fan of the idea of the Kitty / Colossus marriage, but it turns out that was the point. Pretty good twist ending that Marvel of course spoiled themselves the day before the comic was released.
Amazing Spider-Man #801 Marcos Martin is still the greatest modern Spider-Man artist.
Just finished the Ashes of Jedha trade of Star Wars by Gillen and Larocca. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoyed Rogue One. Gillen returns to the planet where the rebellion extremists reside (the planet/moon where Forest Whittaker's Saw Gerrera character lived) and revisits some of the themes and ideas of Rogue One while allowing Luke and Leia to both acknowledge the sacrifices made by Jynn Erso and her team while simultaneously dealing with the fallout of the first time the Death Star was used as a weapon of mass destruction. As soon as I started the trade, I realized I'd benefit from rewatching Rogue One again (I'd only seen it once) before reading the trade and both experience enriched the other. I liked Rogue One even more the second as one if the problems I had had with it the first time was that there was too much story and too many characters speeding by with too little time devoted to allowing the implications, motivations and meanings of what was going on to sink in.
I hope one day they allow a longer cut of that film to be released that allows all the characters and their motivations more time to breathe. Anyway, Star Wars Ashes of Jedha is a great tie-in and tribute to the characters of Rogue One. It's great to see the spies who made it all happen haven't been forgotten by Luke and Leia.
I read Mark Waid's Captain America, the first trade.
I loved this. I've always liked Captain America as a character but have to admit that I've read very little of his title in the past (some of the Brubaker run, which I've long since forgotten anything about). So I came into this ready for just about anything.
Quite impressed. It was just a fun comic book, I'm not sure what else to say. Samnee's article is spectacular. The flat, slightly cartoony style, is my absolute favorite in comics. Allred's style is similar, but this is definitely more grounded.
Can't wait to see where this goes next, I'll be buying the trades as long as they put them out.
I read Mark Waid's Captain America, the first trade.
I loved this. I've always liked Captain America as a character but have to admit that I've read very little of his title in the past (some of the Brubaker run, which I've long since forgotten anything about). So I came into this ready for just about anything.
Quite impressed. It was just a fun comic book, I'm not sure what else to say. Samnee's article is spectacular. The flat, slightly cartoony style, is my absolute favorite in comics. Allred's style is similar, but this is definitely more grounded.
Can't wait to see where this goes next, I'll be buying the trades as long as they put them out.
I love Chris’ artwork as well. Fair warning, though, he doesn’t draw the next story. Leonardo Romero is the main artist on Waid’s second (and final) story arc, with a bunch of great artists doing flashback scenes. Romero’s work is in a similar vein to Chris’ though, so I think you’ll like it just fine.
I read Mark Waid's Captain America, the first trade.
I loved this. I've always liked Captain America as a character but have to admit that I've read very little of his title in the past (some of the Brubaker run, which I've long since forgotten anything about). So I came into this ready for just about anything.
Quite impressed. It was just a fun comic book, I'm not sure what else to say. Samnee's article is spectacular. The flat, slightly cartoony style, is my absolute favorite in comics. Allred's style is similar, but this is definitely more grounded.
Can't wait to see where this goes next, I'll be buying the trades as long as they put them out.
I love Chris’ artwork as well. Fair warning, though, he doesn’t draw the next story. Leonardo Romero is the main artist on Waid’s second (and final) story arc, with a bunch of great artists doing flashback scenes. Romero’s work is in a similar vein to Chris’ though, so I think you’ll like it just fine.
The other bad news is that's it for Waid's return. Because this week was...
Captain America #1
I prefer Samnee and Romero to Leinil Francis Yu's art here, but it's some of his better work of late. And Coates' story is more interesting and astute than Waid's was.
It has that same intricate weaving of existing continuity into political and social commentary he did so well in Black Panther. And even better, like Black Panther it already has a wide cast who feel like characters in their own rights, rather than just "supporting" characters - not all of whom are traditional Captain America characters.
Curious if it will acknowledge the slightly more hi-octane super-espionage thrills currently going on Weapon X though, as it does seem to pick up one earlier thread from that comic.
One Piece Chapter 909 - we're finally at Wano, the pseudo-Japan of the Grand Line. Though first we check on Cat Viper before we catch up with the half of the crew we've not seen for over a year. Slightly annoying that it feels we had to leave the Reverie just as it was starting, like the editor is afraid to leave the main characters for too long. But hey we can get on with the world exploding into a terrible war now.
The Promised Neverland Chapter 93 - I've seen numerous people complain about the story now we've opened the world up from the claustrophobic initial arc, but I've enjoyed the tension with the other survivors and getting more of an idea of the demons' culture and how it's not too far from human culture.
My Hero Academia Chapter 189 - This has been a great arc, as it examines Endeavour and his new role. For a character who's fairly unlikable as a person it still presents him as an admirable hero, without forgiving him of the emotional abuse of his family. And acts as a commentary on the other heroes too. I ebb and flow on my liking of MHA, but currently it's cooking on gas.
Black Clover Page 163 - While this elf arc is probably going to go on longer than I'd like, and it's probably going to be a repeated sequence of Asta freeing his friends, the action is pulled off with aplomb and will probably give some neglected cast members a chance to shine.
Dr. Stone Chapter 64 - Finally we return to our initial supporting cast and villain as Senku's plan to win the war without bloodshed goes into action. Easily my favourite of the more recent strips in Jump.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 - Fans of Superior Foes of Spider-Man will likely be pleased with one of the key factors in Peter's new status quo. And with a lawyer who shows up later. And haters of One More Day will likely be initially happy with another key factor and then suspicious if they are paying attention.
Not a huge fan of Ottley & Rathburn's art, too many rictus grins for my taste, and unfortunately the bonus story is by Ramos who makes it look even stiffer in comparison.
But it feels like a different Spidey to Slott's while picking up the continuity from the previous ASM. Not sure it's quite as good at picking up the continuity from Scarlet Spider, hopefully we're not setting up more Spencer / David contradictions. Though ironically, the attempt to fix that contradiction may be a lead into what happens in this comic (see the Damnation mini-series).
I would say the closest runs it resembles is Lee/Romita Spidey (university, Kingpin, mystic elements, Randy Robertson) mixed with DeFalco/Frenz (Sinister Syndicate, relationship stuff, Kingpin again). As opposed to the Stern/Mantlo mix of Brand New Day/Slott era.
X-23 #1 - This was a pleasant surprise. Tamaki's Hunt for Wolverine mini hadn't filled me with confidence, but this was cracking. Juann Cabal's art is astounding. The Stepford Cuckoos are the creepiest they've been since Quitely. The storytelling is great, the character work expressive.
And the story is splendid too, as it creates a believable hero vs. hero tension by drawing on the shared background elements between the Cuckoos and Laura & Gabby.
While I enjoyed Spider-Man and one plot element has me hooked, X-23 was head and shoulders the better of the two.
Thanks to a recent sale on comixology, I picked up Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows and was not disappointed. @ShaneKelly, if you haven't read it yet, (1) for shame! and (2) rectify that immediately! That goes for anyone else who hasn't read it either. All of the Black Hammer books have been wonderful. That includes the three issues of Black Hammer: Age of Doom that I also read.
I can also heartily endorse the Green Lantern Earth One vol. 1, by Corinna Sara Bechko and Gabriel Hardman. If only this was the GL film from several years ag, we'd probably have a better DCCU.
Finally, I enjoyed Dan Slott's run on ASM and I enjoyed his last issue (#801). It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't anywhere close to Silver Surfer, but I think time will look favorably on the entire run. I'm looking forward to the new team and what they do.
Comments
The Amazing Spider-Man: Peter Parker, The One And Only TP
Like all the "point one" comics Marvel has released, this trade paperback attempts to bring new readers up to speed on what the real Peter Parker was like before his body was stolen by Doc Ock. This was clearly in response to Superior Spider-Man ending in a couple of months and a new volume of "The Amazing Spider-Man" title taking over. The trade consists of three stories (six if you count the back-ups) that reintroduce familiar elements of Spider-Man, whether it's a quaint reminder that he's one of us (an ordinary citizen), a run-of-the-mill super villain beat-down, or as an acquaintance of the Fantastic Four. Two of the stories worked for me; the rest, not so much.
Under any other circumstances, like say during 2018, this trade would have been just another series of cliched stories that we've seen done a hundred different times in other Spider-Man books, and therefore, provided yet another proof that an "ambitious" storyline like "Superior Spider-Man" was a good idea to shake things up. And in spite of that, what gave the trade its impact and resonance was its timely release alongside the end of said ambitious story. In a period when Spider-Man was an antihero praised and celebrated for his unorthodox methods, here comes something old-fashioned that explored the true essence of Spider-Man and what heroism really meant. In fact, I would even say this book was a necessary existence at the time, especially its opening story, "Frost."
Frost
David Morrell has no known history of ever writing Spider-Man, but you might have known him as the author of "First Blood," a novel that was adapted into that one Rambo film many people claimed to be the only quality one. Seems like an odd choice to bring a novel writer of such calibre to a comic book series (let alone one that was so desperate that it needed to kill off its titular character to boost sales). That said, I grew to enjoy his writing just a few pages into the book.
Frost has a simple premise: a snowstorm hits the city, May Parker is in danger of freezing to death, and Peter struggles with the dilemma of saving people or coming to his aunt's rescue. Yet, the somber telling of it with barely any dialogue or Spider-quipping, combined with Kaus Janson's effective use of body language and Steve Buccellatto's proper use of moody colors and lighting, gave us a poignant and contemplative look at Peter's brand of heroism. Morrell has spent a few years writing this story, and it certainly shows in his firm grasp of Spider-Man's solid characterization (in spite of having no prior experience writing for the character). In a situation between helping out the firemen with a burning building and rushing to his aunt's rescue, Spider-Man would always choose the former.
That's the defining trait that separates Peter from Doc Ock - he can't ignore the possibility of people dying in his presence. If it was up to SpOck, the "Superior Spider-Man," he would have just let the firemen handle it, not knowing that they were having trouble getting people out and would have probably failed in their duty, as it is shown here. Peter could never take that chance, having prior knowledge what consequences his negligence had. Is it naive? Maybe. Is it more irresponsible for Peter to ignore his own responsibility to his aunt? That's a question you'll have to ask the very same firemen 'ignoring' their responsibility to their own family.
Such revisitation of Spider-Man's defining essence isn't even what I love most about this story. On paper, this might as well have been a generic rehash of the many "reminders" out there of Spidey's heroism. But what makes this truly special is something I've already mentioned: the telling of it. By giving a novel author like Morrell the role of a comic book writer, we get a story that doesn't quite feel as bombastic or grandiose as most mainstream comic books, particularly Marvel comics. Instead, it feels more like a Vertigo book like Watchmen or even Sandman. There's a very tranquil atmosphere painted throughout the story that slowed down the pacing of it, giving readers ample time to absorb the mood of this world and Peter's utter exhaustion in this stormy weather.
If this was your typical comic book, there would be plenty of speech bubble exposition, setting up some conspicuous super villain antagonist, along with many weak jokes intended to pad out the book with frivolous humor. Instead, what we've got here feels more like an observation of people on the streets of New York going about their lives in preparation for the coming storm. Some people might even call it "boring" because the spotlight was often shed not on Spider-Man, Peter Parker, or any of the supporting cast, but these unnamed citizens with very distinct characteristics. You see people of various shapes, races, and personality here, almost as if Morrell was giving significance to the identity of these people (instead of using a bunch of forgettable stock characters). A mother and her son, a cancer patient and her caretaker, and last but not least, a snow plow driver who has had a long night clearing the roads. These are not just stock characters, but recognizable individuals of New York you would probably see in real life, just like Peter Parker. They are going about their mundane lives trying to survive the storm, just like Peter Parker.
I think that's what's really beautiful about this story, bringing Spider-Man down to the level of your average citizen. Such a depiction usually produces my favorite stories because they are the most relatable. I think the best Spider-Man stories usually ask the question: what does Spider-Man mean to us, the people down here on street? And for such stories, it's important to not just use stock characters, but show the people Spidey interact with as memorable and realistic individuals. Morrell and his team has done a beautiful job of showing this.
The Black Lodge
The second story, unfortunately, is where the book starts to fall apart. It has a unique concept about a supervillain hospital, one where Spider-Man inadvertantly lands himself in as a burnt victim. I was so disappointed with this because all the potential of exploring medical care for villains was squandered for a cheap and generic supervillain fight in the second-half. The entire hospital along with its doctors and nurses (whose motivations towards these criminal patients we never got to explore) become nothing but a forgettable punchline about how Spidey won't be visiting another hospital soon. Yeesh.
Spider-Man & the Human Torch Save the Universe
The third and final story is a fun and lighthearted tale about the Human Torch and Spider-Man trying to stop a device that might wipe out the entire universe from going off. Despite the seemingly serious premise, it's actually a pretty funny one with a witty punchline, though the telling of the joke was probably too long for its own good, making the story feel rather cumbersome. Nothing thought-provoking, but it doesn't have to be.
Cat and Mouse felt unnecessary and uninspired. It's a Spider-Man trade titled "Peter Parker: The One and Only." Not only was Peter not the focus of the story, he didn't even appear in it. And it wasn't even an interesting Black Cat story. It introduces a "Black Cat Jr." whose only remotely interesting aspect - her troubled family life - didn't even get properly resolved. But I suppose you can't do much with a back-up story meant to stretch out the book.
Three O'Clock High is also a cliched story about Spider-Man helping out a kid, like the many similar back-ups we've seen before, but at least its decent message about bullying is sympathizing and relatable for me. Stories about bullying have always been socially relevant, and with what I heard on the news around the time of this book's release, it's not a bad story for children to be exposed to.
Finally, there's my second favorite story of this book, What Would Spider-Man Do? This one really broke my heart. I haven't shed a tear reading a Spider-Man book since the Ultimate Death of Spider-Man. It's about a boy named Tommy, a fan of Spider-Man who "helped" the hero by pushing a bank robber out of the way. He was shot in the back because of it. I guess you could already tell from my emotional reaction that this story doesn't end well.
But it's not just what happened to the kid that broke me; it's how he described Spider-Man in a fanmade comic book gifted to him. He summed up Spider-Man with scribbles and crayons better than Dan Slott ever did in his entire professional career. “Spider-Man is the greatest hero and always does what’s right. He doesn’t care about the odds, or how impossible the fight. He isn’t always perfect, and isn’t always smart. But Spidey knows I have his back, because I listen to my heart. Even if he falls, he always gets back on his feet. He taught me how to be a hero and to never accept defeat. So when I’m feeling sad, and I don’t know what to do…I close my eyes and say out loud, ‘What would Spider-Man do?’”
Where did these onions come from?
Aside from its obvious resemblance to another favorite story of mine, "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man," the main reason this story had such resonance with me is because this fan of Spider-Man brought up a trait that I'm sure many of us fans have associated Spidey with as well: perseverance. Whenever I thought about why Spider-Man's one of the greatest superheroes in the world, I don't think of his powers, his webs, or even his strong morality. I think of his everlasting perseverance, his will to never give up. Tommy here perfectly sums up that trait very well, and I feel like he speaks for many Spider-fans all over the world.
This back-up story should have been how the 50th anniversary was celebrated. But you know what? I'm glad it was released at the end of Superior Spider-Man. Combining with "Frost," both stories managed to remind people why people love Spider-Man so very much, and why he's sure an endearing character.
The trade as a whole definitely has its flaws. But if you have the chance, grab #700.1 and #700.2 for "Frost," and #700.5 for its back-up story. If you couldn't find these issues separately, then this trade is, in my opinion, well worth the small price of 17 bucks as well. If you ever felt that Slott has ruined Spider-Man as a character with his Parker Industries nonsense, then be sure to pick up this book and be reminded of the true Spider-Man, the one and only Peter Parker.
Final Rating:
Ant-Man & The Wasp #1 - Waid & Garron distinguish this from the title characters' last outings by setting it in the Microverse. Nice non-romantic male/female odd couple pairing with Scott and Nadia.
Deadpool #1 - It has a hard act to follow. But it address it by adjusting to be closer to the movie version of Deadpool (complete with Negasonic Teenage Warhead) and by having some absolutely cracking Nic Klein art, including a new character that looks like the unholy spawn of Kirby and Bisley.
Immortal Hulk #1 - I can see people not liking the very different tone for a Hulk comic, or Bennett's art (he's not quite good enough to fully pull off what he's attempting). But in terms of how to write a first issue, this is hard to beat. A single issue story that establishes the concept and characters. By the time it's over you know exactly what this comic is about. Charles Soule take note!
This was a fun one. SpOck using mind-control supervillains. The single entertainment value I've always found in Superior stories was shock value, and seeing him doing something as unethical as mind-control (and in Superior Annual #1, full-blown torture) was the only interesting thing I've ever seen after the surprise element dialed down past #9. More importantly, actual character motivation for why SpOck wants to be a hero! Sun Girl, an effective parallel to SpOck's brand of heroism! Finally, meaningful character development! Good job, Yost.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Peter Parker, The One and Only
I've already wrote a review for this one. It's an appropriate series of .1 issues that came at the right time - reminding people the essence of Peter Parker and why he's the true hero of our story. "Frost" and "What Would Spider-Man Do?" were great; the rest, not so much.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business
A fun globe-trotting adventure. Nothing very groundbreaking, but it doesn't have to be because it's fun. I don't care that Peter's identity reveal never amounted to anything in the end because the suspense of seeing Kingpin learning his identity again (a problem we've seen the consequence of in Civil War) was thrilling. I don't care that Peter's sister sub-plot was cleanly swept away with a stupid plot-device, because it wasn't really "swept away" to begin with, and there's a tease that she's still Peter's sister. It's a fun spy thriller that even felt James Bondesque during the casino scene, and that's enough for me. The appearance of Kingpin, one of my favorite Spider-Man villains of all time (yes, I said Spider-Man, not Daredevil), is just another reason why I like this story. He's true to his nature here, scheming behind the scenes before making the big reveal at the end. A perfect characterization of this cunning antagonist.
One thing that does bug me is that Kingpin could have triggered the booby trap (the Sleeper) without Peter, so that particular sub-plot makes no lick of sense.
Golosseum - It's a political satire meets wrestling comic! And it's flippin' brilliant! A strange technology makes people immune to convention weapons, forcing everyone to return to hand-to-hand combat to settle their differences. Russian President Vladimir Putinov (yes...exactly what you're thinking) pits his new super-powered soldiers against all comers (including a very Hulk Hogan-esque representative for America, brutha!). This sucker is well-drawn, well-translated, and frickin' hilarious and fun at the same time. I'm in for the long haul.
Satan's Secretary - Awake after many years of slumber, Ol' Scratch sends his demons out to abduct some hapless humans for him to torment. Unfortunately, one of them happens to be an extremely efficient office worker who just might be better at world domination than the man himself. The cover says it best - "Let us eradicate all humans...Except Me...From the Face of the Earth!"
Thor #1 - Thor vs. Juggernaut! Something that might have been a Fate reference! Mike Del Mundo! Family soap opera! Namor! Balder! Skurge! A monster truck jeep! Plus: And an All Father Thor story too.
Aaron's Avengers is not that hot, mostly because it feels like he's writing to McGuinness' strengths to the detriment of his own. But this long ongoing tale of Thor (and family, friends & enemies) continues to be his crowning achievement at Marvel.
Not a number one!
Exiles #4 - Here we go! Javier Rodriguez gets back up to Dr Strange & the Sorcerers Supreme speed in this issue with the best Thing I have seen in an age and a double page spread that is wonder of gutterless sequential storytelling. Great colours too from Chis O'Halloran.
A bunch of stories about other Spider-Men from alternate universes. Spider-Man Noir and SP//dr don't have much of a story and felt like obligatory tie-ins to the bigger Spider-Verse storyline. SP//dr in particular was a disappointment. Considering all the Evangelion references thrown in there, I wanted to see more of that "child soldier" aspect that writer Gerald Way was teasing in the story (with the barely five year old daughter taking over the reins of her father's military armor).
And then there's Spider-Gwen. She's... okay. I'm not as hyped up about her as other people, but I do like the teen rebellion angle that Stan tried to incorporate into Peter in the Ditko days before the comic code stifled that. The use of rock music to further that metaphor is a nice touch. Having Peter turning into the Lizard to tie-in with the 2012 movie felt lazy, considering that the reason Curt used the lizard serum in the first place was because of their limb-regrowing ability; here, Peter merely turned into the Lizard because they needed him to be involved in a science experiment gone wrong. He could have turned into any freakazoid and it wouldn't make a difference, including a giant spider. That said, I do like the speech Gwen gave her father and how she compared being Spider-Woman to her father putting on his police badge. Very nice touch.
Aaron Aikman as a Japanese man in a spider-armor suit has a bunch of expositions and world-building going on, but we never really learned why he became Spider-Man or his heroic motivations. The tragic sub-plot involving Ikegami and her daughter is the best thing about this story, which shouldn't be the case when your main highlight should be the Spider-Man himself, who is kinda uninteresting beyond his robotic suit.
Finally, we have my favorite story out of these five, "I Walked With A Spider," an EC Comic horror story that might as well have been a Tales from the Crypt episode. By the way, Ben Raab wrote a similar story in What If? Vol. 2 #88, titled "What if Spider-Man continued to mutate?" where Peter had a hunger for human flesh. This particular story, however, used the same cannibalism scenario, but with a much more clinical and sociopathic Peter with none of that love of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Very intense and dark, but not grisly enough for it to be satisfying IMO. I mean, these kind of stories lie in their shock value, so you might as well go all the way. The conclusion is okay, another boring tie-in to Spider-Verse that I couldn't care about. Love the final page though, that twist ending you'd often see in horror anthology stories. Very nice touch.
Final Rating:
One really good story, two kind-of-okay story, and two disappointing ones. Three webs.
Tony Stark - Iron Man #1 Like Immortal Hulk this is a splendid example of how to do a first issue. Like Slott's Spider-Man it draws a lot from late 70s-80s era of Marvel. Bethany Cabe is back, Rhodey isn't War Machine, multiple armour for different situations, Jocasta and hints of Iron Man 2020. And Fin Fang Foom is here too with an appearance that nods towards Roger Langridge's approach to the giant dragon's personality.
Not a number one!
X-Men Gold #30 Was not a fan of the idea of the Kitty / Colossus marriage, but it turns out that was the point. Pretty good twist ending that Marvel of course spoiled themselves the day before the comic was released.
Amazing Spider-Man #801 Marcos Martin is still the greatest modern Spider-Man artist.
I hope one day they allow a longer cut of that film to be released that allows all the characters and their motivations more time to breathe. Anyway, Star Wars Ashes of Jedha is a great tie-in and tribute to the characters of Rogue One. It's great to see the spies who made it all happen haven't been forgotten by Luke and Leia.
Nothing new going on here, but it was a very good first issue with characters that I want to follow.
I loved this. I've always liked Captain America as a character but have to admit that I've read very little of his title in the past (some of the Brubaker run, which I've long since forgotten anything about). So I came into this ready for just about anything.
Quite impressed. It was just a fun comic book, I'm not sure what else to say. Samnee's article is spectacular. The flat, slightly cartoony style, is my absolute favorite in comics. Allred's style is similar, but this is definitely more grounded.
Can't wait to see where this goes next, I'll be buying the trades as long as they put them out.
Captain America #1
I prefer Samnee and Romero to Leinil Francis Yu's art here, but it's some of his better work of late. And Coates' story is more interesting and astute than Waid's was.
It has that same intricate weaving of existing continuity into political and social commentary he did so well in Black Panther. And even better, like Black Panther it already has a wide cast who feel like characters in their own rights, rather than just "supporting" characters - not all of whom are traditional Captain America characters.
Curious if it will acknowledge the slightly more hi-octane super-espionage thrills currently going on Weapon X though, as it does seem to pick up one earlier thread from that comic.
Some great Samnee work to be had (with Waid again) on Black Widow.
One Piece Chapter 909 - we're finally at Wano, the pseudo-Japan of the Grand Line. Though first we check on Cat Viper before we catch up with the half of the crew we've not seen for over a year. Slightly annoying that it feels we had to leave the Reverie just as it was starting, like the editor is afraid to leave the main characters for too long. But hey we can get on with the world exploding into a terrible war now.
The Promised Neverland Chapter 93 - I've seen numerous people complain about the story now we've opened the world up from the claustrophobic initial arc, but I've enjoyed the tension with the other survivors and getting more of an idea of the demons' culture and how it's not too far from human culture.
My Hero Academia Chapter 189 - This has been a great arc, as it examines Endeavour and his new role. For a character who's fairly unlikable as a person it still presents him as an admirable hero, without forgiving him of the emotional abuse of his family. And acts as a commentary on the other heroes too. I ebb and flow on my liking of MHA, but currently it's cooking on gas.
Black Clover Page 163 - While this elf arc is probably going to go on longer than I'd like, and it's probably going to be a repeated sequence of Asta freeing his friends, the action is pulled off with aplomb and will probably give some neglected cast members a chance to shine.
Dr. Stone Chapter 64 - Finally we return to our initial supporting cast and villain as Senku's plan to win the war without bloodshed goes into action. Easily my favourite of the more recent strips in Jump.
Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers 1,3 and 4(Pacific Comics)-Never read them before and they are entertaining.
Josie and the Pussycats #1(1993)-Lots of Decarlo artwork.Plus a poster of Josie and the Pussycats in OUTER SPACE!
This book is soooooo good.
Sword Daughter #2
Very enjoyable read.
The Quantum Age #1
Very good first issue. This should be a fun ride.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 - Fans of Superior Foes of Spider-Man will likely be pleased with one of the key factors in Peter's new status quo. And with a lawyer who shows up later. And haters of One More Day will likely be initially happy with another key factor and then suspicious if they are paying attention.
Not a huge fan of Ottley & Rathburn's art, too many rictus grins for my taste, and unfortunately the bonus story is by Ramos who makes it look even stiffer in comparison.
But it feels like a different Spidey to Slott's while picking up the continuity from the previous ASM. Not sure it's quite as good at picking up the continuity from Scarlet Spider, hopefully we're not setting up more Spencer / David contradictions. Though ironically, the attempt to fix that contradiction may be a lead into what happens in this comic (see the Damnation mini-series).
I would say the closest runs it resembles is Lee/Romita Spidey (university, Kingpin, mystic elements, Randy Robertson) mixed with DeFalco/Frenz (Sinister Syndicate, relationship stuff, Kingpin again). As opposed to the Stern/Mantlo mix of Brand New Day/Slott era.
X-23 #1 - This was a pleasant surprise. Tamaki's Hunt for Wolverine mini hadn't filled me with confidence, but this was cracking. Juann Cabal's art is astounding. The Stepford Cuckoos are the creepiest they've been since Quitely. The storytelling is great, the character work expressive.
And the story is splendid too, as it creates a believable hero vs. hero tension by drawing on the shared background elements between the Cuckoos and Laura & Gabby.
While I enjoyed Spider-Man and one plot element has me hooked, X-23 was head and shoulders the better of the two.
I can also heartily endorse the Green Lantern Earth One vol. 1, by Corinna Sara Bechko and Gabriel Hardman. If only this was the GL film from several years ag, we'd probably have a better DCCU.
Finally, I enjoyed Dan Slott's run on ASM and I enjoyed his last issue (#801). It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't anywhere close to Silver Surfer, but I think time will look favorably on the entire run. I'm looking forward to the new team and what they do.