I have no qualms about how Moon Knight is interpreted, and I also thought Lemire's Moon Knight was lacklustre and gave up before the first arc finished. Like his other Marvel work it was like wading through molasses, this time with prettier pictures.
People should have taken more from the form of the storytelling that Ellis & Shalvey's short run used, rather than the story it was telling.
Even though I enjoyed Bemis & Burrows' 1st arc far more than Lemire's, it was still pretty flabby in terms of its story telling.
I knew I was tapping out on the current run when the cabbie identity became the tough guy persona. The whole “concealed daughter” cemented the tap out.
Aside from the werewolves in space stuff, the artwork of Lemire’s run makes it superior to Bemis’. It’s why I could last longer on that run & jump ship already on Bemis.
The “he’s got mental issues” is just another (albeit new) single trick view of the character. Ellis used aspects of that in his run, but the issues were interesting. I just didn’t find Lemire’s run anything really interesting enough to make me want to read the next issue right away. The “mental issues” angle was part of the reason, not the singular. For all the bravado I’ve heard about Lemire, I finished each issue thinking “this is the guy I’ve hear stellar things about?!”
Okay. Well I liked the Ellis/Shalvey run too. There are a few major differences between Ellis’ and Lemire’s stories. Ellis was telling one-and-done stories. There was continuity between them, but there was a resolution of conflict at the end of each issue. Lemire was telling one long, sprawling epic. You went fourteen issues before you had any real sense of conflict resolution. Also, Ellis’ stories had physical villains—new characters who provided new challenges for Moon Knight to face. In Lemire’s story the villain was Marc Spector’s mental illness. It manifested itself in the form of Khonshu throughout the story, but it was not a truly physical threat.
I don’t know what you were expecting from Lemire, but he started out writing/drawing graphic novels (he had done several before finally doing any serialized work), and I think that’s where his natural inclinations lie, in telling long-form stories which allow him to move at a leisurely pace and which give him the room to let his stories breathe. He’s generally a quieter type of writer, who focuses more on internal conflict than external conflict. I think it’s telling that David Lynch is one of his big influences.
Ellis, on the other hand, is typically a more visceral type of writer, more in your face. I think he’s probably a bit more versatile than Lemire, though that doesn’t mean he’s any more talented.
Thinking it over, I don’t think there is really anything Lemire has done (keeping in mind I haven't read that much of his corporate-owned work) that I would recommend to you. Although you might like Gideon Falls, which just started up. Only one issue has been released so far, so I can't say that with absolute confidence, but you might want to look into it.
Ellis did basically stand-alones, but his last issue called back to his first issue. Even though he used aspects of the multiple personalities, I thought his run was the closest to Moench’s. It wasn’t that “Moon Knight punch bad man,” (I do actually like mental game stories) it was that there was always an ambiguity to the stories. Plus, the themes varied.
Bendis, Lemire, & Bemis didn’t/haven’t done that with their runs. They made no question Spector has mental issues and the themes of their runs centered around that.
As I mentioned above, FoK ran with the supernatural aspect of the character. Most of the MS:MK run focus on the “Batman-type” aspect of the character (around the 40s, we got a riff on the Shadow). Since Huston made him nuts, the aspect writers/Marvel wants to run with is his mental issues...and the Mr. Knight look. If you didn’t care for whichever the main aspect used in those runs, it’s hard to really enjoy them.
My expectations for Lemire was to give an interesting story. Fingers were cross all this was a Morpheus illusion. I was expecting him to live up to the hype. In the end, I kept thinking about B:tVS’s Normal Again & Smallville’s Labyrinth with a character supposedly Moon Knight.
Okay, but if that’s how @Evening639 was establishing his initial question. I see that’s how you interpreted it, but I’d like more parameters to truly answer the question.
I've been trying to figure out how to rephrase that question, and the best I can come up with is: Does any character written by a series of different writers over the span of 40+ years still carry the same characterization, the same premises, and the same themes as they did when originally presented?
I have no qualms about how Moon Knight is interpreted, and I also thought Lemire's Moon Knight was lacklustre and gave up before the first arc finished. Like his other Marvel work it was like wading through molasses, this time with prettier pictures.
People should have taken more from the form of the storytelling that Ellis & Shalvey's short run used, rather than the story it was telling.
Even though I enjoyed Bemis & Burrows' 1st arc far more than Lemire's, it was still pretty flabby in terms of its story telling.
I knew I was tapping out on the current run when the cabbie identity became the tough guy persona. The whole “concealed daughter” cemented the tap out.
Aside from the werewolves in space stuff, the artwork of Lemire’s run makes it superior to Bemis’. It’s why I could last longer on that run & jump ship already on Bemis.
The Lockley scenes did seem to have a sort of Taxi Driver vibe. As for the artwork, I love James Stokoe’s (the space-werewolf artist) work. I buy just about everything he does (he usually writes his own stories), so his inclusion was a huge bonus for me.
Even though he used aspects of the multiple personalities, I thought his run was the closest to Moench’s. It wasn’t that “Moon Knight punch bad man,” (I do actually like mental game stories) it was that there was always an ambiguity to the stories. Plus, the themes varied.
Given a choice, I too prefer the ambiguity of “is he nuts, or is this all really happening?” to a straight-out mentally ill Moon Knight. But I also prefer a straight-out mentally ill Moon Knight to a perfectly sane Moon Knight. And I’ve only rarely seen that borderline dance of “is he or isn’t he” carried out effectively. It would be a lot easier to pull off if he didn’t exist in a universe filled with gods and demons and cosmic beings beyond our understanding—something like Kill or Be Killed, for instance. In fact, when that series was first announced, I wondered if it started out as a Brubaker Moon Knight pitch he had reworked.
The main thing I was getting at with the villains is that Ellis always had MK facing off against a clearly defined opponent, and that by the end of each issue, that opponent was dealt with. Yeah, one came back, but then he was dealt with again. And while, Ellis’ run did have a variance in terms of plots, and each issue had at least one distinct premise, there is a strong consistent theme that runs through every issue, that of abandonment/rejection/isolation. I thought it was a nice touch for the hero who is never alone (because he has his various personalities) to deal with rejects who are much more mentally shattered than Marc Spector because they are alone.
My expectations for Lemire was to give an interesting story. Fingers were cross all this was a Morpheus illusion. I was expecting him to live up to the hype. In the end, I kept thinking about B:tVS’s Normal Again & Smallville’s Labyrinth with a character supposedly Moon Knight.
Well, I thought it was interesting enough. Just my opinion. Again, his best work is his creator-owned stuff—but I'm not sure you like that either. Do at least take a look at Gideon Falls. If there is anything of his you will like, it’s probably that. (BTW, I never watched Smallville, and my Buffy viewing was infrequent and scattershot.)
Okay, but if that’s how @Evening639 was establishing his initial question. I see that’s how you interpreted it, but I’d like more parameters to truly answer the question.
I've been trying to figure out how to rephrase that question, and the best I can come up with is: Does any character written by a series of different writers over the span of 40+ years still carry the same characterization, the same premises, and the same themes as they did when originally presented?
The question was mostly directed at @Evening639. I should have tagged him. Just trying to get all three of us on the same page before tackling the question.
@nweathington I was mainly asking if it's possible for a single character to continue to exist as the same character when written by many individuals. Every writer is a unique individual. Therefore, they bring certain unique qualities to their representations of the characters they write.
The most obvious example I can think of to further illustrate this would be Grant Morrison's Animal Man run. In it, Morrison asks Buddy if he's ever noticed that he seems different when he interacts with the Justice League Europe, referencing the fact that that book is written by a different writer.
When a character is handed off to another writer, that character loses part of what makes them who they are. For better or worse, that character is changed.
Now, one could argue that change is a part of life and that we, as real people, change many times over the course of our own lives. However, the changes that occur in our lives are brought on organically. Whether as a result of our complex life experiences or simple biology, our changes can be mapped and explained.
The changes that occur in the "lives" of fictional characters are not organic. They are artificial. They are manufactured by writers for various reasons. It's my belief that these changes can maintain the illusion of reality more authentically, however, if the character's actions are narrated and guided by one individual rather than a collective.
I think that’s generally the case with comic books, but with their uptown cousin the newspaper comic strips, I think it's typically the other way around. There’s a much stronger tradition of sticking to the look and feel of the strip’s original creators, and ghost-writers, and ghost-artists. And then you have something like The Spirit, which straddled both worlds. Never mind the ghost writers who wrote the strip will Eisner was in the Army, but even after Eisner’s death writers and artists who handle the character tend to try to emulate Eisner’s voice as closely as they can.
I think that’s generally the case with comic books, but with their uptown cousin the newspaper comic strips, I think it's typically the other way around. There’s a much stronger tradition of sticking to the look and feel of the strip’s original creators, and ghost-writers, and ghost-artists. And then you have something like The Spirit, which straddled both worlds. Never mind the ghost writers who wrote the strip will Eisner was in the Army, but even after Eisner’s death writers and artists who handle the character tend to try to emulate Eisner’s voice as closely as they can.
That's something that's always fascinated me about the comics world. Ghost writers of strips are encouraged to imitate the writers and artists they're filling in for. Mainstream comics are usually the exact opposite. Every time a new creative team is announced, there's speculation about what bold new direction they're going to take the character. Every news website and periodical runs interviews and articles fueling that speculation and even the companies themselves give the creative teams carte blanche as long as they don't step on anybody else's toes.
And so, what we essentially get are the equivalent of a creator-owned book that's cluttered with decades-old continuity and often times intruded on by crossovers and events. Imagine how much the quality of Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise or Jeff Smith's Bone would have gone down if they followed the same logic as Marvel or DC books. Halfway through each series, Rob Liefeld takes over writing and art duties, turns Fone Bone evil, brings David back to life as a cyborg and has the two books crossover in a six-month long event that ties into Hellboy and My Little Pony.
That would have been utterly ridiculous. But, the same thing happens at Marvel and DC every month. And, even my attempt at humor by including My Little Pony isn't any more absurd than DC characters crossing over with everyone from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Hanna-Barbera characters.
Sometimes, I think that maybe we should just show Marvel and DC's characters, not to mention most other licensed properties, the way to go home. They're tired and they want to go to bed.
Finally read issue 6 (of 6) of the Shadow/Batman mini-series; a follow up to Batman/Shadow mini-series by the same writer. If anyone was curious about this crossover or both, I’ll sum them up for you: they sucked. Shadow/Batman had better illustrations, but the stories were each 3 issues too long and uninteresting.
It’s been over a decade since I’ve read Batman, so I cannot say if it’s in line with his current portrayal. I will say Orlando cherry picked aspects of the Shadow for this portrayal. Wasn’t a fan of it.
Steve Orlando wrote both, though Scott Snyder co-wrote the Batman/Shadow mini-series. If Scott wrote the Batman aspects of that story, he should be ashamed of himself.
I think that’s generally the case with comic books, but with their uptown cousin the newspaper comic strips, I think it's typically the other way around. There’s a much stronger tradition of sticking to the look and feel of the strip’s original creators, and ghost-writers, and ghost-artists. And then you have something like The Spirit, which straddled both worlds. Never mind the ghost writers who wrote the strip will Eisner was in the Army, but even after Eisner’s death writers and artists who handle the character tend to try to emulate Eisner’s voice as closely as they can.
That's something that's always fascinated me about the comics world. Ghost writers of strips are encouraged to imitate the writers and artists they're filling in for. Mainstream comics are usually the exact opposite. Every time a new creative team is announced, there's speculation about what bold new direction they're going to take the character. Every news website and periodical runs interviews and articles fueling that speculation and even the companies themselves give the creative teams carte blanche as long as they don't step on anybody else's toes.
And so, what we essentially get are the equivalent of a creator-owned book that's cluttered with decades-old continuity and often times intruded on by crossovers and events. Imagine how much the quality of Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise or Jeff Smith's Bone would have gone down if they followed the same logic as Marvel or DC books. Halfway through each series, Rob Liefeld takes over writing and art duties, turns Fone Bone evil, brings David back to life as a cyborg and has the two books crossover in a six-month long event that ties into Hellboy and My Little Pony.
That would have been utterly ridiculous. But, the same thing happens at Marvel and DC every month. And, even my attempt at humor by including My Little Pony isn't any more absurd than DC characters crossing over with everyone from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Hanna-Barbera characters.
Sometimes, I think that maybe we should just show Marvel and DC's characters, not to mention most other licensed properties, the way to go home. They're tired and they want to go to bed.
This is a fairly new phenomena... but the seeds were planted with Frank Miller and John Byrne back in the 80's... however even they tried to be good stewards of the characters they were inheriting... each really extrapolating on the original creations and the creators' overall intent. Sure, that's a stretch for Daredevil, but you get my drift.
But yeah, it's really getting old, now... every time a new crew takes over, it's like a soft reboot, only to be soft rebooted again in six months. The publishers see it as a "shot in the arm" to boost sales, but I think it's really just serving to weigh down and water down the overall titles over the long run.
Of course, the flip side is what happened to Superman in the 60's, 70's and 80's... a slow development of the house style that culminated and peaked with Cary Bates and Curt Swan's version of the character... which was pretty tired and homogeneous by the time Alan Moore put a period at the end of the sentence. Love or hate Byrne's take, it was needed at the time. Don't get me wrong... when I think Superman, I think Christopher Reeve and Curt Swan... but it had run it's course.
To summarize my filibuster: Constant reboot bad. Stale style bad. Cookies good.
It's hard enough to get good writers interested in writing DC/Marvel books as it is. Just imagine if you then told them that they aren't allowed to use their own tone or direction... I hope you like people Steve Orlando and Bryan Hitch because that's about the top of the writing quality that you would see in such an environment.
It's hard enough to get good writers interested in writing DC/Marvel books as it is. Just imagine if you then told them that they aren't allowed to use their own tone or direction... I hope you like people Steve Orlando and Bryan Hitch because that's about the top of the writing quality that you would see in such an environment.
I think with Mister Miracle I keep waiting for something to happen..or at least give me a reason to keep reading. Also, the issue where they talk the whole issue about redoing the kitchen while invading New Genesis felt like it was trying to be too clever. The baby issue..I get it..in real life waiting around the hospital is both boring and stressful..not sure I want to read about others doing it. Their guests and Scott's name suggestions weren't enough to make the issue any less tedious of a read.
I think with Mister Miracle I keep waiting for something to happen..or at least give me a reason to keep reading. Also, the issue where they talk the whole issue about redoing the kitchen while invading New Genesis felt like it was trying to be too clever. The baby issue..I get it..in real life waiting around the hospital is both boring and stressful..not sure I want to read about others doing it. Their guests and Scott's name suggestions weren't enough to make the issue any less tedious of a read.
I like comics, novels, movies etc that can be enjoyed on multiple levels. Making a reader think and look for what the author is trying to say is something I don't mind in my comics. Earlier in this thread Eric said Mister Miracle is about PTSD, and it very well could be, but I'm not getting that. I feel like it's just a random, boring story that obviously has something else going on..but I'll be damned if I care at this point. If I'm not getting what Tom is trying to say on a deeper level, and I'm not enjoying it even superficially, then there is no point for me to continue with it.
Quite a lot of comic book issues didn't work for me this past week, beginning with Spider-Island.
Amazing Spider-Man #666 - 673
Alright, let's get something out of the way, something I've often said before: I don't like crossover events. Much like many MCU movies, they are big and flashy spectacles that can feel hollow. They star a bunch of characters whose books I never read. They can be forgettable at best, unreadable at worst. Examples of poorly written events are: Fear Itself, Civil War, Civil War II, Maximum Carnage, DC Versus Marvel (yes, that's an official event), Secret Wars II, Age of Ultron (both movie and comic book), and since we're reviewing a Spidey book, let's not forget... ugh, One More Day. Brr... that name still gives me shivers.
But since it's a Spidey-related event, it's gotta be much more interesting for a Spider-fan like me, right? Let's find out.
Things I Liked 1. Infested "Infested" is a series of side stories that prelude Spider-Island. It basically shows what happens to ordinary people like you and me when they have all the powers of Spider-Man, but with a weaker sense of responsibility than Peter Parker. That's the brilliance of "Spider-Island", and it should have been the main focus of the event.
Sadly, it's not.
2. Goodbye, Last of the Brand New Day Cast (AKA Carlie Cooper) Carlie didn't really bother me as much as other past romantic interests in Peter's life (another bespectacled blondie, Debra Whitman comes to mind). I thought she's 'okay'. Reminds me of Gwen Stacy from "The Spectacular Spider-Man" animated series (another character I didn't care much about), so much so I used her voice whenever I read Carlie's lines in the books. But here's the thing: I hated OMD. I hated BND (Brand New Day, the arc following One More Day). And I still do. After reading Dan Slott's unapologetic, unprofessional, and some very rude responses to fans hoping for Peter to marry MJ again, I've hated them even more ever since - and those responses were also one of the reasons I dropped the book some time around BND way before Slott's run.
So to see a part of BND finally step out the door and never return? I won't shed a tear. I won't even bother to say "Please bring MJ back" so you can save your breath for some other sorry-sob who cares, Slott.
(Note: This was written before I read the next issue and found out Carlie was still around anyway... ugh.)
3. Spidey Saves the Day And Earns the Gratitude He Deserves (Sort of) The "sort of" is referring to how it doesn't happen till the final part of the event. Like many crossover events, Spidey didn't get to play a big role in the event, even when it's supposed to be his event. More on this under "Things I Didn't Like".
But that gripe aside, that final part was pretty satisfying. Even Jolly ol' Jonah had to suck it up and admitted that it was Spidey who saved the day. That final panel with New York thanking Spidey was also very heartwarming.
4. Proper Use of Tie-Ins Event tie-ins are most of the time forgettable and insignificant. This was not the case with Spider-Island, since they managed to tell side stories that tie into the main plot of the arc, telling one consistent story throughout several months (kinda like the MCU). However, that came at a price...
5. Spidey Learns Kung-Fu! I love it whenever my favorite webslinging hero gets an upgrade to his powers. And martial arts only makes sense, considering he's a street-level urban hero. Luke Cage is already getting schooled by Iron Fist in season 2 of his Netflix series, why not Spidey? Too bad he won't be expertly trained like Batman or something, but it's still a nice addition to his power-set.
Things I Didn't Like 1. Spidey's Participation in Event Not enough to merit the event's existence IMO (^ that's not Spidey btw; just one of the many wannabes). He's mostly reduced to a background observer during the first two parts (out of six) of the arc, reacting to what's going on around him. Throughout the arc, he's mostly given secondary tasks, like trying to find out whom the mastermind is (he did, but only with Carlie's help) and finding a cure for everyone (he didn't; Reed Richards did). Even Spider-Man himself realized how ridiculous it was that in a spider-related catastrophe, he's helpless and not able to do anything. And those tie-ins I mentioned? They added to the crowding of the book, advertising annoying little mentions to other books unrelated to ASM, the book I'm reading.
It's not a major complaint, since he still got the spotlight half of the time, but I was just annoyed (peeved, maybe) that he's not at the frontline of an event titled "Spider-Island". The really juicy development in Peter's life didn't come till the final part of the arc.
What I really wanted to see in an crossover event involving Spidey is something like "Fear Itself: Spider-Man". Now that's a far better written comic book event, one that embodies Peter's character much better than Spider-Island. The irony.
2. Spectacle Over Storytelling An extension of the above point. There isn't a lot of interesting development going on till maybe part 4 (out of 6) of the arc. Most of the story before that was just people reacting to the appearance of the Spider-Men, people fighting the Spider-Men, and Peter running around being helpless. It's this kind of thing that leaves me indifferent about crossover events - a lot of padding to stretch out the story arc. I feel like this could have been a three part storyline instead of six and it would have been tighter and more interesting.
More importantly, why isn't there a bigger focus on power and responsibility? This IS a Spider-Man book, right? It would have been the perfect opportunity to show people running around doing things Spidey wouldn't do with his powers and mirror his character. That's the whole point of giving average New Yorkers Spider-powers, right? Or was it all just to put up a big show and sell books?
Honestly, "Infested" was a lot more interesting than Spider-Island, showcasing the life of your average New Yorker, and what they would do when they are given the power to change their life. I wish the first-half of Spider-Island would have focused more on that.
3. That Mary-Jane Tease We know married Peter is never coming back again. Slott has made that clear enough via social media. So MJ saying those three magical words again (it's "I Love You" btw) just to tease the readers... yeah, not really cool. What good will this possibly lead to? Peter Parker being a swinger bachelor going out with multiple partners? What? What is the purpose of this tease? I don't get it.
In Conclusion... Spider-Island was a... 'fun' crossover event, I guess you could call it that. It led to some interesting development, but only at the very end. It didn't feel like a very special event in spite of having "Spider" in a crossover event for the first time in Marvel history, and it didn't really display the kind of "power and responsibility" theme I was hoping to come out of. Because the best Spider-Man stories have always focused more on such a theme, that second point on "spectacle over storytelling" hurts the rating for this arc more than the good points add up. It's not as bad as other crossover events I could think of, but it's not very amazing either.
6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #1-3
Some time before Spider-Island, there were two story arcs that involved characters that didn't really belong in the "Amazing Spider-Man" title, namely the FF and the kids from Avengers Academy. This new title gives Spidey a chance to guest star with other characters without affecting the Webhead's main book, sort of like Marvel Team-Up did back in the heyday (which used to be one of Spidey's core titles, volume 1 anyway).
I remember having a lot of fun reading MTU because it gave us the opportunity to see Spidey directly interact with other superheroes. I felt like Spidey hasn't had the chance to have that kind of up close and personal interaction for a long time. Often, when he guest stars in other books, he only has very few bits and pieces here and there, not worth the price of the book if you're only reading for Spidey. Here, it gives writers the excuse to keep the main focus on Spidey while also providing that "team-up" element.
That said, there is an immediate issue I have from page one of the book: Spidey breaking the fourth wall. Let's be real: Spider-Man is not Deadpool. He doesn't break fourth-walls. He doesn't do Looney Tunes humor. His brand of comedy can be cheesy, but not to the point of absurdity. So this book does tread a fine line at risk of turning into that Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon I absolutely abhorred so much. In fact, it irks me that this book might have been the inspiration for that animated series. That cartoon had the same meta-humor, and it also seems to focus a lot on Spidey teaming up with other heroes. But it's too soon to judge for now, so I'll hold back my biasness.
The first three issues did initially impress me with their humor. It's kinda juvenile and sometimes low-brow, and it reminded me too much of the aforementioned USM cartoon, but it was still kinda witty at times, especially Jonah Jameson's lines. He's one of the better parts of these three issues. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Spidey and Rulk, so the humor didn't bother me too much. It does feel like a less serious Spider-Man title compared to the past ones, even Marvel Team-Up - which is perfectly fine, since the buddy cop banter between Spidey and Rulk here is amusing enough to be entertaining. But of course, I prefer my comics to have little more dramatic flair to it. Comedy isn't really my favorite genre; juvenile comedy that deals with genitals even less (I find it lazy, even).
And that is disappointing, because #2 had some really strong writing there displaying Spidey's moral integrity in risking his life and limb for others, not to mention that impressive twist at the end. But then, #3 went and muck it all up with that anticlimactic low-brow humor, which I got the point of (a villain that took down Rulk was defeated by Spidey shaming him), and it could've been clever (sort of) if not for the lazy and childish genital cliche.
Let's call it 6/10. Hope the next story arc impresses me more and gives me a good reason to stick with this book.
Note: It does, but the quality quickly dropped after #5 when Zeb Wells isn't around for multiple issues. "The Omega Effect" in #6 was an annoying crossover that stretched out to two other books I have no interest in (Daredevil and Punisher). Then there was that silly She-Hulk team-up in #7 that, while kinda fun, still felt like stupid cat-humor, not to mention all the plots holes it has.
Finally, I'm currently reading Spider-Men, and I must say... it doesn't really live up to the hype. There's a lot of padding stuffed between the issues. Reminds me a lot of Spider-Island. I'll probably not write a full review, much like many of the books that didn't work for me this week. A pain in the ass. It's much more fun writing about comics that I actually enjoyed.
In Conclusion... Spider-Island was a... 'fun' crossover event, I guess you could call it that. It led to some interesting development, but only at the very end. It didn't feel like a very special event in spite of having "Spider" in a crossover event for the first time in Marvel history, and it didn't really display the kind of "power and responsibility" theme I was hoping to come out of. Because the best Spider-Man stories have always focused more on such a theme, that second point on "spectacle over storytelling" hurts the rating for this arc more than the good points add up. It's not as bad as other crossover events I could think of, but it's not very amazing either.
6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #1-3
Some time before Spider-Island, there were two story arcs that involved characters that didn't really belong in the "Amazing Spider-Man" title, namely the FF and the kids from Avengers Academy. This new title gives Spidey a chance to guest star with other characters without affecting the Webhead's main book, sort of like Marvel Team-Up did back in the heyday (which used to be one of Spidey's core titles, volume 1 anyway).
I remember having a lot of fun reading MTU because it gave us the opportunity to see Spidey directly interact with other superheroes. I felt like Spidey hasn't had the chance to have that kind of up close and personal interaction for a long time. Often, when he guest stars in other books, he only has very few bits and pieces here and there, not worth the price of the book if you're only reading for Spidey. Here, it gives writers the excuse to keep the main focus on Spidey while also providing that "team-up" element.
That said, there is an immediate issue I have from page one of the book: Spidey breaking the fourth wall. Let's be real: Spider-Man is not Deadpool. He doesn't break fourth-walls. He doesn't do Looney Tunes humor. His brand of comedy can be cheesy, but not to the point of absurdity. So this book does tread a fine line at risk of turning into that Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon I absolutely abhorred so much. In fact, it irks me that this book might have been the inspiration for that animated series. That cartoon had the same meta-humor, and it also seems to focus a lot on Spidey teaming up with other heroes. But it's too soon to judge for now, so I'll hold back my biasness.
The first three issues did initially impress me with their humor. It's kinda juvenile and sometimes low-brow, and it reminded me too much of the aforementioned USM cartoon, but it was still kinda witty at times, especially Jonah Jameson's lines. He's one of the better parts of these three issues. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Spidey and Rulk, so the humor didn't bother me too much. It does feel like a less serious Spider-Man title compared to the past ones, even Marvel Team-Up - which is perfectly fine, since the buddy cop banter between Spidey and Rulk here is amusing enough to be entertaining. But of course, I prefer my comics to have little more dramatic flair to it. Comedy isn't really my favorite genre; juvenile comedy that deals with genitals even less (I find it lazy, even).
And that is disappointing, because #2 had some really strong writing there displaying Spidey's moral integrity in risking his life and limb for others, not to mention that impressive twist at the end. But then, #3 went and muck it all up with that anticlimactic low-brow humor, which I got the point of (a villain that took down Rulk was defeated by Spidey shaming him), and it could've been clever (sort of) if not for the lazy and childish genital cliche.
Let's call it 6/10. Hope the next story arc impresses me more and gives me a good reason to stick with this book.
Note: It does, but the quality quickly dropped after #5 when Zeb Wells isn't around for multiple issues. "The Omega Effect" in #6 was an annoying crossover that stretched out to two other books I have no interest in (Daredevil and Punisher). Then there was that silly She-Hulk team-up in #7 that, while kinda fun, still felt like stupid cat-humor, not to mention all the plots holes it has.
Finally, I'm currently reading Spider-Men, and I must say... it doesn't really live up to the hype. There's a lot of padding stuffed between the issues. Reminds me a lot of Spider-Island. I'll probably not write a full review, much like many of the books that didn't work for me this week. A pain in the ass. It's much more fun writing about comics that I actually enjoyed.
Bendis killed interest in events for me. Morrison’s Batman direction killed my interest in reading Bat-titles (and out of DC, actually). BND killed my interest in reading Spidey titles (and all Marvel titles except Moon Knight; his title did that on its own). I’ve had zero regrets not diving back in since.
In Conclusion... Spider-Island was a... 'fun' crossover event, I guess you could call it that. It led to some interesting development, but only at the very end. It didn't feel like a very special event in spite of having "Spider" in a crossover event for the first time in Marvel history, and it didn't really display the kind of "power and responsibility" theme I was hoping to come out of. Because the best Spider-Man stories have always focused more on such a theme, that second point on "spectacle over storytelling" hurts the rating for this arc more than the good points add up. It's not as bad as other crossover events I could think of, but it's not very amazing either.
6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #1-3
Some time before Spider-Island, there were two story arcs that involved characters that didn't really belong in the "Amazing Spider-Man" title, namely the FF and the kids from Avengers Academy. This new title gives Spidey a chance to guest star with other characters without affecting the Webhead's main book, sort of like Marvel Team-Up did back in the heyday (which used to be one of Spidey's core titles, volume 1 anyway).
I remember having a lot of fun reading MTU because it gave us the opportunity to see Spidey directly interact with other superheroes. I felt like Spidey hasn't had the chance to have that kind of up close and personal interaction for a long time. Often, when he guest stars in other books, he only has very few bits and pieces here and there, not worth the price of the book if you're only reading for Spidey. Here, it gives writers the excuse to keep the main focus on Spidey while also providing that "team-up" element.
That said, there is an immediate issue I have from page one of the book: Spidey breaking the fourth wall. Let's be real: Spider-Man is not Deadpool. He doesn't break fourth-walls. He doesn't do Looney Tunes humor. His brand of comedy can be cheesy, but not to the point of absurdity. So this book does tread a fine line at risk of turning into that Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon I absolutely abhorred so much. In fact, it irks me that this book might have been the inspiration for that animated series. That cartoon had the same meta-humor, and it also seems to focus a lot on Spidey teaming up with other heroes. But it's too soon to judge for now, so I'll hold back my biasness.
The first three issues did initially impress me with their humor. It's kinda juvenile and sometimes low-brow, and it reminded me too much of the aforementioned USM cartoon, but it was still kinda witty at times, especially Jonah Jameson's lines. He's one of the better parts of these three issues. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Spidey and Rulk, so the humor didn't bother me too much. It does feel like a less serious Spider-Man title compared to the past ones, even Marvel Team-Up - which is perfectly fine, since the buddy cop banter between Spidey and Rulk here is amusing enough to be entertaining. But of course, I prefer my comics to have little more dramatic flair to it. Comedy isn't really my favorite genre; juvenile comedy that deals with genitals even less (I find it lazy, even).
And that is disappointing, because #2 had some really strong writing there displaying Spidey's moral integrity in risking his life and limb for others, not to mention that impressive twist at the end. But then, #3 went and muck it all up with that anticlimactic low-brow humor, which I got the point of (a villain that took down Rulk was defeated by Spidey shaming him), and it could've been clever (sort of) if not for the lazy and childish genital cliche.
Let's call it 6/10. Hope the next story arc impresses me more and gives me a good reason to stick with this book.
Note: It does, but the quality quickly dropped after #5 when Zeb Wells isn't around for multiple issues. "The Omega Effect" in #6 was an annoying crossover that stretched out to two other books I have no interest in (Daredevil and Punisher). Then there was that silly She-Hulk team-up in #7 that, while kinda fun, still felt like stupid cat-humor, not to mention all the plots holes it has.
Finally, I'm currently reading Spider-Men, and I must say... it doesn't really live up to the hype. There's a lot of padding stuffed between the issues. Reminds me a lot of Spider-Island. I'll probably not write a full review, much like many of the books that didn't work for me this week. A pain in the ass. It's much more fun writing about comics that I actually enjoyed.
Bendis killed interest in events for me. Morrison’s Batman direction killed my interest in reading Bat-titles (and out of DC, actually). BND killed my interest in reading Spidey titles (and all Marvel titles except Moon Knight; his title did that on its own). I’ve had zero regrets not diving back in since.
It's a shame too. Bendis did some good work in Ultimate Spider-Man back in the day. But his work just seemed to get worse over the years, choked with so much unnecessary exposition that's more "tell" than "show". "Spider-Men", the crossover arc where 616 Spidey meets Miles Morales, is one of such examples of wastage of space.
In Conclusion... Spider-Island was a... 'fun' crossover event, I guess you could call it that. It led to some interesting development, but only at the very end. It didn't feel like a very special event in spite of having "Spider" in a crossover event for the first time in Marvel history, and it didn't really display the kind of "power and responsibility" theme I was hoping to come out of. Because the best Spider-Man stories have always focused more on such a theme, that second point on "spectacle over storytelling" hurts the rating for this arc more than the good points add up. It's not as bad as other crossover events I could think of, but it's not very amazing either.
6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #1-3
Some time before Spider-Island, there were two story arcs that involved characters that didn't really belong in the "Amazing Spider-Man" title, namely the FF and the kids from Avengers Academy. This new title gives Spidey a chance to guest star with other characters without affecting the Webhead's main book, sort of like Marvel Team-Up did back in the heyday (which used to be one of Spidey's core titles, volume 1 anyway).
I remember having a lot of fun reading MTU because it gave us the opportunity to see Spidey directly interact with other superheroes. I felt like Spidey hasn't had the chance to have that kind of up close and personal interaction for a long time. Often, when he guest stars in other books, he only has very few bits and pieces here and there, not worth the price of the book if you're only reading for Spidey. Here, it gives writers the excuse to keep the main focus on Spidey while also providing that "team-up" element.
That said, there is an immediate issue I have from page one of the book: Spidey breaking the fourth wall. Let's be real: Spider-Man is not Deadpool. He doesn't break fourth-walls. He doesn't do Looney Tunes humor. His brand of comedy can be cheesy, but not to the point of absurdity. So this book does tread a fine line at risk of turning into that Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon I absolutely abhorred so much. In fact, it irks me that this book might have been the inspiration for that animated series. That cartoon had the same meta-humor, and it also seems to focus a lot on Spidey teaming up with other heroes. But it's too soon to judge for now, so I'll hold back my biasness.
The first three issues did initially impress me with their humor. It's kinda juvenile and sometimes low-brow, and it reminded me too much of the aforementioned USM cartoon, but it was still kinda witty at times, especially Jonah Jameson's lines. He's one of the better parts of these three issues. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Spidey and Rulk, so the humor didn't bother me too much. It does feel like a less serious Spider-Man title compared to the past ones, even Marvel Team-Up - which is perfectly fine, since the buddy cop banter between Spidey and Rulk here is amusing enough to be entertaining. But of course, I prefer my comics to have little more dramatic flair to it. Comedy isn't really my favorite genre; juvenile comedy that deals with genitals even less (I find it lazy, even).
And that is disappointing, because #2 had some really strong writing there displaying Spidey's moral integrity in risking his life and limb for others, not to mention that impressive twist at the end. But then, #3 went and muck it all up with that anticlimactic low-brow humor, which I got the point of (a villain that took down Rulk was defeated by Spidey shaming him), and it could've been clever (sort of) if not for the lazy and childish genital cliche.
Let's call it 6/10. Hope the next story arc impresses me more and gives me a good reason to stick with this book.
Note: It does, but the quality quickly dropped after #5 when Zeb Wells isn't around for multiple issues. "The Omega Effect" in #6 was an annoying crossover that stretched out to two other books I have no interest in (Daredevil and Punisher). Then there was that silly She-Hulk team-up in #7 that, while kinda fun, still felt like stupid cat-humor, not to mention all the plots holes it has.
Finally, I'm currently reading Spider-Men, and I must say... it doesn't really live up to the hype. There's a lot of padding stuffed between the issues. Reminds me a lot of Spider-Island. I'll probably not write a full review, much like many of the books that didn't work for me this week. A pain in the ass. It's much more fun writing about comics that I actually enjoyed.
Bendis killed interest in events for me. Morrison’s Batman direction killed my interest in reading Bat-titles (and out of DC, actually). BND killed my interest in reading Spidey titles (and all Marvel titles except Moon Knight; his title did that on its own). I’ve had zero regrets not diving back in since.
It's a shame too. Bendis did some good work in Ultimate Spider-Man back in the day. But his work just seemed to get worse over the years, choked with so much unnecessary exposition that's more "tell" than "show". "Spider-Men", the crossover arc where 616 Spidey meets Miles Morales, is one of such examples of wastage of space.
I never cared for his Spider-man. He felt too annoying. Especially in New Avengers. I passed on Ultimate Spider-man. I was never interesting in an alternate version of Peter.
So I have a bunch of reviews coming up for comics that didn't work for me, and because I don't want to post them altogether and flood the place, I'll just post my lengthiest review for now to get it out of the way.
Amazing Spider-Man #682-687: Ends of the Earth
Plot Summary: Dr. Octopus is dying. But in his final days, he has developed technology to repair the ozone layer. He says all he wants is to be remembered forever as the human race's savior, and it seems the world is ready to play along with him and his Sinister Six. But not Spider-Man. Burned countless times in the past by his arch-nemesis, Spidey's not willing to accept Doc Ock as a selfless benefactor. Unfortunately, that sets him - not Octavius - as Global Enemy No. 1! How can Spider-Man save the day when Doc Ock, the Sinister Six and, indeed, the whole planet, are intent on hunting him down?
Release Date: May 2012 - Aug 2012 Writer: Dan Slott Artist: Stefano Caselli
A while ago, I wrote a review for the "Spider-Island" story arc running from ASM #666-673. It was one of those fancy "crossover events" in Marvel (like Secret Wars or Civil War) that spanned across multiple different titles, guest-starring many characters from separate books. I had a lot to say about it, not just because it was a lengthy arc that ran for eight issues, but also because I had many problems with its writing. It really didn't help that there was such a massive hype built around it.
In Spidey's own books, the event was marketed as a big deal for many issues prior to the actual story arc. There was even a side story within those issues called "Infested" that I briefly touched on in the review, acting as a prologue for the massive saga. However, what truly made this event special was that it was a story about New Yorkers suddenly getting powers exactly like those of Spider-Man. This meant that while many Marvel characters would be guest-starring in the event, Spidey would supposedly be in the spotlight dealing with other Spider-Men like him. Oftentimes, readers would find the opposite to be true, with the ol' Webhead playing a relatively small role in such a world-shaking event, so to have him finally be the main star, it truly seemed like an event dedicated to the iconic hero.
And it made sense too, considering the timing of it. "Spider-Island" was released in 2011, just one year before the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man's first appearance since "Amazing Fantasy #15".
Unfortunately, the event failed to live up to its hype for me. While the spotlight was on the webslinger, it didn't feel like he was the main player throughout many parts of the story, but a mere observer reacting to the happenstance around him, just as he did in other crossover events. While the story eventually gave him a more active role in the second-half, it had spent most of its time keeping him as a passive bystander, either lamenting how his participation was redundant to the event at large (an ironic meta-commentary perhaps) or doing investigations on a mastermind who became insignificant by the third act anyway. And because it's a crossover event, Spidey's own book had to make references to numerous Spider-Island subplots taking place in other books like Agent Venom and Clock & Dagger, further diluting the focus on the main story and Spider-Man himself.
On paper, the idea of Spider-Island sounded "awesome". When you look back at the many stories of Dan Slott, that seems to be the pattern: they are larger-than-life, and there is often some cool gimmick that makes the story special. Slott seems to prefer writing such "cool" and "awesome" stories that are colorful and attention-grabbing, but when it comes to writing about how the characters react to these plots and why they react that way, these "boring" but no less important details are often rushed or even absent. It's this focus on plot over characters that often makes his stories a hollow spectacle in the long run.
Today, I shall review "Ends of the Earth", another story that marked the milestone that was the 'Big 50'. Much like Spider-Island, it's another Dan Slott story with an interesting concept: Spidey leading the Avengers against Doc Ock in a battle of wits to stop the destruction of Earth. Very dramatic and big-scale like your typical blockbuster. But because the webslinger has a key role to play in the story this time, it forced Slott to focus a lot more on him and not be distracted. At least not till the end.
A CLEAR FOCUS
There were a number of reasons why this story worked for me better than Spider-Island ever did, but the key reason is focus. It's always focused on Spider-Man and his goal: stopping Dr. Octopus. Everything that happens in the story is directly related to this goal from start to finish. Nothing is unnecessary, even the cameos of other superheroes and the one promotional plug to another book.
For many parts of Spider-Island, it's a gimmick story. It relied on the gimmick that is the spider-powers, and its focus was turned towards the reaction of everyone to this cool and fancy gimmick. That's why Spidey became left out, because he wasn't part of the spectacle. He wasn't the big fireworks that drew in the readers. Those cameos by the Avengers, the awesome fight scenes between them and the other Spider-Men, those were the main attractions. Not Ends of the Earth.
Here, Spider-Man is the story, or more specifically, the story is centered on his battle against Dr. Octopus in a game of chess. The Avengers make an appearance here just as they did in Spider-Island, but it is Spider-Man who is leading them on the front line. There is also a promotional plug to another book tied-in with this story when Spidey calls to arms international heroes from across the planet, but the scene featuring the plug merely added to Spider-Man's character development, displaying his talent as a leader capable of bringing people together.
The result is a laser-sharp focus on a single element, which is the Webhead himself, and this clear direction is why the story didn't feel like just another passing fad that's all spectacle and no substance for the majority of the story.
BATTLE OF WITS
The most interesting part about Ends of the Earth is undeniably this, the 'hook' that made Slott want to write this story. It's not just another average fist-fight where Spidey either punches his villains or throws stuff at them. Such a 'battle of the minds' isn't just refreshing, it gives Slott a chance to remind readers just how intelligent Spidey can be as he comes up with various strategies on the battlefield. I've always enjoyed it when writers utilize Spidey's brain over his brawn, because the latter is just too easy while the former allows writers to come up with creative ways to depict the villain's defeat. In an era where Peter Parker was finally working at a science lab, it was only appropriate that his best weapon during this period was his brilliant mind.
But that's not the best part. Ends of the Earth wasn't just an opportunity to showcase Spidey's tactical prowess; it also provided readers with an entertaining battle that kept us at the edge of our seats. That means Doc Ock has to match up against Spidey, or in this case, be far more superior.
Like any good battle of wits, neither combatant has the upper-hand for long, resulting in some very intense battles that leaves the readers wondering who would come out on top - which is frankly a pleasant surprise. In the many years prior to this story, the defeat of the Sinister Six had become somewhat predictable. But with Ends of the Earth, for the first time in a long while, the villains came prepared and even brought the Avengers down to their knees, the formidable Iron Man and Thor included. To be able to take down The Mighty Thor, now that's a feat worth respecting.
And because Dr. Octopus is literally a sociopath, the stakes of this battle can be high, as Otto has no qualms killing or even sacrificing the entire planet to achieve his goal.
STAKES
Stakes can be an effective plot-device that gives a story urgency and a tight pacing. While both Spider-Island and Ends of the Earth have stakes that involve the fate of the entire Earth, the danger didn't feel real in the former story. Here's what I mean.
There were two major conflicts in Spider-Island that raised the stakes of the story: 1) The people with spider-powers were eventually turned into eight-legged spiders, and 2) J. Jonah Jameson, one of the victims who was also transformed, seemingly murdered someone in the process. Neither conflict seemed unsolvable when you think about it. We've seen people turning into monsters in Marvel before, and they would eventually turn back normal. As for Jameson's "murder", unlike past deaths that were real, we didn't really see a dead body here, so it was unknown at the time whether if Jameson did kill that somebody, or merely injured him. The latter seemed more likely in that scene, as there's a very slim chance they would make Jameson a murderer. Compare this to Ends of the Earth.
Here, Slott turned his "dramatic" dial up to eleven. We were shown in the very first part of the story, #682, a small taste of what Doc Ock was capable of when he heated up half of the planet with his satellites (the picture above). It's a horrifying scene where people of Earth were literally cooked alive under the intense heat. Stefano Caselli's pencils gave this Hell on Earth a very silent atmosphere that made the fiery display even more dramatic. There were no screams or people running for their lives, for many had collapsed from the heat striking them down. Those who withstood it merely gazed above with squinted eyes as they awaited judgment from a higher power, Doc Ock himself displayed on LCD screens everywhere. And because both Peter Parker and Mary-Jane Watson were among those frightened observers, we knew that this was actually happening and not just some power fantasy being imagined in Octavius' mind.
Because of this proper build-up earlier, when we saw a city lit on fire much later in the story, the impact hit the readers like an explosion as the frightful notion of Doc Ock blowing up the world became a reality. This was the impact and consequence Spider-Island lacked.
Although there was a revelation moments after this scene that rather invalidated all the impact I mentioned above, I would still say that at the moment when we first saw the scene, the emotions we felt witnessing that horror were real, irregardless of what came after. It's not like the revelation arrived immediately either, so we were at least given time to absorb this living nightmare in all its fiery.
At the point when this "city on fire" had arrived, the story was suffering from a second act syndrome, so this dramatic scene that reminded the readers what's at stake was much needed, keeping the story from becoming dull. Unfortunately, this was also where Slott's writing began to suffer.
A RUSHED ENDING
Here's where something I said at the beginning of this review comes into importance: Slott likes to write the "fun" stories, but he doesn't like to do all the hard work that goes with them. Before I go on, let me give you an idea of what the ending to this story is like:
REVIEW TO BE CONTINUED...?
Just like that.
Ends of the Earth has been a great ride that gave us this epic confrontation between Spidey and Otto with the fate of the entire Earth on the line, but I've always been one of those believers that the ending can make or break a story. It's where all the elements in the story culminate into a satisfying conclusion that reflect our entire journey with these characters. This is true even for action stories. Just take a look at Terminator 2's final line, which describes the entire theme of the movie: learning the value of life and preserving it.
So what did Ends of the Earth conclude the story with? A cliffhanger. And not just any cliffhanger, but one that forced you to read the epilogue in another book (Avenging Spider-Man #8). By the way, the epilogue sucks as it turned to be a boring filler story with some semblance of resolution shoe-horned into the last few pages.
In a lot of ways, the ending to Ends of the Earth polarizes that of Spider-Island. The latter just wasn't that interesting till the final act of the story when the main focus was finally honed in on the webslinger and how he dealt with the spider-powers situation, not the other heroes crammed into the book. In the former's final act, however, the focus ironically became scattered across multiple plot-threads that diluted the impact of the story, including an unnecessary battle against the Avengers that wasn't even that exciting to read because it ended so quickly. The final part of the story, #687, should have been focused on Spidey's confrontation with Doc Ock alone, not set up future plot lines that wouldn't be resolved in this story. The result was a very lackluster final battle against Otto the mastermind that barely lasted five pages, tacked on with a death afterwards that which we wouldn't see its effects on Spider-Man till that lousy epilogue in ANOTHER book.
But the biggest problem with the ending is that particular death. Some time ago (a few issues prior to Spider-Island), Spidey made a proclamation that while he's around, no one dies. Here in Ends of the Earth, he was given a sadistic choice between the fate of the entire Earth or someone close to him. The compromise of his new code, the fact that a good person did die and the fact that Spidey ended up saving the bad guy instead (Doc Ock) should have a bigger payoff in the conclusion of the story, some moment of reflection, not hand-waved away with some ambiguous cliffhanger. It's such a slap to the face and certainly not very satisfying.
Final Rating: Recommendation: Buy the trade paperback, but at a bargain store.
I'm going to try and use the above rating system from now on. Spiderfan.org uses it for their Spider-Man website, so I thought it might be fun to use these images in my future Spider-Man reviews. The above rating is a 3 and a half web out of 5 (3.5/5) by the way.
While Ends of the Earth might have a disappointing conclusion that really hurt the story, everything that came before it still made for an entertaining read where Spidey was fighting at his best, using brain over brawn. But because of that anticlimactic ending, I can't in good faith recommend buying the trade at full price. Look out for a discount, or just skip buying it altogether.
This wasn't the first and certainly not the last time Slott rushed out a story because he wanted to do the next fun thing with Spider-Man. Next time, I'll delve further into the flaws of Mr. Slott's writing as we take a look at how the webslinger's overhyped birthday came crashing down in one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever written:
Comments
Aside from the werewolves in space stuff, the artwork of Lemire’s run makes it superior to Bemis’. It’s why I could last longer on that run & jump ship already on Bemis.
Bendis, Lemire, & Bemis didn’t/haven’t done that with their runs. They made no question Spector has mental issues and the themes of their runs centered around that.
As I mentioned above, FoK ran with the supernatural aspect of the character. Most of the MS:MK run focus on the “Batman-type” aspect of the character (around the 40s, we got a riff on the Shadow). Since Huston made him nuts, the aspect writers/Marvel wants to run with is his mental issues...and the Mr. Knight look. If you didn’t care for whichever the main aspect used in those runs, it’s hard to really enjoy them.
My expectations for Lemire was to give an interesting story. Fingers were cross all this was a Morpheus illusion. I was expecting him to live up to the hype. In the end, I kept thinking about B:tVS’s Normal Again & Smallville’s Labyrinth with a character supposedly Moon Knight.
The main thing I was getting at with the villains is that Ellis always had MK facing off against a clearly defined opponent, and that by the end of each issue, that opponent was dealt with. Yeah, one came back, but then he was dealt with again. And while, Ellis’ run did have a variance in terms of plots, and each issue had at least one distinct premise, there is a strong consistent theme that runs through every issue, that of abandonment/rejection/isolation. I thought it was a nice touch for the hero who is never alone (because he has his various personalities) to deal with rejects who are much more mentally shattered than Marc Spector because they are alone.
The most obvious example I can think of to further illustrate this would be Grant Morrison's Animal Man run. In it, Morrison asks Buddy if he's ever noticed that he seems different when he interacts with the Justice League Europe, referencing the fact that that book is written by a different writer.
When a character is handed off to another writer, that character loses part of what makes them who they are. For better or worse, that character is changed.
Now, one could argue that change is a part of life and that we, as real people, change many times over the course of our own lives. However, the changes that occur in our lives are brought on organically. Whether as a result of our complex life experiences or simple biology, our changes can be mapped and explained.
The changes that occur in the "lives" of fictional characters are not organic. They are artificial. They are manufactured by writers for various reasons. It's my belief that these changes can maintain the illusion of reality more authentically, however, if the character's actions are narrated and guided by one individual rather than a collective.
And so, what we essentially get are the equivalent of a creator-owned book that's cluttered with decades-old continuity and often times intruded on by crossovers and events. Imagine how much the quality of Terry Moore's Strangers in Paradise or Jeff Smith's Bone would have gone down if they followed the same logic as Marvel or DC books. Halfway through each series, Rob Liefeld takes over writing and art duties, turns Fone Bone evil, brings David back to life as a cyborg and has the two books crossover in a six-month long event that ties into Hellboy and My Little Pony.
That would have been utterly ridiculous. But, the same thing happens at Marvel and DC every month. And, even my attempt at humor by including My Little Pony isn't any more absurd than DC characters crossing over with everyone from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Hanna-Barbera characters.
Sometimes, I think that maybe we should just show Marvel and DC's characters, not to mention most other licensed properties, the way to go home. They're tired and they want to go to bed.
It’s been over a decade since I’ve read Batman, so I cannot say if it’s in line with his current portrayal. I will say Orlando cherry picked aspects of the Shadow for this portrayal. Wasn’t a fan of it.
Who wrote those series?
But yeah, it's really getting old, now... every time a new crew takes over, it's like a soft reboot, only to be soft rebooted again in six months. The publishers see it as a "shot in the arm" to boost sales, but I think it's really just serving to weigh down and water down the overall titles over the long run.
Of course, the flip side is what happened to Superman in the 60's, 70's and 80's... a slow development of the house style that culminated and peaked with Cary Bates and Curt Swan's version of the character... which was pretty tired and homogeneous by the time Alan Moore put a period at the end of the sentence. Love or hate Byrne's take, it was needed at the time. Don't get me wrong... when I think Superman, I think Christopher Reeve and Curt Swan... but it had run it's course.
To summarize my filibuster: Constant reboot bad. Stale style bad. Cookies good.
Thank you.
Amazing Spider-Man #666 - 673
Alright, let's get something out of the way, something I've often said before: I don't like crossover events. Much like many MCU movies, they are big and flashy spectacles that can feel hollow. They star a bunch of characters whose books I never read. They can be forgettable at best, unreadable at worst. Examples of poorly written events are: Fear Itself, Civil War, Civil War II, Maximum Carnage, DC Versus Marvel (yes, that's an official event), Secret Wars II, Age of Ultron (both movie and comic book), and since we're reviewing a Spidey book, let's not forget... ugh, One More Day. Brr... that name still gives me shivers.
But since it's a Spidey-related event, it's gotta be much more interesting for a Spider-fan like me, right? Let's find out.
Things I Liked
1. Infested
"Infested" is a series of side stories that prelude Spider-Island. It basically shows what happens to ordinary people like you and me when they have all the powers of Spider-Man, but with a weaker sense of responsibility than Peter Parker. That's the brilliance of "Spider-Island", and it should have been the main focus of the event.
Sadly, it's not.
2. Goodbye, Last of the Brand New Day Cast (AKA Carlie Cooper)
Carlie didn't really bother me as much as other past romantic interests in Peter's life (another bespectacled blondie, Debra Whitman comes to mind). I thought she's 'okay'. Reminds me of Gwen Stacy from "The Spectacular Spider-Man" animated series (another character I didn't care much about), so much so I used her voice whenever I read Carlie's lines in the books. But here's the thing: I hated OMD. I hated BND (Brand New Day, the arc following One More Day). And I still do. After reading Dan Slott's unapologetic, unprofessional, and some very rude responses to fans hoping for Peter to marry MJ again, I've hated them even more ever since - and those responses were also one of the reasons I dropped the book some time around BND way before Slott's run.
So to see a part of BND finally step out the door and never return? I won't shed a tear. I won't even bother to say "Please bring MJ back" so you can save your breath for some other sorry-sob who cares, Slott.
(Note: This was written before I read the next issue and found out Carlie was still around anyway... ugh.)
3. Spidey Saves the Day And Earns the Gratitude He Deserves (Sort of)
The "sort of" is referring to how it doesn't happen till the final part of the event. Like many crossover events, Spidey didn't get to play a big role in the event, even when it's supposed to be his event. More on this under "Things I Didn't Like".
But that gripe aside, that final part was pretty satisfying. Even Jolly ol' Jonah had to suck it up and admitted that it was Spidey who saved the day. That final panel with New York thanking Spidey was also very heartwarming.
4. Proper Use of Tie-Ins
Event tie-ins are most of the time forgettable and insignificant. This was not the case with Spider-Island, since they managed to tell side stories that tie into the main plot of the arc, telling one consistent story throughout several months (kinda like the MCU). However, that came at a price...
5. Spidey Learns Kung-Fu!
I love it whenever my favorite webslinging hero gets an upgrade to his powers. And martial arts only makes sense, considering he's a street-level urban hero. Luke Cage is already getting schooled by Iron Fist in season 2 of his Netflix series, why not Spidey? Too bad he won't be expertly trained like Batman or something, but it's still a nice addition to his power-set.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Spidey's Participation in Event
Not enough to merit the event's existence IMO (^ that's not Spidey btw; just one of the many wannabes). He's mostly reduced to a background observer during the first two parts (out of six) of the arc, reacting to what's going on around him. Throughout the arc, he's mostly given secondary tasks, like trying to find out whom the mastermind is (he did, but only with Carlie's help) and finding a cure for everyone (he didn't; Reed Richards did). Even Spider-Man himself realized how ridiculous it was that in a spider-related catastrophe, he's helpless and not able to do anything. And those tie-ins I mentioned? They added to the crowding of the book, advertising annoying little mentions to other books unrelated to ASM, the book I'm reading.
It's not a major complaint, since he still got the spotlight half of the time, but I was just annoyed (peeved, maybe) that he's not at the frontline of an event titled "Spider-Island". The really juicy development in Peter's life didn't come till the final part of the arc.
What I really wanted to see in an crossover event involving Spidey is something like "Fear Itself: Spider-Man". Now that's a far better written comic book event, one that embodies Peter's character much better than Spider-Island. The irony.
2. Spectacle Over Storytelling
An extension of the above point. There isn't a lot of interesting development going on till maybe part 4 (out of 6) of the arc. Most of the story before that was just people reacting to the appearance of the Spider-Men, people fighting the Spider-Men, and Peter running around being helpless. It's this kind of thing that leaves me indifferent about crossover events - a lot of padding to stretch out the story arc. I feel like this could have been a three part storyline instead of six and it would have been tighter and more interesting.
More importantly, why isn't there a bigger focus on power and responsibility? This IS a Spider-Man book, right? It would have been the perfect opportunity to show people running around doing things Spidey wouldn't do with his powers and mirror his character. That's the whole point of giving average New Yorkers Spider-powers, right? Or was it all just to put up a big show and sell books?
Honestly, "Infested" was a lot more interesting than Spider-Island, showcasing the life of your average New Yorker, and what they would do when they are given the power to change their life. I wish the first-half of Spider-Island would have focused more on that.
3. That Mary-Jane Tease
We know married Peter is never coming back again. Slott has made that clear enough via social media. So MJ saying those three magical words again (it's "I Love You" btw) just to tease the readers... yeah, not really cool. What good will this possibly lead to? Peter Parker being a swinger bachelor going out with multiple partners? What? What is the purpose of this tease? I don't get it.
(Continued on the next post)
Spider-Island was a... 'fun' crossover event, I guess you could call it that. It led to some interesting development, but only at the very end. It didn't feel like a very special event in spite of having "Spider" in a crossover event for the first time in Marvel history, and it didn't really display the kind of "power and responsibility" theme I was hoping to come out of. Because the best Spider-Man stories have always focused more on such a theme, that second point on "spectacle over storytelling" hurts the rating for this arc more than the good points add up. It's not as bad as other crossover events I could think of, but it's not very amazing either.
6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #1-3
Some time before Spider-Island, there were two story arcs that involved characters that didn't really belong in the "Amazing Spider-Man" title, namely the FF and the kids from Avengers Academy. This new title gives Spidey a chance to guest star with other characters without affecting the Webhead's main book, sort of like Marvel Team-Up did back in the heyday (which used to be one of Spidey's core titles, volume 1 anyway).
I remember having a lot of fun reading MTU because it gave us the opportunity to see Spidey directly interact with other superheroes. I felt like Spidey hasn't had the chance to have that kind of up close and personal interaction for a long time. Often, when he guest stars in other books, he only has very few bits and pieces here and there, not worth the price of the book if you're only reading for Spidey. Here, it gives writers the excuse to keep the main focus on Spidey while also providing that "team-up" element.
That said, there is an immediate issue I have from page one of the book: Spidey breaking the fourth wall. Let's be real: Spider-Man is not Deadpool. He doesn't break fourth-walls. He doesn't do Looney Tunes humor. His brand of comedy can be cheesy, but not to the point of absurdity. So this book does tread a fine line at risk of turning into that Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon I absolutely abhorred so much. In fact, it irks me that this book might have been the inspiration for that animated series. That cartoon had the same meta-humor, and it also seems to focus a lot on Spidey teaming up with other heroes. But it's too soon to judge for now, so I'll hold back my biasness.
The first three issues did initially impress me with their humor. It's kinda juvenile and sometimes low-brow, and it reminded me too much of the aforementioned USM cartoon, but it was still kinda witty at times, especially Jonah Jameson's lines. He's one of the better parts of these three issues. I also enjoyed the chemistry between Spidey and Rulk, so the humor didn't bother me too much. It does feel like a less serious Spider-Man title compared to the past ones, even Marvel Team-Up - which is perfectly fine, since the buddy cop banter between Spidey and Rulk here is amusing enough to be entertaining. But of course, I prefer my comics to have little more dramatic flair to it. Comedy isn't really my favorite genre; juvenile comedy that deals with genitals even less (I find it lazy, even).
And that is disappointing, because #2 had some really strong writing there displaying Spidey's moral integrity in risking his life and limb for others, not to mention that impressive twist at the end. But then, #3 went and muck it all up with that anticlimactic low-brow humor, which I got the point of (a villain that took down Rulk was defeated by Spidey shaming him), and it could've been clever (sort of) if not for the lazy and childish genital cliche.
Let's call it 6/10. Hope the next story arc impresses me more and gives me a good reason to stick with this book.
Note: It does, but the quality quickly dropped after #5 when Zeb Wells isn't around for multiple issues. "The Omega Effect" in #6 was an annoying crossover that stretched out to two other books I have no interest in (Daredevil and Punisher). Then there was that silly She-Hulk team-up in #7 that, while kinda fun, still felt like stupid cat-humor, not to mention all the plots holes it has.
Finally, I'm currently reading Spider-Men, and I must say... it doesn't really live up to the hype. There's a lot of padding stuffed between the issues. Reminds me a lot of Spider-Island. I'll probably not write a full review, much like many of the books that didn't work for me this week. A pain in the ass. It's much more fun writing about comics that I actually enjoyed.
Amazing Spider-Man #682-687: Ends of the Earth
Plot Summary: Dr. Octopus is dying. But in his final days, he has developed technology to repair the ozone layer. He says all he wants is to be remembered forever as the human race's savior, and it seems the world is ready to play along with him and his Sinister Six. But not Spider-Man. Burned countless times in the past by his arch-nemesis, Spidey's not willing to accept Doc Ock as a selfless benefactor. Unfortunately, that sets him - not Octavius - as Global Enemy No. 1! How can Spider-Man save the day when Doc Ock, the Sinister Six and, indeed, the whole planet, are intent on hunting him down?
Release Date: May 2012 - Aug 2012
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Stefano Caselli
A while ago, I wrote a review for the "Spider-Island" story arc running from ASM #666-673. It was one of those fancy "crossover events" in Marvel (like Secret Wars or Civil War) that spanned across multiple different titles, guest-starring many characters from separate books. I had a lot to say about it, not just because it was a lengthy arc that ran for eight issues, but also because I had many problems with its writing. It really didn't help that there was such a massive hype built around it.
In Spidey's own books, the event was marketed as a big deal for many issues prior to the actual story arc. There was even a side story within those issues called "Infested" that I briefly touched on in the review, acting as a prologue for the massive saga. However, what truly made this event special was that it was a story about New Yorkers suddenly getting powers exactly like those of Spider-Man. This meant that while many Marvel characters would be guest-starring in the event, Spidey would supposedly be in the spotlight dealing with other Spider-Men like him. Oftentimes, readers would find the opposite to be true, with the ol' Webhead playing a relatively small role in such a world-shaking event, so to have him finally be the main star, it truly seemed like an event dedicated to the iconic hero.
And it made sense too, considering the timing of it. "Spider-Island" was released in 2011, just one year before the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man's first appearance since "Amazing Fantasy #15".
Unfortunately, the event failed to live up to its hype for me. While the spotlight was on the webslinger, it didn't feel like he was the main player throughout many parts of the story, but a mere observer reacting to the happenstance around him, just as he did in other crossover events. While the story eventually gave him a more active role in the second-half, it had spent most of its time keeping him as a passive bystander, either lamenting how his participation was redundant to the event at large (an ironic meta-commentary perhaps) or doing investigations on a mastermind who became insignificant by the third act anyway. And because it's a crossover event, Spidey's own book had to make references to numerous Spider-Island subplots taking place in other books like Agent Venom and Clock & Dagger, further diluting the focus on the main story and Spider-Man himself.
On paper, the idea of Spider-Island sounded "awesome". When you look back at the many stories of Dan Slott, that seems to be the pattern: they are larger-than-life, and there is often some cool gimmick that makes the story special. Slott seems to prefer writing such "cool" and "awesome" stories that are colorful and attention-grabbing, but when it comes to writing about how the characters react to these plots and why they react that way, these "boring" but no less important details are often rushed or even absent. It's this focus on plot over characters that often makes his stories a hollow spectacle in the long run.
Today, I shall review "Ends of the Earth", another story that marked the milestone that was the 'Big 50'. Much like Spider-Island, it's another Dan Slott story with an interesting concept: Spidey leading the Avengers against Doc Ock in a battle of wits to stop the destruction of Earth. Very dramatic and big-scale like your typical blockbuster. But because the webslinger has a key role to play in the story this time, it forced Slott to focus a lot more on him and not be distracted. At least not till the end.
A CLEAR FOCUS
There were a number of reasons why this story worked for me better than Spider-Island ever did, but the key reason is focus. It's always focused on Spider-Man and his goal: stopping Dr. Octopus. Everything that happens in the story is directly related to this goal from start to finish. Nothing is unnecessary, even the cameos of other superheroes and the one promotional plug to another book.
For many parts of Spider-Island, it's a gimmick story. It relied on the gimmick that is the spider-powers, and its focus was turned towards the reaction of everyone to this cool and fancy gimmick. That's why Spidey became left out, because he wasn't part of the spectacle. He wasn't the big fireworks that drew in the readers. Those cameos by the Avengers, the awesome fight scenes between them and the other Spider-Men, those were the main attractions. Not Ends of the Earth.
Here, Spider-Man is the story, or more specifically, the story is centered on his battle against Dr. Octopus in a game of chess. The Avengers make an appearance here just as they did in Spider-Island, but it is Spider-Man who is leading them on the front line. There is also a promotional plug to another book tied-in with this story when Spidey calls to arms international heroes from across the planet, but the scene featuring the plug merely added to Spider-Man's character development, displaying his talent as a leader capable of bringing people together.
The result is a laser-sharp focus on a single element, which is the Webhead himself, and this clear direction is why the story didn't feel like just another passing fad that's all spectacle and no substance for the majority of the story.
BATTLE OF WITS
The most interesting part about Ends of the Earth is undeniably this, the 'hook' that made Slott want to write this story. It's not just another average fist-fight where Spidey either punches his villains or throws stuff at them. Such a 'battle of the minds' isn't just refreshing, it gives Slott a chance to remind readers just how intelligent Spidey can be as he comes up with various strategies on the battlefield. I've always enjoyed it when writers utilize Spidey's brain over his brawn, because the latter is just too easy while the former allows writers to come up with creative ways to depict the villain's defeat. In an era where Peter Parker was finally working at a science lab, it was only appropriate that his best weapon during this period was his brilliant mind.
But that's not the best part. Ends of the Earth wasn't just an opportunity to showcase Spidey's tactical prowess; it also provided readers with an entertaining battle that kept us at the edge of our seats. That means Doc Ock has to match up against Spidey, or in this case, be far more superior.
(continued in next post)
Like any good battle of wits, neither combatant has the upper-hand for long, resulting in some very intense battles that leaves the readers wondering who would come out on top - which is frankly a pleasant surprise. In the many years prior to this story, the defeat of the Sinister Six had become somewhat predictable. But with Ends of the Earth, for the first time in a long while, the villains came prepared and even brought the Avengers down to their knees, the formidable Iron Man and Thor included. To be able to take down The Mighty Thor, now that's a feat worth respecting.
And because Dr. Octopus is literally a sociopath, the stakes of this battle can be high, as Otto has no qualms killing or even sacrificing the entire planet to achieve his goal.
STAKES
Stakes can be an effective plot-device that gives a story urgency and a tight pacing. While both Spider-Island and Ends of the Earth have stakes that involve the fate of the entire Earth, the danger didn't feel real in the former story. Here's what I mean.
There were two major conflicts in Spider-Island that raised the stakes of the story: 1) The people with spider-powers were eventually turned into eight-legged spiders, and 2) J. Jonah Jameson, one of the victims who was also transformed, seemingly murdered someone in the process. Neither conflict seemed unsolvable when you think about it. We've seen people turning into monsters in Marvel before, and they would eventually turn back normal. As for Jameson's "murder", unlike past deaths that were real, we didn't really see a dead body here, so it was unknown at the time whether if Jameson did kill that somebody, or merely injured him. The latter seemed more likely in that scene, as there's a very slim chance they would make Jameson a murderer. Compare this to Ends of the Earth.
Here, Slott turned his "dramatic" dial up to eleven. We were shown in the very first part of the story, #682, a small taste of what Doc Ock was capable of when he heated up half of the planet with his satellites (the picture above). It's a horrifying scene where people of Earth were literally cooked alive under the intense heat. Stefano Caselli's pencils gave this Hell on Earth a very silent atmosphere that made the fiery display even more dramatic. There were no screams or people running for their lives, for many had collapsed from the heat striking them down. Those who withstood it merely gazed above with squinted eyes as they awaited judgment from a higher power, Doc Ock himself displayed on LCD screens everywhere. And because both Peter Parker and Mary-Jane Watson were among those frightened observers, we knew that this was actually happening and not just some power fantasy being imagined in Octavius' mind.
Because of this proper build-up earlier, when we saw a city lit on fire much later in the story, the impact hit the readers like an explosion as the frightful notion of Doc Ock blowing up the world became a reality. This was the impact and consequence Spider-Island lacked.
Although there was a revelation moments after this scene that rather invalidated all the impact I mentioned above, I would still say that at the moment when we first saw the scene, the emotions we felt witnessing that horror were real, irregardless of what came after. It's not like the revelation arrived immediately either, so we were at least given time to absorb this living nightmare in all its fiery.
At the point when this "city on fire" had arrived, the story was suffering from a second act syndrome, so this dramatic scene that reminded the readers what's at stake was much needed, keeping the story from becoming dull. Unfortunately, this was also where Slott's writing began to suffer.
A RUSHED ENDING
Here's where something I said at the beginning of this review comes into importance: Slott likes to write the "fun" stories, but he doesn't like to do all the hard work that goes with them. Before I go on, let me give you an idea of what the ending to this story is like:
REVIEW TO BE CONTINUED...?
Just like that.
Ends of the Earth has been a great ride that gave us this epic confrontation between Spidey and Otto with the fate of the entire Earth on the line, but I've always been one of those believers that the ending can make or break a story. It's where all the elements in the story culminate into a satisfying conclusion that reflect our entire journey with these characters. This is true even for action stories. Just take a look at Terminator 2's final line, which describes the entire theme of the movie: learning the value of life and preserving it.
So what did Ends of the Earth conclude the story with? A cliffhanger. And not just any cliffhanger, but one that forced you to read the epilogue in another book (Avenging Spider-Man #8). By the way, the epilogue sucks as it turned to be a boring filler story with some semblance of resolution shoe-horned into the last few pages.
In a lot of ways, the ending to Ends of the Earth polarizes that of Spider-Island. The latter just wasn't that interesting till the final act of the story when the main focus was finally honed in on the webslinger and how he dealt with the spider-powers situation, not the other heroes crammed into the book. In the former's final act, however, the focus ironically became scattered across multiple plot-threads that diluted the impact of the story, including an unnecessary battle against the Avengers that wasn't even that exciting to read because it ended so quickly. The final part of the story, #687, should have been focused on Spidey's confrontation with Doc Ock alone, not set up future plot lines that wouldn't be resolved in this story. The result was a very lackluster final battle against Otto the mastermind that barely lasted five pages, tacked on with a death afterwards that which we wouldn't see its effects on Spider-Man till that lousy epilogue in ANOTHER book.
But the biggest problem with the ending is that particular death. Some time ago (a few issues prior to Spider-Island), Spidey made a proclamation that while he's around, no one dies. Here in Ends of the Earth, he was given a sadistic choice between the fate of the entire Earth or someone close to him. The compromise of his new code, the fact that a good person did die and the fact that Spidey ended up saving the bad guy instead (Doc Ock) should have a bigger payoff in the conclusion of the story, some moment of reflection, not hand-waved away with some ambiguous cliffhanger. It's such a slap to the face and certainly not very satisfying.
(To be concluded in next post)
Recommendation: Buy the trade paperback, but at a bargain store.
I'm going to try and use the above rating system from now on. Spiderfan.org uses it for their Spider-Man website, so I thought it might be fun to use these images in my future Spider-Man reviews. The above rating is a 3 and a half web out of 5 (3.5/5) by the way.
While Ends of the Earth might have a disappointing conclusion that really hurt the story, everything that came before it still made for an entertaining read where Spidey was fighting at his best, using brain over brawn. But because of that anticlimactic ending, I can't in good faith recommend buying the trade at full price. Look out for a discount, or just skip buying it altogether.
This wasn't the first and certainly not the last time Slott rushed out a story because he wanted to do the next fun thing with Spider-Man. Next time, I'll delve further into the flaws of Mr. Slott's writing as we take a look at how the webslinger's overhyped birthday came crashing down in one of the most controversial Spider-Man stories ever written: