Posts Tagged ‘ Spider-Man ’

Available at my tee shirt store (click directly for item). Right now I only added Men’s tees for them, but I can add womens too – just let me know.

I mentioned last week that Shed, the current arc in Amazing Spider-Man, felt like pretty much every other Lizard story ever (except for that weird period in the 90s where another more bestial Lizard grew from the Lizard’s tail and fought Prime).

Now I like the Lizard. Of all Spider-Man’s villains, and I honestly believe that Spider-Man’s got pretty much the best set of villains in comics including Batman, the Lizard’s always been one of my favorites. Not only does he have a great visual (lab coat on a lizard, hello?!?) but he’s more bestial than most and burdened with a none-too-subtle Jekyll and Hyde thing, it’s a wonder that he and the Hulk haven’t had a buddy book before now.

I mean, the green skin – purple pants thing alone would keep them going for hours.

That said, most Lizard stories boil down to Curt Conners losing control, then regaining control thanks to the love he has for his family and a beat down from Spider-Man, and usually some kind of serum.

This time out, Curt Conners is losing it after suppressing the Lizard for so long. The stress of his boss hitting on his lab assistant (man, Curt got over Martha’s death quickly didn’t he?) and not being able to spend time with his son Billy start bringing out the Lizard within and it all felt very, very familiar.

The difference here is that this is part of ‘The Gauntlet’ – even if we have inexplicably lost the cool little villain-centric corner boxes – and as such, the family Kravinoff are poking and prodding behind the scenes. This time, as the captured Madame Web has foreseen Conners controlling himself thanks to Billy, they decide to up the ante a little bit so they set it up for the Lizard to eat Billy.

And he does. Or at least, that’s what it looks like – the Lizard eats Billy, and Curt Conners dies inside him. I guess eating your own son will do that to you…

…wait, what? If that’s what happened – and it looks a lot like it is – then that’s pretty screwed up. It’s also not something to easily bring a character back from. A while ago, Paul Jenkins wrote a Lizard story that revealed that Conners was in conscious control of him all along, which pretty much destroyed every sympathetic thing about the villain – and the story was simply never referred to again. But killing off the character’s son by having him eaten?

Tough to ignore.

Shed is shaping up to be an excellent arc. Looking forward to the wrap up in a few weeks time.

As an aside, I hope that Billy doesn’t come back in a bright white light and join a team of villains who kill Eric O’Grady.

Just saying.

In the last issue of Amazing Spider-Man (#627), Spidey was stunned to find that someone (actually Captain Universe as it would turn out) had smacked the Juggernaut around, sending him crashing to the Earth…

If the web-head had had the foresight to call San Francisco he would have found out that it wasn’t the first time that Cain has been smacked around and sent crashing to the Earth -

- because Onslaught did exactly the same thing the first time he came on the scene way back in Uncanny X-Men #322.

Juggernaut: jobber to the tough guys.

If Kevin Huxford and Bleeding Cool are to be believed, all these ‘We are the X-Men’ ads are leading to the adjectiveless X-Men book (currently Legacy under Mike Carey) being about X-Men vs Vampires.

And yes, that certainly looks like a vampire Jubilee with Nate Grey up there. The rest of the ads feature Gambit, Elektra, Hope, Blade, Magneto, She-Hulk (Llyra) and Psylocke and Spider-Man.

So…really?

I’m not against it per se, since rumor also has it that Victor Gischler will be writing (although Rick Remender does have that rumored X-Men project) and I’ve been enjoying the hell out of Deadpool Merc With A Mouth, so I’m okay with that.

Furthermore, does anyone think a team using those characters with that premise is going to be around too long? It’ll be an arc or two then done.

In the meantime we can only hope we get something like this:

Speaking of which, I fully expect the next all ages Power Pack series to be Blade and Power Pack. Just because.

Although I still like my idea more (well, not really) Bleeding Cool has the OMIT reveal…

No real surprise there, but as a random thought: at the time of the wedding, Spider-Man was alternating between black suit and the traditional red and blue.

Shortly after some Puma-sponsored honeymoon shenanigans, he was kidnapped and drugged by Kraven the Hunter (in the classic Kraven’s Last Hunt), and shortly after that Venom showed up, scaring MJ into asking him not to use the black suit anymore.

Now, in the original wedding cover (well, the none-Peter Parker cover, anyway), Spidey’s wearing his red and blues –

- but in the new OMIT cover he’s obviously in his black suit. It’s established that Venom was around prior to his first appearance post-wedding, so could the new continuity have had Eddie Brock showing up slightly earlier, and Peter realizing that marrying MJ was just going to put her in danger?

If that is what happened, is it possible that Kraven’s Last Hunt was affected as a knock-on – like maybe he no longer died at the end, but only faked his death? He certainly is in the spotlight at the moment with various specials and his wife and daughter coming into the open in the Grim Hunt.

This could all be a way to tie the first 100 issues of Brand New Day up in a nice bow.

Two other things – there were hints a couple of months back about MJ and a baby. If that was Harry’s or someone else’s that would be one thing, but is it possible that she was pregnant when she made the deal with Mephisto?

The second thing – I think its been pretty well established that the marriage not happening was caused by the Mephisto deal, but the erasure of knowledge of Spidey’s identity was something else (presumably involving Doctor Strange). So I’m still left wondering if that story will be told in this OMIT thing too.

Either way, in spite of not liking OMD, I am enjoying the current status quo in the Spidey books, so I’ll be giving this a shot.

After yesterday’s look at the state of my DC pulls, it’s Marvel’s turn, what with the new solicits being up and all.

And the grand total of ongoing titles I’ll be picking up is…EIGHT – another incredibly low number for me. One of them is Amazing Spider-Man though, so I guess that counts as three which makes eleven titles, the others being Web of Spider-Man, Captain America, Fantastic Four, Young Allies, Deadpool, Deadpool Merc With A Mouth (ending in July) and Deadpool Team-Up.

There’s probably another post or two about my current Deadpool obsession, but at least I’m picking up Deadpool Corps in trade, okay?

So what happened to all the rest of the Marvel Universe?

Well my X-Men withdrawal is pretty well documented, but what I haven’t really mentioned before is that I’m out of the Avengers once everything comes to an end with Siege. It’s a tough decision for me, too, since Avengers has for a long time been hands down my favorite team book out there – and the Stern/Buscema reprints of the Sanctuary II saga and tie-ins to Secret Wars II in the UK weekly are what converted me to US comics in the first place.

But I’ve finally come round to the fact that these Avengers aren’t my Avengers. I’ve been dissatisfied with New Avengers for a while now as it limped from event to event; Mighty Avengers is ending; Dark Avengers was never going to last and just felt like Thunderbolts anyway, and Avengers The Initiative is done too. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll probably be picking up the trades but monthly-wise, I’m done.

Then there’s the cosmic books. With Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy both going on hiatus for the duration of The Thanos Imperative, I think I’ll move to trades for them too – and the big hardcover collections of the cosmic crossovers have been pretty impressive, so I’ll be getting the Thanos story in that format.

I’m waiting patiently for a great big Fall of the Hulks hardcover to be solicited containing the entire thing, so I’m not following the Hulk books right now, even if I’ve grown quite fond of Llyra in her appearances so far.

I was disappointed in the conclusion of Incredible Hercules – the Assault on New Olympus storyline felt rushed and packed with too many incidental characters that weren’t needed or didn’t add anything. I don’t believe Hercules to be gone for good, of course, but I don’t feel the need to follow Amadeus Cho into his own Prince of Power series, at least not in monthly installments.

Similarly, the relaunched Atlas holds limited appeal monthly as I found the last series read better when I read a few issues together. I haven’t picked up Thor since this volume began (but have already pre-ordered the JMS omnibus), and I won’t be starting now. I like Black Widow a lot, and I’m intrigued by her ongoing but, again, it’s a trades issue for me; same with the new iteration of Thunderbolts (which I dropped a while back anyway), and the new Hawkeye & Mockingbird series – I like the Reunion mini but it read better in one sitting than it did in single issues.

Iron Man I moved onto trades a few months back, Secret Warriors I dropped because I honestly believe it to be a very poorly written book (I know I’m in the minority there), and as a result I have very little interest in Shield. I’m sticking with Hickman’s FF only because it’s the Fantastic Goddamn Four, and I’ve been through a hell of a lot worse with them. Hickman’s big ideas are great, the execution not so much – and you know what no comic should have? A last text page telling you what happens at the end of the story. If it’s important to the story, put it in the story.

If there’s one thing I may get outside of these, it’s David Gallaher and Steve Ellis’ Darkstar and the Winter Guard mini – partly because I’m a big fan of both creators and partly because, you know, Ursa Major.

He’s a talking bear, people. A talking bear.

Everyone else is doing it (well, Babs is anyway), so I figured why not?

As the rebooted movie is apparently going back to high school, it makes sense for the cast to skew younger – at least for the leads. I’d also like to see some relative unknowns in the main roles. Well, not unknowns as much as not people who come with baggage. So no Robert Pattinson, thank you, and definitely no Michael Cera.

So who would be good for the roles? Well how about casting some actors in the 16-18 year old range rather than their early twenties?

Peter Parker – Nicholas Hoult

The actor probably best known as the unfortunately-coiffed boy in About A Boy has grown up over the past few years, showing up in various UK shows including Kenneth Branagh’s Wallender and the Dev Patel-producing Skins. He’s also appearing alongside Sam Worthington in the upcoming Clash of the Titans – and he still looks like he could pass for a geeky school kid with the unfortunate knack of attracting radioactive spiders.

As long as he can master an American accent, he’ll be fine…

Mary Jane Watson – Molly C Quinn

I know that MJ wasn’t at school with Peter in the comics, but MJ has become pretty engrained in the public consciousness thanks to the last three movies and various cartoon series, so I think she should be in the movie – if not as a love interest, as the girl next door that Peter gets along with.

Hat tip to Twitterpal Dan Faust for suggesting this one; Castle‘s Molly C Quinn for Mary Jane Watson. She’s cute, she’s a redhead, and she can hold her own against Nathan Fillion when he’s hamming it up.

I’m sold!

Flash Thompson - Jonathan Lipnicki

Peter needs a nemesis; Flash Thompson was in the first movie but only for a few scenes – but if you’re setting the movie in high school, he needs to be a big part of the movie  both as Peter’s enemy and Spider-Man’s biggest fan.

The little tyke from Jerry Maguire has shed his glasses and looks like he’s buffed up a bit. He’s been working on various shows the past few years, and I figure he’s make a good Flash.

Gwen Stacy – AnnaSophia Robb

Like MJ, Gwen wasn’t part of Peter’s high school years, but I suspect that her name is more recognizable than Liz Osborn, thanks in part to Bryce Dallas Howard’s Gwen in Spider-Man 3 who looked like she’d walked straight out of the comic.

AnnaSophia Robb has been working pretty constantly throughout the past few years, often in big budget movies, so I suspect that she’d have a pretty easy time with the role.

Harry Osborn – Logan Lerman

Harry has become an integral part of Spider-Man lore, and you need someone with some presence to portray him. Lerman held his own against Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in the underrated 3:10 to Yuma, anchored the short-lived Jack and Bobby, and is the lead in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.

So, yes, I think he could handle being Harry – but no need to bring his father Norman into the mythos just yet.

Betty Brant – Emma Stone

The awesome Emma Stone should be a shoe-in to play Betty, the (slightly) older woman who might become a love interest for Peter – but should definitely be an object of desire. I liked Elizabeth Banks’ understated version of Betty, but I also like the idea of a sassy Betty who can stand up to Jonah.

Without knowing who the villains will be (but hoping there’s a moratorium on the Green Goblin and Venom for a while – I’m kind of partial to Kraven and the Rhino, myself), there are really only two more major roles that you need to consider, assuming that the origin (and therefore Uncle Ben’s death) is dealt with in the credits sequence, a la The Incredible Hulk‘s origin sequence.

May Parker -Joan Allen

Bear with me here. I know we’re all used to a doddering and frail Aunt May, but if Peter’s sixteen is it beyond the realm of possibility to have a May that’s in her early fifties? Hell, you could have Norman show up and try to romance her, I guess. May should be the emotional anchor for Peter and the movie – and a class act like Allen could provide that in spades.

J Jonah Jameson – JK Simmons

Don’t mess with perfection; if Judi Dench can be M to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig’s rebooted Bond, then Simmons can stay as Jonah.

So that’s my picks – any  more ideas?

It looks like it’s (almost) official: Raimi is out of the Spider-Man franchise, as are Maguire and the rest of the cast, and the 2012 movie is a reboot of the series – supported by Sony’s twitter feed.

I’m all for it, much to my surprise, as the more I rewatch the movies the less watchable I find them, and the more I feel that they’re a little overdone as far as melodrama goes – but I do question the ability of an audience to accept a reboot so quickly.

But maybe I’m underestimating the audience; for James Bond the first true reboot of the franchise came with Casino Royale in 2006 – four years after the last bloated Brosnan effort. This rebooted Spider-Man, scheduled for 2012 will come five years after the previous effort.

From the looks of things, Sony intends to skew younger as well – with a high school setting, a time period largely glossed over in the first movie.

I think – as long as the casting, director and script are right – this could be an excellent opportunity for the franchise to be reinvigorated.

…with all this as the MM in question showed up at the end of this week’s Dark Avengers:

That’s quite the entourage that Owen’s got in tow, too – Mephisto, the Enchantress (who looks kind of mind-controlled with the old glowy-eyes), someone who looks like he might be Zarathos (although I’m not sure what’s going on with him in the pages of Ghost Rider) and…hey, is that the Beyonder?

Because I do love me some Beyonder…

Er, in any case, it seems unlikely that the ‘man behind the curtain’ is Molecule Man – in which case, I’ll go with it being an empty Green Goblin suit, and everyone else is just playing along with his crazy (thanks, skaps!). Well, either that or the Void.

Because if Johnston did mean Marvel Man, or Miracle Man, or whatever he’s going by this week, then that’s the most random way to introduce him to the MU ever, and nobody else should have known him.

I mean, that’s like randomly throwing a Captain Marvel lookalike into the mix for the closing issue of a big crossover, isn’t it? And who would do that?

Oh…

The December Marvel solicits (which are up on Super Pouvoir) includes a benefit book for Marvel cover artist Ed Hannigan (one can only assume his bwork won’t be included).

Hannigan designed the great Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe covers -

- not to mention a lot of Spider-Man covers over the years. His work on Spectacular Spider-Man in the 1970s and 1980s was especially eye-catching and innovative, often throwing logos and lettering up at different angles, such as in this personal favorite of mine:

He also worked on Amazing Spider-Man; again, this is a personal favorite:

The solicit for Ed’s book reads:

ED HANNIGAN: COVERED
Master artist Ed Hannigan did many of Marvel’s cover layouts of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Over that time, Ed created some of the most innovative cover designs ever. His covers for The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man still stand today as some of the finest of all time!

Today, Ed is 58 years old and has multiple sclerosis. Through special arrangement with the Hero Initiative, Marvel is offering Ed Hannigan: Covered, a massive 48-page collection of Ed’s covers, designs he created for other artists, and even rare glimpses at licensing and merchandising art Ed did. Best of all, proceeds benefit Ed Hannigan directly!

This volume also features a new cover by Ed, and new tribute pieces from Mark Millar, Michael Avon Oeming, Jim Valentino, Herb Trimpe, and more!

NOTE: There will be ONLY ONE PRINTING OF THIS BOOK EVER! Get it now so you don’t blow your chance!

48 pages…$5.99

I know I’ll be picking this up – and you can find Ed Hannigan’s website here.

I took a look at twelve villains who shouldn’t be in Spider-Man 4; so what about who should be in the movie*?

I just hope that this time around, the filmmakers dispense with making the villain’s origin or back story tie in to Spider-Man’s somehow – unless the character really fits into the part.

The Lizard
This is a no-brainer; the Lizard is a villain with a great visual look and a huge amount of ferocity that’s been missing from previous villains and – of course – there’s the fact that his alter-ego Curt Conners has been in the past two movies as Peter Parker’s professor, played by Dylan Baker.

Honestly, it’d be rude not to have the Lizard make an appearance!

Kraven the Hunter
One of the great things about Kraven is that he’s just a normal guy with a unique set of skills. I liked the update on the character that showed up in Ultimate Spider-Man, with Kraven as a Steve Irwin-type presenter, but honestly I’d take any version of Kraven. And if you wanted to make this movie Kraven’s Last Hunt, you could do a hell of a lot worse…

As for casting, for some reason I love the idea of Burn Notice‘s Jeffrey Donovan rocking that Hunter ‘tache…

Vermin

A character that combines the ferocity of the Lizard, an unhealthy amount of paranoia, a tragic backstory and the potential for some Kraven’s Last Hunt goodness, I think Vermin would actually be a pretty good – if off-beat choice. I don’t think that he could carry the weight of being the main villain of a movie, but as a sidekick/target for Kraven, absolutely.

And very, very few actors can do paranoia and twitchy like Leland Orser can.

The Black Cat
There were rumors that Black Cat would be turning up in the past Spider-Man movie, and I’d still like to see here here for a couple of reasons; a lighthearted cat burglar could be a nice change of pace from the melodramatic villains of movies past; there’s an automatic ‘piss-of-MJ’ factor built in to the character; she’s the only female character on the list; and, finally; that’s one great costume.

As for who could play her, Eliza Dushku’s name was floating around last time, and I think that’s particularly good casting…

…as, apparently, do photshop fanboy types:

Failing that, however, there’s always a bunch of attractive cosplayers out there…

Mysterio
Everyone loves ol’ goldfish-bowl-head, and he’s tailor made for movies, being all about special effects and illusions. The costume would need updating, of course, but even so – there’s something about Mysterio that would make for a great movie villain.

As for who to play him, need I say the name?
The Vulture

Old baldy is one of the more random choices, but I’d like to see him because he’d add something different to the hero-villain dynamic; age. Yes, Peter had mentor-type relationships with the movie versions of Green Goblin and Doc Ock, but here there could be something more: would Spidey really be comfortable fighting someone old enough to be his Uncle Ben? Then there’s the great possibility of aerial combat. This has been touched on with the Goblins in movies past, but this could take it to another level.

And would anyone be better than Ben Kingsley? (Thanks, Jonathan!)

He looks more and more like the guy from Geri’s Game every day, doesn’t he?

The Scorpion

Remember what I said about guys dressed as animals making bad villains? Forget it when it comes to this guy – for a start off, the suit is more obviously functional. For another thing, the comic Mac Gargan of recent years has become decidedly more psychotic; graft that personality, without the symbiote, on to the character and you have a pretty deadly villain.

I’d like to see someone physically imposing cast here – someone who isn’t necessarily that tall, but can beat the crap out of you, leap around and look hard doing it. Paging Mr Statham…

Morbius

Vampires are hot right now, okay?

Casting:
I’m kidding of course. I’d rather have someone else.

Anyone else.

Hobgoblin
The goblin legacy has really been done to death in the movies, but I’d love to have a non-Osborn character stumble across one of Norman’s safehouses and appropriate the equipment for himself, dressing up in a more traditional (and less-Power Rangers-y) costume and making a play for crime boss.

And I think John C. McGinley could nail the manic attitude I’d like the Hobgoblin to have, too.

Carnage

I’m not a fan of Carnage, and I don’t actually think he should be in a movie – but I can see how the option would be appealing. You have a pre-made origin thanks to Venom’s appearance in Spider-Man 3, and you have a character that has had some level of popularity before. Add in the fact that Cletus Kasady was a vicious serial killer even before he got a symbiote, and you have a winner – and certainly there’s an element of the fan community who like the idea.

As is mandated, all crazy red-headed characters should in future be played by Jackie Earl Haley.

Electro I’ve always liked Max Dillon because, neat powers and catchy costume aside, he’s such a loser. This is a guy who could be a real player, but instead he’s continuously tripping himself up by thinking too big or, alternatively, not thinking big enough.

Casting for this one is actually pretty easy for me. I’d like someone world weary, middle aged, someone who maybe had a chance but blew it. And I’m not saying this is that man to a tee, because this actor’s had a pretty good career of voice overs, but…

Chameleon

Chameleon is one of those villains who seems to get reinvented every time he shows up, and this most recent version, as someone who immerses himself as his victims, is a particularly good one. There’s something creepy about that, and it puts him beyond someone who’s just using Mission: Impossible masks to commit crimes.

The best part is the casting; everyone.

*Not all at once, obviously…

On the heels of Variety officially confirming the release date of Spider-Man 4 (again starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, and again directed by Sam Raimi) as May 6, 2011 – which places it two weeks before the Thor movie, and a couple of months before the Captain America movie – I thought we should take a look at some villains who definitely should not feature in the movie…

The White Rabbit
Sure, she looks good in a bathing suit but aside from that, what use is she? Crime bosses are a dime a dozen, and riding on a giant mechanized rabbit dressed as a playboy bunny can’t really add much gravitas can it? Besides, Harley Quinn seems to be nicely embedded into the public unconscious as your generic white-faced crazy female villain, so the Rabbit – despite predating her – would probably seem like a knock-off.

The Spot

The much-maligned Spot may have been given a face-lift in the comics recently, but at the end of the day he’s just a walking version of Portal – which is awesome when you play it, but probably not that much fun to watch at the movies. Plus, he has a dorkier costume than Spider-Man’s and people might confuse him with Rorsach. Hurm.

Stegron the Dinosaur-Man

I know he has his fans – well, fan – but Stegron is just a poor man’s Lizard. His big power aside from that tail and dinosaur breath? Talking to dinosaurs – which isn’t that useful unless you’re a tour guide for the natural history museum.

The Grizzly

He’s a man dressed as a bear. Sure, he’s a wrestler and has this exo-skeleton that enhances strength and so forth, but at the end of the day he’s a man dressed as a bear. Unless Spider-Man 4 is subtitled Assault on the Hundred Acre Wood, I just don’t see a place for him. The only thing stupider would be a man dressed as a kangaroo.

The Kangaroo


Oh, come on!

The Gibbon
Only a cut above the Grizzly and the Kangaroo in terms of ridiculousness, at least the Gibbon has the excuse of being born looking like a Gibbon – but honestly, one idiot leaping around hanging on to walls is probably enough for the movie. And with the great Roddy McDowall no longer with us, who could really do him justice anyway?

Big Wheel and Rocket Racer (A two fer!)

One of them has a giant wheel that he sits on, the other has rocket powered skateboard. I honestly don’t think I need to tell you how lame this is. Hell, Night Thrasher didn’t need rocket power!

Will’o the Wisp
I’m British, so I can’t hear the name without thinking of Kenneth Williams anyway, but even if I could get past that this guy is basically Shadowcat without the cuteness, right? What’s the point in that?

Hypno-Hustler

Disco is dead – and none of us want to see Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker dance ever again.

Ever again.

Typeface

An ex-soldier and a sign maker who terrorizes the city as a vigilante dressed in – get this – letters. If that’s not going to strike fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere, I don’t know what is. I know the skull motif was taken, but letters? Really?

The Rhino

I love the Rhino. I really do. As heavies go, he’s one of the best – and I have a real soft spot for the story where he becomes a super genius an ends up giving it all up. But let’s get past this and look at this from a movie-goer’s point of view: he’s a man dressed as a giant Rhino. The problems that you have with the Grizzly and the Kangaroo are right here too; people dressed as animals aren’t really that intimidating (Disney characters and kung du dogs not withstanding) – they’re just kind of odd.

And what about when the villain gets the inevitable crush on Mary Jane? It could get weird. It’d be like going to the movies and walking in on a furries convention instead. And that might be alright with Snapper Carr, but honestly, that’s not something you want to see on the big screen.

So there you are – twelve villains we shouldn’t see – now what about ones we should…

So when Joe Q said all that stuff about Spider-Man being easier to relate to for kids when he’s not married to a gorgeous model and everything…

…what he actually meant to say was that Spider-Man’s easier to relate to for kids when he’s having drunken one night stands with his gorgeous roommate?

To be fair, I thought the whole issue was great and very entertaining, and I like that Peter’s finally getting a love life of sorts again. I guess that it’s never explicitly stated that they had sex, but the implication is certainly there – although I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s clarified in the next couple of issues that nothing happened.

Still, I wouldn’t want to be the one that explained the issue to my five year old.Then again, there’s always Marvel Adventures for him, isn’t there?

Expect the Brand New Day haters (and there’s a vocal few) to start decrying this soon – but then wasn’t Peter having sex with the Black Cat with his mask on all kinky-like years and years ago?

More interestingly in the issue -

Yep, Mary Jane as suspected, knows that Peter’s Spider-Man. Which, I guess, means that she made the deal to keep her memory intact when the past was changed.

I’ll be interested to see where this goes…

Posted via web from Comic By Comic’s Wonderous Posterous!

Posted via web from Comic By Comic’s Wonderous Posterous!

Posted via web from Comic By Comic’s Wonderous Posterous!

Newsarama has a look at some of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary frame variants – most of which (previews, not variants) are below…

(That Runaways one is adorable and may be worth picking up even though I don’t get the book).

I wish they weren’t variants (unless they’re 50/50) – as they remind me, intentionally no doubt, of 1986′s 25th Anniversary frame covers…

…although that math clearly doesn’t work.

God, the fact that I was buying those off the shelf 23 years ago terrifies me!

Tuesday seems to be developing into the day I post my reviews so…

Batman and Robin #2 – Another good issue, and I know this is being overwhelmingly positively reviewed but…(and you knew there’d be a but)…I really don’t like Damien and that’s souring the whole book for me. I understand that I’m not supposed to, but when there’s very little likable about a character, why bother reading about them?

Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 – Better late than never! A good set up issue, but I need more Hush like I need an axe in the head. I know that he’s become Dini’s pet bad guy over the past year or so, but let it go already. The Manhunter back-up was a good start to Kate’s Gotham adventures, but had very little weight to it.

Gotham City Sirens #1 Nice art, but once again there’s very little of note going on. Catwoman’s weak as a kitten (ho ho) so decides to set up house with Ivy and Harley, because obviously nothing could possibly go wrong with that – and that’s about it. Sure there’s a random bad guy thrown in but…that’s it.

Green Lantern Corps #38 – Good, but underwhelming intro to Blackest Night. The Guardians continue to be bastards, and nobody really seems to mind aside from Kyle and Guy. Suspect that’ll come back to bite them in their little blue asses.

Justice League: Cry for Justice#1 – Nice art, shame about the cliched writing. Every character wants “…Justice!”, which appears to be another way of saying “…Revenge!”. Overwrought, over played, and distressingly unsubtle. Although it does have a talking gorilla, so there’s that.

Agents Of Atlas #7 – I’m teetering on dropping this, as much as I like it. I’m just not sure where it’s going exactly. Right now, it feels oddly directionless – it seems desperate to define itself by reference to its guest stars. Next issue may make it or break it, Gorilla Man or not.

Amazing Spider-Man Family #8 – As good as ever, and per Bleeding Cool, not exactly cancelled, which is good news.

Captain America Reborn #1 – I don’t even have an opinion on this. It reads well, it looks good, it makes some sense…but I need to let it play out a little more before I make a decision one way or the other on the book. Something just feels iffy to me, using time travel as a plot point – even if it was heavily telegraphed in the early days of this volume of Captain America. And if that was Steve pulled out of time, who was buried in his coffin?

Fantastic Four #568 – Splash pages galore as the Marquis of Doom and his hooded disciple knock the team around a bit and then Reed shows him what a real man is. And then Reed gets the crap kicked out of him by a whole bunch of alternate versions of the Torch, the Thing and Sue. What? Ridiculous, borderline incoherent, but a very good looking book.

Invincible Iron Man #15 – Good issue, if a little light on action – but the plot moved forward nicely anyway. It’s the first time that the loss of Tony’s memory and intelligence hit on an emotional level, too, with a simple “Who’s Happy?” showing just how bad things are getting.

Uncanny X-Men #513 – Pointless posturing as Norman Osborn consolidates his power and clumsily muddles through some exposition as he introduces his own team of X-Men, and Cyclops ponders his next move. Honestly, I don’t know how this is the same guy writing this and Iron Man right now.

War Of Kings #5 – Continues to be an example of how to do a crossover right. And, of course, it all seems to boil down to the two leaders duking it out. I’m intrigued for what’s next for these characters, and hope that we get an Inhumans regular series out of it, or at least something starring Ronan and Crystal, who are really the break out stars of the story.

I also picked up Buffy but haven’t a chance to read it, so next week for that. I know, you can’t wait!

Last week was a huge week, so let’s get to it (some spoilers below) -

Detective Comics #854 – Beautiful artwork, solid story – and that’s on both Batwoman and The Question co-feature. I have to say that I like this version of Kate Kane more than the version we met in 52. Like the look, like the base, like her dad helping…good stuff all around.

Gotham City Sirens #1 – Store I went to was out. Maybe next week.

Green Lantern #42 – A bit of a let down, partly because I find Blue Lanterns of Hope stupid, partly because I find Larfleeze a daft villain, and partly because I’m sick of all the Lanterns just assuming that the Guardians are right, or at least being unwilling to question anything. This is on the endangered list post-Blackest Night.

Justice League of America #34 – Adequate wrap-up to the Starbreaker arc – although I still don’t really get why Cowboy Batman was there and the revelation about Sun Eaters being larvae Starbreakers is pretty much nonsensical. Let’s move on, already.

Superman #689 – A so-so ‘day in the life’ issue, with Valor touring the world and having splash page adventures in every country he visits, along with a one-panel inset where he sees something beautiful. Aw. Yes, it’s as cloying as it sounds.

Amazing Spider-Man #598 – Darker than usual, with Spidey getting a fistful of torture from Bullseye while Harry flounders and Norman proves he has a prediliction for blondes around his son’s age. Also, nodbody’s surprised that this guy seems to have been forgotten by everyone. Can it be? Did OMD delete Sins Past? Because if it did, I’m all for it!

Astonishing X-Men #30 – I asked last week if anyone still cared about this title. The answer is probably not. I’m kind of pissed off that Ellis killed Forge after turning him a little more crazy, though. I always liked him. Beautiful art, though.

Avengers The Initiative #25 – Good solid wrap-up issue as we get the new status quo of the Initiative. Lots to like here – dropping Gravity into the GLA is a genius idea (mini series, please!); I like the idea of the Avengers Resistance – especially with a newly-revitalized Tigra leading it; and Gauntlet sucker punching Ares out of the window of Avengers Tower. Good stuff.

Dark Avengers #6 – So. Norman’s still insane. Sentry’s still useless as a character. Mike Deodato still draws exceptionally well. And the cover doesn’t represent a single thing that happens in the issue. Still good fun.

Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1 – Okay set-up issue for the crossover, but I’m becoming less and less a fan of Fraction’s work on the X-Men, and that carries over here a little. Also, I’ve never been a fan of ‘torn from the headline’ stories, and Proposition X and Proposition 8 are a little too close for me to fully embrace the story yet. Oh, and the apparent treatment of Xavier seems a little pointless given the amount of time we just spent traipsing around the world with him getting him back. And, even though I’m told otherwise, I still think the Loki thing was a screw up.

Dark Reign Lethal Legion #1 – I picked this up because Tieri promised Crusher Creel. Well, he’s in it, barely, but I’ll forgive the false advertising. The majority of the issue focuses on Tiger Shark, in prison, telling how the current Lethal Legion – him, the Grim Reaper, Creel, Mr Hyde, Nekra (who also popped up in Utopia, oddly enough), the Grey Gargoyle and a final mystery member – got together and got set up. I’m not sold on the flashback-heavy structure of the story, but it’s got potential. Oh, and the art by Mateus Santoloco is very reminiscent of Darick Robertson.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #15 – The Guardians wrap up their War of Kings involvement in typical strong fashion; Moondragon’s not the woman she used to be; Warlock might be the man he will become and used to be (look, it makes sense); Crystal’s no helpless hostage; Lockjaw might be god (at least if you’re Cosmo) and Groot is Groot. Simply awesome. What comics should be.

Incredible Hercules #130 – Slight misstep this time out as Zeus gets put on trial, simply because he’s such a pompous ass that you really don’t want him to be saved. That said, there’s some good stuff with Cho and his parents (and Aegis, of all people), and Hercules’ speech in defence of his father is great. So even when this comic’s isn’t firing on all cylinders, it’s still better than 90% of the comics out there.

Nova #26 – A great book, but I’m not a fan of the reintroduced Corps. I don’t want a second rate Green Lantern Corps, I want Rich Rider. Let’s get this back on track and I won’t even mention that Robbie Rider’s supposed to be missing a finger, okay?

Secret Warriors #5 – Best issue so far, and the first one not to feature the team. What does that tell you? That nobody cares about the team because their characters haven’t been developed at all? Probably.

Skaar Son Of Hulk #12 – Some smashing and more than a few surprises. A light, fun read – and there’s more to Skaar than meets the eye. I’ll be picking up Incredible Hulk #600 to see where Skaar and his dad land next.

Thunderbolts #133 – Okay, well…if Black Widow isn’t who we think she is, who is she? Tasha? Mystique? This just got a lot more interesting between that, her real boss, Ghost’s connivingness and Eric O’Grady potentially stepping up in a big way. On top of that there were more examples of HAMMER’s gestapo-like tactics and the welcome return of Songbird. One of Marvel’s most unpredictable titles right now.

Uncanny X-Men #512 – So. Looks like it’s not just Greg Land’s static posing that makes Uncanny a bit of a mess right now, is it? Fraction is not on good form here. The whole X-Men science team thing seems like a good idea but plays like a second rate Planetary, to be honest.

X-Force #16 – The Messiah War concludes with not so much a bang as a whimper. A pity, because it had been pretty good fun up to hear – but at this point its difficult to see what, if any, changes to the status quo of either books this story has really made.

X-Men Forever #2- It feels a little wrong that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. From a page-long soliloquy from Nick Fury to hearing a sound in a corridor, to Wolverine apparently having adamantium hair, there’s so much wrong here that it’s difficult defend. And yet…and yet…it’s still strangely great.

Proof #21 – As much as I like the concept of this book, I think I’m about done. It’s well done, but over the last few arcs it feels like its lost its way – and that’s a damn shame because for a while there it was one of my most anticipated books. I’m out after the conclusion of this arc.

Posted via web from Comic By Comic’s Wonderous Posterous!