Spider-Man General Discussion

Yes. It is all of those things. And better than that sounds.

So then I got issue 670. There are things to react to but basically between this and the Avenging Spider-Man preview I saw, J. Jonah Jameson is the greatest mayor of all the times.

Don't really have individual things to react to other than not being convinced by this issue that the Queen was even a villain that should have been brought back.

The Venom/Anti-Venom thing happened off-screen like I feared. I'mma have to pick up Spider-Isle: Venom: The Venoming: Issue 3 or something to get the full story. I'm probably not even going to bother.

Everything in the issue was good its just that there was so much stuff going on and for very short times and then the action would jump around and some plot points would advance in leaps and bounds. Its been worse than the previous few issues. This issue felt more like a montage of what's happening in other books rather than its own thing. Its like watching one of those "previously on" segments due to how short any given plot point was and how much it switched around.

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Yeah, but on the other hand, plot is moving forward again. The first three or four issues were kinda slow.

Talk of Reign has good me thinking - how's everyone's favorite kind-of sort-of but often not-really villainous career criminal The Sandman doing these days? His storyline in Reign was downright depressing. But then again, nearly all of Reign was downright depressing.

I remember last I checked on him in the main verse he was back to being a villain but asked Spidey's help on a relatively virtuous matter after Peter unmasked himself. Has he appeared in a major way since then?

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.

He kinda adopted a kid, learned to duplicate himself and joined Doctor Octopus' new Sinister Six.

There must have been a back up or something because I've gotten another new issue already. Issue 161. So have some rambling.

The Jackal continues to be the best part of the book. I really hope he didn't really die when the Queen killed him.

The book still feels like too much is going on but its better because the focus is mainly on Spider-Man and the action follows him around. It feels more stand-alone and less like a summary of whats going on elsewhere.

Also, the story is feeling more epic and more like Spider-Island is a huge catastrophe in the Marvel universe. Maybe its just the way that Spider-Man realized that everything has gone to hell and that Horizon Lab is the only thing standing between the city and total chaos. The other superheroes are being snippy with him still and even Horizon Lab and the jammer tower thingies are under constant attack. Maybe its just that everything that they've been building up to is coming together.

The Queen herself is having a villainous breakdown. And given how over-powered she was already, a power boost spells nothing but trouble.

Brock continues to be awesome if kind of loopy.

The new Madam Web just seems to be herping and derping every which way.

I think everybody basically knew that Tarantula was Kaine but apparently the anti-venom cure fixed his ugly face. Good for him.

And Morbius showed up. That's kind of neat.

I didn't read the comic where Peter lost his spider-sense so I'm not quite sure what the situation behind that is but I guess its good that he got it back. And boosted even. Mixed with his spider fu training it looks like he has the M2 Spider-Girl's ability to sense where an opponent is weakest.

I guess a weakness in the story is that although Spider-Man now knows more about what's going on and who's behind it, he kind of had to have the information handed to him by Handsome Kaine. Although, since Kaine is genetically the same, I'm going to chalk this up as a win for Peterkind.

Also, more Mary Jane with spider powers. Don't know where they're going with that but color me intrigued.*

She even gets the cover image in an outfit that would not be very conducive to crime-fighting.

Oh and I guess the art was painful at some points but I was engrossed enough in the story that I didn't notice until I flipped through again.

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I got the last issue of Spider-Island (Not the epilogue), and I really liked it.

I felt the middle few issues might have had some problems, but the last issue was very good. It wrapped Spider-Island up nicely, and it didn't feel like a cheap ending. Plus we even got hints at MJ and Peter getting back together. I think my favorite part is that it just fits so well with the 'Big Time' thing Dan Slott's got going. Now Peter has hit the big time in his real life, and his spider-life. I also loved how Venom tied in, the new venom is pretty fantastic.

As of the Epilogue the Jackal reaches official Magnificent Bastard status.

"You can reply to this Message!"

Nah, Madam Web gets it for royally screwing with Spider-man.

I have to say I like how this arc had the effect of undoing a lot of things from One More Day without resorting to a magic retcon

So, I got issue 672. Still have some complaints about stuff happening in other books but the issue was pretty solid. Peter finally gets around to using his brain and all.

Liked the lampshading on the death toll that big dramatic crossovers have. Liked Luke Cage being totally oblivious at setting the death flag for himself.

The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen. Or whatever. I don't think anybody would care if she doesn't come back.

Kind of unsure about Kaine immediately jumping into the Ben Reilly role with him and Peter bantering like old friends. With everything that they've gone through, it just feels weird.

The first couple pages were blatant exposition of the As You Know variety.

Mary Jane gets a nice moment with Peter after having to give him a pep talk yet again. And proves that some clothes are just less suited for fighting in than others.

Its kind of weird that Carly wasn't part of the "people getting cured" montage.

Anybody else get a The Doctor Dances "everybody lives" vibe from that splash page with Peter wearing the octo-helmet?

Art was still a little meh though.

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What's the name of this arc? I must look it up.

"The difference between reality and fiction is that fiction has to make sense." - Tom Clancy, paraphrasing Mark Twain.

Spider-Island. We appear to even have a trope page for it.

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So as much as I dug the hell out of Spider Island and will probably pick up the GN since I missed half the physical copies (You'd think comic shops would stock up more properly one of the most popular comic characters) but there was something about the ending annoyed me.

Jackal is just alive? I thought part of the point of this event was helping to tie up a lot of loose ends in the Spider verse and what's worse Jackal just explains it with 'It's wibbly wobbly cloney woney! I ain't gotta explain shit!' though isn't that every appearance with the Jackal.

That said, anybody else start Avenging Spider-man? It looks like I might actually enjoy a book with Rulk in it.

edited 11th Nov '11 7:01:44 AM by Malkavian

"Everyone wants an answer, don't they?... I hate things with answers." — Grant Morrison

I picked it up at the comic shop the other day. So far pretty, good but mostly for the Jonah in the issue. And the other Avengers all calling "Not It" for the job of taking Spidey back to New York. As for Rulk, his title has actually been pretty good since Parker took over writing duties.

I thought the art was good too. It was really kinetic and that two-page spread was great.

Though Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. has given me a new love of really bombastic two-page spreads.

Also, this is the guy who brought us Shed which might just be the best Spider-man story in over a decade.

"Everyone wants an answer, don't they?... I hate things with answers." — Grant Morrison

Oh man Shed was great. Part because of just the breakdowns going on and nice Bachallo art. But i about best in the decade. Grim Hunt and Spider Island were great too. Granted Grim Hunt really works best if you've read Kraven's Last Hunt and Spider Island is notable for being an event that is actually pretty good.

I might piss people off with this, but I think Brand New Day brought Spidey back to greatness after JMS' pseudo-mystical nonsense and terrible end run.

"Everyone wants an answer, don't they?... I hate things with answers." — Grant Morrison

Okay so I got the epilogue comic and now I know for sure that I have no regrets. This is the best damn thing on the market. Oh and hey, the art style changed so that's a thing.

I could talk about this point by point like I generally feel the compulsion to do for some reason but I won't. The Jackal was awesome. Peter simultaneously getting a confidence boost and then getting metaphorically kicked in the balls was awesome. Spider-sense is back and mystical identity protecting spell is gone which is awesome. Kaine is pulling a full on Ben Reilly now which in the heat of the moment I have decided is awesome. The dialogue was awesome.

That is some quality dialogue.

Everything is awesome and nothing hurts. Dan Slott, will you have my babies and then make a deal with the devil to prevent this creepy thing from ever having been said?

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...You just made me imagine Peter working for Marvel. With Stan Lee and Jameson breathing down his neck. Thanks. XD

"I need Pictures! Pictures of Spider-man!"

"This a comic book company, John."

"Then I need STORIES of Spider-man and none of the Excelsior crap, Stan!"

"Everyone wants an answer, don't they?... I hate things with answers." — Grant Morrison

Man, everyone's saying Spider-Island was awesome and I totally missed out on it :P Gonna have to pick it up in trade. But I'm definitely jumping onto Avenging and Amazing going forward.

I'll turn your neocortex into a flowerpot!

I'm still wondering how they are going to bundle the TPB for Spider-Island. The Amazing Spider-man and Venom issues are obvious but some of the tie ins are hit or miss. I really hope the include the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu(especially since Shang Chi has been tied up in the plot since it was being foreshadowed) and Spider-girl and the Avengers and Heroes for Hire oneshots. The rest were okay, but not really key to the story.

Shang-Chi's stint in issue 18 of Secret Avengers has piqued my interest, so I hope so too.

I'll turn your neocortex into a flowerpot!

So, onward and forward and upward to a adventure. Great Heights is the name of the game.

Vulture starting a vulture-tech based crime ring is the threat of the day. Actually kind of clever tying it into Spider-Island by making the gang recruit people who came to New York to be spiderfied.

I think its an interesting sort of twist. I don't think he's ever done it before but a man can't be hands on all the time. He's got to learn to delegate.

Um, new art style again and I don't think its grown on me yet.

And Carlie and Peter made up pretty fast considering how upset she was but whatever.

Oh and Spider-Man saved the whole city and all he gets is the fear and loathing of the police force. Big Time, huh?

Could be an interesting story arc, this Great Heights thing.

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