The San Diego Comic-Con happens this weekend! It's one of the few events in pop culture fandom that have me wishing I was there personally to attend, but I can always keep tabs with the updates online... and a frivolous array of previews have already spilled before the con actually begins! Oh well, be sure to check back here now and then guys, there'll be plenty to talk about concerning the SDCC.
Now then, back to the weekly agenda at hand: MORE COMICS!
The Amazing Spider-Man #600
Written By: Dan Slott
Illustrated By: John Romita Jr.
I swear to God - I never thought I'd buy another Spider-Man comic again after the events of One More Day. To me, the status quo change was unacceptable, and I promised myself that after the controversial "de-marriage" and J. Michael Straczynski's departure from the book, I'd no longer be collecting the title on a monthly basis. Also adding to my timely decision was that the title would be shipping "3 times a month", thanks to publication changes made by the follow up event, Brand New Day. Truly, it was the dawn of a new era for Spidey readers, and one I only bothered to check up on once in a while from the shadows because of my curiosity over the "new life" of everyone's favorite wall crawler. Time passed, and after two years of progressive storytelling and not so extravagant change, a milestone has occurred - The Amazing Spider-Man has reached its 600th issue... a mega sized one at that. We've seen other titles make a hype over reaching a significant publication mark, but is this really worth the $5 price tag it holds? Keep reading and your spider-senses on the ready - The review's here to save the day:
For many years, Peter Parker has selflessly protected the innocent as The Amazing Spider-Man, chasing evildoers and surviving any obstacles thrown at him. However, July 22, 2009 may hold his greatest challenge yet - the wedding day of May Parker and J.Jonah Jameson Sr.! That's right, Aunt May is getting married... to the dad of Spidey's worst critic! As if that weren't enough food on the plate for Pete to chew on, he has to contend with the reappearance of an old foe, who's just concocted his most insane and desperate scheme yet! Will Spidey be able to thwart the villain's plans, save New York City, and hear wedding bells? All this plus a plethora of superhero guest stars and extra back up tales bring you the ultimate web spinning experience!
My summary is practically a solicit, and there's no other way to describe this book - which happens to be one of THE Best Spidey issues I've seen in a long, long time. Yes, I'll admit it, it's really good. No matter what reservations I have regarding the current status of Peter Parker, the story worked for me, and that's probably due to the writing of Dan Slott. He knows his Spidey material quite well from experience, and he isn't the type to shy away from opportunities portraying the wall crawler cracking silly jokes and banter at the expense of others. Believe me, it's really what makes Spider-Man - his mouth is his deadliest weapon, and he has enough practice to view life on the funny side while beating baddies silly. I'd be remiss if I weren't honest enough to point out the concerns I have - particularly concerning the main villain of the story itself. It's not the direction or treatment I would've wanted this fan favorite rogue, but it works in the overall scheme of things otherwise, and the read remains coherent enough to take in without raising any eyebrows.
Art has also got to be the reason why I was compelled to buy this issue. It's done once again by the guy who got me into Spidey comics again back in 2001 - Mr. John Romita Jr. himself. I've told my peers this countless times - I personally feel his unorthodox style fits with an athletic and sometimes cocky character like Spider-Man. From the many insane stunts to the wacky poses he does while dodging enemy fire, JRJR has got his A-game up in drawing anything and everything involving ol' webhead himself. However, the downside to this is that not all characters fit his art style all too well. Case in point: The New Avengers make a special appearance in this issue to help our poor wallcrawler out, and certain members' dimensions are out of whack. Captain "Bucky" America in particular looks more like the Steve Rogers version here, and that just eliminates ways to distinguish the protege over the mentor (the colors didn't help either). Things like these can be easily overlooked though, and when it comes down to it, Slott and JRJR did an impressive job on this tale.
While the main story was indeed a masterfully woven tale, it is further complimented by the inclusion of extra segments written and illustrated by some of the mightiest talents The House Of Ideas has to offer today. These bonuses deal with different aspects of the wall crawler's life, with one particular tale, "Identity Crisis", having me nod in amusement. The "story", written by Stan "The Man" Lee, indirectly explores what Spidey's oh-so-complicated life has done to the minds of readers over the years... and how so true a crisis it was for many. More tales like "My Brother's Son" and "The Blessing" served as great fillers, while "Fight At The Museum" and the "unprinted covers" poke at the blemishes and embarrassing moments in Spidey's career. It's these stories that remind you why you're a Spider-Man fan in the first place. Oh, and the last tale is deliberately meant as a set up to what will be the next big Spider-event of this year, though I still remain unconvinced.
Taking this entire double-sized issue into account - as someone who gave up reading Spidey titles for quite a while, I'm glad I was convinced to pick ASM #600 up. It's truly an issue worth its price tag. Great story, fun art, and lots of surprises at the end do more than make it worthwhile, and maybe that could spell good news for purists like me who hope that remnants of the old continuity will come back somehow *crosses fingers*. With 4 covers to choose from, you'll have hardly any reason to complain. While all commemorate the 600th entry in the series neatly, I chose JRJR's wraparound cover (the pic above), which looks damn good in itself already (and since he's the main artist of the issue). The book already reads like a mini trade or a mega one-shot, so what's there to lose? Go and grab this hyped up bag of web goodness for some old school, fun lovin' reading.
Score - 10/10
Green Lantern #44
Written By: Geoff Johns
Illustrated By: Doug Mahnke
Pick up Final Crisis and Blackest Night #1 before reading this sucker.
The first of many Blackest Night tie-ins doesn't fail to deliver pure adrenaline action and content to expand the story. It succeeds in promoting the event in fact... but the only concern here is that some people won't know what the hell is happening until they read the aforementioned titles above. That's a clear indication that this issue cannot stand on its own two feet. If you've read Blackest Night - Read on and find out why this is a solid companion to the main series. Otherwise, get your SPOILER HATS ready... this is full of it.
The Blackest Night has arrived. Black rings scatter across the cosmos, seeking dead bodies to resurrect and turn into Black Lanterns. On the dead planet of Mars, the remains of the fallen hero, J'onn Jozz, lies in stasis over a lone pyramid built in his honor. Bursting through the concrete and coffin like paper, one black ring slips through the corpse's fingers... and what was once a decaying piece of flesh has now become a Black Lantern. Back on Earth, Hal Jordan and Barry Allen pay a visit to Gotham Cemetery to investigate the dug up remains of Bruce Wayne, leaving the heroes puzzled as to who could desecrate the final resting place of the world's greatest detective. As they try looking for clues to further their search, an unexpected presence arrives - the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter. As Green Lantern and The Flash stare in shock, the decomposed being that was J'onn Jozz makes a simple offer - give in to death and rise.
Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke hit a second homerun tale of epic proportions, and Blackest Night goes full steam ahead. We see Hal Jordan's first official encounter with a Black Lantern, and he's teamed up with the Flash for this one. People should also be aware that the speedster you see in this book is not Wally West, but Barry Allen, The Silver Age Flash. Much like Hal before him, Johns is currently weaving his return tale to the DC Universe proper through The Flash: Rebirth miniseries. As a result, the writer tries to expand his role with more involvement in Blackest Night. Hal and Barry have always had a great teamwork ethic going, and it's fun to see them working together during that start of this crisis. I personally like the exchange of words between the two, and the quip Flash makes about the internet... priceless.
It is an eerie feeling to see J'onn Jozz back after his death in Final Crisis and hunting his old JLA comrades as a Black Lantern. That whole cycle is just evil, yet a fun twist to read about at the same time. The mystery on how these suckers come back to life and think still escapes me completely. We don't know if they actually have souls and retain the memories of their former lives, which obviously makes them more dangerous to the good guys. They could be puppets of the Black Lantern Corps... or twisted shells reanimated to serve evil and manipulate the memories of the living. Not only that, it seems living things are also affected by the Blackest Night wave as well. Perhaps those who escped death are not exempt from being potential Black Lanterns? Whatever the case is, I love it, and I can't wait to see how the other zombie lanterns face off and conquer in the coming titles ahead.
For the plot contained within this issue, Geoff never seems to miss a beat, neither does his artist. His script is once again brought to life by the pencils of Doug Mahnke, who did a fabulous job last issue with the origin of Black Hand. Here, readers are given the main course they wanted - a slobber knocker. The fight between Hal and Barry vs Undead J'onn will reward fans who've been craving for action, especially those who were left hanging in Blackest Night #1. Directly explaining the Martian Manhunter's dark resurrection and his intentions in the first few pages on the book is just pure awesomeness, and we also get to see more about Scar, the Guardian who fell to death's embrace (literally). The last few pages also bring us to speed with John Stewart... who faces a new problem... One BIG problem. All of this teasing can be irritating sometimes, but it proves that Blackest Night is becoming a major success. Here's hoping for more mayhem and chaos to ensue in the DCU... the reads just keep getting better and better.
Score - 10/10
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