Comic Review: Amazing Spider-Man #17

The Amazing Spider-Man #17
Written by Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Art by Humberto Ramos
Inks by Victor Olazaba
Colors by Edgar Delgado
Letters by Chris Eliopoulos
Assistant Editor Devin Lewis
Editor: Nick Lowe
-Things are somewhat back to normal for Peter Parker. Except for the fact that Alchemax has hired The Ghost to break in and destroy Parker Industries. And, his Aunt May still thinks he's dating Anna Maria. And, he's gotta go on the defense to hide his secret identity from Sajani while trying to save her and everyone else that works at Parker Industries' lives. So yeah, for Peter Parker it's back to business as usual.
The Good: SOOOO much! We're back to some classic Spidey stories here, folks. Spider-Man's balancing his civilian life with his superheroics, he's struggling to keep his civilian life intact, unbeknownst to him, he's got both super villains and people in his life plotting against him, and that's just in the first half of the book! Yes, I loved Spider-Verse, but honestly, I never felt danger for the character in that storyline like I did here. In the back of my mind, I knew Spidey was going to make it back to the 616 OK. Here, even though I know Peter's NOT going to die, while reading this book, I really got emotionally invested in whether or not Peter was going to make it out of every cliffhanger that he gets put in or not(and believe me, there's about 3 cliffhangers on every page). I really do think Spider-Man works best as a street level character. Sure, I've enjoyed him in out space adventures and giant crossovers, but my favorite Spidey stories are the ones like this one, where he's fighting for both his lives in good old New York City.
The Bad: While this isn't a complaint about this particular issue, I think I'm ready for a change of status quo for Spider-Man. Or rather, Peter Parker. It's clear that he's in way over his head running his own company and it'll only be a matter of time before the good old "Parker luck" kicks in and something happens to it. Where ever Slott decides to take the character next, I'm all for it. I feel like he's living in the shadow of Doc Ock/Superior Spider-Man, and Peter deserves better.
What you should do: GRAB IT!!! On Wednesday, none of this "waiting for Saturday" crap. Get up, get out and get to your local comic store. Wait. I just realized I never even addressed the Black Cat back-up story. I'll write a separate review after the 2 part story has wrapped up, but here's the verdict: It's awesome.

Amazing Spider-Man Special #1 Review

The Amazing Spider-Man Special #1: Inhuman Error part 1: Just when Spidey thinks everything is back to normal, the sky almost actually starts falling. There's a bunch of animal-beings (that should be right up Spidey's alley) attacking the Inhuman city of Attilan, and the lovely Medusa asks Spider-Man for his assistance. Spider-Man, who's SUPER desperate for a date, accepts. Doesn't he know that Medusa is kinda married to Black Bolt? I guess, when you gotta have it, you gotta have it.
The Good: I was super impressed by the writing in this issue. Jeff Loveness does a really good job on the characters, and the over all story in general. When you're doing a big three part crossover like this, it's a really tough balancing act because you don't want to cram too much story into one part, only to have another part be a little light when it comes to story. In my opinion, this issue has the perfect amount of story, and it ends on a pretty good cliffhanger. Also, the art by Luca Pizzari is pretty great. He has a special talent for drawing facial expressions.
The Bad:Despite how good the story and characterization is, there's a little too much cracking wise from Spider-Man this issue. It's not quite what I'd call "annoying". but after awhile, it get to be a bit much.
What you should do: You need to buy this one. Once you read this, you'll be in for the whole 3 part story, and it looks to be pretty good.

Spider-Man's Amazing Friends Review: Spider-Gwen #2

Spider-Gwen #2: Spider-Gwen has what I refer to as "super hero hangover". That's what happens when a super hero gets the crap kicked out of them so bad that they end up feeling hung-over the next day, and wallowing around feeling terrible, sorry for themselves and shamed. You know, like having an honest to God hangover. Add to this, some heavy stuff with Captain Stacey, a cartoon pig, and you've got a pretty jam packed issue!
The Good: There's a LOT going on this issue, but guess what? It's never overwhelming or confusing or tough to follow or unbelievable in the least. Gwen wakes up on a garbage barge after battling The Vulture and she's pretty beat-up. Luckily, Spider-Ham is there (not literally),to be her "Jiminy Crickett" and help her make some wise choices. Meanwhile, Captain Stacy is looking for his daughter and in the midst of that, he's got to deal with officer Frank Castle, Jean DeWolff, and The Kingpin. A lot of familiar characters from the 616 Marvel Universe show up, all in unfamiliar rolls. It's a fresh change of pace and is really quite entertaining.
The Bad: This is a tough one. I mean, NO comic is perfect, right? Well, if you find anything wrong with this issue, drop me a line and let me know. I enjoyed the whole thing from cover to cover.
The Verdict: Snap it up! Between Jason LaTours writing and Robbi Rodriguez's excellent artwork, this is a hell of an awesome comic!

First Look at The Amazing Spider-Man 16.1-SPIRAL by GERRY CONWAY!!!!

 Marvel has given us our first look at the brand NEW story from legendary Spider-Man scribe, Gerry Conway entitles "Spiral". This storyline deals with the New York Underworld since The Kingpin's demise in Shadowland, and includes a TON of classic Spidey villains like The Black Cat, Mr. Negative, Tombstone and Hammerhead, just to name a few. Check it out!

 If you're subscribed to The Amazing Spider-Man at your local comic book store, you SHOULD get these issues, as they're #16.1 (like the Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl story arc), ect. But, you might want to check anyway. Be sure to pick this up when the action starts in March!

Spider-Man's Amazing Friends Comic Review: Silk #1

Silk #1
Writer: Robbie Thompson
Artist: Stacey Lee
Color Artist: Ian Herring
Letters: VC's Travis Lanham
Covers by Dave Johnson, Stacey Lee & Skottie Young
Assistant Editor: Devin Lewis
Editors: Ellie Pyle & Nick Lowe
-Cindy Moon swings right from the mega-crossover Spider-Verse into her own series! Making the transition from locked in a bunker for the last 10 years to a full-blown productive member of society isn't as easy as she thought it would be. Despite that, she's got a full-time job, a roommate, and the start of her very own rogues gallery. And, of course, there's always Spider-Man and their spider-attraction to each other.
The Good: Honestly, I don't get the online "hate" for Cindy Moon. I think she's an interesting character, and after reading this book, I can see a TON of potential for some great stories to be told in this series. Thompson gives us a fantastic old-school Spider-Man story, updated for this character and for modern times. It's got all the classic hallmarks of a story set in the Spider-Man Universe. Cindy's got job problems, roommate problems, money problems, and the added "fun" of being VERY out of touch with society. The art in this book is just as solid as the writing. Stacey Lee does a great job at creating a whole new "world" for Silk, yet it's kept solidly in the Marvel Universe.
The Bad: I could've used a little more super-heroics in this issue. As it stands, the book was about 4 pages of Cindy fighting villains, and the rest of the issue in her civilian identity. Besides that, there's not a lot of major complaints that I have about this issue.
What you should do: Pick this up! As I mentioned before, it's a really good, solid first issue, and there's a lot of potential in this character. Great writing, great art-what's not to love?

Spider-Man & Related Titles for May, 2015

This afternoon Marvel Comics released their FULL May solicitations. It's a pretty packed month, with the launch of Secret Wars and all it's mini-series and tie-ins. Here's a look at the Spider-Man related titles (and everything he'll be appearing in) shipping that month:

SECRET WARS #1 (OF 8)
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • ESAD RIBIC (a)
Cover by ALEX ROSS (FEB150650)
VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIC (FEB150656)
PARTY VARIANT COVER BY CHIP ZDARSKY (FEB150663)
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER BY SIMONE BIANCHI (FEB150653)
VARIANT COVER BY AMANDA CONNOR (FEB150655)
VARIANT COVER BY Jim Cheung (FEB150651)
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY Butch Guice (FEB150652)
YOUNG VARIANT COVER BY SKOTTIE YOUNG (FEB150657)
BLANK VARIANT COVER (FEB150658)
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER (FEB150654)
PARTY VARIANT SKETCH COVER BY CHIP ZDARSKY
• THE FINAL INCURSION IS HAPPENING!
• THE MARVEL UNIVERSE IS COLLIDING WITH THE ULTIMATE UNIVERSE!
• AND NEITHER WILL SURVIVE!
40 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

SECRET WARS #2 (OF 8)
JONATHAN HICKMAN (w) • ESAD RIBIC (a)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY ESAD RIBIC
VARIANT COVER BY YASMINE PUTRI
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
CONNECTING VARIANT COVER BY SIMONE BIANCHI
CLASSIC VARIANT COVER BY Kevin Nowlan
• WHEN THE MARVEL UNIVERSE IS GONE, ALL THAT REMAINS IS BATTLEWORLD!
• LEARN THE SECRETS OF THIS BRAVE NEW REALM IN THIS SPECIAL OVERSIZED ISSUE!
56 PGS./Rated T+ …$4.99

SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 (OF 4)
JOSH WILLIAMSON & ED BRISSON (w)
MIKE HENDERSON & SCOTT HEPBURN (a)
Cover by PACO MEDINA
Variant Cover by JAMES STOKOE
ACTION FIGURE VARIANT COVER BY JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER
• When the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe collide, there is only…Battleworld!
• Featuring the fights, battles and blow-ups that are just TOO BIG for Secret Wars!
• When a Dr. Strange-possessed Punisher goes on the run, only Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk and Ghost Rider can track him down!
• Question: What happens when M.O.D.O.K. recruits every single M.O.D.O.K. ever for his evil schemes? Answer: M.O.D.O.K. M.A.D.N.E.S.S.!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

SPIDER-VERSE #1
MIKE COSTA (w) • ANDRE ARUAJO (a)
Cover by NICK BRADSHAW
Variant cover by ROBBI RODRIGUEZ
• Spinning out of the SPIDER-VERSE event, a team of Spiders finds themselves face-to-face with Battleworld! Starring SPIDER-GWEN, SPIDER-MAN NOIR, SPIDER-MAN: INDIA, MAYDAY PARKER, SPIDER-UK and SPIDER-HAM!
40 PGS./Rated T …$4.99

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18
CHRISTOS GAGE (w) • HUMBERTO RAMOS (a/C)
VARIANT Cover by STACEY LEE
NYC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• A huge chapter in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN history comes to a close!
• Peter’s choices as CEO of Parker Industries come home to roost!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18.1
GERRY CONWAY (w) • CARLO BARBERI (a)
COVER BY YASMINE PUTRI
VARIANT COVER BY Greg Land • SPIRAL continues!
• The gang war continues to rock New York City as Spidey and the Wraith do their level best to keep it contained.
• But Wraith and Spidey’s methodologies don’t always gel.
• And Spidey’s methodology makes him a nail for Hammerhead to smash.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

SILK #4
ROBBIE THOMPSON (w) • STACEY LEE (a)
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
• Silk and Johnny Storm’s first date! Nuff’ said?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

SPIDER-GWEN #4
JASON LATOUR (w) • ROBBI RODRIGUEZ (a/C)
NYC VARIANT COVER BY TBA
• Learn what really happened the day that Peter Parker died!
• Gwen comes face to face with Ben and May Parker!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

SPIDER-WOMAN #7
DENNIS HOPELESS (w) • JAVIER RODRIGUEZ (a/C)
• Jessica Drew, A.K.A., Spider-Woman, gets closer to figuring out who has been kidnapping villains’ significant others to blackmail the villains!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

SPIDER-MAN 2099 #12
PETER DAVID (w) • WILL SLINEY (a)
Cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
• Miguel O’Hara finds himself in the middle of bidding war between Parker Industries and rival Alchemax!
• Not only that, but his traveling through time has put the people he cares about in the year 2014 in imminent danger!
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

MARVEL UNIVERSE ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: WEB WARRIORS #7
Adapted by Joe Caramagna
• The Lizard has made his lair in the sewers beneath Midtown High!
• Spidey and Mary Jane venture into the depths, aided by the Janitor Stan (the Man!)
32 PGS./All Ages …$2.99

ULTIMATE MARVEL OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, BILL JEMAS & MARK MILLAR
Penciled by MARK BAGLEY, ADAM KUBERT, ANDY KUBERT & BRYAN HITCH
Cover by VARIOUS
Witness the birth of a new world, in which the heroes you know are reinvented for the modern era! The bite of a genetically engineered spider gives Peter Parker great power, but a harsh lesson will teach him responsibility. To prevent war, Charles Xavier recruits his X-Men — but Magneto’s Brotherhood reaches Wolverine first. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, Wasp and the Hulk — these are not the Avengers. They’re Nick Fury’s Ultimates. Young genius Reed Richards’ efforts to reach the N-Zone will forever change the lives of his fantastic friends. In a single volume, watch the Ultimate Universe — which helped make superstars of its architects, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar — take shape through the opening acts of its core titles. Collecting ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN (2000) #1-7, ULTIMATE X-MEN (2001) #1-6, ULTIMATES (2002) #1-6 and ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #1-6.
768 PGS./Parental Advisory …$99.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9750-8
Trim size: oversized

MARVEL FIRSTS: THE 1990S OMNIBUS HC
Written by HOWARD MACKIE, GREGORY WRIGHT, FABIAN NICIEZA, PETER DAVID, DAN ABNETT, DG CHICHESTER, CHRISTIAN COOPER, TOM DEFALCO, JOHN OSTRANDER, JORGE GONZALES, TOM PEYER & MORE
Penciled by JAVIER SALTARES, JACKSON GUICE, MARK BAGLEY, ANGEL MEDINA, STEVEN BUTLER, RICHARD CASE, RON GARNEY, ART THIBERT, RON FRENZ, GABRIEL GECKO, TOM TENNEY, SCOTT MCDANIEL, PASQUAL FERRY, JIM CHEUNG & MORE
Cover by VARIOUS
Revisit comics’ most divisive decade with a giant-sized compendium of daring debuts! All your favorites are here: Deadpool! Nomad! X-Force! Scarlet Spider! Quicksilver! ClanDestine! Venom! Nightwatch! Gambit! Vengeance! Spider-Man 2099! The Thunderbolts! Plus: Ghost Rider and Deathlok, reinvented for the ’90s! Guns! Swords! Leather! Clones! Pouches! Don’t dis the ’90s, they’re totally dope! Collecting GHOST RIDER (1990) #1, DEATHLOK (1990) #1, NEW WARRIORS (1990) #1, FOOLKILLER (1990) #1, DARKHAWK #1, SLEEPWALKER #1, X-FORCE (1991) #1, X-FACTOR (1986) #71, WARLOCK AND THE INFINITY WATCH #2, DEATH’S HEAD II (1992A) #1, SILVER SABLE AND THE WILD PACK #1, TERROR INC. (1992) #1, NIGHT THRASHER: FOUR CONTROL #1, DARKHOLD: PAGES FROM THE BOOK OF SINS #1, NIGHTSTALKERS #1, SPIDER-MAN 2099 (1992) #1, VENOM: LETHAL PROTECTOR #1, CABLE (1993) #1, DEADPOOL: THE CIRCLE CHASE #1, THUNDERSTRIKE (1993) #1, GAMBIT (1993) #1, WAR MACHINE (1994) #1, BLACKWULF #1, FORCE WORKS #1, BLADE THE VAMPIRE-HUNTER (1994) #1, GENERATION X SAN DIEGO PREVIEW, FANTASTIC FORCE (1994) #1, WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #118, BISHOP #1, X-MAN #1, ELEKTRA: ROOT OF EVIL #1, GREEN GOBLIN #1, CAPTAIN MARVEL (1995) #1, HEROES FOR HIRE (1997) #1, MAVERICK #1, QUICKSILVER #1, SPIDER-GIRL (1998) #1, SLINGERS #0, SPIDER-WOMAN (1999) #1, DEATHLOK (1999) #1 and WARLOCK (1999) #1; and material from CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL #9, WEB OF SPIDER-MAN (1985) #100, MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS (1988) #147 and #158, and TALES OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE.
1288 PGS./Rated T …$125
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9816-1
Trim size: oversized

SPIDER-WOMAN VOL. 1: SPIDER-VERSE TPB
Written by DENNIS HOPELESS & ARCHIE GOODWIN
Penciled by GREG LAND & SAL BUSCEMA
Cover by GREG LAND Jessica Drew has been an agent of both S.H.I.E.L.D. and S.W.O.R.D., an Avenger and more — but nothing could prepare her for the multidimensional insanity of Spider-Verse! A war is brewing, and every spider-character in the multiverse is a target! But being a target is something Jessica Drew just won’t abide. She’s a woman with a mission. And with Silk — the newest spider on the block — at her side, she’ll need to put all her training to the test if she wants to make it out of Spider-Verse alive! Now, undercover in the most dangerous place in the multiverse, Spider-Woman is in the tightest spot she’s ever been in. What if even succeeding with her mission means her death? And can Silk handle a solo mission? Plus: Spider-Woman’s classic debut! Collecting SPIDER-WOMAN (2014) #1-4 and MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1971) #32.
112 PGS./Rated T+ …$15.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-5458-7

VENOM BY RICK REMENDER: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL. 1 TPB
Written by RICK REMENDER
Penciled by TONY MOORE, TOM FOWLER, STEFANO CASELLI, LAN MEDINA & SHAWN MOLL
Cover by JOE QUESADA
Flash Thompson is Spider-Man’s biggest fan. That hero worship inspired him to join the Army, where he became a decorated war hero. And though he lost his legs, Flash never lost his dignity — or his desire to serve. Now, the government has offered him a chance to don the alien Venom symbiote and be a hero once again! Flash Thompson is Venom, the government’s most lethal special operative. But Flash soon finds himself losing control of his own mind to the symbiote! And when his nemesis, Jack O’Lantern, blackmails Flash into serving the merciless Crime-Master, can Venom complete his mission and save his loved ones? Plus: What if the Venom symbiote bonded with…Deadpool?! Rick Remender’s gripping run is collected in two volumes! Collecting VENOM (2011) #1-12 and VENOM/DEADPOOL: WHAT IF?
320 PGS./Rated T+ …$34.99
ISBN: 978-0-7851-9352-4

-Also listed (without picture) was a Spider-Verse Poster:

SPIDER-VERSE #1 BY BRADSHAW POSTER
FOC 4/13/15 ON-SALE 5/13/2015 - 24x36…$8.99
5960605400-50121

-Wow!!! It's a pretty full month of Spider-Goodness, and from here on out, things are NOT slowing down! Plus, don't forget to go to your local comic shop on May 2nd and pick up the Free Comic Book Day issue of Marvel's Secret Wars #0!!!

Spider-Man is going to the movies!!!

.......and this time, he's bringing some friends! As reported by pretty much every website EVER, Sony Pictures and Marvel Entertainment/Disney have reached an agreement to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, I know this is a site about Spider-Man, but the phrase I think we most often hear is "WHEN is Spider-Man gonna show up in an Avengers movie?" or "Spider-Man NEEDS to be in the Marvel movie universe!". You know what I don't hear too much "I can not WAIT to see Wolverine fight The Hulk on the big screen!" or "Man, I SO wish the Fantastic Four would show up in an Avengers movie!". Nope, it's always Spidey.
-And with good reason. Spider-Man is Marvel Comics' most popular hero, and he's the character that is most identifiable with the Marvel Universe. So, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Time will tell, of course, but for my money, it's a VERY good thing. For one, Marvel's licensing partners will be able to focus more on the Spider-Man movies like they do on the other Marvel films (yes, we all know it's going on, don't deny it). Word has it that we'll first get to see Spider-Man in next years Captain America: Civil War, with his solo movie coming out in July or 2017. Can I just ask one favor, Marvel? Please, PLEASE for the love of God. Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin in a decent suit that looks like a GREEN GOBLIN. Not a low-rent Iron Man. Not a ski-outfit with a funny skateboard. THIS:

Jazz it up a little, that's fine. But keep it as true to the comic as you do Spider-Mans. And just once, I'd love to see a super-hero movie that DIDN'T kill off the main villain in the first movie!!

Give your sweetie Spider-Man for Valentines Day!!

Was at my local Walgreens and spotted this Spider-Man valentine. It features some gummy candy inside. It looks pretty darn cool!

Spider-Gwen #1 Preview!!!!

The bad news? We have to wait until February 25th to actually READ Spider-Gwen #1, but the good news is, earlier today Marvel released a preview of the first issue!! Check it out!!

Looks pretty great doesn't it? I can NOT wait to read this. And, if you haven't been paying attention and don't know who Spider-Gwen is, here's the solicitation copy for the first issue:

SPIDER-GWEN #1
JASON LATOUR (W) • ROBBIE RODRIGUEZ (A/C)
VARIANT COVER BY KRIS ANKA
YOUNG VARIANT BY SKOTTIE YOUNG
VARIANT COVER BY ADAM HUGHES
BLANK VARIANT ALSO AVAILABLE
SPIDER-GWEN SPINS INTO HER OWN SERIES!
• BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT! The breakout hit of the biggest Spider-Event of the century is taking comic shops by storm this winter with her own new ongoing series – SPIDER-GWEN!
• Gwen Stacy is Spider-Woman, but you knew that already. What you DON’T know is what friends and foes are waiting for her in the aftermath of Spider-Verse!
• From the fan-favorite creative team that brought you Spider-Gwen’s origin story in EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE, Jason Latour and Robbie Rodriguez!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

Comic Review: Spider-Verse #2

Spider-Verse #2:
Credits: WAAAAY to long to list!!
-TONS and TONS of Spider-People this issue! It's packed with FIVE Spider-Verse stories, a couple of them featuring more than one Spider-Men. We've got Captain Britain Spider-Man, an African Spider-Man, "Punk Rock" Spider-Man, and a few that I'm really not sure what to call them.
The Good: There's 2 pretty good stories in this issue. Actually, there's 1 pretty good story and 1 that made me smile slightly. The Punk Rock Spider-Man AKA The Anarchich Spider-Man story is a great twist on the classic Spidey mythos. It's almost a "Dark Knight Returns" (the comic, not the movie) adaptation, where Norman Osborn is the President, and Spidey's the "common man" hero. Writer Jed Mackey and artist Sheldon Vella really did a great job here. And, the last story in the book, by Dan Slott, Ty Templeton & Co. is downright charming.
The Bad: As I stated before there are TWO out of FIVE stories in this book that are good. That leaves three that are.....let's just say less than spectacular (No pun intended). The "main" story in the book by Kathryn Immonen and David LaFuente is a bit too messy for my tastes. In fact, I really can't tell you what the whole point of the story was. There's a Spanish language story with fantastic art by Francisco Herrara, but the story by Enrique Puig wasn't enough to hold the story up, and the opening chapter by Dan Slott and Kris Anka just wasn't that great.
What you should do: I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but honestly, give this one a pass. This was basically some stories that weren't good enough to make it into Edge of Spider-Verse, cut down and thrown into one book. There's absolutely NOTHING to do with the fight against the Inheritors, nor is there enough entertaining materiel here to make this worth the $5 or your time.