Spider-Man Reviews

Showing posts with label Peter Parker. Show all posts

Venom...the Movie? (part 3)

Posted by Jesse 17 March 2012

Last time we laid out a plan and foundation overall for a Venom based movie, citing that it would be wise to direct it as a action based sci-fi, and comparing the look and feel of the film to Aliens and Resident Evil.

We also discussed the pros and cons of having Eddie Brock as Venom. This time we will dive into the idea of casting Eugene “Flash” Thompson as the star.

Having Eugene as the key character opens up a whole world of possibilities. For starters, his connection to Peter Parker from early on makes him the perfect rival. It would be easier to integrate him into a Spider-Man screenplay, allowing for a smooth transition into his own feature film.

Audiences already have a certain familiarity to his character, and one that hasn’t been stained (unlike Eddie Brock from SM 3) His character could certainly be expanded upon, as his comic book persona comes and goes with usually only loose ties to the plot. However recently, Flash has been thrust into the spotlight with his own successful ongoing series, which could pretty easily serve as the ground work for a movie version.

If the movie were to use Flash as its titular star, no doubt it would have to take on a more military style, which we’ve become accustomed to seeing in such sci-fi films as Battle: Los Angeles, Predator, and even War of the Worlds to some degree.

Flash has a very compelling story as a war vet. , who gets a second lease on life, but it’s not all sunshine and lollipops; there’s also a catch. I think this premise could work very well as we’ve already seen it play out nicely in “Avatar”, wherein a soldier gets his legs back in exchange for a return to active duty.

Another benefit to using Flash is that he has a better supporting cast. Betty Brant his long running girlfriend plays the part of the worried and conflicted house wife waiting for her husband to return home from god knows what. In the comics Flash keeps his double life a secret, but in the film Betty could always be on the verge of finding out or just very suspicious.

As an anti hero I believe Flash has a greater role in that he fights global terrorism and doesn’t even get to take the credit, where as Brock mostly dealt with punishing street thugs, small time crooks, and protecting innocent civilians.

Another interesting bit of info supporting Flash is that he grew up idolizing Spider-Man and always wanted to be just like him, that’s why he joined the service, and ultimately lost his legs in an explosion. So, similar to the recent Captain America, Flash gets offered the chance of a lifetime, to be reborn as the veritable super soldier, although his version is a whole lot more experimental and volatile. Flash even seems kind of like a hard luck Steve Rogers, all the more reason to use him in this fashion.

In order to really get the audience on the main character’s side, he would have to be coming from a really hard place and going through a major uphill battle, overcoming a tragic past, etc. I think both Brock and Flash have that history, Flash with his drinking, and Eddie with his violent tendencies, and both with abusive fathers, so it’s almost a toss up for me.

Bottom line, it doesn’t matter so much who they decide to go with, just so long as they include these important story elements.

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this discussion so far, as I’ve put a lot of creative thought and careful attention to it. Please let me know if it’s something you’re enjoying and want to read more of.

Venom # 5

Posted by Jesse 31 July 2011

Venom # 5

We join a mission in progress, as our Black suited main man ( Venom ) meets up with scum villain of the week. After a short round up, the Spider( Venom ) catches his prey and rescues the innocent one.

After a job well done, Flash returns home and review his answering machine. Upon doing this, he hears of his father’s relapse into problem drinking. A very angry Flash storms out and swears not to get involved yet, reminisces about his father’s drunken violent abuse.

Flash meets up with a surprisingly cheerful Betty, she mentions its part due to having been rescued by Spidey ( no not in ASM 665, but rather last issue of Venom ). Flash apologizes to Betty for his absence and they begin to makeup until the moment is ruined by a phone call from Flash’s mom.

His mother begs him to help with his father, and Flash reluctantly agrees and cold heartedly leaves Betty to find his deadbeat dad.

Flash meets up with Peter, and lashes out at him when asked which bar his dad might be located at. He apologizes, but vehemently expresses his anger towards his dad’s abusive tendencies.

They find Mr. Thompson at the NYPD and Flash tries to escort him out, but gets a stiff fist for his effort. Flash resists the temptation to strike him back. Soon Mr. Thompson passes out, and the next scene has Flash and Mrs. Thompson at the hospital. The Dr. informs them that Mr. Thompson has a liver disease. As Mr. Thompson lays in the hospital bed and calls for his son, Flash decides not to answer and leaves. Betty greets him in the parking lot with a supportive hug but once again there moment is interrupted by the call of duty.

Thoughts

A more personalized story this time around, focusing on Flash’s ongoing relationship problems and bad habits. Plenty of drama and darkness make things a little hard to swallow. Flash has every reason to be angry, and depressed, but unfortunately he’s taking it out on others, like the ones who care about him. This series has angst and tragedy written all over it. Which makes me wonder, is Flash the object of his own undoing?

The venom parasite has always been associated with pain, and poison so in a way I feel like this is appropriate, and I’d like to see Flash overcome it, however inevitable it may seem.

Venom continues to be a stark contrast to the Spider-Man titles, where as Peter always seems to do the right thing, Flash often does not. It’s too early to tell for sure but doom seems like it’s just over the horizon. I’m trying to find what is unique and or pleasant about this character, also what will his journey represent and what type of man will he become? Hopefully the writer has a distinctive idea, that will be appropriately timed and revealed , but for now, I’m not convinced.

However, a big opportunity presents itself with next issue being part of the Spider Island arc.

Venom #1

Posted by Michael Deery 12 March 2011

In life, there is a tendency to put certain labels on people. What we think of a person is, a lot of the time, decided within the first few minutes of meeting them. He’s a nerd, she’s easy, she’s smart, and he’s dumb. But human beings are much more complex than that, they are never only one thing; that is a lesson most people learn in life. In media however, it sometimes seems that people forget this and create characters as a means to an end. A big, dumb jock is needed, a character is created to fit that mould and remains in that mould forever more. This is particularly true of side characters, Eugene “Flash” Thompson has stood the test of time because he is the opposite of this. Flash is a war hero and an alcoholic. He went from being tormentor in chief for “Puny” Parker to being Peter’s best man. He has as many complexities and contradictions as any lead character. Now, after five decades as a side man, he finally gets his greatest wish; he’s Spider-Man.

Actually, he’s in the suit of one of Spidey’s greatest enemies, the symbiotic alien Venom.

After the suit is forcibly removed from it’s previous host Mac Gargan, the US Government decide to use it to create a new Black Ops super solider. The first choice lost control of the suit and had to be killed; Flash is drafted in as his replacement. The same fate awaits him if ever he loses control. Flash is unconcerned. This is his chance to be a hero; just like Spider-Man.

In Flash’s mind there are obvious parallels between himself and the web slinger, what he doesn’t know are the parallels between him and Peter Parker. It has long been a corner stone of the stories that Peter Parker must suffer so that Spider-Man can do his job. Flash too must suffer. He has recently re-entered a relationship with Betty Brant, who is already suspicious that he has taken to the bottle again. But the more striking parallel is how Rick Remender reminds us that as much as Peter is defined by Uncle Ben, Flash is defined by his father. Flash’s father was also an alcoholic who would beat him as a child. He was a cop, a good one, but with a demon inside him. Just like Flash carries Venom inside him.

The fact that Flash is an addict is given special attention to in this issue. He’s tempted to drink to escape his troubles. Flash has a limited amount of time in the suit, 48 hours at one time and a limited amount of missions. One has to ask how a man addicted to alcohol will react when the power of the Venom suit is taken away and he is left a cripple.

A promising start from Remender and Tony Moore, who have taken a great side character and made a star.

Spidey Classics: Spider-Man: The Lost Years

Posted by Michael Deery 03 December 2010

J.M. DeMatteis and John Romita's, "Spider-Man: The Lost Years," is a story about Ben Reilly and Kaine but at it's heart it is all about Peter Parker. Joe Quesada once said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that the reason that fans are so passionate about Peter Parker is that they see so much of themselves in him, that a perceived slight against his character is a slight against them. His clones give the writers opportunities to explore facets of his character that would not be possible otherwise.
"Spider-Man: The Lost Years," takes place in the rain drenched streets of Salt Lake City. Detective Jacob Raven is fighting a losing battle against the local mob led by Vincent Tannen. At this point, three years into his exile from New York, Ben Reilly rolls into town. His plan is to get a job at the university, make a few bucks and get out. That's his life at this point. Kaine is already there, spending his time in seedy bars, proving that at least one Parker can drink.
Throughout the mini-series DeMatteis draws parallels between Ben and Kaine, when we meet them they both appear resigned to their individual fates, Ben even convinces himself he has a better life than Peter. Their blissful ignorance is blown apart when they both fall in love with women who are also hiding their true identities. Ben meet Janine Godbe, a waitress with more than a passing resemblance for Mary Jane, Kaine falls for Louise Kennedy, Raven's partner. Of equal importance in this story is Jacob Raven whose story, like Ben and Kaine, is defined by the woman he loves and loses.
What's interesting about this mini series is the sense of dread you feel while reading it. This story is after all a prequel to the clone saga. Going in we knew whatever happiness Ben gained he would eventually lose. Worse still, we knew that not only would Louise die, she would die by Kaine's hand. He would kill the only person that gives him hope and ultimately he would kill her because he is Peter Parker. One of the more endearing traits of Peter's character is his unwavering, almost naive sense of hope. More than any other superhero, with the exception of Superman, his life has been about loss, his parents, Uncle Ben, Captain Stacey, Gwen, Harry, his child and eventually Ben and Kaine. But he doesn't end up brooding in a cave, afraid to live life. He endures because, despite his protests to the contrary, he is an eternal optimist. Kaine was as well, he meets Louise and Kaine thinks that life can be beautiful. Her betrayal as a member of Tanners gang breaks Kaine, he loses that optimism, he is no longer Peter Parker. It is not the cellular degeneration that turns Kaine into a monster, it is the death of hope.
This is where the parallels between Kaine and Ben end, as it is the reveal of Jannie's secret that pulls her and Ben closer together and gives the story a bitter sweet ending. They are together in the end but it clearly won't last. Ben also reveals his secret to Jannie, even about being a clone and Ben's old favorite about being less than a man. Remember what I just said about Peter being the eternal optimist? That's as much about him as it is the people around him. The supporting cast is that important. It wasn't dressing up and playing hero that made Ben give life another shot. It was Janine, all Janine.
I should take a moment to talk about the art in this book. Online and in a lot of reviews I see artists criticized because their art isn't the most attractive to look at, it's not beautiful enough. Comic book art is about story telling, the idea is that if you covered the word balloons you would still get the story. That is what happens here. John Romita is the master of story telling. But still attractive artwork is nice. Romita has that too. He is simply the best.
At the beginning I said that this was a story about Peter Parker, it's a story about what hope does for him. You take it away from him and he becomes a monster, just like he did during DeMatteis, "I am the Spider," run on Amazing. You give him back hope and you get a man like Ben Reilly, who on his first night back in New York would save Peter's life. He saved the life of the one man whose death with solve all his problems. He did that because he still had hope his life would work out.

Peter Parker/ Mary Jane relationship - Pre OMD pt 2

Posted by bps

So, its been more than a year since I've posted part 1. Obviously, back then I had no intention of making a part two. I know its pretty lame to keep rambling about how this comic used to be, nonetheless, here's a few extra panels just to remind fans of what is no longer, unfortunately.

This was not too long after the two got back together after being separated for a while. Peter had been putting off sleeping with MJ till he was relaxed and had cleared his mind of whatever he was going through.

This scene leads to the other scene, of which part of it can be found in Spider-Man reviews: Flashback.
Below is another scan from when Peter visits MJ on her 'big day' at the theater. The scan below are just his thoughts to himself.

Anyway, the reason why I'm posting this again is because I found a little facebook page created by Stuart Green from the Spider-Man crawlspace boards. And on the page there is a link, for people to petition/sign and bring back the Marriage. ( Not that this will ever get across to the writers in my opinion) But why not have a go! If you prefer ASM the way it used to be that is.

Check out this link

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/spideyandmj/

Amazing Spider-Man 647

Posted by bps 05 November 2010

So, this is the real end of Brand New Day. The next issue will be Big Time, something that I'm sure many fans are looking forward to. This issue is a really long issue with lots of sub stories in it. Here's my attempt to review it at one go.

Main Story
The opening scene is of a man who just got out of prison, getting a coffee at the same place that Rhino met Oksana. There we see a photo of Oksana in memory of her (She became the wife of the Rhino, who became good for a while, but died)

The next scene is of Peter and his moody friend Carlie. They were supposed to be picking costumes for a Halloween party. Carlie however is upset and does not want to go. She is upset at Peter for not making a move ( in short words). I am really not a big fan of Carlie, but lets carry on. Peter is then seen on the phone, explaining to Michelle how he will be late meeting Vin for his release from prison of some sort. Vin is Michelle's brother who was a dirty cop.

In the next scene, Peter walk out of the store alone, and witnesses a kidnap by Overdrive ( some goon who can change cars into awesome cars). Peter uses a Spider-Man Halloween costume, since his is in the wash, and goes after the crook and catches him ( in short).

Michelle is seen next, surprised to see Peter already with Vin, early for once. Vin talks about Carlie with Peter ( he used to have a thing for Carlie). Peter says that he doesn't think anything will result from his relationship with her though.

Vin is next seen at the police station, walking free, approaching Carlie, claiming he needs her to listen to him. That night, everyone arrives for the Halloween party, which is also the last time we will ever see Harry since he is going into hiding to protect his son.

Peter arrives at the party dressed as Jonah Jameson Jr. He then sees Felicia at the party with Vin, who looks stunning as ever ( at least for this art). This Felicia however turns out to be Carlie, dressed as the Black Cat. Apparently Vin convinced her to come to the party.

In probably one of the more interesting scenes, Vin approaches Harry saying that his father ( Norman) sends a message to take care of the kid. He then lifts his sleeve showing a tatoo of the green goblin. After seeing Carlie with Vin, Peter needs to go out to get some air. There he sees MJ, dressed as Jackpot, who to my disliking convinces Peter to get together with Carlie. With that, Peter walks in the house, finds Carlie and asks her to be his girlfriend. The first story ends with them kissing in the kitchen.

Story 2 - Honor thy Father

After the party, Vin walks out to be greeted by Harry. Harry, somehow electrocutes Vin, threatening him never to threaten his son again. He then punches Vin bloody, wipes his hands and walks off.

Story 3 - Stand off
This story was really a waste. We see Mayor Jameson making a new law stating that citizens are not to touch public property, and that such things, like repair, for instance are for those paid to do it. Later we see that a lamp post has fallen and is obstructing traffic. Spidey tries to move it but is stopped by the police. After much negotiating, Spidey says he will lift it, so that the traffic can flow until the crane comes. Then the crane can lift it.

He holds the lamp post till the crane is 5 mins away. He then puts it down as ordered by the police, only to have the mayors car crash right into it. Turtled in the car, Spidey refuses to help Jameson out until he revokes the new law he had just made. Jameson eventually agrees and things are set back to normal.

Story 4 - Norah last day
Peter notices Norah is having a bad day. He finds out that she is moving out of New York but does not want to tell why. That night, Spidey meets Norah, takes her around NYC, and then fishes out that Norah is leaving because her mother says she is not being a productive reporter in the city. Spidey advises her to stay and to help change the city as a reporter. The next day, Norah is back to normal, and is staying in NY.

Story 5 - American Hero
This story features Flash Thompson, former classmate of Peter, who looked up to Spider-Man. He went to the army and came back without legs. He recently wrote an article stating how he looked up to Spidey as an example to follow.

We see Flash by himself in an alley when he is attacked by muggers. He fights them off as much as he can till Spidey appears and helps him out. After the action the two chat. At the end of it all, we find that both parties look up to the other for inspiration.

Story 6 - You Again?
This is the story of Mia, the girl who kissed Peter at the very first issue of BND ( 101 issues ago) Apparently she was trying to get Harry's attention.

88 issues ago, she was standing outside the club waiting to catch a glimpse of Harry, hwom she is very much interested in.

79 issues ago, we see her at the FEAST looking for Peter, still hoping he can get her close to Harry.

56 issues ago we see her still looking for Peter at Jameson's Campaign headquarters, where Peter was supposed to be.

52 issues ago, Mia is talking to Venom, who at that time is posing as Spidey, asking questions about Peter. Venom later eats her dog.

47 issues ago, Mia hopes to get Peter's attention by catching Aunt May's wedding flowers. Unfortunately for her, MJ appears and steals the show.

44 issues ago, she finally meets Peter outside the coffee bean and exchanges numbers with him. We later find out that it was actually the Chameleon posing as Peter.

In this issue, she appears in the kitchen, witnessing Peter and Carlie kissing. Annoyed and depressed, she goes outside to the hall where she meets Harry. Harry talks to her and explains how he's leaving for good. Upon hearing this, she gets upset and storms out the house.

Thoughts
This was definitely a fantastic way to end Brand New Day. Fortunately I have some time on my hands to do a review of such a long issue. (Even if it is a few days late) The issue ends with some previews for coming stories, featuring Spider-girl, and an Osborn series. See the video for Big Time on the right side bar.

Amazing Spider-Man 618

Posted by bps 22 January 2010

Amazing Spider-Man 618, part of the Gauntlet story, which was supposed to feature bad guys of old returning more powerful than ever. The art is this comic is acceptable, not the best though. Some points to note before I carry on with the review.

Do not expect any relation to the previous stunning Amazing Spider-Man 617 featuring Rhino
Do not even expect Mysterio to appear in the comic, as he only appears once
Do not try to understand the first few pages as seen in the preview if you have not previously been following the Amazing Spider-Man since the early issues of Brand New Day.
Keep in mind that there are two gangs fighting - "Mr Negative" and gang vs "the Maggia gang"

A number of important things take place in this issue.
The Preview ends with Spider-Man poking his head into a fight between the Maggia gang and Mr Negative's gang. The preview also reveals that somewhere along the lines, Hammerhead, switched from being a Maggia to join Mr Negative's gang.

Mr Negative's gang of inner demons make an escape with Hammerhead as their leader. Spider-Man is left directionless and turns back into Peter Parker. Some interesting dialog takes place between Peter and Carlie Cooper, who is examining some clues to a crime scene. Obviously, Marvel is trying to hint that both Carlier and Peter have chemistry sparking between them.

Fortunately, Spidey's relationship with the Black Cat is not left forgotten. Too bad Carlie couldn't be drawn with better looks. Hint: We need Mary Jane

In between their conversation, Peter remembers he has to pick up Aunt May, who freaks out with Peter's driving skills, or lack of it, and asks to be dropped off at the F.E.A.S.T center, where she usually does her charitable feeding to the homeless.

For those who do not know, Mr Negative's alter ego is Martin Li. Martin Li is known to be a good man, and helps out at the F.E.A.S.T as well. Unfortunately, Aunt May walks in just as Hammerhead had brought him some bad news about Spider-Man disrupting in their matters earlier. Aunt May thus witnesses a bleeding henchman who has just been stabbed by an angry Mr Negative. To solve the problem, he turns Aunt May into a negative of some sort.

Elsewhere, we learn that all the heads of the Maggia gang who were killed in the past never actually died. In fact, they are all alive, including Maggia gang boss, Silvermane. It is later revealed that thanks for their 'deaths' go to Mysterio.

Peter, in the meantime, has been talking with Jameson senior. Jameson reveals that he has a secret identity as a famous author. At that moment, the 'negative' Aunt May appears in a terrible mood saying some pretty hurtful things to Peter.

The final scene ends with Carlie spying on a fight between the once Undead Maggia gang, and Mr. Negatives' gang. She also stumbles upon her 'dead' father, who was supposed to be a cop.

Personal Thoughts
This issue is full of the unexpected, including the lack of Mysterio. So, how much do we know about Carlie's father. For some reason, I am unable to recall ever seeing Mr. Cooper in the ASM comics. Does anyone know anything? Was it revealed in the past that he may have been involved with the gang?

As far as Aunt May turning Negative, I am personally convinced that it is no big deal. After all, Spider-Man has turned Negative before as well. (Dark Reign: Mr Negative 2)

Amazing Spider-Man 617

Posted by bps 14 January 2010

Amazing Spider-Man 617 was far above any expectations. Judging from the preview, the story did not seem all that fantastic. Similarly, the art, although not disgusting, was not impressive either. The finals stroke that caused the lack of expectation was the villain in hte issue - the Rhino.

As many can agree, the Rhino has never been the greatest threat, and like Electro, majority of his stories have not been too interesting. This story however is mind blasting, and is worth reading. The comic is split into two, related stories.

So, what is this story all about?

The Story

To save myself some time, I suggest you take a look at the preview for this issue before continuing to read. The preview ends with Peter Parker having a nightmare and being told by Michelle that she forgot to wake him early as was asked to.

Spider-Man is then seen swinging in the cold, over what used to be the DB, to the Frontline ( his current working place. ) His boss, Ben Urich, offers Peter a full time job at the Frontline with a higher pay, due to increased business resulting from the destruction of the DB. Norah overhears the conversation and book Peter as her photographer.

Elsewhere the a figure shaped like the Rhino is seen staring at images of Spider-man fighting the Rhino. Over the phone, a person asks if he is ready to ascend.

Peter and Norah end up at a casino where Norah manages to win some big bucks. The relationship between Peter and Norah goes on as she constantly flirts with him as she has been doing in the past issues.

While at the casino, the two bump into the Rhino, without his suit. Peter learns that the Rhino, aka, Sytsevich, ( his real name) now works a decent job at the casino as a bouncer. As Peter ponders on how he can change to Spider-Man and keep Norah safe, another cool suited Rhino breaks into the building demanding a fight with Sytsevich.

At the right moment, Peter finds some space to get changed and interferes in the discussion between the two Rhinos. Annoyed that Sytsevich will not fight, he throws a live horse at him. The Rhino is then seen with blood and bits of horse all over his only good work suit. The new Rhino then walks off giving the old Rhino time to prepare and suit up.

After filing a police report, Sytsevich is next seen at nite preparing to suit up. Spider-Man, however is able to convince him not to. The story ends with the new Rhino furious that there was no fight between him and the original. It is later revealed that the person on the other side of the phone in this new Rhino's hideout is none other than the Kraven Family.

The Second Story

This story fills in the gap for readers wondering how the Rhino became good and found a wife. It is a simple, yet touching story. The Rhino essentially surrenders himself. His skin is then surgically removed by S.H.I.E.L.D. After pleading guilty to all crimes, he is sentenced to 25 years in prison. Due to extreme coorperation throughout his term, including not escaping when given the opportunity, he is released early, not even serving a fraction of his sentence.

His first stop outside of prison is a small restaurant where he meets a friendly waitress. The waitress explains how many convicts come to that restaurant and majority of them fall in love with her as she is the first women they have seen in years. Not wanting to hear anything about love, the Rhino leaves the restaurant.

He then tries to find an honest job, but fails miserably due to his criminal record. As he is about to resort to returning to crime, he sees the waitress who first served him at the restaurant. After s short conversation with the girl, he changes his mind about returning to crime and buys the girl some dinner.

Personal Thoughts
Overall, an awesome story line that was completely uncalled for. The issue could be a whole lot better with better art. In fact, I believe that it is possible to like Norah as a character, if it wasn't for the lame art in almost every issue she appears in.

Peter Parker's personal life once again becomes even more messed. Aleksei Sytsevich aka the real Rhino, has made tremendous steps to change since Brand New Day. Essentially, this is a great issue to the new year.

Story: 9/10
Art: 4/10

Spider-Man 2010

Posted by bps 02 January 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to 2010. The pieces of the Spider-man puzzle have finally been put together, resulting in the image below. Looks like really interesting stories to be written, or rather published soon.

Anyhow, we see Spider-man in his Iron Spidey costume and Back in Black costume, standing beside Madam Web and the other Spider-woman ( Anya Corazen ). We last saw Anya and Madam Web, held captive by the Kraven family in Amazing Spider-man 611.Things get even more interesting with the image of a little baby, Peter Parker kissing a red head with glasses, the Lizard, someone who looks like Ana Kraven beating up a Spidey costume, and I can't exactly make out the last image.

All of these are just background images for the main story of 2010 I suppose, aka Peter Parker reaching for Mary Jane.

Personal Thoughts

Lots of Speculation on message boards suggests that the red head with glasses that Peter is kissing is most probably Carlie Cooper. That is acceptable, although I am no fan of Carlie. However, if the opportunity to erase OMD does occur, and Peter Parker, out o the goodness of his heart, refuses because of his relationship with Carlie, I will kill myself. Not really, but still.

Amazing Spider-Man # 616

Posted by bps 25 December 2009

The Spider-Man vs Sandman story comes to an end here as we learn some very interesting facts about Sandman in this issue. Unlike how I predicted in Amazing Spider-Man 615, Mysterio plays absolutely no part in this issue. Overall, I must say that this story is the best story in the Gauntlet series that has taken place so far.

The story

In the preview we see that Spider-Man is caught and imprisoned inside Sandman, who has taken the form of a giant sand castle. The preview ends with Spider-Man trying to convince Keemia to let her go, promising her that he will not take her away from her 'Kingdom.'

One of the aspects that makes this issue enjoyable is that it paints a slightly different picture in that Spider-Man is seen as a bad guy, at least in the eyes of the innocent little girl. As the story goes on, Spider-Man is obviously compelled to break his promise to the little girl.

We learn in this issue that Sandman, while still asleep, unconsciously does anything that Keemia tells him to. While Sandman pursues his daughter, we find out a number of interesting facts. For one thing, Keemia is not is biological daughter at all. Instead she was just a girl who happened to call her daddy one day. To a criminal like himself he found that very touching. He now wants nothing more but to be with her and make her happy.

The story of Sandman is always a sad one. The other thing we learn is that, although Sandman is able to split himself into many, he is unable to control each one of them. It is later revealed that one of his personalities murdered Keemia's mother. The Sandmen battle one another as Spider-Man conveniently escapes. Spider-Man also finds out how Sandman, although vunerable to water, is able to cross from the island to the mainland.

At the end of the issue, Keemia never gets to see her grandmother as Spider-Man promised. She is instead sent to a foster home and bullied by others. Peter is later seen with Carlie in a slightly romantic scene, half regretting ever taking Keemia away from Sandman.

Overall a very good issue in my opinion. Hope to see more stories like this in the future.

Read the about the next issue: Amazing Spider-Man 617

Relating issues:

Amazing Spider-Man 615

Spider-man: Clone Saga 4 of 6

Posted by bps 19 December 2009

Different people have different perspectives towards the new version of the Clone Saga. In my opinion, this is one of the best stories ever told, and told again. The issue, like the previous Clone Saga issues highlights Ben Reilly, Kaine and Peter Parker - all of whom share the memories of Peter, and at this point are unsure of who is the original.

Once again Kaine to some extent manages to pull off some jokes in his conversation, showing his similarities to Peter, although they both have may differences.

The story
It opens with Ben Reilly, as in the previews, now donning the Spider-Man costume, and fighting Doctor Octopus. he fails to stop his enemy but manages to save the civilians. In the meantime, much to my disliking, he continuously compares himself to Peter, thinking about what Peter would have done in his place.

The story shifts to Peter Parker, now enjoying his retirement with Mary Jane. He is shown to be frustrated, trying to land a job at a university in order to support his wife and coming baby. It is however, in some ways apparent that he misses being Spider-Man.

Ben Reilly's personal life is magnified slightly in this issue. He is seen coming late to work - one of the 'benefits' of being Spider-Man, and being set up with a date. Ben later meets with his blind date - Beth, who for some reason reminds him of his former love, Elizabeth Tyne. I must add that the depiction of Elizabeth Tyne looks exactly like Mary Jane. (See right)

Kaine and Doctor Ock are also seen working together. Apparently Dr. Ock has been offered immortality in exchange for stabilizing the Jackal's cloning formula. Needless to say, the two eventually come to a disagreement at which Kaine takes the opportunity to kill Dr. Octopus. ( Note that at this point Dr. Ock has already stabilized the formula. )

The drawing of Dr Octavius here is very similar to in the Spider-man Movie. Possibly because of the longer face that Octaviuus does not usually have.

Before Kaine kills his former partner, Ben Reilly comes in to stop him. While fighting, Ben sprays some webbing into Octavius' face, restricting his breathing. Once again, Kaine leaves the scene as Ben tries to save his breathless enemy. The comic ends with Kaine informing his employer that the formula is stable.

We then see the shadowy figure from Clone Saga 3, opening the yellow container with Norman Osborn inside.

Personal Thoughts

Obviously, this is where the new Clone Saga will deviate from the original. As predicted in my last review, Norman Osborn was indeed the clone inside the yellow container. However, what are the chances that it is actually Norman in the shadows, creating another clone of himself?

Just a thought, highly unlikely. As mentioned earlier, Kaine still maintains some form of subtle humor
as a result of being a clone of Peter.

Overall a good comic, worth reading in my opinion.

Other related issues:

Amazing Spider-Man 615

Posted by bps

Once again this review is up a few days late. Amazing Spider-Man 615 is certainly the best Spider-Man story ever since Amazing Spider-man 611. Just like in the Spider-Man 3 movie, and the current daily newspaper strip Spider-Man comics, issue 615 features Sandman aka Flink Marko.

Due him being featured in both the movie and the current newspaper comics, anyone who knows anything about Spider-man would certainly know Sandman. As depicted in the movie and newspaper strips, Sandman is not really a true brutal killer. This is also true in the Amazing Spider-man comics.

The story

As can be seen in the preview, the comic features a special little girl named Keemia. In the preview, Peter is also seen, being asked to take photos at a crime lab where Carlie Cooper is being blamed for lab irregularities. Carlie, for those who do not know was, at one point a potential love interest for Peter Parker, after One More Day.

Carlie explains to Peter how there were three murder weapons that were sealed in secured lockers were missing. To top it off, the security cameras showed no one entering or leaving the room. Peter inspects the locker and finds some grains of sand in there.

Spider-man decides to do some undercover work himself and finds out some background on Alma Alvarado, the first murder victim. Strangely enough this lady has apparently been keeping pictures of all Spider-man's enemies as seen below.

He later learns that this lady's daughter has been missing since her death. Her daughter, Keemia, was building a snowman, along with some friends, when the snowman came to life and told her she was a princess and that she was to be taken to her kingdom.

Spider-Man learned that this Alma character had a thing for jailbirds - explaining all the pictures pinned up on her mirror. The story goes on as Spider-man draws some connections between the three murders, with some help from Betty Brant. He concludes that Sandman was behind all the murders and for some reason decided to kidnap Keemia.

Sandman is eventually tracked down and the two battle. Spider-Man, again using his fantastic brain, sprays some acidic webbing on Sandman causing him to dissolve. Unfortunately, the Sandman reveals that he himself has some new tricks up his sleeve as well.

Personal Thoughts

During the fight, Sandman repeatedly mentioned that he knew nothing about any murders. My guess is that this Alma, had some affairs with a number of her 'jailed penpals.' Obviously, Sandman was not the one who killed her, or the other two connected victims. Chances are pretty high that we have two villains in this picture, one of whom is not yet known to the readers.

Sandman probably thinks Keemia is his daughter, and decided to take her someplace away to be with her. Unknown to him, two other murder victims, related to Alma has taken place. This theory however does not support the fact that some grains of sand was found in the locker.

As such, here is my explanation. Could it be possible that the next hidden character, still unknown to us readers is none other than Mysterio. Mysterio would also be capable of getting past security cameras and stealing the murder weapons. It is more that likely that he intentionally left some grains of sand there as well.

Furthermore, the Web of Spider-Man 4 issue will feature Mysterio. Anyhow, I absolutely loved this issue. It leaves many possibilities and unanswered questions. I rate it 6/10.

Read about Amazing Spider-Man 616

Ms Marvel 47

Posted by bps 26 November 2009

The Amazing Spider-date. That was the title for this issue. Peter Parker's P.O.V, which has been missing in recent Amazing Spider-man comics has somehow been transferred here to the Ms. Marvel issue. See Below:

The story
It starts with Spider-man teaming up with Ms Marvel ( Carol Danvers ) to stop a simple robber, who just robbed a bank alone, by himself. He almost manages to escape thanks to his high tech gear. Unfortunately for him, Ms Marvel can fly.

The meaningless intro ends with Ms Marvel telling Spidey to change into his civilian clothes as they're about to go on that date she owes him. Carol, fully prepared that Peter would not have any money to take her out, decides to take him out instead to a fancy dining restaurant.

The two talk briefly about their arch enemies, and Carol mentions Mystique. Ironic since we know that Mystique will be featured in the final Ms Marvel issue. Sad.

After that, there is struggle for any conversation until Peter's Spider-sense starts tingling. Two hired guns, who were spying on Carol came breaking in trying to capture Ms Marvel. They each take one on easily, Peter still having his expensive food in his hand.

After turning in the baddies, the two fly off - well Spidey gets carried, and look for something else to eat. They get a hot dog and sit on the roof, over looking the city talking. In a moment of truth, Carol mentions that she very much prefers junk food, but didn't want Peter to think she had bad taste in food. See Below:

Personal Thoughts

The story in this issue is nothing out of the ordinary. As expected, the issue simply highlights the relationship between Ms Marvel and Spidey. The art changes several times in the comic. Thankfully, the art here is pretty good in my opinion. Nothing like the vertigo art, or even the little manga type art in ASM 611. Notice the panels I selected to show in this review all have different artists. Overall a very simple issue, simple story, yet likable.

As far as what can be developed from the Spidey/Ms Marvel relationship - probably nothing in my opinion. Nonetheless, the two will share this moment together for a long time. My guess is that if anything should happen to Ms Marvel in the coming issues, Peter will probably remember her advice over dinner, and look into investing what money has to overcome his financial issues.

Amazing Spider-man 613

Posted by bps

From the preview, we know that Amazing Spider-man 613, continues exactly where ASM 612 left off, with the exact same art style. The last scene in the preview shows Spider-man has escaped the angry mob and changed back into simple old Peter Parker.

We also see that poor Electro is seriously suffering from his own powers and is seeking a cure from the Thinker.

The story

Electro, in desperate need for money in order to pay for treatment to cure himself, is blackmailing Dexter Bennet, owner of the DB - 'give me money or you die.'

Electro succeeds in getting the required amount of money from Dexter and heads to the Thinker's base for treatment. That night, Peter Parker returned to his apartment staying up all night inventing an 'Electro tracer.'

I must mention that the story here is nothing all that impressive. As such it is not surprising that Spider-man tracks Electro down, just as he is being upgraded into Electro 2.0. As if Spider-man's timing is ever better, he comes in just at the right moment to disrupt the machine, making Electro an extremely powerful source of electricity. The Thinker and his associate manage to escape without being noticed.

The story ends with Electro posting another video on YouTube. Encouraging the public to turn on every light in the city to give him enough power to bring down Dexter Bennet and the DB. It is at this point that readers, I suppose, will stop feeling sorry for poor old Electro and will begin reading more about the Electro they have grown up reading about.

Personal Thoughts

In the past 11 issues or so, there have been meaningless glimpses of Aunt May and Jonah Jameson Sr. appearing every now and then. This is one of those issues in which they appear for a short period, adding no value to the story line. They appear, hoping to surprise Peter, only to be greeted by a barbaric looking Michelle, who is not impressed to see Peter's aunt.

Regarding Dexter Bennet, I understand that Dexter Bennet was in no position to negotiate terms when Electro broke into his house to 'rob' the poor man. Nonetheless, Dexter must have been rather silly to think that Electro was going to stick to his word and not come after him again. Especially after he powers up and becomes invincible.

Wouldn't it be simple however for Dexter to inform some authorities and have the power supply shut down for the night. Spider-man can then think through how he is going to take down this new Electro.

The issue is short, and there really is not anything fantastic about it. So far this 'Gauntlet' is going no where further than how the Amazing Spider-man cartoons in the 60's went. Moral of the story, start following New Avengers for better Spider-man stories.

Overall rating for the story: see below

But better than Amazing Spider-Man 611 or Amazing Spider-Man 612.

Venom...the Movie? (part 3)

Venom # 5

Venom #1

Spidey Classics: Spider-Man: The Lost Years

Peter Parker/ Mary Jane relationship - Pre OMD pt 2

Amazing Spider-Man 647

Amazing Spider-Man 618

Amazing Spider-Man 617

Spider-Man 2010

Amazing Spider-Man # 616

Spider-man: Clone Saga 4 of 6

Amazing Spider-Man 615

Ms Marvel 47

Amazing Spider-man 613

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