Wow! It's been a long time since I've even thought about finishing this series. Don't get me wrong, I loved the series and highly recommend it. However I just haven't had the time to actually finish reviewing it up here.

Carnage USA # 4
We last left off at what can be considered the best cliffhanger possible for a Carnage issue - Agent Venom, preparing to take out Carnage.

This issue starts with Spider-Man giving a speech to the fellow villagers about how they're gonna take Carnage out. Little do they know that a battle is already taking place downtown.

Cletus watches from afar as he grows tired of seeing his little symbiotes being whacked by the Mercury team. He then, brings in the big guns, aka the Avengers whom he has under his control. The poor Mercury team barely stand a chance and resort to calling backup from Dr Nieves aka Scorn. Unfortunately for them, Scorn doesn't answer to their request for backup but is instead seen building something of her own.

Spider-Man and his gang of farmers ( honestly, that's what they look like ) come to the rescue just in time. Spider-Man takes the fight straight to Cletus himself. He struggles a fair bit until Agent Venom comes in to save the day!

Venom fires Carnage with a number of Sonic Shrapnel shots. Carnage eventually loses control of all the people he was controlling, including the Avengers. Venom pretty much owns Carnage and is about to kill him until Spider-Man stops him. This dumb move by Spider-Man gives Carnage enough time to focus his attention again. He controls the Thing and gets him to knock Venom out.

Fortunately, Scorn then appears just in time to pick up both Venom and Carnage and drop them into a machine she built, designed to separate the symbiote from the host.

The issue ends with Cletus, standing over Flash's legless body with a knife, preparing to kill him.

Carnage USA # 5


Spider-Man and the rest of the Avengers, who are now free from the symbiote control, stand on a hill, staring at the meat factory, where Scorn took Venom and Carnage.


Spider-Man worries however, that with the Symbiotes no longer attached, they are now wild, running loose, possibly looking for someone else to latch on to.

Meanwhile, Cletus is about to kill Flash, who is legless. Cletus boasts how his legs aren't made out of symbiote like Flash's. Strangely enough though, just as Cletus speaks those words, synthetic legs crumble. it all soon becomes an arena of death for the two legless lads.

Coming back to Spider-Man and the others, they soon witness a Gorilla covered with the Venom symbiote being chased by a ton of other animals covered in the Carnage symbiote. The Avengers, Mercury team, and farmers all try to stop the symbiotes. Spider-Man notices however that the gorilla only wants to go to the meat factory where Flash is. Spidey helps Venom to achieve his goals by clearing the way.

In the meantime, the order to bomb the town has already been given. A whole lot of firepower comes down on the Carnage symbiote, destroying the town with it.

Coming back to Venom, the Gorilla makes it to the factory in time, just as Cletus is about to kill Flash. Things turn around quickly as soon as Flash connects with his suit.

By the end of this issue:

1. Cletus is taken captive
2. the Carnage symbiote is secured by Scorn who has a 'secondary objective' for it. 
3. The town is burnt
4. Wolverine, the Sheriff and I are left wondering why they didn't just kill Cletus. 

Here we go, with part for of the Ends of the Earth. We finally get to see Dr Ock's true side here in this issue.

The Story
This issue begins with Spider-Man, Black Widow, and Silver Sable fighting Rhino. They've been looking for Dr. Ock's main base for three days now. Anyhow, Rhino gets taken out about three pages into the issue, so you can be sure he was absolutely no threat.

In a somewhat unexpected turn of events, we see that the world, including SHIELD, has turned against Spider-Man, Widow and Sable. SHIELD comes to take the good guys in, but don't stand a chance as the three disappear in some smoke and jump into their invisible ship.

On the ship, we see Spider-Man and Sable torturing Sandman, or what is left of him. Sandman eventually gives in and tells them whatever they need to know. It's implied to us readers however that Spider-Man was not going to continue torturing Sandman if he never gave in.

Spidey makes a call to Horizon, who then questions Spider-Man as they have confirmed that Dr. Ock's technology can save the world from Global Warming.

Back at the Sinister Six base, Chameleon speaks his thoughts. He wants to abort the mission since he has two billion bucks and a clean slate to start over. He also adds that there are only four of the Sinister Six left and that things could get risky.

Back at The Swan aka the Sable's invisible ship, Widow tells Spidey that she has intel of Dr Ock recruiting more forces/ villains to take them out. In response, Spider-Man calls for the help of every Second Class super-powered good guy out there to help.

Soon after, Sable and Spidey share an 'almost moment' of which Spidey lets slip by. It is implied that his mind is on MJ and a promise he made her. ( I think I may have missed it. )

We also get to see a little bit of Mary Jane in the issue soon after as she walks along the roads of Manhattan believing Peter will come through, no matter what the rest of the world thinks.

Nothing else that important happens in this issue. Essentially, with the help of the other good guys, Spider-Man's job is reduced substantially. Spidey eventually finds Ock's main base ( in Symkaria ), only to find it empty. Dr Ock eventually comes on screen and tells Spider-Man that the base is empty because he has launched all the satellites required to finish his plan.

Dr Octopus then turns up the heat and the whole of Symkaria is burnt, along with that half of the world facing the sun.

Thoughts
It is pretty clear from this issue that Dr Octopus was a double crossing no good, not only to the world, but to the rest of the Sinister Six as well. When Sandman was being tortured, it appeared as though he truly thought they were the good guys this time, trying to save the world.

Furthermore, Chameleon and Mysterio for that matter got what they came for, and were more than happy to leave and abort the rest of the mission. Rhino and Sandman were promised things worth more than money. You can be sure that destroying the world however, was not part of their agreement.

 As for the Sable/ Spider-Man moment, I noticed there were a number of fans on the comic forums who were hoping there would be some kind of development between the two characters. I admit that it would have been pretty interesting to see some romantic interest evolve from their friendship, however, being a MJ fan, I think this book doesn't need anymore delay as far as the Peter Parker/ Mary Jane relationship is concerned. I'm pretty much waiting for issue 700 to find out what happens in the end.

Spider-Man and Daredevil form an uneasy alliance with the Punisher and his new partner to destroy the Omega Drive, but can can you really trust the Punisher?

The Story - Avenging Spider-Man #6

Reed Richards calls up Spider-Man and fills him in on Daredevil's possession of the Omega Drive, a device that contains valuable, incriminating information on criminal organizations such as A.I.M., Hydra, Black Spectre, Agence Byzantine and the Secret Empire, among others.  The Drive is made from the remnants of an old Fantastic Four uniform, meaning that it's made up of unstable molecules and thus difficult to both access and destroy.  All the criminal organizations know that Daredevil has the Drive, so Reed asks Spider-Man to ask Daredevil to bring the Drive to him for his own safety.

When Spider-Man arrives at Matt Murdock's apartment, he finds Hand ninjas already scoping the place out, and attacks them.  Inside, Matt is having a meeting with the Punisher, who asks him to give him the Drive.  When Matt refuses, the Punisher's partner, Rachel Cole-Alves, sets off some minor explosives to throw off Matt's senses.  Before the Punisher can take the Drive, Spider-Man comes crashing through the window, still fighting ninjas.  Matt uses this opportunity to change into Daredevil, and the four of them decide to form a temporary truce to deal with the Hand.  Spidey and Daredevil make sure that the Punisher and Cole adhere to Spidey's "no one dies" rule.

After dealing with the Hand, Daredevil explains the Omega Drive situation to Spidey, Cole and the Punisher.  Spider-Man then comes up with a plan to lure all the criminal organizations out into the open so that Daredevil can then destroy the Drive right in front of them, taking the heat off him once and for all.  The Punisher reluctantly agrees to the plan.

The Punisher #10

After Spider-Man builds a device that can destroy the Omega Drive, he and Daredevil meet up with the Punisher and Cole.  While Spidey tries to bug the Punisher as he comes up with a plan of attack, Daredevil attempts to get Cole to turn away from her current path.  Afterwards, the Punisher explains his plan: split up into teams of two and hit every major crime organization, passing on the message to meet at Grand Central Station at 3:00 a.m., where Daredevil can then destroy the Drive in front of them.  Not wanting to leave Daredevil alone with the Punisher, Spidey teams with the Punisher while Cole goes with Daredevil.

The two teams set out and attack all the major crime organizations.  While attacking the Exchange, Daredevil is able to convince Cole not to kill one of their agents.  Daredevil thinks he's getting through to her, but Cole is unable to take her eyes off the Drive around Daredevil's neck.

Daredevil and Cole reunite with Spidey and the Punisher at Grand Central Station just as all the major crime organizations arrive.  As Daredevil is about to destroy the Drive, Cole hits him from behind and takes it for herself.

Daredevil #11

Spider-Man rescues Daredevil from the mob of criminals Cole knocked him into and informs him that the device they were going to use to destroy the Drive didn't survive the fall.  The Punisher agrees to stay behind while Spidey and Daredevil look for his now former partner.  The two of them quickly split up.
 

Daredevil is eventually able to trick Cole into revealing herself, confronting her in an abandoned building.  Just as Daredevil convinces Cole to give him the Drive, she is shot in the chest, as the criminal organizations crash through the building with Spider-Man and the Punisher not far behind.  After taking everyone down, Daredevil notices that Cole's body has disappeared.  Punisher informs him that she was wearing a bullet proof vest.  As the three of them part ways, Daredevil comes up with a new plan to deal with the Omega Drive.

Thoughts

I was a little disappointed by The Omega Effect.  Don't get me wrong, it was a well written and beautifully illustrated story, but for a crossover it felt pretty inconsequential.  By the end, we're right back where we started; a Daredevil reader can easily skip the crossover and not have to worry about being unable to follow what happens next.  The most significant thing to happen was the possible redemption of the Punisher's new partner, Cole.  It was nice to see Matt get through to her, but as someone who doesn't read The Punisher (not because it's a bad book, I'm just not a Punisher fan) Cole's story isn't really something I'm invested in.

Mark Waid and Greg Rucka handled the interactions between Spidey, Daredevil and the Punisher perfectly, but the best part of this story was Mark Checchetto's artwork.  Ever since Grim Hunt I've been eager to see him draw Spider-Man again, and he doesn't disappoint here.  The Omega Effect was a great read, but the ending could have used a bit more weight.
  

Marvel's new all ages line is here!

The Story

Spider-Man comes across the Shocker while on his way to get a cake for Uncle Ben's birthday.  As Spider-Man fights the villain, he explains his origin story to the reader.  Spidey defeats Shocker but arrives at the bakery just as it closes.  Fortunately, the baker was so impressed with Spider-Man's display against Shocker that she lets him have a cake for free!

Peter Parker is called from class by Principal/Agent Coulson for a special assignment.  When Peter expresses concern that everyone will notice he's gone, Coulson unveils a Peter Parker mandroid, programmed with Peter's personality and memories.  The mandroid will pose as him in school while he's out as Spider-Man.  Coulson then briefs Spidey on his mission, which is to follow Nick Fury around New York and make sure he's not assassinated by Hyrda. 

As Spidey shadows Fury, he worries about what his robotic counterpart is doing back at at school.  Lost in thought, Spider-Man notices too late that Fury is being attacked by Madame Hydra and her goons, who succeed in shooting Fury through the chest.  Luckily, the Fury who was shot was just an android, with the real Fury using it as a way to test Spider-Man.  Madame Hydra is able to use the android to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D. and program all the remaining androids to self destruct.  Spider-Man barely makes back it in time to remove the Peter Parker android before it blows up Mary Jane and Harry Osborn.

On the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Spider-Man tells Fury to stop making Peter Parker androids, annoyed that the android got to spend the day having the normal life he could never have.

Thoughts

This comic is the first exposure I've had to the universe to the new Ultimate Spider-Man television series, as the show has yet to premiere in Canada (much to my chagrin).  The purest in me finds the liberties they've taken with Spider-Man's world to be somewhat off putting.  One of the central appeals of the Spider-Man character is that when he's not off being a superhero, he's a regular guy with regular problems.  Having a secret agent principal, a robot double, or (in an upcoming episode) a supervillain gym teacher intertwines Peter and Spider-Man's world too much, and detracts from what makes the character special.  Then I remember that this show isn't for me, it's for the kiddies, and it's really no different from what Paul Tobin did in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man where he gave Spidey a mutant girfriend who can talk to animals.  If something like Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends was a generation's first exposure to Spider-Man, then I'm sure this show will do just fine.  We older fans can enjoy the show for what it is or retreat to the classic comics and our Spectacular Spider-Man DVD's.

So how was the issue itself?  Not bad.  The first story does a decent job of introducing who Spider-Man is to the uninitiated.  It also attempts to emulate the style of the T.V. series, with a number of cutaway gags and pop culture references sprinkled into the fight with Shocker.  Most of it works; I like the bit at the beginning where we see Peter's origin from the radioactive spider's point-of-view.  I was a little miffed that the Man of Action glossed over the most important part of Spidey's origin: how he feels responsible for Uncle Ben's death.  Perhaps they're planning on revealing that aspect of his origin in a future episode (similar to what Greg Weisman did in The Spectacular Spider-Man), or maybe they were worried it would disrupt the upbeat tone of the story.  Either way, it's a glaring omission.


The second story was... weird, though it's probably a good indicator of the kinds of stories the comic and show are going to be telling.  Peter's anxieties over what the android might be doing while he's out as Spider-Man rang true and were pretty funny.  You would think Mary Jane and Harry would have expressed more concern for Peter's sudden disappearance after Spider-Man rescued them from the exploding android.

Marvel Universe: Ultimate Spider-Man is a good choice for a young fan looking to discover more of Spider-Man's adventures.  Everyone else should stick with Amazing.

The final issue!

The Story

With Detective Hall and a group of police officers with a search warrant knocking on his door, Count Nefaria decides to make a run for it, and flies towards the police station.  When he arrives he scolds the corrupt Captain Quaid for failing to keep his officers in line and promptly vaporizes him.  Before Nefaria can do the same to Snapdragon, he is attacked by Moon Knight.  Moon Knight fights valiantly but is no match for Nefaria's raw power.  Nefaria drags Moon Knight outside only to be confronted by the Avengers, and is easily defeated.

Afterwards, Marc Spector and Buck Lime give Tony Stark the Ultron head.  Tony explains to them what Ultron is, and that it's planning something big, and Nefaria most likely wanted to use the head to find a way out.  After Tony leaves, Iron Man becomes Moon Knight's new third personality alongside Echo and Wolverine.

Three months later, with his show cancelled, Marc Spector packs up and leaves Hollywood.

Thoughts

Brian Michael Bendis ends Moon Knight the same way he has ended many of his stories, with a group of heroes coming in to gang up on the lone supervillain.  I'm a little disappointed; I would have liked to have seen Moon Knight and Buck take down Nefaria on their own at some great cost, or even fail despite their best efforts.  As it is, this ending felt way too conventional for a series which up until this point has been anything but.

Despite my disappointment with the ending, I immensely enjoyed this twelve issue journey Bendis and Alex Maleev took us on.  If you missed this series in singles, I would highly recommend getting the inevitable oversized hardcover that will likely follow.  It's too bad this marks the end of Moon Knight's journey for the time being.  I would love to see Dan Slott's (who apparently loves Moon Knight) take on the character.  Sadly, if Bendis and Maleev can't get a Moon Knight series to sell half decently, then I doubt Marvel is willing to take any more chances with the character in this current economic climate.  At least we'll see him again in The Ultron War.   

A routine prison transfer turns into anything but when the Hobgoblin shows up!

The Story - Clemency

Venom is overseeing the prison transfer of obscure Spidey villain the Human Fly to the Raft aboard a sky train.  From his cell, the Fly tells Venom that he owes the Kingpin money and if he doesn't pay the Kingpin's going to kill his son.  He asks Venom to let him out so he can protect him, promising to turn himself in afterwards.  Sensing that Venom's hesitance, the Fly asks Venom to at least deliver a letter he wrote to his son before he is killed.  Just then, Agent Darymple takes Venom aside and tells him that the Kingpin has put a hit out on the Fly, and that one of his two guards is planning on collecting the bounty.  Venom attempts to trick the two guards into entering the second cell but before he can Darymple reveals himself to be the Hobgoblin in disguise! 

After killing the two guards, Hobgoblin offers Venom a deal: ten million dollars to help the Kingpin kill the Fly, Crime-Master and Jack-'O'-Lantern.  Venom pretends to agree to the deal and let's the Fly out of his cell, who then hits Hobgoblin with his acid spit, starting a three way battle.  During the fight, Hobgoblin is able to knock Venom off the train, leaving just him and the Fly.  Venom quickly returns on a motorcycle, using it to hit Hobgoblin off the train.  Venom attempts to recapture the Fly but is forced to let him escape to save one of the guards.  Before leaving, the Fly tells Venom to read the letter to his son, telling him he'll find it illuminating.  The letter simply states: "I don't have a son!"

Thoughts

Rick Remender delivers yet another superb done-in-one issue!  It was a lot of fun watching Venom take on the new Hobgoblin, made even better by Kev Walker's stunning artwork.  Remender also makes the Human Fly into a credible threat, as he is able to hold his own against the Hobgoblin.  And although you see the ending coming from a mile away, it still packs a punch.     

Venom enters the Core!

Secret Avengers #24 - Core Beliefs

Captain Britain is teleported into the Core and immediately attacked by Lady Deathstrike.  He is able to throw her aside, but is then attacked by Ultravision robots until the Human Torch arrives.  The Ultravisions stop and bow down to the Torch, worshipping him as "Grandfather."

Meanwhile, Father sits in a meeting with the representatives of the various Descendant species: the Doombots, Life Model Decoys, Sentinaughts, Adaptoids, Ultravisons, Machine People and the Reavers.  Father tells them that the Avengers must be killed inside the Core before they learn of what they're planning and call for backup.


A pair of Adaptoids chase Yalda's son throughout the streets.  Just when they think they have the boy cornered, the Adaptoids run into Valkyrie and the Black Widow.  The two of them take the boy and make a run for it.  Elsewhere in the Core, Hawkeye and Beast are captured by Cyborg Wasp and Miss America.  On the Lighthouse, Flash Thompson sits bored in his wheelchair when alarms go off informing him that the team's location has been blocked.  Instead of calling Captain America, Flash decides to take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye and Beast sit in captivity in the Parish Tower, with Beast critically injured and bleeding out.  Hawkeye tries to get through to Cyborg Wasp but has no luck.  Things begin to look bleak until Ant-Man appears, apparently not dead after all!

Secret Avengers #25 - Grandfather Clause

The Human Torch ambushes Cyborg Miss America and questions her on what Father has planned.  Miss America tells the Torch about the history of Father and the Descendants, revealing Father to be a scientist who was tasked to create more androids like the Human Torch during the Cold War along with two other scientists called Mother and Brother.  When the scientists failed to imbue their androids with true life in the same way the Human Torch had, they turned to magic.  Using something called the Orb of Necromancy, they successfully created twenty androids who were able to live and breathe.  These androids were the first Descendants, called High Breeds.  Father wanted to create more, but Brother did not want to create a new species for humanity to compete with.  Brother disappeared and took the Orb with him, while Mother released the High Breeds into society where they successfully integrated, unaware of what they were.  Their powers only manifest themselves when they are in mortal danger.  Father continued to create new Descendants, but they were not the same without the Orb.  After the Torch flies off to confront Father, Miss America informs Father that the Torch is on his way.

Valkyrie and Black Widow are able to find the location of the teleport circle that can take them back home, but are then attacked by Adaptoids.  Black Widow attempts to get Yalda's son to safety, but is attacked, while three more Adaptoids gang up on Valkyrie.  Valkyrie manages to successfully lure one of the Adaptoids into the teleportation circle, transporting it into Pakistan where it is immediately attacked by Venom.  As Venom fights the Adaptoid, the two of them step on the teleportation circle, and are transported into the Core.  Venom is able to give Valkyrie a hand and the two of them defeat the Adaptoids.


The Human Torch and Captain Britain are en route to confront Father when they are attacked by a Master Mold Sentry.  As Ant-Man helps Hawkeye carry Beast out of Parish Tower, they spot Captain Britain and the Torch fighting Master Mold.  The Torch is able to fly through Master Mold's head and order it to self destruct.  Meanwhile, Black Widow is saved by Yalda's son, who is able to tap into his powers and destroy the Adaptoid.

All the Avengers rendezvous with Venom and Valkyrie and leave before Master Mold self destructs.  Before they are able to teleport out, the Human Torch is shot through the chest by an Adaptoid while saving Yalda's son.  After they leave, Yalda, now under Father's control, is able to absorb the blast, saving the Core.

Back at the Lighthouse, the Avengers are able to keep the Human Torch's consciousness intact while  they find a way to transfer it into another body.  They also decide to keep the existence of the Descendants a secret.  When Ant-Man is left alone, he communicates with Father, as he is now under his control.

Thoughts

Rick Remender delivered an interesting, if flawed first arc of Secret Avengers.  I'm not sure the Marvel Universe needs another group of people who look like us but have special powers.  Hawkeye went pretty quickly from not wanting Venom on the team to accepting him as a member.  Hopefully Remender can flesh out their relationship in future issues.  On the other hand, Remender makes Father a force to be reckoned with, always being one step ahead of his opponents.  Looking forward to seeing how this storyline plays out but it looks like we'll have to wait a while, as Secret Avengers is going to be mired in Avengers vs. X-Men madness for the next few months.
   

Story:
The past is a tricky thing. Kaine's past is so dark and disturbed that it was bound to catch up to him, and sure enough his past comes knockin.
Apparently, nobody likes being told to "Go F themselves" especially if they think you owe them.

Once upon a time Kaine pissed off Belladonna, the leader of the assassins guild, so now he must finally pay the price... in blood. Belladonna's assassins are eager to please and that spells serious trouble for Kaine.

So Kaine has to deal with a space shifting mercenary who can materialize his own guns, a Zombie ninja, a creepy psycho kinetic pre teen girl, and a man in a skeleton suit with godlike speed and seven inch steel blades.( Ok maybe not 7 inches )

Kaine officially hands them all a beating to some degree,and comes up with a plan to end the assault.
He uses one of the assassin's cell phones to call up Belladonna, and makes her an ofer she can't refuse.
Kaine agrees to do 1 job for her as long as she calls off her dogs.
The intriguing part is, who will she choose as Kaine's target? Will it be someone he knows?

As for the other members of this story, Dr Meland and his cop boyfriend ( yes you read that right) Wally, break in on Mr. Mitchell and hold him at gunpoint (for his crime of putting a hit out on Dr. Meland),to which they eventually come to a mutual understanding and forgiveness is exchanged.( I call that a bit of an anti climax)

Meanwhile Annabella takes Aracelly out shopping upon Kaine's request, and she finds out not only can the girl speak English, but she can also speak many other languages.
Futhermore, Aracelly seems to have some sort of psychic link with Kaine, or at least a supernatural level of awareness, as she is able to discern that Kaine is fighting on a rooftop seemingly many miles away.
How could she possibly know this otherwise? Interesting...

Thoughts
Now I doubt we've seen the last of Mr. Terrance Mitchell, but perhaps thats just my wishful thinking that more of a plot was devloped.

Immediately I notice the pacing of this issue. it starts off in the thick of batlle and it rarely lets up.
Kaine is practically dodging bullets the whole time. I'm actually having fun here.
I'm loving the action and intensity of it all. Kaine can surely hold his own in any fight, regardless of the numbers being against him. It's crazy to think that he can do all of this bare handed
( and without scratching anyones face, thankfully) but he's actually using his enemies weapons against them very effectively. I dare say that your standard Spider-Man would not be so bold. As relentless as these killers are, Kaine is evey bit as aggressive, and manages to one up them every time.

Despite all this dynamic action and bravado, we still dont get much of any story development or background info regarding the supporting cast.

We are left wondering who this Aracelly girl really is, and why she was left for dead.
Why was the fire freak after her, and what role does dhe play in all this?
Perhaps Yost hasn't put together all the answers yet orthis is just a long running plan he wants to use to intriguie readers beyond the current situation.

Long running threads are important to comicbook narratives, but the balance becomes not keeping readers in the dark too long. Right now, Yost is dropping hints about Aracelly's past and goading the reader along just enough to maintain interest.

I also beleive that Kaine's guilt is going to be his biggest adversary. Will Kaine be able to reach deep down inside and find the emotional strength to quell his deomon's? , or
will the emotional & psychological toll, eventually paralyze Kaine?
It seems Yost is trying to imply this and I'm all for it. I enjoy the direction of his writing so far, but I hope he gets the ball rolling faster in his next effort.

In this issue, it seems as thought the 'Ends Of Earth' story is finally picking up a little. The whole issue is mostly a showcase of Black widow, Sable, Spider-Man and Sandman. No one else in this issue really matters, except for maybe those over at Horizon Labs who play a pretty decent role in the issue.

The Story


We start with Sable, in her invisible costume, coming to aid Black Widow. Once she gets Widow out, she sets a bomb on the Avengers ship. ( After all, money comes from the skies for the likes of Tony Stark )

Silver Sable's plan is actually pretty decent as the explosion of the aircraft causes Dr Ock to lose concentration for a split second, allowing Spider-Man to escape with the help of Sable. (He was about to get killed.. as usual) Dr Ock decides to let Spider-Man go, as he has more important business, such as dragging the half dead bodies of the Avengers to his ship.

Anyway, Sable takes off her invisible cloak once the coast is clear, and brings Spider-Man and Black Widow into her 'Invisible Ship'.

To cut it short, Horizon Labs later manages to patch through to Spider-Man from their ocean base ( yes, they have that). They inform him that Dr Ock is holding a meeting with the world leaders and is requesting payment of $2billion per Sinister Six member, and a clean slate with which they can start their lives over.

Just then the Symkarian President, who is at the meeting, leaks some info regarding Dr Ock's bases to Sable. The three decide to head towards the base in the Sahara desert. Spidey then gets the help of Horizon to come up with a way to defeat Sandman ( who will obviously be at the Sahara base)

We later find out that it was all a trap. There was nothing at the base but Sandman, waiting to pound them. After a pretty cool fight scene however, our team of superheroes manage to contain Sandman in a little bag of web fluid.


The issue ends with Dr. Ock making one last request, to make Spider-Man the world's most wanted felon.


Thoughts
The thing I like about this issue is that Electro never makes an appearance after being shot into space, making it fairly realistic. Honestly, I was half expecting him to show up as if nothing had ever happened. Instead, he actually stays lost in space, for one whole issue at least!

The art is fantastic, especially since I am a little biased towards Ramos's art style. I won't go into the details of how Spider-Man contained Sandman, but I have to say that it was pretty smart. It's good to see Spider-Man come up with new ways to defeat his enemies.

Eddie Brock cleans house!

The Story

Hybrid, a symbiote spawned from Venom and currently bonded to Scott Washington, is killed in an alleyway by Eddie Brock, who is on a mission to wipe out "the alien plague."

R.I.P. Hybrid

At the Lighthouse (headquarters of the Secret Avengers) Giant Man and Beast reassure Flash Thompson, Captain America and Valkyrie that their serum can successfully sedate the Venom symbiote's mind controlling effects.  They also give Flash a special phone, which allows him to summon the symbiote in times of desperation.  Throughout the conversation, Flash has to fight the urge to bond himself to the suit.  As Valkyrie escorts Flash home, Giant Man asks Cap what he's going to tell Spider-Man about Venom's presence on the team.

After an awkward conversation, Valkyrie teleports Flash to his apartment just as Peter Parker knocks on the door.  Peter questions Flash about breaking up with Betty Brant and asks him where he's been the past few weeks.  Flash lies to Peter and tells him he's been drinking non stop since his father died.  Upon hearing this, Peter invites Flash out for coffee.

Scream, another Venom spawn bonded to Donna Diego, is lured into a trap and killed by Brock.

She will live on... on the Spider-Man ride... until Disney has it demolished.

Flash and Peter have a heart-to-heart about the way Flash has been acting for the past few weeks.  Flash is about to tell Peter his secret when he gets a call from his sister and has to leave.  Flash visits his sister and mother, and apologizes to them for leaving so soon after the funeral.  Flash's mother scolds him for lying, and Flash is forced to lie to her again by telling her that he spent the last few weeks in a drunken stupor, unable to tell her about his activities as Venom.

Flash heads back to his apartment, deciding that he's going to try and patch things up with Betty.  He arrives to find Betty waiting for him.  She tells him that the two of them are done for good and leaves.

Thoughts

This was another one of those depressing, "come see how badly Flash's life sucks," issues that Rick Remender now has down to an art form.  Not that this is a bad thing.  I was worried that Flash's membership in the Avengers was going to solve too many of his problems, but that isn't the case at all.  Despite the Avengers managing to "sedate" the symbiote, Flash is still clearly trying to control his addiction to wearing it.  Not to mention the fact that his relationships have all taken a nose dive due to his alter ego, chief among them being his relationship with Betty.  Although I'm sympathetic to Flash, I gotta say I'm proud of Betty for finally breaking it off with him.  Their relationship has been nothing but toxic for her since this series began; she needs a more stable guy.  And was I the only one who got excited when Flash was about to reveal his secret to Peter?

Then there's Eddie Brock, who is taking out all the symbiote characters we forgot about after the 90's.  If there are still any Hybrid and Scream fans left, I would advise them to avoid this issue.

Joining Remender is Lan Medina on art duties.  Medina's pages look great, and have a very John Romita Sr.-esque vibe to them.

This is a great done-in-one issue that is perfect for newcomers and long time readers alike.  It successfully fills you in on Venom's current status quo while offering plenty of memorable moments.  If you haven't been reading Venom before, now is the time to start!         

Prowler vs. Scorpion!

The Story

Captain Quaid warns Miles to cease his activities as Spider-Man before Miles is able to get away.

Meanwhile, the Prowler sneaks back into the Tinkerer's warehouse where he is confronted by the Scorpion and his men.  The Scorpion attempts to kill Prowler, but the Prowler is able to escape using the Vulture's wings.  Astonished by Scorpion's power, the Prowler realizes he's in big trouble.

In bed, Miles receives a text from his Uncle Aaron, telling him that if Miles does one favour for him he'll leave him alone forever and to meet him in one hour.

Thoughts

That just might have been my shortest story summary yet!  While this was another great instalment of Ultimate Spider-Man, like most Brian Michael Bendis stories, it's going to feel more like you got your money's worth reading it in trade form rather than in single issues.  I should mention that while I miss Sarah Pichelli, David Marquez is a great replacement as he delivers great work here.

100 posts!  Whoo!  Not sad at all!  Thanks Bryan for giving me the opportunity to write for your blog.  It's been a blast so far! 

A touching tribute to the late, great Joe Simon.

The Story

The Avengers find an old comic book that Steve Rogers drew in his spare time before he became Captain America.  As the Avengers poke fun at it, Cap walks in and tells them that drawing is in his past, and throws the comic in the trash.  Spidey tells Cap that he liked the comic, and after he leaves the room Cap picks the comic up from the trash and admires it.  Out in the hall, Spidey expresses his excitement to the rest of the team that Cap used to be a nerd like him.


Later, the Avengers land in the jungle to take down the remaining members of the Serpent Society.  When Cap orders the Avengers to pair up, Spider-Man immediately calls dibs on him.  Spidey and Cap scope out and attack one of the Society's bases.  During the fight Cap does his best to ignore Spider-Man's frequent questions about high school and his artwork.  The two later rendezvous with the rest of the team and head back to the mansion.

Back at the mansion, Spider-Man surprises Cap by framing one of his comic book pages and hanging it up in his room, hoping that it would reawaken Cap's artistic side.  Cap tells Spider-Man that drawing is in his past, and that he wouldn't want to go back to being the scrawny, weak kid who drew that picture.  To cement his point, Cap asks Spidey whether he still uses his first chemistry set.  Upset, Spider-Man leaves the room, telling Cap that he does pull out his first chemistry set from time to time.

Later in his room at Avengers Mansion, Spider-Man prepares to toss his first chemistry set into the incinerator, but is stopped by Cap.  Cap shows Spidey some drawings he's been working on recently, and the two of them bond over them.

Thoughts

Zeb Wells delivered a beautiful done-in-one story here.  This story shows us that no matter how far we get in life, it's important not to forget who we were and where we came from.  Steve Rogers was someone who abandoned who he used to be when he got his powers and became the ultimate soldier, while Peter Parker has always remained in touch with his past life despite his powers.  In rejecting his artistic side, Cap was essentially rejecting who Peter was.  Reconnecting to his artistic side allowed Cap to reconnect with his humanity and to rediscover a passion he used to have.  This story is one of those rare instances where Spider-Man inspires Captain America and not the other way around.  Having Cap once want to be an artist is a great way to pay a tribute to his co-creator.

Accompanying Wells is Leinil Yu on art duties.  Although Yu always does a stellar job, I have to say that this comic book is the best thing he's ever done.  Each page is rendered in gorgeous detail; you can tell that a lot of love went into the crafting of this comic book.  

Avenging Spider-Man #5 is a must buy for both Spidey and Cap fans.  While it's disappointing that Wells won't be doing anymore issues of Avenging (aside from a story to coincide with Spidey's 50th anniversary), I can't think of a better note to go out on than this.   

The end of an era!  The final issue of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man!

First Story - If You Can't Beat 'Em!

Spider-Man agrees to assist Blonde Phantom's agency with transporting the Absorbing Man to a research lab so that his abilities can be studied in the hope that they will help create new breakthroughs in medical research.  Spidey is rightly suspicious when he learns that the Absorbing Man volunteered to do this.  His suspicions are confirmed when the Absorbing Man manages to escape.  Spider-Man tries to encourage the Absorbing Man to turn over a new leaf, but the Absorbing Man refuses to listen.  But right as he is about to finish Spider-Man off, the Absorbing Man decides to surrender and asks to be taken to the research lab.  Confused, Spidey asks Blonde Phantom what happened.  She guesses that the Absorbing Man absorbed some of Spider-Man's noble character.

Second Story - The Kingpin

Spider-Man notices that a lot of the thugs he has captured recently are reappearing on the street.  When he questions one of them about this, the thug reveals that a dirty cop named James Rellman is setting crooks free after superheroes capture them, and that he's working for the Kingpin.  When Spider-Man confronts the Kingpin about this, he agrees to give Spidey Rellman's location, as he disproves of Rellman's recent independent criminal activity.  Spider-Man finds Rellman conspiring with his criminal buddies and calls the cops to his location.  With Spidey's help, the police catch Rellman red handed.  Spider-Man then visits the Kingpin, and warns him that the next time they meet, he will have the evidence he needs to take him down.

Thoughts

For its last issue, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man delivered its usual helping of kid friendly Spidey action.  While under normal circumstances this would be just fine, fans of this version of Spider-Man might be disappointed that the last issue didn't really leave them with a sense of closure.  While I haven't been reading this series regularly, I know that Paul Tobin has built a unique supporting cast for Spidey over the years.  Fans aren't given a proper farewell to the likes of Chat, Blonde Phantom, the Torino family and the other unique characters that populate this version of the Marvel Universe.

This issue marks the last we'll see of the Marvel Adventures line for the foreseeable future.  Although I understand why their doing it, there's something cold about Marvel ditching Tobin's version of Spidey for a T.V. tie-in.  I've always liked Tobin's work, so I hope we haven't seen the last of him at Marvel.

So long Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, thanks for giving a legion of young Spider-Man fans a fun first introduction to the character.  Your successor has a lot to live up to!  Speaking of, be sure to check back here for our review of Marvel Universe: Ultimate Spider-Man #1 (now there's a mouth full)!


    

So, before starting this review, I must say that the cover for this issue has to be one of the best! Unlike a good number of people out there, I like Spider-Man's new armor. Sure, it does have a little of an Iron Man/ Red Hood feel, but I like Red Hood's helmet, so yea.

The Story


This issue starts '2 weeks ago' when the Sinister Six members are busy collecting seemingly unrelated items, as Dr Octopus has instructed.

Coming back to current time, Spidey leads Capt A. and Thor into a meeting between world leaders. They are discussing the next step in regards to Dr. Octopus's offer. Among those in the hall is Al Gore, who Spider-Man points out to actually be the Chameleon.

Just as the Chameleon is exposed, Dr Ock appears on the big screen ( he tends to do that), speaking to those at the meeting. He then tells them that he will teach them one 'final lesson.' Spidey think he's ready for the worst.

Instead of another disaster however, we find that Dr. Ock's final lesson is to fix global warming temporarily, proving that he can be trusted and that he truly does have a solution. This gains the trust and approval of the world leaders at the meeting. As a final request, Dr Octopus requests that Chameleon be freed.

Oh yea, I forgot to mention that somewhere in between all this, Horizon Labs gets shut down by our favorite mayor.

Anyway, Chameleon meets the rest of the Six at a random beach. When asked why the strange location, Mysterio points out a Spidey tracer on his back. A second or two later, the Avengers arrive, resulting in a serious battle.

Among the interesting things that happen, Electro gets thrown into the sky by Thor, who is later stabbed through the back by Rhino's new horn, which is really a tooth of the Midgard Serpent. It doesn't end too well for the Avengers at the end of the issue. ( Even Capt A. gets iced)

Thoughts
This whole issue, in my opinion is simply an excuse to showcase Spider-Man's new suit. So lets go through what his suit can do.

1. It can sense Chameleon's hearbeat
2. It can detect Mysterio's holograms
3. It is Electro proof
4. It is strong enough to take on the Rhino
5. And I think he had a thing to use against Dr. Ock, but it didn't quite work out. 

 Moon Knight vs. Madame Masque!

The Story

Moon Knight and Buck Lime contact the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and are answered by Maria Hill.  After explaining to her that Madame Masque has the head of an Ultron, Moon Knight and Buck ask for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help to track the head's location.  After some hesitation, Hill agrees to help.

Moon Knight tracks Madame Masque to a nearby warehouse and ambushes her.  As Moon Knight distracts her, Buck is able to sneek in and grab the Ultron head.  Knocking Moon Knight aside, Madame Masque pursues Buck who runs to his van.  He makes it to the van, but Madame Masque is able to shoot the gas tank before Moon Knight attacks her again.  As the two of them fight, the gas tank explodes, knocking Moon Knight out.

Moon Knight is then confronted by Echo, who speaks to him in his head.  She tells him to get back up and get the job done so that she did not die in vain.  Moon Knight awakens just as Madame Masque is about to kill him.  Taking her by surprise, Moon Knight is able to knock her out by hitting her head against a fire hydrant.  He then wakes up Buck, and the two of them flee the scene as the police arrive.

Count Nefaria watches all of this unfold on television.  His butler then tells him that the police are here and they have a warrant and a subpoena thanks to Moon Knight.  Nefaria is none too pleased.

Thoughts

Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev have crafted something special with this story about a crazy, underdog superhero who gets in way over his head when he decides to take on a powerful superpowered crime lord.  I loved how Echo is now one of the personas that has taken up residence in Moon Knight's head.  It speaks to the broader notion that people are never truly dead when we remember how they inspired and motivated us.  With one issue to go, let's hope Moon Knight and Buck make it out in one peace! 

Really sorry guys for not posting this sooner. I've just been a little busy that all. Anyway, here we are with another installment of Spider-Man - The world's greatest superhero. ( I'm really struggling to see how they came up with the title)

The Story


It all starts pretty simply with Spider-Man trying out his new gadgets to take out super crooks. Among his 'original' ideas are Spider-bombs and a Spider glider. For the first part of the issue, Spidey is pretty proud of himself for creating all these new inventions at Horizon that help him curb crime.

He also thinks to himself how he has designed special gadgets for each of the Sinister Six.

As Peter stands, admiring himself, he notices some commotion at Horizon. It turns out that Mayer Jameson wants to shut Horizon down. Obviously this is bad news for our Friendly Neighbor hood Spider-Man.

A few panels later, we see that Doc Octopus's brilliant plan is to speed up global warming, which he does!

He then telecasts himself on every television screen, like most old school bad guys, and tells the world that he has a solution for global warming, which will come eventually, with or without him. He claims that all he wants is to be know as the man who saved the future. He then stops the global warming he created. ( convenient )

It appears that most of the world seem pretty interested to see what Doc Ock has to say. Even the Avengers are considering listening him out. We end the issue with Spider-Man gearing up to take on this new problem. He approaches the Avengers, telling them to take out Doc Ock ( who is obviously up to no good. )

Oh, I forgot to mention Spidey appears with his new armor suit.

Thoughts
From my review, you can pretty much guess what I think of this issue. The story, for this issue at least, is way too simple. I mean, nobody threatens the world with global warming anymore! Sure Doc Ock is dying, but couldn't his final master plan be a lil more original?

Obviously, this is not all there is to his plan, so I still have hope for the story of this arc. Spidey's costume is pretty cool to me. Am definitely looking forward to see what it can do.

I'm also hoping we don't see anymore of this Spidey Glider! ( Unless its with a stand off against Osborn )