Amazing Spider-man #607 Review

With only one comic you’d think I could have gotten this review up earlier! But sadly I’ve been pretty busy today. But hey lets get in this final review for September and get ready for the awesome that is October!

The Amazing Spider-man #607
Written: Joe Kelly
Art: Mike McKone and Adrianne Melo

Opening Comments: After such a great issue last time I was psyched to read more from Kelly about Cat’s return. This issue was a strange mix with solid character work but a boring villain I could care less about. Still another great read.

Story Comments: We see that Spider-man FINALLY gets some. Yes. Ladies and gentlemen Spider-man finally had sex again. I know, I know. We thought it could never happen but somehow he did it. We’re all proud of you, Peter.

In all seriousness I loved the opening of Peter as he narrates after his sex with Black Cat. Now as I’ve said narration can get annoying often in comics but Kelly works well with it. He gives us a good balance of Peter’s inner thoughts and weaves them nicely into the current moment in the story.

I did like seeing that Black Cat doesn’t want to talk after sex. It makes sense that Felicia isn’t that kind of character so seeing that was a nice acknowledgement of her character. Though what really made me love this ending was the part where it turns out the hotel room they did it in was for another couple that walk in after Cat has left and Peter is getting ready to leave. Hilarious.

Once again the comedy here is brilliant and funny all at once. I loved it so much. Kelly doesn’t spare us one crack of the wit whip. We even get a little poke at how Black Cat is so flirtatious with Spider-man comparing it to Tourettes.

Now for my biggest problem with this issue was the villain Diablo. It’s clear he will be more important later on in the Spider-Hunt storyline. Whenever that is. No doubt that he’s an important character to keep an eye on but here he wasn’t very interesting. Even when Cat explains his devious deeds.

Sure he’s a bad guy no doubt. Killing people and really coming off as the kind of ass-hole you like seeing get punched in the face. Though Kelly doesn’t work much up to make him interesting or exciting. He’s pretty much a punching bag I want to see get hit and couldn’t care less about.

I’m not sure if this is Kelly’s fault or not though. Kelly tries to flesh him out more when Cat recaps on him but it doesn’t really do well for me. He sticks out as a bland villain. Sure he’s got a cool ability but even that doesn’t work so well in the story. I’m bored with this villain and I’m hoping we don’t’ see him for a long while.

Once again the best part of this issue was Black Cat. She’s so great and Kelly writes her character so well. She’s a tad on the selfish side and most writers wouldn’t like to acknowledge this at times in fear of making her less likable to the readers. But I enjoy her character more when she has these defects.

I am really glad to see Felicia and Peter together again. They where a messed up couple for sure but at the same time they worked so damn well with how crazy things got. Felicia never did really get that second chance and with the BND status quo at least something good has come of it with her finally getting that second chance.

Her “Hilarity ensues” powers continue to be great and fun. I do love how Kelly doesn’t shy away from showing just how crazy things can get with her. And yes they are still Hilarity Ensues not bad luck.

One other problem I had was that MJ was nowhere to be seen in this issue and that bugs me for 2 reasons.

The first being that MJ has been back and she’s hardly made one major appearance. Even in the arc all about her return she only appeared for a while and was more like a come and go character then an important aspect to the plot. I was expecting with Felicia’s return that MJ would have something important to tell Peter about it all.

My biggest problem was that MJ was even shown to have reacted to the kiss scene at the end of last issue. Making us think that her surprise at this would have some repercussions in this issue. Now maybe it will later on in a different issue but the way last issue ended made it seem that she was going to confront Peter or something.

I like the character of MJ a lot and I liked what we saw of her in Red Headed Stranger. So it makes no sense that you give her a prime chance to show up and do something interesting but then not do anything with her!

Though another highlight was Peter actually being happy. It was great to see him finally not have to deal with Michelle’s crap or any other crazy crap. Just have him enjoy his day for once. Though I’m sure it will all go to hell sooner or later.

I did like the confrontation with Dexter Bennet. He’s nearly reached JJJ level of jackass so seeing Spider-man confront him was so great. Though I wish it had gone somewhere more interesting. They talk, he finds out little and then bam we’re done.

Overall this was a great story though not quite as good as last time. Limited a bit more by it’s weaknesses sadly.

Art Comments: McKone turns in some great stuff though I must admit his Black Cat has one issue. The way he draws the fuzz on her feet looks really weird and out of place. Maybe it’s a new design choice but I don’t like it. Other then that his art was great.

Melo finished up and I must admit this is certainly not his best work. I’ve seen a lot better from him. This art looked rushed and very phoned in and that’s a damn shame since it isn’t awful but it’s very weak.

Final Comments: While I am not reading Spider-man after this issue I do want to be. I look forward to seeing in the future where Spider-man and Black Cat’s relationship goes as they make a great couple that hopefully will go well in the future of Spider-man. This was a great way to cap off an enjoyable story that Spider-man fans should enjoy.

Writing: 4 out of 5
Art: 3 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Must Read

Week's End - September 27th 2009

Week’s End is here but the Week Begins probably won’t. I’ve only got one comic coming out and while I’m looking forward to Amazing Spider-man #607 at the same time there’s nothing else interesting me that week. I may not even go to the comic shop. So yes, no The Week Begins for you all. Now onto this edition of Week’s End

Comic of the Week: Amazing Spider-man #606

An easy choice for me. While this issue wasn’t perfect, the ending especially didn’t do much for me, I still enjoyed it. Black Cat is a great character and her return is being handled well by Kelly. But what really makes it work is both the beautiful art by Mike McKone along with Kelly’s great humor.

Spider-man is the perfect hero to blend humor with so you’ve got to hit a stride with the jokes and keep ‘em coming if you’re going for the funny. Kelly starts off with some light humor and by the end of the issue I was near sobbing tears of joy at how funny it got. It was great. An all around great issue leaving me excited for more.

Moments of the Week: the Goddamn Spider-man and Banner is a Bastard

F*** YES! Spider-man for the win. If this is a prelude to the events of The List: Spider-man then there’s no way I’m missing out on that. This was so awesome in so many ways. I finally have a desire to be reading New Avengers if we get more of Spider-badass. Spidey hasn’t even been half this cool in his own title, I guess someone thought they should remind us all why he’s the goddamn Spider-man.

Banner deserves a prize for the most ballsy thing to say to a super villain. Calling him ugly would be one thing, insulting his mother could get him killed. But damn, calling him a punching bag only useful because another villain was busy? Why don’t you kick him in the balls and tell him his mother never loved him while you’re at it. This was so badass.

Everyone and there mother has made a Conan joke about Skaar. I think I am going to pick up the next issue of Incredible Hulk and consider it for the pull list if this is the kind of fun and cool read we get each month. Banner is awesome and it’s about damn time Skaar find out why everyone is making Conan jokes.

Cover of the Week: Wolverine First Class #19 by Skottie Young

Dear Skottie Young, you are crazy and I love it. This cover is just so crazy and funny and it has that old time feel to it with the filter. This is so awesome. Skottie Young should do 75% of Marvel covers.

Artist of the Week: Steve McNiven

Okay I’m going with the obvious choice but it actually was a bit of a tough call. Corey Walker on Invincible this week was amazing. Though I have to give it to McNiven for just downright blowing my mind on the awesome. While I wish he could have gotten to draw some more emotional moments for Logan I can put that past me as this was just damn awesome looking. Every page and panel bled greatness.

Character of the Week: Old Man Logan

This week had some great characters. But I have to give it to Logan cutting loose again. Though it was more then him killing the Hulk Gang. It was how sadistic he was. It was over the top and I loved it. I also like the very end between him and the others. Just a nice moment to cap off a great story and a great character as well.

Solicit Commentary - December 2009

Solicits bring a smile to my face (a nice change of pace) to me this month as December is looking to be a great month for comics. Not only is it Christmas (and all that other good stuff) but Marvel, DC and Image all seem to be bringing the awesome in December. Mostly at least.

Image Solicits for December 2009
DC Solicits for December 2009
Marvel Solicits for December 2009

Image United #2

Sadly the solicit doesn’t give us much to read. It’s just telling us the villain is on the loose and reiterates the point that this has so many artists working on it. Something I can see in the artist credit anyway. Still really excited for this event.

Haunt #3

Glad that Kirkman is moving fast to start giving us some answers with this series. Spawn took about a year to give us a good amount of answers about the character and it worked. Haunt seems to be moving faster and I don’t mind that one bit. I’m sure this will be a strong read as I’m really excited for the series debut next month.

Spawn Endgame volume 2 TPB

With Endgame hitting a frustrating delay the urge to just collection wait Spawn is stronger then ever. But if you are collection waiting then I can say that so far volume 2 has been an enjoyable read so if you liked volume 1 you’ll probably enjoy this volume as well.

Invincible #69

An interesting sounding issue and I’m glad we’ve got a new villain already. Though I’m not sure if she’s villain or hero. Also I love how the cover shows Eve’s messed up powers. This is a great cover. Though I am confused, I thought the Invincible Returns one-shot was going to debut at the end of 2009? I guess I heard wrong and it will show up sometime later in 2010.

Jersey Gods #10

So far the Abandoned has been an enjoyable arc. Though I do hate the promise of killing off one of the gods. Honestly I think it’s a dumb idea to kill off cast members early on in a new comic. Though I’m hopeful that Brunswick can at least make it an interesting death.

Spawn #199

With the series having hit a delay I’m willing to bet this issue doesn’t come out on time. Though if McFarlane can pull double duty to get it back on schedule that would be great. Now this credits McFarlane and Capullo, are they working together again on the comic? I would love nothing more then that.

Sadly Portacio is ending his run on Spawn with #195. He’s moving back to Marvel and working on Hulk. This news put me in a foul mood but the team of McFarlane and Capullo and Spawn may be just what I need to chase away my blues.

Angelus #1

I’m going to buy this. I know I am. I’ll add it to my pull list because it’s Marz and Sejic, a team I know can do well. While I may not be a big fan of the character Dani I am very interested in her new role as Angelus. I’m sure this will be a great mini and I look forward to it.

Witchblade #133

This issue sounds very simple. Not too excited for it. But I’m sure it will be another great read. I hope we’ll get lots of cool action and I bet the Troll itself will have a real wicked look.

Pilot Season: Demonic #1

I’ve been on the fence so far about Pilot Season. This is the first of the one-shots so far that sounds really interesting so I’ll definitely pick this one up. Much as I’ve been enjoying Kirkman’s work I wish this season had more then one writer telling all these new stories but I’m sure at least one will be good. So I’ll definitely pick this one up and maybe others if they interest me.

Blackest Night #6

Hard not to be hopeful that at this point things really get heating up. Blackest Night is already almost halfway over and after a disappointing 3rd issue I’m hopeful that by now the shit really hits the fan. Also I liked the finished version of that cover that originally was solicited for #4. I don’t mind the cover change since this is so awesome.

Green Lantern Corps #43

Guy! No! For those unaware I really like Guy Gardner, I think he’s awesome. I hope this is a fake out cover but I doubt it. Also some people are figuring this means Ice will die, which is something that would frustrate me since I really like their relationship. I may pick up this issue just to see if everything is okay or not.

Blackest Night: Flash #1

After seeing how slow Flash: Rebirth has been I’m not too interested in this mini. Kollins is a great artist though so if I do pick this up it would be for the art alone. I don’t find Barry all that interesting and I’m sure Wally will be pushed aside for more Barry praise.

Streets of Gotham #7

Nice of them to give Manhunter her own cover for this issue even though she’s still in the backup story. As for the main story I’m so glad that Dini is back and I’m really excited to see what happens here with Zsasz and Batman hopefully fighting. Should be a great read I’m sure.

Oddly enough Batman and Robin is nowhere to be seen. I know Cameron Stewart was announced as the artist but did the series hit a snag? Is Tan delaying it somehow or is Stewart asking for a month delay? I’m confused.

Ultimate Comics Spider-man #5

Odd, seems the Spidey/Mysterio fight is going to last more then one issue. Well I’m hopeful that it’s as epic as it sounds. As to who comes to Spider-man’s aid I’m guessing it’s that mysterious shroud person or maybe Kitty.

Siege: the Cabal

So this is what it all comes down to. All of Osborn’s hard work and plans blowing up in his face. I knew Doom doesn’t play nice for long but damn this is looking to be epic as all hell. I may pick this up as I’d love to see Doom going to town on Osborn and beating him down as he deserves.

Lark on art is also a nice bonus as I’m really excited to see how he can handle a big comic like this. Also I bet he’ll work well with someone like Bendis making this into an awesome one-shot I seriously want to check out.

Mighty Avengers #32

I want to drop this series. I do. But for whatever twisted reason I won’t. Not for now at least. It’s so painfully tempting and Pham back on art no doubt going to do poor work but what’s worse is Slott is gone. Now hopefully this is just a one time issue but…damn, he’s the main big reason I even started buying the series! It's hanging by a thin thread. I'm highly considering dropping it and it has just one last chance in October to win me back. I if I don't enjoy that issue, completism be damned, I'm dropping this series.

Dark Avengers #12

With the Siege story coming up I figure Dark Avengers will be the most important comic to read during it. I may start reading Dark Avengers again. Though this story doesn’t sound so interesting so I’ll wait until the Siege story coming in January.

Dark Avengers Annual #1

I love Bachalo’s art but it would be the only reason I would pick this up so I’ll just wait until this is added into whatever collection of Dark Avengers they put it in. For 4.99 I doubt this will really be worth it. The only reason I could think someone would want to read this is if they are really that curious at to the fate of Marvel Boy which I am not.

New Avengers #60

Bendis is not going to kill off Luke Cage. No way. I’m calling it now. Not going to happen.

New Avengers Annual #3

I dig Mayhew on art and I know this comic will look good. Though Clint is an idiot who pretty much deserves to get his ass killed again so what do I care? Only thing keeping me mildly interested is seeing Jessica Jones become Jewel again.

Thor #605

I guess Siege is the event JMS mentioned that he didn’t want any part of writing which is why he left Thor. Makes sense since his last ‘event’ (OMD) didn’t go so well for him.

Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield?

My guess is Steve with the upcoming movie. Though I’d like it if Bucky stuck around as Cap as well. Not much I can say other then I hope Bucky doesn’t get forgotten.

2009 What Ifs?

So this year has a fairly weak looking batch of What Ifs. Astonishing X-men looks all right. As does World War Hulk. Though Larry Stroman is on the Secret Invasion one and I’d rather read 1,000 Leifield comics then see his art. The only one I can say I will probably pick up is What if? Spider-man House of M because that one sounds great. Even though I don’t like Tieri’s writing much I hope Mckeever can do a good job and I’m excited to see Haberlin doing art again. So I’ll pick up at least one of this year’s What Ifs at least.

Dark Wolverine #81

I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about this series. This issue sounds really cool and it seems to be a one-shot so I’ll pick it up and if I like it I may give the series a regular spot on the pull list. Maybe. I’m mostly just interested to see where they take the dynamic between Daken and Moonstone.

Uncanny X-men #518-#519

An interesting sounding story to coincide with this big Nation X type story. If this is more of a 2 parter or one-shot I may pick it up. Mostly because I’m really curious as to Emma’s fate and if she can be normal again.

Dark Reign: Young Avengers TPB

Marvel, this needs a HC! This is too good just to get the TPB treatment! Oh well. This is an awesome collection that should not be missed out by anyone!

Comic Reviews for September 23rd 2009

3 comics to review for you all this week. Let’s get to it!

Wolverine Old Man Logan Giant Size One-Shot
Written: Mark Millar
Art: Steve McNiven

Opening Comments: I’ve been loving the Old Man Logan story and this was a satisfying conclusion. It was bloody, over the top and wild. Though sadly what put me off was the price of 4.99. This comic is a 3.99 buy at best and it did not feel worth the 4.99 price at all.

Story Comments: the story here was very basic. Wolverine kills hulk gang. Banner comes out to play. Wolverine and Banner fight. Shit gets real. Wolverine kills Banner. Wolverine buries family. Wolverine has last Banner child on his back and goes off to save the world.

All in all a satisfying conclusion that was both open ended enough but at the same time closed it’s own story. It ended with the cliché “riding off in the sunset” ending we all saw coming but at the same time it was very satisfying and it told the overall story of Old Man Logan becoming Wolverine again.

Millar is often a very over the top writer and no surprise here that this was a very over the top conclusion. All of the action is intense and very bloody and in this story it works well. Wolverine is the kind of hero that can really cut loose and go wild like this and it works very well.

My favorite character here had to be Pappy Banner. Just seeing this old man through Wolverine around was great. Though it was nasty hearing that he and She-Hulk hooked up to start a family. Not exactly a twist I’m fond of even though it does make sense.

Millar has done a good job of painting the Hulk Gang as a big family of villains. Their the nastiest of the nasty. Eating people, F***ing their cousins, just all around redneck nutjobs you want to see Wolverine tear in to. So this was a satisfying bloody issue.

This issue’s biggest flaw was how predictable it was. Mostly with the ending and how Wolverine kills Pappy Banner. He played “Alien” then killed the last guy other then the baby. A twist I saw the second Banner said he ate Wolverine.

While this whole story wasn’t amazingly unique it still had some great twisted aspects to it that made it feel more unique and interesting. This finale though, fun as it was, definitely skimped on the unique and interesting and just gave us gore and insanity. Though I did like Wolverine’s last words as he rode off.

My biggest issue was the price. Now this issue would have been fine at a 3.99 price, but the way they try and add “bonuses” to make it worth the 4.99 is crap. They add a cover gallery that really is only useful for the very few variants it had and some sketch work and penciled pages. How wonderful. Can I have a dollar back now?

It was just unfair fluffing from Marvel to try and squeeze an extra dollar out of us all for no real reason other then they want money.

Overall though this was a satisfying and enjoyable story though not much else. No real major epic moment that really made me go “F*** yeah!” like in prior issues. Just a solid and enjoyable finale is all and not much else.

Art Comments: McNiven’s art on this story has usually been worth the wait. This issue was no different as every page and panel is gorgeous. McNiven brings the gore and grim of this issue beautifully to live though I was very disappointed that we didn’t get any real emotion to convey which is where his art can really shine.

Final Comments: If you haven’t been reading Old Man Logan then this is a horrible place to start. Go pick up the collection. Though at least know this was a satisfying conclusion to an all around enjoyable story.

Writing: 3 out of 5
Art: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Check It

The Amazing Spider-man #606
Written: Joe Kelly
Art: Mike McKone

Opening Comments: Black Cat is a great character who sadly has been missing from Spider-man for far too long. With her return Joe Kelly offers a big bowl of great action, character work and an exciting cliff-hanger leaving me excited for more.

Story Comments: I love the opening. It’s comedic, it’s enjoyable and a great continuation of the last developments following Red Headed Stranger. The only part I didn’t like was Peter yelling at MJ accidentally and her running off. MJ isn’t exactly little miss shy so this moment felt odd to me

Though the rest of this comic is golden. It’s pure greatness and I absolutely loved it. Mostly the part with Black Cat though the quick moment of Spider-man talking to thug was great as well. Kelly handles these characters so well and interjects some brilliant comedy as well.

Spider-man himself is a comedic character so writers who excel at wit and comedy fit him perfectly. This is of course why writers such as Dan Slott often fit Spider-man and it made sense to add them to the Spidey Brain trust but I wasn’t sure of Kelly. I know he’d done some funny stuff with Deadpool in the past but as far as Spider-man was concerned I wasn’t sure if he was a right choice.

Though I’ve heard nothing but good things about the American Son arc and I finally am experiencing Kelly’s great handle on Spider-man here. It’s amazing (pun mildly intended) as he totally grasps both Peter Parker and Spider-man and it fits incredibly well.

Though the star of this issue wasn’t really just Spider-man. It’s the lady on that awesome J. Scott Campbell cover, Black Cat. She shows up and the second she shows up the comic goes from great to spectacular. It’s a funny but interesting read and it’s great reading as these characters interact.

Black Cat doesn’t know who Spider-man is and Spider-man and her spend the majority of this issue arguing. Also she’s got her bad luck powers but she now calls them “Hilarity ensues” powers which I find much better and rather hilarious.

Kelly writes her incredibly well. Handling her strong personality and yet hasn’t ignored her developments as a more interesting character. Though we haven’t fully seen if she’s the more developed and interesting character yet or if she’s more the older Black Cat which I guess we’ll see next issue.

The comedy between Spider-man and Black Cat is insanely good. She makes little pokes at him but by far the best joke was a sex joke. I won’t say it just because it’s too funny to parrot. You have to read it to really enjoy it and it had me in stitches. Absolutely gut busting funny.

While the plot of Diablo and whatever the hell he was up to wasn’t too interesting it was enough to serve a purpose as to why Black Cat is back in town and for that I enjoy it. Though I’m not even sure what happened to him. Did he blow up? Disappear? I guess next issue will answer that.

I liked the cliff-hanger. I’m sure MJ fans will be pissed but I’m not too rattled up since it’s not like this is the one thing that will stop MJ and Peter from getting back together. There’s this whole deal with the devil thing that kind of already got in the way.

I did like the narration though usually I don’t care much for Spider-man’s narration. Kelly used it well and it especially was great for the final page as it fits Spider-man well that he would think that as the final moment happens.

Overall this was a spectacular read and the best issue yet since I’ve been reading Spider-man.

Art Comments: McKone is a solid artist though his work really shines when we see Spider-man. He does a solid job with the opening but his art really is best when Spider-man is swinging. I especially like his Black Cat as it’s the usual sexy Felicia but she does look a little different. All around great art.

Final Comments: Spider-man is flying high and with a girl like Black Cat in his arms who can blame him. Kelly writes a great opening to this 2 part storyline and I’m excited for more.

Writing: 5 out of 5
Art: 4 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5
Must Have

Invincible #66
Written: Robert Kirkman
Art: Cory Walker

Opening Comments: I wasn’t too excited for this. Much as I’ve enjoyed Walker’s art in the past I figured this would be a passable read that I would go “it’s fun, it’s over, back to Invincible!” but it turns out I loved this read. It’s only real fault is it was too short.

Story Comments: We pick up right after #55 from last year where Nolan drops the bomb that there are only about 50 Viltrumites left. This issue explains why with a few pages of showing that there was a big virus made by Viltrumite enemies. A nice explanation and better then some “we where too stubborn to breed” bull crap.

I did like the Conquest cameo which explained that he actually got the virus and how he lost his hand and eye but that he survived since it only weakened him at a time while it killed others. It was a great little twit to the history of the new villain.

I loved the scene between Allen and his girlfriend. It was so funny and the ending was great. Though I just find it hilarious how even blue aliens with no noses still have big breasts and wear lingerie. It’s funny to me.

We do find out that there is a mission for these two. Their off to find weapons to help the galaxy fight the Viltrumite empire. A nice little idea though with something like this I would think that we would have more then a 2 part storyline since this issue ends just with them trying to get the first device.

Though here comes my big complaint with this issue and what stopped it from being a Must Have. It was too short. It was a great read but it just cuts and leaves you wanting more but not in the good way. The way that makes you think there was a few more pages that couldn’t be added.

Still it’s the only real complaint I have for this issue. Plotting was solid and character work was great. I really like Allen and Nolan and I especially liked how they work together as a team. They make a great duo.

Art Comments: I wasn’t expecting too much from Walker but he really blew me away this time. I especially loved the coloring that brought his strong art to life. Everything here looks great though he really excels with the big splashpage of all the Viltrumite bodies being dumped. A grim and dark scene that was drawn beautifully. Definitely his best art I’ve seen in a while.

Final Comments: If you’ve been paying attention to Nolan and Allen then this should be a great read. While not a solid jumping on point it was still a fun read and had beautiful art. I give it a high recommendation.

Writing: 4 out of 5
Art: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Must Read

The Week Begins - September 22nd 2009

We’ve got some solid comics coming out this week. A major finale and some important beginnings. Let’s check them out!

Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant Sized Finale *Most Anticipated*
Written: Mark Millar
Art: Steve McNiven

I’m not really sure if this is my most anticipated really. I’m giving it the Most Anticipated mostly because I do want to enjoy this finale. Though I can’t deny the last part in this story did take a bit of an obvious and frustrating turn. Still I am hopeful for this issue.

My main thing is the price. Now I can take a 4.99 comic if it’s worth it. I’ve mentioned in the past how a comic could be 15 pages and 8 bucks but as long as those are 15 great pages then I’ll feel I got my money’ worth. Though I have a feeling this finale will just be Logan killing the Hulk gang, killing Banner, then leaving one baby to live (hence the Banner grandchild in Millar’s FF run) and then we move on.

Don’t get me wrong, I am hopeful there will be some kind of interesting twist or maybe even a good character moment. But I’m not expecting it from this comic. I’m expecting a wild bloody ride with some cool bonus features in the end. Still I am giving it the most anticipated for the fact that I’ve mostly been enjoying Old Man Logan and I’m hopeful Millar can end it on a high note.

The Amazing Spider-man #606
Written: Joe Kelly
Art: Mike McKone

If not for Old Man Logan’s finale then this would be my most anticipated of the week hands down. As a long time fan of Black Cat and her adventures with Spider-man I cannot wait to see what happens here as I’m sure it will be a great read. Black Cat was once an essential part of Spider-man’s cast and it’s hard to believe that Marvel took this long to bring her back.

Sure the solicit is tacky as all hell. Though I have faith that Joe Kelly can give us a damn good read and that with McKone on art it will look great. Kelly is a great writer who I’m hopeful will have a great grasp on Felicia’s character. Hopefully the BND status quo hasn’t removed a lot of her great development and she’ll be the great character she’s always been. Can’t wait to find out on Wednesday.

Invincible #66
Written: Robert Kirkman
Art: Cory Walker

I can’t tell if I’m excited or not for this storyline. On one hand it feels like it will be more or less just filler and a break for Ottley as he works on Haunt and future issues of Invincible. Though I look back at #55 last year and what a great read that was so I can’t help but be hopeful for something like that.

Last year when Omni-Man and Allen the Alien broke out it was a great read. Over the top violence along with just all around great character work. This time their taking center stage and I am very hopeful that it will be as good as last time. While I may not be too familiar with Walker’s art I know he did a good job on Destroyer so I figure he’ll do a good job here as well.

Spider-woman #1
Written: Brian Bendis
Art: Alex Maleev

I’m not actually buying this issue. When it was original solicited for April I was wanting to buy it but my anticipation has evaporated at this point. Mostly due to the lackluster Motion comic that I watched for free on Marvel’s website. I know this is a big team of Bendis and Maleev and I am happy that Spider-woman finally got her own series but if I do hear good things a bout it I will have to wait for the collection.

Week's End - September 19th 2009

Week’s end, oh my, it’s on time! How shocking. I could get used to this “keeping with a schedule” thing!

Comic of the Week: Streets of Gotham #4

A really tough call between this and Amazing Spider-man #605. Both where great reads but I’m giving it to Streets of Gotham for being a more unique read this week. This issue totally took me by surprise with what Dini was going to do and it worked out well. This was a simple but great issue that showed that Streets of Gotham is a unique and awesome comic that shouldn’t be missed.

Moment of the Week: Moon Knight can Surf!

Hard to beat surfing on a car through the streets. That girl looking at him impressed was icing on the awesome cake. I was considering picking up issue #1 because Moon Knight is a character that interests me and the art alone looks amazing but I decided not to. Regretting that decision as it turns out this could be one badass new ongoing I’m missing out on.

Cover of the Week: Merc with a Mouth #3 by Arthur Suydam

For those who never saw last year my list of my 25 favorite horror films then I’ll catch you up to speed that I love Dawn of the Dead. It’s an amazing sequel to an amazing film and one of the most timeless zombie stories ever. Seeing it get an homage here by the man who popularized Zombie Covers is just plain awesome in every way.

Character of the Week: Mary Jane

Not too say the Broker wasn’t a great new character but I think in terms of actions MJ was the best character of the week. Her flashbacks to her fights with Peter and all that great stuff but what really made it work was how Van Lente showed her. We got a strong smart MJ that isn’t afraid to kick ass and it was great.

Artist of the Week: Phillip Tan

Much as a lot of other people seem to dislike his style I really loved his art on this week’s issue of Batman and Robin. It was great stuff especially the way he draws Batman. What made it work best though had to be the awesome coloring. It works so well with the dark and moody art and it really is great stuff.

Comic Reviews for September 17th 2009

5 comics this week and a lot to write about. So forgive me for the delay. Also I got my copy of Batman: Mad Love and I’ve been reading it a lot today. I may have a Collection Spotlight in the near future for it. Now to this week’s comics!

The Amazing Spider-man #605
Written: Fred Van Lente and Brian Reed
Art: Javier Pulido, Luke Ross and Yanick Paquette

Opening Comments: Red Headed Stranger won me over back to Spider-man and it seems like the epilogue will be the story arcs best. With a dollar increase and 3 great stories it feels good to be a spider-fan again.

Story Comments: We have 3 chapters so I’ll tackle them each one at a time. Chapter 1 is my favorite as it shows us what MJ has been up to prior to Aunt May’s Wedding. Basically she gets in a mess when her prior boyfriend was using MGH and the dealer crashes a party to keep him quiet.

What works best is Van Lente’s handle on MJ as a character. We see flashbacks of her and Peter arguing about him being Spider-man and it’s all nice but what really makes it work for me is how he builds up this idea that MJ left Peter and that she had her own personal reasons rather then the devil made her do it.

I also liked the moment where MJ has a choice to save her loser boyfriend or not. She remembers one of her fights with Peter and it’s really a powerful emotional moment and I absolutely loved it. As a fan of both these characters it was amazingly well done.

This story has a great ending and all around it was my favorite and it impressed me with how Van Lente handled character work and the mild action. My only complaint for it was the villain Alice was very cheesy and dumb.

The 2nd story is basically a prelude to October’s story with Raptor along with Peter breaking up with Michelle. Not much I can say about it. Liked the throw about Peter wondering what’s up with Felicia since she comes back next time but not a lot to say. Damn fine ending though, I loved that part. It was great.

The 3rd story is great as it is full of great humor but still some action to keep things at a fun balance. Basically it’s Peter trying to find a new girl with Harry’s help and it’s absolutely hilarious. We get some Side Spider-man action but all around I absolutely loved the comedy here.

Spider-man is a character that can be balanced nicely with comedy and action so all 3 stories did an amazing job at that making this a solid and great read.

Art Comments: I was surprised at how much I loved the art this time around. Pulido was my favorite as his style feels similar to Marcos Martin while still being unique on it’s own. Though Ross did a great job as well and much to my surprise Paquette did an amazing job. This has to be the best I’ve seen from his art in a long while and it looks absolutely amazing.

Final Comments: A great read well worth the 3.99 price tag. Spider-man fans looking to finally enjoy Spider-man should not miss this great one-shot.

Writing: 5 out of 5
Art: 5 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5
Must Have

Batman and Robin #4
Written: Grant Morrison
Art: Phillip Tan

Opening Comments: After finally winning me over I was very excited to see what Morrison would do with this new arc. Even more I was excited to see Tan’s art that I was sure would be great. While the art is great the story is undeniably a bit of a step back from last issue.

Story Comments: This issue basically introduces us to Red Hood and Scarlet. An all right intro but we don’t get much else. If this wasn’t a 2.99 comic I’d probably be annoyed but it just fits the bill well enough to pass as far as the story is concerned in length.

Not too much to say as far as the story itself. Red Hood is up to crap and Batman and Robin show up at the end. Though I do have some major complaints with continuity.

Morrison seems to be ignoring Streets of Gotham pretty much totally with Lucius Fox complaining about Bruce Wayne missing still. Last time I checked “Bruce” has been rather busy as far as Streets of Gotham is concerned. Maybe this takes place before that issue of Streets of Gotham but I highly doubt.

It’s idiotic that Morrison thinks he can play in his own little world and not show respect for continuity so blatantly and act like there is no problem with it. It’s very frustrating and jarring for someone who is reading Streets of Gotham like myself.

Still the story was all right, good character work and all right action. I did feel it cut a little too close.

Art Comments: Can I ask everyone a very simple question, did Phillip Tan beat you all up when you where in elementary school so you just have a natural hate for his art? I have yet to see one positive remark about Phillip Tan’s amazing art on this issue. Sure it’s not perfect but…what the hell?

One thing I hear is that he’s following Frank Quitely. I find it sad when an artist’s quality is only compared to the guy he’s following. Maybe if his art here was bad I can understand the comparison but I find his art here works incredibly well and fits the book amazingly.

His art is dark and has a specific mood that hits home for a Batman comic. Also the detail is amazing and he balances a good handle on emotions with great action. So I see no reason for all the Tan hate. His art was beautiful and the coloring was just as great.

Final Comments: With some all right story and some amazing art I can give this a fair recommendation. Still a good chance to read this title if you aren’t.

Writing: 3 out of 5
Art: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Check It

Blackest Night #3
Written: Geoff Johns
Art: Ivan Reis

Opening Comments: After 2 solid issues I hate to say it but Blackest Night is spinning it’s wheels and I’m getting bored. We got some mild developments but me thinks this series is a little too long giving Johns an excuse to move at a snails pace.

Story Comments: Nothing. Happens. People Fight. People die. People come back from the grave. End of issue.

Now to be fair we do get a sliver of development that the Indigo Tribe has finally arrived. They explain some thing about the history of the universe and we do get a new insight into the Black Lanterns thankfully.

Still not much else I can really say. A lot of annoying walls of text and half of it being absolutely pointless and frustrating to have to read through. This easily could have been cut down as half of it is saying a lot with nothing.

My least favorite aspect though was the death of Gen, the girl who helps Jason turn in to Firestorm. I’m not too familiar with the characters so I can’t say I give a damn that she’s dead. But in the opening of this issue it’s revealed she wants to marry Jason. I called that she was going to die by the end of the issue and I was right.

Killing characters needlessly off is one thing. It seems to be all Blackest Night is doing after all. But giving me such a predictable death then trying to shock me and make me feel bad was just pathetic of Johns. Poor foreshadowing killed any emotional impact this may have had for me.

Overall this was still an okay issue though as far as the story is concerned. Solid action and at least half of it had some important moments so while it’s a big step down, it’s not too big a step.

Art Comments: Reis delivers strong work as always. Not much I can say. We get good detail and strong art.

Final Comments: Blackest Night is definitely faltering a bit and Johns is going to have to work fast to save this event from mediocrity.

Writing: 3 out of 5
Art: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Check It

Streets of Gotham #4
Written: Paul Dini
Art: Dustin Nguyen

Opening Comments: Oddly enough this issue has little to do with Zsasz despite him being on the over and seemingly about to fight Batman. Instead we talk about a completely new and oddly interesting character. Building this issue into a surprising gem of the week.

Story Comments: so the entire issue is about the Broker. A new guy who deals out old buildings and amusement park places to villains. He’s been doing so for years and just now do we finally see him. I don’t mind since he’s a great new addition.

This issue basically explains his “origin” and leads to him confronting Batman at the end. It’s all done incredibly well and paced nicely as well. I especially loved his narration and how he acts around Zsasz and how he insists not to ask what Zsasz is doing.

It’s an odd little story in that it lacks any major action and Batman himself only shows up for 2 or so pages but it works amazingly well and is a very effective story.

I loved a lot of the little moments but my favorite part had to be Robin sitting around reading a real estate book as a men bleeds just feet near him. It’s more subtle comedy in his reaction and it’s a great little moment.

All around though it was a great story with great little moments all through it.

Art comments: Nguyen has had a couple of issues the last few chapters of Streets of Gotham but this time he was solid. Not quite perfect spot on but the shading worked much better and this was great art.

Final Comments: If you’re not buying Streets of Gotham then do so soon. It’s the most unique of the Batman Reborn experiences and fans of Gotham should not miss out on this at all.

Writing: 5 out of 5
Art: 4 out of 5
Overall: 5 out of 5
Must Have

I’m going to do an Open Fire! Review on this week’s Mighty Avengers #29

Mighty Avengers #29
Written: Dan Slott
Art: Koi Pham

It’s bad. Very bad. Poor dialogue. Ugly as all hell art and a pace that makes me want to go and read Secret Invasion for a faster plotline. This book has devolved into mediocrity and I’m dying to drop it, but am going to try and stick to it a little longer.

Writing: 2 out of 5
Art: 1 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5
Pass It