Dread
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Part 2: Spider-Islanders & The Rest!
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #670: This is now the midway point of the SPIDER-ISLAND event within AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (not including crossover tie-in's in HERC or VENOM); the story itself is supposedly six chapters, with a prelude and an epilogue. As such, Dan Slott's script is very busy and has a lot of things to do, in regards to the general thrust of the story itself as well as setting up scenes to be played out in detail in the tie-in material. Spider-Man himself is barely in half of the 23 pages within this issue (and that's including a flashback). As the cover indicates, most of the plot of this issue embellishes on the fact that mayor J. Jonah Jameson is now one of the countless New Yorkers who has gained Spider-Man-like powers. Thus, he gets to have a team-up with the web-slinger which is as amusing as it sounds. However, the situation by the Jackal and the Queen has reached a critical juncture; those who have been altered by their plot are no longer simply budding spider-powers, but are becoming giant spiders that are now under the Queen's control. The Queen herself lays out a couple pages of exposition which recap her origin from 2004 as well as confirming where her minion Spider-King came from. The series also continues along with Mr. Fantastic and the Horizon Lab staff's attempt to come up with a cure for the "infestation", while Anti-Venom finds himself finally being embraced as a hero by the populace - and taken seriously by other heroes - because he can cure those infected with his own powers. The ending of the issue brings back elements revolving around the SPIDER-SLAYER arc that was Dan Slott's second as he went on his "BIG TIME" push on ASM. Thus, long term readers are rewarded with a "mini event" which also settles long term subplots from last year. Humberto Ramos continues on regular art chores, and between Anti-Venom, regular Venom (who guest stars here), and various Spider-Monsters, he gets oodles to play with. Ramos has always been better with characters who are less human looking, and thus monstrous types allow him to go wild. Highlights include Slott using clever use of continuity with Alicia Masters, as well as the subplot with MJ reaching an inevitable conclusion. This isn't the best issue of the arc, but it still a riveting and suspenseful segment of one of the biggest Spider-Man stories in years. While the climax is telegraphed a little bit here, subsequent issues should provide far more bang.
ANNIHILATORS: EARTHFALL: The previous ANNIHILATORS mini series by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Tan Eng Huat was fine, but was a dip in quality from THANOS IMPERATIVE as well as NOVA and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Why? Perhaps much like with WAR OF KINGS or ANNIHILATION CONQUEST, they struggle with certain lead characters over others, who feel more natural to them. However, this issue seemed to flow a bit better. I am not usually a fan of Huat's artwork, but it was quite good here. And the fact that Silver Surfer is gone from the roster of Annihilators meant a cast with one less member who speaks in stiff dialogue, and I think that helped with the banter - especially since Gladiator's hardly a snarker, either. The Annihilators are taking on the Universal Church for Truth again, who haven't closed up shop despite their god Magus supposedly being dead - which in itself is a clue. Everything is going routinely until Cosmo detects an apparently doomsday fall-back plan that has been set up via a branch of the church on Earth (Colorado to be specific). They beam in and start punching out alien impostors, but are then suckered by them into what looks to be a generic "misunderstanding battle" with the Avengers which should fill most of the next issue.
The interesting point comes up when Ikon mentions that Quasar is more concerned about collateral damage on worlds that aren't his own. Quasar doesn't hesitate in the battle, but it is nice to notice how it's difficult to be hypocritical in regards to one's own planet. The negative point comes from neither Quasar or Beta Ray Bill seeming aware of the possibility of being suckered into being confused for invaders. I do wonder what excuse will be taken for why Cosmo can't simply psychically beam the data the Annihilators know into the Avengers' heads in five seconds.
There is a 5 page Rocket & Groot back up strip by the same writers and Timothy Green II, in which they get into a bar fight with the Badoon that turns out to be a plot by Mojo for ratings. As usual, the tone is fun and the idea of Mojo as a villain for them is cool. For the record, with this back-up, the reader gets 25 story pages for $3.99. I had hoped that whenever Nova comes back to life, it would be DnA that do it, but POINT ONE #1 shows that such a thing may be handled by others. It will be good, however, if the POINT ONE story merely is used to promote the next DnA space comic, so it'll maybe sell some more copies. As for the ANNIHILATORS, it's a solid idea, but most of the cast usually are difficult to portray as characters like GOTG were, at least for DnA.
AVENGERS ACADEMY #19: Two weeks late, but better than never, this issue concludes the five issue crossover tie in with FEAR ITSELF. As the lowest selling of the four Avengers titles, AVENGERS ACADEMY needed the potential sales boost from this crossover the most. It did see a modest one, but perhaps not to what editorial wanted. The bigger story is that crossover tie-in's have ceased to boost sales for most Marvel titles for the past two years - mostly because retailers and readers have caught on that little of consequence to the event itself happens in said tie-in's. And in terms of FEAR ITSELF, nothing in these five issues has vastly mattered to the plot. However, writer Christos Gage is too wise to make such issues feel meaningless. A pro with handling crossover tie-in's from his years writing and co-writing AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE, Gage knows to continue to focus the story on advancing characters and long term subplots. That is exactly what happens here. The cadets face their darkest hour, they are forced to come up with the better of several terrible solutions to their problem, and at the end, one of them can no longer handle the strain.
Tom Raney returns on art, and is up to his usual high form alongside Scott Hanna on inks and Jeromy Cox on colors. He gets a lot of action as well as emotional beats to play with, as well as far-out locations from the Infinite Mansion to the Microverse to an aircraft carrier. This is also the first issue in a while in which the entire team - aside for Jocasta and Speedball, who are busy in FEAR ITSELF: THE HOME FRONT - assemble. Virtually every character gets a moment to shine, or at least a couple of good lines. Finesse continues on her path to seeming like more than a standard "emotionless" character, which is good; the issue also focuses on it's two couples heavily. The adult Avengers save the day to a degree, but by this point the reader is not disappointed, because they don't want anyone to die. If there is one major downer to the plot, it is that neither of the two "Worthy" villains here - Absorbing Man and Titania - can be defeated because they are required by contractual obligation to appear in FEAR ITSELF #7; they all bit literally say that in dialogue. Thus, one can see why the tie-in's didn't attract much fire; Marvel made a beat deal about "The Worthy" fighting other heroes in other books, but a battle in which a conclusion cannot be reached is aimless - just look at America's wars in the Middle East. Still, Gage has used this arc to put his young heroes through the worst situation they'd ever been in - which itself was a challenge - and see who rose to the challenge and who crumbled.
It is difficult to review this comic without giving away a spoiler, but here goes. One of the cadets leaves the team; not to death, but due to no longer believing in the cause. Without giving much away, it is one of the female members and it isn't Finesse. It is a character that has been predicted as leaving several times in this column in reaction to news stories (such as two weeks ago:http://www.examiner.com/comic-books...1-cable-returns-again-x-23-joins-academy-more). According to solicitations, X-23 will replace this cadet, and according to the letter column, some of the teachers may also leave. The book will see a change of scenery, and thus this arc was hardly a waste of time. In fairness, at least one of the cadets had to wash out and possibly meet a dark path; if not, the Avengers' premise of wishing to prevent these kids from becoming menaces would have seemed paranoid. It will be interesting to see if the corporate antagonists Jeremy Briggs from the 14.1 issue will become involved in this subplot.
As always, AVENGERS ACADEMY is the top of the heap due to several things that are usually always consistent in every issue. There is great art, a lot of action, good dialogue and solid characterization with both old and new characters. It's the most underappreciated Avengers title and it's a pleasure to read every month.
HERC #8: A dead book walking, this issue completes the two-part crossover with SPIDER-ISLAND, which was on the heels of a very loose 3-4 part crossover with FEAR ITSELF. The book will end with issue ten. Even including the .1 issue, that will have meant that roughly half this series needed some crossover series banner on the cover, or at least Marvel thought it did. There is no telling if HERC would have lasted longer without it; Marvel have seen plenty of past ongoing series be canceled before issue ten…or even issue seven. It is still unknown if HERC #10 will be the end of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente’s critically acclaimed run on the Hercules franchise; one that began by taking over INCREDIBLE HULK and then carried on with several mini-series before HERC began. Marvel have been as persistent about this run as they have about keeping Black Panther and Moon Knight in print lately, but on the other hand, editorial patience with Jeff Parker’s AGENTS OF ATLAS eventually wore thin. At any rate, the final issues before a cancellation can often be vibrant deck clearing exercises where anything can happen.
These two issues have featured guest artwork by June Brigman, of POWER PACK and BRENDA STAR fame, and it has been more enjoyable to read than Neil Edward’s style has been. The arc has focused on Herc being bitten by one of the genetic super-spiders created by the Jackal and becoming a pawn of the Queen who seeks to control all of Manhattan. To that end he is fighting the X-Men as they attempt to help Horizon Labs to set up some machines to prevent infected Manhattanites. At the same time, what is apparently the African spider-god Anansi (or his agent) has manipulated Herc while the Greek spider-goddess, Arachne, comes into the fore for the first time in years. Half the issue is Spider-Herc vs. the X-Men and the other half has him mutate into a tarantula-man, and such a thing actually not being treated with angst. This issue has a lot of action and amusing one-liners, which was what INCREDIBLE HERCULES did so well. While I have liked HERC overall, I do admit the return to that style is naturally welcome to more straight-forward angst. The finale introduces Elektra as a guest character for the final two-part story of the series, which does make sense. She hails from Greece, so it would make perfect sense that the Greek gods via their “Olympus Group” company would hire her out for mercenary work. At the very least, a thorax doesn’t get in the way of Herc’s mojo with the ladies.
Crossover tie-in arcs can often be a mixed bag between obligation and boredom, but HERC managed to actually make an amusing romp out of it. Hopefully the series’ final two issues will prove to have been as entertaining as these SPIDER-HERC issues have been. Khoi Pham, who drew the opening arc of INCREDIBLE HERCULES as well as CHAOS WAR, will return to the series for issue nine, which should be a solid reunion of talent.
SPIDER-ISLAND: CLOAK & DAGGER #2: This came out last week, but there was a hiccup in shipping it to my LCS, so I got it this week. Despite the title, this is really a general CLOAK & DAGGER mini series with Spider-Island existing in the background just to provide most of the generic action sequences. Dagger's roommate transforming into a spider-monster as she types a term paper is hilarious, but Nick Spencer could have replaced that with, say, the chap turning into a werewolf or a gamma-monster and the scene wouldn't have been much different. And that's fine; he and artist Emma Rios have their own story to tell, and waste no bones getting there.
The sequence of this story is altered between past and present, likely to try to make the story seem longer than it is. Last issue, Mr. Negative learned from a seemingly infallible seer that Dagger is supposed to kill him. To this end, he sets about to capture her and Cloak. The oddity is rather than simply kill them - which he could easily - he seems to either want to see if Dagger is "honorable" enough to be the one to slay him, or if he can basically replace Cloak in her life as her "dark powered boyfriend". While Spencer has a terrific flare for dialogue here, Rios' artwork (along with Javier Rodiguez's colors) really steal the show here. Combined, of course, this is a total package. The fascination Mr. Negative has with Dagger is a bit strange, but villains have been going to absurd lengths to avoid killing the hero in Act 2 since fiction started. To be fair, now that Mr. Negative has to be a mobster full time since his political alter ego has become useless weight, having someone like Dagger at his side besides his nameless henchmen would be a tactical boon. He also has likely been psychologically messed up from being exposed and suicidal thoughts are there.
Frankly, I'd have been happier to see THIS creative run retroactively made an ongoing than ALPHA FLIGHT to a degree, if only because I want to see more than three issues by this team. I'm looking forward to the conclusion, and am glad I bought this on a whim.
SPIDER-ISLAND: DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG-FU #2: This, on the other hand, I'm not really thrilled with, but because it's only three issues, I'll see it through. Perhaps the lesson is to avoid buying a book for the supporting cast rather than the star. That isn't to say that Antony Johnston has written a poor script, or that the art by Sebastian Fiumara and Leandro Ferandez (with inks by John Lucas and colors by Dan Brown) isn't good. In fact, I like that Johnston has remembered things like Shang Chi's cat and record collection or had Silver Sable get a cameo. I suppose my dilemma here is that this comic is "alright" in an era where every comic dollar seems to be scrutinized. Thankfully, the standard cover price and the short arc length will keep me aboard.
Sable saved Chi from the end of the last issue, and he sets out to use his new spider-powered kung-fu to rescue Iron Fist and the other Immortal Weapons from Bride Of Nine Spiders, who has betrayed, attacked, and captured them. Yet she herself does not enjoy these feats, and her angst hits Chi in dreams. One could argue strange dreams being used to move the plot is also as old as time. We learn that the Bride is being controlled by the Queen as well as Ai Apaec, a man-spider villain from the recent OSBORN series this year. It seems SPIDER-ISLAND has been an excuse to do a lot of stories around other spider or bug themed characters. Given that new villains usually fade into obscurity, it isn't a bad idea to reuse him here. The final page does look cool, even if readers of ASM may know it won't end well.
This is more of an IMMORTAL WEAPONS saga than it is a Shang Chi story, which makes it odd that he's the star. Iron Fist, after all, did have an ongoing series that ran 27 issues fairly recently. You could combine a few of Marvel's canceled series and STILL not get 27 issues (and an annual or so). Chi isn't a bad character, but I often find him boring, and his POV really seems to exist because somebody has to be the lead character and go through certain motions. Still, I can imagine this series being more amusing as an POWER MAN & IRON FIST thing than with Shang Chi. Overall, this has been a fine romp, but less enjoyable than some other spare SPIDER-ISLAND material out there.
VENOM #7: As the first successful spin off of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN in years, it makes sense that VENOM would be included as part of the SPIDER-ISLAND crossover. Unlike the crossover tie-in's from FEAR ITSELF, where things that happen in the tie-in's don't matter to the bigger "event", VENOM has proven to be rather key to SPIDER-ISLAND. Specifically, the identity of the Spider-King minion was revealed last month in VENOM #6, while those who skipped that had to wait until ASM #670. Much like Christos Gage, writer Rick Remender manages to keep his story about his main characters and general subplot so that it feels like an organic chunk of story overall. Artist Tom Fowler is in the rotation this round (he and Tony Moore are rotating artists), with John Rauch on colors. Despite the fact that there's this entire plot about Spider-Monsters plaguing Manhattan, the issue focuses on Flash Thompson and his struggle as the military's latest Venom. Infiltrating the enemy via the alien symbiote's camouflage powers, Venom has learned that Eddie Brock - the former host of the symbiote now called Anti-Venom - has the cure to the infestation. He is tasked with bringing Brock in alive, but Flash's alien once again reacts in ways that Flash cannot predict. Meanwhile, Flash's abusive, alcoholic father is dying in the background from liver cancer and he has to decide whether to weep or cheer. The Venom vs. Anti-Venom fight was something that was inevitable and is thrilling to see as drawn by Fowler, but as always, Thompson remains the centerpiece of this series. Remender's success with this series is in establishing Thompson as a viable and interesting lead hero after decades of being a supporting character to another hero. Future issues, according to solicitations, promise more involvement by Brock, and this issue sets that dynamic up brilliantly. This is a book with a bright future ahead of it with a lot of potential, and it's fitting that this incarnation of Venom has been the most popular (in terms of sales) since the 90's. It happens to be the best written incarnation of the franchise in years, with a brilliant premise and a deeply interesting main character. If VENOM manages to become a clever legacy hero series like IRON FIST, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and GHOST RIDER have become, then so be it. Whether due to a crossover or through positive word of mouth, this is one bit of VENOM that shouldn't be skipped.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #670: This is now the midway point of the SPIDER-ISLAND event within AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (not including crossover tie-in's in HERC or VENOM); the story itself is supposedly six chapters, with a prelude and an epilogue. As such, Dan Slott's script is very busy and has a lot of things to do, in regards to the general thrust of the story itself as well as setting up scenes to be played out in detail in the tie-in material. Spider-Man himself is barely in half of the 23 pages within this issue (and that's including a flashback). As the cover indicates, most of the plot of this issue embellishes on the fact that mayor J. Jonah Jameson is now one of the countless New Yorkers who has gained Spider-Man-like powers. Thus, he gets to have a team-up with the web-slinger which is as amusing as it sounds. However, the situation by the Jackal and the Queen has reached a critical juncture; those who have been altered by their plot are no longer simply budding spider-powers, but are becoming giant spiders that are now under the Queen's control. The Queen herself lays out a couple pages of exposition which recap her origin from 2004 as well as confirming where her minion Spider-King came from. The series also continues along with Mr. Fantastic and the Horizon Lab staff's attempt to come up with a cure for the "infestation", while Anti-Venom finds himself finally being embraced as a hero by the populace - and taken seriously by other heroes - because he can cure those infected with his own powers. The ending of the issue brings back elements revolving around the SPIDER-SLAYER arc that was Dan Slott's second as he went on his "BIG TIME" push on ASM. Thus, long term readers are rewarded with a "mini event" which also settles long term subplots from last year. Humberto Ramos continues on regular art chores, and between Anti-Venom, regular Venom (who guest stars here), and various Spider-Monsters, he gets oodles to play with. Ramos has always been better with characters who are less human looking, and thus monstrous types allow him to go wild. Highlights include Slott using clever use of continuity with Alicia Masters, as well as the subplot with MJ reaching an inevitable conclusion. This isn't the best issue of the arc, but it still a riveting and suspenseful segment of one of the biggest Spider-Man stories in years. While the climax is telegraphed a little bit here, subsequent issues should provide far more bang.
ANNIHILATORS: EARTHFALL: The previous ANNIHILATORS mini series by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, and Tan Eng Huat was fine, but was a dip in quality from THANOS IMPERATIVE as well as NOVA and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Why? Perhaps much like with WAR OF KINGS or ANNIHILATION CONQUEST, they struggle with certain lead characters over others, who feel more natural to them. However, this issue seemed to flow a bit better. I am not usually a fan of Huat's artwork, but it was quite good here. And the fact that Silver Surfer is gone from the roster of Annihilators meant a cast with one less member who speaks in stiff dialogue, and I think that helped with the banter - especially since Gladiator's hardly a snarker, either. The Annihilators are taking on the Universal Church for Truth again, who haven't closed up shop despite their god Magus supposedly being dead - which in itself is a clue. Everything is going routinely until Cosmo detects an apparently doomsday fall-back plan that has been set up via a branch of the church on Earth (Colorado to be specific). They beam in and start punching out alien impostors, but are then suckered by them into what looks to be a generic "misunderstanding battle" with the Avengers which should fill most of the next issue.
The interesting point comes up when Ikon mentions that Quasar is more concerned about collateral damage on worlds that aren't his own. Quasar doesn't hesitate in the battle, but it is nice to notice how it's difficult to be hypocritical in regards to one's own planet. The negative point comes from neither Quasar or Beta Ray Bill seeming aware of the possibility of being suckered into being confused for invaders. I do wonder what excuse will be taken for why Cosmo can't simply psychically beam the data the Annihilators know into the Avengers' heads in five seconds.
There is a 5 page Rocket & Groot back up strip by the same writers and Timothy Green II, in which they get into a bar fight with the Badoon that turns out to be a plot by Mojo for ratings. As usual, the tone is fun and the idea of Mojo as a villain for them is cool. For the record, with this back-up, the reader gets 25 story pages for $3.99. I had hoped that whenever Nova comes back to life, it would be DnA that do it, but POINT ONE #1 shows that such a thing may be handled by others. It will be good, however, if the POINT ONE story merely is used to promote the next DnA space comic, so it'll maybe sell some more copies. As for the ANNIHILATORS, it's a solid idea, but most of the cast usually are difficult to portray as characters like GOTG were, at least for DnA.
AVENGERS ACADEMY #19: Two weeks late, but better than never, this issue concludes the five issue crossover tie in with FEAR ITSELF. As the lowest selling of the four Avengers titles, AVENGERS ACADEMY needed the potential sales boost from this crossover the most. It did see a modest one, but perhaps not to what editorial wanted. The bigger story is that crossover tie-in's have ceased to boost sales for most Marvel titles for the past two years - mostly because retailers and readers have caught on that little of consequence to the event itself happens in said tie-in's. And in terms of FEAR ITSELF, nothing in these five issues has vastly mattered to the plot. However, writer Christos Gage is too wise to make such issues feel meaningless. A pro with handling crossover tie-in's from his years writing and co-writing AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE, Gage knows to continue to focus the story on advancing characters and long term subplots. That is exactly what happens here. The cadets face their darkest hour, they are forced to come up with the better of several terrible solutions to their problem, and at the end, one of them can no longer handle the strain.
Tom Raney returns on art, and is up to his usual high form alongside Scott Hanna on inks and Jeromy Cox on colors. He gets a lot of action as well as emotional beats to play with, as well as far-out locations from the Infinite Mansion to the Microverse to an aircraft carrier. This is also the first issue in a while in which the entire team - aside for Jocasta and Speedball, who are busy in FEAR ITSELF: THE HOME FRONT - assemble. Virtually every character gets a moment to shine, or at least a couple of good lines. Finesse continues on her path to seeming like more than a standard "emotionless" character, which is good; the issue also focuses on it's two couples heavily. The adult Avengers save the day to a degree, but by this point the reader is not disappointed, because they don't want anyone to die. If there is one major downer to the plot, it is that neither of the two "Worthy" villains here - Absorbing Man and Titania - can be defeated because they are required by contractual obligation to appear in FEAR ITSELF #7; they all bit literally say that in dialogue. Thus, one can see why the tie-in's didn't attract much fire; Marvel made a beat deal about "The Worthy" fighting other heroes in other books, but a battle in which a conclusion cannot be reached is aimless - just look at America's wars in the Middle East. Still, Gage has used this arc to put his young heroes through the worst situation they'd ever been in - which itself was a challenge - and see who rose to the challenge and who crumbled.
It is difficult to review this comic without giving away a spoiler, but here goes. One of the cadets leaves the team; not to death, but due to no longer believing in the cause. Without giving much away, it is one of the female members and it isn't Finesse. It is a character that has been predicted as leaving several times in this column in reaction to news stories (such as two weeks ago:http://www.examiner.com/comic-books...1-cable-returns-again-x-23-joins-academy-more). According to solicitations, X-23 will replace this cadet, and according to the letter column, some of the teachers may also leave. The book will see a change of scenery, and thus this arc was hardly a waste of time. In fairness, at least one of the cadets had to wash out and possibly meet a dark path; if not, the Avengers' premise of wishing to prevent these kids from becoming menaces would have seemed paranoid. It will be interesting to see if the corporate antagonists Jeremy Briggs from the 14.1 issue will become involved in this subplot.
As always, AVENGERS ACADEMY is the top of the heap due to several things that are usually always consistent in every issue. There is great art, a lot of action, good dialogue and solid characterization with both old and new characters. It's the most underappreciated Avengers title and it's a pleasure to read every month.
HERC #8: A dead book walking, this issue completes the two-part crossover with SPIDER-ISLAND, which was on the heels of a very loose 3-4 part crossover with FEAR ITSELF. The book will end with issue ten. Even including the .1 issue, that will have meant that roughly half this series needed some crossover series banner on the cover, or at least Marvel thought it did. There is no telling if HERC would have lasted longer without it; Marvel have seen plenty of past ongoing series be canceled before issue ten…or even issue seven. It is still unknown if HERC #10 will be the end of Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente’s critically acclaimed run on the Hercules franchise; one that began by taking over INCREDIBLE HULK and then carried on with several mini-series before HERC began. Marvel have been as persistent about this run as they have about keeping Black Panther and Moon Knight in print lately, but on the other hand, editorial patience with Jeff Parker’s AGENTS OF ATLAS eventually wore thin. At any rate, the final issues before a cancellation can often be vibrant deck clearing exercises where anything can happen.
These two issues have featured guest artwork by June Brigman, of POWER PACK and BRENDA STAR fame, and it has been more enjoyable to read than Neil Edward’s style has been. The arc has focused on Herc being bitten by one of the genetic super-spiders created by the Jackal and becoming a pawn of the Queen who seeks to control all of Manhattan. To that end he is fighting the X-Men as they attempt to help Horizon Labs to set up some machines to prevent infected Manhattanites. At the same time, what is apparently the African spider-god Anansi (or his agent) has manipulated Herc while the Greek spider-goddess, Arachne, comes into the fore for the first time in years. Half the issue is Spider-Herc vs. the X-Men and the other half has him mutate into a tarantula-man, and such a thing actually not being treated with angst. This issue has a lot of action and amusing one-liners, which was what INCREDIBLE HERCULES did so well. While I have liked HERC overall, I do admit the return to that style is naturally welcome to more straight-forward angst. The finale introduces Elektra as a guest character for the final two-part story of the series, which does make sense. She hails from Greece, so it would make perfect sense that the Greek gods via their “Olympus Group” company would hire her out for mercenary work. At the very least, a thorax doesn’t get in the way of Herc’s mojo with the ladies.
Crossover tie-in arcs can often be a mixed bag between obligation and boredom, but HERC managed to actually make an amusing romp out of it. Hopefully the series’ final two issues will prove to have been as entertaining as these SPIDER-HERC issues have been. Khoi Pham, who drew the opening arc of INCREDIBLE HERCULES as well as CHAOS WAR, will return to the series for issue nine, which should be a solid reunion of talent.
SPIDER-ISLAND: CLOAK & DAGGER #2: This came out last week, but there was a hiccup in shipping it to my LCS, so I got it this week. Despite the title, this is really a general CLOAK & DAGGER mini series with Spider-Island existing in the background just to provide most of the generic action sequences. Dagger's roommate transforming into a spider-monster as she types a term paper is hilarious, but Nick Spencer could have replaced that with, say, the chap turning into a werewolf or a gamma-monster and the scene wouldn't have been much different. And that's fine; he and artist Emma Rios have their own story to tell, and waste no bones getting there.
The sequence of this story is altered between past and present, likely to try to make the story seem longer than it is. Last issue, Mr. Negative learned from a seemingly infallible seer that Dagger is supposed to kill him. To this end, he sets about to capture her and Cloak. The oddity is rather than simply kill them - which he could easily - he seems to either want to see if Dagger is "honorable" enough to be the one to slay him, or if he can basically replace Cloak in her life as her "dark powered boyfriend". While Spencer has a terrific flare for dialogue here, Rios' artwork (along with Javier Rodiguez's colors) really steal the show here. Combined, of course, this is a total package. The fascination Mr. Negative has with Dagger is a bit strange, but villains have been going to absurd lengths to avoid killing the hero in Act 2 since fiction started. To be fair, now that Mr. Negative has to be a mobster full time since his political alter ego has become useless weight, having someone like Dagger at his side besides his nameless henchmen would be a tactical boon. He also has likely been psychologically messed up from being exposed and suicidal thoughts are there.
Frankly, I'd have been happier to see THIS creative run retroactively made an ongoing than ALPHA FLIGHT to a degree, if only because I want to see more than three issues by this team. I'm looking forward to the conclusion, and am glad I bought this on a whim.
SPIDER-ISLAND: DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG-FU #2: This, on the other hand, I'm not really thrilled with, but because it's only three issues, I'll see it through. Perhaps the lesson is to avoid buying a book for the supporting cast rather than the star. That isn't to say that Antony Johnston has written a poor script, or that the art by Sebastian Fiumara and Leandro Ferandez (with inks by John Lucas and colors by Dan Brown) isn't good. In fact, I like that Johnston has remembered things like Shang Chi's cat and record collection or had Silver Sable get a cameo. I suppose my dilemma here is that this comic is "alright" in an era where every comic dollar seems to be scrutinized. Thankfully, the standard cover price and the short arc length will keep me aboard.
Sable saved Chi from the end of the last issue, and he sets out to use his new spider-powered kung-fu to rescue Iron Fist and the other Immortal Weapons from Bride Of Nine Spiders, who has betrayed, attacked, and captured them. Yet she herself does not enjoy these feats, and her angst hits Chi in dreams. One could argue strange dreams being used to move the plot is also as old as time. We learn that the Bride is being controlled by the Queen as well as Ai Apaec, a man-spider villain from the recent OSBORN series this year. It seems SPIDER-ISLAND has been an excuse to do a lot of stories around other spider or bug themed characters. Given that new villains usually fade into obscurity, it isn't a bad idea to reuse him here. The final page does look cool, even if readers of ASM may know it won't end well.
This is more of an IMMORTAL WEAPONS saga than it is a Shang Chi story, which makes it odd that he's the star. Iron Fist, after all, did have an ongoing series that ran 27 issues fairly recently. You could combine a few of Marvel's canceled series and STILL not get 27 issues (and an annual or so). Chi isn't a bad character, but I often find him boring, and his POV really seems to exist because somebody has to be the lead character and go through certain motions. Still, I can imagine this series being more amusing as an POWER MAN & IRON FIST thing than with Shang Chi. Overall, this has been a fine romp, but less enjoyable than some other spare SPIDER-ISLAND material out there.
VENOM #7: As the first successful spin off of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN in years, it makes sense that VENOM would be included as part of the SPIDER-ISLAND crossover. Unlike the crossover tie-in's from FEAR ITSELF, where things that happen in the tie-in's don't matter to the bigger "event", VENOM has proven to be rather key to SPIDER-ISLAND. Specifically, the identity of the Spider-King minion was revealed last month in VENOM #6, while those who skipped that had to wait until ASM #670. Much like Christos Gage, writer Rick Remender manages to keep his story about his main characters and general subplot so that it feels like an organic chunk of story overall. Artist Tom Fowler is in the rotation this round (he and Tony Moore are rotating artists), with John Rauch on colors. Despite the fact that there's this entire plot about Spider-Monsters plaguing Manhattan, the issue focuses on Flash Thompson and his struggle as the military's latest Venom. Infiltrating the enemy via the alien symbiote's camouflage powers, Venom has learned that Eddie Brock - the former host of the symbiote now called Anti-Venom - has the cure to the infestation. He is tasked with bringing Brock in alive, but Flash's alien once again reacts in ways that Flash cannot predict. Meanwhile, Flash's abusive, alcoholic father is dying in the background from liver cancer and he has to decide whether to weep or cheer. The Venom vs. Anti-Venom fight was something that was inevitable and is thrilling to see as drawn by Fowler, but as always, Thompson remains the centerpiece of this series. Remender's success with this series is in establishing Thompson as a viable and interesting lead hero after decades of being a supporting character to another hero. Future issues, according to solicitations, promise more involvement by Brock, and this issue sets that dynamic up brilliantly. This is a book with a bright future ahead of it with a lot of potential, and it's fitting that this incarnation of Venom has been the most popular (in terms of sales) since the 90's. It happens to be the best written incarnation of the franchise in years, with a brilliant premise and a deeply interesting main character. If VENOM manages to become a clever legacy hero series like IRON FIST, CAPTAIN AMERICA, and GHOST RIDER have become, then so be it. Whether due to a crossover or through positive word of mouth, this is one bit of VENOM that shouldn't be skipped.
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