Marvel 2010 Year In Review

[Phaedrus45]

I debated doing this again; and, for some unknown reason, I thought I'd take another stab at it. So, for the second year in a row (and, third time overall), I bring you Marvel's Year In Review, bringing EVERY new Marvel comic that came out, a brief description of what happen, and very likely my own personal opinion of it. Be warned...my opinions might not reflect yours; but, feel free to leave your own viewpoints on whatever I talk about. (Just wait until a comic is discussed before leaving remarks.)

This takes me a while...so, please be patient. Also, as I read too many comics every year, some of these I hardly remember. (And, one comic I have to research; because, I'm not sure if it ever landed in my inbox.) I will not review any of Marvel's reprint magazines, trades, or anything that wasn't new. (There might be a few exceptions when it comes to single issues.) Plus, every once in a while, I miss something...or, I might have my numbering wrong if a particular issue wasn't ever released. (For example, I have to see what the last issue of Ultimate Comics X was. We were suppose to have five issues this year; but, I only remember three or four.)

 

[Phaedrus45]

Let's start things out real easy.

Marvel's $1.00 comics

Following the popularity of DC's "What’s Next" Dollar Comics, which reprinted popular first issues of some trade paperbacks, Marvel and two other independant companies followed suit. Marvel released Invincible Iron Man #1, Thor #1, Punisher Max #1, Wonderful Wizard Of Oz #1, Captain America #1, Wolverine #66, Hulk #1, Civil War #1, New Avengers #1, Alias #1, Marvel Zombies #1, Agents Of Atlas #1, 1602 #1, Amazing Spider-Man #546, Deadpool #1, New X-Men #114, and Daredevil #26.

It was a great deal for new comic fans, and one that I supported whole-heartily, even though I owned all the comics that they reprinted. Most of those comics, I completely understand reprinting. The one that sticks out the most (and, possibly the least in demand) would be Agents Of Atlas. But, Marvel really promoted the heck out of Agents for some reason, a book that had a small, loyal following. (And, thinking about it, possibly one of the dollar comics that most Marvel fans might not have read before.)

For me, I loved the dollar comics from the other companies, namely Image and Dark Horse. I hadn't read many of those before, and found it interesting to see what all the hype was about. (For example, I never read a single issue of The Goon or Hellboy, and thought Dark Horse was smart to reprint those first issues.)

Marvel Noir

Begun the year previous, this idea by Marvel, "replac[ing] super powers with driven, noir-flavored characterization" of popular comics, finally fizzled and came to a quick conclusion in 2010.

Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without A Face #2-4

Set in 1934's New York City, Peter finds himself facing off against a new Crime Master while dealing with the rise of the Nazis in Germany. We meet Noir Doc Ock, and by issue's end, he's sent packing back to Germany. (Most interesting, the Nazis reject Doc Ock, because his crippled form does not meet the high standards they have of an ideal German citizen.)

This mini picked up where the last left off, and we got to see some significant changes in Peter's life and those of his friends. (Black Cat's face was maimed, and now she wears a mask to hide her hideous features.) This Peter, like classic 616, is distraught over how nothing in his life ever goes as planned, and he feels as if he's losing everyone and everything he holds dear to his heart. This might be the best offering from Marvel's Noir line, and the character even shows up in 2010's Spider-Man video game.

X-Men: Mark Of Cain #2-4

This is the most confusing of all the Noir titles. Most interesting, none of these X-Men have any superpowers; but, to me, they have almost zero redeeming qualities or likeablility. The premise of this mini is that many people are after Cain's gem...but, by the final issue, we learn it's nothing but a glass gem, containing no powers or worth (much like these X-Men). This series would have been better off featuring just a few of the main characters; but, we get so many introduced, readers just come away as confused on what the heck is going on. This is the worst of Marvel's Noir, which is too bad. I'm sure it's also the book that most would gravitate to the most...which might also indicate why the line died so quickly.

Weapon X Noir One-Shot

Billed as "spinning from the pages of X-Men Noir: Mark Of Cain," thankfully, this book really had nothing to do with the other. It's a better formula, as we follow one character, Weapon X, throughout this adventure. (This Weapon X is not Logan, btw.) The story was enjoyable enough; but, also, quickly forgettable.

Iron Man Noir #1-4

The final Noir title, it started out pretty fantastic, seeing Tony Stark as more of an Indiana Jones-type hero for the first couple issues (like with Indi, Tony's main nemesis are the Nazis); but, I found myself more bored when he finally dons his classic grey armor. Still, of all the minis, this might have been my favorite; but, it was too little, too late for the Noir line of books. That said...I don't believe we actually saw the last Noir title Marvel had to offer. Simply put, I think by the end of the year, they renamed it..in hopes to sell a few more books.

Deadpool Pulp #1-4

Yep, don't let the name fool you. This is essentially Marvel Noir, just set a little bit further in most of the previous title's future. In this, we see Wade Wilson as "an ex-WWII POW who was tortured into insanity and now serves his country by killing." Some parts of this comic work; but, too often, they try to introduce classic 616 characters that take the reader out of the story, like Cable and Stryfe, and we end up suffering the same fate at X-Men Noir: Too many characters! Where Iron Man Noir kept things pretty simplistic, this book tries to be too cute with those classic names, and suffers from it. By issue's end, though, Wade's body is maimed, and he agrees to go into the Weapon X program.


No matter what name you call it, Noir or Pulp, this genre of comics is another that should just be buried with Marvel's 1602 line of books. There has been no demand, before or after they've come out. And, while I support Marvel trying new things, it's too bad they couldn't lend that support to books that are actually quite good but getting no support.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Coming (hopefully) later today: Ultimate Marvel and Spider-Man comics. For now, though, I have to pick up my daughter...and, then, take her to Yogi Bear.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Ultimate Comics- Pt. 1

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #6-15, 150-151

We're a good year removed from Ultimatum, and Bendis' USM kept things interesting for readers of the Ultimate line of books. May Parker's house was turned into a boarding house for many of Peter's friends, as issue #6 wrapped up the Mysterio storyline; and, old friends became bitter enemies. (Namely, Kitty Pryde, who is revealed to be The Shroud in that same issue.) What Bendis fails to do in his other books, he succeeds marvelously with UCS-M. (Namely, stories that are character-driven.)

Issues 7 and 8 are a bit forgettable, as Rick Jones is introduced as a new hero; but things quickly pick up again in issues 9-11, as Bendis focuses heavily on his teenage cast, bringing back Spider-Woman (did she make out with Johnny Storm?) and having Kitty Pryde turn into a fugitive after she's attacked at the school. With issues 12-14, The Cameleon's storyline sees Peter's world totally destroyed, as his personal life is taken over by the male Cameleon. (Very, very similiar to a recent ASM storyline.) In effect, his love life with Gwen comes to an end...but, a spark is brought back with MJ.

In the Mighty Marvel Tradition, the next issue of Ultimate Spidey sees his old numbering system brought back! And, issue #150 (highly priced at $5.99, but with 104 pages of mostly new material) shakes things up again in Peter's world, as he must attend Super Hero School by orders of the Big Three (Cap, Iron Man, and Thor). The next issue gets that storyline started...but, by year's end, the big story is what's coming down the line: The Death Of Spider-Man!


I thought this was a fantastic year for UCSM, except for one small part. The art by David Lafuente was horrid! Peter's hair-do was the worst I've ever seen; but, thankfully, Bendis wrote in a haircut for the main character this year. Doubly thankful was Rafa Sandoval taking over the artistic duties at the end of the year, and Mark Bagley being hyped as returning with Death Of Spider-Man.

Ultimate Comics Enemy #1-4, Ultimate Comics Mystery #1-4, & Ultimate Comics Doom #1

Throughout the year, Bendis created this little event in three separate minis (dubbed the Ultimate Enemy Trilogy), as a mysterious force invades the Ultimate Universe, apparently killing Reed Richards and his family...and, guest starring a wide selection of Ultimate heroes. Turns out the bad guy is Reed, himself, as he targets Roxxon and Nick Fury in his quest for revenge. (What caused this sudden change in Reed? Being dumped by Sue Storm!)

As UCD just started at the end of the month, we are still left with a ton of lingering questions, especially if this is the real Reed Richards..and, if there is some alterior motive for all this we do not realize. (I doubt it. It feels as if Bendis is just wanting to "shake things up" with the characters, especially the Fantastic Four...like reverting The Thing back to normal.) What's annoying is that Bendis didn't just make this book into one Maxi-series. UCD starts up right where UCM ended, landing new readers right into the middle of a scene between Reed, Sue, and the rest of the characters along for the ride; and, the same happens in a side story involving Spider-Woman being captured by a group of scientists at Roxxon.

It's not a bad mini-event; it's just got a few glaring Bendis flaws.

 

[JewishHobbit]

Hmm, I'd like to discuss comics but I've not read a single issue reviewed thus far

 

[Phaedrus45]

Ultimate Comics - Pt. 2

Ultimate Comics Avengers #6, Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #1-6, Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #1-5

The first UCA storyline concluded in February with Steve Rogers impaling his son, the Red Skull, with an aircraft. It was a bit over-the-top, as was his son revealing he only stole the Cosmic Cube in order for him to go back in time and lead a normal life as a child. (Very sappy.) Not to worry, because Red Skull is offed by Petra in the end.

Millar went into the next Avengers mini with a new roster, as this new group is brought together to hunt down Ultimate Ghost Rider. Most notable was the inclusion of Frank Castle, the Punisher, and Tyrone Cash, a cross between Hulk and Luke Cage. It was all met with mixed reviews; and, I was of the group that wasn't too thrilled with what I read. It felt as if Millar was trying to breathe new life into The Ultimates by shaking up his roster and going more for pure action; and, in the end, he was left with a group of characters that weren't very likeable. By series end, Punisher wasn't with the group, and Tyrone Cash wouldn't be seen in the next series, either.

UCA3 saw Millar shake up his roster, again. This time, the Avengers are facing down a vampire threat; but, now we get more invested in the characters. We're first introduced to the New Daredevil...who's quickly transformed into a vampire; and, then, we're shown the problems Nerd Hulk is having with the new group....who's then also quickly turned into a vampire. By the time we get to issue #4, Captain America has joined the ranks of the undead...and, things aren't looking to good for the Avengers as we are left hanging at the end of issue #5.

UCA3 suffered greatly from Steve Dillon's art. While his style blends nicely with his work on The Punisher, it was hard to see his interpretations of some classic Marvel characters, like Hulk. Also, the constant juggling of the Avengers roster by Millar has become quite annoying. It lends to little interest in the characters, and more often than not, none of them are very likeable.

Ultimate Comics X #1-3

Whereas all five issues were solicited in 2010, we have yet to see the final two issues from Loeb. This was to introduce a new line-up of mutants following the events of Ultimatum; and, each issue focused on one of them. Issue 1 featured Jimmy Hudson, the son of Wolverine and adopted son of the Hudsons. Issue 2 showed us what became of Jean Grey, now going by the name Karen Grant. And, finally, issue 3 focused on Derek Morgan, the new Angel of the group, whose features more resemble a gargoyle.

I was really enjoying this mini...much more than Loeb's Hulk; but, the delay is extremely annoying. I'm not sure what's the hold up; and, can't say I've heard a word about when the final two issues will be solicited.

Ultimate Comics New Ultimates #1-4

Another one of Loeb's Ultimate minis that hasn't been finished, even though the final issue was solicited some time ago. It's too bad, because I found this story somewhat interesting. Thor's stuck in Hela's domain, trying to escape, as the newly powered Defenders attack the Triskelion. In order to get his release, Hela demands Thor impregnate her...giving us one of the most disturbing pictures ever rendered of Hela I've seen in my 30+ years of reading comics. Loeb does some interesting characterizations with this Ultimate cast, especially with Valkyrie; and, it was nice to see Loki and the Enchantress commiting evil in the Ultimate Universe.

As mentioned, it's too bad Loeb couldn't stay on his bi-monthly schedule with these two titles, as it slightly redeems his standing with readers after the abyssmal Hulk comic he used to write.

Ultimate Comics Thor #1-3

Worse with Loeb's failure to finish UCNU is that in this mini, we see Thor back on Earth in this mini, locked up by Project Pegasus; yet, we're not sure if this is a result of the final issue of UCNU. Thankfully, that's not important to the story, as Hickman gives readers one of the best of all the Ultimate minis of 2010.

Taking place in three different time periods, we see Thor in present day being studied by Project Pegasus, Thor in 1939 with Baron Zemo trying to send an invading force of Nazis and Frost Giants into Asgard, and even further back when Loki, Thor, and Balder defeated some Frost Giants long ago. Hickman does some of his best work here, and it helps that he's given only four issues to tell his tale. The flashbacks and flashforwards aren't at all annoying, and it's a nice surprise when we discover Baron Zemo is, in fact, Loki.

 

[Phaedrus45]

I believe that should cover the Ultimate line of books. 43 issues in all for 2010. I found Spider-Man the best of the bunch; but, Ultimate Comics Thor was the best of all those minis. Most disappointing would be Ultimate Avengers 2; but, a big mention must be made with Loeb's inability to finish BOTH of his minis. At least Millar got his stuff out on time.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Spider-Man - Pt. 1

Amazing Spider-Man #617-650, Annual #37

Ok...let me break it down for you guys! The first half of the year was all about The Gauntlet; and, for me, these series of stories were either hit or miss. (I find the ones that I remember are probably the good, and those who've left my mind mustn't have been that great.)

#617 = Joe Kelly finishes up his take on The Rhino, and for once, I found the character extremely interesting. Kelly brought out his humanity and made him more than just the Spidey villian whose always being beat down by every hero that comes along.

#618-621 = Slott's "Mysterious" storyline was maybe his weakest ever. It didn't help that while including Mysterio, he also brings Mr. Negative heavily into it. (For me, Mr. Negative seriously needs to go away in 2011.) Plus, I believe this is the storyline that saw Aunt May turn into a crazy bi$#@, and nobody who knew her questioned this sudden transformation in her character. (That storyline went NOWHERE...and, out of nowhere, was quickly resolved in a future issue some time down the road.)

#622 = Overly sentimental, sappy story by Weisman and Van Lente featuring Flash Thompson. I somewhat remember it...and, remember being bored that the writers are falling back on this same storyline when writing a story about this character.

#623-624 = By Mark Waid, as tale about the new Vulture. Truth be told, I don't remember much about this one at all. I just remember becoming annoyed with all these classic characters having to be reimagined. That's ok with happening every now and again; but, not almost every one!

#625 = Kelly brings us another appearance by The Rhino.

#626 = Van Lente brings us the female Scorpion! (sorry, don't remember this at all.)

#627-629 = Roger Stern brings readers a highlight of The Gauntlet: "Something Can Stop The Juggernaut." It's not only got action, but the return of Captain Universe. This was just a cool moment, as Stern revisited his classic story from the 80's.

#630-633 = I'm not sure who Zeb Wells is...but, he wrote one of the Gauntlet stories that will stick with me for a long, LONG time: "Shed." Personally, I was happy to say that I would be content if I never read another Lizard storyline for quite some time. They were all the same, and nothing ever changed in Kurt Connors life...UNTIL NOW! In one of the most SHOCKING scenes in a Spidey comic, Kurt Connor's Lizard actually eats his own son!!!

Annual #37 = A break in the action, as Kesel brings readers a look back at the first meeting between Spidey and Captain America; and, Busiek brings us a lighthearted "Untold" tale of Spidey meeting up with a youthful Stan Lee. It comes at a good time, especially with the events in "Shed" being very unlighthearted!


Whereas The Gauntlet was getting pretty darn stale, those final two stories before Grim Hunt really brought back my interest. (Not to mention, the idea of "running the gauntlet" wasn't really what all these stories were about. Spidey should have been fighting one foe after the other; but, instead he got breaks inbetween fights.)


#634-637 = After such a long, long wait, we finally got Kelly's "Grim Hunt." ... And, the wait was worth it! The BEST Spidey storyline in such a long time, it's as if Kelly were writing Spidey in the style of Brubaker's Daredevil. Kelly reached into Spidey's past, pulling up gem after gem; and, he made it all work together so well. The cast of characters, from Kaine to Madame Web, were fantastic; and, he changed the lives of quite a few of them. (Mattie Franklin gets killed by Sasha Kravinoff, as does Kaine...who later becomes the New Tarantula.) Bringing back Kraven The Hunter might sound like a bad idea on paper; but, Kelly made everything work.

#638-641 = O.M.I.T. by Joe Quesada. Need I say more? Depending on how you still feel about OMD, your enjoyment of these four issues might be a bit skewed. I LOVED them; but, I also understand those who find it all rather insulting. Basically, Joe finally answers the nagging question about how the past 20 years of Spidey adventures fit into today's post-OMD world. He not only succeeds in doing that, but creating more controversy ... which in turn creates more excitement. People were talking about Spidey all over again.

#642-646 = Waid's "Origin Of The Species" starts wrapping up a bunch of storylines from the past couple years...all gearing up to having Dan Slott take over full writing duties for ASM. We finally get the end of the Menace (aka, Lily Holister) pregnancy storyline, as Spidey finally faces a true gauntlet of many of his foes; as, everyone and their dog seems to be after the baby. It goes on for an issue too long; but, whereas it's all a bit silly in the beginning, gets much better by the end. (Turns out Harry is the father, not Norman; which, then leads into Harry exiting Peter's life, again, by the next issue.)

#647 = Huge 64 page finale, wrapping up old storylines and beginning new ones, as Slott takes over next issue. It's an Epilogue to "Origin Of The Species," but also a Prologue to "Big Time." And, all of this year's writers pitch in to help: Gale, Kelly, Slott, Van Lente, Waid, and Wells. As mentioned, Harry leaves Peter's life; but, Carly becomes his new main-squeeze. (Which only makes MJ lovers more irritated.)

#648-650 = The year ends BIG...BIG TIME by Dan Slott. These books have already created quite a bit of controversy (just by that one page appearance by MJ in issue #648); but, also much praise. Dan was away from writing a Marvel comic (except for some single page stuff at the end of some regular books) for a good 3 or 4 months; and, this wait was well worth it. The return of Hobgoblin has been fantastic, and he didn't even have readers do a long wait before revealing his identity. My only complaint....the year was to end with issue 651...so, three issues in, he's already behind.


SO, that's the year in ASM. Later (probably tomorrow), I'll do the minis and other books that featured Spidey.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Spider-Man - Pt. 2

Web Of Spider-Man #4-12

This title found its true calling a little too late. Before, it would give some short story that would coincide with events happening in ASM, followed by a Spectacular Spider-Girl feature, and ending with another short story that was more worthless than the first. Unless you were a Spider-Girl fan, the high $3.99 price tag just wasn't worth the investment for mediocre short stories. By the time we saw feature-length adventures of Spidey in issue 8, this series had written its own death sentence. (That said, I must say the Spider-Girl stories were worth the money. They picked up right where May's previous series left off, and focus heavily on the gang war and May's relationship with her clone.)

Issue 4 featured Mysterio, 5 featured The Lizard, 6 featured The Vulture, and 7 featured Kraven The Hunter. These weren't bad stories, but more like an extra you'd normally find at the end of a regular issue of ASM.

Issue 8-10 began the new format with a storyline featuring a new vigilante, "The Extremist," who looks to kill J. Jonah Jameson. Also, a backup story featuring Jackpot is included facing off against, yep, Mr. Negative. (Did I mention I HATE Mr. Negative??)

Things sure picked up, but the series was doomed to cancellation; so, with much regret, we get a pretty good story in the final two issues, 11-12, featuring an unusual team-up of MJ and the Black Cat.

Peter Parker #1-5

Web wasn't the only new Spidey title to be cancelled in 2010. This short-lived series (at least, I believe it was intended to be a series), lasted only five issues...and, was a little bit unusual. It focused just as much on some new supporting characters as it did with Peter Parker. Issue 1-4 dealt with the Spider-Girls, a group of teens who saw Spider-Man as a role model who should be thanked by New York, not villified. The final issue, #5, had The Thing teaming up with Spidey, after Aunt May recruits him to find a missing Peter Parker.

This wasn't a bad series; but, maybe suffered from being a) a little wordy and b) focusing initially very heavily on the Spider-Girls. It was clearly too "off-beat" for the regular Marvel audience.

ASM Presents: Jackpot #1-3

Picking up where the original (well, not really) Jackpot died, this new (well, really the original Original) Jackpot, Sarah Ehret, sees some dramatic changes for this character by the end of issue #3. It's more Gang War type stuff, as she faces off against Boomerang and The Rose; and, in the end, her husband gets killed off. (Her adventure continued in the previously mentioned backup story in Web Of Spider-Man 8-10.)

Decent mini by Guggenheim; but, nothing to spark any huge interest in the C-list Spidey supporting character. Worst of all, it's too highly priced at $3.99.

ASM Presents: American Son #1-4

This mini initially tries to tease us into believing Harry Osborn is the new vigilante, American Son; but, it's quickly revealed to be Gabriel Stacy (yes, the son of Norman Osborn, from Norman's affair with Gwen Stacy). Any time a writer brings up "Sins Past," I tend to feel a little yucky and in need of a hot, hot shower; and, this story was no different. I don't think anyone was begging for another appearance by American Son...or Gabriel Stacy...but, I have to give these ASM Presents titles some credit for taking past storylines and trying to expand on them a bit more.

ASM Presents: Black Cat #1-4

This was my favorite of the ASM books; but, even though it's billed as a "Grim Hunt" tie-in, it doesn't really have any significance to that story. Kraven's family just makes a few appearances within, as Black Cat learns they have a particular interest in using her to retrieve some old family heirlooms. (An appearance by Felicia's mother was particularily interesting.)

Spider-Man: 1602 #4-5

Jeff Parker writes what is billed as the final adventure based on Gaiman's 1602 Universe. It was actually pretty decent; but, another case of "a little too little, too late." (If you want to breathe new life into a dead carcass, Parker is the man to try it.) In this, Peter leaves the New World and heads back to Europe in order to bring Osborne to justice. When he arrives, he meets a new version of Doc Ock.

Spider-Man: The Clone Saga #5-6

Another mini that concluded at the beginning of 2010, and, BOY, did this sucker stink! Shortening The Clone Saga into six issues didn't help its credibility any; and, in the end, made everything that happened seem much more ridiculous. I'm not sure who was begging for this mini to be made; but, it's one of the worst Spidey minis I've ever read.

Spider-Man And The Secret Wars #2-4

I'm going to have a "Marvel Youth" section; and, this book would have fit nicely into it...except for one reason. Enjoyment of this book is kind of essential to the reader having read the original Secret Wars. Paul Tobin is one of my favorite Marvel writers; but, I'm not sure exactly what he was thinking when he came up with this book. It's not a retelling of Secret Wars; but, more of showing particular scenes from the original expanded on...in a Marvel Youth Comic sort of way. The book does have some funny scenes, especially that first issue. But, it fails in giving readers the complete story. (Just to find out how Secret Wars ends, you'll need to pick up that original Maxi-Series.)

Spider-Man: Return Of The Hunter Saga & Spider-Man: Origin Of The Hunter One-Shot

The first, Saga, was a free comic offered by Marvel in order to gain some added interest in Grim Hunt, while the One-Shot bookends Amazing Spider-Man #15 and #34 with a few pages of new material.

Spider-Man: Fever #1-3

I'll let the Marvel description of this Marvel Knight's book speak for itself:

"Brendan McCarthy brings ... a truly unique and surreal story evoking the classic Silver-Age psychedelia of Steve Ditko's Dr. Strange ... in FEVER. Spider-Man is abducted by a depraved tribe of spider-demons to a bizarre dimension, where he is to be eaten alive. Dr. Strange goes on a perilous occult quest to rescue his friend - and tangles with some very peculiar characters along the way."

The art is something to see; but, the off-beat story was extemely off-putting for me. Everything became way too corny; and, while that was the writer's intent, it sure isn't what I look for in a comic. (To another type of reader, though, this would probably be Comic Gold.)

The Many Loves Of The Amazing Spider-Man One-Shot

This was a cute one-shot featuring three tales from past Spidey loves (and, one future one), Black Cat, Carlie Cooper and Gwen Stacy, and Mary Jane. And, while it was cute, it's also very forgettable. I completely forgot this book came out, until I came across it researching the year's Spidey comics.

Spectacular Spider-Girl #1-4, Spider-Girl: The End! One-Shot

What was originally intended to me a new series quickly became a four-issue mini and series concluding One-Shot. (This might have been the death toll for Spider-Girl. Defalco's ending comments make another mini sound kind-of out of the question.) After going quite a long time focusing on the Gang War/Mayday Parker Clone storylines for the past couple years, Defalco finally concluded everything in a very satisfying way. The Gang War ended, and the Clone got to redeem herself in The End!. I'll miss this series greatly; but, at least we have a very similiar style with DeFalco's Thunderstrike at the end of 2010.


(Nine more Spidey minis and one-shots to go!)

 

[Phaedrus45]

Spider-Man - Pt. 3

Spider-Woman #5-7

This fantastic book ended way too soon; and, sales weren't even the problem. As Bendis said, Maleev had prior commitments, and this book was taking up all of his time...and, Bendis could not imagine doing this book with anyone else. (Maleev also was working on the Motion Comic for this story; so, Bendis remarked that for 7 issues, Maleev turned in about 22 issues worth of material.) Too bad. I enjoyed it very much, as Bendis has a good style when it comes to focusing on one character in this type of genre. (The plot was simple. After the events in Secret Invasion, Spider-Woman is sent to hunt down skrulls who are still in hiding.)

Spider-Man: Back In Quack One-Shot

I long for the day when a writer will actually write a good Howard The Duck story, along the lines of what Steve Gerber used to do back in the 70's. This is not that kind of book. Most of it has been long forgotten by me, and about the only thing I did like was the Skottie Young cover. (I LOVE Young's covers. He was suppose to be at last year's Comic Con in Seattle; but, he had to cancel at the last minute. He's rescheduled this year, and, BY GOD, he better make it!) The back-up feature is a pretty standard Man-Thing story that was only ok.

Spider-Ham 25th Anniversary Special

I'll take Back In Quack ANY DAY over this garbage. Yep, it was so awful, I still remember hating it. Nothing is worse than a comic that spends most of its humor just changing names to reflect certain animals. (i.e. Spider-Man becomes Spider-Ham...or Doctor Doom might be Doctor Duck.) Does anyone actually request more Spider-Ham?? Please, Marvel, let's have a luau and roast that pig!

Spider-Man/Fantastic Four #1-4

This follow-up to Gage's Spider-Man/X-Men was just as awesome as the first. Spidey and the Fantastic Four go back through their combined history...kind of "Untold Tales"-ish...as a unknown bad guy is time traveling behind the scenes. We're led to believe that it's Dr. Doom; but, in fact, turns out to be Kristoff Vernard. This book is made even better with Mario Alberti's art. Definitely one of the best Marvel minis of 2010.

Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine #1-4, Director's Cut #1

What makes Jason Aaron's ASM/W so wonderful isn't the story, but Kubert's art. It elevates everything we read....so, that even though December's issue #4 revealed the villian as being Mojo, it still makes the reader want to continue reading. That's not to say Aaron doesn't do an acceptable job. His take on Peter and Logan's relationship is quite humorous; and, this book doesn't take itself too seriously. This book is just fun.

Spider-Man Vs. Vampires One-Shot

Meant to get some readers from the hype of Curse Of The Mutants, this book has NOTHING to do with the other. For that reason, it felt like a huge waste of money. There is a team-up with Blade; but, the whole thing feels uninspired...except to try and cash in on the vampire craze.

Carnage #1-2

All of these bi-monthly comics are starting to drive me a bit nuts. That seems to be the new trend with many of Marvel's minis in 2010; and, I don't think it helps sales in any way. Still, a good comic, like Avengers: Children's Crusade, is worth the wait. This comic...not so much.

The book isn't bad; but, Crain's art continues to be hard to look at..and, where as quite a few people might be dying to see the return of Carnage, it's with Cletus Kasady. Sadly, he's still dead, and a new person will be donning the symbiote. (I think it was a female doctor who becomes the new Carnage at the end of issue #2...but, with Crain's art, it could also have been Shriek.)

Osborn #1-2

Part of Big Time, this mini has been a nice surprise. By the second issue, Osborn is enacting his escape from a deep undersea prison...and, the writer has introduced the reader to five new villians who are accompanying him.

Spider-Girl #1-2

Another tie-in with Slott's Big Time, these first two issues by Paul Tobin have been pretty damn good. Where as the first issue was light-hearted, the second brought Arana's character into a whole new direction when her father gets killed off. Tobin has been relegated for too long with the Marvel Adventures line of books...or youth-related minis; so, it was nice to see him finally get a chance with a higher-profile title.

 

[Phaedrus45]

That's 99 issues devoted to everyone's favorite wall-crawler! For me, the best story of the year was Grim Hunt in ASM; and, the best mini would be Spider-Man/Fantastic Four by Gage and Alberti. The worst, HANDS DOWN, is the Spider-Ham one-shot. Most missed would be Spectacular Spider-Girl...but, Bendis and Maleev's Spider-Woman would be a close second.


It's a busy weekend for me, all ending with tomorrow's Seahawks vs. Rams game. My son and I will be there, and if our Hawks win, it will be the first time a team made it into the playoffs with a losing record. (Yeah...part of me doesn't want to have that distinction.) Not sure what category I'll tackle next, or if I'll get to it before the weekend is through.

 

[El Bastardo]

Ultimate Comics Enemy #1-4, Ultimate Comics Mystery #1-4, & Ultimate Comics Doom #1

Throughout the year, Bendis created this little event in three separate minis (dubbed the Ultimate Enemy Trilogy), as a mysterious force invades the Ultimate Universe, apparently killing Reed Richards and his family...and, guest starring a wide selection of Ultimate heroes. Turns out the bad guy is Reed, himself, as he targets Roxxon and Nick Fury in his quest for revenge. (What caused this sudden change in Reed? Being dumped by Sue Storm!)

As UCD just started at the end of the month, we are still left with a ton of lingering questions, especially if this is the real Reed Richards..and, if there is some alterior motive for all this we do not realize. (I doubt it. It feels as if Bendis is just wanting to "shake things up" with the characters, especially the Fantastic Four...like reverting The Thing back to normal.) What's annoying is that Bendis didn't just make this book into one Maxi-series. UCD starts up right where UCM ended, landing new readers right into the middle of a scene between Reed, Sue, and the rest of the characters along for the ride; and, the same happens in a side story involving Spider-Woman being captured by a group of scientists at Roxxon.

It's not a bad mini-event; it's just got a few glaring Bendis flaws.

A few glaring flaws, period, but not really typical Bendis flaws. The fact that it's separate mini-series than a maxi-series is the foremost of the glaring flaws, as you mentioned. That's an editorial flaw. I'm sure it's to drive sales, but, and while it doesn't affect narrative at all but for new readers, it's a poor design.

Otherwise, this is a non-annoying Bendis. Is that an over-abundance of text and dialogue with typical Bendis-isms? Well, yes, but that's how Bendis writes. It isn't overblown. There aren't any thought bubbles. It's well-written. Characters drive action without doing nothing for issues.

Huh, on that thought, maybe the poor design is actually a positive design. Bendis usually does work best when compressed, and it might actually be that it makes for a cleaner, crisper story when he's confined to four parts to do each narrative section than if he were allowed 12 issues to do the whole thing.

Otherwise, why do these minis not stink? Because Sandoval's handling art duties. Damn right.

Ultimate Comics - Pt. 2

Ultimate Comics Avengers #6, Ultimate Comics Avengers 2 #1-6, Ultimate Comics Avengers 3 #1-5

The first UCA storyline concluded in February with Steve Rogers impaling his son, the Red Skull, with an aircraft. It was a bit over-the-top, as was his son revealing he only stole the Cosmic Cube in order for him to go back in time and lead a normal life as a child. (Very sappy.) Not to worry, because Red Skull is offed by Petra in the end.

Millar went into the next Avengers mini with a new roster, as this new group is brought together to hunt down Ultimate Ghost Rider. Most notable was the inclusion of Frank Castle, the Punisher, and Tyrone Cash, a cross between Hulk and Luke Cage. It was all met with mixed reviews; and, I was of the group that wasn't too thrilled with what I read. It felt as if Millar was trying to breathe new life into The Ultimates by shaking up his roster and going more for pure action; and, in the end, he was left with a group of characters that weren't very likeable. By series end, Punisher wasn't with the group, and Tyrone Cash wouldn't be seen in the next series, either.

UCA3 saw Millar shake up his roster, again. This time, the Avengers are facing down a vampire threat; but, now we get more invested in the characters. We're first introduced to the New Daredevil...who's quickly transformed into a vampire; and, then, we're shown the problems Nerd Hulk is having with the new group....who's then also quickly turned into a vampire. By the time we get to issue #4, Captain America has joined the ranks of the undead...and, things aren't looking to good for the Avengers as we are left hanging at the end of issue #5.

UCA3 suffered greatly from Steve Dillon's art. While his style blends nicely with his work on The Punisher, it was hard to see his interpretations of some classic Marvel characters, like Hulk. Also, the constant juggling of the Avengers roster by Millar has become quite annoying. It lends to little interest in the characters, and more often than not, none of them are very likeable.

This is rather subjective. What makes the characters not likable? What made Dillon's art hard to look at, when this series has had some very-very-very clean line-work by him? Furthermore, I can see how a constantly-changing roster might be annoying to someone who likes a character who is no longer present, but the constantly-changing roster was an inherent promise in the premise of the series. Each mini, each adventure, would have a new team within its pages, aside from a core team that would remain constant. Therein lies the difference between someone wanting to experience a story and someone wanting to experience their favorite character/s.

But the constant roster change is rather moot, isn't it? Readers can tell that Millar is content with introducing new ideas and new characters, without necessarily paying too much attention to them. We had some backstory on Cash. We had some backstory on Punisher. We had some backstory on Ghost Rider. But UA#2 was more about Hawkeye, who along with Fury are the true main protagonists of the collection of minis. The rest of them are just peripheral characters, even if they're on the main team.

That isn't saying there aren't narrative flaws. Of course there are narrative flaws - usually the same narrative flaws as in Millar's other works. He's too big. He tries to pack too much stuff into his story, and it usually ends up becoming a jumbled mess of quick wrap-up (which, no, does not constitute a deus ex machina). But, then, Millar was up-front with saying the UA minis were going to be equivalent to summer blockbuster movies. We're not expecting award-winning dramas here.

As for Dillon's artwork, I detest Dillon as a comics artist, and have refused to read Ennis's brilliant Punisher work and Aaron's PunisherMAX due to hating the artwork. Dillon's been a bit cleaner on UA#3, though, and the artwork hasn't been as invasive. That could be because I'm reading it faster, because there isn't as much story substance as in Ennis's or Aaron's work, no doubt. What makes that hard to look at? Hulk looks like Hulk. Blade looks like Blade. Cap looks like Cap. Fury looks like Fury. It's not like Humberto Ramos is drawing this mini, who wouldn't fit at all, despite my liking his art quite a bit.

Ultimate Comics Thor #1-3

Worse with Loeb's failure to finish UCNU is that in this mini, we see Thor back on Earth in this mini, locked up by Project Pegasus; yet, we're not sure if this is a result of the final issue of UCNU. Thankfully, that's not important to the story, as Hickman gives readers one of the best of all the Ultimate minis of 2010.

Taking place in three different time periods, we see Thor in present day being studied by Project Pegasus, Thor in 1939 with Baron Zemo trying to send an invading force of Nazis and Frost Giants into Asgard, and even further back when Loki, Thor, and Balder defeated some Frost Giants long ago. Hickman does some of his best work here, and it helps that he's given only four issues to tell his tale. The flashbacks and flashforwards aren't at all annoying, and it's a nice surprise when we discover Baron Zemo is, in fact, Loki.

Hickman is a fantastic writer, period. No surprise his Ultimate Thor mini has been solid.

Aaron's Ultimate Cap mini should be something Ultimate readers look forward to, too.

 

[Phaedrus45]

Cosmic Marvel

Realm Of Kings: Imperial Guard #3-5 & Realm Of Kings: Inhumans #3-5

Both of these titles were part of the whole Fault storyline that went on WAAYYY too long. By the time it was all over, we heard hardly a word about either the Inhumans, Starjammers, or Imperial Guard. Black Bolt is still dead, Vulcan, Havok and crew forgotten somewhere in space, and Abnett and Lanning looking like their cosmic days are over for the time being. They'd finish off with Thanos Imperative, though.

Realm Of Kings: Son Of Hulk #1-4

There were some interesting things going on in this title; but, Scott Reed didn't transition that great ending of Son Of Hulk into anything people really wanted to read. Events from this mini, though, would have great impact on what would happen in Incredible Hulks after World War Hulks ended. Most important, we saw the return of some members of the Micronauts and the return of Jarella's world.

Nova #33-36 & Guardians Of The Galaxy #22-25

Last year, when these two titles went on "hiatus," most of us knew what that really meant: CANCELLED FOR GOOD! I think there were a few factors to blame, but my top three are a) The Fault, b) GOTG killing off some favorite characters...even though they brought them back later, and c) Nova really getting away from what made him popular before, and them introducing a Nova Corps again that took away from Richard Rider's own adventures.

Thanos Impertative Ignition One-Shot

Spinning out of Realm Of Kings, and more specifically, the final issue of GOTG, Thanos is alive...but, maybe not how people would want him. That said, Abnett and Lanning do a great prologue to their main events, and this book was no exception.

The Thanos Imperative #1-6

Mixed reviews on this book; but, I think overall, readers were pleased. Things got bogged down with all the various characters involved, and it didn't help that with Thanos' return, he's playing the anti-hero. Plus, the villian of the book ends up being an alternate reality Captain Marvel who wants to eliminate all death. (Marvel keeps bringing him back, but in no way that readers care about.) By the time all is said and done, Nova and Star-Lord are among the (supposed) dead, and there is no sign that Marvel is doing anything with these characters in the near future. EXCEPT...this week, we finally get the release of The Thanos Imperative: Devestation. It's suppose to answer all the questions we have.

Thanos Sourcebook One-Shot

Basically, it's a handbook for Cosmic Marvel books. I love 'em; but, understand when it comes to having to pick and choose books to spend your hard earned money on, this might not be one you'd grab.



Probably the title I miss most is Guardians Of The Galaxy, even though the last year drove me a bit mad. They ended up having too many characters, and when Abnett and Lanning killed off many favorites, like Cosmo...only to bring him back later...it peeved off too many people. Also, the book really suffered when the regular artist was replaced by another for a few issues. (I just remember some issues being rather hard to look at.)

I'm glad Abnett and Lanning are going to do something else for a while, as the stories were getting rather stagnant. I just wish Marvel would give someone else a chance with some fresh ideas. (Heck, Jeff Parker would probably write Atlas In Space!)

 

[Phaedrus45]

Hulk - Pt. 1

Hulk #19-28

December of 2009 saw the beginning of the end for an awful two years of Hulk comics; and, say what you will about Loeb's Rulk saga, the end (sort of) delivered. That's mainly thanks to what Pak and Parker brought to the table, of course. Fall Of The Hulks started off the year in Issues #19-21, where we see Rulk teaming up with his supposed enemies, Bruce Banner and Skaar; and, things ended in World War Hulks #22-24, where FINALLY Rulk's identity was revealed and his origin story. (As we all know by now, it was Thunderbolt Ross.) Other things were revealed, like Red She-Hulk was Betty Ross; but, the best thing was that we finally saw a glimmer of hope for the future of this title. (Namely, Loeb would be leaving, and Parker would be taking over.)

Parker brought the fun back in this book. (That's to say if there ever was any to begin with.) Rulk was now recruited by Steve Rogers...greatly depowered (he couldn't take down a Watcher now)...and, brought in to help stop MODOK and The Leader's Scorched Earth programs, which were essentially doomsday scenarios that would wipe out all life on Earth in the case they were defeated. Each issue had a special guest star (i.e. Iron Man, Thor, and Namor); and, the beauty of the comic wasn't Rulk and crew stopping these programs, but the special guest star's personal interactions with Rulk. (Thor was classic!)

The only bad part of these comics were the back-up feature with A-Bomb. I've never liked that character, and even Parker hasn't made him more interesting. Can Rick Jones just stop being involved in such ridiculous ways in the life of Hulk and characters??

Incredible Hulk #606-611

Issues #606-608 were devoted to Fall Of The Hulks, with Greg Pak showing us Skaar being taught by his father, Bruce Banner, how to come to grips with all his power, and training him for the inevitable time that he'll have to face off against Hulk. That clash...and, the answers to the many questions that Loeb had created for the last couple years...came together in issues 609-611. We had to deal with some Hulked Out Heroes; and, eventually, a very satisfying conclusion to the much anticipated Hulk Vs. Skaar match-up. (Great battle...and, even better, sentimental conclusion.)

Where we had to suffer through some of Loeb's storytelling, Pak elevated Fall Of The Hulks and World War Hulks to a much more readable level.

Incredible Hulks #612-619

With one battle coming to a conclusion, that still left Son Of Hulk, Hiro-Kala, somewhere in space, looking to exact his own revenge against Hulk, in a story called "Dark Son." In the end, Hiro-Kala is defeated (not killed, but trapped deep within some stone prison within the planet, K’ai) and I felt a little...underwhelmed by it all. It's another case where this book might be suffering from "too many character" syndrome, as the remnants of Loeb's many colored Hulk characters take away from some of the story.

The final two issues of this title are a decent tie-in to Chaos War. We get to see the return of Marlo...and, the return of Dr. Strange's "darker side."

Like with Hulk, the back-up stories that supposedly warrants the extra buck in price isn't worth it.

Fall Of The Hulks: Red Hulk #1-4

This mini by Parker just made our experience with Rulk all the more bearable. Whereas Loeb's Rulk adventures bordered on the ridiculous, Parker made us see a future where Rulk could be a worthy addition to the Marvel Universe. As I remember right, the book mainly served to fill-in parts of the story that the two main titles didn't have time to tell.

Fall Of The Hulks: The Savage She-Hulks #1-3

Also by Jeff Parker, this mini wasn't necessarily bad; it's just that with already having all of the multicolored Hulks, adding the various She-Hulks only made it all that more ridiculous. What was at times hard to read became better, though; and, it produced a decent new series, She-Hulks.

Hulk: Let The Battle Begin One-Shot

Even this came out right when Fall Of The Hulks was going strong, it's got nothing to do with that story. It's an "untold tale" of when Bruce Banner wakes up in a town, and he must piece back the story of him facing The Wrecking Crew.

I actually had to hunt down a review for this book; because, until I read what this one-shot was about, I had completely forgotten about it. I have a faint memory that it wasn't too bad; but, like many of those old Hulk comics...where Bruce went from town to town, keeping away from Thunderbolt Ross and the military...it just doesn't have anything to grab you.

World War Hulks One-Shot

This was a series of 8-page stories, focusing on various characters involved in the FOTH and WWHs storyline. It didn't get good reviews, which might explain why I don't remember a one.

World War Hulks: Hulked-Out-Heroes #1-2, World War Hulks: Spider-Man Vs. Thor #1-2, and World War Hulks: Wolverine Vs. Captain America #1-2

Say what you will about Rulk and all the other plot twists that Loeb and crew came up with....Hulked-Out-Heroes was the WORST!!!

That said...I actually laughed at HulkPool's adventures in WWHs:Hulked-Out-Heroes; and, Tobin made the best of WWHs: Wolverine Vs. Captain America. WWHs: Spider-Man Vs. Thor was almost unreadable, though.

We can only hope that we never see Marvel try and bring this idea back.

Incredible Hulks: Enigma Force #1-3

A tie-in with "Dark Son," this story wrapped up the loose threads left from Realm Of Kings: Son Of Hulk. The Micronauts...teamed up again with Bug...(though, we're not allowed to call them Micronauts, of course) are traveling to save Jarella's homeworld, K'ai, all the while suffering through a lot of personal drama along the way. (The three-way love triangle was interesting...and, I wouldn't mind seeing more of these Micronauts...although, Bug makes a hasty retreat back to the Guardians Of The Galaxy in the end.)

This comic was in no way essential reading for those picking up Dark Son in Incredible Hulks; and, naturally, the final battle between these New Micronauts and Hiro-Kala would end in a stalemate.



(Ok, I think I have six more Hulk-related titles to go; but, I have to get my son from Wrestling Practice real soon...so, either late tonight or tomorrow for the rest of Hulk...which is really mostly a bunch of Hercules stuff. Hmmm...which would then include Chaos War, too.)

 

[JewishHobbit]

#627-629 = Roger Stern brings readers a highlight of The Gauntlet: "Something Can Stop The Juggernaut." It's not only got action, but the return of Captain Universe. This was just a cool moment, as Stern revisited his classic story from the 80's.

This was a pretty good read, and I liked the art a lot. I forget the artist but I remember I liked it. I want to say it was the artist who drew the 90's Gambit mini but I forget his name off hand. Weeks maybe?

#630-633 = I'm not sure who Zeb Wells is...but, he wrote one of the Gauntlet stories that will stick with me for a long, LONG time: "Shed." Personally, I was happy to say that I would be content if I never read another Lizard storyline for quite some time. They were all the same, and nothing ever changed in Kurt Connors life...UNTIL NOW! In one of the most SHOCKING scenes in a Spidey comic, Kurt Connor's Lizard actually eats his own son!!!

This still ticks me off to no end!!! I mean... seriously?! Though I've not read this story I can't say I can think of anything good that can come of this story... not a thing. In what way would this somehow enhance Doctor Conners as a character? I mean, like I said, I didn't read it, but either it's very demented his having to live knowing what he'd done or he's just a beastile lizard now, which is boring. But either way, it was a waste of future story potential with Billy Conners. He's gone through years of trauma having to deal with his father's being the Lizard. There's some real story potential to come from that when he's old enough to strike alone (not sure how old he's shown now but he seemed maybe 10 or 11 back in the early to mid-90's. Maybe older. I'm thinking in the 30th anniversary issue 365 (black hologram cover). Seriously, prime material for the Runaways or something.

And off the top of my head I know Zeb Wells wrote the "reality television" mini of New Warriors and most of the current New Mutants series.

The Thanos Imperative #1-6

Mixed reviews on this book; but, I think overall, readers were pleased. Things got bogged down with all the various characters involved, and it didn't help that with Thanos' return, he's playing the anti-hero. Plus, the villian of the book ends up being an alternate reality Captain Marvel who wants to eliminate all death. (Marvel keeps bringing him back, but in no way that readers care about.) By the time all is said and done, Nova and Star-Lord are among the (supposed) dead, and there is no sign that Marvel is doing anything with these characters in the near future. EXCEPT...this week, we finally get the release of The Thanos Imperative: Devestation. It's suppose to answer all the questions we have.

While I was a bit negative on the majority of this title, in hindsight I like it a lot more. The final issue was great and (Devestation and Annihilators pending) the fact that such bigwig cosmic characters like Drax, Phyla-Vell, Nova, and Starlord might actually be staying dead for a while makes it much more impactful than it originally was. While much of the series suffered from a bit of a disjointed feeling, the last issue holds the tradition of great event finals. I'd say it's second to Annihilation's final and that's not by much really (definately better than Annihhilation Conquest's... probably War of Kings's as well).

I really miss the cosmic marvel landscape and I just hope that miraculously Annihilators pulls in enough readers to warrent more.

 

[Phaedrus45]

This still ticks me off to no end!!! I mean... seriously?! Though I've not read this story I can't say I can think of anything good that can come of this story... not a thing. In what way would this somehow enhance Doctor Conners as a character? I mean, like I said, I didn't read it, but either it's very demented his having to live knowing what he'd done or he's just a beastile lizard now, which is boring. But either way, it was a waste of future story potential with Billy Conners. He's gone through years of trauma having to deal with his father's being the Lizard. There's some real story potential to come from that when he's old enough to strike alone (not sure how old he's shown now but he seemed maybe 10 or 11 back in the early to mid-90's. Maybe older. I'm thinking in the 30th anniversary issue 365 (black hologram cover). Seriously, prime material for the Runaways or something.

That story...it just came out of nowhere. One minute I'm reading it, just thinking, "Oh God...ANOTHER story where Lizard is after his own son...his son will get away, Curt Conners will be healed...again....and, we'll have another same story in a few more years."

Then....

Your mind is thinking, "Holy crap!!! Did he just kill off Billy? Did he just EAT HIS OWN SON??!!?? That's .... just .... WRONG!"

But...you know what? You remember that story! They finally shook things up in a HUGE way. At first, I felt as you did; but, now I really appreciate the story much more.

EDIT: Also, thinking about it, last year the most shocking moment of the year was Punisher getting beheaded. This year, I think that scene does it for me. It's nice when a comic can shock you with something you never expect to happen. (And, unlike the Punisher, Billy probably won't be coming back in some lame way the following year.)

 

[runawayboulder]

Yeah, it's Billy Conners. He's worthless as a character. Him getting eaten was the first interesting thing that's ever happened to him. It's no big loss anyway, he pops up in ASM once ever 15 yrs.

 

[JewishHobbit]

While kept in the cycle of just being the Lizard's son "oh no, my dad's the Lizard again!" yeah, he's one note. But if one writer would have ever taken him beyond that point and used that upbringing to make him something else, he could have become something a lot more interesting.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It's always better to be genuinely shocked at actually finding new life in a character rather than seeing them killed off. Hell, I'm enjoying Kevin Masterson way more than I ever did before now that DeFalco is making him more than background fodder or a carbon-copy of his dad in the Thunderstrike mini.

 

[Themanofbat]

While kept in the cycle of just being the Lizard's son "oh no, my dad's the Lizard again!" yeah, he's one note. But if one writer would have ever taken him beyond that point and used that upbringing to make him something else, he could have become something a lot more interesting.

I think a lot of people will miss Billy Connors, but the one side effect that nobody is mentioning is the simple fact that "apparantly", Curt Connors, knowing what he had done as the Lizard, basically "let go" and "died" and the Lizard is now and always will be in control of the body...

That's what I got out of the Zeb Wells' story... not only the death of Billy, but that of Curt Connors as well...

Similarly to when Captain Stacy died, it was the deathknell of Gwen Stacy because she became two simensional... so with Billy dead at the hands of his own father, even if Curt were ever able to transform back to being human, will he even want to?

I certainly will miss Curt, but I am enjoying this new take on the Lizard...

 

[JewishHobbit]

So how is the Lizard any different now than the copy Lizard was back in the 90's? How many just beastile characters have we had? The Lizard was fairly unique and now he's generic from the sound of it. What is it with Spider-Man books clinging to regression?! Good lord!

 

[Dread]

So how is the Lizard any different now than the copy Lizard was back in the 90's? How many just beastile characters have we had? The Lizard was fairly unique and now he's generic from the sound of it. What is it with Spider-Man books clinging to regression?! Good lord!

Don't forget about the Iguana, who was basically "Lizard only without any humanity" back in the 70's.

 

[Themanofbat]

So how is the Lizard any different now than the copy Lizard was back in the 90's? How many just beastile characters have we had? The Lizard was fairly unique and now he's generic from the sound of it. What is it with Spider-Man books clinging to regression?! Good lord!

I'm not quite sure how it works (I could wiki it... ), but the Lizard now has the ability to tap into the reptilian side of mammal brains and make them go beserk...

 

[JewishHobbit]

I'm not quite sure how it works (I could wiki it... ), but the Lizard now has the ability to tap into the reptilian side of mammal brains and make them go beserk...

Eh... bad trade in my opinion. Lizard should have been a Thunderbolt! Now he's just a generic animal villain. Blah.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The Lizard as a Thunderbolt could've been pretty cool. Trusted scientist at the Raft as Conners, villainous field agent as the Lizard.