Comics Summer 2011: "Infested" and "Spider-Island"

[ETGuy]

Just wondering, would I still understand what's going on in Venom #6-8 if I don't read the ASM issues?

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Yes.

 

[ETGuy]

Good, thanks. t:

 

[Will Nolte]

And years on I still don't quite understand the logic there.

I agree, I found her to be a much more interesting character in the Ultimate universe. She had so much depth to her. Capt. Stacy's tough daughter, who lived through the death of her mother, but it all turned out she was just putting up a facade, which became evident after Capt Stacy's death. Her and Peter become like a close brother and sister...it just seemed to work so well...then boom she's killed by Carnage...then Carnage takes her identity...oh but wait it was her all along...

 

[shinlyle]

Well, Imade a special trip to my LCS to pick up the past 3 issues of ASM. Wow...Spider-Island is actually pretty....great. I hate the Jackal, mainly because of the clone crap he brings with him (six of him working for himself already...ugh), but it's cool to see the chaos brought about when people who are the opposite of Peter have spider-powers. I think it's honestly going to turn out great...

...except that darn Ben Reilly teaser. Knowing Marvel, though, if they are bringing someone back, and they're showing that it is Ben Reilly, it'll be someone completely different! I hope so...

 

[shinlyle]

I find that bold part funny cause that is exactly what they did with her in the Ultimate universe, except it was Carnage.

That past made my head hurt when reading USM. Also, you have to love how Bendis defended killing Ultimate Gwen in such a lacklister manner, then he resurrects her in an equally stupid manner thus cementing that it was a mistake killing her off.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

^^ I'm surprised at Bendis doing that. I mean, he's a good writer, but he acts like he can do no wrong.

USM was not one of his crowning eras, if you ask me.

 

[shinlyle]

^^ I'm surprised at Bendis doing that. I mean, he's a good writer, but he acts like he can do no wrong.

USM was not one of his crowning eras, if you ask me.

I enjoyed about 75-80% of USM before the first relaunch (post Ultimatum).

I loved all but the first Carnage arc, Clone Saga, and the "Venom vs Carnage" or whatever arc. Oh, and Geldhoff, which is universally crappy. The rest I loved. Any time Ock showed up was GOLD(minus the Clone Saga).

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Heeeeey.... I just remembered there was a very similar story to Spider-Island in a Sensational Spider-Man arc just before OMD. It had Mr Hyde in it. Also a bunch of fake Spider-Men (in different costumes) with power.

 

[Donald Thomas]

I enjoyed about 75-80% of USM before the first relaunch (post Ultimatum).

I loved all but the first Carnage arc, Clone Saga, and the "Venom vs Carnage" or whatever arc. Oh, and Geldhoff, which is universally crappy. The rest I loved. Any time Ock showed up was GOLD(minus the Clone Saga).

Aloha,
Same here. I had the complete USM collection up to about 110 including all of the HC and sold them.I have no idea what happened after that. I do intend to give the new USM a try. And for those who don't like Peter not being the Spidey, don't forget this is an alternate Universe. Miguel O'Hara was Spider-Man 2099. So a part Hispanic Spider-Man has already been done before in an alternate Universe.
Spidey rules

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I enjoyed about 75-80% of USM before the first relaunch (post Ultimatum).

I loved all but the first Carnage arc, Clone Saga, and the "Venom vs Carnage" or whatever arc. Oh, and Geldhoff, which is universally crappy. The rest I loved. Any time Ock showed up was GOLD(minus the Clone Saga).

Well, there were things in the beginning that I really enjoyed about USM, but they were only here and there. I just couldn't get into the stories that much. It felt too.....egdy, if that makes sense. However, things like Kenny Kong, Brock's story, Doc Ock, etc was cool. I also really enjoyd the origin the first issue. Though, I HATE hulk Goblin. Overall though, it had it's moments, but I was never a big fan.

Funny thing is, I had given up on USM before the Gwen/Carnage story. After that, I was pretty glad I did.

 

[shinlyle]

Aloha,
Same here. I had the complete USM collection up to about 110 including all of the HC and sold them.I have no idea what happened after that. I do intend to give the new USM a try. And for those who don't like Peter not being the Spidey, don't forget this is an alternate Universe. Miguel O'Hara was Spider-Man 2099. So a part Hispanic Spider-Man has already been done before in an alternate Universe.
Spidey rules

I sold mine too (along with almost my entire collection) a few months ago. The love had just left after the relaunch, for me.

I have no problem with a new Spidey, but I honestly cannot afford the few comics I get a month, so adding more isn't going to happen without cancelling some others...and I prefer Amazing now to Ultimate.

Also, yes, Miguel O'Hara is where its at! Well, before they tried to reboot the 2099-verse a year or so ago. Ugh, that was painful.

 

[brianbuck]

Some thoughts on this:
1. Marvel is trying to do too much with this concept and storyline, spreading it too far and too thin.
2. Humberto Ramos art remains horrible.
3. I have a sneaking suspicion that the big bad behind all this, manipulating everyone from behind the scenes like chess pieces, is Doc Ock.

 

[USMC]

Some thoughts on this:
1. Marvel is trying to do too much with this concept and storyline, spreading it too far and too thin.

No way, this story beats any of the other big events of the last few years! It's not horribly depressing, the earth is not at stake, there's no magic involved, and it's great comic book fun!

2. Humberto Ramos art remains horrible.

Agreed. Yuck.

3. I have a sneaking suspicion that the big bad behind all this, manipulating everyone from behind the scenes like chess pieces, is Doc Ock.

That would be lame. Hopefully it's all Jackal.

 

[Will Nolte]

So it seems this event is being released out of order just like Fear Itself. Good job, Marvel...ugh

 

[bugman]

Aloha,
Same here. I had the complete USM collection up to about 110 including all of the HC and sold them.I have no idea what happened after that. I do intend to give the new USM a try. And for those who don't like Peter not being the Spidey, don't forget this is an alternate Universe. Miguel O'Hara was Spider-Man 2099. So a part Hispanic Spider-Man has already been done before in an alternate Universe.
Spidey rules

excellent point. as a latin person myself, i always really liked miguel. i'm all for latin ultimate spider-man.

 

[Themanofbat]

So it seems this event is being released out of order just like Fear Itself. Good job, Marvel...ugh

How's that?

I read them according to the provided list at the en of ASM, and it reads perfectly fine...



The only issue that came out later was SI: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, which was supposed to be read before SI: Spider-Girl, but both issues can be read without reading the other, so there was no problem...

 

[WolfCypher]

How's that?

I read them according to the provided list at the en of ASM, and it reads perfectly fine...



The only issue that came out later was SI: Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, which was supposed to be read before SI: Spider-Girl, but both issues can be read without reading the other, so there was no problem...

Venom 6 came out before this week's ASM but takes place well after this week's ASM.

 

[Will Nolte]

Venom 6 came out before this week's ASM but takes place well after this week's ASM.

That and if Deadly Hands was supposed to be before Spider-Girl, then Spider-Girl was released too early as well, seeing as how Deadly Hands and ASM 668 happen pretty much at the same time. Also ASM 668 is before Deadly Foes as well (even though there was a ton of confusion on this book because in some markets it didn't get released until 2 weeks after it was supposedly released.) Marvel is all over the place, in a bad way.

 

[Ipodman]

I'm OK with the art.... this S.I.thing is starting to look like one of those big stories where it feels like the world is about to be destroyed and then comes the very quick and lame solution

 

[shinlyle]

Well, I'm hoping to pick up the next part of spider-island this weekend. Loving this story....carefully...like a questionable party-girl. I don't where its been or where its gonna go, but I am having fun.

The involvement of clones and Jackal btohers me, but the female in charge of it all intrigues me. That being said, does Spdiey have an y female villians who SERIOUSLY ever really pose a big-time threat? Kraven's daughter? She-Ock? I'm blanking right now.

As for Ramos, I typically despise his art, but it works well here for me. I think its because he gets so detailed with his backgrounds and the destruction that it balances out some of his not-to-realistic people. Also, his people look far better and less exaggerated that when he was drawing "The Hunger" and "Countdown" back in the SSM days.

Either way, hoping for the best on this one. Haven't read any of the tie-ins, which sucks because I REALLY wanted to read C&D!

 

[Themanofbat]

The involvement of clones and Jackal btohers me, but the female in charge of it all intrigues me. That being said, does Spdiey have an y female villians who SERIOUSLY ever really pose a big-time threat? Kraven's daughter? She-Ock? I'm blanking right now.

The big speculation wight now is that the female in charge is...

Spoiler

... the Spider Queen from Spectacular Spider-Manvolume 2 that had infected Peter into becoming a "spider", which enabled him to get the organic webbing... and I like how Peter mkes a comment on how to maintain the orgaincs in ASM #668, which sort of acknowledges that he had them, and maybe we'll find out how he lost them...

Either way, hoping for the best on this one. Haven't read any of the tie-ins, which sucks because I REALLY wanted to read C&D!

Most of the tie-ins really are tie-ins in the fact that these stories couldn't be told without "Spider-Island", yet they are (so far) well-told stories about the characters involved... Cloak & Dagger #1 was arguably the best C&D story I've read in YEARS!!!

 

[Will Nolte]

Venom #6 ruined the surprise as to who Spider-King is. ASM 668 is written from the viewpoint that the reader does not know who SK really is. Also what I mentioned with my previous post, the events in those comics fit together well if they were released in the right order...

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

The big speculation wight now is that the female in charge is...

Spoiler

... the Spider Queen from Spectacular Spider-Manvolume 2 that had infected Peter into becoming a "spider", which enabled him to get the organic webbing... and I like how Peter mkes a comment on how to maintain the orgaincs in ASM #668, which sort of acknowledges that he had them, and maybe we'll find out how he lost them...

Agreed!

 

[Themanofbat]

I'll rise above that finger and simply state that the order of the books didn't really ruin anything for me, so it "appeared" like ***** ing for nothing... because in 38 years of comic book reading, I've seen far worse timeline screwups with storylines... especially within the last few years...

And for the record, if you look carefully at what Will Nolte said...

So it seems this event is being released out of order just like Fear Itself. Good job, Marvel...ugh

... he goes "beyond" the simple...

Will Nolte said this event is being told out of order.

... because he adds the sarcastic "Good job Marvel... UGH!!!", which IN MY OPINION, does not deserve the "Ugh..."

Putting out comics in a timely fashion is difficult enough as it is when dealing witha variety of creative teams, especially when it's involving an on-going book, like Venom, and in my opinion, if you've read all the Spider-Island books in the order they came out, it's still a compelling story...

Perhaps Venom #6 was supposed to inform the readers who the Spider-King is... and Peter Parker, as well as the other heroes, will find out at a later time...

It really isn't a big deal, so I was surprised by the "WTG Marvel" comment by Will.

Fingers checked... not so hard to be tactful.

Have a nice day.