Have you seen the Silentking?

As the few readers who check out this blog may I have noticed, I went from updating nearly daily, stopping on Sunday because I declared that to be break day in my first post, and then stopped all of a sudden on not only here but all of my social media. The reason was simple. I was focusing more on looking for a job and didn't have time to do reviews. That has actually paid off today when I got hired at a warehouse.

So what does it mean for this blog? Not much to change beyond possibly switching Review Day and Ultimate Marvel Trade Review for connivence sake. After all, almost all of my reviews can be made in advance with Review Day actually having to wait until Wednesday each week get done.

What about all of the reviews I missed? Well, I am gonna get to work on them and send them out on Friday along with the Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 2 review . By the way, I won't be switching UMTR and Review Day until next week.

Final statement: The new schedule will be rocky at first as I try to adjust to it, but I will try to stick to it as much as possible.

2099 week presents Spider-Man 2099 #3

Spider-Man 2099 #3

SUMMARY

The story opens onto a bunch of Thorites coming out of nowhere to aid Spider-Man, who they consider to be the Harbinger of Thor, against Venture. A quick trip to the present shows that Spider-Man in his civilian form informing his hologram Lyla that he has no idea where the shock they came from, but knew that Venture would easily beat them all up if he didn’t disregard his original plan to throw Venture off the trail leading to his apartment and fight him right then and there. We then cut back to Venture already in the process of beating up several people before Spider-Man leaped, but getting tossed over and getting his right arm numb after getting hit by Venture’s rod. Spider-Man realizes that he is outmatched and begins thinking that he should probably surrender and hopes Alchemax won’t punish too severely.

But before he could say anything, one of the Thorites tried to sneak attack Venture and is killed for the trouble and says that he doesn’t care if he has to kill anyone or even all of them, prompting Spider-Man to lash out Venture and try to take him down. For a couple of seconds, he seems to have much luck as before while Venture mocks him, when Spidey docks him with a right while shouting “Shut up!” He then immediately backs off, trying to switch back to his original plan to get Venture to follow him until it is no longer suspicious that he was inside Miguel’s apartment, Venture can follow heat signatures or something similar and Alchemax most likely developed it explaining how Miguel would know, via leading him through it. They also pass by Gabe on the way, who appears to recognize Spider-Man.

Spider-Man manages to get his plan working so far and even makes sure that Venture won’t be too suspicious about a broken window or the possibility that he is leading the latter to his apartment on purpose by having Lyla just pointing to the broken window and claim it was just made. Spider-Man is then free falling while Venture chases him while mentioning that his arm is itching even more but at least the numbness is gone. The two then battle for a bit until it ends with Spider-Man captured.

We then cut quickly back to Miguel’s apartment where Gabe confronts Lyla about what just happened and the scene ends with asking where Miguel is, when she last saw him, and what he was last wearing. (Stopping the summary to point out this is obviously referring to the fact that when he saw Venture chasing Spider-Man earlier, he possibly recognized the costume which was what Miguel had worn for a Day of the Dead festival. Reason I am stopping the summary to say this, is because I didn’t want people who didn’t pick that up from a single sentence and think of something else.) We cut back to Venture telling Tyler Stone about his successful capture of Spider-Man and states that he doesn’t know how Spider-Man can climb walls yet, which was the only ability Stone had saw being utilized, but guesses it might be a suction mechanism. Spider-Man interjects with the fact that he actually has talons right after freeing himself and slashing Venture’s jet boots causing him to go off balance.

The two battle even more and Venture tries to rip Spider-Man’s arm off when he accidentally caused a web to shoot out surprising them both. Spider-Man concludes the itchiness in his arms is because he is growing spinnerets there and jokes that he might start becoming more spider like and will start hungering for flies. He begins laughing mad for a bit, until he realizes that out of control Venture is heading into traffic. Spider-Man jumps off and onto a nearby billboard while Venture gets up without any harm and removes his hi tech goggles and says that he sees Spider-Man now and he is gonna kill him.

But Spider-Man concludes that he is actually not able to see so well without the goggles since he is aiming to Spidey’s left, but it is not worth risking any civilians being hurt by wild shots. He then grabs one of the flying cars, which are called Maglev cars and are powered by magnetism, and states that he could use the polarity of it to repel Venture into the next county. While Venture was able to resist this, his does lose his big gun. Venture then begins to brandish his rod while Spider-Man drops the car and leaps at him. Spider-Man manages to dodge the attack and slashes Venture’s robotic leg with the talons on his feet and the two struggle against each other for a bit until Spidey notices that Venture’s huge gun is being magnetized to his back. As Venture is stunned by hit by his own weapon, Spider-Man grabs the rod and proceeds to shock Venture by jamming it into the exposed wires in Venture’s leg until he is unconscious.

The story cuts back to present day where Miguel finishes the tale by saying he was moving all over the city both in and out of costume for a couple days just to make sure no one can realize that Miguel O’Hara is Spider-Man. He was also thinking about what to do next until deciding to just come back home and start off from square one. He rehashes his newfound abilities and newly made genetic quirks and everything currently wrong with his life and concludes it can’t get worse. Tyler Stone then knocks on his door saying he wants to talk to him about Spider-Man.

REVIEW

While I thought it was odd that the Thorites came in out of nowhere, they do serve a purpose. Namely to give Spider-Man a reason to not think just for himself and showing how decent of person he is. Without the Thorites, Spider-Man would have eventually just surrender like he almost did after Venture easily deflected an attack and caused his arm to go numb. But then he went into heroic mode after one of the Thorites died trying to save him and Venture claiming that he doesn’t who he kills as long as he gets Spider-Man. I just really love the panel that just shows him just standing there in shock and anger before proceeding to forgo any thought surrender and go all out and even managing to uppercut the clearly more skilled Venture.

The whole chase and fight scenes were epic. With a lot of foreshadowing laid here and the previous issue about Spider-Man’s ability to make organic webs. Thinking creative ways to defeat Venture without simply beating him until he is unable to move. This also illustrates how unlike Peter, he is only sarcastic and snarky in his civilian form and isn’t nearly as talkative as Spider-Man, mainly because he isn’t quite as capable of doing so while unlike Pete who does it as a reflex. The fact this lead to Miguel’s brother Gabe learning his identity is also intriguing and serves more of a way to make this a more unique take on the Spider Mythos than simply rehashing this as Spider-Man in the future.

This is also the best art work of the series yet, with none of the coloring issues and with more better depictions of Spider-Man, especially where he is falling from his apartment again. The only thing I found odd is that very panel though, as the sky seems to missing.

The only other weak part, although the whole sky is missing isn’t that big of a deal, is Venture. He still looks awesome, but he became kind of a generic stock villain. Not having much motivation than being a big a**hole and wanting Spider-Man so he can get paid. But he does still make a great foe, testing the inexperience Spider in both mental and physical aspects and gives him a reason to be more heroic. Plus, he isn’t as nearly as one note evil as Tyler Stone and his “will drug you with the most addictive drug in the world for daring to quit”. But to give credit to Stone, that isn’t the same as making dumb move just to show he is evil like Mr. Henton from Ravage 2099.

So all in all, a very satisfying conclusion with promises of an interesting subplot dealing Gabe realizing that Miguel is Spider-Man and his ongoing struggle with Alchemax. I was planning and putting this as the same score as the last issue because of the genericness of Venture, but then I realize he doesn’t need to be complex if he still manages to challenge Spider-Man in few ways that other villains could and can potentially be characterized more in future issues. So 8.8 webs out of 10.

Tomorrow! More Ravage 2099. Yay...

2099 Week presents Ravage 2099 #1!

Ravage 2099 #1

SUMMARY

We open up to a guy running from a group on sky motorcycles called the Eco Patrol. He attempts to run into the sewers but is cut off and gets killed while proclaiming that he will never surrender. The Eco Patrol radioed in to Eco Central that they have neutralized the threat, but their boss, our main character Ravage, is not happy they didn't apprehend the man alive. He wants one of the polluters arrested so they can be questioned to find out who their leaders are.
Ravage then thinks there might be a traitor in Alchemax and thinks of warning them, but is warned by his secretary that her father tried the same thing and got sentenced to Hellrock a place full of creatures called Mutroids and was never seen again and she doesn't want that to happen to Ravage.

But he has none of it because he believes in Alchemax and without Alchemax the city would revert to anarchy and that thanks to his dedication he got his job. He also ignores when Tiana, the aforementioned secretary, states that he is practically a figurehead and was put in charge because he is too dense to even suspect how corrupt Alchemax is. We then cut to the parking lot where Ravage is ambushed by three men who try to mug him but get beat down for it. They only get away because one of them claims that he isn't an innocent and is responsible for his father getting killed in the sewers earlier today. He also claims that his father wasn't even a polluter but was just a guy going to Ravage’s office to tell him that he knows who was behind most of the pollution when Eco Patrol ambushed him.

The kid thinks Ravage ordered the hit, but he proclaims that he did no such thing but decides that he better check out the story at Alchemax right now that he heard it and he is taking the kid, who gives his name as Dack, with him. Later, we see a fat business man preparing to decide which holographic girl he wants to be with for a virtual reality session when Ravage and Dack come in through the door. They tell him about Dack’s belief that someone in Alchemax ordered his dad killed to cover up a conspiracy. The businessman, who Ravage calls Mr. Henton, says that he is shocked at the news and will get to the bottom of it and sends them on his way. One of his workers asks if that could be true and Mr. Henton immediately pulls out some kind of weapon and shoots him out of a window due to him hearing too much. He then calls Tiana and tells her to set up a conference call between him, the other directors of Alchemax, and her boss Ravage and to put it in a way so that only those people can listen in on the call.

Tiana does so, but secretly listens in on it since she suspects that this call has something to do with Ravage’s visit. Meanwhile Mr. Henton tells the other board members that Ravage is getting too suspicious and they must end him to protect themselves and everyone agrees. He then decides to bring in a Mutroid from Hellrock to frame Ravage since he is too much of a public figure to just get rid right now. Tiana having over hear all this decides to go find her boss and warn him of Alchemax’s plans. There is a brief scene showing a submarine dropping off the Mutroid in question before cutting back to Ravage and Dack who have been walking around for hours since Ravage is trying to get the latter to cool off. But Dack has none of it since he suspects that Ravage’s actions are gonna get him killed now.

Ravage brushes it off as kids having no respect for authority or their elders and heads to his office where the Mutroid is doing the same. Ravage enters his office where Tiana tries to warn him of what is about to happen, but he still refuses that Alchemax can do any wrong when the Mutroid breaks open his door. Tiana realizes that this Mutroid is here to start the fall of Ravage who immediately calls for security upon seeing the creature. The Mutroid then loudly proclaims that he is here to pay Ravage for doing a great job of betraying Alchemax. Ravage is shocked by this and tries to rebut it, but is interrupted by the security officers he called and they overheard everything and declare that Ravage is under arrest! But Ravage simply beats them all up.

Mr. Henton watches all of this and is amazed by how much of a fighter Ravage, but declares that he must die and orders the Mutroid to kill him. Ravage immediately grabs Tiana and jumps out of a window to evade the creature, which is a good thing as the entire room explodes. Mr. Henton declares Ravage must be dead and prepares to send the tape to the world so that everyone thinks that Ravage was a traitor, but first he must kill his massage therapist who overheard the whole thing. Unfortunately for Mr. Henton, Ravage lives and is hanging for his life while making sure Tiana doesn’t fall as well. He then swings them through a window right below and manages to get both of them away from the building without being caught.

Ravage then takes her to an apartment building, along with Dack, and declares the two will be safer away from him and gives them enough cash so they can live her for a while before heading off to a junkyard where he proceeds to make a costume and grab some makeshift weapons and armor. He then spots a very outdated garbage truck that is somehow in working condition despite having been there for decades since it has wheels unlike the flying cars everyone has. And the comic ends on Hellrock where an oracle warns a Doctor Doom esque character called Dethstryk that he will be meeting up a guy called Ravage who could possibly bring him down.

REVIEW

Yeah, this isn’t very good. A lot of the whole pollution is vague and we only get snippets of the problem. Heck, the pollution angle is just treated as a reason for Ravage to part of Alchemax and later realize that they are no good. Mr. Henton is ridiculous with him callously killing people for very little good reason, he didn’t have to schedule his massage at the same time as Ravage is suppose to be taken down (Also, I am pretty sure there were other witnesses in the room overheard Ravage saying there might be traitors, but he only kills the guy who asks if it is possible) or going to ridiculous lengths to frame and kill Ravage. He seriously couldn’t have hired a guy to pretend to be the polluters Ravage was after and make the claim that the latter is selling information to the former or he could have just blown up Ravage’s room as soon as the Mutroid claim Ravage is a traitor on tape?

Ravage isn’t all that great of a protagonist as he is too stupid, his actions go beyond someone who is just blindly loyal, and the whole thing was caused by him not thinking carefully about what to do next. Also, how did that truck still have fossil fuel in it since those can expire after a year or so. I am not one hundred percent when they expire but I am pretty sure they would have expired by now. And if it doesn’t run on fossil fuel, then why does it look like it is from the late 20th-early 21st century?

Tiana is okay, since she actually has some brains. But it is ruined by her not getting that Ravage is not gonna listen to reason. Dack is also kind of a stereotypical street kid who doesn’t contribute much beyond giving Ravage a reason to go confront Alchemax. Although, he seemed to be going there anyway. Also, there was the same coloring issues Spider-Man 2099 at the start. The guy running away and the Eco Patrol chasing him were colored yellow and blue. I guess the yellow is suppose to be him covered by the searchlights and the blue is him covered in darkness. But it doesn’t actually continue on throughout the story.

Here is the good portions for the comic beyond Tiana being a decent character. Ravage is most certainly a badass, if the fight with the police was a bit contrived in his favor, and we do get a decent setup of Hellrock even though Dethstryk looks and sounds stupid. And despite it being ridiculous that he would go to a junkyard to get anything at all for the purpose of taking down Alchemax...the tire plate as a shield looks cool. Everything else about the outfit is kind of silly I’m afraid.

So overall, a pretty bad issue with not much going for it. So I give Ravage 2099 #1 4 Garbage Trucks out of 10.  Next, we continue onto good stories with the conclusion of the origin of Spider-Man 2099!

Recommended comics for tomorrow!

I messed up! For some reason, I thought that I recommend comics on Tuesdays instead of Mondays. Which is why I didn't post this up yesterday. For, I apologize. But I'm fixing that mistake right now. As a quick reminder, I'm taking one comic from the Dark Horse, DC, Image, Marvel, Valiant, and one bonus publisher and will recommend for both new and veteran readers to check out.

1. Dark Horse Recommendation: Abe Sapien #21

Yes, another Hellboy comic. Sorry, but I really like Hellboy. Actually, I would have recommended another comic, but there seems to be very low sales for it, so the chances of you finding it in store is slim at best. Anyway, Abe is basically the sidekick to Hellboy. Helping him and the B.P.R.D. on their adventures. That all changed after a bunch of frog people, who look a bit like Abe, started coming out of the woodwork, the terrible that happened to Hellboy happens, and Abe got shot in the face causing him to go through another transformation. This time into a more bulkier creature.

This is series takes place after the last part where Abe leaves B.P.R.D. to learn more about himself and combat more of the frog creatures. There is at least one flashback to when Abe was a younger member, but it mainly takes place in present day. It is an excellent book, showing various people reacting in different ways depending on how whether they think Abe is one of the frog people or a sign of something more. This is currently in the middle of the longest story arc yet, five issues is long for this book since the longest before that was three, but as Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. shows it is still possible for people to jump in despite that.

2. DC Recommendation: Action Comics #40

This is a perfect to jump onto the Superman epic by Greg Pak. This is slated as a one shot tale as Superman faces against a creature from another, alien world. A creature that hails from somewhere where everything is backwards. A creature known as...Bizarro! Although I hope that the interiors isn't the same artist as the one on the cover. Not a big a fan of that kind of art style. But Greg Pak is awesome, and I highly recommend reading his run on Superman (Starting with #25 I believe, but could be wrong), and other work.

3. Image Recommendation: Spawn Resurrection #1

I was gonna recommend the Walking Dead for this week. But despite every fiber in my body saying to do so, I decided that it is not a good jumping on point. Not only is it at the conclusion of a story arc, the characters have changed a lot throughout the whole series. Some have come and go. There are a lot of new characters. The status quo is far different from anything before. So instead I am recommending Spawn Ressurection. It looks interesting and Spawn is someone who managed to stay on comic stands for over 20 years. And this is the start of a new status quo for Spawn. I'm definitely gonna use it as a jumping on point for my self since I have never read Spawn before except some issues from the beginning. So, yeah. There is my recommendation for Image.

...but I'm still gonna  review Walking Dead #138.

4. Marvel Recommendation: Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man #11

This is the second to last issue of the Spider-Man book before the Ultimate End miniseries starts in May. So might as well read one of the books out there right here with the beginning of the end. What is Doctor Doom doing in this? What will Miles do after what happened last issue, don't worry there should be a recap to catch you up? How will next issue lead into the Secret Wars? Find out here!

5. Valiant Recommendation: Ninjak #1

Ninjak is pretty much James Bond if he were a ninja. And he is awesome for it! This guy is probably the only guy in the whole Valiant universe who only relies on skills and gadgets while everyone else has powers of some sorts, or in Aric of Dacia's case a hi tech alien armor. And there is a reason for that. Based on what I gather, you don't need to read anything to get what is going on. You can just jump right in and have the time of your life.

Could not find a picture that I could upload here, sorry

6. Bonus Recommendation: Rachel Rising #32 (Abstract Studios)

JUMPING ON POINT BE DAMNED FOR THIS BOOK! Just read it, it's awesome! It has beautiful art, Tony Moore is both an excellent artist and storyteller, and it has an excellent story that promises to last for a few more years without wearing out its welcome. There are a lot of interesting characters. And I really just can't recommend this book enough.

To give a quick look into what this book is about, first off it is pretty much a horror suspense comic. In that it focuses more on the characters and the mysteries surrounding Rachel (She died by being hanged and was buried by her killer before coming back to life somehow) but it has witches, devils, and a little girl who isn't afraid to stab your eyes out. It is great and I love it so much.

2099 week presents Spider-Man 2099 #2!

Spider-Man 2099 #2

SUMMARY

We begin with Miguel still recounting the tale of his origin as Spider-Man. About how he hadn’t yet understood of the changes that happened last issue as Aaron, the scientist who tried to kill Miguel, is backing off due to the horrible sight he had just seen. Aaron then pulls out a gun and tries to shoot Miguel, clearly thinking he just turned him into the same kind of monster as the volunteer from the last issue. Miguel is easily dodged the bullets and tries to take the gun away, but causes Aaron to shoot a canister that was clearly marked danger.

It explodes and Aaron nearly gets thrown out of the building, but Miguel catches him. Aaron proceeds to panic and claims Miguel is tearing his arm off. In the end, Miguel accidentally lets go of Aaron to his death and the former realizes that he now has talons which was causing the pain Aaron mentioned. As Miguel tries to comprehend what is happening to him, the Public Eye shows up and tries to arrest him.

Miguel quickly realizes that he must have been integrated with spider DNA. In a bout of hysteria, Miguel leaps out of the window wanting to die rather than live as a freak while the Public Eye shoots at him. Miguel then regains his senses and instinctively grabs the walls of Alcehmax with his talons keeping him attached to it. He also realizes that there are talons on his feet which allows him to crawl like a spider.

Miguel climbs to the roof and bemoans how Aaron left him a freak and that he doesn’t have the guts to end his life like how Aaron ended up. He also doesn’t know why he is trying to get away as it won’t take long for the Public Eye to find him when he spots a Thorite, a group who worships Thor, gliding around on a hang glider.

Miguel hitches a ride startling the Thorite who asks who Miguel is. Miguel snarks that he is Spider-Man, which causes the Thorite to believe him and to think that he is the harbinger of Thor. The two then collide onto a rooftop and Thor gives the remain of the cloth to Miguel since “The Spider-Man must be masked!” Miguel agrees since the Public Eye most likely didn’t catch what his face looks like yet and he needs anything to keep them from finding out who he is.

We cut back to Tyler Stone who is having a discussion with Tiger Wylde, more about him in Doom 2099, about the former possibly but denying sending an assassin against the latter. Tiger cuts off the call frustrating Tyler who asks where is Venture. Venture is currently moving through the bottom levels of the building to Tyler’s office where it is revealed that he is a cowboy cyborg. Tyler asks Venture if he has any idea who sabotage the building who then confirms that he has made a 3-D reconstruction of what went down and that he will track down the intruder with ease.

We cut back to Miguel at home who wakes up to find that last night was most definitely not a dream. He sees that his sheets are shredded but not his body and after a second of testing finds out that the talons are retractable. Unfortunately, Venture is closing in on his location. Meanwhile, Miguel gets a phone call from his brother Gabe who insists on coming over due to Dana telling him that Miguel was freaking out.

After Gabe hangs up, Miguel realizes that he will need to buy clothes made out of unstable molecules if he wishes to keep clothing that won’t easily rip apart. Like a Death’s Head costume that he bought for a Day of the Dead festival. Venture approaches even closer to Miguel’s home as Gabe bursts through the door who reveals that he knows that Miguel was strung out on Rapture notes that Miguel is mumbling, because he has fangs and doesn’t want Miguel to notice, and that the lights are very dim, because Miguel’s accelerated vision isn’t too tolerant to bright lights.

Miguel tells him to not worry as he got rid of the Rapture which Gabe believes is bullcrap since Rapture bonds to your DNA. Miguel feels his forearms are itching as he notices Venture walking nearby with his accelerated while Gabe rants about how Miguel should realizes that Alchemax are full of bad people by now. Miguel pushes Gabe out of his apartment as he realizes that Venture is gonna track him to his home. His only chance is to disguise himself and send him on a wild goose chase until he muddle the tracks just enough that Venture won’t realize where he lives.

Miguel proceeds to put on the Death’s Head costume and super glue the glider cape that he got earlier and puts it on. He then jumps out of the window hoping he newfound agility and updrafts combine with the cape will stop him from hitting the ground. He manages to then land on top of Venture who was caught unaware. He then tries to think of something to say that will continue to keep Venture off guard and mask his fear but could only muster out a simple “Hi.”

REVIEW

I love the look of Venture, this issue’s main villain. I wish they could have done more with the concept of Futuristic Cyborg Cowboy Bounty Hunter though, but he still looks cool enough. Miguel is also slowly heading to the role of Spider-Man and we also get more of an explanation of his costume, like the reason why he seems to have a skull at the chest area instead of spider is because that is suppose to be a skull, and get introduced to a recurring group throughout the entire 2099 universe, Thorites.

We also get more characterization from Gabe as we see how much he cares about his brother and how fed up he is with his attitude and seemingly blind loyalty to Alchemax. There is also beginnings of the 2099 universe seamlessly tying together without outright crossing over with each other. Namely the Tiger Wylde conversation which is reference in Doom 2099.

The only negative about this is the coloring. Which again is mainly because it seems so odd of a choice at points that it is distracting. But otherwise the art and there are fewer instances of it here.

I give Spider-Man 2099 #2 a score of 8.5 webs out of 10.

Come back tomorrow where we deviate from the Spider-Man origin and enter one of the least liked aspects of the 2099 universe. Ravage 2099 #1!

2099 week presents Spider-Man 2099 #1!

Spider-Man 2099 #1

SUMMARY

The story begins in New York 2099 where a group is flying through the air in a flying car with some worrying they are about to get caught when a member of the group spot something. What he spot was Spider-Man of the year 2099 moving through the skyline trying to escape the police. After falling into freefall, using a webbed cape of sorts to glide his way to one of the flying bikes the police (Called the Public Eye in this universe) are using, and scratching him up so he loses control of the vehicle and bail the guy out right before the bike crashes into the ground.

After using the beat up officier as the distraction, Spider-Man finally manages to get back home unseen. He is greeted by a hologram called Lyla who informs Spider-Man (Which is also where we learn his name is Miguel) that he has several messages. The first message is from his boss called Tyler who says he needs to come back to work and that he needs a drug of some kind. Miguel is obviously not happy with the guy and tells him to go get run over by a train.

The next message is from his brother Gabe who says that Miguel should stop avoiding him and mentions how the place he works at is shady and that Miguel is in the thick of one of the more shadier parts of the organization. Miguel’s response is to dump the recording. The next message is from his fiance, Dana, who has a clear black eye and is worried about him due to him being strung out on drugs and is now just gone. Miguel also tells Lyla to dump that message and the rest when it turns it to be more from Dana.

Lyla notes that Miguel is definitely not acting normally and lists off many of the things that are not of the norm including not filling in a journal entry for five days. Miguel interrupts her and tells her to enter journal mode since he decides it would be a good time to write down what has been happening to him. The scene cuts to a lab where a scientist, called Aaron, is arguing to Miguel about how he doesn’t respect the former. Miguel just mocks him every chance he gets.

It is also revealed that the two are working on altering the genetic structures of animals with Miguel revealing that he has the inspiration to give someone powers like Spider-Man who is believed to have the proportionate strength and agility of a spider. Tyler Stone, from earlier, comes in and says that the two should get started on applying the tests on human subjects which is what Aaron wanted but is something that Miguel thinks is too soon to do. Tyler tries to convince Miguel to go with it by revealing that Alchemax, the company he owns the other two work for, wants results ASAP and that they already have a volunteer.

Miguel decides to go with it as he thinks he has the best chance of keeping the volunteer alive. But, things go wrong as the volunteer becomes a monstrous humanoid who breaks through the restrains it was in with ease and nearly kills Miguel before turning into a puddle of goo. Tyler states the result is positive since it shows that the creature gained superhuman strength, but it is too much for Miguel and he quits.

Tyler tells Miguel that Alchemax has groomed Miguel since he was a kid along with his dad and gave him a glass of wine. Which turned out to be laced with a drug called Rapture which is so addictive that you will die within a day without it and Alchemax somehow made it legal for those who work for the company.

Miguel, high out on the drugs, comes home where his fiance is and accidentally hits her due to his drug addled mind not working properly. He apologizes, explains what happened to him, and Dana immediately tells him to quit Alchemax and she will help him get Rapture off the black market. Miguel declines as he doesn’t want to live the rest of his life as a junkie.

Miguel then returns to the lab at night, and after erasing any evidence that he was there, proceeds to use the machine that was used from before. Apparently, Rapture is so addictive that is bonds to your DNA, and so Miguel decides to use an imprint of his own DNA from before he got the Rapture to pure it.

Unfortunately, Aaron stops by and proceeds to mess things up out of spite and to try to kill Miguel. He accidentally adds spider DNA along with Miguel’s regular DNA and causes the machine to overload. Seeing that Miguel is still alive, Aaron tries to play it off as being Miguel’s fault, only to realize that Miguel has become a monster with fangs and claws!

REVIEW

I have to say, this is a very enjoyable comic. Miguel is likeable, although one wonders how he still keeps his job when he snarks at everyone including his boss. But maybe he is that good. The beginning showcased this world’s Spider-Man’s abilities very well especially since most of the issue is flashback and it just ends with Miguel getting his powers.

The hologram scene does a good job of introducing one of Miguel’s enemies, Tyler Stone, and two of his supporting cast, his brother Gabe and fiance Dana. While we don’t see much of Gabe, but we do see that Dana is a very understanding individual and loves Miguel dearly. Plus, this and later books make it clear that everyone knows that Alchemax sucks.

Tyler is just a straight up jerk who clearly likes to keep everything in control. Especially with him lacing Miguel with drugs for no good reason. As Linkara pointed out months ago, Miguel was not gonna stop the testing in any way, he was just leaving. Aaron is the same way since being mocked all the time by someone does not excuse trying to murder them in cold blood!

The negatives here are that the coloring isn’t perfect. There are some weird choices here and there that makes it distracting. Otherwise the art is good and are still enjoyable to look at despite the art.

I give Spider-Man 2099 #1 a score of 8 webs out of 10.

Come back tomorrow when I take a look at Spider-Man 2099 and the continuing story of Spider-Man’s origins!

New 52 Trade Reviews! (Flashpoint Vol. 1)

FLASHPOINT VOLUME 1

WARNING! There will be a bit of spoilers here. Even though it is three years since this trade has been out, I am certain there are some who have not yet checked it out. So you are officially WARNED!

This is a great series. The artwork is beautiful with only the panel where Barry runs and ends up at his mom’s house in the final part gave me pause because his left leg is a little too high for someone who is running. Seriously, this one of the best examples of art in comics I have seen.

The story else is good since it is about Barry Allen waking up to finding his world changed and that he needs to find a way to change it back before the memories that the Barry of this world overrides his memories of the original world. There are also a bunch of neat twists to differentiate between this world and the original. Like Thomas Wayne being the new Batman and Bruce being killed. Or the fact that Captain Marvel is now Captain Thunder, which was gonna be the original name but wasn’t due to copyright issues, who is a group of kids merge into one.

You will have to check out the tie-ins to fill in on more of this world, but what has been served is satisfactory enough. I won’t go into anything too spoilery about how the world is changed, since again there are people who probably have not read Flashpoint and somehow have not learned that from other people. The whole Batman reveal doesn’t matter since it is made in the first 30 pages or so and it is important for the best scene in the comic.

Speaking of great scenes, I love the part where Barry tries to get his powers, he doesn’t have them in this reality, and ends up looking like what person struck by lightning would like. It is a fun experience of reality ensuing in comics.

The best scene is after Barry fixes everything and turns in a letter to Bruce from the Flashpoint Thomas Wayne. Is a very emotional scene with Bruce taking off the cowl and just reading the letter as himself and crying tears of joy over it. I really love it.

Now, for one negative, other than the odd panel I mentioned at the top. Namely, the fact that this is suppose to be an event comic. And it doesn’t actually read as one. Not to mention that is suppose to tie up the old DCU and lead the Nu52. In fact the only reason this leads to the Nu52 is a single splash page where a woman, later revealed to be Pandora, tells Barry to converged three separate timelines into one so the world has more heroes and the that universe will be more structurally sound against an upcoming evil.

It has been over three years and we still haven’t seen this supposed dreaded evil yet. Well, maybe it is the upcoming Darkseid War. We will find out soon enough. In any case, yeah a great Flash story arc that should have stayed as a Flash story arc. Not that turning story arcs into event is always a bad thing since Blackest Night is an example of that done right.

In summary, great comic with great writing and art. Just not epic enough to support this being the lead in to the Nu52. Still recommended as a story by itself at least.

Overall, this is 8.5 lightning bolts out of 10.

Next week, I begin reviewing the actual Nu52 in order of trades that are published. So, Animal Man Volume 1: The Hunt.

And come back on Monday for the start of an entire week of reviews of comics from the 2099 universe! Don't worry, all other reviews will be done on time and as scheduled.

Ultimate Marvel Trade Review (Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1)

Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1 Power & Responsibility

I am gonna say it right off the bat and say that Ultimate Spider-Man is my favorite series out of the entire Ultimate universe. I love every issue of it! So I expected to be still wowed away when I read this again especially since I actually reviewed this on another site and gave it a high score.

To my amazement, I wasn't so excited. I still like it, it's got a lot going for it. The characters are still great and the art is fantastic. Hell, the art is the only thing my opinion hasn't changed and with good reason. Mark Bagley is a superb artist and there is a reason he and Bendis wrote Ultimate Spider-Man for 110 and a half issues which is the longest Marvel run for a single creative team since Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four.

Is it the best artwork on Spider-Man? That depends on your taste but it is certainly wonderful in any case. And I still like Bendis take on Peter Parker, his Uncle Ben, and Green Goblin. Who I remember being weirded out by when I first read this but have since accepted as a great version of Green Goblin.

This trade also holds one of my favorite Ultimate Spider-Man issue of all time, #5. That was Bendis and Bagley at their best. Since it has been around 15 years since then, it's basically the aftermath of Uncle Ben being killed and Pete looking for the killer.

We have a depressing and sobering account by Aunt May to a police officer on what happened. Then Peter angrily searching the city for the killer and finding him in an abandoned warehouse. We get nice updated panels of the original origin story without trying to outright copy them. And finally having Peter realize the killer is a thief he could have stop and finally understanding that with great power comes great responsibility.

It is a powerful issue and I still love it. So with those praises, why am I not so wowed? Because that was the only issue where Bendis was at his writing best with only some of those moments sprinkle throughout here and there. The very beginning had Osborn telling a random worker about the myth of Arachne and then followed by stupid and contrived events to explain why Peter gets bit a genetically enhanced spider later in the story.

There is also the typical Bendis writing that goes along the lines of characters repeating what the others say. Not only do humans not speak like that, especially with so many different people, it comes off as just padding to justify why this is around 7 issues long. You could probably cut out enough material to make a still pretty good 5-6 issues.

Also, there was a scare where after Peter accidentally broke Flash's hand, he just got his powers and didn't know how to hold back his strength yet, where Flash's parents were going to sue the Parker family if they don't pay for the hospital bill. We don't know what happened afterwards as it just served to make Peter angrily shout at his aunt and uncle and to later set up even more guilt for Pete when Ben dies. If it were followed up anyway, like Flash's parents dropping it because Ben died soon after the call, I would be cool with it.

So overall, good first trade collection worth recommending just for the art and the fifth issue included. And the problems with the book just making it not great but still good.

I give Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1 7.5 spiders out of 10.

Come back next week, when we look at an ultimate take on the most uncanny group of them all.

And come back tomorrow when we take a look at a story that started a controversial decision from DC comics.

REVIEW DAY! 3/5/2015

REVIEW DAY!

Welcome to the very first review day, where I take one issue from Dark Horse, DC, Marvel, Image, Valiant, and bonus one from one of the many publishers. Here we got some great comics, with one of them losing some points for being underwhelming in what was promise but is still worth a read, and one comic that isn't so great. Come and find out which one falls under which category!
1. Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #4 (Dark Horse)

This issue was great. In fact, this entire miniseries so far is great. To those who never heard of this one before, I would be surprised if you didn't recognize the name Hellboy though, this pretty much tells the story of Hellboy's first field mission.

And things, as they oh so usually are, aren't as they seem. What was thought to be a spirit killing people in the countryside turned out to be something wackier but in an awesome way.

I don't want to spoil anything so I will say that it involves a Hellboy villain. One that I have only seen before in a one shot story very long ago. And you will see why I recognize him despite it being years since I read a short one shot once you read this series.

It only focuses on two heroic characters, Hellboy and a B.P.R.D. vet named Archie, who work well together what with Archie helping the currently inexperienced Hellboy on what is going on and against some undead husks.

It is also interesting to see a Hellboy who hasn't yet become the badass demon Nazi-fighting monster hunter that we are familiar with today trying to get through his first field mission and still managing to out fight a monstrous husk who also happens to weird an axe.

The art is also great and sort of resembles Mike Mignola's art but still clearly its own. I love it and it fits the series perfectly.

So yeah, I got nothing to complain. With what info I have above, people can probably still get into this despite being so late into story and hopefully want to check out the other Hellboy books. The only negative I have is concern that people will be turned off by the wacky elements I mentioned and alluded to. It is not the norm for Hellboy but shows up just enough that veteran readers won't raise an eyebrow but the same can't be said for new readers.

So with that, I give Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #4 9 chain smoking monkeys out of 10. Oh, I forgot to mention there is a monkey that is smoking a cigarette. It's not really important, only there for two pages and is more of a background character, but it amuses me.

2. Green Lantern #40 (DC)

This a pretty good finale to the old ways of the Green Lantern. But it has some problems both in art and story. Not that there are any plot holes and the art isn't terrible. Not to mention, this doesn't actually give a good reason for the other Green Lantern titles to be gone.

At the very least the Green Lantern Corps could have continued and showcased several of the other minor Lanterns that aren't from Earth. I really don't spoil what happens, so I will say Hal has a plan to get the Corps reputation in good shape again.

And it involves him fighting Kilowog. Who is in on it but isn't happy that the best plan Hal can come up with is this. Kilowog and Hal talk throughout the whole fight with the former trying to get Hal to either stop this or take Kilowog with him. It is a very interesting fight and a little sad as it is basically two friends saying good bye to each other.

The problem is, and is actually the only problem with the story that I mentioned, this lasts almost half the issue and they end up repeating dialogue. The other problem is Hal's face. It doesn't look like right most panels, being too shaded in the areas of the eyes, to the point I thought it was suppose to be a clue someone is impersonating Hal Jordan. Though it is only Hal who has this problem and everyone else is great adding more to the confusion.

There are also a couple of pages dedicated to the Templar Guardians which basically just them saying "We were planning on doing something to bring up Corps morale, but Hal beat us to it and did so in a way that only he could have done." Basically, more proof that these guys were as useless as the last ones but are at least more well-intended.

So overall, good departure, just could have been spruced up a bit and you don't actually have to read the last two issues to jump into this so that's a plus. I am certainly excited for when Hal returns in a status quo this June.

I give this chapter 7 broken Lantern rings out of 10.

3. Saga (Image)

This series is still great as ever. In fact it's so great, I will say the one negative here to get it out of the way. Which is that this issue isn't as reader friendly as I thought it would be. And these reviews and the recommendations from Monday are meant for both people who follow comics are people who haven't yet read them.

So yeah, it is gonna be a little confusing and will need a good look on wikipedia to understand what is going on or whoever everyone. Or just read it from the start. That is as good a move as any.

Anyway, this is just another stepping stone in the overall story and several character arcs. We get great moments from every group, right now it is following three, and one of the villains, who is a father who lost his son and lost his sanity, is starting to realize that he is making a terrible mistake, and get a look at another villain, who is temporarily in a truce with one of the main characters, and how his own personal loss is affecting him.

The artwork is beautiful and is the best I have seen in everything I review so far. Including the reviews from today and the ones for the next two days. I dare anyone to find fault with it.

The story is also progressing nicely, juggling three plots very well and with a nice surprise turn at the end of the issue that shows just how dour the life of the afflicted character in question has turned.

I give Saga 9.7 broken robo TV heads out of 10. Seriously, I have nothing real to critique and it is all so great. The whole series as a whole is a 10/10 right now.

4. All-New Hawkeye (Marvel)

Another great series by Jeff Lemire! This part one of a part five story arc, and I am curious what will be coming our way. This chapter basically balances two stories. One that gives the origin of Clint and his brother Barney. And the other being about Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, both with the code name Hawkeye, having to get a weapon cache from HYDRA.

At first, I wasn't impressed with artwork. Thinking it to be too muddled. Until I learn that is just for the past, and the art being very different for the present. So, I decided it works and it actually blends well.

Seriously, at one point it actually blends with each other perfectly in a single panel, with a scene of the past being shown in a window Clint of the present is running past. I am really surprised by how well these two different art styles can work so well together. And trust me, it usually doesn't work so well.

The two different stories don't blend with each other that well though. The origin story is just an origin story. There are some elements of the past that harkens to the present and vice versa but not enough so far to justify showing it like this. But I have faith Lemire will show why in time.

I give All-New Hawkeye #1 8 soaring arrows out of 10.

5. X-O Manowar #34 (Valiant)

The solicitation lied! This is not a jumping on point! As I mentioned a couple issues ago, this is for both new readers (Whether to comics in general or just the series that is currently being reviewed) and longtime readers. And this is in no way friendly for new readers.

The recap at the beginning doesn't do enough to give all the details necessary. I honestly can't imagine someone just jumping into this and not being confused But fortunately, despite the fact that you need to read Planet Death and Armor Hunters to understand the plot, it's still a good start.

The plot is simple, Aric needing to go to space to save an alien civilization from a threat that belonged to a recent foe of his. But the enemy isn't which is to be expected since they are a offshoot of the Armor Hunters. A group dedicated to saving the universe from the Armor virus at any cost.

We get a look at other Armor Hunters and hints of even more possible confrontations with another threat. Aric shows how much he has change over the series by willingly to leave his people in charge of a friend and going off to save another civilization that he wasn't friendly with in the first place. And being shown how deadly the Dead Hand who do something very up on the oh crap meter.

The artwork for X-O Manowar is great as always, if it weren't for the Green Lantern review above you would probably think that I just think all art looks great by now, although I find it weird of a...okay I have no choice to spoil this just show my opinion. At one point Dead Hand, a group of robots designed to destroy the armor Aric of Dacia has, form into a giant planet like object with a face on it. Odd, but the artwork doesn't do that much justice as in my opinion the face looks goofy.

So yeah, otherwise the story is still interesting and good, and the artwork is great except for a single panel. I highly recommend you buy the entire series, or get it from a friend, and catch up to what promises to be another great story arc.

I give X-O Manowar #34 7.8 Barbarians in business suits out of 10. Okay, that only makes sense for the original 90's X-O Manowar series, but get off my back, the only I could think of is just a generic armor. That and the event that shows how deadly Dead Hand is and I didn't want to spoil it.

6. Cluster #2 (Boom! Studios)

So far, it's good. The opening series puts importance on our main character. And gives reason for the people in charge to look for our protagonists after they crash landed last issue.

We get a couple of action pages as they face a giant monster that is native to the planet they are on. Although, as one of them points out, it was a waste time. Especially since the government implanted a charge in all convicts that will kill in a certain amount of time if they don't return to camp.

There is also an interesting twist that shows other convicts, that aren't the main group, taking actions to get out of their sentence. Plus a bit of backstory for the characters.

You probably just noticed that I deliberately avoiding names. That is because I just read the story and I completely forgot everyone's names, even our main protagonist. Which pretty means they are forgettable, even the most interesting character who is an actual alien and not just a human like the rest of the cast.

The art is okay, not drawing my attention all that much. It could be worse, but it also could be better.

So yeah, the story is interesting, but without interesting characters to invest in, it isn't worth following. Combined with average artwork, makes me decide that this story might not have been so well deserved of a recommendation. But hey, who knows. Maybe it will turn around in the future issues.

I give Cluster 6 exploding convicts out of 10.

I wish I read The Woods instead. That is a series I highly recommend to readers. That is a good book from the same publisher.