New Beginnings - Silver Surfer #1

by Matt Puddy

Now if anyone read this year's Marvel Point One review you will have already seen that new Silver Surfer comic from Dan Slott and the Allred’s was not a favourite of mine based on it's initial brief outing. I'm keeping as open a mind as I can though...

Norrin Radd has been a well established figure in the Marvel Universe. In his time he has been part of the Defenders and the Titans Three, has been a gladiator and prisoner on Planet Hulk, and in Marvel Zombies he was arguably responsible for the creation of space faring flying zombie super monsters. Most, however, will know him as the former herald of Galactus. This final salient point is what is currently pushing him forward.

Driven by the combined guilt and grief from the deaths of billions of life forms across the multitude of planets he selected for his master, the Surfer is now trying to atone by helping and saving others.

In the comic we see how he rekindles a star to save a world and prove his worthiness to become a champion. He has been selected by the residents of the Impericon. This partially confuses him as he’s never heard of them but they have hidden themselves from him for fear of being destroyed. Ironically it is their technology which has created a new power hungry threat to them, for which they need they help of the Silver Surfer. They need him to protect them from The Never Queen.

At the same time we also learn the slightly more mundane New England life of a young girl called Dawn. This is the same girl we met in Point One but this is set before that mini adventure. Dawn hasn’t been anywhere, nor does she have the inclination to go anywhere either. She is happy and content with her feet firmly on the ground. A backstory that is well established through the issue. It also makes a nice but complete role reversal, when she is torn from it all to be leverage in making the Surfer go through with being the Champion of the Impericon. It’s also made stranger by the fact he’s never met her or seen her before yet she’s meant to be the most important thing to her.

As writing goes the story is good and well structured. I’m currently reading Superior Spider-Man which is also Dan Slott, so have an open frame of reference. I don’t feel he’s disappointing in it, but then again I've also seen stronger from him. It flows well, even though it is split over two main areas, but at the same time also feels a little basic and doesn’t challenge the reader. This could be partially brought on by the artwork.

Unfortunately I’m not a fan of Michael Allred’s style of drawing so for me it really takes some of the gusto from the comic. It’s full of very strong lines and bright colours (courtesy of his wife Laura Allred) but lacks enough detail for me. I had the feeling that there was no background to the comic. It was also a little disappointing that the cover, also by Allred and Allred, had little bearing on the story at this present time and was the one from Point One, which I also feel was from a different point along this tale.

That said I did find the double page spread of the Impericon quite bemusing and almost played tricks on the eyes which was certainly a new experience.

This is a shot at redemption for Norrin, although it is with his arm twisted behind his back, and with Slott writing it I have no worries over the story. However, for me this is one comic I’m not sure I can read as I just can't reconcile Allred's artwork with the Marvel Universe.

Matt Puddy is very excited about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles teaser trailer even if it is Michael Bay.

New Beginnings - Superior Spider-Man #2

In the past months we have reviewed both Amazing Spider-Man #700 and Superior Spider-Man #1 and after such a pair of issues it only felt right to break the trend and also follow on to the second issue for those who were still a little sceptical of it all.

Unsurprisingly the story is still Dan Slott and the artist is Ryan Stegman so I won’t cover old ground from my last review. Instead it means that the story can be looked at.

With the bombshell dropping at the end of the first issue that Peter Parker (the real one) isn’t completely gone, the whole story opens up. Continuing on straight away with what is dubbed simply. “Second day on the job.” Spidey is returning stolen property and further endearing himself to the public. On the outside there is a calm exterior, but on the inside there is a screaming Peter Parker who is outraged by the limelight being given to this impostor! What makes it worse is the J. Jonah Jameson finally shakes his hand as an equal...

This is a continuing theme throughout the issue as Otto is starting to use criminal masterplan logic to arrange what should be a perfect life for Parker.  And in some cases actually looks like it’s working. Even with the derision that his spectral accomplice is more than happy to hand out, Otto uses his genius to create Spider-Bots which revolutionise his coverage of the city. Where Parker saw duty and responsibility, Otto sees opportunity.

Otto’s new approach takes a lot into account, including the wooing of MJ. Even he can’t understand why Parker let her get away and for the most part he plans to change this. Being the man he is, the idea of emotion and relationships escapes him. All he can do is see it as an equation which has an escaping answer. It’s only when he uses the influence of the costumed identity that he realises the real reason that Parker and MJ struggled to make it work. In a stroke of personal genius he does the one thing Parker never could. He lets her go to move on and stops the cycle.

As this is all going on, to Parker’s envy and later admiration towards the end, there are subtle hints and clues being dropped as Otto continues. Even though MJ is frustratingly oblivious to them all, Carlie is seeing them and combined with her last encounter with Peter in Otto’s frail body, things are slowly adding up.

It seems that the adage about not being able to fool everyone all of the time is starting to ring true and Otto’s war for Spider-Man’s body is beginning on two fronts, with a detective’s enquiry on the outside and a ghostly presence on the inside. The series is really starting to pick up now and if you aren’t on board you best start.

Matt Puddy loved the cover to #2 too...

New Beginnings - Superior Spider-Man #1 (CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

EDITOR'S NOTE: This review contains HUGE spoilers. Admittedly those spoilers are all over the internet, but be warned if you haven't read this yet, you may want to click away.

You have been warned!

Only a couple of weeks ago I reviewed the rather controversial "final" issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Now for many it was the end of an era, so much so that the backlash from some readers reached as far as national mainstream news, but to others it was an opening for something more.

Issue #700 did provoke a large response from fans as they had to wave goodbye to Peter Parker and try to swallow the fact that Otto Octavius was now in essence Spider-man 2.0. A driven, ruthless genius filled with Peter’s memories. To many this was a step too far but have they been short sighted and not seen the bigger picture? Would Dan Slott really close the door on Peter Parker?

The issue begins exactly where it's divisive predecessor emotionally ends. Otto has not only accepted that he is now Spider-Man but he is also donning the full mantle and responsibilities that the mask carries too. Symbolically visiting the new grave of his former life he waves it farewell and moves on.

Getting thrown right in at the deep end, Otto is called to the scene of carnage being created by the new Sinister Six which provides a rather interesting dynamic. He's now on the other side of the fence. A side that he appears to be sick of almost immediately, as his ego can see how pathetic they really are. He struggles with them not because they pose a threat but simply because of how insipid he finds them.

Taking them lightly though doesn’t work well and Otto finds himself doing something that bemuses the Six, something Spider-Man has never done before; he goes to run away. But in the instant he turns his back Boomerang endangers the surrounding civilians and for some unknown (to him) reason Otto finds himself back in the thick of it to save them.

It’s all change in some respects, but all the same in the others as Otto figures out what is going on and how to counter the Six in some quite ingenious ways. More tellingly is the manner in which he does it. I mentioned ruthless earlier and the streak is most certainly there. All the way to the very end when, in front of a camera crew, he is about to strike the killing blow when a hand stops him. Not understanding what is going on, as he cannot see it or feel the presence around him, another force has prevented Otto from finishing things off. That other force... is Peter Parker.

It goes without saying that the final page is one to read and will have significant impact on this series. Those fans in revolt need to check it out before nailing down the coffin.

Ryan Stegman has the job of pencilling the series from the start. His style is a frustrating one for me. On the more open frames where there is a lot of action and multiple characters I like how he draws. There’s a lot of diversity and characters although they lose definition feel believeable. But when you have an individual highlighted I find that the definition goes. A more cartoon-like style comes to the front and they seem to lose much of their sincerity.

Stegman has also done the cover art for the issue I had and I found myself drawn to Spider-Man’s knuckles and how strange they looked, which slightly devalued it’s impact for me. As an aside within the pages of the issue you will find a page dedicated to seeing the variant covers which are also very good. My particular favourite being from Camuncoli, who although I don’t know him specifically I liked his work.

This is an issue to get. Full stop. I’m hoping to keep my review copy and will be following the series to see where it goes. I would strongly suggest that anyone who was unhappy with the end of Amazing Spider-Man needs to read this before making their minds up fully.

Matt Puddy was overruled about blowing the spoiler here - direct any criticism to the editor.

New Beginnings - The Amazing Spider-Man #700

This one really is a doozy. I also have to forewarn you that there are spoilers ahead!

For trusted fans and readers of Amazing Spider-Man the stage was set when in a final act of vengeance, Doctor Octopus switched bodies with Peter Parker - trapping his mind in the decaying frame of his former tutor. Dan Slott has left it to all play out in this final issue, also setting the stage for The Superior Spider-Man.

The story follows Peter after he has escaped prison attempting to regain his body. The only problem is that he is seen as a known fugitive and every conventional avenue is therefore closed to him. To make it worse, any location or resource he can think of using Doc Ock’s memories are also slowly becoming out of bounds, as Otto is using them against him. It becomes a game of chess on a large, life threatening scale.

It is only when Peter strikes out in a completely uncharacteristic way that he find a way to break the stalemate. For once he aims to finish things by making sure that one way or another Otto’s life is ended, ensuring that he has protected those all around him. By taking them both over the edge of a rooftop in a gesture akin to Holmes and Moriarty, the end of Peter and Otto’s relationship is sealed with one of them dying. In a twist I have to admit I didn’t see coming, Spider-Man is changing in a potentially franchise threatening way.

Peter Parker is gone as the life finally fades in Doc Ock’s body, but as a parting moment he instils all of his memories, emotions and past challenges into Otto making him feel and relive every second himself changing Octavious perception of Spider-Man and indeed himself. Spider-Man remains. but with a new focused and stronger driver, so to speak. The genius and drive of Doctor Otto Octavius combined with the power and ability of Spider-Man.

Slott’s story-telling is good throughout and you can feel the struggle that Parker is having adjusting to this foreign body and those around him, with his hired super criminals noticing the difference in him. I did find it odd that no one around Otto (posing as Peter) even thought anything was wrong when he spoke differently. Part of me wondered why MJ didn’t slap the frown from his face when she was called “woman” and an almost third party monologue went unnoticed. Something just felt off with the script in parts there. I am also left wondering if this tonal change and language usage can continue? There are a couple of clichés popped in there as well which, thanks to being used sparingly, were nice little touches. What monumental issue such as this could go by without using Spidey’s immortal phrasing of great power and responsibility?

Now with such a landmark issue in the limelight the artwork is something that is of great importance. It would be wrong for me to berate Marvel’s choice on something so personal as my general malaise towards Ramos’s work – there’s only so many basic face shapes (two, one male and one female) that you can read – and I would have loved to have seen someone like Mark Bagley or Leinil Yu taking the pencils for it. However, that said I tended not to notice it behind the story. It’s colourfully inked and active enough that I didn’t get drawn to the soulless eyes, or occasional lack of irises. It doesn’t dampen the issue and some will love it as it’s as jovial as some of the scripting, but I still think it could have been stronger.

In addition to the main story this bumper 104 page issue has been fleshed out with two more stories - Spider-Dreams by J.M DeMatteis and Date Night by Jen Van Meter - along with numerous letters from prominent writers, artists and inkers telling of how the webhead has played a part to them. You can review all of the covers from every issue through several pages too. This all makes it feel as though there is a definite sending off here.

With this issue Amazing Spider-Man has most certainly been put to bed and for fans it’ll be a sad day I feel. On the horizon is potentially a much grittier and darker Spidey that will take direct action. How this will be received is yet to be seen, but I’ll be waiting for that first issue to see where this goes. My curiosity at the end of this era and the dawn of a new one has most certainly been piqued.

Matt Puddy is making a large trifle...