Amazing Spider-Man #678-#679

Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: Humberto Ramos
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colourist: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Editor: Stephen Wacker

Before I get into the two issues, some quick background. I used to be the world's biggest Spider-Man fan as a teen. I had the shirts, read every comic (no matter how many miniseries) etc. Then the Spiderclone story happened and I changed how I thought of comics. I so hated that storyline that I went from following characters, to following creators. Though I still had a nasty taste when I thought of the main Spider-man line, and hadn't read more than an issue or two in a row since.

That last part has changed with this storyline. The cover to 678 just made me so curious as to just what had happened to New York and Spider-man. It's a simple design but just opened up so many thoughts in my head upon seeing it.

Writer Dan Slott delivers the goods inside though, because as much as the cover got me in, his writing kept me there. He's got a brilliant idea here with one of Peter's friends having invented a literal doorway into tomorrow.  At first things seem fine with it, but when Peter crosses over the day changes to a destroyed New York, leading Peter to have to figure out what went wrong  and fix it.

It is compelling action, filled with tension, as we follow Peter race the clock to save NYC and those involved. I like how Slott weaves in even the continuity with other books and characters, with things like Madame Web guesting to explain why the Avengers or FF don't get involved. 

Ramos's art is as expressive as ever. From the heroes, to the person on the street, the characters all seem to have unique lives and quirks of their own. This is  a story that has serious overtones, but the art brings an energy that reminds me of the best parts of the Indiana Jones movies.

I'll definitely be back for more after reading these issues. I  like that Peter Parker has moved on with his life. He's no longer the poor schlep working as a photographer for The Daily Bugle. His new job and environment makes things fresh and exciting, which isn't easy to do for a character that's been around as long as Spidey.

It's something I've noticed on a number of books from Marvel currently as I check in on them. Status quos are no longer there, new characters, directions and stories are taking place.

That's something maybe another company who just restarted should consider doing. (but so far just put their characters back in the same old situations)

Marvel Capsules 01/12/12 : Amazing Spider-Man #677, Captain America #7 and Scarlet Spider #1

Amazing Spider-Man #677 - Writer Mark Waid pinch hits for Dan Slott for this issue which is the first part of a crossover that'll be continued in Waid's Daredevil series. I enjoyed the banter between the two characters, and it's always great to see the Black Cat character.

Yet I can't help but wonder what a fan of Spider-Man feels about the issue. While told from Peter's perspective, it is mostly as a cypher for other characters. The majority of the story is about Daredevil and showing how cool he is. Which I don't have a problem with being a fan of Waid's DD, and I don't read Spider-man. Yet I could see how someone who does, might wonder why their character is constantly upstaged in his own book.

Don't get me wrong I liked the book, it was sharp, witty and made me want to see what happens next.

Artist Emma Rios's (who is a new name to me) work is breath taking. From subtle things like body language that tells you a story even without words, to gorgeous action shots as the characters race across the city's roof tops she nails it. She's a name I'll certain be on the look out for from now on.

Captain America #7 - I've been enjoying Brubaker's  run on this since its beginning, but have found something just a little lacking about this volume of the series since it started. Perhaps because it comes on the tails of such big stories like Death of Captain America and his return, so it just seems too small.

Add in that Cap losing his powers has been done so often, so this all just seems so normal. It's competent, with some good moments, but I enjoyed the prior stuff at such a higher level that normal is a let down.

I know this is blasphemous as well to say, and it hurts to say it as I'm a fan of Alan Davis's art on other works. Yet it just looks so flat here, as if the art lacks depth to the point that it reminds me of the old Colorforms sticker toy sets.

Scarlet Spider #1 - I never thought I'd be reading a Scarlet Spider series, as I hated the Spider-Clone saga to the point that I have still to this day not read more than a TPB worth of Spider-man stories in a row.

 Yet this series had two strong things going for it that made me try it. Writer Christopher Yost whose work on things like DC's Red Robin impressed me, and it is based in the city of Houston, TX. Which is near me, and I wanted to see how they would portray it in comic form.

The thing that wound up impressing me most though was artist team of Ryan Stegman, Michael Babinski, and Marte Garcia work. Their sense of movement as Kaine swings through the city was really well done, but their best bit was spiders crawling all over the opening pages. I have a small fear of spiders and it creeped me out a little to have to touch the spiders as I turned the pages.

Yost has a job ahead of him to make Kaine a character readers can truly care for. He's got such a dark past, and still comes off as a bit selfish. He has potential though, and I think being set off on his own can really give him time to grow.

Also kudos to bringing Houston to life, it was nice seeing familiar places brought to life in a beautiful way. I also appreciate that the it isn't populated with everyone wearing cowboy hats, boots, etc. We may have a higher % of people who wear that stuff than most, but it had become a bit of a stereotype for everyone from TX.

The series has a long road ahead of it, but at least it has started off on the right foot.

Fatale #1

Fatale #1

Writer: Ed Brubaker:

Artist: Sean Phillips

Colors: Dave Stewart

Image Comics

I didn't think it possible for me to really not know what the hell is going on in a comic, yet still enjoy the hell out of it anyway. Yet that's the case with Brubaker and Phillips Fatale. If you asked me what the story was about, I'd give vague mumblings of a car chase, a flashback to the past and some cultists being brutally slaughtered. How it all fits together? Hell if I know after just the 1 issue.

Yet so far that's fine, because they  really know how to make you feel the mood of each scene. Whether it's the wet cold of the rainy funeral, to the sexy appeal of the female lead that gives the book its name, to the eerie creepiness  of a bloody massacre. The scenes come to life and you feel the cold rain,  you're stunned by the fatale's beauty etc.

I honestly can't wait to see what happens next, I want to know why I'm feeling all these things.

Check it out yourself at your local retailer, or online at Comixology.

Shinku

Shinku 1-4

Writer: Ron Marz

Penciler: Lee Moder

Inker:  Matthew Waite

Colorist:  Michael Atiyeh

Image Comics

Like a crotch rocket cutting through traffic, Shinku started off fast and hasn't let up off the gas yet. Shinku is the last of a clan of samurai warriors, at war with an ancient clan of vampires who have been a controlling power in Japan since feudal times. The blend of horror and action is providing a pulse pounding adventure each and every issue so far.

 One of the hardest things in comics to portray is movement. So watching this art team create this fast moving story has been impressive. From a motorcycle chase, to an elevator battle that has blood dripping off the page. The story never slows, with not a wasted panel or word of dialogue, just constant movement towards a shared goal of violent retribution.

Yet it doesn't lack depth, issue 4 is a slow down issue of sorts. If you count vampires crashing through windows, shoot outs and bone crushing hits as slowing down. As Shinku's helpers have to come to her rescue. Seeing their views of her, one the long time companion whose loyalty and dedication is strong. To the newest who is doing it more out of desperation than loyalty and wonders at his and her motivations is involving.

In some ways Shinku has become as dangerous as the monsters she hunts. Her obsession to see their destruction has caused her to use people to further her goals, even when it has put them in danger they may not otherwise be in. I wonder if we might see her come to realize this as he series move forward.

If you're looking for something other than superheroes, and are tired of monsters acting like/mooning over love sick school girls. Give Shinku a try. The issues are available from your retailer or can be bought online at Comixology.

Who I Am

I'm James Schee, pronounced Ski, and I've been a comics reader off and on since I was a kid in the 80s reading G.I. Joe comics. One of my favorite times in comics was the late 1990s to early 2000s when I was a remote assistant on the DC Comics section on AOL. That humanized the comic industry for me, as I got to see comic creators as people, not  faceless names on paper.

I like to think of myself as sort of a middle of the road comics fan. Most of the supposed classics happened before I got in, though I have gone back and read many of them. I don't have a life long history with characters, so am able to break even the strongest fondness of a book if the quality isn't there.

 As time passes you'll see reviews of superhero, horror, sci-fi, slice of life,  and just about every kind of comic there is. To me the most important thing about a comic is that it entertain me. I'm not interested in reading a comic just because it continues a 20 years old story. I also don't care if all your comic is about is how you can't get a girlfriend.  A comic has to BE a story, not just an index card entry or a whine fest.  If I don't enjoy it, it isn't worth it.

One of the things that has gotten me back into comics in the past year was receiving an IPad for my birthday. The digital marketplace for comics has really boomed recently, and allowed me to try out things I never would have been able to shopping in the Direct Market. Most of the comics I read currently are digital, though there are still some I seek out collections or the occasional single issue.

My goal is to just share my thoughts, in a hopefully reasoned way, on what I enjoy. It won't all be sunshine and bunnies. When I feel I have something to say, I can, and will, be critical. Yet I don't believe in diatribes and I hate the way that everything in comics is so agenda driven in fandom today. I miss the days when it was just okay for a comic to not be for you as a reader.  Now readers seem to think they must "fix" anything they personally dislike.

So let's see how it goes, okay?