Amazing Man #12 (Spider-verse) review
The new year is here and so are the comics, here’s my Amazing Spider-Man #12 (Spider-verse) review!
The comic open with Morlun having Benjy, the youngest totem ever in any reality, which makes him The Scion. Otto tells them to jump Solarus as this might be their only chance to get him, but this dude is cranked up on cosmic power so that goes poorly. Mayday tries to get her brother back, but Morlun gets away.
Spider-Man UK calls Peter to tell him to get there, and they bring with them a giant robot! As in Power Rangers Megazord robot. While this dude buys them some time, they retreat while Silk ends up in the radioactive world that is the bane of all Inheritors. The nuclear air is toxic to her, but more so to them and she manages to make a hazmat suit out of webbing before moving on.
Peter’s group lands in a random world, and plans to regroup. Otto calls him out, stating his ineptness cost him his base, his absence got their safe zone taken, and his return cost them a giant robot. Mayday, in grief, calls them all fakes and Peter tries to calm her down when the calls come in.
Jessica Drew states she helped Silk escape but can’t jump herself and is Morlun’s serving girl, thinking this is a little convenient while in the presence of the Master Weaver. Miles is on a recruitment kick and thinks that this is insane (and I’m inclined to agree with him given he’s in a sentient spider-buggy), and 2099 is beginning the dissection. Jennix reveals he can hear everything they’re saying then, because while hearing them chatter is amusing they aren’t going to start letting them plan tactics, and sends his sister to get Peter’s group.
With Jessica, the Master Weaver gets her the brief version that he’s the one spinning the web and can only perform small acts of rebellion to help them. He gives her prophecy scrolls that she passes through her warp device to Peter as Morlun returns with Benjy. Back with Peter, Cindy gives them the location of the world she’s on before Jennix cuts her off and then they jump there.
The air is toxic, as mentioned before, but Cindy drew web arrows to guide them to a new Safe Zone. It turns out to be that universe’s bunker that she had been locked in, which is shielded from the Inheritors. That means not only is their location livable, but they can’t be attacked in that world. And there’s one more surprise waiting for them at the shelter as the comic ends: Uncle Ben, that world’s totem.
Okay, review time…
Right out of the gate, this gets a solid 5 out of 5. The plot continues, leading from the fall of one haven to the rise of another, and we see what everyone else is doing. This was the comic of the week, filed with emotion and sacrifice, and just a bit of comedy.
Amazing Spider-Man #11 (Spider-verse)
It’s time for my admittedly-late review of Amazing Spider-Man #11.
Okay, this entry into the Spider-verse event has Otto trying to take over. He believes that the Peter Parker that’s leading the good guys is a younger version of Peter rather than one after he surrendered, because he can’t imagine a world where he gave up. They fight for a few panels, but Peter uses the fact that Otto can’t kill him (because of the previously established misunderstanding) to knock him down. I’d like to point out that, technically speaking, Otto was leading his team better than Peter when it came to the whole matter of the inheritors though.
Meanwhile, of the Inheritors, Karn is still trying to get out of his punishment. His dick of a father has the Master Weaver send him to a harder world while talking with his favored son Morlun. They talk about the three spiders who could get rid of them and decide to go and crush their last hope.
Meanwhile Peter waits until Otto wakes up before telling him that they do need his help because he did hold his own against Morlun and the others. He then does a check up on everyone he can before moving out to make sure that Noir Spider-Man is safe and Spider-Woman sneaks into the Homeworld of the Inheritors while Miles and a younger him go gather more spider-people. That’s when things go bad.
Long story short, Solus and his sons break into Cosmic Spider’s world, kill a few, and only Jennix gets killed (before being respawned). Then Cosmic Spider gets munched on, like we all knew would happen. The comic ends with the fat bastard getting his hands on Mayday’s younger brother, who is The Scion.
Okay, review time…
I found this one to be okay. It moved the story along, Cosmic Spider got munched, like we kind of figured, and we see prompts leading to the tie-in. It was okay, but it could have been better in some ways. 4 out of 5.
Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #6 Review
The big secret behind Peter Parker’s return is revealed in Miles Morales: The Ultimate Spider-Man #6! Read my recap and review of the cop-out of his epic death and more proof that the Ultimate Universe is coming to an end! But despite that I did like it!
The comic begins with JJJ having a moment of guilt over shooting Osborn before calling Ben Urich about it. Let’s face it, sometimes you have to put the monsters down and he could argue self-defense. Unfortunately for him, Osborn is apparently immortal now ad believes he’s responsible from creating new gods like Spider-Man. Then he kills JJJ.
Meanwhile Miles finally wants answers if Peter is real or not. MJ tries covering for him, but he wants answers from the man himself. Peter believes that he came back from the dead because he remembered his life and death, waking up in an abandoned lab in Atlanta and then making his way back to Queens, where he ran across MJ. They dug up his coffin and found it was empty, realizing that someone would have stolen his corpse for being a wonder of science.
Seeing how MJ broke down at seeing him again after years he decided he couldn’t show his face to the others since they had closure and Miles was out there. He only wanted the web-shooters since they were the only connection he had to his dad, who made the original formula. But Aunt May and Gwen state otherwise as they appear, stating that they could figure out he would be there because where else would he go?
Unfortunately Osborn thinks the same way and shows up for Round Two, stating they are his Spider-Men as Miles goes in alone. Osborn demands his respect as he gave birth to his powers, but Miles zaps him until he submits. As the comic ends, Osborn tells him that without him around he’ll never know where his powers came from and who his father really is.
Okay, review time.
Begrudgingly, I have to admit Peter has a good reason for not telling the others he was back. I mean, they had closure and were being left alone now that he was gone. Him being alive again would put targets on his family and friends back since everyone knows who he was. It’s fucked up in how much sense it makes.
But with Peter Parker and Osborn coming back, it’s safe to say that Marvel is crapping on their own rules when it comes to ‘Dead means Dead’ and are circling the drain in the grand scheme of things. Since Peter’s death was a turning point of epicness and meaningfulness, having both him and Osborn come back sets a bad precedence, especially if he ain’t a clone, and with the other Ultimate Titles being canceled it doesn’t bode well for them.
That being said, 5 out of 5.
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Review
The Edge of Spider-Verse continues in Issue #2 as we look into the origins of Gwen Stacy, the Spider-Woman. Whether it’s a thinly-veiled pilot for a series or just an origin story for a major player in the crossover, read my review on how good it is.
The story begins with a college-aged Gwen Stacy as part of a band known as the Mary Janes, lead by her version of MJ. They waste no time in showing her origin story, where she was bitten by a spider, Peter Parker was bullied until he took the Lizard formula and died in her arms, and JJJ has put an arrest warrant out for her led by her father…. I honestly think Gwen in this universe has it worse than Peter in terms of origin.
The memories manage to disturb her playing and MJ isn’t nearly as nice as her 616-counterpart, perhaps due to her age although Ultimate MJ is younger maybe and still tolerable, and Gwen goes out to clear her head while wearing her kick-ass outfit and talking to her father over the phone, who wants her to settle down and pick a major. The call ends as a random police officer who is clearly afraid of her decides to try and shoot at her, which is something all Spider-Men and Women seem to be going through lately, only she doesn’t get hit like Miles does. When back-up comes they begin to chase her.
In other news, we have a villainous Matt Murdock hiring an assassin on behest of the Kingpin to kill Gwen’s father in an effort to recruit Spider-Woman, who arrives late to her own performance as said assassin finds her father in the crowd and tries to kill him. Naturally she can’t let that happen and suits up to kick the brute’s dumb rear. She puts him through a brick wall and webs him up when her father tries to arrest her.
She tells him that Peter’s death wasn’t her fault, but it’s not his job to decide that, only to bring her in. She points out that JJJ’s angry mob or the incompetent police who tried to shoot her in a crowded subway aren’t exactly good incentives to give herself up. She then pulls off her mask and tells him that she needs to be Spider-Woman to put guys like the one who tried to kill him away and she’s not giving it up.
Her father let’s her go, but in the shadows we see a Spider-Man wearing British colors saying she’ll do nicely for some reason as the comic ends.
Okay, review time…
Okay, I have to say I like this story and this Gwen Stacy. While I’m no stranger to badass Gwens, like the one in Ultimate Universe, this one intrigues me with her stylish costume that provides next to no cover in the darkness yet contrasts it well. Then again, the police are more afraid of her than the 616-police are of Spider-Man, so there’s that. I certainly wouldn’t mind if they turned this into a series.
Anyway, 5 out of 5.
Ultimate Spider-Man #200 Review
It’s been a long time coming, but Ultimate Spider-Man #200 is here, making way for Miles’ own series alongside the All-New Ultimates. I’ll probably review them both when the time comes, but until then you’ll get this one.
It begins with Ganke and Miles making their way to Aunt May’s home by Bus, which Ganke complains about since if they took the webbing they could have been their sooner. Miles points out that’s not what it’s for and it’s expensive to make, before asking why Ganke bought a gift possibly made of Legos. He reveals that it’s for Gwen Stacy, who he’s crushing on hard. We can’t blame him for it since she’s hot and older than him. But Miles tells him not to get his hopes up as they arrive.
Mary Jane arrives after them, but her boyfriend ducks out because he figures it would be all kinds of awkward. She tells him not to get hit by a car as he leaves and he nearly does get run over by Lana and Jessica who were also on the way. We then cut to Bobby, Johnny Storm, and Liz Allen, having a moment before we gaze upon the gathering inside May’s home.
To everyone’s surprise, Gwen likes whatever Ganke got her and gives him a kiss that leaves him probably the happiest geek in the world. Way to go for chubby lego geeks everywhere! We then get a visit from Tony Stark’s Girl Friday, Pepper Potts. He couldn’t make it so he sent over a gourmet meal that will last for days judging by the amount.
Kitty Pryde arrives after that and gets warm greetings all around. She gives Miles a hug as thanks for helping her during Cataclysm and received a medal from the President for her actions during that event. Kong shows up, who apparently ran away with her sometime before and it didn’t work out considering how close she is with Wolverine Jr. Jameson is there as well, but decides to go back to the city since there’s nothing he can do there after Peter’s loss.
Once they’d all eaten, they start discussing their dreams about what it would be like if Peter grew up (note that they’ve met an adult version of him from Earth-616). MJ saw him as the leader of the Ultimates in the future, possibly the greatest hero of all time, while May saw him combining being a hero with advance tech to make the Spider Corps, and Gwen saw him as a reporter…which is pretty much what his 616 counterpart was before going the scientist route. Miles wishes that he had gone to see Peter when he first gained his powers and imagines being a team, as a side-kick or partner. Kitty saw them being married and forming a team with the X-Men, while Bobby just ripped off the cartoon loosely based off the series.
In the end they all feel like doing something good in Peter’s name and goes to the Mission to give to those in need and there is a lot of people after Galactus showed up and ate New Jersey. When they get done the group parts, with Ganke getting another kiss (go Ganke!), Kitty being escorted by Kong, Jessica taking Lana home, Liz, Bobby, and Johnny taking flight, and it ends with Gwen and MJ hugging while a mysterious person watches from the shadows.
Okay, review time.
This…this is a damn good issue, a tribute to Peter Parker even after his death. The art, the story, all of it was perfect. For once I have no complaints and can’t wait for the first issue in Miles’ new series.
It’s not a 5 out of 5, it’s a damn 10 out of 5, 200% and a must buy.
Twilit Dreams Circle 