Amazing Spider-Man #693
Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Humberto Ramos [Pencils], Victor Olazaba [Inks], Edgar Delgado [Colors]
Last issue, Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos gave Spider-Man a new sidekick for his 50th anniversary. This issue, he deals with the direct aftermath of that.
Created by an accident during one of Peter Parker’s demonstrations at Horizon Labs, teenager Andy Maguire is now Alpha, potentially one of the world’s most powerful superhumans. Peter being who he is takes on responsibility and, at the behest of Reed Richards, makes Alpha his sidekick. Unfortunately, the kid’s kind of an egotistical jackass.
As the issue opens, Alpha has just taken out Fantastic Four villain Giganto with a single punch and left the FF and Spider-Man standing around scratching their heads. Hoping to clear his head, Peter goes to Mary Jane’s nightclub to see if she can make sense of everything. She points out to him that Alpha is only doing what Peter would have done had he not realized the whole “with great power comes great responsibility” bit as a result of Uncle Ben’s murder–and then Pete realizes everyone knows who Alpha is because he doesn’t wear a mask.
Rushing off to Maguire’s home as Spider-Man, he arrives too late and quickly realizes Andy and his family have been abducted by the clone-crazy Jackal.
Dan Slott wraps up Alpha’s introduction here fairly neatly. The more you read of Alpha, the more you begin to hate the kid–and that’s pretty much the point. The end of this issue sets up the future status quo between Spider-Man and his new sidekick, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out between now and issue #700, assuming this plot thread doesn’t continue beyond that point. Additionally, this is the second time Slott has written the Jackal in the last few years, and I have to say it’s a big improvement over how the villain was written back in the Clone Saga.
Ramos’ art remains impressive here, although I still have a few qualms with some of the less-detailed panels where bodies have less detail and defy anatomical form [SEE: The panel of Spidey swinging toward MJ’s club on the second page]. At his most highly-detailed, however, Ramos continues to be one of my favorite modern Spider-Man artists.
Overall, this was a great issue and a fitting end to Slott and Ramos’ 50th anniversary story.
Justice League (2011) #12
Written by Geoff Johns.
Illustrated by Jim Lee.
• ‘THE VILLAIN’S JOURNEY’ part four!
• The team struggles to stay together as they try to combat their newest foe.
• A shocking last page that will have the world talking!
• Continuing the origin of SHAZAM!
Follow Matthew Sardo on twitter@comicvault
If you would like to be part of the weekly chat as a guest email Matt at sardo@chicagocomicvault.com
This is a great Wolverine book to pick up if you want to go insane trying to figure out Wolverine’s origin. Jeph Loeb has fun with the character and Sabertooth only says two words in the book. Sorry about the Star Trek jokes.
Written by Jeph Loeb. Illustrated by Simone Bianchi.
Wolverine (2010) #312
• Sabretooth is back – but which one is the real one?
• Where has Sabretooth been and whose side is he on this time?
• The identity of the red-headed woman who came to Wolverine’s rescue is revealed
Follow Matthew Sardo on twitter@comicavult
If you would like to be part of the weekly chat as a guest email Matt at sardo@chicagocomicvault.com
This could have been a great issue but it came off pretty bland. Expected better from Dan Slott but Humberto Ramos still rocks every issue of Amazing Spider-Man. All in all it gets us one issue closer to issue #700.
Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #692
Written by Dan Slott. Illustrated by Humberto Ramos.
• Special 50TH Anniversary Issue!
• Join us for a once in a lifetime event: the one, true 50th Anniversary Issue of the Amazing Spider-Man.
• A special over-sized issue harkening back to the legend the legend that started it all! Get ready for an all-new tale about a different kind of power and responsibility…
• Plus original stories by Dean Haspiel, Joshua Hale Fialkov & Nuno Plati!
Follow Matthew Sardo on twitter@comicavult
If you would like to be part of the weekly chat as a guest email Matt at sardo@chicagocomicvault.com
Planetoid #3
Written and Illustrated by Ken Garing
Having made a stand against the cyborg militia, Silas must now lead the tribes in building a settlement.
Follow Matthew Sardo on twitter@comicavult
If you would like to be part of the weekly chat as a guest email Matt at sardo@chicagocomicvault.com
Amazing Spider-Man #692
Writer: Dan Slott, with back-up stories by Dean Kaspiel and Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art: Humberto Ramos [Pencils], Victor Olazaba [Inks], Edgar Delgado [Colors], plus Dean Kaspiel [Art] & Giulia Brusco [Colors] and Nuno Plati [Art] on back-up stories
Spider-Man’s first appearance was 50 years ago this month in Amazing Fantasy #15. Sure, that issue was probably actually released in June because it’s only cover-dated August, but these are minor details. This month is widely regarded as Spider-Man’s “birthday,” so Amazing Spider-Man #692 is the super-sized 50th anniversary spectacular you would expect Marvel to release with the hefty price tag of $5.99. (Seriously, Marvel… Kids see that price tag and think “I could buy an action figure for that same price! Why bother?” Maybe a return to news pulp for lower cover prices is in the cards.)
Regardless of the price tag, Marvel and their Spider Office give fans a good bang for their six bucks here.
The big plot point of ASM #692’s main story–written, of course, by fan-favorite Spider-Scribe Dan Slott–was spoiled a month or two back, because passing up any opportunity for media exposure is a missed opportunity to score figurative new readers and that trumps the element of surprise in today’s comic book market. If you hadn’t already heard, Spider-Man gets a sidekick after 50 years of fighting crime on his own.
Well, on his own except for when he’s a member of the Avengers. And the New Avengers. And the Future Foundation/Fantastic 4. And all of those team-up books, issues, and stories.
But those are all different scenarios. Spider-Man has never had a sidekick, and that’s because when he first became Spider-Man, he was only 14 or 15 years old. That’s standard sidekick age in most superhero books, and probably the average age of most of Batman’s Robins when he first took them in. Stan Lee created Spidey as the exception to the rule–the boy who would be a (super)man.
Anyhow, I digress. As the issue begins, we’re introduced to mediocre teenager Andy Maguire. (Get it? Because the two motion picture Spider-Men are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield? I see what you did there, Slott!) Andy’s a kid who goes by unnoticed by everyone, including his parents, because not failing is good enough for him. C-average student, no extracurricular activities, not part of any “cliques” at school… He just kind of exists and barely gets by, but wants more.
He ends up forging his dad’s signature on a permission slip for a field trip to a Horizon Labs demonstration where Peter Parker is unveiling the newly discovered “Parker Particles.” An accident occurs after Horizon scientist Tyberius Stone, who secretly moonlights for the Kingpin, disengages the safety measures, resulting in Maguire getting zapped and ending up with super powers. His parents try to sue Horizon, and the world’s foremost experts on superhumans–Reed Richards, Beast, Tony Stark, and Hank Pym–are brought in to study Maguire, revealing that he now has energy projection abilities, super strength, force field projection, and flight, but can only use one power at a time. Additionally, Reed Richards reveals that he had already discovered “Parker Particles” years before and never made their existence public because they increase in power exponentially, saying that where threats like the Hulk or Phoenix are “Omega-Level Threats,” Maguire is the first “Alpha-Level Threat.” He tells Peter that the kid is his responsibility, and Horizon’s head honcho Max Modell offers Maguire’s parents coverage for all medical expenses and a lucrative contract instead of a settlement.
Thus, Andy Maguire becomes Alpha, Horizon Labs’ new face and corporate spokesman, and Peter is placed in charge of the Alpha Project. Of course, Maguire is no Peter Parker and all of the new power and fame goes to his head, but let’s not spoil everything, huh?
Slott does a great job of building up Andy Maguire’s character here and really puts you in his shoes at the onset of the story. Spider-Man with a sidekick is fairly uncharted territory, and the difference in the two’s powers, as well as Alpha’s cocky demeanor, can only complicate things. Judging by the villain reveal on the last page of the book, things ain’t getting simple anytime soon, either. Humberto Ramos also delivers some of his best art to date on this issue. His style has grown so much since his first issue of the book (#648) almost seems like a different artist, and the faces he draws remind me more and more of Todd McFarlane’s style every time I see his art. Victor Olazaba and Edgar Delgado definitely make the art pop that much more with their vibrant ink and color jobs.
As for the back-up stories, Dean Haspiel’s “Spider-Man For A Night” draws on Amazing Spider-Man #50, exploring what happened with Spider-Man’s costume on the night that he decided to be “Spider-Man No More” with a conclusion that tugs at the heart-strings. The story and art are both beautifully done, and the same can be said story-and-art-wise for Joshua Hale Fialkov and Nuno Plati’s “Just Right,” which finds Pete going through a typical “Parker luck” type of day before ultimately helping someone else have a great day.
Overall, a fitting 50th anniversary issue. One might be inclined to feel that there could have been a few more shorter features or gag pages (you do get a page with all five of Marcos Martin’s “Spider-Man Through The Decades” variant covers), but Amazing Spider-Man #700 is right around the corner in December, and that’s sure to have plenty of that sort of material if it’s laid out anything like #600 was. Regardless, I’m definitely interested in seeing where the whole Alpha thing goes, especially with the villain reveal, and the two back-up stories were a great addition. At least it felt like you were getting a couple of issues for the $5.99 price tag.
Rating: 9/10
P.S. As an aside, I can’t figure out why Marvel would keep The Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, Vol. 1out of print during the character’s 50th anniversary year. Somebody should figure this out, because I have Vol. 2 and no Vol. 1, and spending $200+ for one on eBay would kind of suck.
STORY BY Brian Azzarello, Len Wein ART BY Lee Bermejo, John Higgins COLORS BY Barbara Ciardo, John Higgins LETTERS BY Rob Leigh, Sal Cipriano COVER BY Lee Bermejo, Jim Sterank, Jim Lee, [more…] PUBLISHER DC Comics
HURM. Now this is more like it! BEFORE WATCHMEN finally delivers a book with enough style and panache to stand on it’s own, outside the main universe, but be aligned with the themes of the original. The look and feel of this book a painterly fever vision of Times Square circa 1970’s. Like the movie Taxi Driver but with better lighting, more dripping pools of neon, and heaps of XXX theaters.
Azzarello throws us a grimy street cocktail that’s one part 8MM and two parts Dirty Harry, with a dash of The Punisher thrown in for good measure. The interesting thing is not the 1970’s porno stores, the junkie informant, or the underground street gang living in the sewers, it’s the small moments that Rorschach has his mask off. The intimate look of defeat in his eyes at the diner, and how he goes about his daily life when he’s not being a masked vigilante. I have to be honest though, the star of this comic is not the writer. I mean Azzarello doesn’t lob soft balls, so that’s not what I’m talking about here. The story is solid. But man Bermejo is just fucking stunning. Take what he did on Joker, the raw edges, grit and grime. The maniacal exaggeration. Then add to that the Alex Ross influenced coloring, fx and rays of volumetric light that Lee honed on Batman: Noel. Plus a double dose of dirty 70’s neon noir and Mad Magazine texture… that equals a goddamned masterpiece. In my eyes, this is easily the finest looking comic of 2012. Not only do the panels leaps off the page and are larger than life, but the actors deliver an academy award winning performance as well. Expressions, poses, subtle ticks… they are all there and executed in a masterful way.
If you had any curiosity of what a Rorschach comic could be a I suggest you pick this up, as it mire than delivers. Story: 8 Art: 10 Jerry Nelson
Follow me on twitter and tell me what you think @the_hellhounds
I’m not really sure I can explain what it is that I enjoy about professional wrestling. By all accounts, it’s probably one of the single-most ridiculous spectacles in the combined worlds of sports and entertainment, a mash-up of (mostly) elaborately-staged fights and soap opera drama. I know it isn’t real, and yet I still suspend my disbelief and enjoy it unironically. I know it’s become hip to have an ironic appreciation of things considered “low culture,” but for the record, I enjoy nothing “ironically.” As best as I can explain, it’s the inherent ridiculousness of what’s on display that draws me in–and it may also have something to do with me being from Kentucky.
It’s still real to me, dammit.
Last night, WWE celebrated the 25th anniversary of its summer pay-per-view spectacular SummerSlam, and since fellow Comic Vault scribe “Savage” Nick Sandilands failed to watch it, the daunting task of reviewing the extravaganza is falling upon the shoulders of me, Double R, Ragin’ Roger Riddell himself. Ooooooooooo, yeah.
First off, for anyone who isn’t familiar with WWE and the wild world of professional wrestling, SummerSlam is WWE’s second biggest event behind the March/April Wrestlemania juggernaut. When I first started watching pro-wrestling back in 1997, when WWE was still WWF and they were in the midst of the lewd and outlandish “Attitude Era.” At the time, there were five pay-per-view events out of the yearly 12 that were considered the big ones: Wrestlemania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and King of the Ring. They existed roughly in that order of importance, and the first four in that list were the company’s originals. King of the Ring hasn’t existed as a pay-per-view for around a decade now, though, cutting the big PPVs down to just the original four (plus the less important other eight). The Royal Rumble’s importance also now arguably trumps that of the Survivor Series.
That said, SummerSlam’s 25 years of existence leave a lot for the event to live up to. The Undertaker fought Ted DiBiase’s fake Undertaker at the event in 1994, and the pay-per-view’s history is littered with all manner of high octane gimmick bouts from boiler room brawls and casket matches to cage matches featuring stars that read like a who’s who of the business’ best.
When it comes to the era I’m most fond of, several years stand out in particular. 1997’s event is probably best known for Owen Hart’s botched piledriver that broke Steve Austin’s neck. 1998 had an amazing main event for the WWE Title with Steve Austin versus the Undertaker, plus a pulse-pounding ladder match for the Intercontinental Title between The Rock and Triple H (though that year was somewhat tarnished by the Insane Clown Posse’s live performance). In 2000, one of my favorite moments in the history of the event happened when Shane McMahon took a fall from the top of the stage set during a Hardcore Championship match with martial artist Steve Blackman, plus there was a great triple threat match for the WWE Title that year during the feud between The Rock, Triple H, and Kurt Angle.
I’m not trying to say there hasn’t been a great SummerSlam since the “Attitude Era,” because that wouldn’t be true. We had The Rock versus Brock Lesnar and an amazing Shawn Michaels/Triple H “street fight” 10 years ago, and last year featured CM Punk going over John Cena for the WWE Title in a match that featured some of the loudest crowd pops I had heard in years. What I’m saying is, 25 years builds a lot of moments like that to live up to.
With all of that out of the way, let’s get to the match-by-match review of last night’s show, which took place in Los Angeles for the fifth year in a row.
Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler
Chris Jericho is probably my all-time favorite wrestler. I can’t say I feel the same for his band, Fozzy, but the guy’s an amazing performer and got that “best in the world” reputation for a reason. Dolph Ziggler is a guy who’s quickly rising through the ranks and will more than likely be pushed as a World Heavyweight Champion by the end of the year. I honestly expected him to go over in this match since Jericho’s about to briefly leave wrestling again to tour with his band, but can definitely understand why he didn’t.
The one big reason here that Jericho went over is probably to keep him looking like a legitimate competitor. He has, after all, put his opponents over at every pay-per-view since he returned, so the win (coupled with his recent face turn) makes him look more competent in the eyes of the fans and puts a nice cap on the “Has Chris Jericho lost his touch?” angle they were running. Ziggler is on the verge of being a main event competitor. He sells moves like a champ and the way he yelled and berated Jericho in the match last night was a nice touch, but he’s perhaps not quite there yet as far as going over a guy like Jericho at an event like SummerSlam.
Daniel Bryan vs. Kane
This was a pretty standard match with a lot of solid action building off of the “anger management” feud between the two. Daniel Bryan’s “Yes!’ and “No!” chants have gone way over with the crowd in the last year, and the finish was believable as far as a guy Bryan’s size beating a super heavyweight like Kane. Given the backstage tantrum from Kane following the match, this is a feud that’s likely to continue.
Rey Mysterio vs. the Miz (c) – Intercontinental Championship
I used to hate the Miz back when he debuted. He still annoys the hell out of me, but I guess that’s a sign he’s doing his job right. Anyhow, he’s grown by leaps and bounds since his debut and deserves every push he’s had. In keeping with his frequent big-event, superhero-inspired costume themes, Rey Mysterio had an all-black mask last night with Batman-style ears and entered wearing a cape. The match featured a ton of great spots, including a hurricanrana reversed into a powerbomb by the Miz–a rarity these days, given the WWE’s PG rating and their avoidance of using moves that target the neck. Ultimately, Miz went over. Not surprising, given what I’ve heard about how Mysterio’s a guy who doesn’t mind losing to younger talent in order to legitimize them. Perhaps it might be a good idea to place him in a tag team with fellow luchador Sin Cara to help with WWE’s current efforts to bring back a solid tag division.
Alberto del Rio vs. Sheamus (c) – World Heavyweight Chamionship
Alberto del Rio continued to build up a much more aggressive side to his “Mexican aristocrat” heel persona last night during his bout with Sheamus. During the match, Michael Cole’s commentary had me laughing pretty hard for a moment after he talked about how Sheamus was bullied as a kid because he had red hair and ghostly white skin. He’s from Ireland. Everyone there has red hair and pale skin. (The WWE’s anti-bullying campaign also humors me a bit, as well, but mostly because they have heels, i.e. bad guys, break character for appearances as part of it. It kind of ruins the illusion for me.)
Anyways, Sheamus ultimately prevailed in the match after del Rio’s driver/assistant/personal ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez distracted the referee and threw a shoe to him, which was ultimately caught by Sheamus and used on del Rio. Sheamus additionally pushed del Rio’s foot off of the rope during the pin fall before the ref could see, doubling the dirty win and throwing his future as a face into question.
Prime Time Players vs. Kofi Kingston & R-Truth (c) – WWE Tag Team Championship
This was a pretty by-the-book tag match. It’s unfortunate that the Prime Time Players’ on-screen manager, Abraham Washington, was released from his contract a few weeks ago after making a Kobe Bryant joke (“The Prime Time Players are like Kobe Bryant in a Colorado hotel–UNSTOPPABLE!”) on live TV and then making some questionable Tweets about Linda McMahon’s Senate campaign, but those are the breaks in the ultra-PC world of PG WWE, which is becoming increasingly easy to confuse for the company’s former competition, WCW. He really added a lot to the PTP’s gimmick. Kingston and Truth win following a dive to the outside on Titus O’Neill and a What’s Up and pinfall on Darren Young in the ring from R-Truth.
John Cena vs. Big Show vs. CM Punk (c) – Triple Threat for the WWE Championship
Big Show was the wild card in this match, and I honestly thought John Cena was going to go over and win yet another WWE Championship here. I’m sure Cena’s a great guy in real life, but his super-sanitized character really doesn’t do anything for me and, to me at least, he’s just felt kind of forced on everyone over the age of 8 during the last few years. He’s Hulk Hogan reincarnated as a white-rapper-slash-super-patriot in jorts. Oddly enough, this is the closest to the main event a WWE Title match has come to the main event since the beginning of CM Punk’s over 300-day run, despite his matches constantly stealing the show. In a way, I kind of get it. Cena sells more merchandise and I guess that justifies burying your title. At the same time, it also potentially hurts its perceived validity in the long run–but at least it doesn’t get bounced around like a game of hot potato anymore.
Anyhow, this was a pretty great match. I can’t remember seeing Big Show booked this dominantly since his tag team run with the Undertaker in 1999. It’s a much more ideal characterization than the goofy, gentle giant that he’s predominately played the majority of his 13 years in WWE. At least once, I questioned whether or not Big Show might actually win the match. The match initially ended after Punk and Cena finally took down the Big Show and both applied their signature submission maneuvers to the giant at the same time, resulting in a confusing “no contest” and a “restart” to the match. Prior to the “restart,” I honestly thought that even that ending made sense–Punk, who is currently teetering between face and heel (very well, might I add), wouldn’t have to lose the title cleanly yet and the WWE could schedule a decisive Punk vs. Cena bout for Night of Champions. However, that would be too similar to the Punk/Cena storyline from last year.
Thus, the match begins again, Cena performs the Attitude Adjustment on Big Show, and Punk pushes Cena out of the ring and steals the pin on Show, retaining the belt. Also worth noting, this match had some of the loudest booing for Cena (who’s supposed to be a face) that I’ve heard during any event.
Kevin Rudolph Live Performance Segment
Can someone please tell me who Kevin Rudolph is and why this was necessary? This music was a strange choice for a wrestling show, and the DJing was definitely über late-’90s. Either this was staged primarily against a backing track or there was a lot of auto tune and no discernible sound from the guitar that Rudolph was apparently playing. Hell, I didn’t even hear guitar on the studio track WWE’s been running with all of the promos for this show. The terrible dancing by everyone at ringside was also unnecessary, and some of the WWE Divas dancing on stage seemed somewhat uncomfortable–but hey, that’s PG for you again. I would’ve rather seen a divas match (there wasn’t one on the entire card) than sit through that. There was probably even time for a Ryback squash match or a Brodus Clay segment instead of this.
Also of note, prior to this segment, Fred Durst was pointed out as a “celebrity” in attendance. The main pro-wrestling fan base is probably the only audience Durst still has any relevancy with outside of frat boys. Word is, he was allegedly kicked out of the event after the very non-PG move of flipping off the camera when it panned over to him. Smooth move, dickbag.
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar
Triple H versus Brock Lesnar is one of those matches that never ended up happening during Brock’s initial run in WWE, back before he left to try out for the Minnesota Vikings and eventually landed in UFC. It makes sense that it would happen now, and the build-up was pretty solid, with Lesnar “breaking” Triple H’s arm earlier this year during a storyline where Triple H didn’t give Lesnar the contract perks he wanted. Last week, Lesnar made it even more personal, “breaking” the arm of HHH’s best friend, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels.
This match didn’t play out as brutal as the Lesnar/Cena bout from Extreme Rules that ultimately saw Cena going over in an unbelievable finish. Lesnar/Triple H had a much more cerebral pace, with Lesnar focusing on Triple H’s once-broken arm and Triple H eventually focusing on Lesnar’s stomach. This was a great detail for anyone who knew about Lesnar’s issues with diverticulitis and the stomach surgeries that ultimately led to his departure from UFC. Lesnar sold every shot to his midsection pretty believably, as did Triple H with the shots to his arm. Ultimately, though, Lesnar followed up a Pedigree from Triple H with a pin reversal into the Kimura Lock, once again kayfabe breaking Triple H’s arm and leading to a tapout.
The pay-per-view ended about 10 minutes earlier than normal, with a broken and defeated Triple H refusing medical attention and slowly making his way to the back, setting up a potential future “broken fighter returns from the jaws of defeat” storyline.
The Verdict:
Overall, this was a pretty decent pay-per-view. The matches were pretty solid, but, as mentioned before, it’s hard to compare it to the 24 other SummerSlams that came before it. The Rudolph performance really kind of killed my attention in the home stretch, but the majority of the matches were better than much of the other pay-per-views this year, with the exception of maybe the Punk/Jericho and Punk/Bryan feuds. Take out that live performance and it’s a four-star effort.
Last issue, Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos gave Spider-Man a new sidekick for his 50th anniversary. This issue, he deals with the direct aftermath of that.
