Wiat so there was something else happening this week besides the release of Spider-Man on the PS4? Hadn't noticed. Can the comics match the hype of the game? Can Spider-Man's own comic match his own video game?! Also the Marvel universe gets drastically changed in two different books, but nobody seems to care! Wild.
Amazing Spider-Man #6
Writer: Nick Spencer / Pencils: Ryan Ottley / Inks: Cliff Rathburn & Ryan Ottley / Colors: Laura Martin / Letters: VC's Joe Caramagna
The way I see it is that if I'm at least reading a Spider-Man comic I can take a break from playing Spider-Man PS4 for a little bit. And thankfully, it's up to snuff! This intro arc by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley has mostly certainly reinvigorated my enjoyment of reading a book starring Peter Parker, something I'd given up on these last few years. They bring a realistic and yet also true and unique voice back to Peter that gives the book a certain refreshing quality to it, since we're always so deep in Peter's thoughts and actions. It's a story that's shown how much he has matured, and how far he still has to go in order to grasp the idea of balancing power and responsibility.
That's why this intro story was such a genius idea to get their footing in the door. It kind of got out of the way the idea of Peter battling between being himself and Spider-Man, which is something that can be a real bane to any Spider-Man story. This issue finally brings that idea to the forefront and has Peter directly confront Spider-Man in a genuine scene that stays true to the characters. There are also some very clever ideas thrown in and some good moments of comedy sprinkled throughout. Mary Jane also remains a very strong character and a great tentpole of support for Peter through this ordeal.
Ottley's art continues to steal the show. This time, with so much action and emotion going on, as well as being the climactic chapter to this arc, he really manages to deliver on all fronts and keeps the story exciting from beginning to end. There's also an insane level of detail he brings to some shots of Peter and to some of the villains that appear in the story. His art has been so fluid and vibrant throughout the entire story and it's definitely one of the reasons I'm loving this comic so much. But his arc is only improved by Laura Martin's amazing colors, which help make this feel like a genuine, bright, fun super-hero comic.
Fantastic Four #2
Writer: Dan Slott / Pencils: Sara Pichelli / Inks: Sara Pichelli with Elisabetta D'Amico / Colors: Marte Gracia / Letters: VC's Joe Caramagna
It's been almost three years since we last got to see Reed, Sue, and the Future Foundation kids star in a comic book and it was very refreshing to see them all again, even if I don't have a great familiarity with the Future Foundation. Reed, Sue, Ben, and Val are all the emotional cores of this story, and bring some real heart to their adventures that are so wildly insane that they're actually quite difficult to grasp. We've been reminded here and there that Ben and Owen Reese are responsible for recreating and then adding onto the multiverse, but to see that act in action is entirely different and makes the first half of this comic absolutely wild in only the way a comic book could be. This story is so wild you have to give props to Dan Slott for going at it full-force and with as much heart as he is.
And yet he still manages to ground these characters with scenes of them just being people. A scene with Val getting upset over her dad not hanging out with a boy, scenes where Ben tries to make universe's based off of his childish fantasies, and scenes where Reed and Sue can finally enjoy just being scientists and parents without things falling down all around them...until they inevitably do and the comic shifts, quite naturally, into a harrowing race for survival. It's all very intense and while sometimes it can get a little confusing, the throughline remains the Richards family and how they would respond to this situation. It's great to see them not just as scientists but as superheroes, and the end of the comic definitely reminds us why Reed Richards is so renowned as the leader of the Fantastic Four.
My only qualm is that everything does happen at a brisk pace in this comic and there are some MAJOR things that go away in this story that are breezed over in order to get to the end. Their impact is still felt but not as much as it would if we'd gotten to see their multiversal adventures for more than just a single issue, maybe you could've had this be split into two issues or have it be its own little mini-arc, there's plenty of material for that. We haven't seen these characters in a while so it would be nice just to catch up with them, but, again, we do get to see them playing to their strengths in this story.
Sara Pichelli's art remains outstanding throughout, well-detailed and matches the pace and tone of the story. It's difficult to make the Future Foundation suits look cool so I can't fault her for those designs, but I really like her take on Reed and Sue, as well as the Griever. That Lovecraftian horror is AMAZING and I hope to see a lot more of it. Her takes on the new worlds that the Future Foundation create also really neat and interesting and it would have been cool to get to see her draw more of the worlds, but, again, I suppose they're compressed for time.
Marte Gracia's colors are splendid throughout the comic. There's a consistent mix of colors on each page that really allow us to feel that this is an outer-worldly experience, but the colors that are stagnant are solid and her coloring work on some of backdrops and skies is amazing, it definitely feels sci-fi in nature and helps with the overall tone of the story.
Infinity Wars #3
Writer: Gerry Duggan / Artist: Mike Deodato Jr. / Colors: Frank Martin / Letters: VC's Cory Petit
Infinity Wars remains the event comic where I'm not 100% sure I know what's going on at any given moment until I take a step back, shake my head a bit, and then focus in on the nuances. This is especially true for this comic where apparently the universe gets folded in half (and placed in the Soul World, maybe?). At least, that's the major plot thrust of this comic, but the real linchpin to all of this is Gamora's growing madness, and Duggan is executing that very-well. It's one thing to have Loki whispering in Gamora's shoulder like Mephisto did to Thanos in the original Infinity Gauntlet storyline (there's even a cool call-back to that!) but another to have Flowa as a chaotic neutral character that's just there for the ride, not helping or hurting Gamora at all.
And having Gamora as the one with the power of the Infinity Stones is proving more and more interesting. She doesn't kill anyone in this comic, but does definitely make it so characters...go away, in a sense. And it's her recurring visions of Thanos haunting her that really add a level of depth and intrigue to her actions. Is she doing this because she feels it's what she's supposed to do? Or because she merely wants to defy what her father would do?
My one qualm with the comic is the quarry of the gods and quarry of creation concept. Are they leading toward some massive multiversal collision? We got a peak at another universe where Requiem and Gamora were different people and Loki continues to hint that the stones were scattered by someone across the multiverse, so, is it just about figuring out that mystery? It is interesting, but it's a bit too high-concept. Then again I thought Thanos fighting with the very essence of Eternity wasn't that weird so maybe I should just shut up.
But I won't shut up about Mike Deodato Jr.'s art because good LORD is this man talented. This might be the best looking Marvel comic I've ever read and it's the thing I honestly look forward to most when I open up the book. I'm still not sure what's up with the weird page layouts but I've gotten used to them at this point. Deodato has a real knack for intricate character designs and there's a splash page of character designs that are just amazing. He also draws close-ups very well and with such detail that they look almost like he just took a picture and put it on the page at a high definition.
The only thing that might match Deodato's art are Frank Martins colors. They add SO much depth and realism to what's on page. He lights every scene perfectly and adds just enough flare to the magic and energy around all of them to add to the ethereal nature of the story.
Ninja-K #11
Writer: Christos Gage / Art: Roberto De La Torre / Colors: Jose Villarrubia / Letters: A Larger World Studios
Something was just off with this issue of Ninja-K. It's like looking at a slightly tilted painting: from a distance it won't bother you but keep getting closer and that little bit of OCD is going to start going off like a fire alarm. Roberto De La Torre's art is great for the character of Ninjak and definitely fits the jagged atmosphere that Gage created, but, maybe it was Villarrubia's colors that made it a bit more ineffective. They felt odd, not flat, but added shadows and detail in some weird places; also I'm not a fan of the color he put on Ninjak's suit, that's a weird purple.
Maybe it's the story, too. It takes place before the events of Harbinger Wars 2 but that story has already wrapped so, in a way, we already know how things in this comic are going to turn out, so, why include it? And they make a big deal about the HW2 tie-in, which doesn't feel entirely necessary, since it skimps around the central conflict of the story: Ninjak confronting a possessed Eternal Warrior. We don't even see Gilad in this comic, so, this arc is really just off to a slow start.
Hopefully things can pick up by next issue, which it seems they will. I have faith in Gage as a writer to pick up the pace a bit.
The Flash #54
Writer: Joshua Williamson / Art: Christian Duce / Colors: Luis Guerrero / Letters: Steve Wands
This arc's finale had a lot more emotion packed into it than I anticipated. It also wrapped in a much nicer way than I would have anticipated, because I wasn't the biggest fan of the latest turn of events, it just felt strange and forced. Still, the resolution here was good and we're definitely set up for more stories going forward than we had coming into this arc. It does feel as if there's some odd character drama, but, there's a definite sense that something is up with dear Barry Allen that shouldn't be. Still, the Trickster does have some great moments here, as does Commander Cold.
Christian Duce finishes up the art for the arc and all things considered the art is solid, except several of the character expressions seem a bit more aggressive than what they're saying, so it gives a conflicting tone to the scene. Everyone always looks mad or frustrated about something; while there are some scenes where that's genuine, other scenes or shock or just an outburst of expression come off a bit odd. Still, there's a solid level of detail here to the characters' designs and it helps make them feel like real people on page. The art is significantly helped by Luis Guerrero's art, too, as he brings to life the very strange design for Barry Allen, as well as helping to give a vibrancy to Iron Heights, a normally droll place.
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