Phil Filippopoulos
Feb 6, 2008, 10:53 pm
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0108/ASM549_col.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/previews/marvel/0108/ASM549_colt.jpg" hspace=10 align=left alt="Amazing Spider-Man #549"></a>Reviewer: Phil Filippopoulos, astral_revolution@yahoo.com
Story Title: Who's That Girl?!?
“Spins a web, any size...catches falling construction guys...”
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Art and Cover: Salvador Larroca
Colorist: VC's Cory Petit
Cover Colorist: Stephane Peru
Assistant Editor: Tom Brennan
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Es La Niña: Stephen Wacker
Spidey's Braintrust: Gale, Guggenheim, Slott and Wells
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published By: Marvel Comics
Poor Spidey. He's spent a good deal of time now at the center of a controversy that literally threatens to tear the internet in two with the magnitude of its importance and contention. Or at least, that's what it feels like these days. Any discussion of Spider-Man at this point is going to have One More Day and Brand New Day as a backdrop, so I'm going to address it before I start my review so we can move on.
I get what they're doing here. I do. I'm not the world's biggest fan of how it came to be but I'm also not pulling my eyebrows out in anger. I tend to be an optimist in these kinds of situations so maybe I'm not upset as much as I should be but I figure what's done is done and all that matters now is how good the comic they're putting out is.
So how is it? Call me crazy, but I think I like it. It's not perfect, there's still the faint after-taste of OMD, but in general it does what it promises: it gives you a legitimate but more carefree Spidey, that does, in fact, hark back to the old school. A little too much, sometimes, perhaps. I mean, I know Peter never got married now and that changes him a lot but sometimes he really does sound a little too much like his younger Ultimate self. This issue seemed to fix that a little from the last arc, but I think a tad more needs to go into balancing his new demeanor with the fact that he isn't a kid anymore. Although he's doing better than the thugs who use such current terms as “dawg” and “word.” You can make people sound young without resorting to that...
Aside from some of the goofy banter, the only thing with the writing that made me roll my eyes was the editorial aside on the title page. I like the idea of the writers having a Stan Lee-esque candor, but the contents were a little cornball. The call to sit far away from your Xbox so you don't get distracted sounded a little forced, the kind of thing you say to a younger person you want to relate to. It felt a little like I was being talked down to.
So, the story itself. We have a new villain that's a whole lot like an old villain and a new hero that's a whole lot like an old non-hero. I would be inclined to tilt my head in wonder at how Brand New Day isn't looking so New but the similarities are all referenced in the story itself. This would suggest that there's more going on here than we would initially believe, which is good because we don't learn much in this issue beyond appearances.
Aside from that though, we have another sub-plot that sneaks it's way into the story that will set up some trouble for Spidey in the future (Guggenheim has said that this will be in the background for a while before its true nature reveals itself). At the close of the issue we have yet another bit of trouble for our hero, which makes something like six (new villain, new Bugle editor, mysterious murders, Justice's identity, MJ and Pete's relationship and legal issues) plot threads all running together in just this one issue.
It should feel like too much and perhaps it will to some but personally there's no one I like to see suffer more than Peter Parker. Let's face it, Peter's at his best when he's got a full-course meal on his plate, and it is what makes him so endearing. He's got a lot going on both as Spider-Man and as Peter but it's all connected or at least influential and it wasn't until my second readthrough that I realized I was chuckling a bit. There's serious stuff going on but its lighthearted and has just the right amount of cheese to make it a good comic book. The exchanges between Spidey and Jackpot weren't horribly unique in the world of superhero interactions but they were fun to read.
As far as the art goes, I didn't even realize this was Larroca at first. His art continues to evolve and this issue's pencils were great. There were a few odd expressions in the females but in general it was a very good-looking book. The colors are excellent as well, but the issue seems to have a very dark and realistic tone. I feel like in a Daredevil or Batman book this art would be perfect, but it's a little gritty for a Spider-Man title, in my opinion. So the art is very pretty, but perhaps not the right style for this particular comic.
As often happens, I started writing this review more on the fence than I am now that I'm finishing it. The fact is, it's impossible to view new Spider-Man stories without the dreaded OMD goggles, so even an optimist like me goes in not expecting much. I think that what started off as a shaky relaunch is beginning to find its footing and pick up steam. The fact is if you don't like the new status quo you probably wont enjoy this book as much and there's nothing I can do to change your mind there. This is a new Spidey, definitely, but if you take it as it is and try to enjoy it you may find an enjoyable read. There's a lot of potential for retreads and rehashed stories here, but I'm personally going to be buying the next issue because I think things are only going to get better.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spinone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spinone.jpg
Buy Amazing Spider-Man online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=25669)
Story Title: Who's That Girl?!?
“Spins a web, any size...catches falling construction guys...”
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Art and Cover: Salvador Larroca
Colorist: VC's Cory Petit
Cover Colorist: Stephane Peru
Assistant Editor: Tom Brennan
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Es La Niña: Stephen Wacker
Spidey's Braintrust: Gale, Guggenheim, Slott and Wells
Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley
Published By: Marvel Comics
Poor Spidey. He's spent a good deal of time now at the center of a controversy that literally threatens to tear the internet in two with the magnitude of its importance and contention. Or at least, that's what it feels like these days. Any discussion of Spider-Man at this point is going to have One More Day and Brand New Day as a backdrop, so I'm going to address it before I start my review so we can move on.
I get what they're doing here. I do. I'm not the world's biggest fan of how it came to be but I'm also not pulling my eyebrows out in anger. I tend to be an optimist in these kinds of situations so maybe I'm not upset as much as I should be but I figure what's done is done and all that matters now is how good the comic they're putting out is.
So how is it? Call me crazy, but I think I like it. It's not perfect, there's still the faint after-taste of OMD, but in general it does what it promises: it gives you a legitimate but more carefree Spidey, that does, in fact, hark back to the old school. A little too much, sometimes, perhaps. I mean, I know Peter never got married now and that changes him a lot but sometimes he really does sound a little too much like his younger Ultimate self. This issue seemed to fix that a little from the last arc, but I think a tad more needs to go into balancing his new demeanor with the fact that he isn't a kid anymore. Although he's doing better than the thugs who use such current terms as “dawg” and “word.” You can make people sound young without resorting to that...
Aside from some of the goofy banter, the only thing with the writing that made me roll my eyes was the editorial aside on the title page. I like the idea of the writers having a Stan Lee-esque candor, but the contents were a little cornball. The call to sit far away from your Xbox so you don't get distracted sounded a little forced, the kind of thing you say to a younger person you want to relate to. It felt a little like I was being talked down to.
So, the story itself. We have a new villain that's a whole lot like an old villain and a new hero that's a whole lot like an old non-hero. I would be inclined to tilt my head in wonder at how Brand New Day isn't looking so New but the similarities are all referenced in the story itself. This would suggest that there's more going on here than we would initially believe, which is good because we don't learn much in this issue beyond appearances.
Aside from that though, we have another sub-plot that sneaks it's way into the story that will set up some trouble for Spidey in the future (Guggenheim has said that this will be in the background for a while before its true nature reveals itself). At the close of the issue we have yet another bit of trouble for our hero, which makes something like six (new villain, new Bugle editor, mysterious murders, Justice's identity, MJ and Pete's relationship and legal issues) plot threads all running together in just this one issue.
It should feel like too much and perhaps it will to some but personally there's no one I like to see suffer more than Peter Parker. Let's face it, Peter's at his best when he's got a full-course meal on his plate, and it is what makes him so endearing. He's got a lot going on both as Spider-Man and as Peter but it's all connected or at least influential and it wasn't until my second readthrough that I realized I was chuckling a bit. There's serious stuff going on but its lighthearted and has just the right amount of cheese to make it a good comic book. The exchanges between Spidey and Jackpot weren't horribly unique in the world of superhero interactions but they were fun to read.
As far as the art goes, I didn't even realize this was Larroca at first. His art continues to evolve and this issue's pencils were great. There were a few odd expressions in the females but in general it was a very good-looking book. The colors are excellent as well, but the issue seems to have a very dark and realistic tone. I feel like in a Daredevil or Batman book this art would be perfect, but it's a little gritty for a Spider-Man title, in my opinion. So the art is very pretty, but perhaps not the right style for this particular comic.
As often happens, I started writing this review more on the fence than I am now that I'm finishing it. The fact is, it's impossible to view new Spider-Man stories without the dreaded OMD goggles, so even an optimist like me goes in not expecting much. I think that what started off as a shaky relaunch is beginning to find its footing and pick up steam. The fact is if you don't like the new status quo you probably wont enjoy this book as much and there's nothing I can do to change your mind there. This is a new Spidey, definitely, but if you take it as it is and try to enjoy it you may find an enjoyable read. There's a lot of potential for retreads and rehashed stories here, but I'm personally going to be buying the next issue because I think things are only going to get better.
OVERALL:
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spinone.jpg http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/reviews/spinone.jpg
Buy Amazing Spider-Man online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=25669)