Comic Review -- Amazing Spider-Man #685: Ends of the Earth, part 4: Global Menace! / Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, and Edgar Delgado

While I like the idea of this cover--Spidey and the two gorgeous superheroines Black Widow and Silver Sable posing all badass on a rooftop--it seems to fall flat.  The line work is good, and the composition's not bad, but it doesn't really seem to fit with the level of intensity the narrative demands.  The casual-ness of the rooftop scenario suggests they're in NYC, which is clearly not where the action takes place.  I also think Spidey should be depicted in his current costume now, and that the colors could have been a little more vibrant.  It's not bad, but it left me wishing it could have been more.

Spider-Man, Silver Sable, and Black Widow have taken out Sandman, but the odds are even more stacked against them.  Doc Ock has turned the world against the heroes, stepped up production of the parts for his lenses, and called out super-villains to help defend his factories.  Even S.H.I.E.L.D. tries to arrest them after they defeat the Rhino in North Korea.  Only Horizon Labs is working along with them, and Spider-Man reluctantly allows Sable to torture Sandman to get more information about Doc Ock's plans.  The remaining members of the Sinister Six, meanwhile, wonder if they should simply take the money Ock got for them and go their separate ways, but decide to remain with Ock when he demands they see the mission through to the end.

Spider-Man makes a counter-call to any and all superheroes who are willing to trust him, pleading for assistance in hindering Ock's plans, to which there are a number of responses across the world.  He and his team tackle a base in Symkaria, where they find a wealth of bad news: the factory is abandoned, Ock's satellites are finished, and he is about to implement his plan, which is not the friendly one he advertised to the rest of the world.  Bitter at his impending demise, Ock uses the satellites to deep-fry the world like he did in his first demonstration, starting with the portion that's currently facing the sun.  He intends to take the world with him when he dies.

Well, I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed that Peter turns out to be right about Octavius, but I can't say I'm very surprised about it.  Doc Ock has typically been a very spiteful and petty character (though there have been exceptions to this depiction), and I would imagine having to finally face down the endless maw of his impending death wouldn't do much to improve his disposition.  I think Slott took a good handle of the reins with this portrayal of him, and has set up a denouement that makes me want to see how Spidey can possibly beat him this time around.

I also like the scale on which Spider-Man is set in opposition to the world, thanks to Ock's manipulations.  He, Sable, and Black Widow are alone, with only Horizon Labs and a handful of heroes across the world agreeing to trust and help them.  It really ramps up the drama and the action, forcing Spidey to desparate actions like "acid-boarding" Sandman for information and using a pretty vicious detonation against Rhino.  Ock has clearly thought about the lengths to which he must go to finally beat Spider-Man, and at present, it looks like he's succeeding.

You REALLY think he didn't kiss
her back? (from ASM 679)

On a minor note, it looked like Silver Sable was about to admit she had feelings for Spider-Man, and while I wasn't a fan of the idea in the midst of a high-stakes global struggle, I was also let down that Peter essentially shut her down for Mary Jane.  I've always had issues with how Marvel ended their marriage, but I've never been a huge MJ fan, and have often felt that Peter should have a significant other who could hang in superhero circles (which is why I was a fan of the Black Cat's reunion with him).  Sable would definitely fit this bill, and I have to admit I was kind of wanting it to happen.  Oh well.

Artistically, things continue to look good, though I do wonder about some of the panels.  It seems some of the details get minimized or glossed over as Humberto Ramos continues to churn out page upon page upon page during this run.  It's not enough to make the issue look bad, though perhaps not as good as other issues I've seen leading up to this one.  Note to Marvel: please don't overburden your artists on your flagship titles.

Overall, this has been a good story, and I'm eager to see how it ends.  I'm not sure how much is left, but it feels like we're approaching the endgame soon--if not next issue, then the one after.  The story is compelling, and the artwork is good.  Highly recommended.

Film Review -- The Avengers / Joss Whedon, Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Clark Gregg

So, I'm guessing most of you who read this blog have probably seen The Avengers at least once already, and are well aware of the box office juggernaut (pun intended) this film is becoming.  The advance reviews for it have been unprecedented in their uniform level of praise for a superhero movie, and the ticket sales back up the claim that this movie has not only been hyped, but anticipated at a ravenously frenzied level.  It has action, humor, and a narrative flow that never really bogs down the film, but by now you know this--unless you've been actively hiding under a rock.

And the reviews--oh, the scores of positive reviews--have generally said the same thing: excellent start to the summer movie season, best superhero movie yet, audiences of all ages and markets are going to love it.  The acting, writing, and directing is brilliant.  Excellent moments for all the characters.  Hulk steals the show.

But you already know this.

I'm well aware that any review I write of this film--which I will agree, was spectacular and mind-blowing and fun in a way I haven't quite experienced since Iron Man four years ago--is going to be yet another paean to a film that is racking them up left and right.  I'm also relatively late to this party.  So instead of a straight-up review, I'm going to focus on a few things that stuck out to me about the film and the experience of it.

Warning: spoilers ahead.  If you haven't see this movie and don't want to be spoiled, don't read any further.

I've seen this film twice now, and will probably see it several more times.  Iron Man, as I've mentioned previously, holds the distinction of being the movie I've seen the most times in the theater.  If there's a film that will break this record, it's this one, and I daresay it stands a pretty damn good chance of doing so.  Even after two viewings, my desire to see it again remains exceptionally high.

My first viewing of this film was a midnight showing, and as any fan knows, going to those is always an experience in and of itself.  The number of people in Avengers shirts, costumes, and gear was astounding, as was the overall atmosphere of excitement and anticipation.  I saw girls dressed up in Thor regalia, a Captain America who fashioned a shield out of a trash can lid, and a rather large gentleman who, rightly, got a loud ovation from the crowd when he appeared as the Hulk, his body and hair dyed green.  Applause and cheering were constant, from the moment the film began to the climax of so many excellent scenes, including the post-credits scenes.

The great thing about this experience is the sense of camaraderie and kinship you feel with these folks, all of whom share a high interest in what you do.  It's loud, raucous, and energetic.  It can also, of course, make viewing difficult.

One good example is during the scene where Loki gets beat down--authoritatively--by the Hulk.  We loved that scene.  I laughed harder than I had in a long time when I saw that.  And so did the audience, at length, and in that circumstance, it was all too easy to miss what the Hulk said to Loki as he walked away, leaving the Asgardian staring up at the ceiling in unmoving shock (a pitch-perfect "Puny god!").  I actually didn't catch it until the second viewing (where it was still hard to hear), and a friend I was with was upset that he missed the dialog due to the audience's loud appreciation of the prior moment.

Do you mind, Cap?  Bruce and I were having a moment!

I think the development that came out of this film that I liked the most was the budding bromance that developed between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.  It's no surprise that these two would connect on an intellectual level--they're both super-geniuses--but I thought it was pretty ingenious to have Tony express an admiration for Banner on both aspects of his life, and then essentially take him under his wing.  The biggest obstacle to this new friendship seems to be Banner's own distrust of his Hulk side, which Tony Stark seems eager to see.  Tony's encouragement of Bruce to embrace his green side was also a brilliant way to set up the idea that the Hulk's rampages can actually be a good thing, a fun thing, a pleasure and an asset, when properly aimed and directed.

I also have to begrudgingly give Joss Whedon his due, in the scene where Agent Phil Coulson is killed.  I didn't see it coming, and I think I may now understand how Firefly fans felt when Wash was suddenly killed off in Serenity.  I mean, that was a surprise too, but I hadn't been as emotionally invested when I saw it the first time.  Here, I was both shocked and horrified, but even as I mourned this character who'd connected previous Marvel films to this one, I found myself nodding in unwilling agreement.  His death was necessary for the Avengers.  After all, they needed something to avenge, if I may finish the character's final, uncompleted thought.

All of the characters have moments to shine, which are all pretty fairly spread out.  Cap gets to be a noble, heroic super soldier.  Black Widow shows she has many skills, including interrogation.  Iron Man is the epitome of Whedon snark and banter.  Thor and Hulk throw down with aplomb, and Hawkeye shows that he's more than a man with a bow and good aim.  Coulson gets to be super-fan and get the last word in with Loki before he fades.  And Nick Fury shows why he's the top spy in the world, keeping and defending both his ship and his command in all his Samuel L. Jackson badass-ness.

There's a million other things I could compliment and talk about in this movie, but chances are extremely high they're covered in other reviews, which you've probably read.  If you haven't seen this movie, do yourself a favor and do so.  Even as a straight-up popcorn action flick, you'll be entertained and engaged throughout.  And if you're a comic book fan, shame on you for reading this review before having gone and seen it already.  Get out of the house and go see it!

Overall, this is a great comic book movie that truly does live up to the massive hype around it.  Packed to the brim with moments of awesome for all of its characters, it's epic, fun, and very clever.  I don't see how you can like superheroes and comics and not see this movie.  Very highly recommended!

Comic Review -- Amazing Spider-Man #684: The Ends of the Earth, part III: Sand Trap / Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, and Edgar Delgado

Spidey's trials and tribulations just never seem to end, for him and his allies in this case.  This cover shot of him, Black Widow and Silver Sable all caught up in a titanic fight with a desert-powered Sandman really drives that point home and pulls readers in for this issue's story.  The colors here are great, the action is intense, and Black Widow continues to do an excellent impression of Felicia Hardy by leaving her cleavage exposed by black leather.  She'll definitely need a shower later.  At the very least, I'm amused.

Spidey and the Avengers have just been defeated by the Sinister Six in a stunning turnabout.  Silver Sable, who has tailed Spider-Man this far, rescues Black Widow from the downed Quinjet and sets an explosive charge on it.  She uses the distraction caused by its destruction to mask herself, Spider-Man and Black Widow before Doctor Octopus can destroy Spider-Man.  The Sinister Six leave, with the rest of the Avengers in tow, leaving the three heroes to rely on each other to undo Ock's evil plan.

Locating a production facility for Ock's satellites, Spidey uses the down time for their travel, the collective genius of the workers at Horizon Labs, and a little of his own ingenuity to combat the likely threat there: Sandman.  When they find him there, Spidey and his teammates manage to defeat him using the improvised tech he's come up with, and take Sandman off the playing field.  But Ock has already planned for this, and uses his bully pulpit on the world stage to deem Spider-Man a terrorist and demand the nations of the world take him down at any cost!

One thing that I'm glad never changes during these Sinister Six storylines is that Spider-Man always, always needs help from other superheroes to defeat Doctor Octopus and his allies.  Thus far, the escalation between him and Ock has evolved in a believable manner over the years, with Spidey's new tech and Ock's meticulous planning heightening the stakes for each.  That Spidey is also relying on his civilian colleagues at Horizon Labs as well as Black Widow and Silver Sable shows that the game has changed between these two, and that firepower of all types is needed: stealth, brains, brawn, and ingenuity.  It all makes for a story that is both intriguing and amusing, in places.

I mean, come on: Project Pink Hippo?  It's both ingenious and over-the-top cheesy.  In other words, vintage Spidey.  And to whoever created Grady Scraps: kudos.  I really like his character.

Artistically, I continue to enjoy Humberto Ramos's pencil work for this series.  While his characters tend to have slightly bigger eyes than I'd prefer, you can't argue that it makes plenty of room for expressions, which he uses deftly in conveying the story visually.  I also find myself gradually warming to the new costume for this storyline, but I also find myself fretting that it'll soon be discarded once this story is over.  The fight with Sandman was appropriately epic, and, once we see the strategy they employ, quite amusing as Sandman gets manipulated.  Excellent work.

Overall, this was a fun issue.  It had plenty of action, an amusing premise for taking down Sandman, great artwork, and plenty of spot-on dialog for the main characters.  I'm enjoying the story very much, and waiting eagerly for the next part of the story.  Highly recommended.