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.

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.

Comic Review -- Amazing Spider-Man #683: The Ends of the Earth, part 2 / Dan Slott, Stefano Caselli, and Frank Martin, Jr.

Whenever I look at cover, I basically ask myself two things when determining whether I like it or not: would I wear this on a shirt? And, would I want this for a poster on my wall?  The answer in both cases is a resounding yes for this cover.  It's a dynamic pose of Spidey and the Avengers, along with his new costume.  While I'm still a little iffy on that, I'm pretty impressed with all the new tech he's put in it to combat the Sinister Six.  Overall, a definite thumbs-up.

While Ock has the Sinister Six out stealing artifacts, Spidey and the Avengers crash an emergency gathering of the world's leaders to persuade them not to go along with assisting in the creation of Ock's Octavian Shield.  Spider-Man brashly punches Al Gore during the discussion, revealing him to be the Chameleon in disguise.  Ock sees this, and in response reinforces the effects on his lens, blocking out all harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.  Meanwhile, Mayor Jameson shuts down Horizon Labs, even as they're trying to help the world leaders with new information about Ock's lens.  Ock requests the Chameleon's release, which is granted, with Spidey tagging him with a tracer so the Avengers can follow him.

In the ensuing battle, it looks like the Avengers initially have the overwhelming advantage, but Ock has prepared his men for this.  Using a combination of the stolen artifacts and solid tactics, the Sinister Six manage to down the Avengers handily, with Doctor Octopus forcing Spider-Man to kneel before him in front of his knocked-out allies.  It seems Spidey's given Ock the greatest gift of all: his complete and utter destruction.

Wow.  I have to admit, I was pretty blown away by this issue.  From the Stephen Hawking and Al Gore cameos to actually seeing the tech Peter created to deal with some of his greatest foes, there's plenty in here to enjoy.  I'm on the fence about the new costume, looks-wise, but I do think the forethought Peter's put into its gizmos makes for some really neat and useful ways to combat his foes.

The battle between the Avengers and the Six was pretty awesome too, though I did think Electro's taking down of two Avengers and a Quinjet to be a little much.  Thor shooting him into the sky, however, was pretty funny.  I'm not sure how Ock is able to get his hands on Stark tech from the future, but whatever.  It's not like Cable didn't use a similar strategy to beat Iron Man recently.  He really should look into that.

I'm pretty sure Spidey and friends aren't down and out yet, though.  Black Widow remains unaccounted for, and Silver Sable was talking about keeping an eye on Spidey in this issue as well.  I'm sure we'll see them in the next chapter.  And, of course, I can't wait to see how the crew at Horizon shows up a power-tripping Jonah in the segments to come.

The artwork was really good in this issue, as well.  I enjoyed the cameos of Hawking and Gore, which looked pretty accurate, and was especially surprised when Spidey punched out "Al Gore." The beach-side battle was well portrayed, action-packed, and very vicious in places.  Seeing Rhino impale Thor from behind threw me a little.  Very solid work all around!

Overall, I enjoyed this issue very much.  Compelling story, excellent artwork, and still more to learn and ascertain about Ock's final motives.  A definite must-read for Spider-Man devotees, especially if you're currently collecting.  Highly recommended.

Comic Review -- Amazing Spider-Man #682: The Ends of the Earth, part 1: My World on Fire / Dan Slott, Stefano Caselli, and Frank Martin, Jr.

I think this cover is pretty clever, with Doc Ock's arms lashing Spidey over a planet-shaped globe.  It certainly sets up the premise of the story, involving Dr. Octopus's apparent desire to save the planet vs. Spider-Man's steadfast distrust of him and anything he's involved in.  Very dramatic, and a delight to behold.

This story starts off with Peter talking about how many gadgets he's been making for himself as Spider-Man, while he takes out Equinox.  He comes to realize that a significant number of his inventions have been applied by the world at large into beneficial technologies that have had some practical applications.  He's happy about this, until he sees J. Jonah Jameson trying to shut down Peter's place of employment, Horizon Labs, on a number of trumped up charges, the most personal one being that his son was nearly killed recently because of them.

Octavius, meanwhile implements his master plan, using a lens to augment the effects of global warming and starting to fry half of the planet.  He takes the lens offline, and sends his plans for a solution to global warming to the most brilliant minds on the planet, stating that he only wishes to be remembered as the man who preserved the earth for all time.  Spider-Man, upset at Ock's move, listens bewildered as a majority of people seem to agree with what he's done.  He takes some of the equipment he's been working on at Horizon off site, and goes to Avengers Mansion in a new costume to rally the divided Avengers to help him take on Ock and the Sinister Six.

I've kept myself mostly in the dark about this story, and if it truly is Octavius's last hurrah, I find the setup in this issue to be fascinating.  While I'm sure he's committed a crime--I mean, starting to flash-fry half the planet has got to be illegal somewhere--it's arguable that he's doing it for a greater good, and actually does have noble intentions for the world before he dies.  And it looks like he's nailed the solution, as well as swayed popular opinion in his favor: the scientists at Horizon think he's on to something, as does Tony Stark.  People are convinced of global warming's existence now due to his demonstration, and believe Octavius wants to stop it.

Of course, this could all be a ruse--as Spider-Man steadfastly believes.  Even as Captain America starts to make the argument that impending death can bring a person's life into focus, Spider-Man simply does not want to hear it.  If Doc Ock is behind it, it can't possibly be for the greater good--except Ock's own greater good--and it is not to be tolerated.  I'll be keenly interested to see who's right and who's wrong on this question, as this story could actually reverse Spider-Man into the role of the villain if it turns out Ock's intentions truly are on the level.

Artistically, I have to say I'm impressed with Caselli's work. It's very slightly cartoony but with plenty of depth and expression that allows for plenty of versatility.  The scenes of the earth in turmoil due to Octavius's lens were particularly striking, as was the scene of a self-righteous Jonah trying to shut down Horizon Labs.  I'm not too keen on Spidey's new look, but that could just be me wanting to stick to the old staples.  I'm willing to give it some time.

Overall, this is an interesting beginning to this storyline, and I'm eager to see how it unfolds.  There are many directions this one could go, and a lot of possibilities for both the hero and the villain here.  The artwork is excellent, the writing is good, and it's been billed as the Doc Ock story you've been waiting to hear for 50 years.  We shall see.  Highly recommended.