Amazing Spider-Man #700 review

This final chapter in the “Dying Wish” also brings the culmination of the hero Peter Parker has become (that’s not a spoiler, that’s been out there folks). For the best way to describe it, I give you this Newsarama link.

Now, I’ve said this from time, Spider-Man is the best hero, and my favourite. So after talking to @DanSlott at this years fanexpo,

he reassured everyone everything was going to be fine. This was not the fine I was expecting.

SPOILERS

(don’t want em, scroll down to the bottom where the rating is, and enjoy your day)

Long story short, thanks to the mind switch, Peter and Otto Octavius have some kind of co-working mind, and will be in next months all new “Superior Spider-Man”.

Here’s my issue with this. PETER HAS SAVED THE WORD COUNTLESS TIMES OVER, and he ends up dying in the old dying body of one of his greatest villains (Green Goblin is his greatest villain, which puts Venom as his most famous). That to me is unfair. After all he’s done and all he’s been through, which Otto Octavius sees and stirs in him the reason to live like Peter, and become Spider-Man. A good Spider-Man. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man saves the day, he really stops the green goblin, and there was a weight to it all. IT MAKES SENSE there. Here, even though it’s a well crafted story, and I didn’t see it coming (more on this later) I just couldn’t. I can’t accept this end to the story of Peter Parker.

Now, to move on to a happy thought. This isn’t what I expected. I enjoyed reading this and knowing what may happen, but I really like to be wrong sometimes. I’m slightly curious to see what happens. But, knowing the character is really Dr. Octopus, I don’t know if I can totally accept this. I know that no life is greater than another, but Otto Octavius could’ve died and I’d be happy. Every Earth 616 resident could’ve been. It boils my blood as a fan, that in a way, the evil guy gets to keep the body and the original passes on. Then there’s the fact that he is now getting back with Mary Jane.

See children, this is why you don’t make deals with the devil. You end up losing anyway.

But if you didn’t click the link, you can still have hope that one day Peter will come back. Here’s why:

SPOLIER:

“Of course, seasoned comic book readers will note that while Peter Parker sure seemed to die in the body of Otto Octavius, the mind-swap nature of the entire storyline, as well as Peter’s lingering memories in his own body, certainly gives Marvel an “out” to return to the original status quo at some point in the story. It wouldn’t even entirely be the first time such a thing happened at Marvel Comics, let alone in the comic book world. When the X-Men character Rogue had absorbed Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel’s powers, memories, and personality, Danvers came with it, fighting Rogue for control of her own body before eventually being transfered back into her own.” -Newsarama

Whether a scenario like that is in the future for the Superior Spider-Man remains to be done (heres hoping) but, for the time being, Peter Parker is dead and Otto Octavius is now the web-slinger.

Happy New year.

Rating:

• Overall rating of the comic: 2.5 out of 5,
• Art: 4 out of 5,
• layout: 4 out of 5,
• True to character dialogue: 4 out of 5,
• Story: 3 out of 5.

Thank you for reading feedback is always helpful. Enjoy your Week!

THAT’S IT! Cheers: “To Peace” and May the Force be with you!

– Xavier – @CoolyoNgeLEW

Amazing Spider-Man #699 Review

The second last issue, and the second issue in the Dying Wish arc.

It starts where the last one left off with the systems failing for Doctor Octopus. As doctors try and try to keep him alive and one even asks if it’s worth it, they end up saving the villains body. Shortly after, Peter begins to figure out how he got into this mess. He realizes that every encounter (since issue 600) he’s had with Otto has led up to this. Peter then uses the mind of Otto to hatch a plan that would allow him to get free. With the help of Hydro-Man, Scorpion, and Trapster, he breaks out of his cell. He summons for Spider-Man…alive.. To be concluded.

The only purpose this issue has, is to explain the game changer of the last issue. Though I did enjoy the fact that Dan Slott added that bit of the doctors questioning themselves to show the worth of their efforts to save this guy, who no one knew was actually Peter. The comic has a bit of a child-favoured writing style, which is noticeable as ever in this issue, and it comes to a fault… slightly. I enjoy it for the most part, as a nostalgic kind of thing, but I feel with this kind of story, that it should have been taken a bit more seriously. Which brings me to my next point.

Hamberto Ramos isn’t my favourite artist from Marvel. His interior work is spotty in my opinion. I like it, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t entirely think he is the artist to have pulled this arc off. Plus, a lot of his work was inconsistent from panel to panel on the same page. The inking and colour was decent however, I would say the part where it gets a little childish is when Hydro-Man enters the book.

The best art is when Peter is shown trying to figure out a way out of this. The best moment in the book is (which also caused @DanSlott to get slandered unfairly, on twitter) when Aunt May is seen before their wedding (yes way back when, Otto convinced Aunt May to get married to him)and the panel after. Dan explained that what the reader concluded, is ALL on the reader, which is fair, because never did you see what Peter sees after that brief moment. How people came up saying rape and incest is beyond me.

Be on the look out for issue 700 and an announcement from me coming towards the ends of the year.

Rating:

• Overall rating of the comic: 4.5 out of 5,
• Art: 4 out of 5,
• layout: 4 out of 5,
• True to character dialogue: 5 out of 5,
• Story: 4.5 out of 5.

Heres a free comic to use in the Marvel Comics App:

MTML4y38II24

TMM11ZBU0SM0 (<-those are zeroes. This is for the #699 issue)<-those are zeroes

Thank you for reading feedback is always helpful. Enjoy your Week!

THAT’S IT! Cheers: “To Peace” and May the Force be with you!

– Xavier – @CoolyoNgeLEW

Amazing Spider-Man #698

By now the cat is out of the bag, and if not, well then here’s a spoiler

                                              

For a while now, writer Dan Slott has been forcing Spider-Man to deal with one of his greatest villains, Dr. Otto Octavius aka Dr. Octopus, who learned he was dying way back in issue 600 where the doctor he had seen had told him that he had roughly 18 months left to live. Cut to this here issue and our vile Doctor now has mere hours left. Skip a few other things and enter Spider-Man, who tells the ill fated doctor that he is actually in fact, PETER PARKER. DUN. DUN. DUN (Spider-man is actually Doc Ock/Peter is actually the dying Dr. Octopus)….

Now I’ve been reading comics since maybe 2005 and I don’t think I ever had a favourite issue … Ever (though I really liked JMS’s run on spider-man… Minus the OMD arc) this issue was near flawless as an issue can be. Dan Slott has been a writer on Asm for a good while now (since #648 I believe being the main writer) the reason why this issue is so good.. Excuse me… Brilliantly excellent.. Is because it forces you to re-read the ENTIRE issue, maybe even the run issue 600. When the reveal happens it kinda punches you in the face. And leaves no witnesses or even an ice pack. Which is why it’s so great… But I can’t give Dan all the credit, the penciler, colour artist, and even the lettering was beyond exceptional. On page 8 there is a word box that floats in the air that only really hits you as to why it does, in the second reading. The art of it all… For example page 14… I don’t enjoy raving about a book that has no flaws but I can’t think of one and I’ve re read this issue maybe 7 times and I’m still shocked.

Marvel pride themselves on be a relatable reading source. And even though this isn’t going to be self relatable to most if not all readers. If you have an adult who has/d a child/friend with some kind of waking coma or some kind “trapped in my body” disease. Then maybe this book can help you grasp what they may deal with on a regular basis. But I’ve rambled enough. I end with this, if you have ever wanted to read comics or read about spider-man, this is the best issue to start with cause in two issues its all over, and we get a new hero to wear the webs.

Rating:

• Overall rating of the comic: 5 out of 5,
• Art: 5 out of 5,
• layout: 5 out of 5,
• True to character dialogue: 5 out of 5,
• Story: 5 out of 5.

Heres a free comic to use in the Marvel Comics App:

MTML9I03IPEY

MTML16CFX7LD (this is for the #698 issue)

Thank you for reading feedback is always helpful. Enjoy your Week!

THAT’S IT! Cheers: “To Peace” and May the Force be with you!

– Xavier – @CoolyoNgeLEW

Smallville season 11 #22

At Lexcorp, Lex and his sister Tess are discussing the solution to her controlling Lex at night. He says to her hes going to strap himself to his bed as a means to curb her cryptic messages being sent to Watchtower. At the Leviathan, Batman’s secret hide out in Metropolis, Superman awakens to the sight of Lois who brings him up to speed since he’s been out. He later thanks Batman for saving him. The two then work together to find out where Mr. Freeze and Prankster are. While Superman was out cold, Batman built Superman and himself new suits of armour. Meanwhile at a police department, Oliver Queen is saved by his wife. Mean while meanwhile, back at the Leviathan, there’s Intergang is trying to cash in on the absence of Dark Knight and boyscout. And Mr. Freeze finds himself betrayed by the Prankster.

With this issue we’re treated to yet another set of artists, by the way of Kevin West and Marc Deering the first page is outright dismissible but as I went on, and I noticed some potential.

I gotta say, Miller is definitely expanding smallville to something bigger than anyone would have imagined, there’s still an essence that carries from the show, but i think as each issue comes out its proving that this isn’t the show anymore. Which I’m really enjoying (minus the obvious fact it’s a dc comic book and that eventually it will deal with some form of a crisis). I’m really keen on seeing what else Miller has in story for story.

My biggest issue with this book (much less this issue) is the inconsistencies with artists. Just get one like they did at the start of the book/arc and call it a day.

Ps.. I’m pretty sure batman kept one of the bullets… Good job.

Rating:

• Overall rating of the comic: 3 out of 5,
• Art:  2.5 out of 5,
• layout*: 2.5 out of 5,
• True to character dialogue: 3 out of 5,
• Story: 3 out of 5.

Because this is late heres a free comic to use in the Marvel Comics App:

MTML32CTR3N9
ATMC131JLMJ9
MTML10NYPM0H –> THIS ONE CONTAINS ZEROS

Thank you for reading feedback is always helpful. Enjoy your Week!

THAT’S IT! Cheers: “To Peace” and May the Force be with you!

Smallville Season 11 #19

Winslow Schott gets a reporter visit from Lois who wants to understand the connection between him and Loomis (aka the Prankster). He informs Lois that he (Loomis) is the Salieri to his Mozart, while they were at Queen Industries. Meanwhile, at the suicide slums of metropolis, Batman and Superman engage Mr. Freeze and Prankster by causing the roof to separate the group. Batman tries to figure out why Mr. Freeze is working as a gun for hire. Loomis then explains that he was on the outs with Intergang so he had hoped to take down the Batman, Superman is just a bonus. With a new mag in his gun, Loomis shoots homing bullets. Superman tries to stop them but isn’t able to, and he yells for Batman who took leave with Joe Chill. Batman uses flares to get out of impending danger. Loomis keeps Superman engaged in conversation as he changes clips (Schott had always used meter rocks in his deadly gadgets, and Loomis, being a copy cat….) he shoots a few off. Clark……  meanwhile as the dust settles by Batman, he sees Mr. Freeze through the dust, Freeze shoots “goodbye Batman” says Freeze. .. To be continued.

Why… Did they bring back Chris Cross… I was much more happy with the work of Igle. Anyway, this is a nice way to continue the story and show elements that make Batman cool (excuse the pun). I think it was a smart choice to use Mr. Freeze as one of the villains that would show up with Batman. He’s one of the more technologically advanced bad guys that he goes up against.

Now I’ve said this before, but I’m not entirely a huge fan of DC. I have tidbits of info, but I’m not as knowledgeable as I am with Marvel, but if I’m right then “Prankster” is a “Flash” villain. So maybe this heads to that in the coming issues.

I just hope Cross’ stay is short lived. Outside of the above kryptonite sick Superman up there, he’s a terrible artist. Maybe it’s just me, but I’d love to see Cat Staggs do some interior work for the book. She does such nice painting, it may rival the work of Alex Ross.

Rating:

• Overall rating of the comic: 3 out of 5,
• Art: 2.5 out of 5,
• layout*: 3 out of 5,
• True to character dialogue: 3.5 out of 5,
• Story: 3.2 out of 5.

Because this is late heres a free comic to use in the Marvel Comics App:

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TMM2EQSM61QE

Thank you for reading feedback is always helpful. Enjoy your Week!

THAT’S IT! Cheers: “To Peace” and May the Force be with you!

– Xavier – @CoolyoNgeLEW

Smallville Season 11 #21

A potentially deadly police chase ensues as Superman is clinging to life at batman drives his batmobile towards his Metropolis hideout. As time is ticking for the recent shot “Last Son of Krypton” , Clark tells Batman his real identity. Batman gets Nightwing to make a conference call to Lois who then informs Bats on what to do. To give him some help green arrow hijacks a police helicopter, bats then does what Lois instructed. He saves the day. Elsewhere Loomis shares with Mr. Freeze he knows the whereabouts of the world’s finest heroes….. To be continued.

For some reason Chris Cross is back. And I honestly don’t know why. The first few pages are so pointless its crazy. Then you fast forward to some actual batmobile tumbling and you have to say… This would only happen in a movie, not on that CW budget that the show had.

Mr. Miller may have lost some points this issue. He wrote Lois as someone to buckle under pressure. She basically gave up that she knew who Superman actually was, and I get that the love may be more important but……. HELLO. YOU CANT JUST BE LETTING OUT THE MANS SECRETS. Then you have Clark who just gives out his secret like Batman asked. With Batman in the show now, Green Arrow is becoming less and less needed.

Rating:

• Overall rating of the comic: 3 out of 5,
• Art: 2.5 out of 5,
• layout*: 3 out of 5,
• True to character dialogue: 3.5 out of 5,
• Story: 3.2 out of 5.

For your viewing pleasure, one hell of a beautiful trailer.

THAT’S IT! Cheers: “To Peace” and May the Force be with you!

– Xavier – @CoolyoNgeLEW