Comic Reviews - 8/22 Happy 50 Spider-Man, Controversy, and Uncanny X-Meh! Bonus Liefeld

What's going on 1uppers! Last week wasn't a very big week for me so I only got 3 titles that I picked up, which means next batch of reviews should have a lot more in them!

So lets get to business...

Amazing Spider-Man #692 - $5.99 - Digital Copy - T

This is the 50th anniversary/birthday of out favorite web head.  This is an issue that not only has some fluff pieces it also progresses the current story arch, but those fluff pieces are pretty darn emotional.  The first is a 6 panel, 1 page story that tells you how Spidey became himself and that's it.  The next is a the current continuity story that starts with a narrated story about a kid who is invisible in high school and pretty much runs every parallel to Peter's origin story. Andy Maguire is trying to catch the eye of a girl from his high school, while on a trip to Horizon Laboratories to see Peter Perker's new invention.  So they get there, bad guy cranks the Parker Particle machine to 11 and makes it explode, zapping Andy.  This gives Andy powers that are based on the structure of the universe, making him a Alpha human. This means he is the most powerful hero ever, but every time he uses his powers it zaps parts of the universe so as they have said before 'With great power comes great responsibility.'  There are lawsuits, training, showboating, and the kid saves the day, also re-intros the Jackal. Its nothing ground breaking by either Slott or Ramos.

The next little ditty is by Indy artist and writer Dean Haspiel, which some fans won't know who he is and that's okay but you should go read his stuff now. Dean writes and illustrates a poetic 8 page story of a burglar who finds Spider-Man's costume after Peter trashes it in issue 50.  The man takes the costume and rides the wave of hate of Spider-Man so he robs some stores but he is thwarted in his attempt.  We follow him home where we find out that he is robbing banks in order to get money for his granddaughter, who ironically is a Spider-Man fan. So dressed as Spider-Man he visits his granddaughter and tells her that her Grandfather is doing everything he can to ease her pain.  She says that there are only so many people a superhero can save in the day, which hits the grandfather hard and realizes that it takes more to be a superhero then to dress like one.  This is a great story, cheesy but good.

The last story is one by I,Vampire writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and is hysterical in every way. This story has it all, Peter is having a typical Parker-Luck day. He saves a mannequin from a fire training exercise, he is late for a lecture, and he gets pooped on by a bird.  The best part of the story is when he takes a bullied kid under his wing and gets to know him. He helps change this kids life by talking things out, which is a great change of pace. These are the storied I would have much rather see in an overpriced anniversary book. I don't want a new story, I want a story that touches on 50 years of history and experience and a more mentor-ship to kids who have real world problems, not super ones (see second story.)  The best parts about this whole issue are the ones that are the fluff, so in reality the current story are the second act to the better short stories. Also the non conventional art styles of the latter two stories are a great breath of fresh air.  Read this if your a big Spidey fan.

Story - 3/5
Art - 4/5

Batman Incorperated #3 - $2.99 - T

This was the issue that was delayed out of respect by DC due to the tragedy in Colorado.  I don't think anything was altered with the book, but it was the first page that caused the controversy.

In this issue a cult replaces a school teacher, and she pulls a gun on classroom full of students.  The cult is known as Leviathan which first appeared at its own one-shot before the reboot, and in the one shot we found out it Talia al Ghul was the leader.  They continued with the Leviathan story arch in the New 52 Batman Incorporated series.  In this issue you find that the Leviathan is slowly replacing/brainwashing Gotham's citizens, so they can build their army.  This sets up Matches Malone return to extract info from "Small" Fry about Leviathan and their plot.  While this happens Matches intervenes with a girl who is being hassled by some goons, and then he proceeds to hit on her.  Later it is revealed that "Matches" is being played by Bruce Wayne, and they discover that Professor Pyg has been giving Gotham a mind controlling drug so Leviathan can take over. Then Matches visits a the club again where he finds out that Leviathan has been sacrificing goats, but after he leaves and is changing in Alfred driven cab he gets a call from the singer he saved, saying she was in trouble.  So Bruce puts the Matches outfit back on and heads to the Brother Grim wake, where it was a set-up.  Meanwhile, Damian uses gas to knock out Alfred and sneak out but not as the deceased Robin, but as Redbird. 

This issue was a little fun. I had to do some catching up in order to follow the story, but it wasn't that bad. Now the issue its self is setting up some interesting future events (Dick dressed as Batman/ Bruce trapped/ Damian out as Redbird because he was KIA) so I am not sure if these is foreshadowing or if they are just simple allusions too pre-new 52 story arches. I trust Morrison as a fan, so I can only assume something twisted or surprising in the end. As for the art in this book by Chris Burnham, it has been pretty solid and keen to his own style.  The art I feel compliments the dirty and noir-ish feel to the story.  I can't wait to see what happens next in this twisted little story.

Story - 3/5
Art - 4/5

Uncanny X-Men #17 - $3.99 - Digital Copy - +T

Now I am having trouble chronologically putting this into sequence with the Main AVX books, because all 5 of them still have the Phoenix Force.  I assume this happened right after they got the Force and before Namor's downfall. 

So any who, Mr. Sinister has cloned X-Men including Madelyn who possess the Phoenix and uses it to trap the Phoenix Five.  While this happens, Psylocke has a pretty important role in breaking into the castle to rescue them.  Now this is where things get weird.  Psylocke and Danger save Magneto from Madelyn IV, and Emma Frost talks to the Phoenix itself.  Emma convinces it that Mr. Sinister will use it and keep it, and I kid-you-not she says "You're here for a reason...It's surely not prop up a megalomaniac's delusion of grandeur."  How can you write that seriously?  The woman who thinks she is God's gift to everything with her boy toy who thinks he is the Messiah of mutant kind, who is trying to create a perfect world in their image, are talking about Mr. Sinister abusing it's power? WTF So anyway the Phoenix is all F' this and destroys all the Madelyn clones.  Then they apparently kill Mr. Sinister.  Cyclopes then states the Sinister species is gone and the world is safe... and theirs. WTF again so they manipulate the Phoenix force so they can abuse the hell out of it and take of the world. I don't get it and its annoying.  

The art in this book is by Acuna and Del Mundo is very inconsistent too. It is very detailed at times then it's very thick brush strokes and details are all muddled together which can be attributed to the very different art styles by both artists.  Pyslocke looks like her normal self in one panel, then in the next she looks like an emaciated emo chick in the next.  I can't explain why they would have two artists with two very dissimilar styles work like this but they did.  At least it gives me something to write about. lol

Story - 1/5
Art - 1/5

Bonus Round

Rob Liefeld vs Scott Snyder and Tom Brevoort

Looking into this debacle finally, it looks like Rob was flame on and tried to torch anything he could.  He first went on a public rant on Twitter where he bashed DC's Editorial citing constant last minute re-writes that were thrown at him by his editor.  One included Grifter where he was suppose to have Grifter become part of a cross-over with Superman. Then the Superman editors backed out of it causing Liefeld to re-write the whole issue.  This as Liefeld states is becoming the new norm for bother big publishers because of their Parent companies stepping on creativity in order to create profit.  I can see where his frustration is coming from, but wasn't this the case for years? I am pretty sure I remember hearing stories about creators back in the day re-writing everything in order to out due their competitors/complete a 60 page book. 

Then Liefeld goes and throws everyone who has ever did him wrong, under the bus. This prompts someone to ask Brevoort if there is room for him at Marvel. Brevoort replies saying they don't want to add him after what he has done and then Liefled replies back with a childish name calling tweet.  I won't say it here but there is no need to make fun of someones weight because they are commenting on your very public tongue lashing. It's very childish and inhumane.  

Then Scott Snyder steps up and defends DC and gets back at Liefeld. There are some DM's between the two that started this thing off before it got public. Now again Liefeld cites that Batman is the reason Snyder's books sell and not the writing. That maybe true but Snyder's writing has been great since he started writing Detective Comics.  Liefled says that Swamp Thing doesn't do as nearly as well as Batman, but in all fairness, it did better then Hawk and Dove.  Hawk and Dove got cancelled after issue 8, but then Liefeld was put on 3 more books which I don't understand.  So he can barely keep one book afloat so we give him 3 more? Ok sure. Makes sense if you don't think about it.  

I will say this for Liefeld. His work ethic and his ability to get things done quick are his greatest attributes, other then that I can't see why he is still able to do comics.  He has helped create some great characters, and some not so great ones.  His are is notoriously bad, and his writing is no good. There are no reason for personal attacks after people comment on your public backlash.  Bash a company on the whole and leave people out of it. Granted their work may not be up to par with where it should be but thats between you, that person, and your company. Not the world.

Maybe he will have look trying to resurrect his old Image titles. Or apparently a movie?

For some fun also search Rob Liefeld Swipes.  A Swipe is a comic term that refers to the intentional copying of a cover, panel, or page from an earlier comic book or graphic novel without crediting the original. Here is an example: