Spider-Man – Page 21 – Now Read This!

March 11, 2013March 7, 2013

Spider-Man by Mark Millar Ultimate Collection

By Mark Millar, Terry & Rachel Dodson with Frank Cho (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851- 5640-6

Outcast, orphaned science-nerd schoolboy Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and, after seeking to cash-in on the astonishing abilities he subsequently developed, suffered an irreconcilable personal tragedy. His beloved guardian Uncle Ben was murdered by a burglar Peter could have stopped but didn’t because he didn’t want to get involved.

Feeling irreconcilably responsible for the tragedy and permanently traumatised by Ben’s death, the 15-year old determined henceforward to always use his powers to help those in need.

For years the brilliant, indomitable everyman hero suffered privation and travail in his domestic situation whilst his notorious alter ego endured public condemnation and mistrust as he valiantly battled all manner of threat and foe.

Parker has loved and lost many more close friends and family during his crime-busting, world-saving career, but eventually won a measure of joy from all the heartache when he married the girl next door: Mary Jane Watsonâ€¦

During his perpetual crusade for the ordinary underdog, the guilt-ridden, unlikely champion faced many uncanny, bizarre and inexplicable menaces but none more determined and dangerous than Norman Osborn, father of Peter’s best friend Harry and a brilliant, utterly insane scientist who sought power as the malignly Machiavellian Green Goblin.

Early on the elder Osborn had uncovered the Web-spinner’s true identity and subsequently tormented his adversary with the fact ever since. Even after he murdered Peter’s fiancÃ©e Gwen Stacy and apparently died in the bitter retaliation, Osborn kept the precious secret to himself, extracting every iota of psychological pressure he could from the morally-handcuffed heroâ€¦

Following a catastrophic bankruptcy scare – both money and ideas – in the late 1990s, Marvel returned reinvigorated and began refitting/retooling all their core character properties. In 1999 the expansive Spider-Man franchise was trimmed down and relaunched as two new titles – Amazing Spider-Man and Peter Parker: Spiderman and the constricting, fad-chasing policy of mindlessly chasing sales at any cost was replaced by a measured concentration on solid, character-based storytelling and strong art.

In 2004 the franchise expanded again as the Marvel Knights imprint (a notional subset of the over-arching continuity concerned with stronger, edgier, more mature themes where the heroes â€œpopulate and guard the dark corners of the Marvel Universeâ€) began its own Marvel Knights Spider-Man, offering canonical in-continuity sagas to entice older, presumably more jaded readers.

The first year featured an extended saga written by fan-favourite Mark Millar and mostly illustrated by the sublimely beguiling Terry & Rachel Dodson, which spectacularly capitalised on the dark potential of the Osborn situationâ€¦

Gathering the entire epic – previously published as three smaller trade paperbacks -Â this titanic tome offers the entire astounding 12-issue tale (running from June 2004 to May 2005) of a family in crisis in one blistering burst, sub-divided into a triptych of interlinked episodes.

It all begins with ‘Down Among the Dead Men’ as, following another cataclysmic clash with the Green Goblin, the wall-crawler at last succeeds in exposing the maniac and sending Norman Osborn to prison. Battered and bruised, Peter Parker returns to Mary Jane just in time to help move Aunt May into her new apartment, before heading off to his day job as a High School science teacher.

The first inkling of trouble comes when he receives a call: someone has desecrated Uncle Ben’s gravestoneâ€¦

The next phone call is worse: a mysterious voice reveals it knows his secret and tells Peter he’ll never see Aunt May againâ€¦

With the frail widow kidnapped Peter realises his wife could be next and, over her objections, packs Mary Jane off to relative safety in another city before contacting ex-girlfriend and semi-retired super-thief Black Cat for helpâ€¦

Even though he has fought untold hundreds of thugs and masterminds there’s only one real suspect and soon Spider-Man has broken into the maximum security prison where a smug Osborn callously mocks him whilst feigning utter innocence. The villain is playing mind games and reveals he has shared their secret. Now as payback for having the temerity to have the once-respected businessman arrested and publicly shamed, all Parker’s loved ones will sufferâ€¦

After an ill-tempered discussion with the Avengers which results in absolutely nothing productive, the frantic arachnid goes looking for answers in all the wrong places, engaging in a Faustian bargain with resurgent crime-lord The Owl. This aging miscreant is slowly easing himself back into the underworld hierarchy following the recent bloody fall of the crime Kingpin Wilson Fisk, and is happy to make a dealâ€¦

In return for a future favour the gangster reveals former foes Electro and the Vulture were responsible for the abduction of a certain little old lady, but by the time a fighting mad, out of control Spider-Man has found, fought and finished with them, the wall-crawler realises he’s been played for a fool and the crafty old bird bandit has simply used him to punish two employees who stole $20 million from their new bossâ€¦

The battle quickly escalates out of all control and as Spider-Man realises he’s been had, Electro fries the hero and kicks him off a skyscraper roofâ€¦

When Mary Jane sees on TV that her barely alive husband is in the Intensive Care Unit, she picks up a gun and turns back for New York Cityâ€¦

Before she can get there, however, the Vulture breaks in, hungrier than ever for a pound of flesh. The aged maniac had intended to do the only decent deed of his life with the stolen cash and his old enemy has spoiled it. Now he was planning a grotesquely memorable revenge but hadn’t reckoned on a savagely protective Black Cat guarding the broken heroâ€¦

Spider-Man’s troubles were only beginning, however, as unbeknownst to anyone a nurse had taken pictures of the face under the mask and offered them to the Daily Bugle’s gadfly publisher J. Jonah Jamesonâ€¦

As Parker’s astonishing powers of recuperation pulled him back from death’s door, many disparate strands were slowly knitting together in the second story arc ‘Venomous’ (with additional art from Frank Cho) as deadly psychopath Eddie Brock returned to the Big Apple intent on auctioning off the alien Symbiote which enabled him to be a bigger, stronger, deadlier web-spinnerâ€¦

Due to financial reversals Peter and Mary Jane are on the verge of bankruptcy, but young Mrs. Parker has bigger worries. Even with the ever-present threat to her life from May’s mysterious abductor, all she can think about is how much better-suited Black Cat Felicia Hardy is to a life with Spider-Manâ€¦

At least the photos of the arachnid hero in his hospital bed prove to be a huge flop since Peter’s face was so badly beaten as to be unrecognisable. However now the Daily Bugle is offering a $5 million reward to anyone who can positively identify the wall-crawlerâ€¦

When Doctor Octopus goes on a strangely mindless rampage, Spider-Man suspects that someone has brainwashed his arch-enemy, but after the madman is finally subdued the police SWAT teams abruptly turn on the web-spinner, in a concerted effort to win the Bugle’s bounty. Only the intervention of an honest cop prevents Parker’s total exposureâ€¦

Jameson meanwhile is plagued by a host of crazies claiming the reward with every stupid stunt imaginable, and another clandestine meeting with the incarcerated Osborn only makes Spider-Man more scared and desperate. With nothing left to lose, the arachnid visits the X-Men where their resident telepath Rachel Summers psi-scans for the missing widow and, unable to detect her, comes to the chilling conclusion that she must be deadâ€¦

In a hidden hideaway the underworld auction is well under way and soon the Venom Symbiote has a new hostâ€¦

In the course of his searches Spider-Man has discovered that the Vulture had not been lying. The villain was stealing to pay for an experimental treatment for a boy dying of cancer: a kid completely innocent, oblivious to the villain’s crimes and the son of someone the wall-crawler owesâ€¦

Life rolls mercilessly on. Peter now teaches science at his old High School and during a class reunion the next turn of the screw occurs when the party is crashed by a new Venom who’s been told he can hurt Spider-Man by attacking a guy named Parkerâ€¦

Ruthlessly slaughtering those witnesses unfortunate enough to talking over old times with the nerd they used to bully, the metamorphic monster soon has the frantically resisting Peter on the ropes; even briefly believing he has slain the web-spinner until the Symbiote inexplicably abandons its new owner in mid-airâ€¦

Miraculously victorious, Parker determines to end the Bugle’s bounty hunt by faking evidence of Spider-Man’s true identity – the one person in the world Jameson would protect rather than gloatingly expose – and discovers the money was donated by a mystery donor.

When the publisher forces him to accept $500, 000 as hush money, the guilty, conflicted but desperately cash-strapped Peter accepts.

In the end however, he cannot keep it, and finds a suitably worthy cause to donate it toâ€¦ and that’s just when the kidnapper calls again and offers to meet the harassed hero for lunchâ€¦

The saga hurtles to a blistering tension-filled climax in ‘The Last Stand’ as the enigmatic tormentor is revealed as a B-Lister from Spider-Man’s extensive Rogue’s Gallery, but one working under explicit, pre-prepared instructions from Norman Osborn.

He also reveals a vast criminal conspiracy that has governed much of American society since the end of World War II, expending vast amounts of time, money and resources keeping the relatively uncontrollable, incorruptible super-hero population occupied and distracted whilst they covertly carry on running the country.

Discretion and secrecy are their greatest assets and Osborn was one of them. Moreover – now that he’s made the cardinal error of being caught – the billionaire businessman needs to be sprung from jail before his former colleagues take the usual steps to ensure their continued peace and profitable securityâ€¦

They’ve already made Otto Octavius into their highly visible, utterly untraceable, plausibly deniable tool. The completely mind-wiped maniac is a human weapon just ready to fire at the helpless Green Goblin, and unless Spider-Man frees his arch-foe immediately, May Parker will finally truly dieâ€¦

Knowing he’s being played and well aware that it might be for the last time, Peter says goodbye to Mary Jane and with Black Cat breaks into Riker’s Island Penitentiary to free the most evil man aliveâ€¦

Of course it’s a trap and the Goblin double-crosses him as soon as they’re clear: unleashing old enemies Vulture, Electro, Sandman, Boomerang, Chameleon, Hydro–Man, the Lizard, Hammerhead, Tombstone and the Shocker on the web-spinner and his companion as soon as he’s free.

At least that was the plan, but his most faithful minion has been unexpectedly possessed by the Symbiote – turning him into a most unpredictable and uncontrollable incarnation of Venom – and even as Osborn flies off to murder the beloved wife of his ultimate nemesis, the Avengers, Fantastic Four and Daredevil all show up to tackle the Sinister Twelve, leaving Parker to pursue in the most terrifying and important chase of his lifeâ€¦

When Venom suddenly attacks, the infuriated Parker is unstoppable, and easily overcomes his tormentor, but it’s too late. By the time he reaches their home MJ and Osborn are gone, headed to the same bridge where the Goblin killed Peter’s first love Gwen.

Moreover the maniac boasts that May is still alive but hidden in the last place Parker would look with only a half hour of airâ€¦

History looks certain to be repeated but both adversaries have forgotten the berserker Doctor Octopus and his deep-programmed mission of murderâ€¦

Stylish, powerful, suspenseful and utterly absorbing, this is a truly epic adventure of everybody’s favourite bug-based hero, beautifully illustrated and so smartly written that any new or long-lost reader can extract the maximum enjoyment with the minimum confusion.

In case you’re wondering: Marvel Knights Spider-Man rejoined the mainstream when it was re-titled Sensational Spider-Man with #23 so if continuity is your thing it even actually happened (at least in the sense that us comics zombies understandâ€¦) so there’s absolutely no reason not to acquaint yourself with this spectacular slice of Fights ‘n’ Tights wonderment.
Â© 2004, 2005, 2011 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

March 3, 2013March 2, 2013

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: Divided We Fall, United We Stand

By Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez & Pepe Larraz (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-84653-523-9

When Spider-Man died, a new hero arose in his image â€¦

Marvel’s Ultimates imprint began in 2000 with a post-modern take on major characters and concepts to bring them into line with the tastes of a 21st century readership – a wholly different market from those baby-boomers and their descendents content to stick with the precepts sprung from founding talents Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and Stan Leeâ€¦ or simply those unable or unwilling to deal with the five decades (seven if you include the Golden Age Timely tales retroactively co-opted into the mix) of continuity baggage which saturated the originals.

Eventually even this darkly nihilistic new universe became as continuity-constricted as its ancestor and in 2008 the cleansing event â€œUltimatumâ€ culminated in a reign of terror which excised dozens of super-humans and millions of lesser mortals in a devastating tsunami which inundated Manhattan, courtesy of mutant menace Magneto.

In the months that followed, plucky Peter Parker and his fellow meta-human survivors struggled to restore order to a dangerous new world, but just as Spider-Man finally gained a measure of acceptance and was hailed a hero by the masses, he took a bullet forÂ Captain America and very publicly met his end during a catastrophic super-villain showdown â€¦

In the aftermath, child prodigy Miles Morales gained suspiciously similar powers and began the same deadly learning curve: coping with astounding new physical abilities, painfully discovering the daily costs of living a life of lies and realising how an inescapable sense of responsibility is the most seductive method of self-harm and worst all of possible gifts.

He was helped and hindered in equal amounts by his Uncle Aaron: a career super-criminal dubbed The Prowlerâ€¦

This compilation (collecting Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #11-18, August 2012-February 2013 and written throughout by Brian Michael Bendis) follows Miles and his close circle of confidantes from ordinary tragedy and peril into total chaos as America succumbs to a second Civil War when global crises, ineffectual leadership and rogue elements in power converge and whole swathes of ordinary Americans secede from the Unionâ€¦

A day resident at the prestigious BrooklynVisionsAcademyBoarding School, Miles spends only weekends at home and is coming to terms with some unpleasant truths. Foremost is that he has secrets to keep from his parents, but also poisoning the air is the fact that his father used to be a street-thug and now passionately hates costumed heroes – like Spider-Man.

The Prowler has been secretly grooming Miles ever since some of his loot bit the youngster, transforming him into a super-strong and fast kid who can walk up walls, turn invisible and deliver a devastating venom charge through his hands,Â and the action opens here as the manipulative creep tricks Miles into attacking Mexican gang-lord and prospective new Kingpin of Crime the Scorpion.

The action (illustrated by David Marquez) begins with a blistering raid on the Mexican’s plush new club where, in the heat of battle, the novice wall-crawler at last realises Aaron isn’t reforming or making amends, but simply clearing out the opposition for his own attempt to take over New York’s underworldâ€¦

Events come to a tragic head when the gangster accosts Miles at school and tries to blackmail him with threats of telling the boy’s father all about Spider-Man, resulting in a devastating showdown. Equipped with years of criminal experience and an ingenious arsenal of gadgets he murdered underworld tech-savant The Tinkerer for, Aaron goes crazy, determined to finish his rebellious nephew.

The fight inevitably escalates, endangering a busload of civilians who all apparently see the neophyte wall-crawler first save them before killing the Prowler in a horrific explosionâ€¦

Meanwhile in the wider world: In the wake of the global inundation, ongoing internecine strife amongst the covert ops community, and deadly brushfire wars all over the planet, ousted spymaster Nick Fury regained control of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s army of agents and officially-sanctioned super-squad The Ultimates as well as clandestine task-force The Avengers, just as civilisation began coming apart at the seamsâ€¦

Metahumans had become the preferred â€œWeapons of Mass Destructionâ€ and personal superpowers were the focus of a terrifying global arms race. In Asia, emergent federated nation SEAR dissolved into bloody conflict soon after developing a serum that randomly sparked fantastic abilities in ordinary humans. The plan had been to win the organic arms race but events quickly overtook the leadership when they tried to stack the deck by simultaneously releasing a virus that neutralised genes which triggered natural mutations.

With a plague preventing the birth of any more mutants and lab-produced metahumans roaming the streets, SEAR collapsed from internal dissent and open warfareâ€¦

From the conflict, dual metahuman nations were established and both Celestials and Eternals began offering super-powers to anybody brave or greedy enough to want themâ€¦

When WWII super soldier Captain America vanished, the gods of Asgard, who had been dragged from their heavenly halls and marooned on Earth, were slaughtered by a new fantastic race called the Children of Tomorrow, whose appearance presaged a deadly fight for control of Earth by the Maker – disgraced former superhero Reed Richards.

The deranged genius had created a high-tech Dome where enhanced time, forced evolution and ruthless scientific augmentation enabled the inhabitants to hyper-develop thousands of years in the space of a few days.

The war against the Dome involved most of the world’s metahumans, allowing corrupt S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Flumm to oust Fury and blackmail Bruce Banner into attacking the future city. The Hulk’s assault went tragically wrong, however, once The Maker convinced the man-monster to switch allegiances and the American President, distracted by one too many crises, allowed genocidal anti-mutant activists to turn the southwest into their own hunting preserve, inspired by the hate-filled preachings of Reverend William Strykerâ€¦

With Sentinels and militias controlling Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Oklahoma, and carrying out a successful campaign of extermination, and Texas declaring independence, many other states saw opportunity and followed suit, even as the President launched the nation’s entire nuclear arsenal at the ever-evolving Dome.

The nuclear fusillade and a metahuman attack could not obliterate the Dome but the component intelligence of the living City was badly damaged. In retaliation Richards unleashed the Hulk and a very special Child of Tomorrow he had cultured without the knowledge of the Dome hive-mind. The child detonated with nuclear force in the Capitol, utterly eradicating WashingtonDC and the American governmentâ€¦

Even though the Dome was no longer an urgent threat, President Howard – who only the day before was the earnest but under-qualified new Secretary of Energy – was in already well in over his head.

With a nuclear-armed Texas threatening the Union, Sentinels rampaging through the southwest and militant local militias sparking rebellions all over the country, the President declared martial law as the nation splintered around him. Flumm was also rapidly losing his grip and could not handle more bad newsâ€¦

And then word arrived that Captain America had returned from his self-imposed exileâ€¦

(For fuller comprehension the reader is strongly advised to consult companion Ultimate Comics series X-Men and The Ultimates. These will greatly enhance understanding of the parlous state of this alternate universe in its darkest hoursâ€¦)

With the Land of the Free ripped apart by a rash of local rebellions and actual state secessions, this binary publishing event – designed to create a jumping-on point for new readers – opens for Spider-Man with the 2-part ‘Divided We Fall’ as the Sentinel of Liberty stops in New York long enough to learn that there’s a new – 13-year old – wall-crawler.

Keenly aware that the previous Spider-Man died because of him, Captain America overreacts and hunts down Miles, just when as the boy is trying to deal with being accused of murder â€“ and unsure whether or not he was actually guiltyâ€¦.

A battle against opportunist thief Batroc the Leaper is a cathartic relief for the troubled boy but things get complicated again aftr during a shocking, surprise confrontation with May Parker, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson which changes Miles’ life forever.

Peter Parker’s loved ones have been following the new boy’s short career and now they give the poor kid their full support and approval – as well as the original martyr’s web-shooters and secret formula.

At last Spider-Man will be a web-spinner againâ€¦ unless the furious and outraged Captain America shuts him down for goodâ€¦

The clash of wills is only resolved when the rampaging Rhino breaks loose and Spidey saves the day, leading the Star Spangled Avenger to grudgingly permit the kid to carry onâ€¦ under strict adult supervision and training.

The saga culminates with the concluding 4-chapter ‘United We Stand’ (illustrated by Marquez & Pepe Larraz) as Civil War explodes west of the Rocky Mountains and, in locked-down New York, Spider-Man gets a huge boost when he learns from the cops that he wasn’t responsible for the Prowler’s death.

However, even as the ebullient arachnid rushes to enlist in the Ultimates’ push to retake America, his own strait-laced father is being arrested for breaking curfew. The horrible ramifications of this misunderstanding will bring the loving, concerned parent to the edge of insanityâ€¦

Cap is still trying to make his exuberant teenaged volunteer go home when a devastating attack by Hydra-backed separatists plunges Miles into the thick of the action. Convinced by the boy’s conviction if not capability, the Sentinel of Liberty at last welcomes the new kid to the team.

Events quickly overtake everybody however when President Howard is informed by seditious elements of his own government that he has no official mandate to rule. In the middle of the war the over-burdened leader calls an emergency Recall Electionâ€¦

With the election and daily battles on every news channel, the tirelessly fighting Captain America is elected to the battered nation’s highest office even though he was unaware that he was a candidate. Without breaking step, the hero gratefully accepts before getting back to the job of re-Uniting the Statesâ€¦

The fighting shifts to Casper, Wyoming for the final battle against a million-strong militia manipulated by the secret magical mastermind behind the entire crisis, with President America in the vanguard as usual. Sadly, Spider-Man is elsewhere, lost and near deathâ€¦

The boy was partnered with the constantly objecting Spider-Woman Jessica Drew – who obnoxiously insisted that he was too young to be there at all. Far worse than his wounds and prospects is Miles’ suspicion that she might have been right after allâ€¦

The fighting was fast and furious but after a spectacular skirmish the Amazing Arachnid saved the President’s life and was knocked out. He woke up wounded and lost in the flat vastness of Wisconsin with a Hydra-controlled Giant-Woman trying to squash him like a bug.

Nobody was there to see him achieve his most impressive victory ever, but even though he was feted all the way back to New York as the victorious Union forces began the long, tedious job of consolidating power whilst attempting Reconstruction and Reconciliation, Miles had bigger problems.

He now had even bigger secrets and a far more complex double-life to keep from his folks and his father was acting really, really strangelyâ€¦

To Be Continuedâ€¦

This extra-long volume also contains a gallery of covers and variants (by Kaare Andrews. Jorge Molina, David Marquez, Rainier Beredo, Sara Pichelli & Adi Granov) and this so-contemporary saga also incorporates a 21st century extra for all those tech-savvy consumers with added value in mind, as many chapters contain an AR icon (Marvel Augmented Reality App) which gives access to all sorts of story bonuses once you download the little dickens – for free – from marvel.com onto your iPhone or Android-enabled device.
â„¢ & Â© 2013 Marvel & Subs. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. A British Edition published by Panini Publishing, a division of Panini UK, Ltd. All rights reserved.

February 7, 2013February 6, 2013

Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four

By Christos Gage & Mario Alberti with Bill Mantlo, Mike Zeck, John Byrne & various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4423-6

After a shaky start in 1962, The Amazing Spider-Man quickly became a popular sensation with kids of all ages, rivalling the groundbreaking creative powerhouse that was Lee & Kirby’s Fantastic Four. Eventually the quirky, charming action-packed comics soap-opera became the model for an entire generation of younger heroes who imperceptibly began elbowing aside the staid, more mature costumed-crimebusters of previous publications and eras.

Since the 1970s the Astounding Arachnid and his hard-luck alter ego Peter Parker have become full-blown multimedia icons and survived every manner of seemingly insane reboot and upgrade to become globally real in the manner of Sherlock Holmes, Mickey Mouse, Tarzan, Superman, Batman and Harry Potter.

The Fantastic Four are – more often than not – maverick genius Reed Richards, his fiancÃ©e (later wife) Sue Storm, their trusty friend Ben Grimm and Sue’s teenaged brother Johnny, driven survivors of a independently-funded space-shot which went horribly wrong after Cosmic Rays penetrated their ship’s inadequate shielding.

When they crashed back to Earth, the quartet found that they had all been hideously mutated into outlandish freaks. Richards’ body became elastic, Sue gained the power to turn invisible and, eventually, project force-fields, Johnny could turn into living flame, and poor, tormented Ben was mutated into a horrifying brute who, unlike his comrades, could not return to a semblance of normality on command.

A core element of superhero comics is the â€œteam-upâ€ wherein costumed champions unite to tackle a greater than usual threat, or even each other; a sales-generating tactic taken to its logical extreme at Marvel wherein most early encounters between masked mystery men were generally prompted by jurisdictional disputes resulting in usually spectacular punch-ups before the heroes finally got on with allying to confront the real menaceâ€¦

Combining Marvel’s biggest franchise and most creatively influential series, this slim, slick tome collects the 4-issue miniseries Spider-Man/Fantastic Four (from August to September 2010) by scripter Christos Gage and artist Mario Alberti, reprising their earlier trawl through key points of Marvel history affecting the wall-crawler and assorted iterations of X-Men.

Also focussing on the long, convoluted, inextricably interwoven relationship of the solitary web-spinner and the First Family of Superheroics, this compilation also offers an earlier crossover of the icons first seen in Peter Parker, the Sensational Spider-Man #42 and Fantastic Four #218 (both from May 1980).

The first chapter of the main story is set just after stuffy Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm announced their engagement, a time when Peter Parker had just started college at Empire State University.

A ‘Crisis on Campus’ was triggered when the institution hosted a secret conference of world leaders and Victor Von Doom, absolute monarch of Balkan kingdom Latveria, demanded his arch-foes the FF should be his bodyguards. With the State Department pushing all the patriotism buttons the furious foursome had no choice but to reluctantly complyâ€¦

Intended merely as a means to aggravate and humiliate his enemies, the ploy became deadly serious when enraged Atlantean Prince Namor and his sub-sea legions attacked the meeting seeking vengeance on Doom.

Events escalated when the Iron Dictator refused to stay locked in a super-secure Panic Room and possessed the body of the Human Torch to personally rebuke the Sub-Mariner‘s insults. Total catastrophe seemed unavoidable until the physically overmatched web-spinner proffered a brilliantly sneaky way to break up the cataclysmic fightâ€¦

Unknown to all participants, however, a clandestine time-travelling foe was the chaos as cover to acquire elements necessary to bring about the downfall of his greatest foes and the very rewriting of historyâ€¦

‘Symbiosis’ skips forward a few years to the time after the first Secret Wars, when Spider-Man discovered that his new smart-tech black costume was in fact an alien parasite. The uniform had attempted to bond permanently to Peter and had to be forcibly removed and contained by Reed and the FF.

The strange invader (see Spider-Man vs. Venom and Amazing Spider-Man: the Saga of the Alien Costume for further details) would eventually bond with deranged, disgraced reporter Eddie Brock, becoming Venom, a savage, shape-changing dark-side version of the Astounding Arachnid, but in this untold aside the cosmic creature broke free almost immediately, seizing control of Richards, temporary replacement She-Hulk and eventually Reed’s son Franklin.

The boy possessed dormant power on a level to reshape the universe and, as Spider-Man selflessly attempted to lure the Symbiote away by offering himself as a sacrifice, the mysterious time-thief again surreptitiously stepped in to purloin another artefact crucial to his planâ€¦

Once the heroes had at last repelled and incarcerated the parasite peril, the saga shifted forward to the time when Skrull outlaw De’Lila invaded Earth, with her own people hot on her viridian high heels.

Evading heavy pursuit she attacked the FF and seemingly killed them. Disguised as a grieving Sue Richards she then recruited four heroes – The Hulk, Wolverine, Ghost Rider and Spider-Man – to hunt down the murderers.

Their quest took them deep into the bowels of the Earth and battle with the Mole Man and his legion of monsters, before she was exposed and defeated. The shapeshifting psionic siren had been seeking a semi-sentient ultimate weapon called a Technotroid and ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ occurs minutes after the close of the original story (for which see Fantastic Four: Monsters Unleashed) as the temporal raider frees De’Lila from her Skrull captors as a deadly diversion whilst he takes the essence of the Technotroid for himself

Deprived of her trademark duplicity but with her telepathic abilities augmented, the temptress simply makes most of the men and Skrull cops her love-slaves and sets them upon Sue, new temp Sharon â€œShe-Thingâ€ Ventura and Spider-Man, forcing the irrepressible wall-crawler to use the most shocking of tactics to free the males from their murderous stuporsâ€¦

The decade-long scheme of the mystery time-bandit is finally revealed in the concluding chapter ‘Family Values’ as – in the present – Spider-Man is lured to the Fantastic Four’s HQ and attacked with the rest of the team by one they had long considered to be part of their exotic extended family, lost in combat years agoâ€¦

Armoured with ultimate power and sporting a colossal chip on his shoulder, the prodigal intends to destroy Dr. Doom and offers the astounded gathering a chance to prove their loyalty by joining himâ€¦

When they try to humour the clearly disturbed assailant he cracks and all hell breaks looseâ€¦

However not all the heroes’ power can affect the attacker but Spider-Man, child of misuse, ill-fortune and isolation thinks he sees a kindred damaged spirit in the maniacal marauderâ€¦

Wry, witty, explosively action-packed, bombastic and genuinely moving, this clever re-evaluation of the bonds between the First Family and the solitary Spider-Man is a delightful celebration of everything that made Marvel such a force for change in the industry, and it’s a real shame that new readers won’t be able to pick up on the historical continuity scholarship that underpins a great fun yarn. That being said, this is still a funnybook frolic the freshest newbie to comics can easily followâ€¦

Following the fearsome festivities is a section of sketches, pencils, unused and working drawings from Alberti, before the compilation concludes with an old-school saga from Peter Parker, the Sensational Spider-Man #42 and Fantastic Four #218.

The action begins when ESU student Peter Parker goes on a class jaunt on a party boatÂ and is lured into a trap by the Frightful Four in ‘Give Me Liberty of Give Me Death’ by Bill Mantlo, Mike Zeck & Jim Mooney.

The villains had broadsided the wall-crawler after new recruit Electro impersonated the Human Torch and, in the concluding ‘When a Spider-Man Comes Calling!’ (FF #218 by Mantlo, John Byrne & Joe Sinnott, the Trapster repeats the tactic to ambush the crime-busting quartet, allowing his comrades the Wizard and Sandman to take over the Baxter Building citadel of the heroes.

â€¦At least until the fighting-mad web-spinner finally breaks free to launch an unstoppable counter attackâ€¦

Most people who read comics have a passing familiarity with all these characters, and even occasional consumers won’t have too much trouble following the backstory in this magnificently compelling Costumed Drama, so if you’re looking for some fun-friendly Fights ‘n’ Tights fantasy this could well be the one for youâ€¦
Â© 1980, 2010 and 2011 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

February 4, 2013February 3, 2013

Spider-Man: With Great Powerâ€¦

By David Lapham & Tony Harris, with Jim Clark, Stefano Gaudiano and Matt Milla (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-1968-5

One of the most astounding comicbook stories ever began with the sublime origin tale of ‘Spider-Man!’ by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko in the last issue ofÂ Amazing Fantasy #15 (cover-dated September 1962); describing in 11 captivating pages the parable of Peter Parker, a smart but alienated kid bitten by a radioactive spider on a High School science trip.

Discovering he had developed arachnid abilities – which he augmented with his own natural genius in the fields of chemistry, physics and engineering – the boy did what any lonely, geeky nerd would do when given such a giftâ€¦Â he tried to milk for all it was worth in the hormone-fuelled determination to get girls, prestige, fame, money and girls.

Making a costume to hide his identity in case he made a fool of himself, Parker became a minor celebrity – and a criminally self-important one.

To his eternal regret, when a thief fled past him one night after a TV interview, the self-aggrandized Peter didn’t lift a finger to stop the felon, only to find when he returned home that his guardian and uncle Ben Parker had been murdered.

Crazy with a need for vengeance, Peter hunted the assailant who had made his beloved Aunt May a widow and killed the only father he had ever known, and tragically realised that it was the crook he couldn’t be bothered to stop.

His social irresponsibility had led to the death of the man who raised him and the boy swore to always use his powers to help othersâ€¦

It wasn’t a new story, but the setting was one familiar to every kid reading it and the artwork was downright spooky. This wasn’t the gleaming high-tech world of moon-rockets, giant monsters and flying cars – this stuff could happen to anybodyâ€¦

From that tortuous beginning Spider-Man swiftly evolved into one of the world’s most popular heroic characters with generations of writers returning to, mining and refining that simple tale for every possible nuance.

In 2008 star creators David Lapham and Tony Harris (with inkers Jim Clark and Stefano Gaudiano and colourist Matt Milla) took a hard look at the origin and came up with an impressive fresh avenue previously unexplored: what exactly happened during Parker’s brief fling with showbiz celebrity?

The result was a 5-issue miniseries under the elite Marvel Knights imprint that impressively added an even greater edge of tragedy and recrimination to the lad’s subsequent campaign and injusticeâ€¦

Opening with the key page from the Lee/Ditko classic, most of this turbulent tale is set pretty much between those two panels and finds â€œthe Spider-Manâ€ signed up with a cheesy wrestling federation. The masked and obsessively secretive kid is obnoxiously revelling in his newfound power amongst these shady adult characters yet still being bullied in his â€œnormalâ€ life at High School: continually harassed by jock Flash Thompson whilst fruitlessly lusting after queen of the popular kids Liz Allenâ€¦

Uncle Ben and Aunt May are increasingly concerned by their sweet, clever boy. He’s become secretive, argumentative and unnaturally rebellious. Although they’ve been expecting it for years, the â€œTroubled Teenâ€ phase is still a bit of shock and the solicitously understanding seniors combat it by giving the boy a clunky old car to show they accept his growing independenceâ€¦

With the kid being taught all the tricks of show-fighting by the welcoming but jaded older wrestlers in the fight-stable, promoter Monty Caabash sees his compulsively anonymous new find as his ticket to the big time – and so do his gangster backers. With a lucrative West Coast TV sport show in the offing, they just can’t afford to lose their mysterious cash-cow, but the adulation and ready money is turning Peter’s head.

He dumps Uncle Ben’s gift in favour of a sports car only to wreck in a crazy drag race with Flash: an incident which puts him in an E.R., although his worried guardians have no idea since the unruly kid is frequently staying out all night these daysâ€¦

As Monty invests more time and money in his prize fighter, the boy becomes a New York sensation and the promoter’s worldly-wise associate Tiffany LeBeck sees a way to use her own mature charms to win a piece of the millions Spider-Man could generate.

Before long the sex-starved kid is beguiled and besotted by the older woman’s charms and she becomes his manager; promising an inevitably clash with Monty’s ruthless backers.

At school Parker’s increased confidence has enabled him to make real headway with Liz too. With everything going right the ebullient boy spends some time back in his lab inventing a way to increase his cachet by inventing webbing and web-shooters: tricks that will make him even more spectacular in the ring and on the screenâ€¦

New York loves the mysterious celebrity and goes into media frenzy mode – all except the contrary publisher of the Daily Bugle. Inexplicably incensed, J. Jonah Jameson wants to know the truth about this Amazing Spider-Man and begins a highly provocative campaign against the wrestler and his managementâ€¦

There are bigger stories. The first team of superheroes since WWII has emerged, battling monsters and villains with shining valour and full public disclosure. Spider-Man even watched the Fantastic Four in action once, battling the horrific spawn of the Miracle Man.

The kid was sitting in a safe skyscraper perch with one of his groupies nestled safely in his armsâ€¦

Peter doesn’t care about bad publicity and unfair comparisons: he’s a celebrity sportsman, not a crime-busting crusader. Even when a thief runs right past him after a TV interview, he does nothing. That’s the police’s jobâ€¦

Ditching school, chasing girls, falling further under Tiffany’s slowly seductive influence, Peter gets a huge reality check when, during a confrontation with Uncle Ben outside a nightclub where he’s spent all night dancing with Liz, a colossal monster attacks the city, raining death and destruction upon hundreds of helpless citizens. Despite himself the boy explodes into action, saving Ben and his traumatised date, but horrifically failing to rescue a trapped stranger, even after the impressive man-monster dubbed The Thing comes to his assistanceâ€¦

Shocked, confused and deeply upset in the aftermath, Parker gets blind drunk and returns to Tiffany’s boudoir, only to pass out too soonâ€¦ Waking up face to face with Monty’s extremely unsavoury bosses he discovers the kind of people’s he’s involved with as chief hood Mr. Angel explains the facts of life.

Hollywood means big, legitimate money and Jameson’s smear campaign is making the TV execs nervous. So if everybody wants heroes like the FF, Spider-Man is going to be one – even if the mob has to set up kittens to rescue and slobs to saveâ€¦

Peter complies but his heart isn’t in it: it’s only by sheer luck that he doesn’t cause the deaths of dozens of people and when that doesn’t placate Angel the racketeer opts to end his problems by shutting up Jameson for goodâ€¦

Even Tiffany can’t handle that however and when she drunkenly reveals the scheme to her besotted boy Peter, he puts his mask back on and heads out to change his destiny foreverâ€¦

With Jameson saved and his life back on track, Peter heads home to reconcile with Aunt May and Uncle Ben, only to find he house surrounded by police carsâ€¦

Dark, gritty, subtly sophisticated and rationally reasonable, this clever exploration of the in-between moments adds those layers of meaning to the tragic tale that modern, mature readers seem to dote on and, child of the simplistic Sixties though I am, even I found this extension of the classic story to be both beguiling and exceptionally entertaining.

This might not appeal to all readers but fans of the movie franchise will definitely find this a book worth pursuing.
Â© 2008 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

January 25, 2013January 24, 2013

Agents of Atlas: Dark Reign

By Jeff Parker, Carlo Pagulayan, Gabriel Hardman, Benton Jew, Leonard Kirk, Clayton Henry & various (Marvel)

ISBN: 978-0-7851-4126-6

After the unprecedented explosion of mystery men characters during American comics’ Golden Age, the end of the 1940s saw a gradual decimation of colourful costumed marvels and the rise of genre heroes in adventure, war, western, crime, science fiction and horror titles. Fighting a rising tide, Timely Comics struggled on with the mask-and-cape crowd for quite a while; even creating new characters such as Namora (Sub-Mariner’s sexy, super-powered cousin), immortal love-goddess Venus and juvenile outer space crusader Marvel Boy, but nothing really caught the public’s attention.

In the mid-1950s the company, now known as â€œAtlasâ€, tried to revive their ‘Big Three’ – and super-heroes in general – on the back of a proposed Sub-Mariner television series, hoping to cash in on the success of the monumentally successful Adventures of Superman TV show.

This led to some impressively entertaining tales, but no appreciable results as the Atlantean anti-hero, the Human Torch and Captain America briefly returnedâ€¦ and just as rapidly disappeared again when theHollywood deal fell through.

When this last gasp of super-heroic shenanigans failed, the publisher once again concentrated on humour, romance and more-or-less straight adventure anthologies with the accent strongly on weird monsters, invading aliens and robotic rogues. They never stopped exploring that fantasy hero niche however, and hooded, cloaked cowboys like Apache Kid, Black Rider or Outlaw Kid and mysterious masked warriors such as the Black Knight occasionally popped up to keep the flame alive. In 1957 the little company came closest to a full revival of flamboyantly garbed wonders by creating a full-on super-villain for genre G-Men to battle.

The best of the industry’s many knock-offs of Sax Rohmer’s legendary archetype of evil Fu Manchu, The Yellow Claw menaced Freedom and Democracy in the days of Commie technological supremacy and imminent invasion by Sputniks. He was regularly thwarted by the bold endeavours of Chinese American FBI agent Jimmy Woo but he too peaked and faded too soonâ€¦

Once DC’s Showcase unleashed the Flash and the Silver Age kicked off, the 1960s saw a resurgence in costumed characters and Marvel reinvented itself and finally brought back its Golden Trio in one form or anotherâ€¦

Then in June 1978 with a concrete character continuity fully established, avowed Fifties-ophile and Marvel Editor-in-Chief Roy Thomas retroactively introduced a team of heroes culled from those misfiring experiments in the alternate realities book What If?

Volume 1, #9 asked ‘What If The Avengers Had Fought Evil During the 1950s?’ (by Don Glut, Paul Kupperberg & Bill Black), and although non-canonical then, the concept slowly filtered into fans’ group consciousness and over the decades a team that never existed were gradually assimilated into mainstream Marvel Historyâ€¦

Now official canon, it was revealed that Woo and a scratch team of contemporary super-characters briefly and clandestinely clashed with the Claw and other unearthly menaces in 1958 before being shut down by the US government. Their heroics unsung and unremarked, the team broke up and was forgottenâ€¦

Retooled and updated for the more cynical modern audience the Agents of Atlas formally debuted in 2006 when Jimmy Woo, now an aging agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., began investigating the mysterious Atlas Foundation and found it was a front for his greatest and most unforgiving enemy. Through circumstances best left to another review, Jimmy was severely injured, but eventually revived and rejuvenated to the prime of life by his old comrades Namora, Venus, vintage wonder-robot M11, immortal anthropoid avenger Gorilla-Man and the deeply disturbing Marvel Boy from Uranus whose incredible science restored Jimmy to full vitality.

Together they defeated the Claw’s ultimate plans before assuming control of his organisation, planning to subvert the evil empire from the top down and use its awesome reputation to dismantle from within other covert threats to world peace and security â€¦

Before they could begin, however, they had to clean up the myriad messes and malevolences perpetrated by the Atlas Foundation and all without letting the public – and the burgeoning superhero community – that there had been any change in the criminal corporation’s goals or methodsâ€¦

This surreptitious sea-change had begun just as the Skrulls’ Secret Invasion culminated in a world-wide crisis, the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., and the rise to power of Norman Osborn who, as America’s new Chief of Homeland Security, instituted a Dark Reign of draconian oppression using co-opted super-villains and a new personally controlled paramilitary force dubbed H.A.M.M.E.R.â€¦

During his Dark Reign, the former Green Goblin and recovering madman – through means fair and foul – officially worked to curb the unchecked power and threat of meta-humanity, all whilst secretly operating a cabal of major super-villains and dictators intent on divvying up the planet between them. The repercussions of Osborn’s rise and fall were felt throughout and featured in many series and collections covering the entire fictive universe.

Scripted throughout by Jeff Parker this canny collection gathers Agents of Atlas #1-5, a previously electronic adventure of Wolverine: Agent of Atlas from Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited and material from Dark Reign: New Nation, Secret Invasion: Who Do You Trust?, and Giant-Size Marvel Adventures Avengers #1; tales spanning 2007 to 2008.

It begins with ‘The Heist’ illustrated by Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz & Jana Schirmer from Dark Reign: New Nation wherein the newly appointed Emperor Woo has his team raid Fort Knox to â€œreclaimâ€ billions in bullion with the simple intention of getting the attention of and proving their criminal credentials to Security Czar Osborn.

No one but Woo knew the former Goblin had planned to appropriate the gold himself to buy an illicit weapons system for his private useâ€¦

The full story commences in ‘First Contact’ as the Atlas agents step up the high profile pressure by stealing confiscated weapons from the ATF and forcing Osborn to deal with them personally – and by deal Woo means â€œcollaborateâ€â€¦

Even as the Security Supremo enters into an underworld alliance with Atlas, he’s looking to betray them, but Woo’s team are distracted by the politics of the evil empire they’ve secretly subverted when their long-term plans are threatened by the forced installation of a deputy leader who is still honestly dedicated to world domination.

The true power behind the globe-girdling organisation is an immortal, immensely powerful dragon named Lao, and so, with no other option, Woo’s crew cautiously welcome the Mandarin’s son Temugin to their inner circle, knowing that should he learn of their true goals the entire Atlas Empire will turn on them in a heartbeatâ€¦

Even whilst providing information and materiel to Osborn’s people the veteran heroes are uncovering more secrets about Atlas; such as how the organisation’s unique method of teleportation transport harks back to one of their most perplexing unsolved cases from 1958 in ‘The Sale/Dragon’s Corridor’ (with additional art by Gabriel Hardman, Elizabeth Dismang & Clayton Henry)â€¦

‘Interlude at Sea’ further unravels the ancient avengers’ occluded history as Osborn at last bites and agrees to fill all his armament requirements through the Atlas Foundation’s weapon makers. However as the mutually suspicious partners meet in a ship offshore, the meeting is crashed by a certain Star Spangled Sentinel of Liberty, who has his own memories of working with Gorilla-Man during WWII and ‘Inside America’â€¦

Woo’s subtle scheme to defang Osborn culminates in luring the Avengers (Captain America, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Ronin, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man) into attacking Atlas’ weapons ship, capturing all the ordnance intended for the duplicitous top cop and hopefully exposing Osborn to public scrutiny whilst bolstering Woo’s own reputation as a major crime-lord. It worked too, but almost went completely awry when M-11, reacting to some long buried program, went berserk and inexplicably attacked the mutant Avengerâ€¦

The answer to the mystery came with the flashback feature ‘Wolverine: Agent of Atlas’ illustrated by Benton Jew & Dismang, which saw FBI operative Woo infiltrate Cuba in 1958 accompanied by the robot and Gorilla-Man only to encounter an alien invasion by parasitic mind-bending bugs. In stopping the infestation they were helped and hindered in equal measure by an implausible Canadian secret agent named Loganâ€¦

Next up here ‘The Resistance’ by Leonard Kirk, Karl Kesel & Michelle Madsen from Invasion: Who Do You Trust? revealed the key role played by the modern-day Agents of Atlas in repelling and overcoming the insidious occupation of the scurrilous shape-shifters who almost conquered our worldâ€¦

Inter-dimensional realm-hopping and terrifying time-warping were the order of the day in the team-up tale from Giant-Size Marvel Adventures Avengers #1 (Leonard Kirk & Val Staples) wherein 40^th century despot Kang attempted to destroy his greatest foes by altering history and having Woo, Venus, Marvel Boy, M-11, Namora and Gorilla-Man dig Captain America out of the ice in 1958, years before the Avengers were destined to rescue him.

In a desperate race against time itself Cap, Storm, Iron Man, Giant-Girl, Wolverine & Spider-Man had to work fast with the Atlas Agents’ contemporary selves before reality caught up with and overwrote them all in a rousing, light-hearted romp that ends this clever and enjoyable Fights ‘n’ Tights thriller on a delirious high note.

Augmenting the cunning Costumed Dramas area wealth of covers and variants by Kirk, Terry Pallot, Chris Sotomayor, Art Adams & Guru eFX, Greg Land & Justin Ponsor, Adi Granov, Stuart Immonen & John Rauch, Billy Tan & Frank D’Armata, Daniel AcuÃ±a, Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning & Christina Strain as well as a host of pencil sketches and roughs by Ed McGuiness, giving art lovers a delicious bonus every bit as absorbing as the splendid comics story magic that preceded them.

January 16, 2013January 20, 2013

Amazing Spider-Man: Grim Hunt

By Joe Kelly, Fred Van Lente, Zeb Wells, J.M. Dematteis, Phil Jimenez, Michael Lark, Marco Checchetto, Phillippe Briones, Max Fiumara & various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-4618-6

Outcast, geeky school kid Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and, after seeking to cash-in on the astonishing abilities he’d developed, suffered an irreconcilable personal tragedy. His beloved guardian Uncle Ben was murdered and the traumatised boy determined henceforward to always use his powers to help those in dire need. For years the brilliant young hero suffered privation and travail in his domestic situation, whilst his heroic alter ego endured public condemnation and mistrust as he valiantly battled all manner of threat and foeâ€¦

During this continuous war for the ordinary underdog, Parker has loved and lost many more close friends and familyâ€¦

Following a particularly hellish period when a multitude of disasters seemed to ride hard on his heels and a veritable army of old enemies simultaneously resurfaced to attack him (an overlapping series of stories comprising and defined as â€œThe Gauntletâ€), Parker’s tidal wave of woes was revealed to be the culmination of a sinister, slow-building scheme by the surviving family of one of his most implacable foes – and one who had long been despatched to his final reward.

Of course in comics death is far from The Endâ€¦

Collecting material in whole or in part from Amazing Spider-Man Extra! #3, Web of Spider-Man #7, Amazing Spider-Man #634-637 and the Grim Hunt Digital Prologue (cherry-picked from 2009-2011) this powerful and portentous tome opens with ‘Gauntlet Origins: Kraven – Bride of the Hunter’, written by Fred Van Lente and illustrated by Phillippe Briones, and reveals how decades ago, Russian Ã©migrÃ© Sergei KravinoffÂ – AKA Kraven the Hunter – met fellow refugee expatriate Aleksandra â€œSashaâ€ Nikolaevna and began a tempestuous relationship which took them together to the wildest corners of the earth. So drawn to each other were the bloodthirsty pair that not even inherited madness, paternal bonds and the laws of god or man could keep them apartâ€¦

‘Loose Ends’ (from Amazing Spider-Man Extra! #3 and by Phil Jimenez) is preceded by a text catch-up page revealing how years after the Russian’s’ death (See Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt), two successors and a third pretender to the name emerged. This latest was a psychotic 12-year old girl claiming to be the Hunter’s daughter and arguably the most dangerous creature the Wall-crawler had ever faced.

In a classic case of mistaken identity, Ana Kravinoff carefully trailed the Arachnid Avenger to his home but subsequently captured and tortured Parker’s roommate Vin Gonzales before escaping. Now, as Spider-Man finally finds her, the explosive, inconclusive confrontation results in more questions, extensive property damage but no real resolutionâ€¦

‘Grim Hunt Prologue’ (Joe Kelly, Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano) commences the main event as Ana and Sasha are revealed to behind the prolonged Gauntlet of foes Spider-Man had recently faced. Moreover the driven Kravinoffs have also been targeting other Arachnoid champions, kidnapping clairvoyant Madame Web and latest Spider-Woman Mattie Franklin. As the weakened, near-exhausted Parker enjoys a rare moment of relaxation in the park, he is assaulted and tormented by an impossible psychic vision of death and worse awaiting him and all he lovesâ€¦

The full drama unfolds next (from Amazing Spider-Man #634-637, crafted by Kelly, Zeb Wells, Michael Lark, Marco Checchetto & Stefano Gaudiano) – as secondÂ son Alyosha Kravinoff gloats over the grave of his dead brother Vladimir. There he is found and recruited by Sasha and Ana. They are planning something impossibly crazy in honour of the departed clan headâ€¦

Across town Peter is woken from a troubled sleep by the warped outlaw Kaine – a last surviving Spider-Man clone created by crazed geneticist Miles Warren from Parker’s stolen cells. The formidably terrifying former thug has been brutally beaten and warns Parker that something is hunting all the earthly avatars of the primal totemic Spider-force which actually gave the hero his powersâ€¦

Following explosions across town Spider-Man finds Julia Carpenter – the former Avenger dubbed Arachne – fighting for her life against Kravens Ana and Alyosha. Even acting in concert the web-slingers barely escape with their lives, since Parker is increasingly handicapped by psychic traumas and the incessant pounding of jungle drums only he can hearâ€¦

Whilst catching their collective breaths the heroes are approached by presumed-deceased Spider-Shaman Ezekiel Sims (see Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home) who reveals the true nature of the peril they face. At the same time the debased Kravens mercilessly sacrifice one of their Spider captives to resurrect the dead brother Vladimir. However, although risen from the grave, he is no longer even remotely humanâ€¦

A dark interlude than takes us back for an untold story of Kraven as ‘Hunting the Hunter: Adrift’ (J.M. DeMatteis & Max Fiumara) found the world-weary stalker forced to work for a cheapChicago gangster until his honour could stand it no longer. When he quit in his own spectacular manner, the infuriated mobster hired a mercenary named Kaine to teach the Hunter a lessonâ€¦

The Grim Hunt continues as Ezekiel informs Spider-Man and Arachne that the Kravens are exterminating all avatars of The Spider and that teenager AÃ±ya Corazon – a neophyte crimebuster calling herself AraÃ±a – is next. Rushing toCentral Park, the delirious, exhausted Spider-Man and his allies find her and Kaine battling Ana and the bestial Vladimir. Diving in, the battered hero is ambushed by Alyoshaâ€¦

As Parker succumbs to some hidden hoodoo deployed by the hunters, the fiendish family flee with their new prizes AraÃ±a and Arachne whilst the wounded Kaine is barely able to contain the increasingly out-of-control and out-on-his-feet original Spider-Man.

When Ezekiel suggests recruiting the monstrous arachnoid avatars Venom and Anti-Venom, Kaine refuses to go along, leaving Parker to walk into a trap organised by Kravinoff allies Mysterio and the Chameleon. The subsequent hunt and calamitous conflict results in Spider-Man’s death and his life energies are used to achieve Sasha’s ultimate goal – the mystic resurrection of her husbandâ€¦

The next flashback ‘Hunting the Hunter’ interlude is ‘A Prophecy’ (from DeMatteis & Fiumara) as Kraven and Kaine’s first clash goes badly for the debased Spider-clone before the overarching epic resumes with the revived Kraven clearly unhappy at being brought back and extremely disappointed with his far-from beloved family. As unnatural tension grips the entire city and the curs of clan Kravinoff come to blows, Kraven turns to his latest bloody trophy and reveals that the body concealed under the uniform is not Spider-Manâ€¦

When Parker revives from a drugged sleep and finds the clone’s body it is mockingly draped in the old white-on-black Spider costume, and pinned to the chest is a taunting note â€œhunt me!â€â€¦

Before the fateful, game-changing conclusion, a third ‘Hunting the Hunter’ chapter by DeMatteis, Emma Rois & Fiumara describes the savage ‘War’ between Kraven and Kaine, after which part four of the Grim Hunt follows the revenge-obsessed black clad web-spinner as he finally, terrifyingly ends the threat of the Kravinoffs and rescues the captive Spider avatarsâ€¦ or at least the last two the crazed Sasha has left aliveâ€¦

As a new normal settles on the Spider survivors this tome uses the last ‘Hunting the Hunter’ chapter by DeMatteis & Fiumara to conclude the battle between Kaine and Kraven and offers a tantalising terrifying taste of the mystic power of the Spider force in the blistering ‘Burning Bright’â€¦

Nihilistic, dark and bloody, this tale is a far cry from the Wall-crawler’s usual fare – which is not a bad thing – but suffers here from a surfeit of unaddressed backstoryâ€¦ which actually is. Nonetheless, the tale is frequently compelling and beautifully illustrated throughout so art lovers and established fans have plenty to enjoy. Moreover, the bleak and occasionally confusing Fights ‘n’ Tights thriller is graced with an abundance of art extras, covers and variants by Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic, Tom Coker, Michael Lark & Jodi Wynn, Mike Fyles, Joe Quinones, Leinil Francis Yu, Gabriele Dell’ Otto, Esad Ribic, Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, Justin Ponsor, Michael Lark & Jodi Wynn and Marco Checchetto that will delight the eyes if not soothe those tired brain cells.

All in all, this is that oddest and most disappointing of ducks; a great story but an unsatisfactory bookâ€¦

January 13, 2013January 12, 2013

Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home

By J Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr. & Scott Hanna (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-90415-900-1(TPB) Â Â Â Â Â Â : 978-1-90600-000-7 (HB)

Too late the traumatised boy determined to always use his powers to help those in dire need and for years the brilliant young hero endured privation and travail in his domestic situation, whilst his heroic alter ego suffered public condemnation and mistrust as Spider-Man valiantly battled all manners of threat and foeâ€¦

During this perpetual war for the ordinary underdog Parker faced many uncanny, bizarre and inexplicable menaces but always clung doggedly to his scientific rationalistic view of reality, all whilst desperately trying to keep his driven double life concealed from his frail surviving guardian Aunt Mayâ€¦

Following a catastrophic bankruptcy scare – both money and ideas – in the late 1990s Marvel returned reinvigorated and began refitting/retooling all their core character properties. In 1999 the expansive Spider-Man franchise was trimmed down and relaunched as two new titles – Amazing Spider-Man and Peter Parker: Spiderman and the constricting, fad-chasing policy of mindlessly chasing sales at any cost was replaced by a measured concentration on solid, character-based storytelling and strong art.

This particular collection, re-presenting Amazing Spider-Man volume 2, #30-35, (June â€“ November 2001) heralded the debut of J. Michael Straczynski as scripter and the return of fan-favourite John Romita Jr. – inked here by Scott Hanna – as well as a fundamental shift in the life of the harried hero.

The first of these issues also began the practice of double numbering: listing the issues from the beginning of Stan Lee & Steve Ditko’s original volume 1 series. Thus this book also or alternatively can be viewed as featuring issues #471-476. I’m sure that’s much clearer nowâ€¦

What you need to know: after all the turbulence and tragedy in Peter’s life, he married vivacious glamour girl Mary Jane Watson but their lives were continually blighted by terror and malice. After being kidnapped and held for months by a stalker who faked her death, Mary Jane was finally rescued by Spider-Man who had never given up hope. However the constant tension had finally proved too much and the restored Mrs. Parker left Peter for a life of relative normality inHollywoodâ€¦

The action begins with ‘Transformations: Literal & Otherwise’ as a bitter and shaken wall-crawler began acting out his frustrations and looking for ways to change his loser’s life. Aimlessly wandering he passes his old High School and sees how the once venerable edifice has become a grim and forbidding urban war-zone, offering not hope but brutality to all the kids trapped thereâ€¦

With much to ponder Spider-Man takes to the night streets and is startlingly accosted by a mysterious old man who seems to have similar powers. The enigmatic but oddly trustworthy Ezekiel also knows his preciously-guarded secret identity and whilst leading him a merry chase over the skyscrapers casts doubt on all the assumptions Peter has cherished regarding the origins of his powers and abilitiesâ€¦

Meanwhile down at the Docks, a monstrous withered creature has arrived. The man-shaped beast bids his unwilling servant make preparations for the next hunt, before finally consuming the last of the captured superhero who has sustained him in his tedious journey to theNew Worldâ€¦

The mystery deepens in ‘Coming Home’ as the perplexed Parker makes a momentous decision and applies to become a science teacher at his old school. He is painfully unaware that both Ezekiel and the horrifying Spider hunter are making their own plans for him.

Peter’s day is not without incident however as the school is attacked by a lone gunman, hunting the bullies who made his life a living hell.

In ‘The Long, Dark Pizza of the Soul’ the new teacher suddenly becomes the Principal’s Pet when Ezekiel donates a huge sum of money in Parker’s name, and begins explaining to the baffled boffin the true nature of the legacy of Spider-Man and the ancient totemic animal spirits which have forced or enabled the creation of so many champions and monsters throughout Earth’s long history.

He also warns of the ghastly thing which has preyed upon them for millennia: a beast that is now here for the latest iteration of the Spider force. The aged arachnoid savant then offers to share the high-tech hidey hole he has had constructed to wait out the predator’s passingâ€¦

Never one to hide from trouble Peter refuses and is soon drawn into catastrophic battle with the beast who, calling himself Morlun, begins a sadistic rampage through town, determined to draw out his prey by slaughtering the mortal innocents Spider-Man so slavishly protects. Fighting with all his skill and power in ‘All Fall Down’ the embattled hero barely survives the first clash and only survives the first feeding because his implacable nemesis wants to prolong the experience…

Reeling from the impossible assault of the mystical Morlun, Parker begs assistance from Ezekiel, who after decades of hiding from the unstoppable, insatiable beast, understandably refuses. ‘Meltdown’ finds the utterly outclassed and hopeless Web-spinner preparing for his inevitable demise and making his final goodbyes when the peckish predator again begins tormenting innocents to draw out his target. Forced to fight again Peter prepares for death when Ezekiel, shamed and inspired by the youngster, attacks Morlun.

And dies.

With nothing left to lose Peter returns to the science that has always been his greatest companion in the blistering finale ‘Coming Out’ and incomprehensibly scores his greatest, as ever, unsung victory.

Shattered and broken the victor staggers back to his apartment and collapses in the tattered shreds of his costumeâ€¦ just as Aunt May blithely lets herself in to do her meek, mild, little boy’s laundryâ€¦

To Be Continuedâ€¦

Stuffed with astounding action and with uproarious humour leavening the shocking tense suspense, this stellar tale of triumph and tragedy spectacularly repositioned Spider-Man for the next few years and kick-started a whole new kind of Arachnoid adventure, perfectly counterbalancing years of formulaic, hide-bound variations on a played out theme.

An extras-packed hardback re-issue of this tale was the first release in Panini’s ambitious Ultimate Graphic Novels Collection, and should you secure a copy of that you can also delight in a text history of Spider-Man in ‘Originsâ€¦’, biographies of Straczynski and John Romita Jr. and a thrilling artists Gallery with examples by many of the gifted creators who have limned the Wondrous Wall-crawler â€“ namely Steve Ditko, Sal Buscema, Gil Kane, John Byrne, John Romita Sr., Todd McFarlane & Mark Bagley.

Also included is a Rogues Gallery/Call of the Wild feature depicting some of the totemic and animalistic villains who have plagued the hero over the years (Chameleon, Vulture, Doctor Octopus, the Lizard, Scorpion, Rhino, Man-Wolf, Jackal, Tarantula, Black Cat and Puma), a Further Reading list of pertinent recommendations and a selection of sketches by original comicbook cover artist J. Scott Campbell.

December 27, 2012December 24, 2012

Avengers Academy: Arcade â€“ Death Game

By Paul Tobin, Terry Kavanagh, Chris Claremont, David Baldeon, Chris Marrinan, Michael Nasser, Rich Buckler & various (Marvel)
ISBN: 978-0-7851-5630-7

Whilst acting as America’s Chief of Metahuman Affairs Norman Osborn grotesquely abused his position. One of his various nefarious projects was locating and conditioning young ultra-empowered individuals with the intention of creating an army of lethal freaks utterly subservient to his will.

When the former Green Goblin was finally brought to book this most secret initiative was exposed and the kidnapped, psychologically warped, technologically abused kids were taken into safekeeping by The Avengers.

The traumatised and potentially lethal teens became their responsibility and the weary warriors decided to teach the surviving lab rats how to be heroes before they could fall into being monsters and villainsâ€¦

Arcade, on the other hand, was a spoiled trust-fund brat who discovered a talent for invention and a psychotic passion for flamboyant assassination when his unfortunate father cut him off. The malignant patricide then turned his new hobby into an obsessive life-long game of death for profitâ€¦

Arcade – Death Game collects the story from Avengers Academy King Size #1 and also offers two earlier appearances of the mirthful Master of Mechanistic Mayhem from Spider-Man #25 and Marvel Team-Up volume 1 #89.

When Avengers-in-training Humberto Lopez AKA Reptil, Madeline â€œVeilâ€ Berry, Jeanne Foucault, the polymath phenomenon dubbed Finesse, and human dynamo Striker – who much prefers his stage name and persona to being ordinary Brandon Sharpe – were given a rare day off. Temporarily freed from crushing classes, the kids are let loose in New York City but are quickly targeted by the baroque bad guy, desperate to reclaim his formerly fearsome reputation by killing a few superheroes. Always ambitious,Arcade has simultaneously set up to assassinate not only the proto-Avengers but also another squad of kid crusadersâ€¦

The Young Allies are Spider-Girl (Latina Anya Sofia Corazon, formerly arachnoid avenger AraÃ±a), super-strong Toro AKA bovine metamorph Benito Serrano and relative child-hero veteran Firestar. Â This trio of unsupervised titanic teens also fall into Arcade’s Machiavellian clutches when the maniac unleashes a deceptively devilish division of robot duplicates to deliver the meta kids to his latest deadly theme-park of terrorâ€¦

Happily the crazed contract killer had completely underestimated the intelligence of Reptil and sheer bloody determination of Spider-Girl, so it wasn’t long before all the junior heroes were loose and really, really peevedâ€¦

This fun and furious frolic from Paul Tobin, David Baldeon & Jordi Tarragona is then followed by ‘Why Me?’ (Spider-Man #25, August 1992) by Terry Kavanagh, Chris Marrinan & Chris Stegbauer: a rather slight interlude in which the Wondrous Wall-crawler scurries over to England to meet with old pal Captain Britain and gets suckered into a virtual reality war against mutant superteam Excalibur – all courtesy of the malevolently manipulative Arcade â€“ who had once again bitten off far more than he could chewâ€¦

‘Shootout over Centre Ring’ by Chris Claremont, Michael Nasser, Rich Buckler & Josef Rubinstein is a far better tale, first seen in Marvel Team-Up #89 (January 1980) and revealing how the web-spinner and X-Man Nightcrawler were propelled into an acrobatic alliance after an unscrupulous Texan millionaire showman from the mutant’s circus past resurfaces with a plan to assassinate Spider-Man as a publicity stunt.

Amos Jardine had originally hired Arcade but later went with a lower bid from hitman Cutthroat, consequently discovering that the only thing the Grinning Gamesman hated more than costumed crusaders was a welcherâ€¦

Classic Fights ‘n’ Tights action and lots of bizarre laughs distinguish this engaging piece of all-action eye-candy, and this collection also includes a cover gallery by Ed McGuinness, Chris Samnee, Matthew Wilson, Mark Bagley, Al Milgrom, Buckler & Rubinstein, plus pencils, layouts and sketches by McGuinness, Samnee and Baldeon and a handy prose profile of the eponymous assassin himselfâ€¦
Â© 1980, 1992, 2011 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.

December 5, 2012December 4, 2012

AVX Versus

By Adam Kubert, Stuart Immonen, Steve McNiven, Ed McGuinness, Salvador Larroca, Terry & Rachel Dodson, Brandon Peterson, Kaare Andrews, Leinil Francis Yu, Tom Raney, Jim Cheung & various writers & artists (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-84653-519-2

Mass metahuman mega-mosh-ups – call ’em braided crossover events if you want – are an intrinsic part of comicbook publishing these days, and Marvel’s big thing of the moment acknowledges a few utterly basic home truths. Most saliently, fans seem to want to see extravagant hero-on-hero action and – almost as crucial – that the stories must look very pretty showing it.

Avengers Vs. X-Men employed the company’s most successful movie franchise stars in spectacular fashion as the World’s Mightiest Heroes – and Spider-Man – strove against the misunderstood mutant outcasts for control of young Hope Summers; a girl destined to become the mortal host of an implacable force of cosmic destruction and creation known as The Phoenix. The tale involved incessant turmoil, sacrifice and death, and the conquest, reshaping and – almost – the destruction of humanity before a relatively stable status quo was tenuously restored.

It also featured a blistering array of dynamic duels between a host of fan-favourite characters, and Marvel cannily produced a bombastic and winningly tongue-in-cheek subsidiary 6-issue miniseries which isolated and spotlighted those cataclysmic combats, all safely removed from the tedious task of progressing the overarching storylineâ€¦

This admittedly delicious dose of sheer, visually visceral escapism superbly caters to the big kid in all of us comics fans, giving us just what we truly want: men in tights and buxom women in very little attempting to bash each others’ brains in for the most specious of motivesâ€¦

Divided into a series of Matches taken as snapshots from the ongoing epic and even boldly declaring a winner to – most of – the bouts (I’m not crass enough to spoil the fun by revealing who won any of these tussles â€“ just buy the bookâ€¦ it’s great fun), the furious fireworks begin with ‘Magneto, Master of Magnetism vs. The Invincible Iron Man’ by scripter Jason Aaron and illustrator Adam Kubertâ€¦

Match 2 features ‘The Thing vs. Namor the Sub-Mariner’ by Kathryn & Stuart Immonen with Wade von Grawbadger, whilst Steve McNiven & John Dell raucously reveal the outcome of ‘Captain America vs. Gambit’ before the 4^th duel depicts a seemingly mismatched travesty with ‘The Amazing Spider-Man vs. Colossus’ by Kieron Gillen & Salvador Larroca.

Ben Grimm returns as ‘The Thing vs. Colossus’ (by Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines) tears up the Blue Area of the Moon and Match 6 features another bout of moon madness as rival Russians rumble in ‘Black Widow vs. Magik’ by Christopher Yost and art-team supreme Terry & Rachel Dodson.

Martial arts mayhem ensues in Match 7 as ‘Daredevil vs. Psylocke’ by Rick Remender & Brandon Peterson adds a darkly human scale to the proceedings before it’s back to peril of godlike proportions when ‘The Mighty Thor vs. Emma Frost’ (by Kaare Andrews) literally shakes the Earth. Match 9 from Matt Fraction, Leinil Francis Yu & Gerardo Alanguilan features a nasty, dirty grudge fight in ‘Hawkeye vs. Angel’ and emotions spiral completely out of control in ‘Storm vs. Black Panther’ (Aaron & Tom Raney) as the married couple work out their domestic problems in eye-popping combat.

The key clash of the parent series and this sidebar excursion occurs when the planet’s twin saviours spectacularly butt heads in ‘Scarlet Witch vs. Hope’ by Gillen, Jim Cheung, Mark Morales & Mark Roslan, after which the remainder of the book is taken up with lighter moments and outright comedy capers beginning with the insanely cool ‘Verbal Abuse’ by Brian Michael Bendis & Jim Mahfood.

The hilarity continues with ‘Science Battle!’ by the Immonens, ‘Captain America vs. Havok’ by Mike Deodato Jr. & Adam Kubert, the insanely manic ‘Red Hulk vs. Domino’ by McGuinness, a duel of devoted domestics in ‘Toad vs. Jarvis’ by Christopher Hastings & Jacob Chabot, the wickedly lascivious daydream ‘Spider-Woman vs. X-Women (kinda)’ by Loeb & Art Adams, the eccentric ‘Iron Fist vs. Iceman’ by Aaron & RamÃ³n PÃ©rez, and it all ends with a resumption of the appropriate perspective in the gloriously silly ‘How We Roll’ from Dan Slott & Katie Cookâ€¦

The covers and variants gallery collects the stunning artistic efforts of Kubert, Immonen, Javier Pulido, McNiven, Terry Dodson, Andrews, Raney and others and, although this fast, funny and furious collection doesn’t boast any of the App-augmentations of the core series (if you are experiencing web-based withdrawal you can always resort to the digital sidebar episodes available on Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite website), the sheer rollercoaster riot of exuberant energetic comicbook action will indubitably delight and enthral any fan of Fights ‘n’ Tights fiction.

Magnificently simplistic, this adventure extravaganza also packs the prerequisite punch to stun and beguile comics-continuity veterans and film-fed fanboys alike.
â„¢ & Â© 2012 Marvel and subs. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. through Panini S.p.A,Italy. All Rights Reserved. A British edition published by Panini UK, Ltd.

December 4, 2012December 3, 2012

Avengers versus X-Men

By Jason Aaron, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Jonathan Hickman, John Romita Jr., Olivier Coipel, Adam Kubert, Frank Cho & various (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-84653-518-5

The mainstream comics industry is now irretrievably wedded to blockbuster continuity-sharing mega-crossover events and rashly doling them out like epi-pens to Snickers addicts with peanut allergies.

At least these days, however, if we have to endure a constant cosmic Sturm and extra-dimensional Drang, the publishers take great pains to ensure that the resulting comics chaos is suitably engrossing and always superbly illustratedâ€¦

Marvel’s big thing of the moment is the extended clash between mega-franchises Avengers and X-Men, which began in Avengers: X Sanction when time-lost mutant Cable attempted to pre-emptively murder a select roster of the World’s Greatest Heroes to prevent a cosmic tragedy.

Hope Spalding-Summers was the first mutant born on Earth after the temporarily insane Avenger Scarlet Witch used her reality-warping powers to eradicate almost all the mutants in existence. Considered a mutant messiah, Hope was raised in the future before inevitably finding her way back to the present where she was adopted by X-Men supremo Scott Summers AKA Cyclops.

Innumerable signs and portents have always indicated that she was a reincarnated receptacle for the devastating cosmic entity dubbed The Phoenixâ€¦

This mammoth collection gathers the core 12-issue fortnightly miniseries from April to October 2012 which saw humanity and Homo Superior go to war to possess the celestial chosen one, and also includes the prequel Avengers vs. X-Men #0 which laid the plot groundwork for the whole blockbusting Brouhaha.

Moreover this up-to-the minute epic also incorporates 21^st century extras for all those tech-savvy consumers with added value in mind. Many pages contained herein are marked by an AR icon (Marvel Augmented Reality App) which gives access to all sorts of extras once you download the little dickens – for free – from marvel.com onto your iPhone or Android-enabled device.

The entire tale is also supported by digital sidebar episodes available on Marvel’s Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite website.

â€¦Or like me you could simply concentrate on and revel in the staggeringly spectacular, plot-light but stunningly rendered old-fashioned, earth-shattering punch-up barely contained in this titanic tomeâ€¦

Necessarily preceded by a double-page scorecard of the 78(!) major players, the story begins with a pair of Prologues (by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Aaron & Frank Cho) as a now-sane and desperately repentant Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff tries to make amends and restore links with the Avengers she betrayed and attacked. However, even after defeating an attack by manic mutate MODOK and an personal invitation from Ms. Marvel to come back, the penitent mutant is sent packing by her ex-husband The Vision and the other male heroes she manipulated.

Meanwhile in Utopia, the West Coast island fortress that houses the last 200 mutants on Earth, an increasingly driven Cyclops is administering brutally tough love to adopted daughter Hope. The young woman is determined to defy her inescapable destiny as eventual host for the omnipotent Phoenix force on some far future day and is regularly moonlighting as a superhero. Sadly she’s well out of her depth when she tackles the sinister Serpent Society and Daddy humiliatingly comes to her rescue.

â€¦And in the depths of space the ghastly firebird of life and death comes ever closer to Earthâ€¦

In the first chapter (by Bendis, John Romita Jr. & Scott Hanna) the catastrophically powerful force of destruction and rebirth nears our world and the perfect mortal host it hungers for and needs to guide it, frantically preceded by desperate hero-harbinger of doom Nova, who almost dies to deliver a warning of its proximity and intent. Soon the Avengers and government are laying plans, whilst in Utopia Scott Summers is pushing Hope harder than ever. If thePhoenix cannot be escaped from or avoided, perhaps he can make his daughter strong enough not to be overwhelmed by its promise of infinite powerâ€¦

At the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning ex X-Man and current Avenger Wolverine is approached by Captain America and regretfully leaves his position as teacher to once again battle a force that cannot be imaginedâ€¦

With even his fellow mutants questioning his tactics and brutal pushing of Hope, Cyclops meets CaptainAmericafor a parley. On behalf of the world, the Sentinel of Liberty wants to take Hope into protective custody but the mutant leader, distrustful of human bigotry and past duplicity, reacts violently to the far-from-diplomatic overturesâ€¦

Jason Aaron scripts the second instalment as frayed tempers lead to an all-out battle on the shores of Utopia, and personal grudges fuel the brutal conflict. As the metahuman war rages, Wolverine and Spider-Man surreptitiously go after the hidden Hope, but even far off in space the Phoenix force has infected her and she blasts themâ€¦

Meanwhile in the extra-solar void Thor, Vision, War Machine and a select team of secret Avengers confront the mindlessly onrushing energy constructâ€¦

Chapter 3 is scripted by Ed Brubaker and begins with the recovering Wolverine and Wallcrawler considering how to catch the missing hyper-powerful Hope with both the Avengers and recently departed X-Men chasing her. When the feral mutant clashes over tactics with Captain America, the resulting fight further divides the Avengers’ forces whilst in episode 4 – authored by Jonathan Hickman – as the easily defeated space defenders limp back to Earth, Hope and Wolverine meet at the bottom of the world and devise their own plans fore her futureâ€¦

All over the planet heroes are hunting the unhappy chosen one, and the clashes between mutants and superhumans are steadily intensifying in ferocity, but the fugitive pair soon evade all pursuit by stealing a rocket and heading to the ancient Blue Area of the Moon where revered mutant Jean Grey first died to save the universe from the Phoenix.

When the former Marvel Girl was first possessed by the fiery force she became a hero of infinite puissance and a cataclysmic champion of Life, but eventually the power corrupted her and she devolved into Dark Phoenix: a wanton god of planet-killing appetitesâ€¦

As an act of valiant contrition, Jean permitted the X-Men to kill her before her rapacious need completely consumed her in the oxygen-rich ancient city on the lunar surface (of course that’s just the tip of an outrageously long and overly-complicated iceberg not germane or necessary to us here: just search-engine the tale afterwards, ok?), but when Hope finally reaches the spot of her predecessor’s sacrifice she finds that she’s been betrayed and that the Avengers are waitingâ€¦ and so are mutants Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, Magik and Namor the Sub-Mariner. With battle set to begin again, the battered body of Thor crashes into the lunar dust and the sky is lit by the blazing arrival of the Phoenix avatarâ€¦

Matt Fraction scripts the 5^th chapter as the appalling firebird attempts to possess Hope, who then realises she has completely overestimated her ability to handle the force, even as Avengers and X-Men again come to blistering blows.

Some distance away super-scientists Tony Stark and Henry Pym deploy their last-ditch anti-Phoenix invention but it doesn’t work as plannedâ€¦ When the furious light finally dies down, the infernal energy has possessed not Hope but the five elder mutants who turn their blazing eyes towards Earth and begin to plan how best to remake itâ€¦

Olivier Coipel & Mark Morales begin their stint as illustrators with the 6^th, Hickman-scripted instalment, as ten days later old comrades Magneto and Charles Xavier meet to discuss the paradise Earth has become – especially for mutants. Violence, disease, hunger and want are gone but Cyclops, Emma, Sub-Mariner, Magic and Colossus are distant, aloof saviours at best and the power they share incessantly demands to be used more and more and moreâ€¦

Myriad dimensions away in the mystical city of K’un L’un, kung fu overlord Lei Kung is warned that an ancient disaster is repeating itself on Earth and dispatches the city’s greatest hero Iron Fist to avert overwhelming disaster, even as fearful humanity is advised that their old bad ways will no longer be allowed to despoil the world. Naturally the decree of a draconian â€œPax Utopiaâ€ does not sit well with humanity, and soon the Avengers are again at war with the last few hundreds of mutantkind. This time however the advantage is overwhelmingly with the underdogs and their five godlike leadersâ€¦

A last ditch raid to snatch Hope from Utopia goes catastrophically wrong until the long-reviled Scarlet Witch intervenes and rescues the Avengers and Hope.

Astounded to realise that Wanda’s probability-altering gifts can harm them, the Phoenix Five declare all-out, total war on the human heroesâ€¦

In the 7^th, Fraction-scripted, chapter the Avengers are hunted down all over the planet and the individual personalities of the possessed X-Men begin to clash with each other. As Iron Fist, Lei Kung and Stark seek a marriage of spiritual and technological disciplines, the Sub-Mariner defies the Phoenix consensus to attack the African nation of Wakandaâ€¦

Adam Kubert & John Dell took over the art from issue #8 with Bendis’ script revealing how an army of Avengers and the power of Wanda and Xavier turned the tide of battle, but not before a nation diedâ€¦

Moreover, with Namor beaten, his portion of Phoenix-power passed on to the remaining four, inspiring hungry notions of sole control amongst the possessedâ€¦

In #9 (by Aaron, Kubert & Dell) as the hunt for heroes continues on Earth, in K’un L’un Hope is being trained in martial arts discipline by the city’s immortal master, and in sheer guts and humanity by Spider-Man, and when Thor is captured the Avengers stage an all-out assault and by some miracle defeat both Magik and Colossus. Tragically that only makes Cyclops stronger still and he comes looking for his wayward daughterâ€¦

Brubaker writes the 10^th chapter as Cyclops invades K’un L’un with horrific consequences whilst on Earth Emma Frost succumbs to the worst aspects of her nature and begins to enslave friend and foe with her half of the infinitePhoenix force. At the same time CaptainAmerica and Xavier are laying plans for one last â€œHail Maryâ€ assaultâ€¦

And in the mystic city Hope finally comes into her power and incredibly blasts Cyclops out the other reality and back to the moon where the tragedy beganâ€¦

Bendis, Coipel & Morales created the penultimate instalment as the rapacious destructive hunger of the Phoenix causes Cyclops to battle Emma, even as the unifying figure of Xavier draws X-Men and Avengers to unite against the true threat, as with issue #12 (Aaron, Kubert & Dell) Cyclops finally descends into the same hell as his beloved, long-lost Jean by becoming the seemingly unstoppable and insatiable Dark Phoenix with only the assembled heroes and the resigned Hope prepared to stop him from consuming the Earthâ€¦

The series generated a host of variant covers (I lost count at 87) by Cho, Jason Keith, Jim Cheung, Laura Martin, Stephanie Hans, Romita Jr., Ryan Stegman, Carlo Barberi, Olivier Coipel, Morales, Skott Young, Arthur Adams, Nick Bradshaw, Carlo Pagulayan, Sara Pichelli, J. Scott Campbell, Jerome OpeÃ±a, Mark Bagley, Dale Keown, Esad Ribic, Adam Kubert, Alan Davis, Humberto Ramos, Leinil Francis Yu, Adi Granov and Billy Tan which will undoubtedly delight and astound the artistically adroit amongst youâ€¦

Fast, furious and utterly absorbing – if short on plot – this summer blockbuster is an extreme Fights ‘n’ Tights extravaganza that certainly delivers a mighty punch without any real necessity to study beforehand that comics-continuity veterans and film-fed fanboys alike will relish.
â„¢ & Â© 2012 Marvel and subs. Licensed by Marvel Characters B.V. through Panini S.p.A,Italy. All Rights Reserved. A British edition published by Panini UK, Ltd.

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