The Amazing Spider-Man #61 begins a new era

It’s that time of week when loyal Beat readers check out the week’s Marvel books. Yes, welcome back to Marvel Compendium! This week’s main recap is the start of Eight Deaths of Spider-Man and the return of collaborators Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness. There is a warning Mild spoilers Skip to the end to read our verdict. Our quick summary review focuses on the X books, including Psylocke #1 and the conclusion to the first installment of Uncanny X-Men by Gail Simone and David Marks.

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The Amazing Spider-Man #61
writer: Joe Kelly
pencil: Ed McGuinness
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colorist: Marcio Meniz
Writer: Joe Caramagna, VC

When was the last time Spider-Man moved from one creative team to another? Is it the switch from a Dan Slott running back to a Nick Spencer/Ryan Ottley running back in 2018? After Nick Spencer became the screenwriter, there was no fixed team in the main writing of “Spider-Man”. Instead, multiple writers and artists tackled the long-term “Transcendence” story involving the Transcendence Corporation and Spider-Man clone Ben Reilly. It seems to function right out of a comic book, much like a late-night talk show trying out new hosts from new talent while occasionally throwing in a few talented ones.

Well, based on the question behind this question, it looks like a post Zeb Wells/John Romita Jr. amazing spider man This book will once again take turns telling a big story. Much like Beyond, instead of refocusing the book or pitting Spider-Man against a friendly neighborhood threat, Spider-Man is once again involved in cosmic nonsense. What’s even more frustrating is that unlike Beyond, which at least remains a Spider-Man-centric story, The Eight Deaths of Spider-Man will essentially lead to next year’s Doomsday event. basically The Amazing Spider-Man Hijacked to feed the Marvel event machine.

At least, Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness When it’s a real Spider-Man book, there are certain parts involved in the beginning. The film begins with Spider-Man chasing a new villain through the skies of New York City. Going back to Peter Parker, being a hero naturally impairs his ability to perform very basic tasks. This is very much the Platonic ideal of Spider-Man comics.

The actual plot then begins when Doctor Doom, the current Sorcerer Supreme, shows up and asks Spider-Man to complete a mission for him. Spider-Man knew better than to deal with Doctor Doom and it was outside his wheel, so he wisely declined the mission. But since this is Spider-Man, cosmic crap still happens. Now, everyone’s favorite wall-crawler has to deal with that, because Dr. Doom won’t be bothered. No, he really can’t.

Kelly’s script works best in the parts where Spider-Man and Peter Parker juggle the heroic and the mundane. Scenes in which Parker faces disappointment from various people in his life are some of the most enjoyable here. When the cosmic nonsense comes in, the book becomes less interesting. Spider-Man fights a god-like entity, a far cry from a character whose best story and personal parallels lie with superheroes.

That’s not to say that Spider-Man’s stories can’t be about him facing impossible odds. One of the best Spider-Man stories has the character getting beaten to a pulp in a battle with the Overlord. Only in recent years has Spider-Man faced demonic threats and become embroiled in large-scale criminal wars. What’s wrong with Peter Parker having trouble balancing his personal life with Spider-Man? Why are these stories now considered less compelling?

Kelly fills this comic with the self-pity of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Yes, the emotional or existential crisis that Peter Parker encounters while confronting his body is at the root of the character. But Spider-Man has never shown a convincing side when it comes to fighting cosmic crises. Even the superhero/life balance isn’t like the old “Parker Luck” where everything goes wrong at once. It looks like we can throw something terrible at Peter Parker and Spider-Man. This comic at least lives up to its name. Spider-Man does die and come back, but even so, it adds to the pain of the rest of this comic because it’s clearly the worst experience ever.

At least McGuinness’s art team, inker Mark Farmerand colorist Marcio Meniz delivering one exciting action sequence after another. McGuinness is truly one of the most dynamic superhero artists of the 21st century, and is a perfect fit for Spider-Man. His interpretation of Spider-Man has strange poses, and while his page compositions are funky (check out his use of fisheye perspective in the opening pages!), Meniz’s coloring balances the superheroic with the conventional better than the writing content. If you’re going to open an arc where Spider-Man is basically fighting one god after another, that’s the visual team you want to tackle that problem. The biggest surprise here is the artist Nico Henriken throws in some really nice flashback sequences involving Doctor Strange that really highlights the issue

After several years of physical torture for Spider-Man, give the hero a break. Give this character a supporting cast and a reason to fight. Don’t let him get involved in a bigger conflict than a character whose problem would be if his dinner reservation was ruined by a vulture. But the status quo now is friendly neighborhood superheroes battling unfriendly cosmic threats. Hopefully a permanent team will be announced soon to bring him back to a community rather than another dimension.

Conclusion: Weak Browse

Quick burst

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  Psylocke #1

  • There are no two ways about it. The star of Psylocke is an artist Vincenzo Carratu. The character Psylocke has long been defined by her cool looks and ninja style – so much so that when the character and codename switched from Betsy Braddock’s body to the current anti-hero “Guannon” ” (Kwannon), it was relatively easy. (Don’t worry). It’s completely on the cutting edge, and the book is a jaw-dropping action spectacle. I’m skeptical of all the upcoming X-Men spin-offs, but one thing this question makes clear is how many of the teams Cyclops leads are made up of characters with very similar hard edges and violent tendencies of. Removing Psylocke from the group gives her a chance to showcase what makes the assassin-turned-hero-turned-freedom fighter an interesting character in her own right. Alyssa HuangThe script is underpinned by some engaging character drama and colorist action Fesci Fuentes-Sucho Lean towards the purple and teal color palette for some interesting visual effects. I’m not an expert and haven’t followed Kwannon’s story, but this gives you all you need to know about her and makes it fun, sexy, and exciting. It’s hard to say whether this is worth five bucks to you, but it’s certainly worth your time whenever it’s added to Marvel Unlimited or your library. -TR

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  Uncanny X-Men #5

  • Gail Simone and David Marks The first installment of Uncanny X-Men concludes this week with Uncanny X-Men #5. As Rogue’s confrontation with Sarah Gaunt comes to an end, the remaining X-Men and Deviants attempt to defend Haven and hold the line against Gaunt’s predatory cult. All in all, it’s a satisfying conclusion to an engaging first arc. Simone’s portrayal of the X-Men is consistent with how most of the characters were positioned at the end of Krakoa. Simone has a lot of fun playing the X-Men, namely Wolverine and Gambit, in this issue. In other words, Simone’s strength lies in Rogue. Simone does a great job exploring the psychology and motivations of her characters. This is accomplished through narration boxes throughout the issue. It’s great to see Simone focus on the story from Jubilee’s perspective. I’m always happy to see that mall rat on the comics page. The resolution of the plot does feel a little rushed, but the seeds of the previous issues are clearly laid out, which doesn’t make it feel too cheap. David Marquez’s art style remains vibrant and fluid. The range of emotion and action on display here shows why Max is one of Marvel’s best artists. Matthew Wilson’s The colors are beautiful and rich. The story may be a little rushed, but it’s an enjoyable ending that leaves you wanting to know more. –JJ
    

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    Next week we’ll see the new Daredevil, Immortal Thor, and the finale of Predator vs. Black Panther!