Amazing Spider-Man #700 Review

Everything comes to an end they say. But I never thought Amazing Spider-Man would in this day and age. No Marvel comic has ever reached #700, (unless you want to count Wolverine #1000) so that in itself is a huge feat. I've been a loyal fan of the character for as far back as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories was watching the marathons of the 90's Animated Series JETIX would air Saturday mornings, that's how I knew Spidey. My first comic was Amazing Spider-Man #438, guest starring Daredevil. (It's a little out of shape, but I still have it.) In 2002 I went with my dad to watch the big screen film, it was a great experience, I was only six. It was one of my first theater experiences. (Ten years later, here I am, watching the reboot called The Amazing Spider-Man.) What young kid doesn't like Spider-Man? But a true fan remains a fan throughout the years. But then you have to ask yourself...am I Spider-Man or Peter Parker fan? The truth of the matter is we're all Peter Parker fans, because that's who Spider-Man is. Steve Rogers is Captain America. Bruce Wayne is Batman. It's not about the title or costume, it's about the person inside. That is who we are a fan of. #700 is the death of Peter Parker, the rumors that had started as early back as last year are true. I haven't been a big fan of his comics since prior to Brand New Day. I didn't agree with the decision to have Peter and MJ split back in One More Day, and I still think it was one of the worst decisions in comic history. But, the series goes on and one had to choose whether to stick with it or not. I hopped back on the comic bandwagon in 2009, at the end of the Character Assassination arc. I have every issue since. While it has been up and down for me, I've stuck by the series. Here we are with the end. The hype (both good and bad, emphasis on the latter) was astounding. Finally we would see if Peter really would die and who the 'Superior' Spider-Man' would be. It's a truly interesting ending and beginning.

Doctor Octopus had switched bodies with Peter two issues ago in what was one of the most shocking reveals in all of comics. Last issue we saw Peter, being the smart guy is, formulate a plan despite being trapped in a dying body. The plan was one hidden in Doc Ock's memoroy. The Sinister Six (or Sigma Six as it's called in the issue, I wonder if they had G.I. Joe in mind) are formed, the mission is to retrieve Spider-Man. Things don't go exactly as planned, it all comes to a final showdown between the two. This issue was spoiled about a week in advance. Many read it, I stayed away. I was going in only knowing Peter would die. Who the Superior Spider-Man would be was the mystery. I didn't truly think Doc Ock would be, I thought Peter would defeat him and give the mantle to someone else. (Miles Morales was the popular rumor, ever since being mentioned at the end of Spider-Men #5.) Spidey 2009, aka Miguel O' Hara, was also a huge rumor. But this issue put those rumors to rest. Otto Octavius is the Superior Spider-Man. The road to that reveal in this issue was a truly intense one. Despite being in a dying body, Peter is at his finest. Dan Slott was able to balance the fact that he's dying, his care for the people he cares, and somehow his humor. (One of my favorite scenes is when he has the Trapster trapped with the letter "Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Doc Ock.") It's also interesting to see how Dock Ock reacts to things since everyone thinks he's the real deal. The dialogue between the two is handled wonderfully. How he openly taunts Peter saying the people he cares about is in danger is priceless. Mary Jane is handled well. But...I don't think she was suspicious of him enough. Like, his constant reference to her as 'woman' should have made her suspicious.

Everything comes forth into the final battle. It's intense, greatly written, and the surprises don't stop. Peter was never was able to reconnect, but he manages to shoot his memories into Ock. This is interesting, it's through that when Doc Ock sees the value of life. It feels rather rushed however, even slightly forced. After I read that part, I was like,"That's it? Just like that he changes his evil ways and wants to protect the people?" There's a pretty nice scene earlier in the story, where Peter technically died for three minutes. He went into the afterlife and saw all of his deceased friends. The dialogue is really good, especially the parts with Silver Sable and Uncle Ben. I was never a fan of Humberto Ramos's cartoony style. Admittedly this is definitely his strongest issue. It still retains a bit of a cartoony look, but is excellent throughout, really capturing the heat of the final battle. There's also some fantastic panels with Doc Ock Spidey, fully differentiating from when the real Peter Parker wears the suit. There are two backup stories. The first one is about an older man as he tells his 'son' about the days he was apparently Spider-Man. Throwing whatever the heck this continuity this is from, it's a pretty touching story. The other story is a Black Cat-centered one. It was admittedly funny and the art by Stephanie Buscema was cute. I don't know about you, but I love the main cover. It's really cool how all the Spider-Mans make up the red part (did you notice Carnage?) while a bunch of Venoms make up the blue.

The Amazing Spider-Man #700 is a very fine comic. In it we see Peter in a dying body trying to stop an impostor. In it he dies, and Otto Octavius reigns. Peter Parker is dead. Spider-Man is not. So are you a Spider-Man or Peter Parker fan? The Superior Spider-Man will most likely do well in the beginning, but time will tell if people will stick around, because if people stop buying and start complaining, Perter will come back. And I have a sinking feeling they'll bring him back in time for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Even though I am a Peter Parkjer fan, I will be buying the Superior Spider-Man, which starts in two weeks. In the end, it wasn't the Green Goblin or Venom he died in final battle against, it was Dr. Octopus, whom has a lot to do if he wants to earn the respect of Peter Parker fans everywhere. The death is handled well enough, even convincing that it will be permanent. We'll see in a year.

4/5

Weekly Comic Reviews

Hey all, welcome back. All I have is one comic review for you loyal readers this time around, Amazing Spider-Man #686. I know this place hasn't been getting as much posts as I want, but believe me, I have big plans for Destroyer's Editorials and Reviews. You can look forward to what is going to a great and funny Monster of the Week entry tomorrow. For now, onto the review. 

Amazing Spider-Man #686

Official Description

• In this perilously penultimate issue of “Ends of the Earth” Inferno: Earth rages! • We promised the End of the Earth… and this is it, Jocko! • Guest staring: a doomed planet.

THE GOOD

This issue was a blast. It felt like a comic from the late 80's/early90's. The writing here us strong, Spidey himself is portrayed great. Mysterio is written fantastic for the most part, his lines are great. The issue's fast paced, yet the story runs smoothly. The plot twist you'll see here is just unbelievable. After you find out, you're like "Of course." But wow, Slott really knows how to surprise a reader and make this story engaging. The quality made the issue worth the $3.99.

THE BAD

Black Widow came off as just plain cold and emotionless. During the latter part, the writing started to get a bit off with a certain scene. Unless there's a double cross, the whole part just didn't make much sense and felt forced. JJJ seriously needs to be written better.

ART

You know, with all the dialogue and everything going on, I didn't really pay attention to the art. It's good when a story is so engaging that the art becomes secondary. (It's the opposite for Justice League.) With that said, I think Caselli should stay on the title for awhile, his work fits the book perfectly.

OVERALL

Maybe the best entry in the Ends of the Earth event yet. The writing is strong, the characters are great, and some things you weren't expecting happen. While a certain scene in the latter part didn't make sense and felt forced, (this character would have already knew that) Amazing Spider-Man #686 is still another example of how to do a Spidey comic.

8.5/10

Ultimate Spider-Man Premiere Review/Editorial

Spider-Man is one of the greatest superheroes ever created. He ranks in popularity along with Superman and Batman. There have been quite a few shows with the Wall-Crawler, dating back to the 60's. It wasn't until 1994 when he got what is known as his greatest TV outing ever. The famous Animated Series is still being watched today. I remember years ago when they use to air the marathons on Saturday mornings, good times. I grew up watching the show, it's one of the prime factors of why I'm a fan of the character. It put story ahead of the action. Then on March 8th, 2008, the now-canceled Spectacular Spider-Man aired. I gotta be honest, I think the show is a little overrated, and this is coming from a longtime fan of the character. It had some good stories, but the overall tone was just too kiddish for my taste, and the animation was awful. A lot of fans were sad when it was canceled, I personally was ready for a new show. The thing about this show is that it's being produced by Marvel from the ground up. It would be set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (So cameos by the Avengers? YES.) I remember being really excited when the first teaser was released, it looked to bring back everything the 90's show had. Then slowly more clips were released, the tone had changed. It looked to be a comedy. My expectations dwindled a bit, I really didn't know what to fully expect. After watching the premiere, I can safely that this is one of the most enjoyable shows currently on television.

You know how this show is constantly being compared to Batman: the Brave and the Bold? There are some similarities, but it IS different. (AKA, better.) There's just something about this show that makes it extremely fun and enjoyable. I technically shouldn't like some of the goofiness, such as Spidey going on a motorcycle and not knowing how to stop it, but a lot of it is genuinely funny. I also like how Spidey is portrayed, surprisingly. His dialogue in Spectacular I felt was never that great, here the writing is pretty strong and, well, funny. I also like how Spidey's powers are used, there are some really clever occurrences. (The scene in the school where he wisely used a table comes to mind.) I also like how his intelligence is used in combat, specifically in a scene with the Wizard using 'air hostages.' Really, I'm liking the way Spidey is being portrayed. And with a great voice (Drake Bell) to match, this TV show version of Spidey is right up there next to the 90's one. (Not quite up to that standard, but not a bad runner-up.)

This show is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. What is the extent of that you ask? Well, how about Nick Fury AND Agent Coulson? That's right, it's pretty awesome and pretty funny at the same time. This Nick Fury matches his movie counterpart perfectly. (Just missing Sam Jackson's voice.) Agent Couslon looks to be a humorous part of the cast thanks to the funny plot twist at the end. People may not like some of the new versions of the characters. For example, this version of Aunt May is a hipster (I probably should find a better term) who does yoga AND beats Peter at video games. It's a different change of pace than the frail senior citizen we're used to. Norman Osborn and Harry Osborn remain pretty much the same as past incarnations, not a fan of either's design, too generic looking. Doc Ock's new design looks interesting from the few glimpses we get. Mary Jane wants to work for J. Jonah Jameson, now that's interesting.

I must say that the beginning of the first episode was perfect. JJJ (with J. K. Simmons as his voice, excellent choice) saying how Spider-Man's a menace and the latter narrating was just a perfect start. This show is definitely different, and I mean different. Whenever a new, major character appears, the screen turns to him with Spidey narrating who he is. And sometimes in fight, there's thhat 'TWAK!" and 'POW" words when Spidey punches or kicks someone. (Another similarity to the Brave and the Bold.) However, this is not a team-up show, this is still a Spidey-centric show. There's a story, but the show is all over the place. There really isn't a set 'arc' yet, but that's to be expected since it's just starting. One of the fun things about this show is the inclusion of other heroes. Here we have Iron Fist, Luk-I mean Power Man, White Tiger, and Nova. First of all, I just want to say that I can't stand when they turn a character younger to 'relate' to the audience or whatever logic they have. With that said, they were better than what I expected. I especially liked Luk-I mean Power Man. (I love how they made fun of the whole 'Luke Cage Power Man' thing.) I look forward to seeing more of these characters in the show. I love the in-jokes only Spidey fans can get. I laughed hard at the part where he said, "This is the part where I write my friendly neighborhood note, do you have a pen I can borrow?" (Then there's a jab at Amazing, saying how being Ultimate is better. Only comic fans would get that one. Also, the animation is top notch. Unlike the strange animation of Spectacular, this one is more traditional and akin to the 90's show. Spidey looks great, the animation is just top notch.

Overall, some may dislike this new series, some may even hate it. I on the hand had a blast watching it. (Remember, this is coming from a HUGE fan of the character, and of the 90's show.) Sometimes the tone could get a little TOO goofy for my tastes, but it's just so darn fun and enjoyable. Spidey has never been more of a great, humorous focus. This is a different kind of Spider-Man show, one that doesn't take itself too seriously. I really technically shouldn't like when something's like that, but there's something about this show that keeps me invested. It's Spider-Man, it's funny, it's superhero action with top notch animation. It is a good day to be a Spider-Man fan.

8/10.

Amazing Spider-Man: Ends of Earth Part One Review

This is it. This is where the Amazing Spider-Man has been leading up to, way back from #600. Slott's Spidey run has been mixed. His debut in Big Time was fantastic, but overtime his version of the Web-Head got stale. He introduced a new girlfriend for Peter, then took her off the main cast some issues later. The previous two issues sufferred from pretty bad dialogue, it was just a lead-up to this issue. Well, it's finally here, the start of the 'biggest year for Spider-Man ever.' I'm inclined to agree, the issue had everything a good Spidey issue requires.

Official description from Marvel:


• Part One Of “Ends Of The Earth”, The Next Big Spider-Man Event!• The Doc Ock Story You’ve Waited 50 Years For! Doctor Otto Octavius Holds The Entire Earth Hostage With His Dying Breath. What Price Will Spider-Man Have To Pay To Buy The Whole World One More Day?• Special Appearance By The Avengers!


Doctor Octopus is one of Spider-Man's greatest enemies, right up there with Green Goblin and Venom. He also has one of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe, but only now is that being realized. Doc Ock has never been a major player besides in the Amazing Spider-Man world. I'm glad that Slott is realizing his potential, even if he's on the brink of death. I wonder exactly how this will play out. Slott really does give the impression that this will be the final story with the Doctor. The issue had a more high-quality feel than some of the previous ones, the writing is strong. I actually felt myself enjoying to read Spidey's dialogue, it's good and not juvenile. (A certain issue with Daredevil being a main culprit.) The issue is dialogue-centric, which usually in this case would be (probably) a bad thing, but the writing is strong enough to hold through it. Onnce again, the only two blips would be the mayor and the citizens. C'mon, JJJ should have been impeached by now. I think it's supposed to be a running gag, but it isn't working. And I am tired of citizens not appreciating Spidey's work, it may have been a fun running gag in the past, but no longer.

The art is really strong, some of the best in awhile for this series. The Avengers look better here than in their own book! The cover is also great, featuring Spider-Man over earth being held by Doctor Octopus's robotic tentacles, Regarding the new costume, it's a pretty awesome addition. The final page is just fantastic, it's one of those where you're like "Heck yeah!" Fantastic build-up to that page, it really gives off a sense that this will be the end-all event.

Overall, this is definitely one of the best Spider-Man comics in awhile. Slott handles the characters, especially Spidey, right. There's a feel of impending doom, it's good stuff. Doc Ock is handled well, and the art is great. Watch out for that final page, the lead-up and then boom, it's awesome man. Let's see if the rest of this event holds up, or becomes another Grim Hunt.

9/10.