comics chat ! bagguy and david !

randomers #3

glam as fuck.

ultimate comics x-men issue 23

written by brian wood art by carlo barberi

I have no real experience with the mutants and x-men of the ultimate universe. Lets judge them anyway ! I say no real experience. Like I read the very first arc that mark miller wrote. Though that was like over a decade ago now. Though I have read hella ultimate spider-man with kitty pyde in it. Yes I didn't actually learn all that much about ultimate mutant kind from that. But I like to think it counts for something. That said. I also have no actual clue to what's going on in ultimate marvel theses days. The only ultimate book I keep up with is spider-man and that's fairly isolated from the bigger verse. I gather some sort of civil war type dealy happened in America. Not sure how the mutants fit in likes. Now yes I totally just could go look all this up on wiki but randomers is about just blasting threw some comics and seeing how they stand on there own merits. Writing for the trade be dammed.

So you might have gathered from the cover this a storm centric issue. Fair play likes. Don't think iv ever read a solo storm comic in my life. Well. I say solo. Big colossus is cutting about it for the first wee bit. Seems he killed a dude in cold blood. Seams like a dickish move. But the comic dosent give much explanation or context to it so I wont judge him for it. He also seems to be genuinely affected by the murder or at the very least is acting like he's affected by it. So points there. Its a tricky business this judging a charater by a single issue. But storm here seems kind of like a bit of a bad character. Well. To me at least. She seams fairly week willed. I gusse she's still only a teenager ? That really shouldn't be an excuse at this point in the game. At the very least. Its a shock to compare this storm to the proper universes storm. The proper universes yin is kind of your standard strong female character. And fair play to her. Something of a weather god that she is. In this issue ultimate storm just sort of go's with the flow of things. Which. Would be fine. But like it seems like her opinions change basically every other page. Probably not the best thing to compare the two versions at this point but it was something that seemed rather shonky to me.

So it would seam the American government are rounding up mutants and putting them in camps for the crime of being a mutant. Good. Heartless bastard I knows. But mutants are hella dangerous. And I have to Imagen they must have done something to cause this crackdown. And no. I wont give them the benefit of the doubt. Mutants all tend to be utter dicks. Proper universe or not. And yes this is all commentary on terrorism and immigration and Americas reaction to it. That's fine. Or rather that would be fine if mutants didn't rock the deadly combo of being super powered AND being utter dicks. Like. At some point we're going to have to stop calling them mutants and just start calling then villains. Now. Ill give them points. The mutants might not have killed anyone in this particular issue. Maybe if those sentinels were piloted by humans. Maybe. But ill be generous and just Imagen they were only robbits. Humans don't come off any better here. Though that might just have something to do with them being small towner Americans being depicted in media. There some what hickish. And they do sorta turn storm in to the authority's.

We get a page or two of a mutant cure being rolled out. Cools ? Like normally I'm against anything that kills the magic of a given setting. Like in late series star trek the next generation when we learned warp travel was damaging the fabric of the universe. Just. Naw. Pal. Just like. Dinny go near that shite. The mutant cure idea is kind of like that for me. Though at the same time mutants are genuinely dangerous. There just punk ass kids given grate power with no responsibility and on top of that a lot of mutations are hella deformity's or disability's. Like there's a guy in the background here who's like a 1950s B movie blob monster. That cant be fun. Like not all mutants can be as lucky as the mostly glam as fuck x-men. Though I will relent here and say the very idea of a cure for mutants is controversial because of all the persecuted minority's mutants represent in that its not so much a cure for having super powers in that its a cure for who your and what you represent. So in the end Its a pretty good bad idea.

So once again it might not sound like I enjoyed this wee comic. I totes did likes. It was a fast wee read. Readable almost And I bloody loved the the art. A cracking flash back to early 2000s anime inspired art. Magical likes. Weirdly I get the feeling that particular art style still continues to this day in certain corners of x men comics. Cool likes. I didn't know I missed it but this comic made me relies I did. Well played comic. Well played.

Randomers #2

I.CAN.FLY!

 

 

prelude to infinity new avengers 008

written by jonathan hickman art by mike deodato

I don't think I like infinity. I knows. I'm a massive hypocrite. The event has all the things I love. Space heroes cutting about being epic fighting a war to save the universe. And it has big captain America pointing at fools whilst being humanity's representative red ranger. I SHOULD find it magical. But I don't. Shockingly. And there's a few reasons for that. Mainly. I don't think I care any more. About marvel events that is. Well that's unfair. I do still care about marvel continuity. Just not enough to read ALL the books needed to keep up with it. Weirdly since the new 52 iv become much more of a dc man. Marvel since then have went a tad mad. Which I totally respect them for. Only MARVEL would kill off peter parker in the year a new spider-man film came out. Like. There business plan seems to be to troll as many folk as possible. A respectable goal. It just translates into me buying less of there comics for some reason.

 

Another key ingredient in my not likening infintyness wid be my not buying Hickman's avengers. I just didn't want to read them. Like I gave his issue one a chance. Didny like it. I liked that he let the movie avenger team get curb stomped by some punk ass new villain. But at the same time he let the movie team get curb stomped by some punk as new villain. Aye fair play hawk eye and black widow can get to fuck but that team contained the big guns loikes. Big cap. Big thor. Big hulk. They just dropped like punks. I'm well aware it was just set up for the arc and it lead to potential overwhelming epicness on everyone's part. I just didny want to read it. Mibby I was burnt out by bendis avengers. Fuck it. Of course I was burnt out on bendis avengers. Something just didn't sit right with me with Hickman on the book. It was an incredible mistake on my part as I get the feeling his run is needed to understand any amount of infinity.

So there I am. Reading infinity. Understanding every fourth panel or so. Tie ins are necessary it would seem. Normal pish with big events I knows. But more so with infinity in my opinion. like age of ultron was a perfectly fine read without tie ins. It was shite. But at least I could understand it. So I gave this prelude towwdle a try. How to describe it. Stuff happened I guse. I litrully couldn't care about any of it. I really need an answerer to this. Who actually likes the inhumans? Seriously. Is there anybody out there that's happy to see them whenever they pop up. I'm guessing one person. That being Hickman himself. I tolerated the inhuman's presence in his last fantastic 4 run. Because them being the fantastic 4s pals and all that. Though there bits were definitely the low points of that run. Marvels pushing them as this big deal though. I think there actually getting a book. Fuck everything to do with that and to with them and there Shakespeare in space ass pish.

 

I see wakandas going to war with Atlantis. Good ? Namor did like kill wakanda dead during a vs x. so seeing a little bit of reprisal for that is cool. I'm rooting for Atlantis though. Like I genuinely hate dc Atlantis but I'm fairly apathetic to the marvel yin. Plus big skeevey namor earns them hella points. And of course I hate everything to do with the black panther and his mary sue nation. Every time I have to read something about wakanda I'm filled with such mindless hate. Come on wakanda. Why even are you a thing. My mind cant understand it. Ayes I get that its a future tech African nation. Fair play. But why dose anyone care ! Here black panthers aww namor pal. I let my nation invade your nation. Why ? For reasons ! Shity ones !

Doc strange is completely off his shit. Because of the house visitor he gets at the end of this issue. This angers me.

Reid Richards. The greatest evil humanity as ever know is telecommuting with his illuminaty buddy Tony stark. Its aww fine banter. bringing together Tony returning from his space adventures. I mean Tony only got back in this months issue of iron man but its fine. I buy the continuity hiccups. Its really not that big a deal in the grand sachem of things. Reid's telecommuting though. Like. Yes I understand he's the worst human ever and all but why dosent he pop into the future foundation and tell them that he and the F4 are fine. Ayes the FF are basically a joke book but they still think the F4 are missing and probably dead if mad auld johnny storm is to be believed. For fuck sake Reid. Get it together man.

Well that's really all there is to the issue. It sums up were all the “ new” avengers are at . What's going on in there lives. What there motivations are. What they were doing when thanos ranger team rocked up to the planet. As iv said. Most of them were being utter bastards at the time. A fairly quick read that left me surprisingly angry and still as confused about infinity as I was before.

Randomers #1

Righto. I feels like trying something different for a bit. Iv got this giant ass stack of comics iv picked up from car boots over the years and I'm never going to read them if I don't also somehow funnel them into mad hat out put. So here we are. Ill see if can blast threw them. Thought we mad hats do have an odd habit of only doing one part of something but promising the world. Almost none of them are connected to each other and there mostly books for characters I dinny ken any thing about. Were going in blind !

hope runs from youngblood's disease sufferers

 

 

Cable and x force 009

written by frank tieri art by salvador larroca

Cable and x force. More like uncanny avengers. Amaright ? The entirety of this comic is just the uncanny avengers team going to look for hope. Cables daughter not the awesome blue light of green lantern fame. It was ok. I think. As a stand alone issue that I went completely blind into it worked fairly well. Like id probs be pretty pissed if I was buying this monthly and this was all there was to the issue. Though saying that marvel has been hella cranking books out of late. So maybe the wound dosent cut that deep.

So the uncanny avengers are bobbing along looking about for hope. Having the banter. There cool dudes those uncanny avengers. I can totally see why folk could hate them though. Like ayes they can come off as cunts in there own book. Bit shites gotten epicly space Gothic real in there book. So I at least let it slide over there. Here not so much. Like. The main problem with the team is the mutants on it. Because as we've hopefully discussed before. Most mutants and almost all x men are utter bastards. To a man. Its this incredibly marvely thing. That they continue to push mutants as this feared and hated minority whilst simultaneously making mutants act like complete dicks to everyone and every thing in existence.

Hope herself is a bit of a bam here too. Mind controlling what I assume from context to be her foster parents into driving her about. Though to be fair. My only exposure to hope was from a vs x and from messiah complex if that was indeed her as a baby. I don't know. X men continuity. Fuck it. So her actions in this issue could be incredibly in character for her. Its just once again mutant kind dosent come off looking well. So hopes powers are to absorb other powers ? Cools. Kinda makes rouge a bit redundant when hope dosent even have to physically touch a dude to steal his powers. But again x men continuity. Fucked if I know what rouges current or actual deal is. Points to the comic though as hope absorbs the powers of purple girl. Didny ken there was a purple girl. Nice bit of z list usage there.

Oddly captain America is shown in a bad light. Though its just a fillery continuation of his beef with havok. Like. Ayes havok is the leader of the uncanny avengers. Fucked if I know why. Well. Political reasons. To show mutant and man working together and to piss off scott summers. Its just a bit dumb likes. Aye fair play you dinny need cap to lead ALL the avengers teams. But dinny just have him on the roster as an underling to add credibility to your pr stunt. Cause it leads to pish like this. Cap is the living legend leader of men. There's no getting around that. Though. I will say. Havok dose rock a mean gendo ikari turtle neck jacket look back in the main uncanny book. So. Points there.

Its really more of a banter based issue than a fight em up. But there's a little bit of action here and there. Its fairly stupid though. Hope makes cap and havok fight with purple girls powers as you'd expect. Its fairly meh. We didn't learn anything from it we didn't already know. Hopes finisher is using masterminds powers to summon this red skull galactus thing. Its cool ? Mibby ? Its an illusion that cap just one shots like a proper pro. Though it did serve as a reminder for me that the red skull is STILL out there running about with professor X's brain in his head. I mean. Nobody has gotten on this. Nobody has put a stop to the RED SKULL running about the world as one of the most powerful psychics ever. You'd think that be caps singular driving goal right now. But no. he's cutting about on a mutant publicity team checking up on this teenage girl. Because her dad is apparently at the top of the worlds most wanted list. Yeah. Scott summers is out there right now leading a mutant revolution. And folk are worried about what the human fridge cable is up to. ALSO THE RED SKULL IS STILL OUT THERE WITH PROF X'S BRAIN.

So yeah. I liked this issue ! Not enough to actively seek out cable and x force. God no. but I didn't hate what I read and there were cheeky wee bits of choice banter strewn about. Early on there's a gid bit from havok about x men and there constantly changing loyalty's that I had a good chuckle at. Mutants and especially x men being the worst humans to ever live and all that.

Comics the now

Hullos !

 

Comics right now are pretty damn good. I cant really remember a poor week for ages now. I guess there's a few reasons for that. I'm buying a wee bit more books now. Long gone are the days of only picking up amazing spider man. Damn they were good times. Now marvel has caught up with DC and have started putting out there new stuff. I'm a bit bummed that there renumbered books haven't had a synchronised launch but that might have been a bit too much like the new 52.

Aye I think ill still call it the new 52 on here despite it being auld and not exactly the same 52 books. Its been damn good though. Kept up the pace pretty well. Batman's been there top book since day one and I'm still loving it. The book got off to a rocking start and even though I had my doubts when it looked like that bat god would break snyder pulled it back in style with the silliness of the end of the court of owls and this new bat perfecting his YOUR INSANE paunch. Right now bats is onto another mega arc with the joker back in town starting shite. Its damn good. Ideally id just want an instant bat god win. But for the sake of drama its damn gid.

Action comics its fucking insanely brilliant. Like fucking insanely god like in its awesomeness. At times. Sadly its has its ups and downs. Now the downs arny really downy downs there just not highs. Which is a shame. Now that last issue just gone. #13. hoo lee fuck. Had me crying manly tears. Superman rides to the rescue of a mission to mars base and its apparently British crew. Super man at his supermanyist. A fusion of superman , Dr who and gurren lagann ! At times it felt like Morrison was writing it just foe me it was that spot on to what I like to read about.

Aquaman by the way. He's a bit of a lad. Well no, not really. He's just the standard man on a mission character the big goff likes to write. The aquaman book though. Now there's a hell of a lad. Like all comics its had its ups and downs. Its opening arc had some gosh darn fantastic moments. Establishing everyone in the DC verse thinks of aquaman the way the real world thinks of him. Id have personally like to see him just being the brave and the bold version but the loser hero was an alright way to go. The recent aquamans 90s anti hero team arc could have went badly but the team showed there true colours as not an anti hero team at all but a RANGER time. That last arc had a hell of a Saturday morning cartoon vibe. Its geof johns I know that's his thing but god damn it was glorious. It was the atlantian millennium items that did it for me.

The guardians of the galaxy continue to be moustache twirllingly evil. Its damn entertaining to watch. Sinestro and hal were finally getting down to the serious business of being buddy cops in space but they got sucked into a death hole. So theirs a new green lantern kicking about earth. Surprisingly cool dude. The preview images made him look quite the dick. Running about with a gun. We dinny need another John Stuart. Well no another current comics John Stuart. A justice league cartoon John Stuart would be joyously welcomed with open arms at this point. Aye so the new guy. What's his name. Cool dude. Canny fly yet. Drives construct cars. As fast as the flash. Like I said. Surprisingly cool dude.

Now marvel. Marvels fucking insane. Like proper loopy. Not entirely sure why. But they are. Big news was amazing spider mans getting a renumbering after issue 700. that's a huge kick in the balls. I feel like they renumbered it before and it didn't take. So we're all probs taking bets as to when it resets. Bigger news was that it might not be peter under the mask after 700. now that's probably the biggest ball kicker of the year. Maybe that hole Disney star wars thing. Its defiantly a big deal. Now normally with this kind of thing you'd just write it off as a desperate attempt to build up hype for a book. But here's the thing. Marvels fucking insane. We're at the point ware they could actually kill off peter god damn Parker. In the year of his 50^th anniversary and a recent film release. Now I'm not all that up to date on it but hopefully its just dan slott the eternal lad taking the piss. But if not. Calm the fuck doon marvel.

 

 

Now despite there insanity they do make quite fine comics. Avengers vs X men was pretty well done in my opinion. Not to everyone's taste I expect. It really was a lot of fighting. But I have to stress. Damn good fighting. Cyclops. Cyclops is an utter bastard. But a loveable bastard. He's just so amazingly evil. That's what I took away from A vs X. I know that's not always been his character but its some thing for him to do at any rate. Marvels moved on from civil war a bit. Now there bastard of the event is at least employable evil unlike Tony stark was back then.

I picked up Two X books in the aftermath of the event. Not really an X fan but I thought id give them a chance. Uncanny avengers just blew me away. Two things did it for me. The the just plain awesome casual vibe. And the red skull stealing prof X's brain. HOW AMAZINGLY RED SKULL IS THAT. Aye prof X has been dead for two hole seconds and BOOM red skulls in there. No hesitation. Proper old school villainy. Now this Wednesday just past big brain Michel bendis swaggered into the room and slammed all new x men on the table. It was actually pretty good. Staggeringly. Now the full impact of the first issue was spoiled by previews but the idea of getting young Scott summers to come to the future and talk some sense into himself is a damn amazing idea. Nice one bendis.

The fantastic four books missed a trick. They ended there current run going to save Dr doom from a universe he crated that turned against him. Aye naw pal. That might be actually what would happen given the circumstances and dooms actual character. But that's not what would happen to the lad doom. Lad doom would never need the fantastic four to rescue him. Lad doom wouldn't need rescuing at all. Lad doom would be off conquering universe's duel wielding infinity gauntlet like the ultra lad he is. Now to the books credit despite this fall at the very last hurdle the issue did have some fine moments and quite doomy lines form the lad himself. Sad that the run over really. The new runs just kicked off. Bit to early to say how its going but baglys art it is grately appreciated.

I decided to pick up iron man. Juuuuuuust as the book was gearing up for its final arc. Gotta say I like what I read. Very very metal gear solid ish. Sad I missed out on the hole run now. Might have to go pick up the trades at some point. Actually I don't think iv bought new trades outside of xmas presents since I started buying comics by the monthly format two or three years ago. Damn likes. That's something for me to think about. Picked up the new number one with him in his new black and yellow armour. Only one issue down of course but so far its not as good as fractions run. Not bad though. A few nice bits here and there. Gotta wait and see ware it go's

Lastly iv been venturing into deeper comic waters. The darker depths of indi comics. Well indi-er than the two big company's. Saga is a damn fine piece of comicbooking. Its the new one by that there y the last man guy. Now a fair bit of it is quite out there for my taste but that's offset buy its incredible comic booky-ness. Its about a couple and the new born child escaping from two factions at war with each other. IN SPACE. Grant Morrison's new book, happy is hopefully a piss take of mark millers indi books in particular and mark miller in general. It is defiantly a piss take but hopefully that will be made official eventually. Happy is a charming Christmas tale of a scumy scum bag and his tiny wise cracking flying purple unicorn buddy. It be horribly depressing if its not a piss take. So you can see why I want it to be one. Has to be. Hopefully

Also I'm back !

comic book quickies 16.5.12

AVENGERS #26

written by Brain Michael Bendis art by Walter Simonson

Well this wasn't what I was expecting at all. This world man. Its crazy. You go to your friendly neighbourhood comic book shop to pick up a copy of the avengers and what do you get ? A story all about the secret avengers! This world man I'm telling you its totally mental sometimes. Well I suppose its more a noh var spotlight issue so that's cool. We really don't know all that much about the young kree lad, its not like we learn all that much more about him here but whatevers. Now it is sort of weird that captain America sends this avenger team and not to mention his close friend Thor on what he calls a suicide mission. I like to think his reasoning is that Thor died pretty recently and just came back so he probably wont die any time soon.

BLUE BEETLE #9

written by Tony Bedard art by Marcio Takara

Now this was ok. Just ok. It was a slight step up from what we've had from this book recently. So that's something at least. The main problem I have with book is Jamie isn't having fun. The scarab battle suit isn't any fun. The beetle place within the world of the new fifty two isn't any fun. So I'm really not digging this blue beetle on the run arc. Its just not what I want from the character. All DC have to do is have Jamie in some fun super hero adventures where he's a inexperienced rookie. Now they kind of have that going on here with the star kid vibe the first few issues had and you do get the point that Jamie has no idea what he's doing or how to be a hero but there still missing that vitally important fun part.

SUPER GIRL #9

written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson art by Mahmud Asrar

Now this was a damn good comic. Damn good. I'm tempted to say this was the best issue of super girl that iv read since issue one. It was just so darn fun. And as you'd expect from I comic I really liked it did have a lot of fighting. Which is always funky. Now I did think that last issue was a good change of pace breather issue and I did kind of want that to continue. I would have been really happy if supergirl just sat around all issue chilling with her Irish gal pal. Well I guess that wasn't to be. Oh wells wall to wall fighting is just as good. I know a lot of people out there think fighting alone cant carry a comic and I'm willing to concede that's partially true but I have to give credit to this comic its some what interesting fighting. Now its nothing mind blowing but its not like its supergirl spamming one paunch over and over and suer girls powers were going mental and that led to the standard not trying to hurt civilians routine that I'm glad dint take the dark path and have her kill or maim anyone. Yeah so supergirls a kinda sorta solid comic.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #9

written by geoff johns art by jim lee

This was interesting. Not great. But interesting. Really it was just a lot of set up and not very justice league-ish set up at that. Like the last few issues it felt very small. Well not very small but smaller than it should be for the big super star flag ship that it started out as. There was time spent showing that the justice league are people too and that they have there own emotional problems that will most likely pay off further down the line but I dunno man all of the emotional problems felt quite hollow to me. I like to think that by the time they all come together to form the league they'd have all there shit together. Now I know I'm alone in this but I really don't get what the big deal is with jim lees art. Yeah there was points in the first five issues ware I could kind of see what people liked about it but not here. At least when non super powered stuff was happening. The back up story still shows billy batson as being a bastard. Yes I'm sure the big goff lad is building to something and billy probably will get some charter development to become an actually likeable. now yes he dose shown signs of development this issue but right now he's still a bastard. Which is really odd. After flashpoint I'm sure everybody was fine with that version of captain marvel becoming the actual version. Its just weird is all.

AVENGERS VS X-MEN #4

written by team marvel art by jr jr

Sow how powerful is the phoenix force ? Yeah I know it can destroy planets. Big deal galatus dose that every other day. The fantastic four can take galatus so can they take the phoenix ? Well the x-men were able to defeat it back in the day so I'm pretty sure the avengers alone could take it. Yeah I'm saying the x-men suck ass. Deal with it. They make so much the phoenix being this world ending thing but I just cant get into that. I'm my head I see it as just another x-men villain. This issue was sort of terrible. Very little actual fighting going on and yeah there was a lot of one off panels showing fighting happening but there just there to advertise the tie ins. I know that's the done thing for events theses days but I still don't like it. Emma frost trys her hand a narrating this issue and as you'd expect she's just terrible at it. Somehow it still feels like a ninety's anti hero doing the voice over commentary. Now don't get me wrong I love the ninety's as much as the next man buy this was just an odd choice. So big wolverines back on the avengers side by the end of the issue. That makes his fight with captain America last issue totally pointless. Yay marvel !

A VS X THE FIGHTS #2

written by steve mcniven and kieron gillen art by john dell and salvador larroca

Now I suppose I shouldn't complain about the lack of fighting in the main avengers vs x-men book when we have this lovely little title that's all fighting. First up we have captain America vs gambit. Thankfully cap won. Can you imagine if they had written gambit as the winner ? MADNESS. Now don't me wrong I like gambit that lad can totally rock pink but captain America is a living legend and I don't get how someone can get it in there head that they could take him. Second fight is spider-man vs colossus. In latveria. I like how the avengers think hope is hanging out in latveria. It just makes so much sense ! Oh wait no it dosent. Now the fight itself was quit gid as it was basically just spider-man vs the juggernaut and the comic gives the fight to colossus. Naw man. Just naw.

Comic Review: Spider-Man #1 and #2 (1990)

Today's review takes us back to the early 1990's, when comic books were at their most popular. Comic issues were selling more than they ever had before, and the industry was beginning to focus on gimmicks such as re-numberings and poly-bagging to increase sales in an increasingly speculative market. As we all know, in the next few years the bubble would burst spectacularly, but that's a whole other article. One of the great success stories of this period was the artist Todd Mcfarlane, who in the late 80's had a run as artist on Amazing Spider-Man. So popular was his work on the title, it was decided that he would be given creative control over a new Spider-Man ongoing, simply titled Spider-Man, which he would write and create art for.

The plot focuses on Calypso possessing the Lizard in order to kill Spider-Man, effectively turning it into a zombie. Spider-Man marked Mcfarlane's first attempt at writing comics, and it definitely shows. The narration is awkward and pretentious, and at multiple times switches between first and third person, which is a very jarring problem, especially when it happens frequently. However, the banter between Peter and Mary-Jane is decent, and they're believable as husband and wife. Issue 1 sees the Lizard reborn, and issue 2 a fight scene, which provides decent pacing.

As you would expect from a Mcfarlane comic, the art is mostly excellent, especially in regards to Spider-Man, the Lizard and the environments. New York is successfully made to appear darker and edgier,more akin to something like Watchmen, and the sheer detail of the Lizard impresses.  Running throughout the art is a visual representation of Calypso's controlling of lizard, appearing as 'DOOM' across the art. The effect works well, especially in the second issue as we see Spider-Man poisoned and in increasing desperation. On the minus side, the normal humans look sub-par compared to the rest of the art and a couple of INCREDIBLE silly mistakes are made, such as Mary-Jane's eye colour changing from blue to green in 2 pages.

The comic as a whole is a decent enough read, but you can't shake the impression Mcfarlane simply set out to make a Watchmen styled Spider-Man comic, and it just doesn't really work, especially when all the plot seems to be a catalyst for cool art for Mcfarlane to draw. If he truly wanted a dark, edgier Spider-Man, more effort should have been put into making the plot more complex and engaging, instead of making an incredibly basic comic book plot pretentious, as he manages here. All in all, the comic is definitely a product of its time, comic in between the dark age and the consumer obsessed 90's, which means it ultimately comes across as rather confused.  Although, when it was released, Spider-Man #1 became the highest selling comic book of all time, with 2.65 million copies sold, so what do I know, right?

HIS NAME -- SPIDER-MAN!
HIS POWERS -- EXTRAORDINARY!
HIS WEBLINE -- ADVANTAGEOUS!!

Right on, Todd.