What I've Been Reading Part 3
STRANGEMACHINECOMICS.COM
Sensational Spider-Man #40
Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art: Clayton Crain
This is one of them issues I should have flipped through before blindly buying. If I did that I would have saved three bucks. It's a fill in issue until the One More Day cross-over finale of the series where Sensational and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man are being dropped to make Amazing three times monthly.
First off, the art by Crain, while technically very impressive was just ugly to look at. I don't know if it was painted or done with a computer, or painted with a computer, it was just hard to look at. It was realistic, but in a crack induced hallucinagenic kind of way. You have to see it to really know what I'm talking about. He did a few panels in the previous issue when I was first introduced to Crain's work that made Aunt May look like a hideous halloween witch.
Ugly art alone is reason enough for me to put a book back on the shelf but the story or lack of story was worse.
Amazing Spider-man supports the main plot featuring the fall out of Aunt May getting shot by a bullet from the gun of a sniper hired by the Kingpin, intended for Peter. "Friendly" has been veering slightly off that plot by covering what Spidey is doing in between beating himself up over it by fighting some bug lady Ms. Arrow. Fine with me because I can't make up my mind if I even give a crap about this arc from issue to issue in Amazing. With that in mind, Sensational just seems to be retreading that main plot but adding nothing new. The whole issue is Peter reflecting on his life as Spider-man and the effects it's had on his loved ones with some mysterious mystical homeless man on a trip around NYC. I never seen the character before and don't know if he's new, but he was obviously supposed to be some spiritual touched by an angel/holy spirit or whatever helping Peter see all the good Spider-man has contributed to the world despite his personal pain.
The worst Spider-man stories, and for the most part all superhero stories are when the writers regurgitate the heroes origins and key past stories. These are the equivilent of clip episodes from sitcoms where they just showed bits from old episodes. How many times can we see homages to the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15, relive the deaths of Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy, and reflect on how being Spider-man has put frail Aunt May into jeopardy (all in this issue by the way)?
This is the worst comic books I read in months because it pissed me off for all the forced sentiment.
If they don't have enough new stories to fill three different titles of Spider-man each month I'm all for condensing them down to one title three times a month. Although I'll miss "Friendly".
Action Comics #852-854
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art and cover by Brad Walker and John Livesay
Now this is a good comic. A fun little crossover arc from Countdown about Jimmy Olson getting super powers and patroling the streets as a new hero named Mr. Action. He helps Superman who obviously has trouble taking down the villain The Kryptonite Man. The art was typical all american comic book stuff and the story was light and fun. No bitching and whining about being a super hero. Jimmy loves it.
Jimmy also reached an epiphany that Clark is Superman with reasons unknown to even himself how he mysteriously just figured it out. I assume that plot will be worked out in the future issues back in Countdown.
It ends with Clark/Superman inviting Jimmy for a tryout in the Justice Leaugue and long lost pet Krypto the Super Dog, reappearing to lend a hand in the fight against the baddy and becoming Jimmy's new pet.
back to strangemachinecomic.com
Sensational Spider-Man #40
Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art: Clayton Crain
This is one of them issues I should have flipped through before blindly buying. If I did that I would have saved three bucks. It's a fill in issue until the One More Day cross-over finale of the series where Sensational and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man are being dropped to make Amazing three times monthly.
First off, the art by Crain, while technically very impressive was just ugly to look at. I don't know if it was painted or done with a computer, or painted with a computer, it was just hard to look at. It was realistic, but in a crack induced hallucinagenic kind of way. You have to see it to really know what I'm talking about. He did a few panels in the previous issue when I was first introduced to Crain's work that made Aunt May look like a hideous halloween witch.
Ugly art alone is reason enough for me to put a book back on the shelf but the story or lack of story was worse.
Amazing Spider-man supports the main plot featuring the fall out of Aunt May getting shot by a bullet from the gun of a sniper hired by the Kingpin, intended for Peter. "Friendly" has been veering slightly off that plot by covering what Spidey is doing in between beating himself up over it by fighting some bug lady Ms. Arrow. Fine with me because I can't make up my mind if I even give a crap about this arc from issue to issue in Amazing. With that in mind, Sensational just seems to be retreading that main plot but adding nothing new. The whole issue is Peter reflecting on his life as Spider-man and the effects it's had on his loved ones with some mysterious mystical homeless man on a trip around NYC. I never seen the character before and don't know if he's new, but he was obviously supposed to be some spiritual touched by an angel/holy spirit or whatever helping Peter see all the good Spider-man has contributed to the world despite his personal pain.
The worst Spider-man stories, and for the most part all superhero stories are when the writers regurgitate the heroes origins and key past stories. These are the equivilent of clip episodes from sitcoms where they just showed bits from old episodes. How many times can we see homages to the cover of Amazing Fantasy #15, relive the deaths of Uncle Ben and Gwen Stacy, and reflect on how being Spider-man has put frail Aunt May into jeopardy (all in this issue by the way)?
This is the worst comic books I read in months because it pissed me off for all the forced sentiment.
If they don't have enough new stories to fill three different titles of Spider-man each month I'm all for condensing them down to one title three times a month. Although I'll miss "Friendly".
Action Comics #852-854
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art and cover by Brad Walker and John Livesay
Now this is a good comic. A fun little crossover arc from Countdown about Jimmy Olson getting super powers and patroling the streets as a new hero named Mr. Action. He helps Superman who obviously has trouble taking down the villain The Kryptonite Man. The art was typical all american comic book stuff and the story was light and fun. No bitching and whining about being a super hero. Jimmy loves it.
Jimmy also reached an epiphany that Clark is Superman with reasons unknown to even himself how he mysteriously just figured it out. I assume that plot will be worked out in the future issues back in Countdown.
It ends with Clark/Superman inviting Jimmy for a tryout in the Justice Leaugue and long lost pet Krypto the Super Dog, reappearing to lend a hand in the fight against the baddy and becoming Jimmy's new pet.
back to strangemachinecomic.com
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