Rek-Rap fans stay winning. I know people are mad about Rek-Rap but I can't personally muster it. I think this issue solidified the concept behind Rek-Rap, with the shift to a more classic comics tone of art. Maybe it's just because I've read some classic Lee/Romita Sr. ASM lately but Rek-Rap works for me because Wells somehow manages to make him say nonsense that accurately reflects the tone and timing of Lee-era Spider-Man. It's actually kinda uncanny, and I'm not even fully convinced it's on purpose. But it works, and it's fun. The villain is also really neat. This issue is loads of fun, which may be annoying to people who wanted more fallout from the Spidey Who Gobs (we get the tiniest of tastes of that when Norman appears, ruder than usual) but I am not super upset about it. The biggest drawback to the issue is the Gang War interlude. It shouldn't be here. I know they need to keep setting it up, but it doesn't fit. I can't remember where I heard it but someone told me that they were *only* interested in the Gang War pages for the last couple issues, and that's baffling to me on many levels. more

I think that if the leaks weren't a thing, this issue would have worked better for me. If Kamala died as a surprise it would have been way better, especially because it was already a tense moment, like it reminds me of Iron Man and Thanos in The infinity war movie, when everybody was thinking Iron Man was going to die, when he got stabbed and man those moments were so tense, like it was possible. Everybody was terribly worried and that's why the relief felt so good, even if had, a note of defeat. I felt the same way with MJ somehow here, but then I remembered ''oh yeah the leaks''.

This was an emotional issue, it was a ride with a bittersweet end because the villain is finally gone, and MJ is alive, but it had a huge cost, one which Pete again couldn't prevent, which seems to be a theme in this arc. Pete was just so helpless the whole arc, while trying, which adds to the somber feeling. Like everything was so above him, so determined, but Spidey had to try, because well... he is Spidey.So yeah a sacrifice in this case looks like a right call in this case. Kamala dying had some ground, but again if it was a surprise. Btw more than half the cover does not have even that. still, this arc feels somewhat disjoined to be and I'm still not sure how I feel about everything. Btw i think this is Romita's best work in a big while. more

Ultimate Invasion #1 is the start of a new event from Marvel Comics, written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Bryan Hitch. The issue brings together the Illuminati, a group of Marvel's most powerful superheroes, to stop the Maker, a dark version of Reed Richards from the Ultimate Universe who played a pivotal role in the events leading to the destruction of that universe in the Secret Wars crossover event.

It is a classic Hickman debut issue — little action, but tons of groundwork being laid for the future. We see the Maker break out of a top-secret prison and steal highly powerful weapons from each member of the Illuminati’s domain, causing the often controversial group to reconvene and address the situation.

The Maker pays a visit to Miles Morales, who he asks to join him in returning to a universe of their own. After Miles declines, the Maker leaves to power up his new invention but not before the Illuminati track him down and attempt to stop him. The Maker reveals he’s been goading the group with clues so that they could find him and he could have one final conversation with Earth-616 Reed Richards. He then activates the machine he built and vanishes…

In the issue’s epilogue, we see a familiar scene where a Earth-6160’s Peter Parker is about to be bit by a radioactive spider. Just as the spider is about to bite him and lead to his transformation into Spider-Man, a maskless Maker kills the spider. It’s here we realize that he is out to manipulate timelines and potentially remove superheroes from them altogether.

The issue is full of slow-build suspense, and Hickman does a great job of setting up the conflict between the Maker and the Illuminati, especially Earth-616 Reed Richards. Every conversation felt like a drip, drip, drip of information I am going to need to retain. While I can understand how that may not be how some readers want to engage with a comic book, I appreciate how the effect paid off by the end of the issue and, if history is any indication on a Hickman run, it will likely have an even bigger payoff later on.

The artwork by Hitch in this issue is equally as stunning, and he brings the characters to life. There is one full-page image at the end of the main story that I spent a lot of time with as Hitch’s work does an amazing job capturing a wider-range of reactions from individual members of the Illuminati. Black Panther’s eyes specifically still haunt me. It is wonderful to see Hitch back with the Ultimate Universe he helped to create.

Overall, Ultimate Invasion #1 is a great start to the event. It's full of suspense and mystery, and it leaves readers wanting more even though there are no new characters introduced.

Rating: 9/10 more

Both books were better than this event was. The end especially was so unfulfilling, so anticlimactic but honestly, the whole thing was, stuffed with moments that did not matter in the long run and others that just were forced and because of it, did not hit. both creative teams did not mesh well with the story, because excel at so different things. But in the finale we are basically back to square one, every character changed their stance really fast, or at least to fast for my taste to make it work, it seems rushed, especially when a lot of this event was so low on plots and was moving slow. I think this story needed more, needed more care, and more time, it had the potential to be amazing because even when I actually liked Sentinel of Liberty, mainly because of the characterization of Steve, that series also could have dealt better with this plot. The big stakes just weren't justified for that series in my opinion. more

The second year of Wells' run starts out in an odd place. It really feels like the title is playing catch up with itself. I guess that's necessary after a storyline that primarily took place in the past, and before that, one that ended up being a giant waste of time.

This would be a fresh start for the title if not for Ms. Marvel's death looming over everything. By far, the best part of this current era of Spidey is Norman's attempts at redemption, and I'm glad that seems to be taking a focus here again. Gold Goblin's shock-snap ending is finally addressed, which is good as it was very important for Norman's character, but then it's undone by this issue's ending. I'm not shocked by that. Queen Goblin was set up in this run as a villain; it'd be weird for her to simply disappear after the Hobgoblin arc. I feel like it immensely undercuts that Gold Goblin miniseries, though.

And for the other plot, we finally get some sort of follow through on ASM 900. I like that the story that somehow stuck out more than Dark Web is finally being incorporated into the rest of the run, but it creates this really weird tonal whiplash. Peter and Norman are both really down right now over a death they feel very responsible for, but there's a pair of Ock arms that is in love with Peter, and Jonah's getting a taste of his own medicine lol. I wish this issue would've picked a lane and stuck with it. Go dark and have a character driven issue about grief, or do a fresh start and get away from everything for a wacky, fun Doc Ock story. The book's doing a lot of juggling, and I hope it pays off for a satisfying story.

McGuinness' art is overall good, although I thought it was sloppy in places. His art is very clean but, in this instance, I don't think it helps the issue. The tonal back and forth is made worse by an art style that doesn't really have a specific atmosphere to it. You could put McGuinness on any story and it'll look very nice, but it would be on the writer to make it feel a specific way beyond that, and Wells doesn't set the tone here.

Overall, nothing here is bad or poorly written, but it feels like Wells and co. don't know exactly what story they want to tell.

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I like that Slott does not really try to reinvent the wheel here or at least not that much as with his run on ASM. Also, there is certainly some old-school aspect to this storyline in particular. The themes ring close to Spidey, it's nothing new, not even for Slott's Spider-Man nor something is done in some spectacular manner, nope it just feels like one little adventure in the adventurous life of the character. It's pretty much what one would expect from a second title. The issue is really easy to read and comprehensible, it's really simple. it shows more of Pete's world, from family to even villains, like New yorks feels moving again. It really plays to a lot of the classic notes, Spider-man's comics do, but with the current status quo, so there is a certain comfort to all that, but it's certainly something older writers managed to do better in the past. This should be the base of what a good or even passable spidey comics should be. more

For me, Johns had the worst story, followed by Joshua Williamson, Adams, Spurier, and Waid at the top.

Before going into detail, I want to say, that in general, this was a great anniversary issue, even the worst were not so bad(maybe only Johns), everything was quite good. My biggest critique is leaving Bill Messner Loebs out of the issue and bringing Williamson, who wrote like one issue about Wally. But that does not have to do much with the comics. In general, it's a nice variety of stories.

So Johns. Lately, Johns developed a very decompressed style of writing. His best work for me is characterized by just page-turners, fully fleshed characters, and a constant inspiration behind everything, sadly lately a lot of that is lacking even in his JSA titles(I actually enjoy those, but still can't be compared with his old JSA), but especially here. Seeing him write a flash villain and especially Hunter Zolomon is normal for one to get excited, but here the idea is paper thin it feels like he tries to justify a decision by the editorial more than anything and honestly, I don't get much out of it. No new ground explored really and no plot really, even for 5 pages. And it's so wordy, with mostly exposition it breaks the flows Scott Kolins sets and the art is the best thing about the story. I guess they wanted to make new audiences with Hunter, but even if that's the case, that's not the presentation, because if I was a new reader I was going to be both confused and not interested because I can do pretty much the same thing by reading his wiki, which is sad because he is a good character. But again Kollins art is great, it's even more refined and still carries the energy, associated with him and he just knows how to set up a moment and that can be seen here. This story is like 5.

As I said Williamson should not be here, even tho his story is actually good, and used his experience writing Barry well here. He even wrote it better than he did in his run for the most part and I think that is because Barry works better in limited spaces, when you see him and Iris in their best light. Here Barry is calmer, more stable, and not much of a talker, but always with a smile on his head and that's why when he is sad it hits. Again it rehashes old ideas and some fundamental ones, which are so ingrained into Wally, that there is no real reason to hear those things again, but that's Williamson usually, fan pleaser, not much more. But it's a heartwarming story, which should the huge appreciation Wally has for Barry and Iris, with some really calm vibes, hitting all the right emotional notes. While that is mostly done with narration again, here it goes really well with art, both complementing each other, for a difference from Johns story. Also, the other side of the relationship is very well presented. It's normal for Wally to be more direct in expressing his love, but Barry is way more introverted, so everything with him is coming from the art, so this way we get great contrast between the narration and the pages. Especially in the way it's presented why he sees Wally as a son. This story is 8

Adams actually wrote an amazing story. It retains his sweet light and naive humor, while finally again has art that's not rushed. My only complaint really is how villains had pretty much the same voice from the beginning and also not much character, it was not confusing or anything just felt not like real people that much and made the story a little bit blander, especially when that did not fit the story. But again the story is extremely funny and shows a great outsider's perspective. Again a fairly simple story, built around one idea, which is an especially good way to build a short story, showing the contrast between Wally smiling and being nice and the villains that are terrified of him, almost like he does not understand how much of powerhouse he is and his effect on his enemies. Mordu as the biggest hitter was the highlight, especially the fear and humiliation, he suffered through. The comedic chemistry and timing Pasarin and Adams developed during their run comes in a perfect form here and sells a lot of those funny moments. There is something to Pasarin's more realistic art drawing those silly expressions and moments because the humor it's just silly and aware of how childish it can be, which makes it really sweet. In general, the way Adams wrote Wally is really sweet, which is the total opposite of the next writer. this I feel is like 8.5.

The difference between Spurrier and Adams is literally Night and Day. Adams wrote Wally consistently like a simple man, without delving too much into his psyche like Messner Loebs, but also without some of his flaws, here Wally is way more complex with changing thoughts, always on the move, trying to balance it all. It's anxiety-inducing and that's shown well. What it's obvious from the start is that he has a vision. His Wally is somewhat colder in his words, more analytical, constantly thinking, seeing more of his doubts, which he kinda tries to leave behind, in general, he is trying to focus on one thing, but he's constantly distracted. That's a nice base for him as a character and I like how we only get some hints about all that. There is definitely some feeling of distance, of not knowing the full picture, again a huge contrast with Adams. Aside from that, the story takes a lot of interesting decisions with lettering, and art, and even the monologuing has a more distant, more typewritten vibe adding to the fogginess of the story actually. But definitely, every one of those small decisions serves well here. Ofc we see the mystery, the cosmic horror Wally tries to ignore, which is inescapable.-9

Waid is in great form these days. Firstly I love that the story focuses on impulse, especially in this era of Impulse. A very fun story, focusing on the dynamics between him, Wally, and Max, with a slightly more animated twist than his og flash run. But the foundation is still there. Wally does not trust impulse and because of his immaturity, brashness and just being impatient, he really does not treat Bart kindly. I always loved their dynamic and saw the potential for being more extreme, like here, which is also reminding me of PAD's young justice. Every one of the 3 characters is fully alive, every word coming from their mouths feels true. Todd Nauck at his most expressive here also adds to that. Truly everything is great here, every panel counts, every panel serves its function and the characters' actions speak on a deeper level of who they are. It feels classic, when reading it, I feel like this is as essential as those characters get. Just nobody can write Wally as multidimensionally as Wade did and still does.9.5 more

This wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. All the leaks were impossible to avoid for me, and presumably, for everyone else too. So we all knew that Ms. Marvel was going to be killed off in this issue, in a title where her technically being part of the cast could be chalked up to glorified cameos. This issue doesn't do a terrible job justifying her death within the text. She is a hero and wants to save MJ. That's enough motivation as far as I'm concerned. I don't think there really needs to be more than that, motivation-wise. As far as the plot, it doesn't come so far out of nowhere that you wonder if it was made up last minute, but it does feel like they could've done a whole lot more to set this up. There are pages here and there, but that's not enough. The accusation of fridging could definitely be made, but I don't think this necessarily fits that. Fridging is about a lack of agency, a character (typically female) being made a plot device in service to the protagonist's (typically male) pathos. I think the way in which Ms. Marvel is killed gives her character a lot of agency, especially compared to what we all expected. She decides to help MJ, and she decides how she's going to do that. She's not made to be a victim. But I'm sure some people will disagree, and that's fine. It's not a smart decision by editorial or by the writer, just in terms of optics and, frankly, satisfying storytelling.

Aside from that though, we get some payoffs here. The heroes are done being mad at Peter/Peter being mad at them, and that whole conflict is ended with the amount of ceremony that I think is appropriate (ie none). We find out who Paul is, which... isn't very shocking at all. MJ makes a comparison between Paul and Peter that I think a lot of people are misconstruing. She's not saying Paul and Peter made similar choices, committed to the similar actions, etc. She's simply saying that they both have a lot of guilt that drives them to be better people, because of events spurned by their having power, yet no responsibility for it. It's not the cleanest comparison, but it works a lot more if you think about it for more than a second. The kids are gone now, which I'd say is a step in the right direction for all the Paul haters. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is going to be a turning point of sorts for Paul. I see the MJ/Paul relationship fracturing from this, and probably some tired Felicia/MJ/Peter love triangle drama.

Seeing all the leaks as they came out and seeing all the responses to those leaks really was an experience. Especially when the leaks about the kids came out. It really feels like on one hand, a lot of Spidey fans do not see the man behind the curtain, so to speak, but on the other hand, know exactly who to rage at and threaten when things don't go the way they think they should go. The absolute bipolar response to the kids being disappeared versus the MJ comparison between Peter and Paul is astounding. I don't even know what to really analyze from it. It's just... rabid.

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Umm... so I have a LOT of thoughts about this comic. Maybe the biggest one is... I don't hate it? I think it's kinda okay-ish, not-bad-not-good-but-more-good-than-bad?

I KNOW I KNOW. Hear me out, put the pitchforks down.

Let's start with the good. I said, put the pitchforks down.

I kinda liked the art. Especially whenever Rabin was on scene, his ritual scenes were great. Everything looked kinda amazing. Faces tho, JRJR I love you and always will, but... yeah. Not as amazing to say kindly.

And the writing? Well it's mostly good. I re-read the previous issues of this arc and they felt better? A bit? And I was invested on this comic too. I cared what happened and, there were many good scenes. As a singular comic, I liked it.

And then came the death scenes. I must be honest, the idea works, how it goes down and all. I think had it not been spoiled, it would've kinda worked...

...had it not been Ms Marvel who dies. I'm not going to pretend that I'm a huge Kamala fan or anything, but this was not the place for it. Not the ASM book. Kamala has been barely a presence here, so her being gone just feels wrong. I remember when I first heard about it and I thought "this must be a troll or something, this is so stupid." I actually laughed becayse I was so sure it was a joke. But it wasn't. So no, this doesn't feel right, nor was it done well.

So if you are a massive Kamala fan, or just like her in general, and feels this to be a massive injustice to her, I get you, I won't disagree with you. It's not the worse thing ever for me, but I can recognize how badly it was done.

Then the other big thing. Like I said, I still kinda enjoyed this comic. As a singular comic, it's mostly good. As a finale to this "Death Language" -arc, it's still mostly good. As a finale to the first year of ASM, it's terrible. It's bad.

I hope you are still hearing me, because I feel now some of you might agree with me more.

During the past year, ASM has been plagued by this mystery box and the run has suffered for it. Heavily. There has been good issues (opening arc, Hobgoblin arc) and atrocius ones (#900, Dark Web). It has been hard to sometimes enjoy this run and while this finally gives us some answers, it doesn't make it better in hindsight.

Paul finally gets some character. Which is nice. I never hated him (although I love the memes), but this could've been brought up so much earlier to make us care about Paul. Especially since we have barely seen him. The flashbacks do work, but I would've wished to see them previously.

Same with the kids. A lot people enjoyed seeing them gone, and while I'm happy I was right about them being related to Wayeb'/Rabin, I just wish we would've seen them more. That I would care about them being gone more.

And Rabin as a villain was just poorly done. There was nothing interesting about him, and this family relation would've improved a lot, had it been brought up previously. His previous appearance in #555-557 worked much better for me (although that might be the nostalgia speaking, those were my ASM first comics I got when my mother started ASM subscription. Not my first ASM issues, but the first storyline I got to read fully).

To a lot of people, this arc is too little, too late. And I kinda agree. It doesn't justify the poor writing and messy pacing this run has had, nor did we need to wait this for a year. It doesn't feel like it's worth it. And this is coming from someone who has liked (parts of) this run and this storyline too.

Had the run started with this arc and then concluded with #900 with someone else dying, I feel like this would've worked a lot better. But, now as it is, this doesn't make this run retroactively better. It just makes me dislike editorial more.

So in conclusion/TLDR: not to the worst comic. Not the worst storyline (like seriously, Dark Web exists and it was WAY worse than this). Better than you might think it is. Ms Marvels' death still doesn't work, nor does storyline this save this run.

However, I won't give up on this run. I feel like we can FINALLY move forward and to some interesting storylines. And just move past... whatever this is. I still somewhat-ish trust Wells, but if you stop this run because of this storyline and how it was handled (Ms Marvel's death especially), I don't blame ya. more

I can't help but be reminded by the cover how we were robbed of a world where Jack Kirby drew Spider-Man. I'm going to take a more personal route with this than really judging it on it's composition.

This intro has always really resonated with me despite its advanced age and dated scripting. Not to harp on that aspect too much as while I'm not the biggest fan of Lee's work and find him a master of throwing out word garbage and hoping it works, he makes clear choices here to showcase how Peter is viewed by his peers and elders. Peter's relationship with his aunt and uncle have always directly reminded me of my grandparents. With a fairly absent father in my youth and no mother, I was raised almost entirely by my grandparents and the way Lee described their relationship and sense of humor is almost an exact parallel. I wrestled with my grandfather almost every day after school and my grandmother was the best cook and while I never had wheatcakes, I was a fiend for pancakes. Not that any of this is exclusive to my situation but it's in these scenes that Lee and Ditko really cement Peter in believability and relatability. Traits that have carried with him and shaped the way that people look at 'costume heroes'.

As a way to bolster how real Peter felt in his relationships with those around him, he's also depicted with very real feeling. Retribution, regret, anger, rage, loneliness, and resolve. Attributes and emotions that weren't as effectively conveyed at the time. These especially have stood the test of time as they are what have made Peter Parker and Spider-Man an icon. Someone who feels what we all do but knows that he was given gifts that he could use for himself yet has the lessons and tragedies instilled in him to use those gifts to change the world for the better. more

This issue especially feels like a modernized version of Lee/Ditko, or at least I get pretty much the same feeling reading it as when I did those old issues. Doc Strange being the underdog in the world of magic, using only his calm cunning to escape a situation, which by all means should be unescapable, showing that the real magic is actually the human mind or in this case even more satisfyingly the character's history, showing us real argument from in-universe, why a certain thing is that way.

This issue just hammers that point and structures itself around it, around this one problem that needs solving. It's a thrilling ride for sure, especially the gamble the doc does because, till the end of it, I had no idea where we were going, or what exactly was the point of everything, so a gamble as this, seemed to put Strange in a terrible position, then we get the revelation that shows us the second face of the issue. A structure like that shows a lot of confidence and again makes certain moments so much more thrilling, but even without it the way the doctor is characterized and the dialogue makes it work, not even mentioning how great of a concept this issue has. And that is just a regular day for Stephen, which again a proof of the characterization and how crazy things get.

Not to forget the art, which has great fluidity and elegance, breaking every stiffness. It's not expressive, but that's not really what this is going for, this is a calm and slightly cold mood, which is also seen in the colors.

It would be blasphemy to say this is better than Lee/Ditko, which is probably my favorite silver age title, or at least one of my favorites, and Ditko the work Ditko did in those issues is something that can't be topped and Lee's writing was quite tight and focused but I feel it builds really well on those ideas, using the immense universe and history of the doctor, while also, in general, more somewhat of more complex characterizations, more inner conflicts and better relationships. For now i really prefer this series over the last 2 series. All in all Jed Mckay does exactly what he always does, which as expected is stellar. more

I don't know how to feel about this issue and I think that's how I am supposed to feel. It feels like the end. That's the moment we as a fandom should most definitely move on and leave what once was, what once was great in the past. Pete tried everything and gave his all, but sometimes destiny wins. I feel like that reflects the fandom and in a way, the whole issue is structured to put you in Pete's mind space and the way he feels.

It's sad in the way autumn is sad, It's natural, it's silent, you can't escape it, and it's cold and moving slowly, but seemingly tirelessly. It's a feeling that haunts the whole issue. Weirdly enough it captures what a real breakup actually is. more

I've been reading Green Lantern since 2016. I know, I'm an OG. This is one of the more compelling stories I've read featuring Hal. He's more engaging here. He's got a personality. And it's not... insane, like Morrison. Big ups.

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To be an avenger means something again.

This was a fantastic start. MacKay nails the characters here, especially Carol, which is clearly a challenge for a lot of writers. After the mind-numbingly huge Avengers Assemble event, I'm glad this issue takes its time introducing all the characters and giving them their moments. It's so refreshing. On top of that, as someone who reads a lot of Marvel comics, it's nice to see the current status quos of these characters reflected in this book. So often, Aaron's run would ignore what was happening elsewhere in the universe. It's nice to read a top shelf book that embraces the universe it's representing. MacKay is fast becoming one of the best writers Marvel has, and this issue shows he's not even close to slipping.

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This was just great. Eddy Barrows is a pretty good artist that has some janky faces every once in a while but I was happy to see him on this book. I've never really seen him do any of the speedsters so it was pretty cool. As much as I don't like, "let's go faster then ever before!" from the speedsters it did have somewhat of a purpose and weight to it here in outrunning the Darkest Knight and the zombie Dark Multiverse speedsters. Seeing Barry accept Wally as his own person again was great but it should have been done years ago or never undone. Barry is milquetoast. Wally is all of the personality and growth that people know the Flash for. His entire Flash Family and Rogues stemmed from Wally's time with the Flash, not Barry. I'm glad Wally is far outpacing Barry. Finally. more

This actually stunned me. Twice. I started to tear up. I don't want to say anything about the story of this issue because I couldn't do it justice. Everything just clicked. All of the characters, all of the dialogue. That's rare. It's special. The art less so but I can look past it because the journey whether or not the art was top notch was still worth it. Holy cow.

I don't think this is a depressing ending. One of the things about being hopeful in life is that at some point, reality hits you. At some point, you recognize that things are bad, they are likely to get worse, and there really isn't much you can do about it. At least not on your own. And there are a few ways you can take this, but I feel the best way is to have hope in spite of that, and use that hope to bring about what change you can. This series embodies that idea, I think. more

Adams run was getting a bit weaker for me lately, but this issue brings it back home. It was beautifully structured with tons of energy and excitement, also so inspired. A true page flipper. The mystery of it is also a thing that drives the story really well. It feels bigger. That can be seen by the numbers of player here too. It's not just the West family. And btw every player is brought in an exciting way,in a creative way, while establishing some interesting stuff, which maybe we will get to in the future and also keeping up with the themes of the run. It shows you the situation, characters are in, it lays the foundation of their issues in very compressed and clear manner. For a comics being so quick paced at putting everything together, it does an amazingly good job at making everything count. Honestly i'm impressed by Adams, i know he gets flash, but still issues shows really shows how good of a writer he is. And the ending is just perfect.

Also i don't miss Pasarin one bit. Cruz is way better choice IMO, especially here. more

Usually i rarely get on the site anymore. But man, this is great. I'm biased, I love the avengers and having read, the issues referenced here and knowing everything that happens afterwords, i can say this is a perfect throwback comics. Captain america's feeling of alienation, rick's growing respect for the captain, jan being playful, hank being insecure and overprotective of her, but their love still flying in the air, Thor and iron man being the stars, the ideals of the team, that comes only when needed, the whole teamwork aspect, it just feels good seeing that rendered so well, cohesive and ofc even better than it was in the original, because all that stuff was always the second the action then. The characterization is crystal clear and straight to the point. Plus the dialogue, it has a vintage quality, but it's not distraction and only adds to the feeling this comics brings, which is mutual respect for the job, when the heroes were at their best(well cap was not, but that's an other story), which is the thing i love most about the originals too. The characters are not close here, they have the same job, but only when they are needed , they are together and they are still trying to make the whole concept of superhero team work. That's the way i remember those days and Levitz, gives us the perfect representation.

Alan Davis is obviously a master at what he is doing and even after so many year he is still coming out with strongly and inspired.

10 is maybe too high, but i'm biased. more

A couple of great moments. Probably the best Jon Kent moment ever, it takes things established about his character since Tomasi and even the first issue of this event, when he was thought as incompetent by Black Adam. I Guess proving himself is really important to Jon. It just feels in character and satisfying, while also being very inspiring and heroic moment.
But as a whole this issue and even story is messy. Williamson tries so many things, too many things. A lot of stuff is rushed and just falls flat, because it's just thrown out there. Sometimes it works on the smaller scales, as i said with Jon or even Oliver, but at times even those fail, plus building a comics on good unrelated character moments is not the greatest strategy for me at least, especially when with a event as big as this, with so many other characters thrown in. I guess if he has more space, he would do better, but in this penultimate issue it's obvious that he does not have time to resolve all in the best manner possible and to make the whole thing cohesive.
This is what i imagine if someone says modern super hero comics and not exactly in the good sense even. It's a mess, tons of homages to older stories, mostly for nostalgia sake( which is the cheapest thing in every comics writer sleeve), very very action oriented and at that not very smart action, unremarkable dialogue, but at least it's pretty to look at in the more traditional sense. It's safe, that's what i mean, even the art, which at least is well done but safe, the other stuff is just safe with too much in it and sometimes corny. It's just a Popcorn event comics. And the ending was just laughable. more

Not as good as last issue BUT still what a Cap comic should be!

Before anything, I need those reading this to know I'm not King's biggest fan. And yes it's because of Batman and Heroes in Crisis. I haven't read anything else of his aside from Rorschach and the first 3 issues of Human Target. I know he's an EXTREMELY talented writer. I still have a hard time touching his work. I even love his first two arcs on Batman. This though...

This is simply amazing. Its opening is unbelievable. It's such natural, flowing human dialogue that you'd just have this kind of conversation with anyone. So much comic book dialogue is filled with too much gravitas, emphasis or exposition that nothing ever feels grounded and real. Pair that with artwork and paneling that puts you right in the shoes of the perspective character to literally see as they do, you get lost in the first few pages engulfed in the story.

Transitioning to the camera feed and interrogation by Gordon, everything here just feels real. No Batman yet. Just a criminal and an officer doing his job. I don't think for a second, nor should anyone that Edward Nygma is telling the truth about Jack's 'One Bad Day'. He's the Ridder. He's supposed to confuse you, get you thinking, get off balance. Taking him seriously or at his direct words will likely not yield you the right answer.

The only trope that King falls into here of his that I have one of the biggest problems with is his stammering, unsure, uncomfortable dialogue. I only mean that in characters that are in a sad or uncomfortable position as was Mrs. Oates when speaking to Bruce Wayne. He tries to create a real conversation that is stuttery, broken and intentionally sad. Someone in pain trying to cope. Reaching out with words they can't find. Sometimes it translates to the page better than others and this is the only time I noticed it.

This Batman is the Batman I have wanted to see from King. This Batman is terrifying. A force. An immovable object that is undeterred from his mission to find the truth. I've not in recent memory seen such an imposing and cold Dark Knight than here and is amazing.

It wasn't until I saw Edward's teacher and the interaction with him that I realized why his father looked so much like Kurtwood Smith. King gave Edward a new origin that is a beautiful amalgamation of the studious but unsure Todd Anderson and the tragic rebellious Neil Perry from Dead Poet's Society. It's not subtle. He wasn't trying to hide it and Gerads and King even included his name in the files Edward rifles through to find his teachers'. If you haven't seen that movie, a lot of this is likely not to resonate with you as well. King is known for his love of film and it would be a disservice not to recommend everyone who reads this to watch that movie. This book like that film is a masterpiece. To say otherwise is just a flat out biased, bitter lie. Something a child would scoff at because they don't understand writing. Good writing. Great writing.

I need to sing Mitch Gerads' praises in here as well. This is honestly one of the most beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure and privilege to see. I can't really describe how perfect it is. The colors are perfect, the lines are perfect, the perspective, depth and scale of every panel giving everything weight. Simply the best. Oh and The New Batman Adventures Batmobile. That is all.

If 'ruining' the Killing Joke with one line or that it's doing an homage to that story is enough to get you to call this bad, you like Edward, are an idiot. If Batman, breaking his 'one rule' is enough to get you to call this bad, you really didn't understand the book or the point. Edward knows more than you think. He knows more than everyone thinks. If Batman thinks that his family was in real danger. He wouldn't hesitate. And he doesn't. That's what Batman does. The city is his family. Batman believes in mercy. He was giving mercy to his city. more

This issue feels like the plot is really beginning to coalesce. After months of build up, the steps taken in this issue feel earned. I was critical of the early parts of PKJ's run, and I stand by that because this current arc sort of cements my problems with those early issues. Those issues tried to tell a higher concept story but without the methodical pacing of this arc. We were thrown into the unknown, alien concepts without any sort of acclimation, and then we were gone before there was any chance at adjustment. I would really like to know if that initial crossover between the two Superman titles was originally intended, or if Bendis left earlier than expected. more

This was a very strong issue. There's a lot of ground being laid here. We finally get MJ and Peter truly interacting for the first time in this run, and it manages to keep the mystery afloat without being annoying more than intriguing. This is something that Spencer's run had plenty of trouble with. Add another little mark on the chart of differentiation between this run and Spencer's.

Zeb Wells continues to play with continuity. I don't say that as in he's colorfully retconning things in a fun way, but rather that he's simply using the continuity as it is. Vulture's granddaughter learning about his villainy was not something I ever thought would matter, least of which in the Amazing title, but it actually serves as a really engaging catalyst for this mini arc.

A lot of modern writers will choose to break away from the overarching narrative when they take over a character, usually choosing bits and pieces of the previous work to latch onto. Which is perfectly fine, and can be used to great effect.

A good example of this would be the Hulk title. When Ewing came in, he completely changed what Hulk had been for years at that point. A lighter, more teenage driven run by Greg Pak in Totally Awesome Hulk became the existential nightmare that was Immortal Hulk. We got bits and pieces of bleed through here and there, but Ewing took it in its own direction. And similarly, when Cates took over, the title became a brutal, high action 90s comic with Smashtronaut. All of these runs have their strengths, but the delineation between them is apparent.

Amazing Spider-Man is kind of an oddball because each run since Brand New Day has somewhat built on the other, while also performing large switches between writers. Peter Parker, as a character, has been insulated from the rest of the Marvel Universe, for whatever (possibly movie related) reason. So while Spencer did capitalize on what Slott did, he did negate a lot of it, and all the while convoluted the only sandbox he could really play in. It's interesting to see Wells break that mold. He keeps incorporating the larger universe into the series in a way that makes the run feel fresh. The constant backdrop of Krakoa being a prime example.

Also, instead of minimal connections to previous runs, used as a platform to launch into his own singular run, Wells is really living in the status quos that Spencer built, in spite of the time jump. The first arc was about Tombstone and the Rose, both plot points set up by Spencer. This second arc features Norman Osborn heavily, who is still cleansed of his sins from the previous run. And by the way, Marvel insists on using Norman way too much. He should've stayed very, very dead. This is an interesting dynamic. It isn't just Norman mean-mugging Spidey for years, like in Slott's run. I will take this over that, if we just can't get rid of him altogether.

I genuinely think Wells is doing a great job making this title feel revitalized. I can't stress enough how much of a good job he's doing. I think a lot of the initial hesitancy with this run was simply Marvel's marketing strategy of making the reader mad enough to buy the issue, which is not a great strategy. Now you've got a bunch of... well, idiots, who refuse to read the run based on misconceptions, and they'll continue to loudly act as though this run is the worst thing to ever happen. It's actually the most engaged the title and the character have been with the Marvel universe since Straczynski, and I think that's something to support.

Quick note, the art is passable here. There is a noticeable roughness to some of it that wasn't present in the first arc. I don't know if Romita is losing steam, or if a lot of talking heads just kind of plays to weaknesses, but I hope he bounces back with the inevitable action next issue. I'm really not a fan of his, so I'm constantly weary we're going to get Action Comics level art. Fortunately, that has yet to happen. more

I've been anticipating this issue for a while. I didn't read any of Tynion's run and I bailed early on into King's run. I'm sure there is a bit of catching up to do but I'm also generally aware of where the Dark Knight stands right now. Zdarsky started it off strong and of course, Jimenez is one of best artists in the industry. He and Dan Mora elevate books and it's a blessing they are both doing Bat books right now.
I wasn't expecting Cobblepot and I love the Batman Returns depiction of him here. It fits perfectly with the dark tone of this story. It's wonderful to see Tim around in the classic red and green. A classic pairing that I am really happy to see return to the mainline book.
This is straight out of an episode of B:TAS. It has that entire feeling of it which is perfect for short form storytelling. You can tell where Zdarsky really drew influence from as well as Jimenez. Batman is a murderer is nothing new. It also sets up a story that allows him to use more of his mental skills than we tend to see. Sure he messed up here in not anticipating Cobblepot but if he anticipated every move, there would be no tension, no payoff. Rspecially down the road. The issue would have been one and done and I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter in Zdarsky's run.

I don't care who I piss of here. Stop simping for rich people. They are terrible people. If they wanted to do something good with their money they would and they aren't. That's the entire point Zdarsky is trying to make. If Batman really, REALLY wanted to fix Gotham, he would have by now. I get that this is a comic series but the man is/was a billionaire. He cares more for his toys and arsenal than he SEEMS to care for the people. At least that we get to see tangibly. I'm not hating on Batman or Bruce Wayne but when writers show us new gadgets all of the time and much less in terms of community aid, it really only leaves us one side to go off of and form an opinion on. A line stuck out to me. "No, it's the hardest part of this job -- this city WANTS to die." It's true. The people of Gotham are just as much to blame for it's conditions as it's villains or Batman. Especially since we know that Bruce was not the only mega rich around. Zdarsky isn't attempting at stublety here either. People who don't want politics in their books are just billionaire bootlickers or those too entrenched in their own biases. They've always been like this. They've always been about inclusivity and overcoming adversity. Not much bigger adversity in the world now than corporations and the mega rich that no one will ever get to reach. That American Dream is dead. more