Amazing Spider-Man 625

I don't even know where to start with this issue. This was hands down the best issue in the Gauntlet so far, and I submit that if the writing on this book was consistently this good, it wouldn't be suffering from its current sales slump. Indeed, if every story in the Gauntlet had this level of emotional impact, it would certainly live up to its name. I debated whether I'd summarized this issue in full, as I think it's such a powerful story that I didn't want to ruin it. However, I don't think it's power comes from the originality of the story; on the contrary, it's actually rather predictable. It's Kelly's superb story telling, not the shocking nature of the story itself, that makes this tale so compelling.

Poor Aleksei Sytsevich. When last we saw him, he was trying to make an honest life with his wife Oksana, whose fate was unfortunately sealed before this story began. The story is largely narrated by Norah Winters, and begins as the new Rhino makes a rather explosive visit to a naturalization ceremony in an attempt to goad Aleksei into a fight and earn his new title. Spider-Man attempts to contain the situation, but is unable to make much headway until Aleksei agrees to meet the new Rhino later for a fight. This turns out to be a ruse, as Aleksei reveals that he wishes that he and his wife be put in witness protection, with Spider-Man's help.

Things turn bad quickly as the van carrying Aleksei and Oksana to protective custody is attacked on a bridge by the new Rhino. While Spider-Man is distracted rescuing hostages who've been dropped from the top of the bridge, the Rhino destroys the van with Aleksei and Oksana inside, killing Oksana. Aleksei blames Spider-Man for her death, and agrees (for real this time) to don his classic attire and meet his would-be successor in battle. The battle is quick and decisive; the new Rhino is disabled after the first titanic hit, and Aleksei, now the original Rhino once again, kills his usurper despite Spider-Man's best efforts to prevent it.

The power in this story comes from Spider-Man's desire (and failure) to help Aleksei succeed in his new life and prevent him from returning to his former life of crime. His desperate need to do the right thing by Aleksei contrasts with his poor decisions in his own life, and yet the results are ultimately the same. It's this as much as Aleksei's fall from grace that makes this such a moving story.

Fiumara's art is an integral part of this story, as well. While I'm not a huge fan of his manga-esque character models, his depiction of the climactic moments of the story is wonderful. The Rhino of the Silver Age never struck me as particularly visually interesting, a dull, block-y, grey blob that wasn't much fun to look at. But Fiumara's depiction of him is primal, animal, deadly.

In addition to the main storyline, there are a few important developments in the life of Peter Parker. Mary Jane spurns an attempt by Peter to reconnect, though she hints that there may be an opportunity in the near future. And Pete decides against applying for unemployment benefits after being recognized by a number of people as "the lyin' guy from the paper."

Not everything works great in this story; Norah's narration is a little awkward, as it's far to informal to work as the newspaper article it's apparently supposed to be. And the plot is a tad predictable. But I really recommend you go out and read this story for yourself, my summary does it no justice. As I said, it's not really a new story if you're familiar with comics, but Kelly's storytelling and Fiumara's art make this a memorable comic.

Dark Avengers 15

Bendis' other issue this week is a far more impressive outing than Siege 3. It features some troubling developments in the life of the Sentry, as well as providing some insight into the nature of the relationship between Norman Osborn, the Sentry and the Void.

First, we're treated to an excerpt from "Siege: The Cabal," wherein, at a meeting of the cabal, Osborn orders the Void to attack Doom. However, Doom is actually a Doombot, and it releases a swarm of bug-like machines upon its destruction that proceed to attack Avengers Tower. Norman Osborn convinces the Void to allow the Sentry to return, and together they set about destroying the machines while Victoria Hand evacuates HAMMER personnel and the rest of the Dark Avengers. While most of the Avengers take off in the Quinjet, Bullseye (Hawkeye) takes the Sentry's wife, Lindy, aboard a helicopter with him. He flies them out over the ocean and, after insulting her until she slaps him, chokes Lindy to death and tosses her into the sea.

Upon reuniting with his fellow Avengers, Bullseye tells the Sentry that his wife killed herself by jumping out of the helicopter over a stretch of Jersey farmland. The Void then becomes the dominant personality, flying into a rage and nearly killing Bullseye. He's calmed by Osborn, and flies off to search for his wife. Victoria Hand is shocked as she observes a knowing glance between Osborn and Bullseye, assumably realizing that Osborn arranged for Lindy to be killed.

Overall, this was an exciting issue. We're definitely being set up for a big climax with the Sentry, though what exactly will go down and how well executed it will be on the part of Brian Michael Bendis remains to be seen. I'm enjoying seeing Victoria Hand finally realizing what it is she's a part of, between her frustration with the Avengers' inability to follow orders, skepticism about the nature of the attack on the tower, and shock at Bullseye's murder of Lindy. I'm hoping she'll play a pivotal role in the final issue, and curious to see what will become of her post-Siege, if she lives that long.

I really enjoy Mike Deodato's art, I think it's among the best the Marvel Universe has to offer. I'm impressed by the level of detail that goes into a lot of his work, and he has an excellent command of facial expressions. My one complaint (and I don't know whether to blame him or colorist Rain Beredo for this) is that occasionally, due to the nature of the coloring, characters start to look like plastic-y CGI figures, which to my eye just looks a little odd.

Edit: I'd like to add an additional note here, something I'd intended to address in this post when I started writing it but then forgot about. Hasn't Lindy been killed and resurrected in the past? Hell, wasn't that our introduction to the Sentry at the beginning of New Avengers, that he'd turned himself in for killing his wife but then brought her back? And I swear this came up again, perhaps in one of the early issues of Mighty Avengers. So why is her death an issue now, can't the Sentry just bring her back to life? I confess myself confused with this whole situation.

Siege Embedded 3

I'm still not sure how I feel about this issue, or this series in general. I think the main problem is that, since this series follows two reporters (ostensibly "real people" rather than superheroes) I have higher expectations of realism and less tolerance for comic book physics and logic. On the other hand, I find these same limitations of the characters make the issues more suspenseful than a typical comic. The book is certainly exciting, and in general I think I've found it more compelling than the main Siege storyline.

As we rejoin our heroes (so to speak) Ben Urich and Will Stern, they are once again (or still, I suppose) on the run from HAMMER at an Air Force base. They're split up, and Ben finds his way onto a plane headed straight to the heart of the battle at Asgard. And not just any plane, either - it happens to be the plane carrying Todd Keller, fictional conservative reporter (essentially an amalgam of all the wackiest Fox News talking heads) and Osborn shill. As they approach Asgard, an in-air collision results in Venom boarding the plane, and he proceeds to eat helpless HAMMER agents as they're stuck in their seats. The plane crash lands on Asgard, flinging Venom away and leaving Ben Urich, Todd Keller and a member of his news crew as the only apparent survivors of the wreck. Keller gets his hands on a gun and uses is to coerce his fellow survivors to get him on the air so he can spout his pro-Osborn propaganda from Asgard proper and show the world Osborn's victory.

Meanwhile, Will Stern has gotten his hands on a new van and made his way back to Oklahoma, as well. He arrives just in time to record the Sentry (or perhaps the Void) bring Asgard crashing down to earth, with Ben Urich still on it...

I think where I have the biggest problem with the book is when we start to bring politics into the mix. While I happen to agree with Ben's politics more than Todd Keller's, we're still entering the country of straw men, where the conservative "villain" is an irrational, violent and blindly nationalistic caricature and the liberal "hero" is honest, righteous and an all-around nice guy. I do enjoy the concept of the traditional "report the truth" newsman that Urich represents going up against the politico-posing-as-newsman that's become popular in American culture, but it's a very hard issue to tackle without taking political sides and potentially alienating readers.

Samnee's art is nothing special, though the stark style seems to work pretty well for the tone of the story. But unfortunately I have to say that the more action oriented scenes (particularly with Venom) do not work well at all. Panels are drawn from odd angles, making them difficult to interpret, and over all the confrontation was very difficult to follow.

Siege 3

Hope at last! Captain America makes his triumphant return, with the New and Young Avengers and Nick Fury and his Secret Warriors in tow. We learn upfront that Osborn no longer has the backing of the President or the United States government; apparently they're none too happy that he's started a war with Asgard against orders, and they issue a warrant for his arrest for treason. Thor's back in action, and goes toe to toe with the Sentry; and while he seems to fare better against him than any hero thus far (sorry, Ares), he still appears to be largely outclassed. Iron Man finally makes an appearance in his classic armor, but there's not much to it considering the general hype about his presence in this series. Osborn is finally taken down and stands exposed as a monster to the world, but forces have been set in motion beyond even his control, meaning the heroes are in for a hell of a fight before this is over.

I don't understand why the Hood is here; I mean, I get that Osborn calls him in as backup, but it doesn't make sense that Osborn would reveal his close ties to a known crime lord when he's made sure that every major news outlet is watching and reporting on this event, even in a moment of desperation. It just seems like an excuse for Bendis to shoehorn his favorite supervillain into a story arc that he doesn't belong in, and it's distracting. Also awkward is Osborn's reveal to the world. For some reason he's wearing his Green Goblin make up, which seems like a really poor decision at a media-heavy event, especially when Osborn seems to take such enjoyment from showing off his smiling face in moments of triumph.

Really, the biggest problem I have with this series is the same problem I have with a lot of Bendis' work (particularly crossovers): he's got a lot of big ideas, but doesn't take the time to fit them together in a logical fashion. It's as if he started with what he wanted the end result of the story to be, and then worked backwards. Osborn's downfall comes across as the result of stupidity and sloppiness rather than psychosis and overreaching ambition, which makes no sense for a man with such intense willpower and self control. Little time is taken to address the characters (any of them) at an individual level.

I did enjoy the art, but holy splash pages, Batman! And why is everyone crouching in mid-air? I know, I know, you have to show off all your Avengers, but it doesn't make the art make any more sense. Also, the sheer number of splash pages makes this story feel almost unbearably short.

Overall, this crossover has been enjoyable thus far, and this issue has me excited for the conclusion next issue. I just wish it didn't feel like just a formality to pave the way for the Heroic Age.

Mighty Avengers 34

Man, Hank Pym cannot catch a break. You hit your wife ONE TIME and you're written as a crackpot for the rest of your comic book career.

As you might expect, this issue has a two functions: to tie up hanging plot threads so that this series can transition into the upcoming Avengers book, and to provide filler until the Mighty Avengers Siege tie-in issues begin next month. And it performs both of these duties with as much awkwardness as it can muster.

So Hank Pym has this crazy idea to kidnap Loki so that they can ask him about the Scarlet Witch. Oh, and then torture him. Perfectly reasonable. Which is apparently really easy with SCIENCE! Also, it helps if you know where he's going to be, which we do because of some confusing plot point that's never been mentioned before and which Hank Pym knows because we need to move this plot along.

So Loki calls out to his brother Thor, who arrives for a chat. And that's pretty much all that happens, chatting. He takes a shot at Quicksilver, but it takes about a page and then we're done.
Hank Pym releases Loki to Thor's custody, and in return Thor offers Hank Pym an answer from Loki to any question he'd care to ask. So, in a move that marks new levels of crazy for Pym and new levels of contrived writing for Slott, he asks Loki if he'd like to join the Mighty Avengers. Instead of asking him about the Scarlet Witch. Now, I don't expect any revelations about the Witch until Marvel is ready to approach the issue, but I do expect characters (like Hank Pym) to behave reasonably and consistently from one issue to the next.

Pym's status as "Scientist Supreme" is retconned almost as quickly as it was established (it was a trick, Loki did it... maybe. It's not clear). And Pym's newfound level-headedness is just as quickly thrown out the window so that we have an excuse for the Mighty Avengers to disband and perhaps to write off or kill Pym at the end of the series. Because how can we have Hank Pym without him making awful decisions? The only thing that's missing is Ultron...

Amazing Spider-Man 624

Mark Waid, I (as the meme goes) am disappoint.

So, the cliffhanger at the end of the last issue is quickly thwarted at the beginning of this one (turns out it's not JJJ's body but that of a helpful staffer who was in the wrong place at the wrong time). Spidey runs out of web-fluid trying to bring down the Vulture and is unable to prevent his escape. Peter Parker makes some questionable decisions in an attempt to clear Jonah's name and is promptly rewarded with a public firing. And we're treated to the origin story of the new Vulture, which is as cliche as it is nonsensical.

Jimmy, as he was known before his transformation, is a "fixer" for the mob, who's responsible for cleaning up after the various mob members as they go about their mobby business. Unfortunately, business getting sloppy and Jimmy's got more than he can handle. So Jimmy finds himself a professor who's gotten his hands on the same tech that made the Scorpion, and hires said professor to build him a new Vulture henchman who'll prey on any fellow mob members who're making too big a mess. And no, it doesn't make any god damn sense to create a super henchman and then send him after your own people, but let's press on. So Jimmy pitches this idea to his mob bosses, who immediately stab him in the back (well, shoot him in the leg) and offer him up as a test subject. Why would they sacrifice one of their best "fixers" when the workload is already getting out of hand? Well, because they've been watching 1930s mobster movies and don't share more than a handful of braincells between them, obviously. They're criminals, you can't expect them to act logically, as that would be silly. So the procedure predictably goes wrong, Jimmy gets crazy and violent and decides to exact revenge.

I understand what Waid is going for here with the homage to Silver Age comics, and on paper it seems like an interesting idea, especially during an ongoing storyline featuring the return of classic Spidey villains. But style alone isn't enough to overcome a weak storyline, and it was not without good reason that some of the storytelling devices used in comic books in the 60s and 70s were abandoned. The bait and switch with Jonah's body at the start of the issue is cute, but still seems like just as big a cop out now as it ever did. The new Vulture is a flat, boring character with only the most basic motivation, and his origin story (another apparent allusion to comics' "good ol' days") just doesn't work.

Paul Azaceta's art is meant to add to the nostalgic feel, but try as I might I just can't bring myself to enjoy it. The thick, heavy lines don't lend themselves to detail work, so faces just become vague shapes, and it's hard, if not impossible to interpret emotions (like is Peter crying or simply rubbing his forehead as he's being fired?). And in one particularly poorly drawn (and inked) frame towards the end of the book Azaceta explores what Peter might look like if he were black. No, I'm not making that up.

I did enjoy some of the developments in Peter's personal life, as his job loss and public humiliation serve to further complicate his already complicated life. And I hope it's an indication that "The Gauntlet" story line is actually headed somewhere meaningful, as opposed to just being an excuse to showcase old Spider-Man villains.

Cable 24, Dark X-Men 5

I'm just going to touch very quickly on these two. Suffice it to say I was not terribly impressed.

Dark X-Men 5
This series showed more promise than I expected in its first couple of issues, but this promise is more or less squandered in the final issue. There's some interesting ideas in here about the nature of Norman Osborn's psychosis, but the story itself is largely unsatisfying. I'm not sure I understand the rationale behind resurrecting Nate Grey only to more permanently kill him (unless you really hate Nate Grey, which might be understandable); it just seems like lazy writing. And we don't gain much in the way of new insight about the titular characters, which seems the bare minimum you'd expect to justify writing the series in the first place.

Cable 24
Nothing new here as Cable and Hope's time traveling finally comes to a close. This story might be more interesting if it wasn't the same story that Duane Swierczynski has told in every issue since the series began. We do see Bishop finally defeated and actually expressing doubts about his decision to pursue Hope, but overall it's the same old same old. Caracuzzo's art is capable, but there are some odd scenes that don't seem well plotted; Cable is lying on the ground and then standing in the very next frame; Cable and Hope break into a car, then wind up on the opposite sides of the same car in the next frame; just a couple examples of things that seem like things that should've been caught either by the artist or the editor, and they're bad enough that they're distracting from the narrative.