Marvel.com released this new image of Spider-man by John Romita Jr. and answers some of the questions about the new status quo of Peter Parker. (It's a pretty blurry image so click on it to enlarge it and then magnify it.)
I can't say I'm very happy about the explanations, it just seems like damage control but I guess we'll see ho things go from here.
New Year! New episodes!Uncanny X-men #494 was the best book this week because of all the great twist and turns that Messiah Complex is taking on us. We also discuss Detective Comics, Buffy season 8, Countdown, Teen Titans Year One and more. We finish off the show with our thoughts of the new status quo of Spider-man established in One More Day and all the controversy surrounding the story.
Subscribe on itunes here!
Or download the podcast directly here
(right click....save file as)
Written by Ed Brubaker
Pencils by Billy Tan
Inks by Danny Miki and Allen Martinez
Coloring by Frank D'Armata
Letters by Joe Caramagna
This was a pretty light week and I know I've been raving about Messiah Complex but Uncanny was truly the best book that came out this week and that is due to the twists and turns that this story is taking.
When Marvel started teasing this event months ago they told us there would be a lot of twists and you would see certain characters do things that you wouldn't expect but I have truly been shocked by the last two issues.
The last issue ending with two very powerful revelations. The first being that Bishop may be a traitor to the team and the second being that the alternate future that Jamie and Layla are in is the same future that Bishop came from. In Mike Carey's X-men run you saw Sinister and the Marauders taking out any mutants with time-traveling capabilities or knowledge of the future but Bishop wasn't on the list and while I noticed it then, I thought he was just being overlooked as a character because he often is.
Well he clearly was not overlooked and Lucas Bishop seems very determined to kill this new mutant baby and we have no idea why. It's been 10 issues so far and while I still don't know what's going on, I'm loving this ride and this issue really seemed like it was a turning point and we're heading into the downward spiral.
Brubaker seems to have the strongest issues in this crossover so far but the whole story has been splendid. Tan's art seems to be improving with every issue and he's really growing on me. (now if he could only figure out how to draw Scott's visor like it's not the most ridiculous thing in the world).
So we're almost to the finish and I loved the last page of this book and I'm excited about what it's going to mean to the rest of the story. As an African American male I'm a big fan of Bishop and hope he has his reasons for his actions, but it's not looking good for him at this point.
I've been pretty vocal about what I thought about the One More Day Spider-man story and now that it's over.......a lot of fans aren't happy.
You can read what I thought about One More Day here.
Also check out newsarama.com's interviews with Marvel's editor in chief Joe Quesada here
And also what Amazing Spider-man writer J. Michael Straczynski thought about the story, his disagreements with Quesada and which parts of OMD were re-writes.
Sigh, this is such a mess.
Written by Ed Brubaker
Pencils by Steve Epting
Inks by Butch Guice
Colors by Frank D'Armata
Damn this book is good! Even when there was a really strong showing this week (finally), this title stands head and shoulders above most. As much as I love stories where crap hits the fan, I also love when there is finally an understanding made between characters that the reader has been aware of for some time. It's like now everyone is up to speed. This issue finally brings resolution to the Winter Soldier/Iron Man showdown that has been brewing for several months. Even though the fight was brief, it is always great to see what a badass Winter Soldier is. There is a great balance of action and development in this issue. As the first half is mainly the escape/fight, the second half brings the characters together in an non-cheesy way while respecting the memory and wishes of a departed friend. Any questions about who the new Captain America will be are firmly answered at the end of this issue.
Brubakers writing is always solid. There is no question about that. What is amazing is that he's been able to keep this momentum going for so long as well as keep a book interesting while its main character has been dead for some time. Also, while he is really able to stretch his legs on his creator titles, he is equally masterful of established heroes. Something else I've loved is that Brubaker is able to shift perspectives on characters like Tony Stark. Where Tony was written as a cold over-logical jerk in Civil War...this Tony seems more human and realistic about the events he's brought upon himself.
Epting continues to shine as well. Something that always kept me away from Captain America when I was younger was that he and the world he lived in just looked goofy. The primary colors..eh, and what was with the little wings on his head? I cannot stress enough how great it is that Epting sets the tone of this book with non-primary darker colors. Nothing is bright, nor should it be. The art is gritty, realistic, and non-stylized. The characters look real and feel real. Tony especially seems to have aged in this book as its clear the stress of his new head role in Shield is taking its toll.
I really have to hand it to Marvel and the people working on this book for creating one of the most compelling stories in comics in years as well. Oh, and Winter Soldier's disembodied moving arm will be giving me the creeps for quite a while now.
The fanboys will be taking this week off from podcasting but will return next week with a new Book of the Week and Top 5. Happy Holidays everyone!
Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson, prior Jedi Knights re-team in Jumper a film by Doug Liman(Mr and Mrs Smith, The Bourne Identity) The movie stars Christensen as David, a young boy who finds out he has the ability to teleport and Jackson as Roland, who hurts down and kills teleporters fearing they are too powerful to exist.
This looks like it's going to be an amazing film and it's one of the best original idea I've seen in a while.
Here's the trailer so you can judge for yourself
