Avenging Spider-Man #3: So, Spidey saves the Moloids by cutting Ra'Ktar's belt, causing him to...um...drop trou? I mean, it's sort of funny, but it's also kind of...dumb? I mean, a little? Is Ra'Ktar just shamed because his skirt...thing fell? If Spidey had cut off his chest plate, would that also have been shaming? It seems kind of weird that the resolution of this arc turned on a technicality of Molan law. Similarly, it seemed fairly anti-climatic that Rulk "healed" himself. It's one thing to heal yourself with healing powers when you're injured. But, everyone kept talking about the fact that he was dead. It's kind of different to heal yourself when you're dead. I mean, we all knew Rulk wasn't going to die, but I thought we were leading to a different conclusion to last issue's "surprise" ending other than him just taking a nap while his body healed itself. Even in the Marvel Universe, you expect "dead" to last more than a few minutes (or, at least, until a demon or sorcerer appears). Don't get me wrong: this issue is still fun and funny. In fact, Wells gets Spidey's voice down so pat I could actually hear him delivering his dialogue in my head. But, we probably need a little more focus on the plot if this series is really going to distinguish itself. This first arc, though, again, fun, still felt like it had a lot of filler intended to stretch it to three issues. It's going to get annoying if every arc feels that way. I certainly don't want it to stop being light-hearted fun, but it probably needs a little more focus on plot-driven stories. But, all in all, it's still an enjoyable read, which, given how many authors forget that part, deserves high praise.
Scarlet Spider #2: OMG, this issue was even better than the first one! I can't believe I'm saying that, given how much I liked the first one, but it's true. Yost continues to delve deeper into Kaine's psychology and driving motivations. In particular, I liked Yost drawing the connection to Kaine being discarded by the Jackal and the girl he saved being discarded by the traffickers. It's not a connection I had drawn myself, but Yost does it beautifully here. It helps to explain why Kaine is doing what he's doing, even if he doesn't entirely understand it. In addition, Yost really plays up the struggle Kaine faces in deciding whether or not he's going to kill Xiuhcoatl. If I'm guessing correctly, this conflict isn't going to disappear any time soon and I'm thinking we're going to see Kaine occasionally drift back to his old ways. But, again, it's that discrepency, the way he's different from Peter, that makes this book so interesting. Moreover, Yost really gets us underway with Xiuhcoatl. I honestly can't think of the last time I read a comic with a more badass AND intriguing new villain. (See my upcoming post on the "New 52!" for how widespread the boring villain problem is and why I was so excited to see Yost avoid that problem.) Whereas last issue was mostly focused on introducing us to the new Kaine, this issue starts the transition to ongoing stories, with Kaine now taking up the mystery of why Xiuhcoatl wants to kill the girl Kaine saved. Plus, Stegman does a seriously bang-up job on him. You can feel his energy, and how it goes off the charts during his battle with Kaine. As someone said in the letters pages ("Scarlet Letters," heh), the "Clone Saga" is forgiven.
Venom #12: Another great issue. Wow. I thought it would take more than 12 issues for Flash to hit rock bottom, but here we are. I've mentioned several times in the past few reviews that I was confused by the fact that Remender wasn't really focusing on the 48-hours/20-missions aspect of Flash getting the suit, but I realize now it's because Remender always intended for the symbiote to take over Flash quickly. We weren't going to get 100 issues of secret missions only to have Flash finally succumb. We see him surrender completely here: he breaks off his relationship with Betty from a pay phone, falls off the wagon with a homeless guy in an alley, and begins referring to himself and the symbiote as "we." Talk about grim. I was pretty pissed that Marvel was pushing five "Venom" issues in the month of February, but given how hot this series is I may be more excited than angry now!
Venom #13: Wow. Remender throws A LOT at us in this issue. When I first saw who the "Circle of Four" would be, I was wondering how Remender would manage to bring together such a random group. I have to say, he really sells it. I loved the idea of Blackheart running a casino in Vegas. (I wonder if he bought it from Hela, who was shown running a casino in X-Factor #207-#213.) Remender takes the cliché and just runs with it. It explains why the Toxin symbiote was in Vegas in the first place in issue #12, since Blackheart needed it for the spell. (I'm a little confused by what he means when he comments on all the people he had to kill to get it. Does he mean before Crime-Master stole it? If so, I guess we're assuming he's using a sample of the symbiote he had stored before Jack O'Lantern stole it. Or, did he track down Crime-Master and kill him to recover the symbiote?) So, it not only explains why Flash had to go to Vegas in the first place, but also why Rulk had to come to Vegas, since he was tailing Flash. It also makes perfect sense why Ghost Rider would be attracted to the release of 100 tainted souls. X-23 had been the only mystery, but Remender explains that her blood was needed for the spell, since she had been to Hell and returned. It all comes together nicely (even if it's still manufactured) and, the best part, is that Remender makes it clear that the four of them aren't exactly together for a fun team-up. When they find themselves in the same room together, it's by accident, and each person views the other as getting in his or her way. As much as I think it's questionable for Marvel to pick my pocket for $19.95 for one series in one month, I'm going to try not to let it interfere with my enjoyment of seeing where this plot goes.
Venom #13.1: OK, this issue defaults a little too much on the psychobabble side of the divide to be great. The members of our motley crew of "heroes" fights their antitheses and only Ghost Rider manages to defeat hers. Everyone else more or less cries for his or her mommy (at least, the guys, who have mommies, do; I don't know for whom X-23 would cry). The good news is that the plot is at least pretty easy to follow: Blackheart needs to distract the heroes with their antitheses long enough for his minions to break through the magical barrier that Johnny Blaze erected around Las Vegas last issue. Hopefully we'll move past these Antitheses characters in short order and start getting to a few good ol' fashion slug-fests soon.
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