New Comics!: The "Spider-Island" Edition #5 (October) (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Spider-Island:  Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #3:  OK, so, first, I have to note how clever it was for Johnston to give Shang-Chi six arms just in time for him to fight a Demon-God.  It was a little unbelievable with them, but it would've been a LOT unbelievable without them.  Johnston wraps up the story pretty nicely here.  Again, it's still a little unbelievable that Shang-Chi managed to defeat a Demon-God by collapsing a building on him, but, you know, you've got to suspend some disbelief when you're reading about guys with six arms fighting Demon-Gods.  Like "Spider-Island:  Cloak & Dagger," this mini-series didn't have a ton to do with the main plot of "Spider-Island," but Johnston does a good job of selling the connection it does have (which, to be honest, was more than Spencer did in "Spider-Island:  Cloak & Dagger").  I'm still not entirely sure why the story went where it did (Immortal Weapons, Demon-God, etc.) when I think we could've also had fun with Shang-Chi fighting off mutated tarantulas.  But, it was a fun read, and, if you like Shang-Chi, it's definitely worth giving it a go.

Venom #8:  The "Spider-Island" issues of "Venom" have truly been excellent.  I was feeling kind of "meh" about the series before this event, but Remender has used it to great effect here, really getting to the emotional core of Flash Thompson.  In this issue, an apologetic letter from his father, written on his death bed, frames the action as Flash is sent to assassinate the Queen.  Everything about his fight with her was great.  I'm surprised Remender managed to get some of the sexually charged (but pitch-perfect) dialogue past the editors, but I'm glad he did.  I hadn't really gotten a handle on the Queen before this issue, since I've never read an issue with her in it before.  But, Remender uses her taunting to narrate the story of her life in an organic way, so that it doesn't feel like obvious exposition.  The arrival of Captain America at the end was awesome.  I totally didn't see it coming, but I'm really excited to see the two of them working together.  I feel like Cap could be a great influence on Flash, and I hope we see him again soon.  Once again, this title is home to a major "Spider-Island" development, the transformation of the Queen, and I can't wait to see how it plays in the finale.  I'm also excited to see where Remender takes Flash from here.  Great stuff, all around.

New Comics!: The "Spider-Island" Edition #4 (September/October) (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Spider-Island:  Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #2:  OK, I'm not totally following everything happening in this title, because my only exposure to Iron Fist and Shang-Chi have been in the recent runs of "New Avengers" and "Secret Avengers."  As such, I'm not really steeped in their lore, if you will, making it difficult at times to follow all the nuances of the plot.  I'm not sure if the Bride of Nine Spiders or Ai Apaec are characters unique to this series or ones I'm supposed to recognize.  I get that the Bride is more or less an innocent bystander, but I'm not entirely sure what Ai Apaec's motives are, other than possibly to eat Iron Fist.  So far, this mini-series definitely isn't on the same level as the "Spider-Island:  Cloak & Dagger" mini-series, which has a similarly tangential relation to "Spider-Island" but at least a more compelling story.  If you were wondering if you were justified in skipping this one, you were.  But, it's not a terrible story, so I'll definitely be there to see how it ends.

Spider-Island:  I (Spider) New York City #1:  This issue gives us four different stories of New Yorkers who gain Spider-Powers.  They're all pretty decent, if not great, stories, reflecting on the "with great power comes great responsibility" adage.  A quiet theme of "Spider-Island" -- one that I expect we'll see more specifically mentioned in the epilogue, just like I expect people like MJ to talk to Peter about what it was like to have the powers he does for a little while -- is that Peter Parker is a remarkable guy.  As one of the criminals mentions in the first story, it's pretty amazing that Peter hasn't used his powers to rob banks or hurt people.  "Spider-Island" will hopefully be a good reminder of that, particularly for the people who love Peter and know his secret.  (Also:  I loved Spider-Cat!)

Spider-Island:  Heroes for Hire #1:  Of all the tie-in issues, so far, I think I like this one the most.  I read "Heroes for Hire" #1 when it was included free in an "Avengers" (I believe) issue a few months ago, and I can't say I was particularly intrigued.  I didn't see why it was so mysterious that Misty was Control.  I mean, she was already a superhero.  It wasn't like discovering that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.  It's basically just discovering that a superhero also had another identity as a...superhero.  In other words, it wasn't exactly as dramatic of a conceit as I felt like DnA wanted me to believe.  That said, this issue rocked.  The decision to focus on Misty was a wise one, giving us her view of the chaos of "Spider-Island."  I've always liked Paladin and I like that DnA humanize him here, something I assume they also did in the original series.  Moreover, this issue is more immersed in "Spider-Island" than some of the other tie-in issues have been, with Misty battling page after page of infected persons and mutated tarantulas.  I mean, it lost a little in translation, given that, again, I'm not sure exactly what Misty's deal is as a result of the events of "Heroes for Hire."  (Does everyone know she's Control or is that still a "mystery?")  But, DnA still give you a compelling story here, conveying Misty's loneliness as a result of the chaos that we're seeing in this later part of "Spider-Island," where no one really knows who they can trust.  Good stuff. 

Spider-Island:  Cloak & Dagger #3:  OK, I'm just going to say:  I'm really disappointed with the way this mini-series ended.  In the end, I have no idea what Spencer was trying to do here.  Mr. Negative engineers a switch in Cloak and Dagger's powers, seemingly at the behest of D'Spayre.  However, to my mind, a "dark" Dagger is much more likely to assassinate him than a "light" Dagger, so I'm not sure why Mr. Negative would agree to engineer such a switch, particularly when he acknowledges he can't do anything about the ultimate outcome of Tandy killing him.  (So, why make a deal with the devil if the devil can't do anything about your situation?)  Like Tandy said earlier in this mini-series, he actually seems like he's now responsible through his actions for making said outcome happen.  (It's these sentences right here that pretty much sum up my dislike of destiny-changing storylines, a dislike almost as intense of my feelings on time-travel storylines.)  Moreover, I'm not really sure why the switch had to happen.  If I figured out the events correctly, Dagger was being overwhelmed by the Darkforce dimension, so Cloak had to help by, I don't know, giving her his darkness?  It was extremely unclear to me, which sucks, since Spencer obviously intended the power switch to be the whole point of the mini-series. Plus, Spencer never really ties this story to "Spider-Island."  I was wondering if we'd see a more obvious connection in this issue, given the tenuous connection it's had in the previous issues.  Instead, it's mentioned briefly in passing, as an excuse for the damage that Cloak and Dagger's power switch caused.  At the end of the day, I'm just left feeling confused.  I'd buy a Cloak and Dagger regular series, but Spencer needs to do a better job keeping them grounded, as opposed to immersed in destiny-changing hocus-pocus like we see here.  I really liked where Spencer was going when this mini-series started, but it's hard not to feel disappointed by its vague (and not in a fun way) conclusion.

New Comics!: The "Spider-Island" Edition #1 (August) (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I haven't really posted about "Spider-Island" here because I originally made the decision to read the issues in the order they appear in the official "Spider-Island Checklist."  However, given that I often get my comic shipments in the wrong order, it took me a while to build up a quorum of issues to review.  In the end, I decided just to wait until I had all of them and read the whole event at once.  A few notes:

1) I didn't get "SI:  Spider-Girl," "Herc," or "Black Panther" issues.  I don't know why, given that they only account for six issues.  It's just that I'm not particularly a fan of those three characters and, after all, it's almost $20.00 that could be spent on comics with characters I do like.  The completionist in me can't believe I don't care, but I don't, so there we go.

2) I'm still using my normal involved recap style for "Amazing Spider-Man," but I'm going with the quick review for the various tie-in issues and mini-series.  I'll do the editions by months, as noted in the "Spider-Island Checklist."

Now, onto the reviews!

SI:  Cloak & Dagger #1:  OK, I love Cloak and Dagger.  Just like the New Mutants, they were heroes to whom my 14-year-old self totally felt connected, and I to this day have a not insignificant investment in them.  That said, they've never really gotten their due, as Wacker himself notes at the end of this issue.  Their comics were always too dark or too message-y and, despite having a lot of affection for the characters, I just never really enjoyed them.  I was often annoyed by how heavy-handed authors were in handling the sexual tension between them, and we see that this issue, which they spend either squabbling in front of the Avengers or complaining about the other one via thought bubbles.  Also, they were often just too much of do-gooders, with every issue seemingly involving some truly miserable person they were trying to save from a morally bankrupt villain.  They never just, I don't know, beat up a bad guy and went home to watch "The Simpsons."  Cloak always had to obsess over everything, because he was, you know, "darkness," and Dagger had to try to lighten the mood.  It got old.  But, Spencer seems to have hit on a schtick that could actually work in not having us wallow in misery.  Having them form a non-profit, private-investigation firm opens the door to a number of different stories, all of which don't have to be doom and gloom.  In fact, Spencer gives us a taste of fun here.  I loved Tandy trying to argue her way into saving the church by telling the building inspector that she and Cloak are superheroes.  (As a Jersey boy, I agree with you, Tandy:  I miss old New York, too.)  I also thought Cloak attending a seminar at the learning annex to set up their firm was inspired.  It's a sign that Spencer might really be able to make a go at a monthly series, particularly with Rios, who Wacker correctly notes seems to be the perfect person to draw the duo.

You'll notice I didn't said much about "Spider-Island" in this review.  As far as I can tell, the only real connection to the event is showing how the Avengers found Clock and Dagger before using Dagger to teleport to the scene of the riot we saw in "Amazing Spider-Man" #667.  This issue essentially serves as a back-door pilot, but I'm not complaining.

SI:  Deadly Foes #1:  Yay, the Hobgoblin!  I enjoy any issue with the Hobgoblin, which is making me reconsider my decision not to get "SI:  Spider-Girl."  Phil is in prime form this issue, finally deciding to take out Randy Robertson, his rival for the affection of Norah Winters.  Slott and Gage really nail it, though, when they give Randy Spider-Powers, allowing him to fight off Hobgoblin.  I'm always impressed when authors use an event to further the ongoing storyline of their title, like Gillen did with "Fear Itself" (turning Colossus into the Juggernaut and, as a result, ending his relationship with Kitty).  Previously, I figured Phil would one day decide to attack Randy and Peter would conveniently be nearby the fight, allowing him to save Randy just in the nick of time.  Instead, Slott and Gage have Randy save himself using his new Spider-Powers, an awesome plot twist that takes excellent advantage of "Spider-Island."  Plus, Slott and Gage keep everyone in character.  I totally believe that Norah would ignore the pumpkin bombs lying next to her in order to stay focused on the story, and, as such, I totally believe that Randy finally decided enough was enough.

Unfortunately, the Jackal story is an odd jumble.  I had to re-read "Amazing Spider-Man" #666 to try to make sense of it, and I only really fully understood what happened here after reading "Venom" #6.  When I originally read "Amazing Spider-Man" #666, I thought the Jackal calling the guy in the tube, "the real firstborn of this era" meant it was Kaine, since he was the first clone of Peter Parker.  I thought his reference to the creature next to him as, "Parker 3.0.  The misfit.  The reject." meant he was Spidercide, given that he was a failed clone.  I thought any question about their identities was just Slott skipping over some exposition.  However, based on this issue and "Venom" #6, I realize that the creature with the Jackal was Kaine and the guy in the tube was Captain America.  The only reason it even dawned on me that I was confused on this point was because the timeline of the events in this issue -- the Jackal resurrecting Kaine and turning him into the Tarantula -- didn't work if Kaine had really been the guy in the tube in "Amazing Spider-Man" #666.  I think Marvel could've done a little better job making it clear who was who in that issue, given that it took two different tie-in issues to make me realize my initial impression was wrong.  They didn't have to reveal the mystery of Spider-King, but they could've made it clear it was actually a mystery and just not a lack of clarity on the part of Slott.

Moreover, I'm also confused by Kaine's behavior here.  I'm not really sure why Kaine would suddenly view the Jackal as his "family."  Didn't he hate him?  I mean, he hated Ben Reilly just for having a chance at life that he never got, so wouldn't he be even MORE furious at the guy who robbed him of that chance in the first place?  I'm also confused why the Jackal remembers who Spidey is?  Why didn't the Dr. Strange/Iron Man/Mr. Fantastic voodoo work on him?  I'm assuming we're going to get answers to these questions at some point during this arc, but, at this point, I find them more distracting than intriguing.

Finally, I have to say, I'm really over the references to the Gwen Stacy clone, etc.  I've never read that original arc or its subsequent sequels, partly because I've never found it particularly interesting.  But, the authors assume we know A LOT about the clones.  I didn't realize Jackal had made more than one clone of Gwen Stacy.  Are there more?  Or, did they both die here?  Also, is Joyce Delaney the one that had children with Norman Osborn?  Or is that yet another clone?  If so, are we going to see Jackal go after her children, one of whom is incarcerated as a result of him going crazy in "Amazing Spider-Man Presents:  American Son."

Venom #6:  As I mentioned above, my initial response to the revelation that Captain America was Spider-King was, "Wait, what?"  Once I got passed that confusion, in retrospect, I could appreciate how fun this issue was.  I loved Flash having the Lionel Richie song stuck in his head, and I actually found myself singing, "Is it me you're looking for?" with him as he burst onto the scene as Venom.  Also, how do you not love Venom-Dog?  The Betty scenes were a little odd, because Betty, last I checked, was in the hospital because she was assaulted (in "Amazing Spider-Man" #665) and not because she's keeping watch on Flash's father.  Those two things aren't mutually exclusive, but it felt like we had forgotten the assault, which is a key plot point in the "Spider-Island" installments in "Amazing Spider-Man."  (It's why Betty is the one to break the story, because she's at the hospital when everyone appears complaining of their Spider-Powers.)

Spider-Island:  Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1:  Meh.  I originally decided to get this mini-series because Shang-Chi has played an important role in helping Peter develop a fighting style that compensates for the loss of his Spider-Sense.  As such, I figured Shang-Chi would be pretty deeply connected to the events of "Spider-Island."  Instead, he's got a pretty tangential role here.  Like Cloak and Dagger in "SI:  Cloak & Dagger," his only involvement in the ongoing "Spider-Island" story is his participation in fighting the riot we see in "Amazing Spider-Man" #667.  If you're not a huge Shang-Chi fan, this mini-series looks like it'll be pretty skipable.  We'll see how it goes.