** (two of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Come baaack! I only want to eat you! It won't hurt! I promise!" -- Tempest to Miguel, unconvincingly
Summary
Miguel is in free fall, with Tempest in pursuit above him, as he contemplates the events of the last few moments. He is convinced that the cure that he administered to Tempest last issue worked, since she no longer has cancer, but wonders why she's turned into a spider-wasp. He hypothesizes that it may have been a result of carrying it through dimensions and/or time (as he did in "Spider-Verse") or that Tyler Stone may have tampered with it. Whatever the answer, he pledges that it's the last time that he brings something from the future to the past with him, though admits that this promise might be premature, since he might not survive for a next time to happen. Miguel attempts to get Tempest to remember who she is, but instead she...emits some sort of tentacle from her mouth. They crash onto a news helicopter, and Miguel uses the moment to knock Tempest off him. He then dives to the ground, hoping to put some distance between them to think.
He heads to Central Park, since he realizes that he doesn't have to worry about her attacking anyone else (since she only wants a spider). He calls up Lyla and asks if she still has access to Alchemax files in her memory. She confirms that she does and he asks her to find out how they managed to restructure someone DNA simply by using a formula. (Meanwhile, Tempest is searching for Miguel and encounters a police officer.) Lyla informs Miguel that it is impossible to change someone's DNA from just one injection; at most, they could only be temporarily transformed (possibly to ascertain how a future long-term change might affect them). Miguel asks how long the change persists, and Lyla says that it lasts anywhere from six minutes to six hours. At that moment, Tempest appears with the cop in her clutches, threatening to kill her unless he surrenders to her. The cop tells Miguel to let Tempest kill her since the city needs him more. Miguel asks where she's been hiding, "considering all the hits cops have been taking publicly lately." He tries to reason with Tempest, but she demands that he choose. He then grabs the cop's gun and fires at Tempest, realizing that he exoskeleton will protect her from the bullets, but the impact of the bullets will keep her off-balance. With the cop safe, Miguel then pushes Tempest into the lake.
Under water, Miguel realizes that Tempest's wings do her no good. He tries to find a way to knock her unconscious, but he's at a disadvantage, since Tempest is trying to kill him while he's trying not to hurt her. She eventually overpowers him, and, as she's choking him to death, he tells her that he's Miguel. She expresses surprise, giving him the opening to knock her unconscious. He observes that he'd leave her to drown if he had any brains, but acknowledges that it's actually common sense that he's lacking. On land, the cop has radioed for help and tells her colleagues that she didn't get a look at the face of the guy that fired at her. However, Miguel surfaces at that moment, and the cops pull their guns on him. He's holding Tempest, and she suddenly reverts to her human form, sufficiently freaking out the cops. Rather than heeding the cops' instructions to release her, Miguel flees and heads to Tempest's apartment. She awakens as he's fixing her window, and he tells her that he gave her the cure for the cancer but that something unexpected happened. She thanks him for curing her and tells him that she doesn't remember anything. He leaves, wishing her good night, and she responds to the closed door, "Good night, Miguel."
The Review
As the "Summary" shows, this issue is remarkably single-minded: Miguel has to keep Tempest from killing him long enough for her mutation to fade. Uncharacteristically, David advances no other story or sub-plot: Miguel deals with Tempest and then goes home. The only event of real significance is Tempest learning Miguel's identity. However, with the series ending for "Secret Wars," it's unclear how significant that this development really is. Unlike every other "last" issue that I've read so far when it comes to "Secret Wars," the letter column implies that this cancellation may actually be permanent. I'm concerned in part because David doesn't really leave too much on the table here. The only ongoing sub-plot is Miguel's attempt to identify the threat that turns his world into the Maestro's world. But, it seems pretty easy to argue that said threat happened during "Secret Wars." David could wrap up this last loose end in "Secret Wars 2009" and then return Miguel to the future, bringing his story full circle. I'm hoping that it doesn't happen that way, but I'm afraid that it will.
The Unknown
Miguel asking Lyla if she still had access to the Alchemax files in her memory seemed to refer to an event in the past, but I didn't recognize it if it does.
The Bad
1) David doesn't really give us any information about why the formula that Miguel administered to Tempest transformed her. Miguel has some theories, but we never learn one way or another if he's right. In fact, it appears that the purpose of the drug wasn't to cure cancer but to temporarily transform someone to allow scientists to study the impact of said transformation. Did they discover that it cured cancer as a side effect? Also, did they know that it would transform the recipient into a spider-wasp, or is it possible that Tempest could've transformed into something else? I get that we can't know everything, but I was definitely left unsatisfied by how little information that we were given here.
2) Can you really knock someone unconscious underwater? We're supposed to believe that Miguel lands some sort of devastating punch on a startled Tempest, but I'm not sure that it's physically possible to do that in water.
Showing posts with label Spider-Man 2099 (2014). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spider-Man 2099 (2014). Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2015
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Spider-Man 2099 #11 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
*** (three of five stars)
Summary
Tempest is on the phone with her mother, agreeing to go to her doctor's appointment the next day but assuring her that her diagnosis is going to be the same. Tempest's mom tells her that miracles happen, but Tempest retorts that they don't happen to her. She wishes her mother a goodnight and then wonders why her mother can't accept that she's dying. She falls to sleep observing that her mother never cared about her growing up and wondering if she was now trying to make up for it. Creepily, Spidey is poised over Tempest's bed, and thinks to himself that her mother is probably trying to do exactly that. He contemplates that he's spent the last few years trying to make amends for how poorly he treated people for most of his life, even though he constantly wonders where it's worth it. Turning to the matter at hand, he wishes that he could tell Tempest that he has a cure for her cancer, but knows that she wouldn't believe him, since she assumes the worst. He lowers himself on his Web-Line and then sprays her with the concoction that those Alchemax technicians created when he in 2099 autopsying Daemos. He manages to finish spraying her just as she awakens, startled. She asks if he's stalking her and then pulls out the gun in her nightstand. Spidey webs up the barrel, telling her that he's in the wrong apartment. She screams for him to leave, and he does, but not before remarking that it's why she doesn't have any friends. On his way to his apartment, he contemplates that the experience was a wash: he saved her life, but terrified her at the same time. (I'd actually argue saving her life probably outweighs some momentary fear, but I digress.)
Later, he heads to work, contemplating that he has to figure out the program that Alchemax develops in the first half of the 21st century that creates the Maestro's version of 2099. But, he realizes how hard that task is, since it's not like he's going to know what it's going to be when he sees it. He thinks that he should keep a low profile, since the big difference between his 2099 and the Maestro's 2099 is that he's in 2015. But, just then, Liz Allan opens a door and grabs him, showing him the designs for the prison that Miguel suggested that they create. We learn that some guy named Jason "Rudy" Rubinstein created it, and Liz has Mac Gargan on hand to evaluate it since, in Mac's words, "if you want a good prison, you need advice from a guy who's been in one." Mac tells Miguel that there's "something" about him, and Miguel remarks that it must be his clean living. (Oh, Miguel. Ever the kidder.) Liz tells Miguel that they plan on building it on an abandoned area along the East River; it'll be smaller than Rykers, but with a "specialized" population. Rudy then tells him that a power dampener will make sure that no one can escape. Miguel is impressed, and asks if the city is going to buy it. Liz says that they have some competition from Peter Parker.
Meanwhile, Peter is fighting a really fucked up looking Spot (seriously, he has arms growing from his eyes and mouth) at a museum. Spidey observes that the Spot doesn't normally steal valuable fossils and that he made the trail to find him pretty obvious; he asks if the Spot was hunting him. However, Miguel manages to grab the Spot with some Webbing, and Peter delivers the coup de grâce. Peter expresses surprise that he's there, since he thought that he returned to 2099. After they put the Spot on ice, they retire to the Chrysler Building, where Miguel fills in Peter on his problem. Peter asks if Miguel thinks that the prison is the problem, and Miguel says that he doesn't know for sure. He notes that Alchemax didn't originally have him in the mix, so he wonders if he develops the program that changes the future. But, Peter observes that it could be a time paradox, where he had been there all along. Miguel encourages Peter to win the competition and, somewhat uncharacteristically, Peter says that he's not worried about Liz as a competitor. As Peter leaves, Miguel tells himself that he's worried exactly for that reason, since he should be.
At home, Miguel checks to see how Tempest is doing, finding her drunk. Tempest is drunk on red wine, saying that she just returned from dinner with her mother. She falls, and Miguel catches her; she observes that he's strong, he says that he works out. He gets her to the couch, and she tells him that she's celebrating. She makes him ask why, and she asks if he believes in God. He says that he doesn't, and she says that she doesn't either. But, she says that she just had a miracle, that she's healed. ("I am healed! Say Hallelujah!") Miguel asks if she means of the cancer, and she confirms it, saying that her doctor also couldn't believe it. She asks why he always wears his sunglasses, and he says that he already told her that he's light-sensitive. She insists on seeing his eyes and pulls off his glasses, discovering that they're red. She tells him that they're beautiful, "like staring into a sunset at the end of the best day of your life and realizing all the possibilities waiting for you." She says that Spider-Man cured her after he told him about her, and then she drinks some more. She tells him that Spidey was in her room and then the next day she was healed. She notes that he saved her even after she yelled at him when they first met, and Miguel tells her that superheroes are funny that way. She tells Miguel that he's funny, and he tells her that he needs to get her to bed. She says that it's a great idea and kisses him. He returns the kiss, telling himself that it's been "sooo long," but then decided to stop it. But, she then bites him. She apologizes, telling him that she feels weird, and he tells her that he's felt that way a lot, and that she should go to bed. Then, she grabs her stomach and her head and screams. Miguel tries to help, but she throws him across the room. She mutters that she's so hungry and needs to eat, and Miguel orders Lyla to drop the clothing hologram. Lyla asks if he's going to be in a fight, and then sees that he will be, as a moth-looking Tempest looms over him, muttering, "Hungry..for you..."
The Review
Well, I didn't see that coming! I'm still disappointed that Miguel isn't in 2099, but this issue was pretty solid, so it's hard to complain. Let's get to it.
The Good
1) Leave it to Peter David to be possibly the only author in comic books to get the problems inherent with time travel. Miguel tells Peter about his experiences in 2099 with the Maestro and (reasonably) concludes that he's the different variable in the past that changes the previous future; in other words, it's his presence in 2015 that didn't previously exist, so it's likely something that he does in 2015 that creates the 2099 where the Maestro is in charge. He thinks that it may be Alchemax's prison, since it was his idea. But, he's of course not sure, since he just knows that it's something that Alchemax does in the first half of the century. I mean, it's not exactly a specific time-frame. But, Peter notes that Miguel's 2099 might already have accounted for the paradox of Miguel returning to the past, so it could be something else entirely. In other words, it's a mess. But, David acknowledges that it's a mess, so I'm a happy camper.
2) I love the consequence of Miguel trying to heal Tempest. After he did it, my first thought was that it actually seemed unfair. Most people in 2015 don't have a tights-wearing fairy godfather appear in their bedroom and spray them with a concoction from the future to cure their cancer. David seemed to be going down a dangerous road where Miguel got to use his superior technological knowledge to play god whenever he wanted to do so. But, David provides Miguel with a stark reminder about the danger of unexpected consequences here. I totally didn't see it coming, and it was exciting when it happened. Plus, it's not like he can just pop into his 2099 and ask the Alchemax technicians why the cure turned Tempest into a moth (or whatever she is). They're not there anymore. He's really going to have to live with these consequences. New arch-enemy? One can only hope.
The Unknown
1) At some point I'll stop commenting on how this new series meshes with Miguel's past, but I'll note here that he refers to his costumed career as something that happened over a period of years, whereas the original series probably only took place over a year or so.
2) Jesus, what the hell happened to the Spot? We never get an answer to Peter's question, but it seems like he tried to get him to the museum to ask for help, not because he was hunting Spidey. I would, if I had an arm emerging from my eye.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Spider-Man 2099 #10 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "I'd explain it but I'd need charts and graphs and maybe an easel." "You're hilarious. Good thing I'm dying so I won't have to listen to this much longer." -- Strange and Miguel, employing some gallows humor
Summary
As Maestro strides through the halls of his palace, his minister approaches him, cautiously asking him if it was wise to place Spider-Man in the same cell as Strange. Maestro says that he's knows what he's doing and that he's not interested in the Minister's confusion. He's also not interested in this world, because he's accomplished everything that he can. (Foreshadowing!) He says that he wants more and then joins a few scantily clad women in a room (with the usual, "Now, ladies...where were we?" line).
In their cell, Miguel tells Strange that he thinks that he's dying, and Strange asks if he could drag himself to her. She tells him that the binders prevent her from projecting her magic, but she can help him if he enters her circle. He tries, but he collapses en route. He mutters that none of "this" should be here, and Strange agrees with him. Miguel asks why she didn't change when the world changed around her, but she says that it's part of the "sorceress gig." (Cue above exchange.) She then tells him to shoot a Web-Line at her. He does and he's startled when a demon-looking creature under her arm uses it to pull him towards her. She then touches his hand and he screams in agony. A guard rushes into the room as a result of the noise, and a fully healed Miguel knocks him into a wall. Unfortunately, the guard doesn't have keys to her shackles. He tells Strange that he's going to return to 2015 to fix the future, and she tells him that Maestro has a time machine but can't fix it. Miguel asks if she can get him to it, and she tells him that she can if he gets rid of the symbols on her binders. He uses his talons to scratch them and she then uses her powers to dissolve them. Miguel asks where the machine is, and Strange tells him that it's in his Trophy Room. Miguel then offers that his specialty is biology, not technology, so he's not sure if he can fix the machine. Strange responds that Maestro has a bunch of other technology down there, so it may help.
En route to the Room, they run into some guards. They make short work of them, with Miguel motivated by the realization that he has to succeed if he wants to save his world (and his mother and brother). The aforementioned minister observes them as they run through the hall, and they arrive in the Room full of relics (like Spidey's mask and Cap's shield) that Maestro collected from the heroes "who survived the catastrophe in the early 21st century." They then find, not surprisingly, at Doom's time platform. Strange gives Miguel the device to control it, and she lets him know that Maestro hasn't figured out that device either. Miguel asks how he's going to fix it, and Strange says that she doesn't know, since her specialty is mysticism, not machinery. Miguel points out the fact that Bruce Banner builds bombs, so he's more likely to be able to fix the platform than Miguel is. However, Strange lets him know that he hasn't built anything in decades, since he doesn't like to dwell on who he was. Miguel then notices several of Iron Man's suits and realizes that he can hook up their power sources to the platform. (While he's doing it, he mentions to himself that he still thinks that it's weird that Maestro didn't do it.)
Miguel finishes doing what he's doing, just in time for Strange to be stabbed from behind. Maestro reveals himself, showing that he used the Hood's cloak to be invisible and a soul dagger to take out Strange. Miguel leaps past him, grabbing the dagger with his Web-Line. Maestro struggles, turning in time for Miguel to use the cannon on a huge (possibly Hulk-Buster) set of armor to take down Maestro. Maestro hurls Miguel onto the platform in rage, and Miguel disappears as Maestro collapses. In 2015, Miguel realizes that the platform's control device stayed in 2099 (likely because it's chronically locked to it), and Miguel worries that Maestro is still alive and might return to 2015. In 2099, a voice tells Maestro that Miguel is gone, and Strange is revealed to be possessed by the demon that helped Miguel earlier. He asks if they should complete the plan, and Maestro says that they should, soon arriving in New Mexico on Christmas Day (though the year is unclear).
The Review
I honestly don't have too much to say, because David is really only getting started here. So far, though, everyone's motivations make sense, even if we don't have all the information that we need. In other words, we have questions, but they're questions that flow from the story itself and not because the author missed making obvious connections.
My only complaint about this issue is that I'm really, really done with time-travel stories. I had hoped that Miguel would stay in 2099 when he returned last issue. I mean, I love Miguel, so I'll keep reading, even if he's in the Stone Age. But, despite happening in the future, the 2099 stories weren't actually time-travel stories. They were stories about a certain time and place, and I'm anxious to visit said time and place after so many years.
The Good
1) The best part of this issue is probably the hint that Sliney includes halfway through the issue that foreshadows how the issue is going to end. It's the moment where we see the demon pulling Spidey to Strange. He wasn't there in previous panel, and he's not there in the next one. It would actually be pretty easy to miss him. In fact, even if you do see him, you sort of forget about him immediately, because it's unclear if he's just a figment of Miguel's addled mind. When it's revealed on the last page that the demon has been controlling Strange from the start, this moment becomes all the cooler.
2) Moreover, the revelation that it was a demon controlling Strange answers all sots of questions. It explains why she knew where the time platform was and how she knew so much about its workings, since she was really just walking Miguel through the plan. But, it's not like Miguel doesn't have his suspicions; David makes it clear that he's either too injured or, later, too desperate to save his future to be paying particularly close attention.
The Unknown
Favorite Quote: "I'd explain it but I'd need charts and graphs and maybe an easel." "You're hilarious. Good thing I'm dying so I won't have to listen to this much longer." -- Strange and Miguel, employing some gallows humor
Summary
As Maestro strides through the halls of his palace, his minister approaches him, cautiously asking him if it was wise to place Spider-Man in the same cell as Strange. Maestro says that he's knows what he's doing and that he's not interested in the Minister's confusion. He's also not interested in this world, because he's accomplished everything that he can. (Foreshadowing!) He says that he wants more and then joins a few scantily clad women in a room (with the usual, "Now, ladies...where were we?" line).
In their cell, Miguel tells Strange that he thinks that he's dying, and Strange asks if he could drag himself to her. She tells him that the binders prevent her from projecting her magic, but she can help him if he enters her circle. He tries, but he collapses en route. He mutters that none of "this" should be here, and Strange agrees with him. Miguel asks why she didn't change when the world changed around her, but she says that it's part of the "sorceress gig." (Cue above exchange.) She then tells him to shoot a Web-Line at her. He does and he's startled when a demon-looking creature under her arm uses it to pull him towards her. She then touches his hand and he screams in agony. A guard rushes into the room as a result of the noise, and a fully healed Miguel knocks him into a wall. Unfortunately, the guard doesn't have keys to her shackles. He tells Strange that he's going to return to 2015 to fix the future, and she tells him that Maestro has a time machine but can't fix it. Miguel asks if she can get him to it, and she tells him that she can if he gets rid of the symbols on her binders. He uses his talons to scratch them and she then uses her powers to dissolve them. Miguel asks where the machine is, and Strange tells him that it's in his Trophy Room. Miguel then offers that his specialty is biology, not technology, so he's not sure if he can fix the machine. Strange responds that Maestro has a bunch of other technology down there, so it may help.
En route to the Room, they run into some guards. They make short work of them, with Miguel motivated by the realization that he has to succeed if he wants to save his world (and his mother and brother). The aforementioned minister observes them as they run through the hall, and they arrive in the Room full of relics (like Spidey's mask and Cap's shield) that Maestro collected from the heroes "who survived the catastrophe in the early 21st century." They then find, not surprisingly, at Doom's time platform. Strange gives Miguel the device to control it, and she lets him know that Maestro hasn't figured out that device either. Miguel asks how he's going to fix it, and Strange says that she doesn't know, since her specialty is mysticism, not machinery. Miguel points out the fact that Bruce Banner builds bombs, so he's more likely to be able to fix the platform than Miguel is. However, Strange lets him know that he hasn't built anything in decades, since he doesn't like to dwell on who he was. Miguel then notices several of Iron Man's suits and realizes that he can hook up their power sources to the platform. (While he's doing it, he mentions to himself that he still thinks that it's weird that Maestro didn't do it.)
Miguel finishes doing what he's doing, just in time for Strange to be stabbed from behind. Maestro reveals himself, showing that he used the Hood's cloak to be invisible and a soul dagger to take out Strange. Miguel leaps past him, grabbing the dagger with his Web-Line. Maestro struggles, turning in time for Miguel to use the cannon on a huge (possibly Hulk-Buster) set of armor to take down Maestro. Maestro hurls Miguel onto the platform in rage, and Miguel disappears as Maestro collapses. In 2015, Miguel realizes that the platform's control device stayed in 2099 (likely because it's chronically locked to it), and Miguel worries that Maestro is still alive and might return to 2015. In 2099, a voice tells Maestro that Miguel is gone, and Strange is revealed to be possessed by the demon that helped Miguel earlier. He asks if they should complete the plan, and Maestro says that they should, soon arriving in New Mexico on Christmas Day (though the year is unclear).
The Review
I honestly don't have too much to say, because David is really only getting started here. So far, though, everyone's motivations make sense, even if we don't have all the information that we need. In other words, we have questions, but they're questions that flow from the story itself and not because the author missed making obvious connections.
My only complaint about this issue is that I'm really, really done with time-travel stories. I had hoped that Miguel would stay in 2099 when he returned last issue. I mean, I love Miguel, so I'll keep reading, even if he's in the Stone Age. But, despite happening in the future, the 2099 stories weren't actually time-travel stories. They were stories about a certain time and place, and I'm anxious to visit said time and place after so many years.
The Good
1) The best part of this issue is probably the hint that Sliney includes halfway through the issue that foreshadows how the issue is going to end. It's the moment where we see the demon pulling Spidey to Strange. He wasn't there in previous panel, and he's not there in the next one. It would actually be pretty easy to miss him. In fact, even if you do see him, you sort of forget about him immediately, because it's unclear if he's just a figment of Miguel's addled mind. When it's revealed on the last page that the demon has been controlling Strange from the start, this moment becomes all the cooler.
2) Moreover, the revelation that it was a demon controlling Strange answers all sots of questions. It explains why she knew where the time platform was and how she knew so much about its workings, since she was really just walking Miguel through the plan. But, it's not like Miguel doesn't have his suspicions; David makes it clear that he's either too injured or, later, too desperate to save his future to be paying particularly close attention.
The Unknown
1) Was "Strange" right that Maestro just stopped accessing the Banner part of his brain, meaning that he was no longer able to fix the time platform? Or, did he need Miguel to fix it for another reason? If so, I really can't think of what would prevent him from working on it.
2) Why did Maestro collude with the demon in the first place? I get that he had to trick Miguel to fix the platform (assuming that he himself couldn't fix it and that Miguel was unlikely to do it if Maestro asked nicely). But, why was a demon necessary? What skin does the demon have in the game?
3) Moreover, why Strange? My guess is that she's the only one left from Miguel's timeline, so they had to use her as bait since he'd recognize her. But, we don't have confirmation of that. Also, it seems possible that it really isn't Miguel's timeline, that they plucked her from their timeline since they needed someone that Miguel would trust in Maestro's timeline.
4) In fact, we really don't have confirmation of what timeline it is. Is the canonical Maestro timeline really an alternate or future version of Miguel's time? Or, are we dealing with an alternate timeline different from the canonical Maestro timeline? The latter possibility would make more sense to me. Otherwise, it's weird to think that the canonical Maestro timeline is based on Spidey 2099's timeline suddenly becoming corrupted by a "new" event in the past. In other words, if the Maestro's timeline really is a corruption of Miguel's timeline, it means that someone from a different time specifically screwed up something in 2015. Otherwise, the timeline would've unfolded the way that it originally did, leading to Miguel's timeline. (Ugh, time travel.)
5) What does Maestro hope to accomplish in the past? He just says that he's bored of his present. Why is time travel necessary to alleviate that boredom?
6) This last one isn't a question specifically dealing with this issue, but Strange mentions the catastrophe from the early 21st century, an event frequently mentioned in the original "Spider-Man 2099" run. It's interesting that David has kept that part canonical, since so much of that run is still in question.
2) Why did Maestro collude with the demon in the first place? I get that he had to trick Miguel to fix the platform (assuming that he himself couldn't fix it and that Miguel was unlikely to do it if Maestro asked nicely). But, why was a demon necessary? What skin does the demon have in the game?
3) Moreover, why Strange? My guess is that she's the only one left from Miguel's timeline, so they had to use her as bait since he'd recognize her. But, we don't have confirmation of that. Also, it seems possible that it really isn't Miguel's timeline, that they plucked her from their timeline since they needed someone that Miguel would trust in Maestro's timeline.
4) In fact, we really don't have confirmation of what timeline it is. Is the canonical Maestro timeline really an alternate or future version of Miguel's time? Or, are we dealing with an alternate timeline different from the canonical Maestro timeline? The latter possibility would make more sense to me. Otherwise, it's weird to think that the canonical Maestro timeline is based on Spidey 2099's timeline suddenly becoming corrupted by a "new" event in the past. In other words, if the Maestro's timeline really is a corruption of Miguel's timeline, it means that someone from a different time specifically screwed up something in 2015. Otherwise, the timeline would've unfolded the way that it originally did, leading to Miguel's timeline. (Ugh, time travel.)
5) What does Maestro hope to accomplish in the past? He just says that he's bored of his present. Why is time travel necessary to alleviate that boredom?
6) This last one isn't a question specifically dealing with this issue, but Strange mentions the catastrophe from the early 21st century, an event frequently mentioned in the original "Spider-Man 2099" run. It's interesting that David has kept that part canonical, since so much of that run is still in question.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Spider-Man 2099 #9 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote #1: "Don't seem like he's got anything worthwhile. Suit's kinda tight." -- Ash or Sonner, stating the obvious
Favorite Quote #2: "DO YOU THINK ME A FOOL?!" "Well, I kind of hoped." -- Maestro and Miguel
Summary
Miguel returns to 2099, only to discover that Nueva York has been destroyed. He contemplates whether he's the lone survivor of 2099, but then gets struck by some sort of energy javelin and knocked unconscious. Two men stand over him and discuss whether he has anything on him worth stealing (see "Favorite Quote" #1). One of them crouches to inspect the body and notices that Miguel has no marks on him. Miguel suddenly grabs him, announcing that they hadn't hit him, because he's really fast. He hurls the man into his friend and webs them together, threatening to kill them (and describing graphically how he would do so) unless they tell him what happened. He asks their names, and Ash givers his name and tells him that his friend is Sonner; he also tells Miguel that they're Scanners. Miguel asks what that means, and Ash tells him that they scan the area to see if they can find anything worth bringing home. Miguel asks where "home" is, and Ash tells him that it's a couple of miles from there, on the outskirts of Dystopia. Miguel wonders where he's heard that name before, but he can't place it. He then drags the pair to their feet, cuts them free of the webbing, and orders them to take him home.
They arrive at the village, and Ash and Sonner are shocked to see that it's abandoned. Miguel asks how many people were living there, and Sonner tells him about 40 or 50 people had been. Miguel asks if they were just out hunting, but Ash says that they wouldn't all be gone at the same time. A frustrated Miguel comments to himself that nothing makes sense, that it's "confusion piled on top of absurdity" at this point. Just then, Ash and Sonner are encircled by bolas, and a bunch of soldiers appear, aiming their guns at Miguel. One of them observes that they found some stragglers, and another one orders Miguel to surrender. Miguel refuses and dodges the incoming gunfire. As he begins to take out the soldiers, he wonders how the world was destroyed. He hypothesizes that it was due to nuclear weapons, but wonders what triggered such an attack, since most countries got rid of their arsenals years earlier. Suddenly, a sonic boom hurls him to the ground, and a reeling Miguel wonders what happened. He then realizes that he's experienced that sort of attack before, and he discovers Maestro standing over him.
Miguel recognizes Maestro, but immediately wonders why he's there, since he encountered him (with Captain Marvel and Rick Jones) in an alternate future. However, Maestro thinks that Miguel is Peter Parker. Miguel shakily asks Maestro why he's there, and Maestro expresses shock that he knows him, asking if they've met yet. Miguel wonders whether he's in Maestro's past or if the Maestro that he met was from an alternate future from this Maestro. (Oy, time travel.) Maestro asks if he time traveled to get here, and Miguel confirms that he did. Maestro then asks if he could take him back to the past with him. Miguel agrees, telling him that he'll just go get his time machine. But, an enraged Maestro attacks him, saying that the real Spider-Man would never agree so quickly to take him back with him. Miguel manages to evade his attacks, but, eventually, Maestro grabs his foot and begins slamming him into things. As his ribs crack, Miguel realizes that Maestro is toying with him, since he could've just killed him. Maestro then hurls him into the ground, and Miguel wonders if Maestro is eventually going to kill him as he begins to lose consciousness.
Maestro orders his men to take Miguel, and they begin to ride to Dystopia. Miguel weakly asks why, in Maestro's words, "humanity [blew] itself to hell," and Maestro asks if he'd ever heard of a corporation called Alchemax. He tells Miguel that Alchemax began a program in the early 21st century that went horribly wrong; "one thing led to another, nukes flew, and that was the end of that." The group arrives at Dystopia, and Sonner asks about his people. Ash tells him to be quiet, but Maestro responds, telling them that he was feeling artistic. He says that he needed materials and then tells them to turn around, whereupon they see the bodies of their people chained to a sign spelling out Maestro's name. They look suitably horrified, and Maestro is pleased, saying that it was "exactly what [he] was going for." He then promptly crushes their skulls. Maestro then takes Miguel into the dungeon, telling him that it's interesting that he appeared when he did. He says that his interest in alternate worlds helped him capture another individual that could be of use, but she's proven stubborn. He's hoping that Miguel's broken body will inspire her to talk and throws him into a jail cell. Miguel opens his eyes to discover that the other prisoner is Strange.
The Review
Well, that escalated quickly!
I had to read my summary and review of "Captain Marvel (1999)" #27-#31 to remember how Miguel met Maestro in the first place. It was a fairly convoluted story, but, essentially, Thanatos (an alternate version of Rick Jones) sent Miguel and Captain Marvel to Maestro's timeline to get Dr. Strange's amulet and cape, which Maestro possessed. Combined with the time platform that Thanatos had stolen from Alchemax, he was planning on reordering reality so that he would be the only Rick Jones in the multiverse. (Yeah, I know, it's not the most ambitious of goals.)
Armed with that knowledge, let's get to it.
The Good
The art team really shines in this issue. From the destroyed Nueva York vista to Maestro throwing around Miguel like a rag doll, Sliney really just nails everything. Plus, Fabela's colors do a great job of painting a post-apocalyptic future. It's great stuff from start to finish.
The Unknown
1) By the end of this issue, it seems pretty clear that we're in Maestro's timeline, not Miguel's. However, Maestro didn't recognize Miguel as Spider-Man 2099, so, again, it's unclear if we're in Maestro's past (before he met Miguel) or if the Maestro that Miguel met was from an alternate future. Plus, at some point, we have to learn why Miguel was sent to Maestro's timeline and not his own, since all the other Spiders seemed to get home OK.
2) David seems to be setting up Miguel's return to our present, since Maestro informs us that it's Alchemax in the early 21st century that set in motion the destruction of Earth. But, again, just because that's true of Maestro's timeline doesn't mean that it's true of Miguel's. If Miguel discovers that his timeline's Alchemax didn't put into action the same program that it did in Maestro's timeline, then he'd have no reason to return to the past. But, David may actually be unifying the timelines here, revealing that Maestro's timeline existed at a later point in Miguel's. If so, Miguel would have incentive to return to the past to fix the problem. I guess we'll see.
The Unsure
Miguel's reaction to the (alleged) destruction of Nueva York was odd. First, he never seems to question whether he was in Nueva York. The 2099 line had any number of destroyed cities; Southern California seemed to be littered with them. It stands to reason that Miguel could've been sent to the right timeline, but the wrong place. Moreover, even if it had clearly been Nueva York, he declares that he's the lone survivor of 2099, despite the fact that nothing presented to him in that moment implies that the destruction would be global; it's just one destroyed city. I think that it's pretty easy to argue that Miguel was in total shock, so he wasn't exactly thinking straight. (He himself says that his mind felt like it was "shutting down.") But, it was weird nonetheless.
The Bad
This is nit-picky, but, in the scene where Sonner asks about their people, Sliney inverts them, with Ash referring to Sonner as "Ash."
Favorite Quote #1: "Don't seem like he's got anything worthwhile. Suit's kinda tight." -- Ash or Sonner, stating the obvious
Favorite Quote #2: "DO YOU THINK ME A FOOL?!" "Well, I kind of hoped." -- Maestro and Miguel
Summary
Miguel returns to 2099, only to discover that Nueva York has been destroyed. He contemplates whether he's the lone survivor of 2099, but then gets struck by some sort of energy javelin and knocked unconscious. Two men stand over him and discuss whether he has anything on him worth stealing (see "Favorite Quote" #1). One of them crouches to inspect the body and notices that Miguel has no marks on him. Miguel suddenly grabs him, announcing that they hadn't hit him, because he's really fast. He hurls the man into his friend and webs them together, threatening to kill them (and describing graphically how he would do so) unless they tell him what happened. He asks their names, and Ash givers his name and tells him that his friend is Sonner; he also tells Miguel that they're Scanners. Miguel asks what that means, and Ash tells him that they scan the area to see if they can find anything worth bringing home. Miguel asks where "home" is, and Ash tells him that it's a couple of miles from there, on the outskirts of Dystopia. Miguel wonders where he's heard that name before, but he can't place it. He then drags the pair to their feet, cuts them free of the webbing, and orders them to take him home.
They arrive at the village, and Ash and Sonner are shocked to see that it's abandoned. Miguel asks how many people were living there, and Sonner tells him about 40 or 50 people had been. Miguel asks if they were just out hunting, but Ash says that they wouldn't all be gone at the same time. A frustrated Miguel comments to himself that nothing makes sense, that it's "confusion piled on top of absurdity" at this point. Just then, Ash and Sonner are encircled by bolas, and a bunch of soldiers appear, aiming their guns at Miguel. One of them observes that they found some stragglers, and another one orders Miguel to surrender. Miguel refuses and dodges the incoming gunfire. As he begins to take out the soldiers, he wonders how the world was destroyed. He hypothesizes that it was due to nuclear weapons, but wonders what triggered such an attack, since most countries got rid of their arsenals years earlier. Suddenly, a sonic boom hurls him to the ground, and a reeling Miguel wonders what happened. He then realizes that he's experienced that sort of attack before, and he discovers Maestro standing over him.
Miguel recognizes Maestro, but immediately wonders why he's there, since he encountered him (with Captain Marvel and Rick Jones) in an alternate future. However, Maestro thinks that Miguel is Peter Parker. Miguel shakily asks Maestro why he's there, and Maestro expresses shock that he knows him, asking if they've met yet. Miguel wonders whether he's in Maestro's past or if the Maestro that he met was from an alternate future from this Maestro. (Oy, time travel.) Maestro asks if he time traveled to get here, and Miguel confirms that he did. Maestro then asks if he could take him back to the past with him. Miguel agrees, telling him that he'll just go get his time machine. But, an enraged Maestro attacks him, saying that the real Spider-Man would never agree so quickly to take him back with him. Miguel manages to evade his attacks, but, eventually, Maestro grabs his foot and begins slamming him into things. As his ribs crack, Miguel realizes that Maestro is toying with him, since he could've just killed him. Maestro then hurls him into the ground, and Miguel wonders if Maestro is eventually going to kill him as he begins to lose consciousness.
Maestro orders his men to take Miguel, and they begin to ride to Dystopia. Miguel weakly asks why, in Maestro's words, "humanity [blew] itself to hell," and Maestro asks if he'd ever heard of a corporation called Alchemax. He tells Miguel that Alchemax began a program in the early 21st century that went horribly wrong; "one thing led to another, nukes flew, and that was the end of that." The group arrives at Dystopia, and Sonner asks about his people. Ash tells him to be quiet, but Maestro responds, telling them that he was feeling artistic. He says that he needed materials and then tells them to turn around, whereupon they see the bodies of their people chained to a sign spelling out Maestro's name. They look suitably horrified, and Maestro is pleased, saying that it was "exactly what [he] was going for." He then promptly crushes their skulls. Maestro then takes Miguel into the dungeon, telling him that it's interesting that he appeared when he did. He says that his interest in alternate worlds helped him capture another individual that could be of use, but she's proven stubborn. He's hoping that Miguel's broken body will inspire her to talk and throws him into a jail cell. Miguel opens his eyes to discover that the other prisoner is Strange.
The Review
Well, that escalated quickly!
I had to read my summary and review of "Captain Marvel (1999)" #27-#31 to remember how Miguel met Maestro in the first place. It was a fairly convoluted story, but, essentially, Thanatos (an alternate version of Rick Jones) sent Miguel and Captain Marvel to Maestro's timeline to get Dr. Strange's amulet and cape, which Maestro possessed. Combined with the time platform that Thanatos had stolen from Alchemax, he was planning on reordering reality so that he would be the only Rick Jones in the multiverse. (Yeah, I know, it's not the most ambitious of goals.)
Armed with that knowledge, let's get to it.
The Good
The art team really shines in this issue. From the destroyed Nueva York vista to Maestro throwing around Miguel like a rag doll, Sliney really just nails everything. Plus, Fabela's colors do a great job of painting a post-apocalyptic future. It's great stuff from start to finish.
The Unknown
1) By the end of this issue, it seems pretty clear that we're in Maestro's timeline, not Miguel's. However, Maestro didn't recognize Miguel as Spider-Man 2099, so, again, it's unclear if we're in Maestro's past (before he met Miguel) or if the Maestro that Miguel met was from an alternate future. Plus, at some point, we have to learn why Miguel was sent to Maestro's timeline and not his own, since all the other Spiders seemed to get home OK.
2) David seems to be setting up Miguel's return to our present, since Maestro informs us that it's Alchemax in the early 21st century that set in motion the destruction of Earth. But, again, just because that's true of Maestro's timeline doesn't mean that it's true of Miguel's. If Miguel discovers that his timeline's Alchemax didn't put into action the same program that it did in Maestro's timeline, then he'd have no reason to return to the past. But, David may actually be unifying the timelines here, revealing that Maestro's timeline existed at a later point in Miguel's. If so, Miguel would have incentive to return to the past to fix the problem. I guess we'll see.
The Unsure
Miguel's reaction to the (alleged) destruction of Nueva York was odd. First, he never seems to question whether he was in Nueva York. The 2099 line had any number of destroyed cities; Southern California seemed to be littered with them. It stands to reason that Miguel could've been sent to the right timeline, but the wrong place. Moreover, even if it had clearly been Nueva York, he declares that he's the lone survivor of 2099, despite the fact that nothing presented to him in that moment implies that the destruction would be global; it's just one destroyed city. I think that it's pretty easy to argue that Miguel was in total shock, so he wasn't exactly thinking straight. (He himself says that his mind felt like it was "shutting down.") But, it was weird nonetheless.
The Bad
This is nit-picky, but, in the scene where Sonner asks about their people, Sliney inverts them, with Ash referring to Sonner as "Ash."
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Spider-Man 2099 #8 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "You know 'sinestry' isn't a word, right? Just so we're clear." "Yes, it is!" "Is not!" -- Lady Spider skoolin' Doc Ock on the grammerz
Summary
Miguel and May reel from the scene of death and destruction that greets them upon arrival at the "Safe Zone." Miguel wonders to himself if he and May are the last of the Spiders and whether they're essentially just waiting for the Inheritors to kill them. He's distracted from his reverie when he hears May vomiting. She apologizes for being unprofessional, and a shocked Miguel reminds her that they're all unprofessional, since it's not like any of them gets paid for doing what they do. They embrace as May asks if they're going to die and Miguel tells her, 'Yes. But not today." Miguel then notices the destroyed Spider-Voltron (from "Amazing Spider-Man" #13). May suggests that they fix it, but Miguel reminds her that they can't return to 2099 with Daemos wandering around the place. May tells him that she knows of a laboratory, cueing a flashback sequence.
On her Earth (Earth-803), May is having coffee with Lord "Harold" Osborn, and he tells her about his father's laboratory, dubbed the Stadium. He says that it's gigantic and then asks May why she's inquiring about it. She asks him if he knows of Lady Spider, and he says that he does, reminding her that she "interceded" at May's party and stopped the Mayor's kidnapping. May tells him that she was there because she's a friend and that she has need of the Stadium. May says that the deal would require absolute secrecy, though Harold says that he'd have to ask his father. In exchange for Harold getting her access, May agrees to go to dinner with him. Later, Harold's father agrees to help, commenting, "How can we turn down the needs of such a brave woman?" Of course, his father is the Goblin, though Harold is unaware of that.
In the present, May opens a portal into Earth-803 and they begin transporting the robot piece by piece. Miguel wishes he were more of a technician than a biologist, and May reminds him that he has her. Elsewhere on Earth-803, the Goblin calls his "fellows" to schedule a "visit" to Lady Spider in the Stadium. Meanwhile, Miguel reviews May's schematics and suggests adding in radiation, noting that his autopsy of Daemos revealed that the Inheritors are especially vulnerable to it. He asks if anyone in 1895 has it, and May says that she's just heard rumors. At that moment, Peter calls (as seen in "Amazing Spider-Man" #13) telling Miguel and May to join the rest of the Spiders on Loomworld. They're interrupted by Harold, who marvels at the size of the robot. May tells him that he shouldn't be here, and he asks if they've met. Before he can continue that line of questioning, the Six Men of Sinistry attack!
The Goblin notices his son there, and Miguel leaps into action, fretting that they don't have time for the distraction. The Goblin tries to engage in banter, but Miguel slices his throat. Miguel tells him that he'll bleed to death in two minutes. However, he exposits to us that he deliberately missed the Goblin's throat, though he'll still bleed a lot. He hopes that it'll convey the threat that he poses and encourage the Six to flee. To underscore the point, Miguel tells him that he'll kill them if they don't flee and suggests that anyone with a problem with that leaves. Mysterio promptly does so while Lady Spider engages Doc Ock. Miguel attacks the Vulture, who distracts him so that Electro can zap him. Miguel goes flying through a window, straight into Kraven's flying ship. Kraven brags that the windshield is impenetrable and prepares to select a weapon to use on Miguel, but Miguel successfully punches his way through the windshield. Inside, Doc Ock lands a punch on May, hurling her into the ground near the robot's head. May hides behind it as Electro unleashes bolts of electricity at her. Dock Ock, Electro, and the Vulture convene in front of the head, with one of them announcing that the Goblin had escaped. As they're ready to attack, the eyes of the robot illuminate, and, suddenly, two fists pound Electro and the Vulture. Doc Ock tries to rally them, but Miguel opens fire on him from the ship.
Miguel lands and asks May for a status report. They confirm that they've defeated the team, though Miguel wants to make sure that Doc Ock is unconscious. In inspecting the body, he expresses shock and tells May to find a lead container. Later, Miguel exposits that the Six's first-rate technology enables May to rebuild the robot. Moreover, Doc Ock had a radioactive power-center for his arms (hence the lead box) and would've been dead of cancer in another year or so because he didn't have the box properly lined. May inspects her work and asks where Lord Osborn went. Miguel notes that he probably left when he realized that his life was threatened, and May tells him to be nice. Speaking of the devil, Harold knocks on his father's door. His father tells him to leave, but Harold insists, barging open the door. He discovers his father in his Goblin outfit, and his father coldly shoots him. Miguel and May depart on the robot, and May wonders aloud where Harold will take her to dinner.
The Review
David does a great job of keeping Miguel and May at the center of this issue. It doesn't spiral into chaos like many of the other "Spider-Verse" tie-in issues have, with too many characters passing through the pages for them to have any real impact. Instead, David is able to focus only on two characters here, and it's a better story for it. We see May's horror at the destruction in the "Safe Zone" and Miguel grappling with his feelings of inadequacy as he's exhausted everything he brought to the table with Daemos' autopsy now completed. In other words, they both feel vulnerable in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds. Given that the other "Spider-Verse" issues have had to do too much to explore the emotional impact of the stories that they're telling, David becomes really the only author to give "Spider-Verse" some sort of emotional grounding.
The Good
1) I loved Miguel cutting the Goblin's throat in the middle of his tirade. People may argue with me on this point, but I always find steam-punk stories to be based on a certain innocence, since it implies that technology -- particularly technology capable of destruction on a massive scale -- doesn't actually cause large-scale damage to society. (In other words, Doc Ock uses radiation to power his arms, but doesn't build a bomb from it.) You can still have a quiet Old West kind of town, even if it's people move around that town on steam-powered hovercrafts. Conversely, futuristic stories are almost always based on a similar cynicism, where technology was essentially destined to ruin the world where it's developed. David throws those worlds together here, with the Goblin bombastically threatening everyone as if he has plenty of time to do so and Miguel, ahem, cutting right to the point.
2) The Six Men of Sinistry! Loved it. Miguel never saw the Sinister Six develop in his time, so I love that he got to fight one on May's world. But, in typical David fashion, the Six Men aren't just there to be fun. They're all masters of various forms of technology, and the raw material of their equipment provides May with the ability to reconstruct the robot. In other words, the Stadium doesn't just conveniently have all the equipment that May needs; she and Miguel have to work for it. No one works on a story on multiple levels like David, and this fight with the Six Men is an amazing example of that.
3) The art is really, really great. The Six Men of Sinistry are just so amazingly well done. Sliney needs to get himself on a steampunk comic fast.
The Unknown
1) We've now heard a few times that the Inheritors are especially vulnerable to radiation. Silk first realized it in "Amazing Spider-Man" #12 when the Twins seemed more injured by the radiation on Earth-3145 than she was. However, I'm not sure if she ever told Peter; she bails almost immediately in issue #13, once she discovers that Spider-Woman is trapped on Loomworld. Miguel confirms here that the autopsy revealed that they are, in fact, vulnerable to radiation. I don't remember Miguel coming to that conclusion last issue, but it at least fits. I'll admit that I initially thought that the reason why Cindy fared better on Earth-3145 was that Spiders somehow process radiation better than the Inheritors. But, with Miguel's comment here, it's clear that we've identified the Inheritors' one weakness, as we expected these tie-in issues would do. We'll see where that takes us.
2) I'm glad that we returned to May's world. I know that we're getting Silk and Spider-Gwen series, but I really hope that we don't see the last of May when "Spider-Verse" ends. It makes me think (hope?) that she might be staying in Miguel's world (if he stays in 2099). At the very least, I'm anxious to see her fate.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Spider-Man 2099 #7 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
*** (three of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Spider-Man! Spider-Lady! I have an offer to make you!" "That's 'Lady Spider.'" "You may want to think about changing it." -- Daemos, "Lady Spider," and Miguel
Summary
Miguel and May watch as Daemos struggles against his bonds. May asks if he could escape, and Miguel assures her that the energy levels increase according to the pressure that he exerts against them; in other words, he'd have to take out the Eastern Seaboard's power grid just to make a dent in it. He then escorts May to see Tyler. He demands a lab from Tyler to inspect Daemos' body and orders him to send someone to collect it from where they hid it. Tyler asks why he should do it, and Miguel basically threatens his life if he doesn't; Tyler concedes the point and orders Winston on it.
Miguel and May are dissecting Daemos' body while Daemos hurls abuse at them through the monitors. Daemos asks Miguel if he really thinks that he can't escape, and Miguel says that the field would kill him before he could. Daemos makes fun of Miguel for believing that he can stop the Inheritors, but Miguel stops paying attention to him. He tells May that he'll continue working on the body, but orders her to work on the bracelet that he got off the arm of another Spider-Man that warned him about the Inheritors. (He's referring to the other Spider-Man 2099 that appeared before him at the end of issue #5.) Miguel hypothesizes that it controls interdimensional jumps, but, since it's not his field of expertise, he wants her to look at it, with the help of Alchemax' "analytic machinery." May remarks on the amazing powers of the computer, and Miguel tells her that she could learn a lot if she sticks with him. Tyler is watching from his office and remarks, "Indeed. We all will."
Daemos calls to Miguel and May again, this time telling them that he and his siblings will spare their lives if they release him. May discovers the controls for the armband, and Miguel laments that he can't find an alternate food source other than Spiders that the Inheritors could digest. Daemos demands an answer to his offer, and Miguel declines, since Daemos is "evil" and he's not going to sacrifice the other Spiders so that he can live. (May concurs.) Daemos accepts the answer and begins some sort of meditation as Miguel heads to another lab, telling May to keep an eye on Daemos. In said lab, a technician confirms to Miguel that they cured something in the 2040s and tells Miguel that he can synthesize a cure in two minutes. Miguel tells him to do it, but he's distracted by Lady Spider telling him that the silent Daemos is worrying her. She then tells him to get there immediately, and he arrives in time to see Daemos intentionally kill himself on the field so that he can re-spawn in a new body. Miguel orders May to the lab and tells her that he hopes that she's fixed the device. She tells him not to worry about it and asks about Daemos. He figures that Daemos is probably on the way to them but tells her that he has a "good acquaintance" on call to slow down Daemos.
On cue, Daemos is blown off a flybike by a plasma blast, fired by the Punisher. (Hurrah!) Daemos charges him, but the Punisher blasts him again. Daemos manages to get under the next shot, separating Jake from the weapon. Jake pulls out a baseball bat; Daemos expresses disbelief that Jake thinks that it can hurt him, until Jake reveals that it's titanium and starts whaling on him with it. Daemos tells him that he'll need more than that to stop him, and Jake immolates him with a plasma-gas cannon. Daemos asks if he thinks that it'll hurt him; Jake says that he doesn't, but that he doubts "it will do the ground beneath [him] much good." Daemos then plummets into Downtown, and Jake tells Miguel that he's bought him some time, but they should flee. At Alchemax, May asks where they want to go, and Miguel tells her the Safe Zone. They arrive, only to be stunned by the dead bodies littering the field.
The Review
This issue has some obvious plot holes, as I detail in the "Bad" section, but I'm giving it three stars because the banter between Miguel and May is particularly fun. But, it's a weak three.
The Good
1) I was somewhat disbelieving that Tyler was so afraid of Miguel that he caved when threatened by him. But, it makes much more sense that he's allowing Miguel to run his experiments so that he can observe and learn from them. Crafty!
2) OMG, yay, the Punisher! Although I've enjoyed Miguel's time in 2014, I've been waiting somewhat impatiently for us to return to 2099 to see where all my favorite characters from that era are. (I was going to try to get through an entire post about this series without talking about continuity, but it looks like I'm going to fail that pledge here. I'll try to keep it short: since it's unclear where in Miguel's original history we are, it's also unclear which characters are still alive. I'm glad to see the Punisher is one of them.) This sequence was worth the wait. Jake doesn't exactly have the same...um...reservations that the Spiders have when it comes to killing, so it's fun to see one of the Inheritors face someone who never even wore kid gloves in the first place.
3) Also, the splash page of the Punisher made me happy. It really made you feel like you were witnessing a Moment. Nice job, Sliney!
The Unknown
My gut tells me that Spidey has the technician whip up a cure for some sort of ailment that he discovered that Lady Spider has. If not, I'm curious to see what disease he needs to cure and why he needs to cure it.
The Bad
1) Throughout the start of the issue, I was annoyed because it was so obvious that Daemos should just kill himself to re-spawn in a new body. Thankfully, he thought the same thing, so I don't have to go on a tirade. But, a lot of the activity surrounding that fact doesn't make a ton of sense. First, why would Miguel admit to Daemos that the field would kill him if he pressed too much against it? Sure, he had the Punisher waiting in the wings, but he wouldn't have even needed him if he hadn't tipped his hand to Daemos. I guess Daemos would've eventually figure out that he could kill himself on it, but, given that time was off the essence, it seemed a colossal (and uncharacteristic) mistake on the part of Miguel to give him that information for free. Second, once Daemos knew that the field could kill him, why bother negotiating with Miguel and May in the first place? Why not just kill himself immediately? I mean, I don't think anyone believed that he'd spare them, but I don't understand why he even wasted time bothering to pretend.
2) In the end, the dissection of Daemos doesn't really seem to have netted us much. Sure, it was fun to be in 2099. But, Miguel didn't really learn anything, since he couldn't figure out an alternate food source. I get that not every line of inquiry needs to yield useful information, since that's actually much more realistic. But, given how many separate stories we have running in the background of "Spider-Verse," I'm not sure why Slott spun off one that wasn't going to accomplish anything.
Favorite Quote: "Spider-Man! Spider-Lady! I have an offer to make you!" "That's 'Lady Spider.'" "You may want to think about changing it." -- Daemos, "Lady Spider," and Miguel
Summary
Miguel and May watch as Daemos struggles against his bonds. May asks if he could escape, and Miguel assures her that the energy levels increase according to the pressure that he exerts against them; in other words, he'd have to take out the Eastern Seaboard's power grid just to make a dent in it. He then escorts May to see Tyler. He demands a lab from Tyler to inspect Daemos' body and orders him to send someone to collect it from where they hid it. Tyler asks why he should do it, and Miguel basically threatens his life if he doesn't; Tyler concedes the point and orders Winston on it.
Miguel and May are dissecting Daemos' body while Daemos hurls abuse at them through the monitors. Daemos asks Miguel if he really thinks that he can't escape, and Miguel says that the field would kill him before he could. Daemos makes fun of Miguel for believing that he can stop the Inheritors, but Miguel stops paying attention to him. He tells May that he'll continue working on the body, but orders her to work on the bracelet that he got off the arm of another Spider-Man that warned him about the Inheritors. (He's referring to the other Spider-Man 2099 that appeared before him at the end of issue #5.) Miguel hypothesizes that it controls interdimensional jumps, but, since it's not his field of expertise, he wants her to look at it, with the help of Alchemax' "analytic machinery." May remarks on the amazing powers of the computer, and Miguel tells her that she could learn a lot if she sticks with him. Tyler is watching from his office and remarks, "Indeed. We all will."
Daemos calls to Miguel and May again, this time telling them that he and his siblings will spare their lives if they release him. May discovers the controls for the armband, and Miguel laments that he can't find an alternate food source other than Spiders that the Inheritors could digest. Daemos demands an answer to his offer, and Miguel declines, since Daemos is "evil" and he's not going to sacrifice the other Spiders so that he can live. (May concurs.) Daemos accepts the answer and begins some sort of meditation as Miguel heads to another lab, telling May to keep an eye on Daemos. In said lab, a technician confirms to Miguel that they cured something in the 2040s and tells Miguel that he can synthesize a cure in two minutes. Miguel tells him to do it, but he's distracted by Lady Spider telling him that the silent Daemos is worrying her. She then tells him to get there immediately, and he arrives in time to see Daemos intentionally kill himself on the field so that he can re-spawn in a new body. Miguel orders May to the lab and tells her that he hopes that she's fixed the device. She tells him not to worry about it and asks about Daemos. He figures that Daemos is probably on the way to them but tells her that he has a "good acquaintance" on call to slow down Daemos.
On cue, Daemos is blown off a flybike by a plasma blast, fired by the Punisher. (Hurrah!) Daemos charges him, but the Punisher blasts him again. Daemos manages to get under the next shot, separating Jake from the weapon. Jake pulls out a baseball bat; Daemos expresses disbelief that Jake thinks that it can hurt him, until Jake reveals that it's titanium and starts whaling on him with it. Daemos tells him that he'll need more than that to stop him, and Jake immolates him with a plasma-gas cannon. Daemos asks if he thinks that it'll hurt him; Jake says that he doesn't, but that he doubts "it will do the ground beneath [him] much good." Daemos then plummets into Downtown, and Jake tells Miguel that he's bought him some time, but they should flee. At Alchemax, May asks where they want to go, and Miguel tells her the Safe Zone. They arrive, only to be stunned by the dead bodies littering the field.
The Review
This issue has some obvious plot holes, as I detail in the "Bad" section, but I'm giving it three stars because the banter between Miguel and May is particularly fun. But, it's a weak three.
The Good
1) I was somewhat disbelieving that Tyler was so afraid of Miguel that he caved when threatened by him. But, it makes much more sense that he's allowing Miguel to run his experiments so that he can observe and learn from them. Crafty!
2) OMG, yay, the Punisher! Although I've enjoyed Miguel's time in 2014, I've been waiting somewhat impatiently for us to return to 2099 to see where all my favorite characters from that era are. (I was going to try to get through an entire post about this series without talking about continuity, but it looks like I'm going to fail that pledge here. I'll try to keep it short: since it's unclear where in Miguel's original history we are, it's also unclear which characters are still alive. I'm glad to see the Punisher is one of them.) This sequence was worth the wait. Jake doesn't exactly have the same...um...reservations that the Spiders have when it comes to killing, so it's fun to see one of the Inheritors face someone who never even wore kid gloves in the first place.
3) Also, the splash page of the Punisher made me happy. It really made you feel like you were witnessing a Moment. Nice job, Sliney!
The Unknown
My gut tells me that Spidey has the technician whip up a cure for some sort of ailment that he discovered that Lady Spider has. If not, I'm curious to see what disease he needs to cure and why he needs to cure it.
The Bad
1) Throughout the start of the issue, I was annoyed because it was so obvious that Daemos should just kill himself to re-spawn in a new body. Thankfully, he thought the same thing, so I don't have to go on a tirade. But, a lot of the activity surrounding that fact doesn't make a ton of sense. First, why would Miguel admit to Daemos that the field would kill him if he pressed too much against it? Sure, he had the Punisher waiting in the wings, but he wouldn't have even needed him if he hadn't tipped his hand to Daemos. I guess Daemos would've eventually figure out that he could kill himself on it, but, given that time was off the essence, it seemed a colossal (and uncharacteristic) mistake on the part of Miguel to give him that information for free. Second, once Daemos knew that the field could kill him, why bother negotiating with Miguel and May in the first place? Why not just kill himself immediately? I mean, I don't think anyone believed that he'd spare them, but I don't understand why he even wasted time bothering to pretend.
2) In the end, the dissection of Daemos doesn't really seem to have netted us much. Sure, it was fun to be in 2099. But, Miguel didn't really learn anything, since he couldn't figure out an alternate food source. I get that not every line of inquiry needs to yield useful information, since that's actually much more realistic. But, given how many separate stories we have running in the background of "Spider-Verse," I'm not sure why Slott spun off one that wasn't going to accomplish anything.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Spider-Man 2099 #6 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote #1: "Uh...hi. I'm Gabriel." "Yes, I know." "And you're May." "Two for two." "Where do you hail from?" "New York. In the year 1895." "Welcome to 2099." "Thank you. You, uh, can stop shaking my hand now." "Sorry, what?" "My hand. You can release it." "Oh, right." "Peter has some unshaken ones if you're still in the mood." -- Gabe and May meet cute
Favorite Quote #2: "Go! Go! I'll stall him!" "Will you now? How are you going to do that? Dazzle me with your wit? Fluster me with your intellect? Try to seduce me, perhaps? You do have a surplus of hands. Think of the possibilities." -- Six-Armed Spider-Man and a creepy yet funny Daemos
Favorite Quote #3: "You're flying now. Can you do that on your own?" "Anti-grav material on my back." "Technology. Then you would enjoy my world." "Is anyone trying to kill us there?" "Yes." "Then I'm thinking not so much." -- Lady Spider and Miguel, with the banter
Summary
Tyler Stone gloats to his assistant, Winston, that they're finally rid of Spider-Man, after successfully trapping him in 2014. He tells Winston that he's going to go home to get some sleep, but Winston interrupts him with a report from the Public Eye that Spider-Man has returned. As he relays this information, Spider-Man, Lady Spider, and the Six-Armed Spider-Man swing past Alchemax (in view of Tyler and Winston). Tyler expresses frustration over Spidey's return, since he'd only been gone an hour or two. However, Winston notes that he could've been gone for years, given the vagaries of time travel; in fact, he comments that they're lucky that he didn't return before they sent him to 2014, leaving them with two Spider-Men. Tyler asks if the Public Eye is tracking them, and Winston confirms that it is. He notes that Spidey is usually able to slip through gaps in the viewing parameters and hypothesizes that he's likely too distracted to do so at this point. Winston asks Tyler if he's no longer going home and a testy Tyler tells him to stop Spidey once and for all.
Conchata calls Gabe to ask if he knows where Miguel is; he replies by asking her if she wants to talk to Miguel to borrow money from him. Conchata ends the call, telling Gabe to tell her when Miguel returns, and Gabe is startled when Miguel and the two Spider-People appear. Miguel tells Gabe that they're from other dimensions, and they introduce themselves. Gabe asks Six-Armed Spidey which hand he should shake ("The one I'm extending") and Lady Spider entrances Gabe (see "Favorite Quote" #1 for evidence of that). Gabe tells Miguel that he ran into Peter Parker earlier in the day, but Miguel declines to explain that it wasn't actually Peter, since it's too complicated. He just tells Gabe that Nueva York has a lot of Spider-People in it at the moment, because someone is trying to kill them. Lady Spider tells Gabe that his name is Daemos and he's from a family of Spider-Killers, and Six-Armed Spider-Man adds that the family members live forever by draining Spider-People's essences. Gabe expresses shock that Miguel came to his place, possibly leading Daemos there, but Miguel assures him that they didn't. He says that he just needed a moment to coordinate forces, like the Hulk, the Punisher, and Strange. He observes that the Inheritors are normally gunning for Spiders, so mixing up the "offensive team" might help. As he says, "I'm Spider-Man. Trust me.", Daemos crashes through the wall, complaining that it took ten whole minutes to find them. (Natch.)
Daemos demands back his (cloned) body, and Six-Armed Spider-Man attacks him to stall him so the others could escape. Daemos quickly captures him, and Miguel and May jump into action to stop him from feeding on Peter. However, Daemos successfully repels him and then drains Peter, telling him that the formula that gave him the extra arms made him particularly tasty. Lady Spider steps to the plate next, though Daemos expresses disgust when he discovers that she's not actually a Spider; she merely uses technology in a spider's image. He then licks her, telling her that he can find "other ways to amuse [himself] with [her]." At that moment, though, Gabe uses a massive weapon that Dana left at his place to blast Daemos from the building. He tells Miguel to get Daemos, and Miguel heads through the hole. Lady Spider follows Miguel, but not before kissing Gabe her thanks.
On the ground, Daemos threatens to start killing people if Miguel doesn't appear. The Public Eye arrives and tells Daemos to put his hands over his head. However, Daemos, announcing that he doesn't take orders, throws one of the offices from his fly-bike and departs on it. Miguel arrives on the scene and speaks into the defenestrated officer's helmet to Tyler, telling him that he knows that he's listening. He tells Tyler that he'd ordinarily "beat the living crap out of" him for sending him to 2014, but announces that he'll give him a free pass if he opens up "Alchemax, Floor 82, Lab C." He tells Tyler that he'll owe him a favor if he has the lab ready for him and depart after Daemos. Tyler tells Winston to make the lab ready.
Miguel finds Daemos, crashing him and the flybike to the ground. Lady Spider webs up Daemos' hands, but he escapes the hold. Miguel stops him before he can attack her (and her "striking" figure), and Daemos exults over facing someone with actual Spider-Power. Miguel lands a punch and then flees, hoping to draw Daemos after him. Lady Spider follows, asking Miguel where they're going, and he tells her to follow him. He tells her the plan and is thrilled when he notices that Tyler has opened up the lab. Daemos appears on his recovered flybike; Miguel flips over him and puts his hands over his eyes. Lady Spider, poised over the door, uses her webs to grab the bike and throw it (and Daemos) into the lab. Miguel then activates a stasis field, capturing Daemos; he notes that it kept Venom "buttoned up" so it should do the same to him. He welcomes him to Alchemax, announcing that he won't be leaving anytime soon.
The Review
Holy crap, a lot goes down here, in terms of both "Spider-Verse" and the ongoing series. I know it's a little weird to give this issue four stars when I only have one "Good" and four "Unknowns," but most of the "Unknowns" are intriguing and make me want to keep reading, something that the other "Spider-Verse" tie-ins haven't really managed. Plus, David deserves credit for accomplishing the rare feat of advancing this series' plot at the same time as the event's.
The Good
The best part of this issue is that David, unlike some of the other "Spider-Verse" authors, does a sterling job at getting these characters to interact. "Spider-Woman" #1 failed to foster any sense of collegiality among the characters; in fact, it barely showed the characters themselves as anything but vehicles for dialogue. "Scarlet Spider" #1 managed to do a better job in terms of showing the characters' personalities, but it focused almost not at all on playing the characters off each other. However, David really shows the nascent bond forming between these three characters in this issue. He even gets Gabe into the act; his interactions with Lady Spider are priceless and make you hope that she hangs around a bit after "Spider-Verse" ends. Given how many characters are getting thrown at us in "Spider-Verse," it's a real accomplishment to be able to say that about any of them, particularly the newly introduced ones. Leave it to Peter David to manage that.
The Unsure
One of my goals in reviewing this new series has been to figure out exactly where this new 2099 Miguel diverted from the previous 2099 Miguel. We know that it happens before Atlantis invades Nueva York in issue #43 of the original series and the Earth is subsequently destroyed in the terrible "2099 World of Tomorrow" series. However, David has held his cards close to his chest in terms of providing exact details, something easily done so far since Miguel has spent most of this series in 2014. But, with Miguel returning to 2099, it has now become clear that we're dealing with a different character entirely.
In my review of "Superior Spider-Man" #19, I guessed that the Miguel that gets sent to our time is from somewhere in issue #26 of the original series. He knows that Tyler Stone is his father (meaning that it happened after issue #25), but Doom's takeover of the United States (among other events) hasn't happened. (Said takeover originally happened while Miguel was in Nightshade and Mexico in issues #27-#33). However, in this issue, Miguel mentions that he knows the Punisher, the Hulk, and Strange. Miguel met the Punisher early in this series, but he only met the Hulk (if I'm not mistaken) in "2099 A.D." #1 (falling somewhere between issues #30 and #31) and Strange in issue #32.
By confirming that Miguel's sojourn to Nightshade and Mexico happened, David would also be confirming that Doom's invasion happened, based on the information that we have. To explain, Miguel returns to the United States in issue #34 when Doom sends agents for him; he doesn't arrive in Nueva York in issue #35. This part is relevant, because the Miguel that gets sent to our time in "Superior Spider-Man" #17 is in Nueva York to start. In other words, if the new 2099 Miguel knows the Hulk and Strange (meaning that everything until issue #32 happened), we have to be in issue #35 (at the earliest), since it's the first time that Miguel is in Nueva York after meeting them. However, we can't be in issue #35 without Doom having taken over the United States and be in the same continuity.
But, the lack of focus on Doom's coup d'état could, in theory, easily be explained. It's not like Doom razed Nueva York or anything; it's just weird that it hasn't been mentioned. However, it becomes clear that it's not just Doom's "presidency" that isn't lining up correctly. For example, Conchata hasn't apparently shot Tyler Stone, as she did in issue #34; Tyler spent the rest of the series in a wheelchair, something that he doesn't have in the current 2099 stories. It's not like we can be in a period after he somehow regained his ability to walk, either; he was killed in his wheelchair in issue #46. In other words, we can't have a walking Tyler and be in (or after) issue #35. We might be able to ignore Doom's takeover, but it's hard to ignore Tyler's paralysis. Making matters more complicated, Miguel in this issue mentions caging Venom in the stasis field that he now uses on Daemos, something that happened in issue #39. However, the problem with that is (beyond the existing Doom and Stone conundrums) that Miguel says in issue #42 that he hasn't spoken to Gabe since Venom killed Dana in issue #37. Similar to not being able to have a walking Tyler and be in (or after) issue #35, we can't have a friendly Gabe and Miguel (as we've had throughout this relaunched series) and be in (or after) issue #37. Again, it's not like we can just be in a period after they became friendly again; Miguel learns that Gabe was the Green Goblin in issue #45, as Nueva York was inundated. We can't have a friendly Gabe and Miguel and a non-flooded Nueva York.
In other words, it's clear that we're working with a different continuity. We have just too many moments where the presence of a certain character or event implies the presence of another character or event that clearly isn't present. However, Marvel apparently disagrees; it uses the original 2099 Universe's designation, Earth-928, here to describe Miguel. At this point, I'm just throwing up my hands and going with the flow. After all, the good news is that David seems to be removing the more ridiculous parts of the previous 2099 universe, like Doom's takeover of the United States, the Atlantis invasion of Nueva York, and the unmitigated disaster of "2099 World of Tomorrow." In that regard, color me a happy camper.
The Unknown
1) I'm really not entirely sure what Daemos' powers are. Twice in this issue, he sends people flying (in one case, two people flying) with a punch despite not obviously landing said punch on them. Physically, hitting two people at once is pretty difficult, so it would make sense if he were doing it telekinetically. But, I'm not sure if we've established that as one of his powers. It could just be a weird art flub?
2) Um, how the hell did Dana, an public-relations person, get access to some sort of souped-up futuristic bazooka? Is Dana someone different here? This question goes with the obvious un-answered questions from the revelation that we have to be in a different continuity. Is Dana still dead? Is Gabe still the Green Goblin? Is Kron still Venom? Inquiring minds want to know.
3) We haven't actually learned why Daemos is so hot to get back his body. What are Miguel and May going to learn from it?
Favorite Quote #1: "Uh...hi. I'm Gabriel." "Yes, I know." "And you're May." "Two for two." "Where do you hail from?" "New York. In the year 1895." "Welcome to 2099." "Thank you. You, uh, can stop shaking my hand now." "Sorry, what?" "My hand. You can release it." "Oh, right." "Peter has some unshaken ones if you're still in the mood." -- Gabe and May meet cute
Favorite Quote #2: "Go! Go! I'll stall him!" "Will you now? How are you going to do that? Dazzle me with your wit? Fluster me with your intellect? Try to seduce me, perhaps? You do have a surplus of hands. Think of the possibilities." -- Six-Armed Spider-Man and a creepy yet funny Daemos
Favorite Quote #3: "You're flying now. Can you do that on your own?" "Anti-grav material on my back." "Technology. Then you would enjoy my world." "Is anyone trying to kill us there?" "Yes." "Then I'm thinking not so much." -- Lady Spider and Miguel, with the banter
Summary
Tyler Stone gloats to his assistant, Winston, that they're finally rid of Spider-Man, after successfully trapping him in 2014. He tells Winston that he's going to go home to get some sleep, but Winston interrupts him with a report from the Public Eye that Spider-Man has returned. As he relays this information, Spider-Man, Lady Spider, and the Six-Armed Spider-Man swing past Alchemax (in view of Tyler and Winston). Tyler expresses frustration over Spidey's return, since he'd only been gone an hour or two. However, Winston notes that he could've been gone for years, given the vagaries of time travel; in fact, he comments that they're lucky that he didn't return before they sent him to 2014, leaving them with two Spider-Men. Tyler asks if the Public Eye is tracking them, and Winston confirms that it is. He notes that Spidey is usually able to slip through gaps in the viewing parameters and hypothesizes that he's likely too distracted to do so at this point. Winston asks Tyler if he's no longer going home and a testy Tyler tells him to stop Spidey once and for all.
Conchata calls Gabe to ask if he knows where Miguel is; he replies by asking her if she wants to talk to Miguel to borrow money from him. Conchata ends the call, telling Gabe to tell her when Miguel returns, and Gabe is startled when Miguel and the two Spider-People appear. Miguel tells Gabe that they're from other dimensions, and they introduce themselves. Gabe asks Six-Armed Spidey which hand he should shake ("The one I'm extending") and Lady Spider entrances Gabe (see "Favorite Quote" #1 for evidence of that). Gabe tells Miguel that he ran into Peter Parker earlier in the day, but Miguel declines to explain that it wasn't actually Peter, since it's too complicated. He just tells Gabe that Nueva York has a lot of Spider-People in it at the moment, because someone is trying to kill them. Lady Spider tells Gabe that his name is Daemos and he's from a family of Spider-Killers, and Six-Armed Spider-Man adds that the family members live forever by draining Spider-People's essences. Gabe expresses shock that Miguel came to his place, possibly leading Daemos there, but Miguel assures him that they didn't. He says that he just needed a moment to coordinate forces, like the Hulk, the Punisher, and Strange. He observes that the Inheritors are normally gunning for Spiders, so mixing up the "offensive team" might help. As he says, "I'm Spider-Man. Trust me.", Daemos crashes through the wall, complaining that it took ten whole minutes to find them. (Natch.)
Daemos demands back his (cloned) body, and Six-Armed Spider-Man attacks him to stall him so the others could escape. Daemos quickly captures him, and Miguel and May jump into action to stop him from feeding on Peter. However, Daemos successfully repels him and then drains Peter, telling him that the formula that gave him the extra arms made him particularly tasty. Lady Spider steps to the plate next, though Daemos expresses disgust when he discovers that she's not actually a Spider; she merely uses technology in a spider's image. He then licks her, telling her that he can find "other ways to amuse [himself] with [her]." At that moment, though, Gabe uses a massive weapon that Dana left at his place to blast Daemos from the building. He tells Miguel to get Daemos, and Miguel heads through the hole. Lady Spider follows Miguel, but not before kissing Gabe her thanks.
On the ground, Daemos threatens to start killing people if Miguel doesn't appear. The Public Eye arrives and tells Daemos to put his hands over his head. However, Daemos, announcing that he doesn't take orders, throws one of the offices from his fly-bike and departs on it. Miguel arrives on the scene and speaks into the defenestrated officer's helmet to Tyler, telling him that he knows that he's listening. He tells Tyler that he'd ordinarily "beat the living crap out of" him for sending him to 2014, but announces that he'll give him a free pass if he opens up "Alchemax, Floor 82, Lab C." He tells Tyler that he'll owe him a favor if he has the lab ready for him and depart after Daemos. Tyler tells Winston to make the lab ready.
Miguel finds Daemos, crashing him and the flybike to the ground. Lady Spider webs up Daemos' hands, but he escapes the hold. Miguel stops him before he can attack her (and her "striking" figure), and Daemos exults over facing someone with actual Spider-Power. Miguel lands a punch and then flees, hoping to draw Daemos after him. Lady Spider follows, asking Miguel where they're going, and he tells her to follow him. He tells her the plan and is thrilled when he notices that Tyler has opened up the lab. Daemos appears on his recovered flybike; Miguel flips over him and puts his hands over his eyes. Lady Spider, poised over the door, uses her webs to grab the bike and throw it (and Daemos) into the lab. Miguel then activates a stasis field, capturing Daemos; he notes that it kept Venom "buttoned up" so it should do the same to him. He welcomes him to Alchemax, announcing that he won't be leaving anytime soon.
The Review
Holy crap, a lot goes down here, in terms of both "Spider-Verse" and the ongoing series. I know it's a little weird to give this issue four stars when I only have one "Good" and four "Unknowns," but most of the "Unknowns" are intriguing and make me want to keep reading, something that the other "Spider-Verse" tie-ins haven't really managed. Plus, David deserves credit for accomplishing the rare feat of advancing this series' plot at the same time as the event's.
The Good
The best part of this issue is that David, unlike some of the other "Spider-Verse" authors, does a sterling job at getting these characters to interact. "Spider-Woman" #1 failed to foster any sense of collegiality among the characters; in fact, it barely showed the characters themselves as anything but vehicles for dialogue. "Scarlet Spider" #1 managed to do a better job in terms of showing the characters' personalities, but it focused almost not at all on playing the characters off each other. However, David really shows the nascent bond forming between these three characters in this issue. He even gets Gabe into the act; his interactions with Lady Spider are priceless and make you hope that she hangs around a bit after "Spider-Verse" ends. Given how many characters are getting thrown at us in "Spider-Verse," it's a real accomplishment to be able to say that about any of them, particularly the newly introduced ones. Leave it to Peter David to manage that.
The Unsure
One of my goals in reviewing this new series has been to figure out exactly where this new 2099 Miguel diverted from the previous 2099 Miguel. We know that it happens before Atlantis invades Nueva York in issue #43 of the original series and the Earth is subsequently destroyed in the terrible "2099 World of Tomorrow" series. However, David has held his cards close to his chest in terms of providing exact details, something easily done so far since Miguel has spent most of this series in 2014. But, with Miguel returning to 2099, it has now become clear that we're dealing with a different character entirely.
In my review of "Superior Spider-Man" #19, I guessed that the Miguel that gets sent to our time is from somewhere in issue #26 of the original series. He knows that Tyler Stone is his father (meaning that it happened after issue #25), but Doom's takeover of the United States (among other events) hasn't happened. (Said takeover originally happened while Miguel was in Nightshade and Mexico in issues #27-#33). However, in this issue, Miguel mentions that he knows the Punisher, the Hulk, and Strange. Miguel met the Punisher early in this series, but he only met the Hulk (if I'm not mistaken) in "2099 A.D." #1 (falling somewhere between issues #30 and #31) and Strange in issue #32.
By confirming that Miguel's sojourn to Nightshade and Mexico happened, David would also be confirming that Doom's invasion happened, based on the information that we have. To explain, Miguel returns to the United States in issue #34 when Doom sends agents for him; he doesn't arrive in Nueva York in issue #35. This part is relevant, because the Miguel that gets sent to our time in "Superior Spider-Man" #17 is in Nueva York to start. In other words, if the new 2099 Miguel knows the Hulk and Strange (meaning that everything until issue #32 happened), we have to be in issue #35 (at the earliest), since it's the first time that Miguel is in Nueva York after meeting them. However, we can't be in issue #35 without Doom having taken over the United States and be in the same continuity.
But, the lack of focus on Doom's coup d'état could, in theory, easily be explained. It's not like Doom razed Nueva York or anything; it's just weird that it hasn't been mentioned. However, it becomes clear that it's not just Doom's "presidency" that isn't lining up correctly. For example, Conchata hasn't apparently shot Tyler Stone, as she did in issue #34; Tyler spent the rest of the series in a wheelchair, something that he doesn't have in the current 2099 stories. It's not like we can be in a period after he somehow regained his ability to walk, either; he was killed in his wheelchair in issue #46. In other words, we can't have a walking Tyler and be in (or after) issue #35. We might be able to ignore Doom's takeover, but it's hard to ignore Tyler's paralysis. Making matters more complicated, Miguel in this issue mentions caging Venom in the stasis field that he now uses on Daemos, something that happened in issue #39. However, the problem with that is (beyond the existing Doom and Stone conundrums) that Miguel says in issue #42 that he hasn't spoken to Gabe since Venom killed Dana in issue #37. Similar to not being able to have a walking Tyler and be in (or after) issue #35, we can't have a friendly Gabe and Miguel (as we've had throughout this relaunched series) and be in (or after) issue #37. Again, it's not like we can just be in a period after they became friendly again; Miguel learns that Gabe was the Green Goblin in issue #45, as Nueva York was inundated. We can't have a friendly Gabe and Miguel and a non-flooded Nueva York.
In other words, it's clear that we're working with a different continuity. We have just too many moments where the presence of a certain character or event implies the presence of another character or event that clearly isn't present. However, Marvel apparently disagrees; it uses the original 2099 Universe's designation, Earth-928, here to describe Miguel. At this point, I'm just throwing up my hands and going with the flow. After all, the good news is that David seems to be removing the more ridiculous parts of the previous 2099 universe, like Doom's takeover of the United States, the Atlantis invasion of Nueva York, and the unmitigated disaster of "2099 World of Tomorrow." In that regard, color me a happy camper.
The Unknown
1) I'm really not entirely sure what Daemos' powers are. Twice in this issue, he sends people flying (in one case, two people flying) with a punch despite not obviously landing said punch on them. Physically, hitting two people at once is pretty difficult, so it would make sense if he were doing it telekinetically. But, I'm not sure if we've established that as one of his powers. It could just be a weird art flub?
2) Um, how the hell did Dana, an public-relations person, get access to some sort of souped-up futuristic bazooka? Is Dana someone different here? This question goes with the obvious un-answered questions from the revelation that we have to be in a different continuity. Is Dana still dead? Is Gabe still the Green Goblin? Is Kron still Venom? Inquiring minds want to know.
3) We haven't actually learned why Daemos is so hot to get back his body. What are Miguel and May going to learn from it?
Monday, December 1, 2014
Spider-Man 2099 #5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
*** (three of five stars)
Summary
On Earth-98210, Miguel tells his teammates in the Avengers -- Captain America, Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell), and Wolverine -- that he feels like he's being stalked. Cap reminds him that the Avengers will stand by him if someone comes after him; on cue, Avengers Tower's internal alarms sound. The Avengers prepare for battle as Morlun blasts into the room. Logan stabs him through the chest with his claws, but Morlun shrugs off the attack and hurls him like a rag doll into Cap. Genis-Vell attacks next, but Morlun drains his cosmic energy from him. Announcing that the others were appetizers and that Miguel is the feast, Morlun attacks Spidey, draining him completely.
On Earth-616, "our" Miguel suffers a sudden headache, falling off a helicopter that a bunch of thieves are using to escape a bank heist. Miguel manages to recover in time to fire off a Web-Line onto the helicopter, stopping his fall. He climbs onto the copter, makes short work of the thieves, and lands the copter on a rooftop (noting to himself how primitive the technology is). He webs up the thieves for the cops and departs, wondering about the sudden pain that he experienced; he describes it as feeling like he had died.
Back on Earth-98120, Morlun sees "the future Spider-Man" observing him from a circular window into that dimension, but said Spider-Man bolts when he sees that Morlun sees him. Morlun announces that he has to make a stop before visiting this Spider-Man and disappears before a revived Logan can land a claw on him. Cap and Logan take Genis-Vell to the sick bay and discuss how they're going to chase down Spidey's murderer. Cap says that they'll have to do some research, but Logan notes that he feels like they'll never see him again; Cap admits that he's glad.
Summary
On Earth-98210, Miguel tells his teammates in the Avengers -- Captain America, Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell), and Wolverine -- that he feels like he's being stalked. Cap reminds him that the Avengers will stand by him if someone comes after him; on cue, Avengers Tower's internal alarms sound. The Avengers prepare for battle as Morlun blasts into the room. Logan stabs him through the chest with his claws, but Morlun shrugs off the attack and hurls him like a rag doll into Cap. Genis-Vell attacks next, but Morlun drains his cosmic energy from him. Announcing that the others were appetizers and that Miguel is the feast, Morlun attacks Spidey, draining him completely.
On Earth-616, "our" Miguel suffers a sudden headache, falling off a helicopter that a bunch of thieves are using to escape a bank heist. Miguel manages to recover in time to fire off a Web-Line onto the helicopter, stopping his fall. He climbs onto the copter, makes short work of the thieves, and lands the copter on a rooftop (noting to himself how primitive the technology is). He webs up the thieves for the cops and departs, wondering about the sudden pain that he experienced; he describes it as feeling like he had died.
Back on Earth-98120, Morlun sees "the future Spider-Man" observing him from a circular window into that dimension, but said Spider-Man bolts when he sees that Morlun sees him. Morlun announces that he has to make a stop before visiting this Spider-Man and disappears before a revived Logan can land a claw on him. Cap and Logan take Genis-Vell to the sick bay and discuss how they're going to chase down Spidey's murderer. Cap says that they'll have to do some research, but Logan notes that he feels like they'll never see him again; Cap admits that he's glad.
On Earth-6375, the "future Spider-Man" is revealed to be the Exiles' Miguel O'Hara. Expositing to his girlfriend, Mary Jane, Miguel reveals that he first learned of Morlun (and the "others") during his days in the Exiles, but never actually met him. He tells Mary Jane that they have to leave, but she continues to ask questions, this time about the headband that he's wearing. He tells her that the headband is part of Exiles' tech, allowing them to get in touch with him; he's been using it to see other Miguels, to build strength in numbers. However, he realizes that he may have led Morlun right to him with the headband. Mary Jane asks why Morlun kills Spider-Men and Miguel admits that he doesn't know; he just notes that there are barely any Miguels left. Mary Jane asks where he's going and he tells her that Morlun died on Earth-616 so he might be afraid to go there. Mary Jane (pretty damn logically) asks why Morlun was still alive if he died and Miguel again admits that he doesn't know. Mary Jane insists on coming with him and Miguel agrees.
Back on Earth-616, Miguel tries to convince Tiberius that it's a bad idea for Alchemax to be vouching for super-criminals like the Scorpion on work-release programs. Tiberius notes that New York has nowhere to put said super-criminals and the prisons where they are being held are thrilled to have them off their hands. An exasperated Miguel suggests building a jail just in time for Liz to overhear. Surprised by Liz's interest, Miguel notes the positive PR that they would get. Liz announces that she likes the idea, particularly since Parker Industries just failed in trying to do the same thing. (She also notes that "super-powered monsters have made [her] life miserable enough.") Tiberius agrees that the idea has potential and proposes next steps. Just as Liz compliments Miguel on the idea, he has another attack. On Earth-96099, Morlun has just killed a teenage Miguel and, as his father opens fire on Morlun, he kills the father as well. Exiles Miguel also suffers an attack, feeling the murder over the headband. Mary Jane tries to get him to take off the headband, but Miguel notes that it allows him to know where Morlun is. Miguel opens the portal and prepares to enter, hoping that it takes them straight to the Earth-616 Miguel O'Hara.
At Alchemax, Liz puts Miguel in the elevator and tells him to head to the doctor's office on the 21st Floor. After the doors close, Miguel has Lyla scan him and she notes that he's showing extreme signs of stress and that his liver isn't in good shape. She asks if he's been drinking and he snaps that it's not his liver. When Lyla acknowledges that he's not feeling this way for any medical reason, he surmises that it's Spider-related, since, "whenever [his] life goes to Hell, it's always Spider-related." Heading for the roof (since the doctor would unlikely be able to help), he changes to his costume in time for Exiles Miguel's portal to appear. However, at that moment, Morlun arrives and kills Exiles Miguel as he steps through the portal. "Our" Miguel recognizes Morlun from history books, but notes that he's supposed to be dead. Miguel is stunned by the pain coming from such a close attack, but taunts Morlun. Morlun doesn't step through the portal, and Miguel notes that he looks afraid. The portal closes and Miguel realizes that he has to find Peter Parker.
The Review
This issue is solid, but, at this stage, we really need to start getting some basic information about "Spidey-Verse." We still don't know why Morlun is alive or why Silk leaving her bunker has suddenly but him and his siblings into overdrive. I get that the "Edge of Spider-Verse" stories are supposed to tease us into getting more interested in the event, but I'm starting to find myself more annoyed than intrigued. It's not David's fault, since he's just forced to write a tie-in issue, but it definitely annoyed me throughout the issue.
The Good
1) It's interesting that Miguel has his own series of doppelgängers. So far, Aaron Aikman, Ashley Barton (Spider-Girl of Earth 807128), Spider-Man UK (Billy Braddock), and Gwen Stacy (Spider-Gwen) are the only Spider-Men that don't seem to be a version of Peter Parker or a relative of a version of Peter Parker. To be fair, it's not like we've had an exhaustive presentation of the backgrounds of all the Spider-People that we've seen so far. But, for the most part, the majority of them have had a specific connection to Peter Parker (as even Spider-Gwen does). However, in this issue, we learn that Miguel has his own versions of Spider-People (at least three that we see). Moreover, the Miguel O'Haras aren't all just future versions of Peter Parker's Spider-Man, since the Miguel O'Hara of Earth-98120 appears to be a contemporary of Logan and Steve Rogers. It raises the question if he's equally a "prime" as Peter is. I'm not sure if it's going to be the focus of "Spider-Verse," but it's an interesting question that I'd love to see Slott and David tease out a bit.
2) Using the Exiles' tech to connect the Miguels is a really brilliant twist. I'm actually not really sure what tech Otto is using to get in touch with all the various Spider-Men, but my guess is that the Exiles' tech that Miguel is using here makes a lot more sense.
3) Why is Morlun afraid? Is it because it's Earth-616 or does it have something to do with "our" Miguel specifically? Color me intrigued.
At this stage, I've got two sets of "Unknowns:" one related to Miguel and one related to "Spider-Verse:"
1) On Miguel, I realized that I'm not sure if Miguel knows that Peter is in control of his body again. That question will resolve itself fairly shortly, given that Miguel is heading to meet Peter. But, it could definitely lead to an interesting conversation when they first meet.
2) In terms of "Spider-Verse," I'm still not really sure where we are with Morlun. I took a look at the issues so far under the "Spider-Verse" banner. I'm pretty sure that Morlun was responsible for the killings in "Amazing Spider-Man" #7 and "Edge of Spider-Verse" #3-#4 and Karn was responsible for the ones in "Edge of Spider-Verse" #1 and "Superior Spider-Man" #32-#33. (The other siblings appear in "Amazing Spider-Man" #7 and "Superior Spider-Man" #33. No one dies in "Edge of Spider-Verse" #2 or #5.) But, as I mention in "The Review" section, we still don't know why Morlun is alive or why he and his siblings are all racing to kill Spider-Men. I've enjoyed these preludes to "Spider-Verse," but, man, it's time for it to start.
The Unclear
Miguel seems to have been aware that Morlun was hunting Spider-Men, which was why he was using the headband to rally other Miguels. But, we don't learn how he discovered Morlun's activities. My guess is that this question should really be part of "The Bad" as an oversight, but I'll leave open hope that David might address it at some point.
The Bad
The Exiles Miguel's scenes are pretty clunky, with the really torturous amounts of exposition. I get that he's got to cover a lot of space here, but, at some point, I really just wanted Mary Jane to stop talking.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Spider-Man 2099 #4 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
**** (four of five stars)
Favorite Quote: "Tiberius...I can't believe I'm saying this, but..." "If the next words out of your mouth are that you're proud of me, you're fired." -- Miguel and Tiberius, having a moment
Summary
In mid-battle, Miguel tries to convince the Scorpion to stop attacking him, since they're both trying to accomplish the same thing, namely, save Tiberius Stone. The Scorpion, not surprisingly, announces that he doesn't care if Spidey is right, because he just wants to kill him. Miguel asks why Alchemax hired the Scorpion to run the Spider-Slayer program, and Gargan notes that he knows both spiders and robots, so he was the ideal candidate. Miguel realizes that the Scorpion isn't going to acknowledge that Miguel isn't Spider-Man, and Gargan uses his tail to knock him out the window. Miguel lands right in front of the Spider-Slayers, but Gargan declares that he only wants them to keep Miguel contained so he can be the one to defeat him. Miguel leaps into the air to escape, but one of the Slayers grabs him with a rope and pulls him to the ground. Gargan then resumes attacking him, and Miguel marvels at the fact that history dismisses the Scorpion as a "minor annoyance for Spider-Man at best." While Miguel wonders how he's going to beat someone so quick and vicious, Tiberius awakens in time for the building where he's being held to start crumbling around him. Mussaret leaps on top of him to protect him, and the rubble kills her. A disturbed Tiberius silently leaves the building.
Outside, the Scorpion shows off his new costume, deploying a laser canon embedded in his tail. Miguel evades the lasers, but the Spider-Slayers give him chase. The Scorpion reminds Miguel that Slayers will open fire on anything "spidery," prompting Miguel to hide in an alley and get Lyla to cloak him in his street clothes. Frustrated that he can't find Miguel, the Scorpion takes several civilians hostage (with the help of the Slayers), threatening to kill them if he doesn't emerge from hiding. (The Scorpion does note that Spidey has been different lately, so he's not 100 percent sure that the plan will work.) Miguel realizes that he needs to turn to the Slayers to his side, so he webs up his watch and throws it onto the Scorpion's back. Once attached, he has Lyla project his costume onto the Scorpion, just as he's going to kill a young boy with his tail cannon. However, acquiring their target, the Spider-Slayers open fire on the Scorpion. He's initially confused, but he eventually sees the costume on himself and understands that he's there target. (He's still clueless how he wound up wearing Spidey's costume). As Gargan fends off the Slayers, Miguel rescues the young boy, who hugs him before running for safety. Miguel goes to find Tiberius, but doesn't have to go far as Tiberius stumbles upon Gargan's battle with the Slayers. He utters a deactivation phrase, and finds a nearly unconscious Gargan on the bottom of a pile of Slayers. Miguel shoots a Web-Line to grab his watch from Gargan's back and orders Lyla to call Jalafa Dahn to send a pick-up crew to get him and Tiberius.
At dinner with Dahn, Tiberius tells him that he doesn't have to get revenge on the people responsible for his kidnapping because they're "already been dealt with." Dahn asks when he'll get replacements for the Slayers that the Scorpion destroyed, and Tiberius, after a moment of silence, informs Dahn that he won't be giving him armaments against his people. He tells Dahn that he'll refund his money, but a furious Dahn threatens him. However, Tiberius reveals the army of Spider-Slayers waiting outside Dahn's palace and informs Dahn that he has an hour to leave before the Slayers will activate and find him. Miguel and Tiberius get into their limo, where Gargan is waiting, and they all head home.
The Review
Although I do have a Bad in this post, I have to say that this arc wrapped up a lot better than I thought that it would. The only questionable part was the oddly close relationship that Tiberius and Mussaret developed so quickly. However, Miguel's fight with the Scorpion more than compensates for it. David not only infuses it with hilarity, but he also makes you wonder how Miguel is going to win. It's nice to see the Scorpion have a moment, even if he finishes the fight on the bottom of a pile of Spider-Slayers.
The Really Good
Man, I did not see the resolution of the fight coming. As I said, I really had no idea how Spidey was going to survive a full-on assault from a souped-up Scorpion and his Spider-Slayer horde. But, David really just outdoes himself by having Miguel use Lyla to make the Slayers think than Gargan was Spider-Man. It's always much more fun when superheroes uses their brains and not their fists to solve a problem, even if outwitting the Scorpion isn't the hardest thing to do.
The Good
1) I liked that Tiberius actually had some growth here. In both this title and "Amazing/Superior Spider-Man," he been a pretty one-note villain. If he's going to continue having a presence in this series, David is going to have to flesh him out a bit. I mean, I don't want him to be a good guy or anything, but it does help get a sense of where he draws his lines.
2) I loved Mac and Miguel's interaction in the car. Sure, it was pretty clichéd, but I still laughed. Similarly, I thought it was a nice touch to include the little boy hugging Miguel after he saved him from the Scorpion. Miguel has always been a harder touch than Peter, at least on the outside, so I liked him getting all awkward over the kid's display of affection exactly because he was touched by it.
The Unknown
David appears to answer a question that I've had throughout this series by revealing (I think) that Miguel is always in his costume. When he throws his watch onto the Scorpion, Miguel reverts from his street clothes to his costume. It confirms that Lyla is usually just flashing the hologram of his street clothes on top of the costume (something she couldn't be doing then, since she was on the Scorpion). He apparently just has to hide his mask. It's good to know, because it'll stop annoying me.
The Bad
I don't really understand why Mussaret sacrificed herself to save Tiberius. OK, sure, she's wasn't sure that she would die if she hurled herself on top of him, but she had to have some inkling that getting between him and the collapsing ceiling wasn't exactly increasing her lifespan. She seemed genuinely concerned for him in that moment, just as he seemed to be mournful over her after he realizes that she's dead. However, I don't feel like they had spent enough time together for that relationship to develop. I would've more easily bought the idea that she did it merely because she knew that she needed him alive to end the sale of the Spider-Slayers. But, it seems to be more than that, given Tiberius' equally emotional response. I'm not sure what David would've had to have done to convince me that they felt emotionally connected to one another, but it would've helped sell this story. I mention it because it's an important component of the story, with Tiberius' emotional growth depending from it.
Favorite Quote: "Tiberius...I can't believe I'm saying this, but..." "If the next words out of your mouth are that you're proud of me, you're fired." -- Miguel and Tiberius, having a moment
Summary
In mid-battle, Miguel tries to convince the Scorpion to stop attacking him, since they're both trying to accomplish the same thing, namely, save Tiberius Stone. The Scorpion, not surprisingly, announces that he doesn't care if Spidey is right, because he just wants to kill him. Miguel asks why Alchemax hired the Scorpion to run the Spider-Slayer program, and Gargan notes that he knows both spiders and robots, so he was the ideal candidate. Miguel realizes that the Scorpion isn't going to acknowledge that Miguel isn't Spider-Man, and Gargan uses his tail to knock him out the window. Miguel lands right in front of the Spider-Slayers, but Gargan declares that he only wants them to keep Miguel contained so he can be the one to defeat him. Miguel leaps into the air to escape, but one of the Slayers grabs him with a rope and pulls him to the ground. Gargan then resumes attacking him, and Miguel marvels at the fact that history dismisses the Scorpion as a "minor annoyance for Spider-Man at best." While Miguel wonders how he's going to beat someone so quick and vicious, Tiberius awakens in time for the building where he's being held to start crumbling around him. Mussaret leaps on top of him to protect him, and the rubble kills her. A disturbed Tiberius silently leaves the building.
Outside, the Scorpion shows off his new costume, deploying a laser canon embedded in his tail. Miguel evades the lasers, but the Spider-Slayers give him chase. The Scorpion reminds Miguel that Slayers will open fire on anything "spidery," prompting Miguel to hide in an alley and get Lyla to cloak him in his street clothes. Frustrated that he can't find Miguel, the Scorpion takes several civilians hostage (with the help of the Slayers), threatening to kill them if he doesn't emerge from hiding. (The Scorpion does note that Spidey has been different lately, so he's not 100 percent sure that the plan will work.) Miguel realizes that he needs to turn to the Slayers to his side, so he webs up his watch and throws it onto the Scorpion's back. Once attached, he has Lyla project his costume onto the Scorpion, just as he's going to kill a young boy with his tail cannon. However, acquiring their target, the Spider-Slayers open fire on the Scorpion. He's initially confused, but he eventually sees the costume on himself and understands that he's there target. (He's still clueless how he wound up wearing Spidey's costume). As Gargan fends off the Slayers, Miguel rescues the young boy, who hugs him before running for safety. Miguel goes to find Tiberius, but doesn't have to go far as Tiberius stumbles upon Gargan's battle with the Slayers. He utters a deactivation phrase, and finds a nearly unconscious Gargan on the bottom of a pile of Slayers. Miguel shoots a Web-Line to grab his watch from Gargan's back and orders Lyla to call Jalafa Dahn to send a pick-up crew to get him and Tiberius.
At dinner with Dahn, Tiberius tells him that he doesn't have to get revenge on the people responsible for his kidnapping because they're "already been dealt with." Dahn asks when he'll get replacements for the Slayers that the Scorpion destroyed, and Tiberius, after a moment of silence, informs Dahn that he won't be giving him armaments against his people. He tells Dahn that he'll refund his money, but a furious Dahn threatens him. However, Tiberius reveals the army of Spider-Slayers waiting outside Dahn's palace and informs Dahn that he has an hour to leave before the Slayers will activate and find him. Miguel and Tiberius get into their limo, where Gargan is waiting, and they all head home.
The Review
Although I do have a Bad in this post, I have to say that this arc wrapped up a lot better than I thought that it would. The only questionable part was the oddly close relationship that Tiberius and Mussaret developed so quickly. However, Miguel's fight with the Scorpion more than compensates for it. David not only infuses it with hilarity, but he also makes you wonder how Miguel is going to win. It's nice to see the Scorpion have a moment, even if he finishes the fight on the bottom of a pile of Spider-Slayers.
The Really Good
Man, I did not see the resolution of the fight coming. As I said, I really had no idea how Spidey was going to survive a full-on assault from a souped-up Scorpion and his Spider-Slayer horde. But, David really just outdoes himself by having Miguel use Lyla to make the Slayers think than Gargan was Spider-Man. It's always much more fun when superheroes uses their brains and not their fists to solve a problem, even if outwitting the Scorpion isn't the hardest thing to do.
The Good
1) I liked that Tiberius actually had some growth here. In both this title and "Amazing/Superior Spider-Man," he been a pretty one-note villain. If he's going to continue having a presence in this series, David is going to have to flesh him out a bit. I mean, I don't want him to be a good guy or anything, but it does help get a sense of where he draws his lines.
2) I loved Mac and Miguel's interaction in the car. Sure, it was pretty clichéd, but I still laughed. Similarly, I thought it was a nice touch to include the little boy hugging Miguel after he saved him from the Scorpion. Miguel has always been a harder touch than Peter, at least on the outside, so I liked him getting all awkward over the kid's display of affection exactly because he was touched by it.
The Unknown
David appears to answer a question that I've had throughout this series by revealing (I think) that Miguel is always in his costume. When he throws his watch onto the Scorpion, Miguel reverts from his street clothes to his costume. It confirms that Lyla is usually just flashing the hologram of his street clothes on top of the costume (something she couldn't be doing then, since she was on the Scorpion). He apparently just has to hide his mask. It's good to know, because it'll stop annoying me.
The Bad
I don't really understand why Mussaret sacrificed herself to save Tiberius. OK, sure, she's wasn't sure that she would die if she hurled herself on top of him, but she had to have some inkling that getting between him and the collapsing ceiling wasn't exactly increasing her lifespan. She seemed genuinely concerned for him in that moment, just as he seemed to be mournful over her after he realizes that she's dead. However, I don't feel like they had spent enough time together for that relationship to develop. I would've more easily bought the idea that she did it merely because she knew that she needed him alive to end the sale of the Spider-Slayers. But, it seems to be more than that, given Tiberius' equally emotional response. I'm not sure what David would've had to have done to convince me that they felt emotionally connected to one another, but it would've helped sell this story. I mention it because it's an important component of the story, with Tiberius' emotional growth depending from it.
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