Night of the Living Deadpool #1 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of Night of the Living Deadpool #1.

Synopsis:

After falling into a chimichanga food coma (man I hate it when that happens), Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool awakens to find his favourite restaurant deserted. Hearing a scream of agony nearby, Deadpool decides to investigate, discovering a note from the owners telling him that he's been a loyal customer and that the doors were locked to keep him safe from the now dilapidated outside world.

After going through his recent memories (in which he fails to notice the obvious signs of a zombie outbreak), Wade is soon approached by someone, who turns out to be one of the undead with surprisingly refined diction. Deadpool disposes of him, but accidentally alerts a whole herd of zombies by shooting him with his pistol. The Merc with a Mouth begins racking up kill points, but he quickly becomes unsettled by the fact that the zombies maintain their human intelligence with no control over their body, eventually opting to flee. He merely bumps into more zombies however, and is left cornered.

Just as Deadpool is about to resume his "zombie killing spree" (anyone whose played Halo will understand that reference), a bunch of human survivors arrive in a truck and mow down several of the infected, giving Pool a chance to hop in and escape with them. Now on their way to "the safe zone", these people bring Wade up to speed with what's been going on. He asks about the other heroes, only to be told pretty bluntly that he's the only one left, punctuated as they drive past Captain America's bloodstained shield...

Thoughts:

There's not much to talk about here in terms of plot, as Cullen Bunn spends much of this issue setting up this post-apocalyptic world Deadpool finds himself in and the characters who populate it. It's all very well done, with a few little touches that render it just that little bit unique from standard zombie fare, and I'm certainly very interested to discover how exactly this particular plague was created. Since this series is following on from the multiversal insanity that was Deadpool Kills Deadpool, it's certainly possible that this is the work of Evil Deadpool and perhaps Deadpool has even been transported into the Marvel Zombies universe, though since that storyline was closed out in a recursive loop, it's not very likely.

This being a Deadpool comic, there are plenty of gags present, with many giving the zombie genre a good ribbing. The flashback sequence seemed rather reminiscent of Shaun of the Dead, and the reference to the genre's takeover of the video game industry was particularly amusing. Ramon Rosanna's art also contains a reference to Tony Moore's (who also drew the Dead Presidents arc for the new Deadpool ongoing) style on The Walking Dead, though Deadpool still appears bright red, perhaps to show how he represents the only colour that world has left (okay, now I'm getting too analytical). The pencils and inks are very polished and detailed, and the layouts are framed really well, not to mention that the undead look particularly decrepit here. As with his last awesome Deadpool project, Bunn has made a cracking good start and I'm sure that there's more to this simple premise than meets the eye...

Score: 4.0/5.0 

And just some food for thought, but wouldn't it be awesome if Capcom did a Dead Rising game with Deadpool as the main character (they are on good footing with Marvel nowadays)?...

Deadpool Kills Deadpool #4 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my incredibly delayed review of the final instalment of Deadpool Kills Deadpool! I honestly don't know why on earth it's taken me so long to finish this, but it's finally done and I'm sorry for the wait! Prepare to see Deadpool like you've never seen him before, as Sharkpool, Duckpool and...Grootpool!

Synopsis:

Picking up where the last issue left off, Deadpool & Pandapool engage in battle with the Deadpool versions of M.O.D.O.K, Howard the Duck and Devil Dinosaur, defeating and killing them in a surprisingly short amount of time (at least Deadpool didn't keep Duckpool as a snack for later...or did he?).

With their villainous counterparts dispatched and disintegrated, the two interrupt the fanboy Watcher from a fourth-wall-breaking speech. Deadpool comments that the multiverse has a twisted sense of humour with the kinds of characters he is in other universes, but the Watcher offers an alternate theory. If Deadpool is really the progenitor of all things, then perhaps Dreadpool is creating these alternate versions to bolster his ranks. Wade refuses to believe this though, remarking that he's only good for one thing, "killing chumps". The Watcher then prepares to re-power the Nexus of all realities, which will unfortunately require him to sacrifice himself. Before dying, he urges Wade to save all of creation...and kick his own ass!

With the Watcher now gone, Deadpool & Pandapool enter the Nexus, arriving at the reality in which Dreadpool resides...with an army of rogue Deadpool as their greeting party. It's not the end for our hero and his animalistic counterpart however, as the army is suddenly shot to pieces around them by several "heroic" Pool's, including Grootpool, Knightpool & Squirrelpool. Not wanting to waste any more time, Deadpool demands that they cut to the action montage, which is exactly what we get.

As Deadpool and his good "selves" cut through the bad ones, the members of the group are whittled down, one by one (even Pandapool *sob*.), until only Deadpool is left standing to confront the instigator of this mass suicide...Dreadpool! The two remaining versions of Wade Wilson battle, with Dreadpool attempting to convince his other self about how they are all slaves to "the continuity". Deadpool responds with a question. If they really are the source of everything, then why don't they just fix the universe instead of trying to kill it? Dreadpool answers that Wade's subconscious won't let them as he hates himself too much and therefore has created this "hell", whereas Dreadpool embraces the coming oblivion and therefore won't allow himself to regenerate. He then questions how Deadpool's outfit could look so clean and unblemished considering he started this journey with a chainsaw through the gut?

Talking of which, Dreadpool suddenly buckles over, probably due to the large knife in his chest. As Deadpool pulls it free, he asks his evil self a question of his own. Did he stab Dreadpool in the heart while they were wrestling, or did he make the knife appear with his mind? He also tells Dreadpool that just because he can keep himself from healing doesn't mean he controls reality necessarily. It likely just means he's stubborn. While he says this, Dreadpool's chest wound begins to heal, as does his severed hand, as he finally realises with horror the amount of lives he took in an attempt to free them. Deadpool tells him that what's important is that he sees the error of his ways, so in time, he may be able to make amends for what he's done...right before he abruptly slices off Dreadpool's head and douses his body in universal acid. The universe may have forgiven Dreadpool, but Deadpool definitely hasn't.

With his mission complete and now seemingly the last Deadpool in existence, Wade leaves the "Deadpool Tower" (it's better than "the meat church"), contemplating whether there are perhaps more versions of him out there somewhere, as well as how the hell to get back home. As he leaves, a lone figure observes him, stepping out of the shadows to reveal itself as a fused Evil Deadpool and Gimppool, who remarks that he needs to think of something really evil to inflict on his heroic counterpart next...

Thoughts:

After such a crazy, madcap, multiversal and hilarious adventure, there was always the potential for this to go out with more of a whimper than a bang. But thankfully, Cullen Bunn delivers the latter. There's plenty of violence and humour as well as a thoughtful quandary (I like using that word) posed about the "progenitor" concept.

One of the things Bunn does very well is how he uses Deadpool's fourth-wall-breaking ability in service of the plot in addition to the jokes. The self-aware action montage, while being fun with a capital F, is also a smart way of cutting through any action that might bog down the narrative. That way we can literally "cut" to the real meat of the issue. The showdown between Deadpool & Dreadpool is tightly plotted and there's some interesting commentary on the nature of comic book continuity contained within the dialogue, though it's not . But the comic never forgets it's identity as a Deadpool comic, punctuated nicely when Deadpool lops off Dreadpool's head after giving a cheesy speech.

I've mentioned previously that Cullen Bunn's imagination when it comes to conjuring up alternate Deadpool's has been one of the series biggest strengths, but here he puts all his previous efforts to shame (well, Galactipool was pretty awesome), with many of the laugh-out-loud moments being the sheer sight of these Deadpool's. I almost wish there was a  There's even a Deadpool modelled after his DC counterpart Deathstroke, though he's kept partially in shadow. Salva Espin maintains his excellent work on the series in this final issue, packing it full of scenes both hilarious and action packed (often all at once), especially during the action montage.

I'm somewhat divided about the ending though. The final twist came out of nowhere and still has me scratching my head, not to mention that it ends teasing the next storyline Cullen Bunn is penning for Deadpool, rather than closing the "Killogy" out in a more meaningful way. That being said, it's possible that Night of the Living Deadpool will directly follow on from this and perhaps explain Evil Gimppool, so it's difficult to consider these as actual plot holes when there's potentially more to come. On the more positive end of the spectrum, after all the bloodshed and the nihilistic philosophy of Dreadpool, ending this mini on a more optimistic note is very much appreciated. To quote the Eleventh Doctor (or Twelfth, or Thirteenth? I can't keep it straight anymore thanks to Moffat!) "There's an awful lot of one, but there's an infinity of the other". It's totally plausible that there are still some other Deadpool's out there somewhere in the vast tapestry that is the multiverse and hopefully we will see them in the future. Cullen Bunn & Salva Espin have crafted a hilarious, violent and totally insane series with just enough heart in it to make you care about these larger than life versions of the same character, some classic Deadpool humour and some totally bonkers set-pieces...

Score: 4.0/5.0

Amazing Spider-Man #700.1 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of Amazing Spider-Man #700.1. That's right, Peter Parker, the original, actual, totally Amazing Spider-Man is back (even if it is in a flashback series)...

Synopsis:

Several years before his death at the hands of Doctor Octopus, Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man, is patrolling the streets of New York City. As November hits with longer, colder nights, Peter thinks on how each of them begin and end the same way, with the hope that people won't need him, and that even Spider-Man can run out of strength.

After listening to J. Jonah Jameson ranting about Spidey at the Daily Bugle. Peter pays a visit to his Aunt May, telling her he feels worn out, as if somethings drawing his heat from him. May tells him about how Uncle Ben would say that November was nature's way of telling people to rest, and that there's nothing so sad it doesn't bring something positive. Peter leaves the conversation more optimistic, thinking it's probably just the November blues getting him down. He arrives back at his apartment way behind schedule on his patrol. He prepares to suit up, but instead winds up falling asleep.


Everyone begins taking shelter as the storm hits, with New York covered in snow by the time Peter awakens. A fire breaks out in an apartment block and the city is soon engulfed in darkness when a branch falls on the lines. Peter tries to check on May, but has no signal on his phone due to the power cut. The furnace at May's house has also stopped working, and things don't get any better as a tree branch breaks through the bathroom window (Man, the trees really have it in for New York this winter?). Peter's worry for his Aunt is compounded further by his Spider-Sense starting to tingle, so he decides to go and make sure she's alright, not as Peter Parker, but as Spider-Man...

Thoughts:

It's hard to believe that it's nearly been a full year since Peter Parker was bumped off in the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man. While it's successor, Superior Spider-Man has improved since it's hit-and-miss first issue, we've been so inundated with Doctor Octopus' twisted incarnation of the wall crawler (not to mention the use of the word Superior), that the mere presence of Peter is refreshing, even more so since David Morrell is doing something more meaningful with everyone's favourite web-head instead of just making this first story a fluff piece.

The tone in particular is what made me enjoy this issue. It's very similar to J. Michael Straczynski & John Romita Jr.'s run on the series (one of my personal favourites), providing us with a slightly somber take on Peter's earlier exploits as Spidey, which feels all the more relevant given his death. We're given a more serious and brooding Spidey, which in the context of this story, actually works to it's advantage, and it's likely that the other stories will feature a more jovial web head. That's not to say that this issue is entirely humourless. The scene with Jameson, while not laugh-out-loud funny, is an amusing diversion from Peter's troubles and it's also refreshing to see Jonah in charge of the Bugle since his position as Mayor is starting to run it's course.

Klaus Janson's work here bears a slight resemblance to Romita Jr.'s, which makes sense given that the former inks a lot of his titles, but Janson's pencill's are still distinct enough that they maintain their own identity. The atmosphere of New York in the grip of a vicious winter is rendered superbly and Spidey himself looks awesome. There's the odd facial expression here and there, but otherwise this is a very good looking comic. This opening issue does a very good job of re-introducing Peter and shows that there are plenty more stories to tell with him. It's funny that I can have so much phrase for an issue where Spidey almost never cracks a joke...

Score: 4.5/5.0

Superior Spider-Man #21 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #21. Okay, I'm a couple issues behind right now, but I'm going to do my level best to get the following two issues out as soon as I can. I apologise for the delay.

Synopsis:

The newly restored Stunner attacks the Daily Bugle, where Joe Robertson is welcoming back Betty Brant to the team, asking where she can find Spider-Man. Unfazed, Robbie responds that "Spidey" will find her thanks to his Spider Bots (which their doing an expose on), which gives Stunner the idea of committing a crime to lure him in.

At Empire State University, Otto is fuming over the fact that Dr. Lamaze could ruin everything he's worked towards. He takes off, leaving behind a bewildered Anna Maria, and suits up, preparing to deal with Lamaze, but is suddenly contacted by one of his Spiderlings, who reports Stunner's rampage, prompting SpOck to intervene.

Elsewhere, at the supposed grave of Otto Octavius, Carlie Cooper stands with flowers, apologising to the dead man she now knows as Peter Parker for not believing him when he told her (back in ASM #700) that he was really Spider-Man in Doc Ock's body. she lays the flowers at the headstone, only for the ground to suddenly give way beneath her. She falls into the grave, but is more shocked to find that it contains no body. She's not given much time to ponder this surprise development however, as a cackling individual arrives and grabs her.

Meanwhile, SpOck is trying to explain his true identity to Stunner, but Angelina refuses to listen, railing against "Spider-Man" for killing Doc Ock, the man that she loved. Being more concerned about Lamaze's plans, Otto subdues her with his new web formula and sends his Spider Bots to track and shut down the virtual reality rig before taking off to deal with "more pressing matters". But Stunner is smarter than Otto gives her credit for, ripping through the webbing before pursuing him.

Otto catches up to Lamaze only to find that Anna Maria has already been trying to convince him otherwise of "Peter's" plagiarism. Touched by her defence of him, Otto is then forced to dodge a bus hurled at him by Stunner, which nearly crushes Anna & Dr. Lamaze if not for Otto holding the bus up with webbing. Stunner then rips Otto's metal arms from his back in disgust, while Lamaze abandons Anna Maria without a second thought. It looks as though Otto is set to have his own Gwen Stacy, but conveniently, the Spider Bots manage to reach Stunner's V.R rig and disable it, allowing Ock to win by the skin of his teeth.

SpOck soon arrives personally at Angelina's hideout, where he pilfers the rig while she is unconscious from neural feedback. When Stunner awakens, she is stunned herself to see Doctor Octopus standing before her, alive and well. Little does she know it's merely a hologram created and controlled by Otto using her V.R rig.

Ock tells her that, while he'll always care for her, he's moved on in the time she was away and found another, leaving Angelina in tears. Otto later visits Lamaze with his holo avatar, lying to his former colleague that Peter Parker was his assistant and came up with many of his greatest inventions. The next day, Lamaze officially retracts his accusations, meaning that "Peter Parker" is now a Doctor.

In the Goblin Underground, Menace brings the Goblin a present or rather a person, Carlie Cooper to be specific. To make matters worse (for Otto anyway) Menace has discovered her former friends journal (In which she's been keeping all her notes on the Superior Spider-Man) and presents it to the Goblin, who immediately delves in for a read...

Thoughts:

In my review of the last issue, I noted how much of the changes to the status quo seemed more like they were made for Peter than Otto, the opposite is true here, though the fact that Peter is now a Doctor would be an interesting thing for him to deal with. Carlie's capture by the Goblin's forces helps to streamline the many plotlines running through the veins of this comic, while simultaneously increasing the Goblin King's power, which makes his eventual confrontation with SpOck all the more promising. I'm also interested to learn what's become of Doc Ock's original body. Perhaps it's some sick joke by the Goblin?

Perhaps the best thing Dan Slott does in this issue is give Otto some more depth. The scenes with Stunner help to show a softer side to Doc Ock, and it's clear that it's difficult for him when he tells Angelina that he's moved on. This doesn't translate to other parts of the issue however. It's a missed opportunity for Otto to become somewhat humbled after Lamaze, a man he saw as a complete idiot, came so close to ruining him. As it stands, Otto seems as indifferent to him as he was before, which feels rather unnatural and rushed.

It's ironic that a D-List villain like Stunner could give "Spider-Man" more grief than the Vulture or the Spider Slayer, but it's appreciated since it shows that Otto isn't as Superior as he makes out. His acquisition of Stunner's hologram projector would certainly be an effective tool for disproving any suspicions about "Spider-Man's" identity, though I doubt it'll be used again with Darkest Hours and Goblin Nation hot on the heels of this issue.

Giuseppi Camuncoli's art quality is very consistent with last issue, with some beautifully framed shots. It's almost eerie seeing Doctor Octopus appear in his original form after all the time he's spent in Spider-Man's body. The shot of Carlie at Peter's grave is also suspiciously reminiscent of the opening panel of Otto in #1.

 

In short, this story arc was enjoyable, but it might not age well given how much it's built upon changes to the status quo...

 Score: 3.5/5.0

Amazing X-Men #1 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of the first issue of Amazing X-Men! I realise it's quite late to be starting a review of the newest "X-book" to hit the stands (X-book? No? Oh well, worth a try.) But I've been wanting to review a regular X-Men comic for a while now and hopefully when the second issue hits I'll have my review of that up way sooner. I hope you enjoy the review.

Synopsis:

Some time ago, somewhere beyond the realm of the flesh, Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, sits brooding upon a clifftop. An unknown woman greets him, remarking that it gets more beautiful the further inland you go. Kurt replies that he likes it where he is. He tells the woman that, although this place is everything he imagined it would be, he feels as though his old life has one more chapter to be written (you live in a world of comics Kurt, they'll always be one more chapter).

All of a sudden, Nightcrawler senses something unpleasant. He immediately teleports away, the noise of which surprises the woman. It's not quite as surprising however as the demon pirates that are coming right at her. Fortunately, Nightcrawler reappears and proceeds to kick all forms of demon ass, even stealing three of their swords. He's soon greeted by the leader of this motley crew, it's none other than his own father, Azazel, complete with a group of red Bamfs. The two spar for a while Azazel makes no secret of his disgust that his son "lounges in Heaven". Nightcrawler proclaims that whatever his father is up to, he'll stop him, but Azazel responds that he's forgetting that he's already dead before disappearing. As Nightcrawler stares down into the smoky abyss, his narration talks about how he didn't fall from Heaven. He jumped.

In the present day, Angelica Jones, aka Firestar, arrives at the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning to join the staff as the new physics teacher. While navigating through the somewhat chaotic halls of the building, she meets Hank McCoy, aka Beast, who is furiously pursuing the Bamfs as they have stolen his coffee maker, which he calls "Eleanor". What the two find instead is something that causes Beast to summon the rest of the team and place the school on lockdown

X-Men Assemble!

 

Beast studies the device the Bamfs have built, deducing that it's a gateway of some kind. Rachel Grey notes that their minds (which were previously closed to her) are now open, and that they're all afraid they're too late. While this is going on, Firestar reacquaints herself with Iceman, feeling very attracted too him, though she's met with a harsh reception from Warbird, who informs her "the man of ice already has a mating partner" (wow, presumptuous much?).

The Bamfs' have powered the gateway by splicing into the central battery. Beast severs the circuits, but the Bamfs have also rerouted the power somehow, leaving the gateway open. Rachel continues to read the Bamfs' minds, saying that where they come from, the sky is on fire, there's someone red that they fear and that someone else sent them after the X-Men (I wonder who the latter two could be?). As the portal becomes fully active, the Bamfs teleport away, though the X-Men are soon joined by new ones via the portal. Unfortunately, these ones are Azazel's red Bamfs, which attack the X-Men, pulling several of them through the gateway.

 

Wolverine & Northstar are deposited in "Heaven". Logan gets his bearings while Northstar takes off to investigate, noting the lack of scents and sun. Northstar soon gets the attention of something, that something being a huge, floating pirate ship looming over the landscape. "ALL HAIL THE NEW LORDS OF HEAVEN!" a voice announces from it, warning the two to surrender their souls "OR STAND WITH YOUR PRECIOUS BLUE ELF AND BE LOST FOREVER!"  The words "blue elf" in particular surprise Wolverine...

Thoughts:

In my review of Mighty Avengers #1 over at Spider-Man Reviews (which you can check out by clicking here) I noted that since there were several other Avengers titles on the stands, Mighty Avengers had to make even more of an effort to prove itself a worthy addition to the franchise. The same is true for Amazing X-Men, even more so given that there are ten X-Men comics currently being published. But with Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness writing and pencilling this series respectively, as well as the opening storyline revolving around the return of popular X-Man Nightcrawler, it's hard to see how this series could fail to stand out from the crowd. This opening issue gets things off to an exciting start with plenty of humour abound.

To start with, it's surprising that we see Nightcrawler in what looks to be Heaven, something Marvel doesn't usually explore. I'm interested to see whether this really is a plane of Heaven, or if Aaron has something else up his sleeve and it turns out to be something else entirely. Either way, it's cool that "Heaven" is portrayed as another dimension you can travel to. It's also a nice subversion to see Nightcrawler from the beginning of the issue rather than just a splash page at the end. It helps build excitement for when he's reunited with his teammates. And what do you know, the cover of this issue is not misleading! We actually do get to see Nightcrawler in his classic costume fighting people with swords. The appearance of Azazel is also quite interesting and it makes Kurt's return storyline more personal for him.

As for the X-Men, Aaron has demonstrated in this series' sister title, Wolverine & the X-Men, that he has no problem embracing the more ridiculous and quirky aspects of the franchise. The arrival of Firestar allows for a neat jumping on point, introducing us to the staff of the Jean Grey School and the dynamics between them all. There are plenty of laugh out moments during these interactions. Warbird's courtship of Iceman was particularly funny since Iceman is the last person I'd expect the aggressive and confident Warbird to have a romantic interest in. Opposites attract I guess? The relationship between Wolverine & Storm, as well as Beast's pursuit of the Bamfs (the mystery of whom looks to be quite intriguing) also add to the comedic highlights of this issue.

Ed McGuiness' artwork in this issue is just "sublime" (anyone whose read Grant Morrison's run on X-Men will know what I'm talking about). The same can be said for Marte Gracia's vivid colours, which work in concert with McGuiness' pencil's to provide an animated and excellent look to this comic. In short, this is an "Amazing" start to Amazing X-Men...

Score: 5.0/5.0

Doctor Who Prequel: The Night of the Doctor Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of The Night of the Doctor,

 "I'm a Doctor, but probably not the one you were expecting". With all the media attention, as well as the fanbase, focused on David Tennant, Matt Smith & John Hurt appearing in the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor (and rightly so), the last thing anyone expected was for Eighth Doctor Paul McGann to star in a prequel to the episode. As well as being a very nice surprise, The Night of the Doctor contains a plot with a remarkable amount of substance given it's modest run-time of six and a half minutes.

The story opens just the way you'd expect with Doctor Who. The Doctor comes to the aid of a young woman in mortal peril, in this case the pilot of a crashlanding spaceship named Cass. But soon our expectations are subverted by Cass refusing to go with the Doctor when she discovers he's a Time Lord. This gives us some much needed insight into how the rest of the universe views the Time Lords and the Time War. They're seen as no different to the Daleks (which is quite a statement), to the point where Cass would rather die than travel with one, even if he claims to be "one of the nice ones". It also says a lot about the Eighth Doctor that, in spite of being capable of escaping via the TARDIS, he still stayed with Cass on the ship when it crashed on the planet Karn.

 

It's at this point that we meet the Sisterhood of Khan (a nice callback to the Fourth Doctor story The Brain of Morbius), who retrieve the now-dead Doctor and revive him temporarily for four minutes. Through the following scene, the main crux of the story becomes clear. The Night of the Doctor is about how the Doctor (quite literally) became a warrior, about how he was forced into the Time War despite trying his best to uphold his morals. This prequel does an excellent job of setting the Doctor on the path that led to his decision to wipe out the Daleks & the Time Lords, as well as finally answering the question of just what caused the Eighth Doctor to regenerate. It's rewarding for the fans as well as a compelling story. And the scene where the Doctor salutes all the companions he had during this incarnation was a nice gesture to fans of the Big Finish audio series that starred the Eighth Doctor.

Paul McGann is brilliant in his return as the Eighth Doctor, giving a charismatic performance as the Time Lord. While he means serious business throughout this episode, he's not above memorable lines of quirkiness, "bring me knitting!" Emma Cambell-Jones & Clare Higgins also provide compelling turns as Cass & Ohila respectively. The production aspects of the episode are surprisingly good. The sets are haunting and atmospheric and the visual landscape of Karn is well realised considering the modest budget this episode had in comparison to the 50th special, not to mention the clever use of archive footage of a young John Hurt. Overall, this was a wonderful send-off for McGann's Doctor as well as a nice linking up of the classic series with the new. I only wish McGann had established a catchphrase I could use to round this review out with. Oh well, Allons-y!

Score: 5.0/5.0

Superior Spider-Man #20 Review!

Hello everybody, Donlinedude here and welcome to my review of Superior Spider-Man #20. Once again I'm really sorry for the delay.

Synopsis:

The issue flashes back to the time of Peter Parker's death in #700 of Amazing Spider-Man (like we really need to relieve that all over again). Across town from Avengers Tower, at the hospital, Doctor Mondrian and his team are paged to the coma room, as one of the patients is showing increased brain activity. As they cart this mystery patient away for surgery, they pass Julie Carpenter, aka Madame Web, who wakes from her own coma screaming psychically that "the web of life is coming undone" and soon "all the spiders will die. The surgery is a success and the mystery patient revives only to hear that "Doctor Octopus" has just died, which enrages them.

We then cut to present day in Midtown Manhattan, where Otto Octavius is on his way to a date with Anna Maria Marconi. His conversation with her is interrupted by a Spider-Bot reporting a robbery in progress, which Otto heads towards. The robber turns out to be Felica Hardy, aka the Black Cat, who greets Otto in a flirtatious manner as he approaches her. "Spidey" responds by punching her in the face (WTH!!), which knocks out one of her teeth. Otto then fights and quickly defeats the bewildered Cat, leaving her webbed up for the police and utterly fuming, swearing that she'll never forget this.

Otto's date with Anna Maria involves a picnic on a web strung over a couple of rooftops. Otto answers Anna Maria's concerns about it's longevity with the revelation that he's improved on Peter's web-fluid (well that's certainly going to have a lasting impact). The new formula now stays up indefinitely, until Otto activates a dissolving agent. He also reveals that he's applying for a business loan to start his new company, Parker Industries (kind of ripping off Tony Stark there, aren't we Otto?), and invites Anna Maria to be a part of it. She accepts.

The next morning, Aunt May and Jay Jameson talk at the hospital about "Peter's" plans, which their both investing in. A large, hooded figure (the mystery coma patient from before) then emerges from the therapists office with Sha Shen, commenting that they're back on their feet now before leaving. We then cut to Otto signing the paperwork for his new endeavour along with May, Jay and Sajani Jaffrey, who'll function as his vice president.

Meanwhile, Carlie Cooper is talking to Yuri Watanabe at her apartment, saying she now has enough evidence to take to the Avengers. As Yuri leaves, Carlie calls Mary Jane Watson, warning her to stay away from Peter and to keep May and the others away too. MJ however, is otherwise occupied, she's arrived at the local firehouse, fully glammed up, to ask out firefighter Pedro Olivera (the one who saved her from the fire at the club). Like Black Cat, she doesn't get the welcome she was expecting, instead being pounced upon by Pedro's dog, Jake, but he offers to make it up to her with a coffee, asking that she call him Ollie.

Elsewhere, "Peter" presents his doctoral thesis to the board at Empire State University. It looks as though he has it in the bag, but then none other than Dr. Don "the Shnoz" Lamaze accuses him of "stealing" Otto Octavius' life's work (how deliciously ironic), dismissing everything as plagiarism. He vows to see "Parker" expelled and made the laughing stock of the entire scientific community...unless of course a certain web-head gets involved?

At Avenue B, the mystery coma patient enters an abandoned building, the subsequent scanning revealing her as Angelica Brancale, the former lover of Doctor Octopus. She activates a back-up system of her holographic avatar, swearing vengeance on the "Superior Spider-Man" in the name of Otto Octavius (Irony x2) as Stunner...

Thoughts:

Dan Slott has been teasing for a while now that the events in this issue would have lasting ramifications in the Spidey-Verse, and while I don't think they were all exactly as earth-shatteringly "shocking" as those seen in the previous issue, there's still a lot of very interesting developments and definitely a couple of surprises.

First off, SpOck punching poor Black Cat in the face. That certainly threw me for a loop. I've always liked the character of Felicia Hardy (in fact when I was first introduced to her via the 90's Spidey animated series, I actually wanted Peter to end up with her rather than MJ) and since she's on the cover for this issue I expected much of the issue to focus around the dynamic with Otto & Felicia, so it was a real surprise that this meeting was ended so abruptly and violently, but it was also a good use of misdirection and Slott looks to be taking the Spider-Man/Black Cat relationship in a different direction for when Peter returns (let's face it, we all know it's going to happen).

The concept of Otto forming his own business as Peter Parker was also unexpected, though I doubt it'll come to fruition and even if it does, it will likely be short lived. The scene with Dr. Lamaze brings a fascinating quandary to the table. While it was a very satisfying comeuppance for Otto (given how much he looked down on Lamaze), it could also mean the end for Peter's scientific career if Otto doesn't stop him, but taking that form of action is morally wrong.

Carlie Cooper's investigation into Otto's activities garnered a good piece of evidence last issue and I'm pleased that she's planning on taking this to the Avengers, though it's hard to shake the worry that Slott will cop out with this particular subplot. The reintroduction of Stunner isn't a surprise given the solicitations for the following issue, but I'm interested to see Otto's reaction to his former lover's return, especially since he appears to have moved on. Talking of moving on, Mary Jane's budding relationship with "Ollie", while a very funny scene, is also a little sad since it definitely has legs and would be a legitimate way of keeping Peter & Mary Jane apart even if she were to discover that Doc Ock had taken over his body. I know I keep talking about Peter's return, but it very much seems that Slott is setting up some elements that would affect Peter more than Otto.

Giuseppe Camuncoli provides plenty of polished, eye-catching pages in this issue. Black Cat in particular looks terrific considering her limited panel time. Slott's writing definitely seems to have matured through the course of the series. Here's hoping that he can keep it to this standard with the following issues...

Score: 4.0/5.0