The Torment Legacy

You know what book I had not read in ages, for like the longest time, Todd McFarlane's Spider-man. And don't sit there like you don't know what book I am talking about, this is without a shadow of a doubt one the most famous comic books of all time. Is that an exaggeration? Not really, the success of this book, along with Liefeld (X-Force) and Lee (X-Men), they were able to change the comic book industry as we know it today. If you haven't seen the Image Comics documentary, it is an absolute must watch, even if you aren't that into comics, go and watch as soon as you can. That being said, I found this book in my collection and decided to give it a read again, see what it was all about. I remember hearing a lot of negative comments about this story, Torment, a story with Spider-man taking on The Lizard in a very gritty fashion. But I wonder, why can't Spider-man be gritty? I mean his enemies want to kill him, not slap him on the wrist. His first love was killed by a psychopath in a goblin suit, he then sold his marriage to the devil. How is Spider-man free from the gritty? While I see that tons and tons of kids love him and that's great, but kids also love Batman. And Batman is the undisputed king of grit. While I don't suggest every superhero go down the path of the Dark Knight, I do want to say that if you can do it right, all power to you. Spider-man Reign gets slammed so much by critics and fans, but I thought it was an incredible story with some of the greatest Spidey moments I have ever seen. If busting out of a coffin in the classic red and blue tights doesn't get your comic book blood pumping, nothing will. And so, if this is going to be a dark trip into the world of the friendly neighbourhood Spider-man, well so be it. And with that, let's take a look at Todd McFarlane's classic, from Marvel comics Spider-man issue 1. 

Can we at least all agree this is the best looking Spider-man cover of all time though? It is absolutely iconic and eye popping, all those webs and spiders crawling all about and the hero right there in the middle of it all, looking better then ever. And yes back in the 90's there was a crazy trend that everything was going to be a collectors item in time and yes this cover had a couple of different styles, like the gold one or the black and white one. But still, this image is so incredible you can't be mad. How many fans have created fan art based on this cover? This has got to be a requested commission recreation on sketch covers at conventions for sure. Not to mention the amount of times the pose has been used for other books, it was even used later on a Spawn cover as well. But yeah, I love it. When I think Spider-man, I think of this cover.

Okay, so the actual book and all.  

Well while I admit it isn't the deepest piece of literature I have read, after going through it, I don't think it needs to be. Now keep in mind, McFarlane wrote and drew this book. But clearly he is an artist first, writer second. But he does have some good ideas and does a different take on this classic hero, this is a Todd McFarlane Spider-man for sure. And of all the villains he could have picked, he made a really interesting one with The Lizard. For the longest time, Lizard would crawl about and attack people but not really do too much damage, and you felt sympathetic for this character. After all, Doctor Connors isn't able to control his alter ego. But here we get a violent, hungry and gory Lizard, and it's pretty cool. So the while the writing does leave more to be desired, the ideas are really good and thanks to the art, ideas may be enough. The art in this book looks absolutely stunning, this was done well over 20 years ago and still looks as good as anything being done today. Say what you will about the man, you can't deny the absolute talent he has. The details in the webs, the way Spider-man moves through the city sky, even the look of all the people in New York, everything is brought to life in a way only a comic book can do. I highly urge to look through this book and tell me what you think, take in all the lines and all the action going on in each panel and tell me you don't see how an artist was able to change the comic book world. Spider-man will always be a cornerstone to the legacy of McFarlane and comic books as a whole. 

Is this book getting a pass to gold on it's art alone? Yeah I would say so. But also on how it change the game forever. You have to remember, Marvel doesn't just let anyone work on a Spider-man book, let alone write and draw one, unheard of. So this will probably be something we may never see again. But look, this is just what I think, it goes without saying that you can only take it for what it is, nothing is absolute. So what do you think about this issue? Do you see more warts and flaws, things I missed. Leave a comment below and let's talk comics. Well that's all I've got for today, going out to Brampton tomorrow, going to be doing a show for Pride Week over at Stadium Comics! Check out the details, here! And if you get a chance come down and get some art from me and Toby! That's right the worst guys will be there, so don't miss out. I should try to get some sleep now, until then guys keep chasing the storm!  

Does Whatever a Gwen Does..

There is little to no reason why you shouldn't be reading Spider-Gwen. It is really everything and more that you have been hearing, this is going to be one of the biggest series of the year, and it is only getting started. During the massive Spider-verse event which saw Spider-men and women from various different universes coming together to fight a threat that could have seen an end to every Spider hero in existence. One of these heroes, a Spider-Women whose true identity was Gwen Stacy, who of course in the known 616 universe had been tragically killed. In her world, the spider gave her the powers and it was Peter Parker who was killed. But as you go into the Spider-Gwen world, you will find a lot of familiar faces taking over some new roles. The brand new twist is quite possibly the best part of our new heroine, because similar powers don't mean same responsibilities.  

Forget everything you think you know about Gwen Stacy, because this a whole new and kick ass Stacy. She is able to beat up and make fun of her opponent just like any good Spider-man, she is also a drummer in her own underground rock band (in New York which is kind of a big deal), but still the daughter of the chief NYPD detective, George Stacy. So while trying to manage and dodge around her own social life, she has to deal with dangers like the Kingpin and Matt Murdock (that's right my boy DD is a villain in this world, like Shadowland all over again). Did I mention the Vulture? He is first up to make sure Spider Gwen stays down as a one hit wonder, surprisingly or perhaps not, the Vulture is just like the old cranky bird we know in this world. Though Gwen puts up a good fight, we end the fight on a cliffhanger...or a falling from the sky at high speeds hanger. 

But to sum things up as far as the book goes, it keeps the same tone and high energy that we got from Edge of Spider-verse issue 2, from the same creative team of writer, Jason Latour and artist, Robbi Rodriguez  we get back into this world and are ready to expand and grow, which is a really fresh approach to old concepts and ideas. This is a world you want to see more of, and with each issue that comes out, I can't wait to see the different changes all our favourite Marvel characters have taken. I can't stress this out enough, this is a book everyone should be reading. For long time comic book fans, you get a new look at the classics and the familiar and for new readers, it is a great book to add to your growing collections. Anyone who is too pig headed to pick this book up for whatever silly reason or insecurity you have, well you probably don't enjoy much in general. Seriously though get the steel rod out your butt and enjoy all comics out there. 

But like any book it isn't without a few flaws and hiccups, even a perfect book you want to find something wrong if only to be fair. I guess off the bat, I would suggest getting the Edge of Spider-verse issues, gives you more meat on the world building plate, but you can survive the story without it. Another thing is though, I am curious on how much time Marvel is going to give this series, because with Secret Wars coming up, the aftermath is anyone's guess. And to be honest half the fun of this series is seeing this alternative universe at play, so saving Spider-Gwen only to have her in 616, wouldn't be as much fun. Although, having her react to a guy like Daredevil here would be a fun misunderstanding fight for sure. Regardless I hope this book gets a long healthy life span, it would be sad to see it go after 12 issues, which has been the case for a quite a few series so far. Don't let the fans down Marvel. 

So should you be reading this book? Hells yes! It's funny, it's got action and a whole new world to explore. And now is the best time to get on board, the series is just three issues in, plenty of time to catch up on the story so far. But as always I am all ears to all opinions, comments and gushing, though I highly suggest we just gush and jump for joy over Spider-Gwen. But as always follow me here on this blog or over at Twitter (@ChileanStorm in case you didn't know) and be sure to come back for more comic book blogs, until then keep chasing the storm! 

An Old Birds Tale...

Looking through my collection this week and I came upon this Amazing Spider-man, written by Dan Slott and that got me thinking, how long has he been behind the friendly neighbourhood Spider-man? It has been for some time, the modern time spider we all know and love has been crafted and moulded by Slott for sometime now. I think to the upcoming Spider-verse arc that is coming up and I wonder on how far ahead have the writers and editors been planning these events, I am curious about all the little hints and clues as well, the things we may have overlooked. And since I've been enjoying the current run of ASM, I decided to take a look back at this issue, spanning just after the events of "Spider Island" and with a classic Spidey villain, the Vulture! Although this time he's got a flock of Vultures at his disposal to do his dirty work, he is old or lazy or both, who knows with that guy? So how bad can it be for our hero, let's find out...

We see Spider-man with his new ex girlfriend, Carlie Cooper investigating the recent "accidents" from teens literally falling from the sky. The theory is these are teens who have been de-powered after the events from Spider Island, were everyone in Manhattan had Spider-man powers and also eventually transformed into giant hairy spiders. Meanwhile we see the Vulture getting his gang ready for another robbery, letting the newest member of his group understand the situation he is in and who is really pulling the wings around here. We see that while each of these young hooligans are under the Vulture talon per say, they enjoy the benefits and the powers that come with it, the money and the respect as VIPs at their hideout club. As they fly off for the next heist, Spider-man and Carlie connect the dots and are off to stop the Vulture and his crew. Action ensues and we see the fight break out between the spider and the vultures, the young ones and the really really old one...who I gotta wonder, how old is he? I mean shouldn't he, you know retire or something, especially if one punch from Spider-man could turn him into dust. But no, actually he ends up throwing a large water container at Spider-man and ends up getting away. The ending though is pretty great, with both Carlie and Mary Jane meeting up to talk about Peter. The look on his face as he has the feeling something bad is going to happen is pretty priceless. Sucks to be Parker.

The whole issue had a really nostalgic feel to it, really felt like watching an episode of the cartoon Spider-man. And in some ways, isn't that we want from our web headed hero? The art and the writing feel perfect for this kind of story, it's a light hearted comic book adventure, if you looking for something dark and gritty call Frank Miller or something. In retrospect, maybe that's why some people didn't like Spider-man Reign, the book was pretty dark. But I really liked it and will definitely review it here when I find myself a copy. The one thing though out of a light hearted Spider-man book, is that it is something you can share with the younger generation and in many ways, we need to get the kids involved with comics, make them care and love the characters. And also, let them find the other characters as well, the other books aside from the mainstream classics. And while it may not be the most epic story ever written, it's a good light hearted super hero read. Worth a check out for every Spider-man fan. An easy read is what was needed after the events of Spider Island and this one fits the bill just right. 

So remember, while it may not do much for the bigger picture, I can't find any problems with issue 675, any problems without being a super nit picky comic book guy. And trust me, no one wants to be that guy. The only thing I would say is to find issue 674 first, only because it completes the entire story. And since it has been some years now, you should be able to find this one at a really low price. That's all the time I have for today, going to go grab a coffee and look through some more potential books to read and review. But as always I am open to any and all suggestions in the comment section below, be sure to subscribe and tell others about this page, until then, keep chasing the storm.