Comics

Scarlet Spider #20

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Scarlet Spider #20Picking up after he end of Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2, the second-half of “Sibling Rivalry” begins with both Kaine and Doc Ock Spidey captured by the Jackal who has taken a lab full of genetic samples for his latest clonetastic enterprise.

Thanks to Kaine (the only one of our heroes to show any heroics), the pair manage to escape and destroy the lab. Sadly, that means a fiery end for the clone of Gwen Stacy but not for the Jackal or all of his precious knowledge which manages to survive. The fallout leaves Kaine and the new Spider-Man far from on friendly terms, but that’s hardly Kaine’s biggest concern after he discovers the cellular degeneration which has plagued him his entire existence has once again returned.

My only real complaint (other than the fact in involves the “superior” Spider-Man) is the art of In-Hyuk Lee. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s a drastic change from both the first-half of the story as well as the regular art of the comic which has stayed relatively consistent despite showcasing the work of several different artists.

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #6

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G.I. JOE: Special Missions #6With Tripwire, Hard Drive, and Beach Head all captured by Zartan‘s crew of Dreadnoks and thrown into a serious of death traps for the outlaws’ amusement, Roadblock and Spirit set out to stage a daring rescue of the group’s compound while Zartan’s new soldiers become a little concerned with their mini-despot’s obsession over the object retrieved from the crashed satellite.

G.I. JOE: Special Missions #6 does a good job of reintroducing both the character of Zartan and the importance and lure of the M.A.S.S. Device as well presenting the dangers of such technology falling into the wrong hands. And Zartan is very much the wrong hands (can you imagine army of genetically created Zartan’s loosed on the world?).

With the focus on Zartan and the JOEs we don’t get as much of the Dreadnoks as I’d like (who only really see cheering on during the various death traps they can think up), but there’s certainly enough here for fans of the characters to check out. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2

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Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2Send in the clones. When the Scarlet Spider returns to New York to have a talk with Spider-Man nothing goes according to plan. First, Kaine is unprepared for the new Spidey (as no one has figured out that Doctor Octopus‘ mind is in control of Peter Parker’s body). Seeking revenge for his paralysis Kaine caused, Spider-Man attacks an increasingly confused and angered Kaine, but that’s only the beginning of what becomes a very long night.

Trouble multiples exponentially with the arrival of Spider-Clones, the Jackal, and even a gun-toting clone of Gwen Stacy. It would appear the new Clone Wars have officially begun.

I’ve stayed away from Superior Spider-Man as I’ve been less than enthused at the prospect of a Doc Ock Spidey. However, the back-and-forth between the two former super-villains trying to live-up to Spider-Man’s legacy works well here. I have enjoyed writer Christopher Yost’s work on Scarlet Spider and I’m intrigued to see just what the return of the Jackal has in store for everyone Spidey-related. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Fairest #18

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Fairest #18The odd plague which was introduced in the last issue is further developed here as Prince Charming loses a pair of fingers to the the malady only to regrow his hand. Whether his healing came from the notoriety of his legend or the discovery of the depths of his feelings for Nalayani is a left a bit up in the air.

I thought last month’s issue got far too sidetracked with Charming’s story while shoving Nalayani to the background. This issue focuses much more on the pair together. Although it’s hard to accept Charming’s feelings as true love (wasn’t he just gleefully boffing members of his harem an issue ago?) I will be curious to see where exactly these new-found feelings lead the story and Prince Charming.

Fairest #18 is certainly an improvement over last month’s issue, but it does have weird jumps in action such as the rivalry back at the maharaja’s camp and Charming’s attack of the crocodile that aren’t properly set-up and seem a bit out of place with the focus of the issue, and whose inclusion disrupts the flow of the story. For fans.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #5

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G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files #5After wrapping up the business with the Night Creepers in the last issue, the beginning of G.I. JOE: The Cobra Files‘ second arc shifts the focus from Chameleon to the the only member of the team with less battlefield experience, the team’s computer and intelligence expert Clockspring whose continued loyalty may be in question thanks to his unreturned romantic feelings for Chameleon which the untrustworthy Tomax has begun to use to twist the man to his will.

The issue takes the opportunity to spell out Clockspring’s rather sad life story which contains only a few bright spots such as when the computer geek finally found a home with the JOEs (although he’s far less comfortable with his current role in the field with far less resources than he became accustomed to working with).

I don’t expect big changes in beginning next month, but this issue certainly foreshadows dangerous territory for Clockspring and his teammates who may no longer be able to trust the man in charge of the covert team’s valuable intel.

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