Straight Forward Reviews : Marvel Now Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2

Just last month Spider Man has been relaunched as "The Amazing Spider-Man" and shows new beginning for Spider-Man as Peter Parker has come back into control of his own body.

Writer - Dan Slott

Artist - Humberto Ramos

Publisher - Marvel

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

The story kicks off with Spider-Man fighting off villains in a way that unquestionably proves that it is indeed Peter Parker in his own body again. During the events of issue one Spider-Man tries to cope with what Doc Ock left behind for him in a big company and a girlfriend.

In issue one the story focuses on Peter explaining to his closest friends that his body was taken over by Doctor Octopus and that he's back in charge. The Avengers, having seen enough strange things in their lives believe him but also decided to take extra steps to really make sure he's telling the truth. The rest of the issue sees him learning about all the things Doc Ock has left in Peter's life.

Issue two sees Electro's return and Peter Parker learning about the things Doc Ock left during his time controlling Peter's body which includes a large company and a girlfriend.

Dan Slott does a fantastic job of writing characters and funny, witty banter. Especially since that's Spider-Man's main thing, being a wise cracking hero I have to say that lately these issues have hit a home run. However the build up from issue one to Electro's return in issue two felt a bit like it might have been overhyped. Especially with the cover showing what looks like an epic battle. The two do meet in issue two but, it looks like it did not need that kind of build up.

Art

Humberto Ramos' lines and Edgar Delgado's colors are dynamic and vibrant in both issues. It really had what could be called the "essence" or the "soul" of Spider-Man's look as it looked like it had interesting, colorful characters and a living, breathing New York.

Spider-Man has a specific style where it's lighthearted has bright colors and dynamic movement that makes it look whimsical. The art nails all those points.

Verdict

The Amazing Spider-Man relaunch has nailed a lot of things right. Seeing Peter back in his body and dealing with the repercussions of having Doctor Octopus be in control of his body is intriguing and funny. Seeing how the people around him react to seeing Spider-Man act the way he used to is great as well.

Some of the build up felt like it was too much and the issues while mostly great feel like they're a bit too thin on things actually happening. It seems it's more like just normal drama and a little bit of a fight or plans being hatched in between.

Dan Slott is great at writing dialog however so these books never felt like a chore. I wish there was a little bit more in terms of action and the like but they're great.

On top of the normal story issue one also came with a lot of bonus mini stories and a bonus issue of Inhuman issue 1. The bonus stories were great as well but these extras are not considered in this review. Just issue one and two proper.

For The Amazing Spider-Man issues one and two I give both a 8.5 out of 10.

Meme Monday 6/10/13

Poor Logan can't catch a break. Maybe he should stick to what he does best.

Superior Spiderman: Superior Series?...No, But Not Bad

Hey there, InfiKnights. Your Friendly Neighborhood InfiKnight here. I seriously hope none of you guys were behind the death threats to Dan Slott, I was mad about the end of ASM too, but seriously the man is an amazing writer and you have to admit Peter's death made one hell of a great story plus *Spoiler Alert* Pete's not gone. I have for you a review for  the first four issues of Superior Spiderman so grab your webshooters and let's go boys and girls it's webswinging time.
Okay, so for those of you who don't know Dr. Otto "Octopus" Octavius is now living as Peter Parker, and has vowed to be a better Spiderman then Peter ever and on top of that even a better Peter. On the Peter front he failed miserably. He was a complete jerk to all of his coworkers at Horizon and could in no way romance Mary Jane. In fact when he was on the verge of winning her over he turned her down making her doubt whether reuniting with Peter is even a good idea. On the plus side he's making great Scientific breakthroughs and has re-enrolled Peter at ESU to pursue a doctorates degree.
As Spiderman I'd say he's pretty good but I wouldn't go as far as saying he's superior to Peter. Instead of patrolling the entire city he has Spider-drones in all his patrol areas warning him of danger. This would be highly effective if he actually responded to all the threats. Also he came up against a new makeshift Sinister Six made up of Boomerang, Overdrive, The Living Brain, Speed Demon, Shocker, and a new Beetle. Otto stopped them, even kept The Living Brain as a robot butler, but he almost beat the Boomerang to death which some how awoke Peter's consciousness as a ghost it would appear so that Peter has been Otto's conscience since. But Peter was unable to stop him from killing the Vulture. And oh goody let's see how Otto fares against Green Goblin in the next issue.
The introduction of Peter's 'soul' as he called himself is possibly the saving grace of this series because Otto is to arrogant to relate too. Had it been Otto dealing with all of this on his own his own way yea the series would more likely than not have been horrible. As a Spiderman fan one of the huge draws has always been relating to the hero so well with Otto i don't really see that happening. Given, he had his moments but I honestly would only have read the title otherwise anticipating Peter's return.

Farewell to a Legend RIP Peter Octavius.

Hey there InfiKnights, 'tis with a heavy heart that I write this review. The year of the Spider is over with the end of 2012 Spidey's 50th year in print Marvel has printed its 700th and final issue of Amazing Spiderman to soon be replaced with the new series Superior Spiderman out this month.
    This ending to an era not only marks the end of a 50 year 700 issue long series but the *Spoiler Alert* death of a beloved hero, Peter Parker is dead ........ well his mind is anyway his body is let's say under new management. Confused? Well then clearly you've failed to read Issue 700 of ASM. And to that I say..... Get your ass to a comic shop and buy it its a piece of history GO NOW!!!!! go ahead I'll be here when you get back. ...........did you get it? Did you read it? If you said no to any of those questions then the following review will spoil it for you THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING!!!

Okay now so Doc Ock was locked up dying on his death bed when he repeatedly starts muttering "Peter Parker". Spidey is summoned to his cell and asks for privacy and it's then in Octavius's cell on the Raft where he completes his sentence "I am Peter Parker" turns out sometime during the 'Ends of the Earth' fiasco Octavius was able to switch bodies with Peter and had full access to all his memories. His plan was to live on as Peter Parker as Peter died in his stead. Peter was able to stage a breakout and planned on reversing the swap but Ock was 2 steps ahead. They had a final battle ending with Pete instilling the morals of Spiderman to Octavius with his dying breath.
 
Well  as you all know I've loved the Dan Slott run of ASM including this storyline. It was beautifully written the art is wonderful, really capturing the intensity of each moment. One itsy bitsy problem......HOW THE HELL CAN YOU KILL OFF THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE MOST PROMINENT CHARACTER IN THE INDUSTRY REPLACING HIM WITH HIS ARCHENEMY....ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!?!?!?Peter Parker has been the staple of the marvel universe for years and now he's gone wtf man as I read the final issue I felt as though i was losing a close friend I sat in silence a few minutes afterward honestly sad for the first time in a while a fictional story actually tugged at my heart strings. Peter's dead RIP buddy you will be missed. 

Comic/Card News: Spiderman Cardfight Vanguard Unit Confirmed With Amazing Spiderman Blu Ray

   Recently  announced during the Tokyo Game Show, Busiroad has worked out that there will be a special Spiderman Cardfight Vanguard Card with the Japanese release of the Amazing Spiderman Blu ray and DVD. Spidey will be part of his own clan known as the Etangers and will have a similar effect as Thunder Break Dragon: a Limit Break that gives him 5000 more attack points and a Counter Blast of 2 which will retire a Grade 2 or lower unit. This card is perfect to use with either the Narukami or Kagero clans, which are played by Cardfight Vanguard character, Toshiki Kai.

Spider-Man

Grade 3 / Twin Drive!!
10000 Power / 1 Critical / 0 Shield
Etranger / Human

[AUTO] (VC): Limit Break 4 (This ability is active if you have four or more damge): When this unit attacks a vanguard, this unit gets +5000 [Power] until end of that battle.

[AUTO]: [Counter Blast (2)] When this unit is placed on [a Vanguard Circle], you may pay the cost. If you do, choose an opponent’s Grade 2 or less rear-guard and retire it.

  So take that Yugioh. You might have a card maker with fake cards of heroes but CFV beat you to the punch by making a real, official card of a super hero character.

Miles to Climb: Miles Morales as Spiderman

by Hector Ramirez



            Hola, gutentag, bonjour and hello clashers. Your friendly neighborhood clasher here continuing our year long celebration of the wall crawler. We’ve looked at two brave men who have taken on the Spiderman mantle and this month, we look at the latest man beneath the webbed mask; who, coincidentally, is actually not a man but a young boy even younger than Peter in any version of his assumption of the mantle. Of course, I’m speaking of  the current Ultimate Spiderman: Miles Morales. While visiting his uncle, Miles is bitten by a scientifically-altered spider and the rest as they say is history.

Since obtaining the spider powers, Miles wasn’t sure what to do. He was afraid, as any young child would be, and his father’s meta-bashing doesn’t help at all. He doesn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to be a super hero and he wasn’t exactly looking to be one. But even with the fear and the doubt, Miles heard the calling. He knew that with great power came great responsibility. Miles definitely brings something new to the Spiderman title. He’s very uncertain and having the first Spiderman to live up to makes him even more so.  As he gets use to his role as Spiderman, he becomes more confident finding innovative ways to use his powers by both studying Peter and coming into his own with his own unique powers like the camouflage and spider sting. Starting off, taking out the Kangaroo then proving himself to Nick Fury by bringing down Electro.

Watching Miles grow as both a person and a hero has been entertaining so far and is sure to be an increasingly great read. Seeing how he deals with Peter’s remaining villains, his uncle, his father and the new villains makes for great stories in the future. We’ll see if Miles can grow to be as great as Peter if not better. Lord knows he’ll pick up some pointers from Peter in Spidermen. Until next time friends, keep clashing.

NEWS EDITION #32 - SPIDER MEN INVASION, KHAN'S LIFE STORY, WAID GETS INSUFFERABLE & GAMBIT'S SEXY BACK!

Welcome to the News Edition for the week of April 18th, 2012. And we got lots of news from C2E2 and beyond. So let's break it down.

COMING SOON TO A SPIDER-BOOK NEAR YOU!!

By Hector Ramirez

           

Hey Clashers,  your friendly neighborhood clasher here with news on what us webheads can expect in the months to come directly from C2E2. The people over at Marvel have some great plans for the entire franchise. Check this stuff out!!!

            First, we visit Kaine Parker in Houston. Our newest web slinger is set to face Anna Kraven in issue six. But on a sadder note, it is my displeasure to announce that Ryan Stegman is leaving Scarlet Spider :,( But fear not, we still can see his great art in Fantastic Four.

Next, big things happening in the world of Venom, including Spiderman learning of his recent induction into the Secret Avengers.

     “I wanted to set things up so that the tension of what happens when Spider-Man finds out Venom is Flash[Thompson] is high. Peter is going to find out that Captain America has put together a Secret Avengers team and that his biggest villain, Venom is on it. This would be like Spider-Man putting together a Secret Avengers team and putting the Red Skull on it. The idea is that the drama there is rich. When Peter finds out, that seems like a terrific story.”  -Rick Remender courtesy of  BleedingCool.com

            Also Eddie Brock is hunting down all the Venom symbiotes; which will lead to something big for both him and Toxin, the female symbiote. And last but certainly not least, Flash faces his “trial by fire” when he goes toe to toe with the Savage Six.

            Now for the big arachnid on campus himself, heeeere's Peter. A lot is going on with the ‘Ends of the Earth’ arc but things don’t get easier for Peter after that. (What kind of comic would it be if they did?) In the upcoming story arc ‘No Turning Back’ Peter has a nice little reunion with Doctor Curt ‘The Lizard’ Connors who is currently in the care of Dr. Michael Morbius.  

“We haven’t seen Spider-Man, Lizard, and Morbius together since ASM #100 through #102 in 1971 when Spider-Man had six arms.”

–        BleedingCool.com

The biggest news as far as I’m concerned has to be that of ‘Spider-men’. The first crossover of Earth 616 and the ‘Ultimate’ universe bringing together Miles Morales and the Peter Parker of Earth 616 for a 5 part crossover.

 “We will break through the wall between the Marvel universe and the Ultimate universe. The response has been incredible. If you know what a shadow Peter Parker in the Ultimate Universe casts over Miles Morales, you can image what meeting Peter Parker from another universe will have on him.” –Axel Alonso courtesy of BleedingCool.com

            It is also revealed that both Aunt May and Gwen Stacy of the ‘Ultimate’ universe are to play a part in this crossover as well as a mystery character who will have a big impact on the story.

            It is definitely shaping up to be quite a summer in the world of Spiderman and his friends and I know for one I will be quite the happy Clasher. Until then, keep clashing.

WAID GETS THRILLBENT & INSUFFERABLE

by Frankie Rodriguez

     Announced a couple of weeks ago, Waid has stated that he was starting a digital comics company & website. He's reasoning behind it was that because it cost so much to print and creators only get a minimum share of the profits, digital printing will allow for creators to get a bigger chunk of the pie. Yet, those were the only details revealed ... until this past weekend.

   During C2E2, Waid unveiled Thrillbent.com, the digital comic website he had started. Launching May 1st, the site will be made up of creator-owned works. Waid promised that each week, there would be a new series, made up of known creators but he will be writing all the initial launch titles on the site. Waid emphasized that Thrillbent.com will make itself accessible through all types of digital media apps.

    With the titles, the actual release date of the titles will be on Wednesdays with 8 to 10 pages of story. Waid commented to CBR:

"You give them just enough where there's movement in the story but enough of a cliffhanger where you're like, 'Oh God, I wonder what happens next?'"

    Thrillbent.com will be EXCLUSIVELY digital media only; no print.At least for now as Waid explained that Thrillbent.com needed to get on its feet first before it goes to print. Waid also went on to talk about one of the marquee titles for Thrillbent.com: the upcoming Insufferable. Insufferable is about . .. better yet. Let me let him tell you.

"It's about what happens when you have a kid sidekick who grows up to be a douchebag," he said. "It's about what happens when you have a sidekick who grows up to be a completely ungrateful, self-aggrandizing, Kanye West of a man who will not shut up about how much of a genius he is and how the world is a better place now that you guys are broken up because now he can do it all the way he wanted to do it. Then the story is, what is the one case that comes up where they have to put their heads together even though they have been broken apart for years and they hate each other? What is the one case that could bring them back together again?" - CBR

    Insufferable will be the first title launched with Thrillbent.com.Working on Insufferable with Waid is former Incorruptible artist, Peter Krause.

    Waid promises that the format of the comics themselves will be 4 x 3, so you can see the entire page and it will be easy to see on either mobile phones or monitors. There is yet to be any price points stated for the titles.   Thrillbent.com will launch May 1st, 2012.

DC's DIGITAL-FIRST TITLES UNVEILED

by Frankie Rodriguez

     Recently announced, DC has now set up several titles that will be digital first titles before they hit print. These titles will have weekly updates. And titles are varied and are as follows:

Monday: Ame-Comi Girls - written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Grey with art by Amanda Conner, Tony Atkins, Mike Bowden & more. The book focuses on the DC Collectibles with an anime twist, opening up this new series filled with the adventures of these heroines. Starts in May.

Tuesday: Batman: Arkham Unhinged - continuing stories within the Arkham Asylum/Arkham City video game universe.

Wednesday: The Beyond Titles- which include Batman Beyond, Superman Beyond and Justice League Beyond.

Thursday: Batman - This out of continuity title will showcase all sorts of creators for Batman titles that include Ben Templesmith, B.Clay Moore, Lost co-creator Damon Lindenlof, Nicola Scott, Trevor Hairsline and more. Starts in June.


Friday: Smallville Season 11 - written by Bryan Q. Miller (who wrote Batgirl pre-New 52 & was a script writer on the show) with art by Pere Perez.

 These series will be weekly, giving plenty of time for print versions to catch up.

GENGHIS KHAN'S STORY HITS COMICS 

Official IDW Press Release


This July, IDW Publishing will bring you Secret Battles of Genghis Khan, the story of how a boy named Temujin became the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. Adapting Khan’s engrossing life to graphic-novel form are writer Daryl Gregory, award-winning novelist of The Devil’s Alphabet and Pandemonium, and artists Alan Robinson (Weekly World News, Phoenix Without Ashes) and Jay Fotos (Locke & Key). The all-new, 104-page graphic novel will also feature a special painted cover by Sam Shearon as well as back-up material detailing Khan’s life and battles.

“My job,” Gregory said, “was to comb through his history to find the key moments in his life and discover what drove him. Alan had the toughest job, though. He had to show not only the emotional lives of a huge cast of characters, but deliver the epic sweep of the story, with one bloody battle after another. People are going to be blown away by what he's done.”

To this day, Khan is known as one of the greatest leaders by conquering lands one military victory after another. By the end of his life, the Mongol Empire occupied a large percentage of Central Asia and China. Although famous for being heartless, Khan was a man that was both brutal and fair. He was cruel to his enemies, but even-handed to those that were loyal, no matter what their tribal background or ethnicity. Secret Battles of Genghis Khan outlines the history and experiences of the man that is regarded as the founding father of Mongolia.


NEW ONGOING TO BRING GAMBIT'S SEXY BACK

by Frankie Rodriguez

   Coming this August, our favorite Ragin' Cajun will be going back to his roots as Gambit's new ongoing series will launch. The new ongoing will be written by James Asmus and art by Clay Mann as they are gonna bring Gambit back to his roots as an anti-hero.

   Asmus promises that they will bring Gambit back into thievery and womanizing while he pulls heists all over the Marvel Universe. Gambit's return to his roots, according to the author, will be a way to counteract all his responsibility teaching at the Jean Grey School  while feeding an addiction of sorts.

   In a recent interview with Newsrama, Asmus gave an idea of what we can see in the new Gambit ongoing:


  This is Gambit as his own man, thieving his way through the larger Marvel Universe. I will be pulling in some other X-Men characters a little further down the line when the story demands it. His status quo in the X-Men books is still a part of who he is here — but these adventures could almost be thought of as his reaction to his sudden position as teacher and role model. When being a school teacher gets a little suffocating for him – he slips off to indulge in this addiction in order to feel like himself again. And make no mistake, for most professional thieves, the work is an addiction. Gambit is no exception, and it’s going to bring a whole lot of trouble down on him — and eventually on the Jean Grey School.

   There are more than just Gambit's return to his roots with high adventure and a brand new femme fatale that Asmus promises to be Gambit's foil throughout the series. Asmus and Mann were given the green light to revamp Gambit's costume, getting rid of what Asmus calls the 'head sock.' Asmus also commented on Mann and what he brings to the book:

If you saw his work in "Age of X," you know that the guy has a phenomenal ability to design characters and even settings that is both tremendously evocative and entirely believable and engrossing. He really blends a dramatic visual flair with practical design that lets you both buy into the reality of the characters and the world, while simultaneously tapping into what’s appealing with each character. And with Gambit — a big part of that is a sexiness that Clay’s art delivers in spades! Which is good, because I’ve honestly lost count of how many women I know who get uniquely excited when you mention Gambit. I think a lot of young girls felt something for him in the 90s cartoon akin to the strange feelings I had for Chetara on Thundercats as a kid...

   It seems the Ragin' Cajun is posed to steal hearts and minds with this new series. Gambit # 1 written by James Asmus and art by Clay Mann will hit stores in August.

ON SALE NOW:


Michael Turner Wizard World Hulk # 1 Variant


Iron Man, Ultimate Extinction, Ultimate Origins


Spiderman Books including first Black Costume appearance


AVENGERS ASSEMBLE: Including Avengers (Volume 1) # 16, 1st Wonder Man & More


Action Comics # 1 & 2 SIGNED WITH VARIANTS


Death In Comics SET


Yugioh Lightsworn Cards


X- Saber Cards


Yugioh DESTINY Hero DECK!!!


Wind Up Rabbit Cards






BROUGHT TO YOU BY . . .


COMING THIS MAY!!!!

One of the few Tokusatsu Reviews I know. Great guy with a good set of reviews, a few countdowns and some specials. Tokusatsu is special effects in japanese but it is what the genre of live action stuff like Power Rangers and Kamen Rider Dragon Knight are based off of. Toku Time or Reviewtopia: Toku Time is where you can find him.






It's the new, BRAND NEW, Super Mario Dubstep Album. Listen as your favorite music from Super Mario has been transformed into remixes. The album is so addicting, you will feel like you're an addict!


GREEN MUSHROOMS & SUPERSTARS

From J1's own Shinigami (Ray Riley) & Forafire (Forrest Shamlian). FREE TO DOWNLOAD! NOW! 

FREE ALBUM DOWNLOADS

And don't for get the recently released Sonic Remix Album, SPIN DASH AUDIO is also available now. Al

RAJIO NIHON . . . the internet Toku Station where they play songs from tokusatsu, anime and give you in depth looks into the world of Tokusatsu. RAJIO NIHON  Take a listen as CBC's Frankie Rodriguez guests stars on a special 2 & a half hour podcast where he, Toku Time's EZ Rider, Oga of Rajio Nihon & Alex "Aznable" Smith talk about Sentai Music vs. Kamen Rider music and more. 

And don't forget to catch the Ikaricast from Reviewtopia!! Please look forward to it as CBC's Frankie Rodriguez guest stars in Season 4, Episode 11 & 13. Hosted by Jeremias de Leon aka Xaos. 


Also Don't forget to check out Frankie & Jeremias as they guest on 16 Bit Jeff's 

Episode 6 where they talk about Super Hero fighting games.


NEXT WEEK: HAWKEYE!!  and more!!! 

WEB OF REFLECTION: BEN REILLY

THE MANY SPIDER-MEN PART II:

WEB OF REFLECTION: BEN REILLY

by Hector Ramirez

Hello Clashers, your friendly neighborhood Clasher here. It’s that time of the month where us Clashers become crawlers swingers and slingers, of the wall and web variety that is. It’s time for another 50 year anniversary celebration of the spectacular, sensational, amazing and just recently fantastic, and avenging SPIDERMAN. Now last month  I took you all into the future for a look at how Miguel O’Hara did things as the wall crawler. Well this week we take a look at Ben Reilly and his reign as the web slinger. So follow me through New Yorkas we take a look how Peter’s clone filled in for him.

            Dr. Miles “The Jackal” Warrenbecame obsessed with Peter Parker and his girlfriend Gwen Stacy and decides to clone them….repeatedly. After finally perfecting a Peter clone he convinced him that Peter was in fact the clone. A huge fight ensues which ends with Peter throwing the clone into a smoke stack, leaving him for dead. The clone, who actually survived, climbs out and instead of trying to interfere with Peter decides to start a life of his own. After spending several years traveling the world under the assumed name Ben Reilly (Ben in memory of his late uncle and Reilly Aunt May’s maiden name) keeping tabs on Peter through Aunt May claiming to be a long lost cousin, decided to return to New York. Dying his hair so that people wouldn’t recognize him as Peter, Ben takes on odd jobs around the city and wall crawling as the Scarlet Spider. Eventually Ben and Peter meet and team up keeping up the charade of Ben being a distant cousin. The two became close, (makes sense they’re basically the same person) so when Peter decides he wants to call it quits, Ben, reluctantly at first, takes on the mantle. (Not like many other people could.)

             To feel like his own man, Ben designed a new costume, which was a revamp (and in my opinion an improvement) on the classic red and blue costume. At this time Ben and Peter have been misled to believe that Ben was the real Peter under the orders of Norman Osborn. Because of the different costume the Daily Bugle ran a story claiming New York Had a new Spiderman but later dropped the story when given evidence to the contrary. Only a select few who knew Peter as Spiderman knew the truth. During that time Ben went through quite a bit, like being bonded with the Carnage symbiote for a short time. 


          Ben found a steady job at a restaurant before it was burned down by the Hobgoblin who framed Ben for the arson had his bank account frozen and robbed him of everything. Peter and Mary Jane returned to New Yorkfrom Portland right before many of New York’s Heroes disappeared during the Onslaught incident. During this time Peter dawned his costume to help keep New Yorksafe under the watchful eye of two Spidermen. Eventually this also came to an end when Norman Osborn finally came out of hiding. Mockingly admitting that it was he who had misled them to break Peter’s spirits and revealing was in fact the clone. A battle between the three ensues ending with Ben being impaled by the goblin glider and disintegratingas ben dies Peter leaves him wit the final words "rest easy ....brother". 


    Ben Reilly brings new characters from his travels into the world of Spiderman, making it that much more interesting. When he wore the webs, there was a fresh twist on Spidey while retaining all that made the title what it was. Well, that's all for now. Until next time friends, keep clashing.

WEB OF LOVE: THE MANY APPLE'S IN PETER PARKER'S EYE

    Hey there Clashers! Love is in the air as we hit Valentine’s day and one guy who knows quite a bit on the subject is our friendly neighborhood Spiderman. Peter has built up quite the little black book over the past 50 years how about we check it out. Sorry guys but phone numbers are not available for these lovely ladies.


By Hector Ramirez

LIZ ALLEN

Let’s start off with the first girl he ever liked, Liz Allen. Although Peter never had  a relationship with Liz it wasn’t for lack of trying.  Peter was always into Liz but it wasn’t until he started to exhibit a newfound confidence after becoming Spidey that she took interest in the shy bookworm. Liz eventually agreed  to go on a date with Peter but he had to miss it because of his crime fighting duties. It upset them both and although they never tried again Liz remained interested in Peter until she eventually married his best friend, Harry Osborn.

BETTY BRANT
Wanting to pitch in to help with bills at home Peter starts taking pictures of himself as Spiderman to sell to the Daily Bugle. It’s there where Peter meets the lovely Betty Brant. Filling in for her sick mother as Jameson’s personal secretary. Betty was a quiet girl, impressed by the bravery of Peter in taking pictures of  Spiderman. But after her brother died in the crossfire of a fight between Spiderman and Dr. Octopus, Betty started to hate the web slinger and distances herself from Peter . She is currently in a relationship with Flash Thompson .

GWEN STACY
After graduating high school Peter went on to Empire University where he met Gwen Stacy. Although she at first was not interested in Peter she soon found herself wooed  by his charm and they fell in love. Due to his life as Spiderman their relationship was rocky to say the least and Gwen’s father  dying while during a fight between Spidey and Doc Ock did not help the situation . But through it all  they stuck it through until tragedy strikes…After recovering from slight amnesia and remembering that Peter is Spidey Norman Osborn kidnaps Gwen and  takes her to the Brooklyn Bridge. She’s pushed off and when Spidey shoots a webline to save her the sudden jerk snaps her neck.

DEBORAH WHITMAN
After  losing  Gwen, Peter was distraught but he eventually started to date again. The shy Deborah Whitman  was very interested in Peter but Pete wasn’t really into her. Deborah, a schizophrenic soon became obsessed with  the possibility that Peter was Spiderman. To save her sanity Peter confessed to her but she refused to believe his confession. She then ran off with an old flame Biff Rifkin.

FELICIA HARDY

After discovering her fathers true origin as a famous cat burglar, Felicia  Hardy decided to follow in his footsteps. Becoming the Black Cat she perfected the art of cat burglary.after Spiderman failed repeatedly at catching the beautiful thief  she started to fall for the webslinger. In order to win his heart she turned over a new leaf becoming his partner in crime fighting and love. Feeling she could help her lover better with powers she acquired bad luck powers. Only problem was those close to her including Peter fell victim to her powers. Pete enlisted the help of Dr. Strange to remove the powers behind her back; getting her seriously hurt. Feeling betrayed, Felicia ended it with Peter.

MARY JANE WATSON
Although  May Parker and her friend  Anna Watson have tried to set Peter with Anna’s niece  Mary Jane since they were 14, it took until they were in college before they actually dated. But their romance ended when Peter fell for Gwen so MJ dated Harry Osborn until  Harry became addicted to drugs. After Gwen’s death MJ comforted Peter  and they ended up together. Although she knew about Peter’s double life, she highly disapproved  of it interfering in their relationship but through all the ups and  downs the two truly loved each other and were eventually married and things remained just as hectic if not worse. After Peter reveals his identity to the world things get real bad and to fix things they gave up their marriage to Mephisto. They remained good friends and, to me, it seems they could get back together.

SARAH RUSHMAN
At one point Mary Jane goes missing, believing her dead, Peter starts dating Sarah Rushman, who turned out to be Marrow of the X-men. Upon Mary Jane’s return their romance ended.

MS. MARVEL/CAROL DAVERS
Spiderman has worked with Ms Marvel on many an occasion,  at one point Spidey requested a date in return for his help and she agreed. The date went horribly but after being possessed by the Venom symbiote for a bit it was revealed that Ms. Marvel was also attracted to Peter as well. Although they never pursued a relationship the two remained close friends.

MICHELE GONZALES
Michele Gonzales is the sister of Vin Gonzalez a cop who roomed with Peter for sometime. When Vin went to prison for trying to frame Spidey as a serial killer, Michele moved in with Peter. They never really got along. She grudgingly agreed to accompany Peter to Aunt May’s wedding. Peter gets nervous due to Mary Jane’s presence and gets extremely drunk and ends up in bed with Michele. The next morning he remembered nothing so in her rage she tried to kick him out. But the Peter she attempted to kick out was in fact  the Chameleon who seduced her into letting Peter stay. Upon Vin’s release, Michele returned to Chicago.

CARLIE COOPER
Harry Osborne was dating the lovely Lily Hollister until she was revealed as Menace and to be sleeping with his father. Her best friend, NYPD CSU officer Carlie Cooper, alienated her but continued her friendship with Harry and Peter. At a going away party for Harry, Peter proposed a relationship with Carlie who accepted. Soon, she too was upset about  Peter’s constant disappearances, as were his girlfriends before her. So upset, in fact, that she almost got a goblin tattoo to piss him off. Instead, she got a Spidey tattoo which Peter was thrilled with. When Peter was way too in tune with his spider powers during Spider-Island, Carlie deduced he was the real Spiderman and left him for his dishonesty.

Well that concludes our show for this evening folks please tune in for our regularly scheduled program. Until then friends keep clashing.

#27 - SPIDER-ISLAND: POPULATION 8 . . . LEGGED FREAKS

SPIDER ISLAND MINI EVENT

Main Story: Amazing Spiderman  #666 -#673 (Prelude, Parts 1 - 6 & Epilogue)

Side Stories: Various Spider-Island miniseries, one shots & tie in issues.

Marvel Comics

Review by Hector Ramirez

Clashers greetings, salutations and what’s up. Hector here. So as some of you may or may not know, New York has recently been infested with bedbugs (which is why I missed New York Comicon ) Marvel tells us true believers that this is due to one Dr. Miles “The Jackal” Warren (well technically there were multiple Miles Warrens but you know what I mean). He released genetically enhanced bedbugs to spread a spider-virus in an attempt to build an army of mutant spiders for The Queen, a former super soldier with her own spider based powers. So all of Manhattan is loving the spider powers until they start mutating. With all this a tribe of wasp people is out to destroy all spiders causing Spider-girl to team up with Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk and Hobgoblin. Also, Shang Chi and Iron Fist are kidnapped by a hypnotized Bride of 9 Spiders and have to fight Ai Apaek. Meanwhile, Cloak and Dagger come up against Mr. Negative when Dagger is foreseen as his downfall in the thick of it all. They end up switching powers. In the end, Spidey saves the day with the help of Eddie “Anti-Venom” Brock’s symbiote suit which was synthesized into a cure (which actually turns Kaine into a perfect clone of Peter which sets up for the new Scarlet Spider series).

This was definitely a great read lots of action, twists, and turns. The entire city with spider powers definitely not expected. As this goes on, you get to see Peter Parker as a person and so does everyone else. Swinging in his shoes, they (the people) get a feel for what it is he’s going through. It sucks his girl(Peter's) left him but there seemed to be hints that he may reunite with Mary Jane….again. I’m also interested in where this will leave Eddie Brock. The side stories are good too, and usually I don’t follow side stories. All in all, I recommend this mini-series for all true Spidey fans. It’s pretty epic and will most likely make a miniseries countdown in the future. Well that’s all for now. See you next week until next time friends, keep clashing.

#15 POWERLESS

"Powerless is Powerful"


Powerless 
Issues 1 -6
Written by Peter Johnson & Michael Chemiss; Art by Michael Gaydos
Marvel Comics

After waking up from a three day coma, Dr. Watts PhD finds what he thought was a lifetime in the Marvel universe was in fact only three days of dreams. Upon returning to work things really start to get interesting, new patients start triggering visions from his dreams. One of these new patients being timid orphaned teenager, Peter Parker, bitten by an irradiated spider his shriveled up near useless arm leaves him self conscious not to mention the stress of his internship with Stark industries and his best friend’s father Norman Osborn who is trying to get Stark’s secrets from Peter. A special case that takes him to Riker’s island Watts encounters Bruce Banner, a bio-geneticist suffering from bipolar schizophrenia causing him to burst out in uncontrollable fits of rage. And the excitement doesn’t end there, Watts is approached by blind defense attorney Matt Murdock to act as an expert witness in his defense of Frank Castle who was framed by Wilson Fisk, self proclaimed kingpin of crime, for the murder of the man who massacred Castle’s family. After a long day at work Dr. Watts goes home only to be attacked by Logan a hitman with no memory of who he is or why he kills.

Well that’s as much of the story as I’m going to give away without ruining it for those who might want to read it. Would I recommend it? Yes, especially to those who like alternate storylines. Beautiful art style, great story, theme eh. This particular theme has been done into the ground BUT Powerless does it in a way I’ve never seen. Instead of putting someone with no powers in an extraordinary situation and saying you don’t need powers to powerful the take super powers out of the equation entirely and put characters in human situations and see how things turn out. I enjoyed seeing my favorite Marvel characters as normal human beings dealing with challenging situations.