Ahh the day after Thanksgiving, where everyone and their mothers hits up the local box store for some super sweet deals. Including me. That's right, I went to Target and Wal Mart, and while I didn't have to knock out any grandmothers this year, I did get some pretty good deals on some video games and got both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight on blu-ray for a whopping $5 EACH.
I also got to make it to Jetpack, which means the belated COMIC REVIEWS!!!
Ultimate Comics Spider-man #150
The original Ultimate Spider-man run was one of the few comics I kept up with during high school, a time where I had cut way back on my funnybook intake. Brian Michael Bendis' hold on a young Peter Parker coming to terms with his new powers was done exceptionally well, and much of that run contains some of the best stories of the '00's. But then Ultimatum hit, and the book was relaunched as Ultimate Comics Spider-man. While this current incarnation of ultimate Spidey isn't bad, it didn't have the magic that it once had, and I dropped the book. Plus David Lafuente's art made Spider-man look like he had a balloon for a head. |
| What's up helium-head? |
However, we're now at the point where the original series would have hit issue 150, and of course, Marvel takes this time to return to the original numbering of the series, because it's not like they relaunched with a new issue #1 a year ago.
This issue finds Carol Danvers, the new head of S.H.I.E.L.D. as she talks with Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor on the issue of whether or not Peter Parker should be allowed to continue being a superhero. As each hero talks about their encounters with the wall-crawler, we are treated to a different artist for each segment. This decision was great as it really gave each character their own "voice" in a unique way, and the highlight was Skottie Young's fantastic piece with Spidey and Thor fighting an ancient Norse troll.
Unfortunately the only real extra content we get is a reprint of the "Spider-man Team Up Super Special" from the now defunct "Ultimate Marvel Team-up" series. For those who have never read the story, it's a great deal, but I myself was hoping for some more new material. While I'm not going to be rushing back into Ultimate Spidey just yet, this was a very solid issue.
Detective Comics #871
The plot revolves around a young prep school student who has somehow gotten his hands on a "hormonal mutagen", or the stuff that made Killer Croc look like this. Essentially the hormone makes you "de-evolve" into a creature based off of your most base instincts, and the parents of the children who were brutally murdered by their classmate want answers. Batman takes it upon himself to locate the person who gave him access to the hormone out of the police evidence lock-up, and already his search has ended up with three dead bodies. By the end of the issue, Dick has already made his vow to hunt down whoever is responsible, and bring them to justice.
Scott Snyder's handle on the characters is spot on, and I especially like Grayson's father's description of Gotham. We also get some great character moments regarding Dick staying in the Wayne Tower penthouse, and his somewhat reluctance to continue being Batman with Bruce Wayne not only back, but also being Batman as well. The artwork by Jock is stunning, and his work here is honestly some of his best. This is a great first issue for people intrigued by the idea of Dick Grayson being Batman, and is the start of what looks to be a great, if short, run.
:)
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