Gwenpool #4 Review

 

Writer: Cavan Scott

Artist: Stefano Nesi

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Chad Hardin & Edgar Delgado; Rickie Yagawa & Nolan Woodard

Graphic Designer: Kat Walkington

Editors: Kaeden McGahey, Jordan D White & CB Cebulski

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 6, 2025

 

When Spider-Man collapsed in the street, Gwen Stacy tried to help him. Instead, Gwenpool got in the way. Gwen Stacy's training kicked in, and she killed Gwenpool. That should have been the end of it. But like Gwen Stacy, Gwenpool's spirit refuses to go gently into the night.

 

Throughout her life, Gwenpool has circumvented the rules other Marvel characters must follow. After sliding between panels and emerging giant-sized to tackle Fin Fang Foom, Gwenpool possesses Kate Bishop. When Spider-Man thwips Hawkeye’s body to Gwen Stacy’s grave, Gwenpool manifests as a Class 4 ghost. Then, the pink apparition possesses Spider-Man's body. Why didn’t Gwenpool die? And what will her spirit do with Spider-Man’s body? Let's grab a bowl of split pea soup, leap into Gwenpool #4, and see!

 

Story

Gwen Stacy is confused. The Great Architect dubbed her Gwenpool. She preferred the designation X-31. But much has happened since she left the Weapon X facility to hunt down three Deathloks. Gwen begins to question the Great Architect's programming. She remembers her former life. Her love for Peter Parker reconnects her with humanity. As Gwen stands in the city, surrounded by angry and afraid people, she yearns to help them. But Gwen Stacy was reborn to be a killer. That's her new role in life.

 

In Gwenpool #4, Gwendolyn Poole may be a ghost. But she’s stolen Peter Parker’s body. Despite their mutual love for Jeff, Hawkeye won’t let that stand. Long ago, Peter tried to save Gwen. But in arresting her fall, Spider-Man inadvertently killed the woman he loved. Now, Gwenpool inhabits the body of Gwen Stacy’s former boyfriend. And Gwendolyn wants to punish Gwen for turning her into a ghost.

 

Cavan Scott's story is about manipulation. It speaks to the damage people inflict when they try to use people instead of developing the skills and abilities to empower themselves. The Great Architect covers his face because he's just someone who found a way to order others about. He corrupted Gwen Stacy, turning this loving and caring woman into a living weapon.

 

Whether it's the Bloodhunt, the Gang War, or Fin Fang Foom, the rioters have seen their world blow up too many times. In Gwenpool #4, the people retaking the streets symbolize those in our web of relationships. They observe this manipulation, but feel powerless to stop it.  

 

 

 

Art

Stefano Nesi reveals Gwen Stacy's painful rebirth in the Weapon X laboratory. Like Victor Frankenstein, one doctor runs away, horrified by his creation. Gwen gazes up, as if crying out to the divine for letting the scientists turn her into an abomination. When the Great Architect enters, the X on his face symbolizes that his decision, if not the direction of his life, is wrong. The rioters bear his mark on their apparel. Only the X covers images of those who promised to protect them, and failed.

 

Matt Milla paints Stefano Nesi's action-packed, dramatic art with bright and fluorescent colors in Gwenpool #4. Yellow accompanies Gwen's painful rebirth and the mind palace in which she imprisons Peter Parker. Orange links Gwen's destructiveness with the rioters. Purple binds Gwen Stacy and Kate Bishop, two women who have lost a parent they loved. Pink represents the two sides of Gwenpool: the angry side that channels her unique abilities to control others, and the positive side, when she commits to helping those in need.

 

Ariana Maher casts uppercase black letters into white and pink balloons, and white letters into purple narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, enlarge for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects enhance the fighting, Kate Bishop’s reckless driving, and Gwen Stacy’s desperate search for truth. Thanks to Marvel for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Gwen Stacy was Peter Parker’s first love interest. Then the Green Goblin threw her off a bridge. While her body may have died, her spirit lives on. Gwenpool #4 celebrates the rich history of Gwen Stacy, and how generations of fans refuse to let her rest in peace.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch. 

The Spectacular Spider-Men #13 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Artist: Emilio Laiso

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Production: Gabriel Mata

Editors: Tom Groneman, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: Emilio Laiso & Edgar Delgado; Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: March 5, 2025

 

The Electros are charged up and ready to fry. Peter and Miles may be used to electrifying experiences, but Max and Francine reduce Elementary to a puddle and still Anna Romney’s cheating heart. Will the Electros finish off their spider prey, or will the Lizard rush in to save the day? Let's grab a "Parker" from Max Vinck, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #13, and find out!

 

Story

While Peter and Miles mended their broken lives with their friends in the Coffee Bean, Max and Francine came to blows in The Bar With No Name. Peter Parker and Miles Morales happily share their moniker. Yet Max and Francine contested for ownership of their supervillain brand. Peter and Miles' teamwork prompted Max and Francine to work together to defeat their mutual enemies. In Spectacular Spider-Men #13, the joys of partnership make Max and Francine contemplate a long-term team-up.

 

Shelly and Kenny were the glue that bonded the Spider-Men's weekly meetups. But Max Vinck has ascended from the bemused barista who insisted everyone buy something to imagining a future with Juliet. When Anna lies in a pool of the girl he's strictly friends with, Max shines in Greg Weisman's story. Max Vinck even engages in humorous dialogue once the Spideys awaken. (You didn't think they would die, did you?) He's not ready for superlative quipping yet, but with Max demonstrating heroism, perhaps he will follow in the splashy footsteps of Juliet (aka Elementary).

 

Speaking of Elementary, she has already endured enough pain and loss to justify her superhero status. In Spectacular Spider-Men #13, Juliet discovers another downside to defending people against supervillains. Her newly minted status comes with no guarantees, though. If the perils of superpowers overwhelm her fragile feelings, the most formidable person Ben Grimm has ever trained could end up drinking alongside Max and Francine at The Bar With No Name.

 

 

 

Art

Emilio Laiso gives Curt Connors a stone-cold demeanor. After exposing his fears when the Electros kidnap his son, Curt shows no emotion as the Lizard sinks his teeth into Max Dillon's arm. While the Lizard's green hide links him with the villains, his glowing eyes and Connor's frown while phoning make clear they're not intent on turning the other cheek.

 

As Peter and Miles play a version of Who’s On First In The Spider-Verse with Max Vinck, Elementary's brown form recalls her earliest transformations in the Coffee Bean. When tears stream down her face, Elementary's blue uniform suggests the mentors she most identified with. While Edgar Delgado delivers a loaded palette on this nighttime adventure in Spectacular Spider-Men #13, yellow and green dominate, and white proves the most shocking.

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white and colored balloons and narrative boxes while Max and Francine hold hands. Dialogue grows bold and swells when Francine designates Max as her partner in crime. Balloons get cloudy when heroes arise. The Lizard may have helped Misty Knight and Peter battle vampires. But his growled, italicized words show he's nobody's hero. Red growls and roars join white sizzling. The names and descriptions in white boxes remind us why we care about heroes and villains, whether their power comes from their personalities or caring for others. Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

As action and humor vie for attention, drama demands the spotlight as Juliet Marcos (aka Elementary) suffers the aftereffects of Arcade and Mentallo’s manipulations. But far from dwelling on a love triangle, Spectacular Spider-Men #13 is all about love: how we find it, how it threatens other relationships, and what we will do to protect those we cherish.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Get Fury #3 Review

 

Writer: Garth Ennis

Penciler: Jacen Burrows

Inker: Guillermo Ortego

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Letterer: Rob Steen

Cover Artists: Goran Parlov & Nolan Woodard; Dave Johnson

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: July 10, 2024

 

The CIA conspired with a Marine General to kill Colonel Nick Fury. Fury survived when his sabotaged helicopter crashed behind enemy lines, but then Vietcong troops captured him. So General Mackie and the CIA agents Dave and Steve send Frank Castle to kill Nick Fury before he can spill American Intelligence secrets. But is Frank Castle the right man for the job? Let's load our weapons, march into Get Fury #3, and find out!

 

Story

The CIA agents, Dave and Steve, made a convincing case. Nick Fury had overwhelming knowledge of ongoing US Intelligence operations and undercover agents in the Vietnam War. Many Americans would die if the North Vietnamese Army learned what Fury knew. General Mackie’s troops searched the vicinity of the crash site, but they couldn’t find him. Nor could they track him after Fury reached the Ho Chi Minh trail. But they knew where the Vietcong would take him. And when he checked into the Hanoi Hilton, Nick Fury would never leave.

 

In Get Fury #3, Dave and Steve realize their preconceptions about Nick Fury and Frank Castle were wrong. Captain Frank Castle won't follow their orders unquestioningly. Especially not when it comes to Nick Fury. They thought Fury killed their operatives when he discovered what they were up to. But what if Castle killed their operatives? If any soldiers could escape from Hanoi and return to South Vietnam, they would be Frank Castle and Nick Fury. The CIA agents argue about what Fury and Castle may know. General Mackie huffs, puffs, and blows his top. Dave and Steve talked him into their underhand scheme. His military career is over unless Nick Fury and Frank Castle die.

 

Garth Ennis’ story ponders how war corrupts ideals. US leaders viewed Communism as a corrupting influence on Humanity. Yet drugs threaten healthy societies and destroy people’s lives. CIA officials were willing to flood US streets with drugs for money to bribe Vietcong leaders to ease up on their attacks. General Mackie agreed to the scheme because fewer soldiers died in combat. Yet US soldiers suffered drug-related deaths, and drug use exacerbated any PTSD the soldiers suffered when they returned home. Ironically, the way heroin slithers into the Vietnam War in Get Fury #3 evokes how opium became an integral part of British colonialism and the global tea trade a century earlier.

 

As for Frank Castle, he’s not a secret agent. The special forces officer walks around Hanoi as if he owns it. Why shouldn’t he? The US military trained him to tackle any obstacle before him. But Castle has a reason for making himself a target in Hanoi. And it may involve someone who sparked contention between General Mackie and Colonel Nick Fury.

 

Art

Stonefaced soldiers welcome Fury to his new high-walled home as Castle and two women look on. As Dave drives General Mackie and Steve past terraced fields, South Vietnamese civilians, and a crew working on their tank, the CIA officers envision Castle and Fury’s surreptitious conversations. Letrong Giap introduces an overview of Frank Castle approaching a roadblock on a busy street, ignoring squads of NVA soldiers as he follows the women in Get Fury #3.

 

Nolan Woodard applies limited and loaded palettes on Jacen Burrows and Guillermo Ortego’s art. Orange subsumes backgrounds as Castle emulates Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall. Guns birth yellow stars as red fountains from falling soldiers. As Castle tears through the North Vietnamese troops, Nick Fury frowns from the floor of his dark, grimy cell. Crimson stains his feet, arms, face, and the skin exposed by his ripped and torn green uniform, while a vertical slit of yellow centers on his remaining eye.

 

Rob Steen fires black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in Get Fury #3. The large font grows bold for intonation and never shrinks. While no sound effects enhance Garth Ennis’ MAX-label story, the dialogue enlarges when North Vietnamese soldiers ask Castle for his identity card and security pass. “Badges? We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges!” Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Dirty CIA officials quarrel with a US Marine General over Nick Fury and Frank Castle's fate, Fury books into the Hanoi Hotel, and Castle braves squads of North Vietnamese soldiers to meet two women amid The War For Drugs in Get Fury #3.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my reviews at Comic Book Dispatch.

Get Fury #2 Review

 

Writer: Garth Ennis

Artist: Jacen Burrows

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Letterer: Rob Steen

Cover Artists: Goran Parlov & Nolan Woodard; Dave Johnson

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: June 5, 2024

 

Letrong Giap devoted his life to protecting Vietnam. But when the retired North Vietnamese General observes his country, he wonders why he worked so hard. His country doesn’t uphold the ideals he fought for. So, Letrong Giap delves into history. Two Americans factor into the crucible from which modern Vietnam was born: Nick Fury and Frank Castle. What has Letrong Giap learned by studying his enemies? Let’s load our weapons, march into Get Fury #2, and find out! 

 

Story

Faced with increasing American opposition to the Vietnam War, the South Vietnamese and the US conducted a joint operation. In Lam Son 719, the US used overwhelming airpower to shield South Vietnamese ground operations. But how many realize that the CIA hastily organized the massive operation to divert attention from a fighter jet they sent toward Hanoi in February 1971? Why, you ask? Because Nick Fury had to die.

 

In Get Fury #2, the pilot transporting Captain Frank Castle curses as Surface-to-Air Missiles explode around him. He wants to know that the mission is worth their lives. But Castle gives him no satisfaction. "The mission is classified," he tells the pilot and ejects from the fighter. Frank spies a missile shooting toward the fighter jet as his parachute drifts downward.

 

At the US Marine base in Saigon, Dave comforts General Mackie. Both the General and the CIA officer have made compromises. But while Mackie wrestles with his conscience, Dave celebrates. His subordinate arrives in a panic. Steve explains that their assessment of Colonel Fury was wrong. And if the CIA guessed wrong about Fury, did they make the wrong choice in sending Captain Frank Castle to kill him?

 

In Get Fury #2, Garth Ennis delves into the politics underlying the Vietnam War. His story touches upon how moral judgments can lead to murder. He reminds us of the toll the Vietnam War had on American soldiers and citizens back home. Dave and Steve's dilemma also harkens back to the MP’s tirade against American special forces operations in Vietnam and helps us understand Frank Castle’s stoic response. The MP was correct about the cost of operations like Lam Son 719. But he pointed the finger at the weapons instead of those who wield them.

 

 

 

Art

Letrong Giap's mirthful smile grounds a map of South Vietnamese movements during Operation Lam Son 719. Jacen Burrows juxtaposes detailed panels featuring the pilot and Captain Frank Castle with less exacting shots of the plane and surrounding explosions. Yet Castle's descent toward an inked forest evokes the story by Joseph Conrad that inspired Francis Ford Coppola to film Apocalypse Now.

 

Silhouettes of soldiers ground distant explosions wrought by B-52s and US fighter-bombers. NVA troops transporting Fury look scared, then grim, as they behold the spectacle. Yet later, when the soldiers assess the devastation firsthand, their expressions evoke the name of their prisoner.

 

Nolan Woodard applies a limited palette on Get Fury #2. While orange and green dominate Castle’s entry to North Vietnam, the orange sky fades to brown, and the soldiers’ uniforms and the jungle merge in a sea of green. General Mackie’s green uniform opposes Dave’s blue shirt in a green-and-blue office where brown and black serve as buffer zones. Frank Castle organizes his equipment in a green alley as he shelters from the orange street behind a green jeep. But then Castle’s skin turns yellow in response to a streetlight and the North Vietnamese trooper who discovers him.

 

Rob Steen fires black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in Get Fury #2. The large font grows bold for intonation and never shrinks. While no sound effects enhance Garth Ennis’ MAX-label story, the dialogue enlarges as tempers flare, making readers wonder if Frank Castle’s mission was necessary. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Corruption, compromises, and diversity in the military fuel a penetrating meditation on the costs of war in Get Fury #2.

 

Rating 9/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1 Review

 

Writer: Stephanie Phillips

Artist: Federica Mancin

Colorist: Matt Milla

Letterer: Ariana Maher

Cover Artists: Nolan Woodard, Mark Brooks, Jenny Frison, David Lopen, Ernanda Souza & Pablo Villalobos

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: May 22, 2024

 

Gwen Stacy calls Earth-65 home. She plays drums in a band, gets along with her father, and moonlights as Spider-Woman or Ghost-Spider. So why is she on Earth-616, forbidden to use her powers, and pretending to be Lisa Rogers? Let's thwip into Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1 and find out!

 

Story

Gwen faced an apocalyptic future. She raced past destroyed buildings, pursued by a flock of angry birds. Then OB opened a time-space portal and pulled her inside.

 

Ouroborus, or OB for short, works for the Time Variance Authority. He couldn’t convince Mobius of her importance, so he ignored his supervisor’s decision and saved Gwen anyway. OB wants her to lay low in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1. But Gwen can't help it. Her symbiote spider-suit craves action. So, like an itch she shouldn’t scratch, Gwen gives in to temptation.

 

First, it's when she sees people threatened. Next, she goes looking for opportunities to help others. But getting seen has its consequences. Soon, people come looking for her. And they're not inviting her to play drums in their band.

 

 

 

Mysteries pervade Stephanie Phillips’ story in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1. What caused the devastation on Earth-65? Why is OB risking his job to place Gwen on Earth-616? Most of all, why does the death of her counterpart on Earth-616 haunt Gwen?

 

OB plucked Gwen Stacy from where she belonged and asked her to hide in plain sight. Untethered from her home, she yearns to fit in and belong. But OB warns Gwen that people will die if she continues to use the suit to help others. Like a pebble dropped in a pond, the ripples will travel through space-time. Could her good intentions bring about his worst fears?

 

With great power comes great responsibility. But is fear of potential consequences sufficient reason not to help people? 

 

 

 

Art

A banker stares at her application. Gwen sits across from him, dressed in a white jacket. A blue cap shelters her face. Then, people scatter papers, freeze, and collapse as masked gunmen enter. At least they're not wearing the faces of former presidents!

 

Hiding behind the banker’s desk, electricity crackles along Gwen’s left arm. Her white hoodie gives way to reddish pink with blue webbing. Masked thieves and Ghost Spider blur amid a flurry of movement. Gunmen crash into each other, and dust rises from the floor as Gwen perches atop a desk. Then Gwen thwips over street traffic and away from the bank as pedestrians cheer, gaze up, and send photos of the webbed wonder across the world wide web.

 

 

 

Matt Milla applies a loaded palette of soft and appealing colors to Federica Mancin’s dynamic art in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1. OB's green shirt reflects the turquoise walls of Gwen's apartment. A poster of a fiercely blue sky and a tropical beach taped to a wall allures. Gwen sits on a pink blanket atop the white mattress on the hardwood floor. Her blonde hair glows while sunlight casts a green shadow across her sparsely furnished apartment. Then, black seeps across OB's shirt, and lavender falls upon Gwen as the TVA agent realizes the difficulty of her situation.

 

Ariana Maher thwips uppercase black letters into white dialogue balloons with long white arrows and reddish pink words into white narrative boxes outlined with turquoise. A Ka-Chak sounds from a rifle pointed at a bank clerk. A pink Thwip spills across a gunman clad in black. A siren floats on the breeze caused by blurring automobiles and flies past Gwen's fluttering hair. A red Fwwp signals encroaching weakness as Gwen heeds her symbiote suit's desires and ignores OB's in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Despite the TVA's orders to lie low, Gwen makes headlines and becomes the target of a savage killer in Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider #1.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Get Fury #1 Review

 

Writer: Garth Ennis

Penciler: Jacen Burrows

Inker: Guillermo Ortego

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Letterer: Rob Steen

Cover Artists: Dave Johnson; Rogê Antônio & Marcelo Maiolo; Jacen Burrows & Nolan Woodard; Juan Ferreyra

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 1, 2024

 

Letrong Giap devoted his life to his country. The retired North Vietnamese General’s body is failing. His future looks bleak. So he looks back on his life and what he’s done. After all the battles he fought, two people stand out. Nick Fury and Frank Castle were his enemies. He’s obsessed with them. So, Letrong dug into his records. He searched through public sources of information. He used his contacts in other governments to get secret documents. Now, Letrong wants to share his story with us. But can we believe anything this former enemy of the United States might tell us about two American soldiers? Let’s load our weapons, march into Get Fury #1, and find out! 

 

Story

Captain Frank Castle reclines on the roof of his unit’s compound and reads his wife’s letter. Maria understands his commitment to his men. Still, she begs him to make this third tour in Vietnam his last. Two military police request his assistance in keeping the camp safe. But when Castle fails to enforce their orders, the sergeant lashes out, accusing him and his Force Recon company of inflaming the war and costing more American lives than they save. Then, a soldier drives up in his Jeep. The MP sergeant apologizes for his outburst, but it’s all water off a duck’s back to Frank. Everyone’s got a right to their opinions, after all.

 

In Get Fury #1, Frank Castle meets General Mackie and two CIA officials. They know Castle worked with Nick Fury in the past. But they’re bearers of bad news. Fury’s chopper crashed behind enemy lines. They’ve searched the crash site and conducted aerial surveys but can't find Fury, his crew chief, or his door gunner. So, Fury is likely a prisoner of the North Vietnamese Army. The NVA will transport Fury along the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos. Nick Fury is a valuable servant of the US government. They want to save him. But extraction doesn’t seem possible. So, they ask Castle to go in as a sniper and kill him.

 

Garth Ennis ponders the role of Government Intelligence and Covert Operations in warfare. He also contrasts idealism with practicality. Can heroes like Captain America win in war? Or does the nature of warfare force good people to get their hands dirty and become antiheroes like the Punisher?

 

 

 

 

Art

Get Fury #1 begins by visiting the aging mischief maker in his home. A Dictaphone rests beside a cup of tea. After showing Fury and Castle battling among the dying and the dead, we glimpse Castle reclining on sandbags as he reads his letter from home. Either it's a multipage message, or he's rereading several of his wife's letters. Beside him rests a skull wrapped in barbed wire.

 

Jacen Burrows and Guillermo Ortego show the MPs grow increasingly aggravated as one of Castle's Marines refuses their orders. What the Marine holds in his arm helps you understand his staunch demeanor. Like his subordinate, Castle's stony expression never wavers, although perhaps it grows grimmer as he listens to the CIA agents and his general. Intriguingly, a slim blond man named Steve suggests a road not taken had Steve Rogers sought to aid his country in the intelligence service rather than enlisting in the military.

 

 

 

Nolan Woodard shows Letrong Giap against a pink background in Get Fury #1 while he colors his double-page vision of Castle and Fury on the battlefield yellow and orange. Woodard applies beige, orange, and green to the MP's confrontation while he dapples yellow on Fury and his comrades in a forest beneath an orange sky. Yet when NVA soldiers pull out their machetes, another color stains the surrounding greenery.

 

Rob Steen fires black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes in Get Fury #1. The large font grows bold for intonation, swells for raised voices, and never shrinks. No sound effects enhance Garth Ennis’ MAX-label story about the brutal savagery of war. While little action punctuates this engrossing drama, a shout fills the final panel, and the immense To Be Continued leaves readers wanting more.

 

Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Like Thor’s brother Loki, Letrong Giap enjoys making mischief. Yet in Get Fury #1, the former North Vietnamese General shows Captain Frank Castle and Colonel Nick Fury protecting their men and avoiding unnecessary killing. By contrast, Letrong shows his NVA soldiers engage in heartless cruelty. Does Letrong want to get his government into trouble? Or will he turn the tables on American readers in future issues?

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Spectacular Spider-Men #2 Review

 

Writer: Greg Weisman

Penciler: Humberto Ramos

Inker: Victor Olazaba

Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado; Carmen Carnero & Nolan Woodard; Mike McKone & Alex Sinclair; Will Sliney & Rachelle Rosenberg [Homage]

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 17, 2024

 

When Dr. Seymour Krepps switched the power on in Miles Warren’s laboratory at Empire State University, he awakened the Jackal Hulk. The ferocious clone broke out of its containment chamber and rampaged across E.S.U. After capturing the creature, Peter and Miles Morales joined Dr. Krepps and Professor Raymond Aaron Warren in Jackal's laboratory, where they found a smoking Human corpse. How might Jackal's experiments and a new computer game interrupt Peter and Miles’ caffeinated chats at The Coffee Bean? Let’s grab our lattes, thwip into The Spectacular Spider-Men #2, and find out!

 

Story

NYPD Detective Shari Sebbins studies the burned skeleton in the morgue after Dr. Jane Foster's forensic examination. Jane Foster concludes that the man didn’t burn to death. Instead, each cell of the man’s body exploded. Did the Jackal Hulk do this? Or has Losira found a more spectacular way of killing people like Captain Kirk and U.S.S. Enterprise geologist D’Amato? “I am for you [Insert Name Here].”

 

Whatever the case, this prompts Jackal's brother, Professor Raymond Warren, to spend more time with Dr. Krepps instead of teaching at Midtown High. As the colleagues investigate Jackal's laboratory, Professor Warren grows intrigued when his friend’s taste in beverage changes.

 

 

 

Miles’ friend Cedrick has long adored Shelly. He’s plighted his troth to no avail. In The Spectacular Spider-Men #2, Shelly meets Cedric one night, tells him her feelings have changed, and promises to leave her beau Kenny. But when he meets her later at The Coffee Bean, Shelly affirms her love for Kenny and pretends their night together didn’t happen.

 

Miles grew up with Cedrick. He worries about his friend in The Spectacular Spider-Men #2. Peter accompanies Miles as they tail the distraught lover. But they lose Cedric, and when their trail leads into the sewers, they discover that Number Five is alive. Unfortunately, Number Five isn't a robot and has no plans to move to Montana. 

 

 

 

Art

Humberto Ramos and Victor Olazaba celebrate Miles's late arrival at The Coffee Bean with a double-page scene broken into panels. The staggered shots portray Miles' interactions with Shelly, Kenny, Professor Warren, and Sha Shan as he walks through the crowded coffee shop to Peter's table. Professor Warren glances up from his copy of The Daily Bugle bearing the headline Too Many Spider-Men and smiles at Miles. A woman seated with her back to Miles reads a He-Hulk comic. Peter and Miles clink together cups with their names written on them.

 

Edgar Delgado lavishes a loaded palette on The Spectacular Spider-Men #2. Scenes during the day, such as Miles' coffee shop entrance, shine brilliantly. Yet Delgado makes night scenes involving another Marvel hero and two lovers in Italy equally eye-catching. When the Spider-Men descent into the greenish sewers, light reflects off the costumes and illuminates their angry adversaries. Delgado's lighting and color choices help us understand how much Peter values their Wednesday meetups (when he should be visiting his local comic shop) and feel the danger he and Miles face as they battle more of Jackal’s creations.  

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna thwips uppercase letters into white balloons and colored narrative boxes. The appealing font rarely shrinks. Dialogue often grows bold, changes color, or enlarges. Amid the bodies hurled against the brick-lined tunnels and those splashing in the festering fluids, a spine-tingling hissing fills the darkness in The Spectacular Spider-Men #2.

 

Thanks to Marvel for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

In The Spectacular Spider-Men #2, Jackal's cloning experiments continue to threaten society. Some students prove more adept than others at discerning fantasy from reality. Greg Weisman's Spider-ode to Cheers spins a healthy web of Thwippage and Quippage while reminding us that nurturing relationships is as important as accomplishing personal and career goals.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Captain America Finale #1 Review

 

Writers: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly

Artist: Carmen Carnero

Colorist: Nolan Woodard

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Carmen Carnero & Alejandro Sánchez; Greg Land & Frank D’Armata

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 23, 2023

 

Conflicting ideologies divide Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. Can Captain America and the Winter Soldier join forces to destroy the Outer Circle? Let's leap into Captain America Finale #1 and find out!

 

Story

World War II forged Steve Rogers into an American hero. It wasn’t just his zeal to defend his country’s borders. Nor was it the Super-Soldier serum that enhanced his strength and endurance and slowed his aging. What mobilized Steve was fighting oppression, and what completed the transformation was examples of courage and heroism set by his friends.

 

Now, as Steve charges into battle against the Outer Circle in Captain America Finale #1, his friends fight alongside him. He leads his team of Invaders against an enemy that would dominate our planet. Together, they face the ultimate enemy of Humanity: one that stands against liberty and freedom in all its forms. Backed up by his friends, you know he'll bring it down. Or die trying.

 

 

 

 

Art

Writers Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly may rely too often on single-page scenes and bold, double-page spreads to evoke grandeur. In Captain America Finale #1, their teammate Carmen Carnero delivers their colossal vision. Nolan Woodard overloads his palette with an appealing mix of colors to make such big scenes leap off the page. Yet pages of smaller panels and those set within larger images also speak volumes.

 

Joe Caramagna enhances white time and space markers with Cap's distinctive shield. White dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes protect his black, uppercase letters in Captain America Finale #1. They're easy to read as they sweep across the pages. If you get lost, don't worry. Captain America's by your side!

 

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Captain America Finale #1 knits disparate story strands to deliver a rousing conclusion. Driven by the themes and people that make him a superhero, this issue reminds us of what Steve Rogers always fights for.

 

Rating 9/10

 

Preview interior art on my review at Comic Book Dispatch.