Review: MARVEL ACTION: SPIDER-MAN #1

MARVEL ACTION: SPIDER-MAN No. 1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing @ Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Delilah S. Dawson
ART: Fico Ossio
COLORS: Ronda Pattison
LETTERS: Shawn Lee
EDITOR: Denton J. Tipton
COVER: Fico Ossio
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Nicoletta Baldari; Kevin Eastman with Tomi Varga; Gabriel Rodriguez with Nelson Daniel; June Brigman and Roy Richardson with Nolan Woodard; Corey Lewis; Tim Lim; Alex Milne with Paris Alleyne
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2018)

Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee; Miles Morales created by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli

Marvel Action is a new line of comic books produced by IDW Publishing under license from Marvel Comics.  The titles in this line will feature Marvel Comics characters in comic books aimed at “middle grade readers” and “younger readers.”

The first release in this new line features Marvel Comics' most famous character, Spider-Man, and is entitled Marvel Action: Spider-Man.  It written by Delilah S. Dawson; drawn by Fico Ossio; colored by Ronda Pattison; and lettered by Shawn Lee.  The series focuses on a 16-year-old Peter Parker and his astonishing new friends – Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy.

Marvel Action: Spider-Man #1 finds Spider-Man on night patrol when he encounters a citizen being threatened by what seems to be a really large mutated rat.  The next day, in a Queens, New York City apartment, Peter Parker faces an equally daunting challenge.  Today, he begins his internship at the newspaper, “The Daily Bugle.”  The legendary Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man is sponsoring the internship, and the intern who does the best job gets to conduct a rare interview of Stark.

However, Peter Parker's Spider-Man troubles are not over.  More monster-mutant rat-dog creatures are popping up throughout the city.  Peter springs into action as Spider-Man, but he is shocked to discover that his fellow interns, Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy, aren't afraid of no mutants.  One of them even shows some surprising physical gifts.

Writer Delilah S. Dawson composes an “Amazing” script that captures the spirit of Spider-Man and is filled with something no longer found in most comic books aimed at older readers – a sense of mystery and wonder.  Artist Fico Ossio delivers some “Spectacular” art and graphical storytelling that recalls Mark Bagley's delightful work in the early issues of Ultimate Spider-Man.

Ronda Pattison's “Friendly Neighborhood” colors bring the world of Peter Parker/Spider Man to life and makes Ossio's art pop off the page.  Shawn Lee's “Web of” lettering completes this exciting graphics package to make this comic book a kind of storytelling eye candy.

Marvel Action: Spider-Man #1 is the start of something good.  It is for new and young readers, but longtime Spider-Man fans can find a lot to like here... if they are open to it.  I can't wait for the second issue.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Grapes are the Stars in Corey Lewis' "Seedless"

HOW SAFE IS YOUR KITCHEN?

Grapes come to life in Corey Lewis's SEEDLESS from Image Comics

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the supermarket for a bag of grapes, Corey Lewis (Sharknife, Peng) reminds us that aliens could be anywhere in his new one-shot from Image Comics, SEEDLESS. In SEEDLESS, grapes come from another planet, battle for freedom, and take a young girl on the adventure of a lifetime.

"I consider it like the movie BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED meets the video game MEGAMAN," says Lewis. "Originally, SEEDLESS was an online comic supported by Seattle-based video game store Pink Gorilla. The grape characters in SEEDLESS are from one of the first comics I created when I was twelve years old. The story is a bright and colorful, action-packed adventure for kids and adults!"

In SEEDLESS, Harmony Treblecleff is the daughter of an eccentric inventor, but she thought she led a pretty normal life. Normal, that is, until the grapes she grabbed from the kitchen came to life! Suddenly, Harmony is being attacked by a rogue Grape Tyrant from a distant planet (aptly named Crazy) and his many tiny minions. Her only hope is the intervention of a new special breed of heroic grape warriors -- ones that are SEEDLESS!

SEEDLESS, a 128-page full-color trade for $12.99, will be in stores August 4, 2010.

Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of four major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit http://www.imagecomics.com/.