MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel
WRITER: Dan Slott
PENCILS: Humberto Ramos
INKS: Victor Olazaba
COLORS: Edgar Delgado
LETTERS: Chris Eliopoulos
COVER: Humberto Ramos
VARIANT COVERS: Marcos Martin; Ed McGuinness; Pop Mhan; Jerome Opeña; Skottie Young; Alex Ross
92pp, Color, $5.99 U.S. (June 2014)
Spider-Man is a Marvel Comics superhero. Peter Parker was once a shy and retiring teenager. He was a freelance photographer. He has always been a science wiz. Parker is the Amazing Spider-Man. Then, the gods of comics fate allowed Spider-Man arch-villain, Doctor Octopus, to swap his brain into Parker’s body. Doc Ock became the Superior Spider-Man.
Peter Parker’s brain is back in his body, and the core Spider-Man comic book series, The Amazing Spider-Man, is re-launched. This All-New Marvel NOW series is brought to readers by writer Dan Slott, artists Humberto Ramos (pencils) and Victor Olazaba (inks), colorist Edgar Delgado and letterer Chris Eliopoulos.
The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (“Lucky to Be Alive”) opens with Spider-Man fighting a group of oddball, semi-super-villains. He’s doing that for relaxation. Now, that Parker is back in control of his body, he discovers that Doctor Octopus completed Parker’s PhD and started his own company, “Parker Industries.” But the company is a bit of a mess. And Parker apparently has girlfriend named Anna Maria Marconi. Spider-Man is back, but so are the troubles of Peter Parker.
I don’t read Spider-Man comic books as much as I once did. I have been planning on changing that, and The Amazing Spider-Man #1 – 2014 edition – convinces me that I should. This new beginning features classic pile-on-Parker with some web-slinging, and while I won’t call this great, I find it to be a good read. As for artist Humberto Ramos, I am enjoying his work, which seems more like the work of former imprint-mate, J. Scott Campbell, than ever before.
Back-up features credits:
WRITERS: Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Joe Caramagna, Peter David, Chris Yost
PENCILS: Javier Rodriguez, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Chris Eliopoulos, Will Sliney, David Baldeon, Ramon Perez
INKS: Alvaro Lopez, John Dell, Cam Smith, Chris Eliopoulos, Will Sliney, Jordi Tarragona, Ramon Perez
COLORS: Javier Rodriguez, Antonio Fabela, Jim Charalampidis, Rachelle Rosenberg, Ian Herring
There are six short stories featuring various characters from the world of Spider-Man, with one being a preview of a side-series comic book. These stories are extras, and I like anything that makes a comic book a bigger issue than it normally is.
INHUMAN #1
WRITER: Charles Soule
ARTIST: Joe Madureira
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC’s Clayton Cowles
COVER: Joe Madureira and Marte Gracia
The Amazing Spider-Man #1 reprints the sold-out Inhuman #1 (Part 1: Genesis) by writer Charles Soule, artist Joe Madureira, colorist Marte Gracia, and letter Clayton Cowles. Marvel Comics is re-inventing and revitalizing the Inhumans, a strain of humanity that began with genetic manipulation by visitors to Earth from an alien civilization (the Kree).
This first issue revitalizes my interest in the Inhumans, and I have not read an Inhumans comic book since Paul Jenkins’ 12-issue comic book series, The Inhumans, which was first published about 14 years ago. This new comic book also offers some of Joe Madureira’s strongest art, in terms of storytelling and style, in over a decade. This Inhuman #1 reprint is why I’m giving The Amazing Spider-Man #1 a high grade.
A-
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux
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