Sunday 29 June 2008

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #21

You can call my current syndrome for typing my second Amazing Annual thread in a row "Amazing Spider-Man Annual Fever". I've been chasing like quicksilver for these issues and I had a hard time finding them until my recent happiness (THANK GOD). Amazing Spider-Man 21st Annual in precise and the 18th Annual were my main target, because I always wanted to read about the two main marriage events in the main continuity Spider-Man saga. I'll write my review since I haven't had the opportunity to write my fan review for some issues on the internet. "Married Peter" fans; enjoy.

After Amazing Spider-Man #292 (the one which ended with M.J finally accepting Peter Parkers marriage proposal) comes this issue straight.
Spider-Man wears his black suit (since all of his red and blue suits got destroyed before Web of Spider-Man #18) swinging across town during Electro committing a robbery and his gang members pretend to be his hostages, Spidey interferes and dodges the electric bolts and made him wet to win.

After the victory of the day Spider-Man swung to his apartment, changed and M.J brought some of her stuff (too much for Peter's small Chelsea apartment) to their future small condo. In the planning of making space M.J decided to throw Peters costume shop R&B (from Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, the issue witnessing the death of Ned Leeds by the Foreigner men, and later revealed the orders came from the original Hobgoblin ) but Peter refuses.

Peter in his Aunts home in Queens see an open photo album with images of Gwen Stacy, Peter became heartsick about his old love. Peter and M.J later revealed their plan to their aunts and the elder ladies are so pleased about the news (the real Anna Watson in the comics respects Peter, not the old harpy from Spider-Man: tas who always insult Peter Parker) and they congratulate their young ones.

Peter gives Eugen Thompson the news and asks him to be his best man, during the gangs war Eugene was injured by a pumpkin bomb trying to help spidey, the bomb was thrown by Macendale. In that honor Peter, Eugene, and Harry celebrated Peter's bachelor and convinced him to go on with the wedding after Peter said he might reconsider the marriage. At the same time M.J was having her bachelorette party and some of the guys tried to set her of the marriage (especially a guy named Bruce who gave M.J some gifts to persuade her).

Against all the odds, against all the doubts the two sides had and against the well of Bruce; "Peter Benjamin Parker" and "Mary Jane Watson" attended their wedding late, but the marriage took place.

Peter and MaryJane celebrated their honeymoon using a gift from Bruce (who was trying to brainwash M.J) the details of the happy honeymoon are in Spectacular Spider-Man annual #7.
The newly weds returned to their small Chelsea apartment missing the space and luxury they had in France during their honeymoon.

REVIEW:
David Michelinie proved his mettle in writing Amazing stories, this is one of the best and most memorable issues in the history of Spider-Man. The art is Amazing as well, but the red&blued inside the story didn't look as great as John Romita sr. draws it, but it looks great.

According to spiderfan.org ratings: Solid story, 5 webs

Monday 16 June 2008

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 18

My favorite era of Marvel comics is the eighties, but that doesn't mean Stan (the man) Lee isn't one of my favorite writers of all time. In his sixties; Stan proved to still have a futile mind with his classic touch of the Golden & Silver ages of comics, a perfect example to prove it is this issues:
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18 (ANNUAL) 1984

After the long relationship between J.Jonah Jameson and genius inventor Dr. Marla Madison they finally get married. Jonah Jameson invite the staff in the Bugle closest to him to his wedding, he also invites his son John who was upset that the marriage of his father would stand in between his (Father and Son) relationship with his father.

In the office of the esteemed publisher of the Daily Bugle (J.Jonah Jameson) Spider-Man arrives at the window with a bouquet of roses to Mrs. Jameson and congratulates Jonah in a manner that upsets the publisher. (The story occurred after the events of Amazing Spider-Man #258, so it's after M.J's revelation to Peter).

The Scorpion (Mc Gargan) receives the news in prison and he breaks lose of custody and takes his suit to congratulate his worst enemy in his style, Scorpion kidnaps John Jameson and assaults the police station where J.J reports the kidnapping of his son to "Captain Jean DeWolff".

Scorpion hangs "John Jameson" in a mad jacket and hangs him in the sewers to take of to the floor of Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man barges in and saves Marla Madison (the one Scorpion was after to get hard on Jameson) and swings carrying her over a few buildings then releases her to fight Scorpion.

Of course; the Scorpion has to take revenge on Jameson before everything else so he distracts Spider-Man long enough to get back to Dr. Madison. John escaped his custody and tried to save his future stepmother but he got caught with her.

Spider-Man punched Scorpion and fought him valiantly until Scorpion fell hard. Jonah Jameson became happy and went on with his marriage. John accepted the fact that his dad was getting married again and became his fathers "best man". The wedding took place and since then Marla Madison became officially Mrs.Jameson.

REVIEW:
The story earned its place in my treasury collection, Stan Lee once again proved his mettle and stood like a solid rock. The classic writing, the action, the drama and the quips and jokes all exist, every element worked to create Spider-Man as the comics legend we know and enjoy most admirably. Backed up by the art of "Ron Frenz" who by then was following the footsteps of the creative legend "Steve Ditko" gave the story the classic figure.

A very splendid issue, I'm highly pleased I finally had my copy. I always wanted this story for the following reasons:
.Spider-Man
.Written by: Smiley Stan
.The main villain is one of my favorites since I saw (Attack of the Arachnoid, my favorite animated story of Spider-Man for all ages)

Easily deserves 5/5

Sunday 1 June 2008

IF I WROTE SPIDER-MAN

I intend to do some writing jobs for Marvel comics starting with limited series, going up to the Hulk and IronMan, ending up with Spider-Man.

The road to this dream is hard, everyone has to work hard, and I admit I have to work hard to write right. Why do I have the intentions to write about Spider-Man in exact? There are two major reasons:

1. Spider-Man is my all times favorite comic book character: Seconded by Batman, Hulk, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Beast, Iceman, Daredevil and Johnny Storm the Human Torch.

2. I want to work to fix at least a little of what Marvel has broken: I don't know the possibility of this, but they seriously should let someone get back to write the true Spider-Man, the experienced Spider-Man, not some semi-joker who can't catch a thief right (if he caught one).

In the classic Stan Lee and Steve Ditko version Spider-Man started as a teenager, if a thief escaped it was only because Spider-Man was to busy punching the rest of his gang and trying not separate their heads from their shoulders, he never wasted webbings on yoyo's who didn't get to connect to the other end of the web before Spider-Man shoots too many web lines.

How can Stan Lee accept the way his most succeful creation ends down the drain? I admit I enjoyed the stories of the current idiot, but it hurts to see Spider-Man falls hard from between the hands of his fans.

Sure hope Marvel would read this after they finish reading the millions of letters and thousands of websites insulting this new version and reconsider their intent to keep him this way.