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Marvel Knights Spider-Man #05
“Venomous”-Part 1 of 4
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
PLOT: The beginning to this new story arc, “Venomous,” begins with a very familiar face that fits the title well: Eddie Brock, a.k.a, Venom.  It seems that somebody has funded Brock to cause some unknown mayhem, and that Brock doesn’t believe he’ll be spending too much time on Earth.  Elsewhere, Peter recovers from his brutal confrontations with Electro and the Vulture with the aid of Felicia and Mary Jane.  Aunt May is still missing and Peter has no clue on where to look.  We also find out that the glam life of being a supermodel/actress is coming to an end, as MJ has been spending way more that she has been taking in, and the Parker’s are also in trouble financially.  Beware the creditors and debt collectors.  If that wasn’t enough, J. Jonah Jameson has posted a picture of a beaten up Spider-Man and again posted a five million dollar reward to anyone who can id him, ala “Spider-Hunt.” Peter decides, even thru all the adversity he is facing, to continue his search for Aunt May as Spider-man when he finds a rampaging escaped prison inmate, Doc.  Spidey knocks him out easily, but finds out he had already been tranquillized by the SWAT Team.  They tell Spider-Man to surrender, and quickly dog pile on him.  

LIKES:

  • Frank Cho’s art style fits perfectly with the Dodson’s.  It may not be as crisp, but the characters facial characteristics don’t lose a beat.
  • Each book that Millar has written has ended in a great cliffhanger.  Talk about leaving your audience wanting more.
  • I like the fact that Millar and JMS are bringing down Mary Jane’s status from supermodel/movie star to regular person who makes mistakes.

DISLIKES:

  • This has been the slowest book in terms of action that Millar has brought out since Marvel Knights Spider-Man began.
  • In the last year, we have had way to much Venom and Doctor Octopus overexposure.  It’s nice to see that Ock exited as quick as he turned up, but why have him in the book at all???
  • The whole JJJ and Bugle five million dollar had been done before.  I’m hoping for some new material.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Venom talking about the people who funded the operation: “Tell them I want strawberries and champagne cooling in the fridge, the suite sprinkled with rose petals, and Rachmaninoff playing gently in the elevator.  No sense making my last few days on Earth any more unpleasant than they have to be, right?”  

RATING: 3 and webheads out of 5.  A slow start to what hopefully will be an exciting action packed story arc.  Hopefully we won’t get the same Edie Brock Venom we have been getting

Reviewed by AC-WEB (Ariel Chaidez)  

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #04
“Down Among Dead Men”-Part 4 of 4
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
PLOT: This issue picks up where we left off, with Vulture attacking a seriously beaten down, drugged, and burnt Peter Parker. He carries Peter outside and tells him the reason why he had stolen the money.  He also states that he is going to kill Spider-man, but not until he looks under the bandages.  After removing the bandages, he sees a battered and bruised Peter Parker, who he has no clue who he is.  In frustration he seems to drop Peter to his death.  Lucky for Spider-Man, the Black Cat swoops in to save him.  A rumble between the Black Cat and Vulture ensues.  It seems that Felicia is not only there to save Peter, but is also working for the Owl to capture Vulture and Electro.  Felicia tears apart the vulture, delivers him to the Owl, and then takes Peter home.  At the Daily Bugle, an undercover photographer sells Jameson pictures of Spider-Man without his masked.  Jameson, with a smile on his face, states: “I think that’s one familiar face.”

LIKES:

  • The Black Cat and Vulture fight is exciting and vicious. Some great artwork from the Dodson’s.
  • There is a great scene where the Owl set makes an example of both the Vulture and Electro. 
  • The Black Cat and Peter Parker usually have some great chemistry.  Hopefully we will see them interact more next issue.

DISLIKES:

  • The Black Cat is in this issue, but we never found out the ending to “Spider-Man/Black Cat-The Evil that Men Do” mini-series. 
  • I don’t really like the idea of Felicia working for a crook like the Owl.
  • This issue is supposed to be part four of four, but the end of the issue is “to be concluded.”
  • We are not any closer in finding out who the mystery villain is. 

FAVORITE QUOTE: Vulture to Spider-Man: “Hit by a car, doped up on painkillers, and shot a couple of times?  You’re not exactly having a good day, Spider-Man.” 

RATING: 3 and ½ webheads out of 5.  Still a solid issue with some good action, but I pretty much felt that the last four issues were pretty pointless except for the fact that May was kidnapped. 

Reviewed by AC-WEB (Ariel Chaidez)

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #03
“Down Among Dead Men”-Part 3 of 4
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
PLOT: This issue is an all out brawl between two heavy weights.  Spider-Man confronts Electro and Vulture, whom he believes were the ones to kidnap Aunt May, at a brothel house.  While Electro and Spider-Man begin to go at it, The Vulture tries to escape by jumping out the window with the twenty million dollars.  Spider-Man is able to get a web on the case, and the money spills out throughout the neighborhood.  The Vulture leaves to go get his costume, leaving Spider-Man and Electro to go solo.  After an intense confrontation, Spider-Man learns that the gruesome twosome had nothing to do with the kidnapping or know his secret identity.  It turns out that Spider-Man was duped by the Owl to go after these two super villains because they failed to deliver twenty million dollars that was owed to him.  After more fighting and beatings, Spider-Man is electrocuted off a building.  He is taken to the emergency room, where the doctors take off his mask to attend to his wounds.  One of the medical staff reveals to reporters that Spider-Man is in that hospital.  The Vulture finds this information out and goes to attack a still unconscious Spider-Man.  

LIKES:

  • Spider-Man going to the Owl for help out of desperation, and the Owl helping Spider-Man seemed a bit out of character.  This issue gives us the real intentions of the Owl and it makes a lot more sense.
  • The all out brawl and action packed pace makes this issue one of the most exciting that I’ve read in a while. 
  • The Dodson’s did a great job with the fight scenes. I didn’t know if their style would fit with this darker Spider-Man title, but it does.
  • The Vulture attacking a seriously wounded Spider-Man leaves for a great cliffhanger.
  • The subtle redesigns of both Electro and Vultures costumes are good, as well as the exploration of Electro’s power.

DISLIKES:

  • I never knew that The Vulture could float without his wings.  I don’t remember this happening, but maybe somebody can help me out with that.
  • The idea of Mary Jane carrying a gun. This maybe rub me wrong because I am more of an anti-gun person, and believes that if somebody went to kidnap MJ, that gun would do more harm than good.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Electro to Spider-Man: “The truth is the Owl played you like a friggin’ violin.”

RATING: 4 and ½ webheads out of 5.  This was a great and intriguing issue that I really enjoy.  I highly recommend to anybody who is a fan of action.

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #02
“Down Among Dead Men”-Part 2 of 4
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
PLOT: A distraught Peter Parker finds himself at a lost due to the kidnapping of his Aunt May.  He quickly ushers a reluctant Mary Jane out of New York to an undisclosed location.  Peter questions who could have done this terrible deed and calls his old friend and flame, The Black Cat, for help.  She states she is currently busy in her own case in Florida, but would head to New York as soon as she could.  Peter next goes out to Rykers Island Prison to visit the recently apprehended Norman Osborn.  Norman plays mind games with Peter in regards to the question if he had given up Peter’s secret identity.  After a dead end, Peter decides to go to the Avengers so that they could help him contact Nick Fury to help him out.  He is ill received and attacked by guards.  He fights his way into the Avengers Mansion, only to be told that Nick Fury would be out of this world for seven days.  The Avengers offer their assistance, but Spider-Man refuses since he does not want anybody else to find out his secret identity.  Peter finally decides to go to an old enemy, the Owl, who is trying to gain control of the New York underworld.  He decides to help Spider-Man find May for a favor that Spider-Man will owe him in the future.  The Owl comes up with two names, Electro and The Vulture.  It turns out that they were paid a handsome amount of money to kidnap Aunt May from a mysterious stranger.  While drinking at a seedy bar, they are surprised by a not too happy Spider-Man. 

LIKES:

  • The story seems to be moving along in a steady pace.  Peter is seemingly getting some promising leads.
  • The art by the Dodson’s is gorgeous, especially with the amount of characters introduced in this issue.
  • Spider-Man seems like he is going to lay the smack down at the end of this issue.  

DISLIKES:

  • Peter sending Mary Jane off and not making sure she gets there safely.  The people who kidnapped Aunt May could also have been watching Mary Jane.
  • Spider-Man’s interaction with the Avengers seemed very out of place.  Why were Jarvis and the Avengers such jerks, and why would they attack without inviting Spidey in to talk first???
  • Spider-Man could look for other assistance, such as in Daredevil or Dr. Strange.  They definatly owe him a favor or two.
  • I know desperate times call for desperate measures, but I shudder at the thought of Spider-Man making deals with known criminals.  Anybody remember the truce between Venom and Spider-Man???

FAVORITE QUOTE: Quicksilver to Spider-Man: “Now give me one good reason why I should pull this punch, you sweaty, little urchin???”

RATING: 2 and ½ webheads out of 5.  After a great start to the new Marvel Knight’s series, I was disappointed with this issue.  Spider-Man, as well as most of the characters in this book, seemed way out of character.

Reviewed by AC-WEB (Ariel Chaidez)

Marvel Knights Spider-Man #01
“Down Among Dead Men”-Part 1 of 4
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
PLOT: This is the first issue of the all-new Spider-Man title on the Marvel Knights imprint, and does it ever get started with a bang.  Peter Parker and Norman Osborn are at it again. Norman has rejected the so-called truth he and Spider-Man had going and decided to fight Spider-Man under the public eye after taking part in a hostage operation to draws Spider-Man’s attention.  Spider-Man eventually mops the floor with the Green Goblin, and leaves him unconscious for him to finally be apprehended by the police.  A battered and bruised Parker goes to his aunt’s home and helps her move to her new apartment in Manhattan.  Later on at work, Peter gets a call from the cemetery.  When he arrives, he finds that Uncle Ben’s tombstone has been defiled.  He then gets a call from a mysterious figure telling him that he knows his secret identity and that was also responsible for the destruction of the tombstone.  He warns Spider-Man of more danger to the family he cares about so much.  After racing to Aunt May’s apartment, he finds Aunt May missing and the apartment completely destroyed.
LIKES:

  • A very strong and emotionally charged story by Millar. This book is a lot better than I initially thought it would be.
  • A good job of Millar bringing in different parts of Peter’s life in the book.  We got his as Spider-Man, classroom teacher, loving husband and good nephew.
  • The Dodson’s have carried their amazing work from the Spider-Man/Black Cat series without missing a beat.

DISLIKES:

  • Some people say that this story is a rip off of Batman’s “Hush” storyline.  I don’t read DC, so I really couldn’t tell you about the similarities.
  • How many times has poor Aunt May been kidnapped or captured due to Peter Parker being Spider-Man
  • The Green Goblin’s appearance seems a little rushed.

FAVORITE QUOTE: Spider-Man to Green Goblin: “Who’s your daddy now, Mr. Osborn?!?  Who’s your daddy now, huh?!?
RATING: 4 and ½ webheads out of 5.  This is a very intense start to this new Spider-Man title.  This book is well worth the money.  I can hardly wait until the next issue.
Reviewed by AC-WEB (Ariel Chaidez)