Spider-Man Marvel Adventures 16 review

Spider-Man 16

Writer-Paul Tobin

Pencils-Matteo Lolli

Inks-Terry Pallot

Colors-Sotocolor

I was bitten by a radioactive spider. It gave me super human strength, speed, and other awesome abilities. At first it was cool. I used my powers to become a celebrity. Then my uncle was killed by a man I could have stopped. I’m doing my best to make up for that. I’m Peter Parker, you can call me Spider-Man.

Plot:

The issue opens with Our hero, Peter Parker, aka, The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and his girlfriend Sophia Sandoval, also know as Chat, facing off against some weird ghost things, that are intangible, except for the ability to inflict harm. Spidey tries fighting them, while Chat asks random animals if they know anything about what’s going on. Spidey sees Baron Mordo, and realizes this is out of his league, and takes him and Chat to the Sanctum Sanctorum of one, Dr. Strange!

Long story short, Spidey and Dr. Strange team up and kick some ass and take some names!

Commentary:

This was a great issue. Somethings I really enjoyed. Dr. Strange uses a spell to make the ghost things tangible again, and then this line of dialogue between Strange and Spidey:

Strange ‘I am casting a spell. I will allow you to make physical contact with them…’

Spidey ‘You Mean…I can hit them?’

Strange ‘You can hit them.’

Spidey ‘That’s all the plan I need!’

The whole issue (and this series in general) is peppered with lighthearted and funny exchanges between Spidey and his various allies, supporting cast, and, of course, the villains.

While Strange and Baron Mordo slug it out with magic, Spidey fights off the ghost things. Eventually Spidey tries to strike Mordo  directly only to be stuck to a magical web with a giant, hungry spider. ‘How Ironic’ Spidey quips.

Eventually Spidey recalls his experience in high school, and how nothing can block a ketchup and mustard storm. He sprays Mordo with the condiments. Mordo calls shenanigans on this, as its ridiculous (his words) and Spidey busts through his magical barrier and kicks Mordo in the face.

Baron Mordo flees with his hench ghosts through a magical portal while Chat sprays ketchup after him as a last insult. These Spidey comics are a hell of a lot of fun. The story is sometimes ridiculous, but it’s so damn entertaining to read, and at $2.99 to boot!

This review is especially timely (see what I did there?) because, right now, in friendly fire fight club, match 200 is going on, featuring the good doctor himself. One thing that makes a Dr. Strange comic so fun is, when I read a comic with him, I imagine his voice as that of the great Christopher Walkens. Imagine a line about the hand of Vishanti spoken by Chris Walken. Do it. And then tell me that doesn’t make Dr. Strange a million times cooler.

I really like Paul Tobin as a writer. He writes, breezy, light, and most of all, fun comics. He has mostly been stuck in the for kids genre of comics, but I think he could be utilized on many titles. A Paul Tobin Venom and Carnage mini? Paul Tobin writing an untold tale set on the day Hank Pym smacked Janet? Paul Tobin doing a comic about a Russian prisoner of the Nazis during the holocaust? Put me down for a copy of each!

The art in this title, as usual, is superb. I really like the scrawny, Ditko esque way Lolli draws Spidey. He also gives him big, expressive eyes too. The inside of the Doc’s place is suitably wacky and trippy. Just good stuff all around. The cover Garzo and Soto? Awesome. One of my favorite Marvel Adventures covers ever.

Overall:

A very fun, continuity free story.  A great Spidey story for fans of all ages! 4/5