Well, 2099 is in trouble (again), but the thing is, Miggy can’t save the day (as he’s out of time – literally). Can Peter Parker pull things together in time to save not only 2099, but himself? Or will the end only be Doom for us all? Read on, friends, and see if you agree with Dark Mark’s analysis of ASM #36!
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Story Title: Time After Time
Writer: Nick Spencer
Artist: Oscar Bazaldua
Colorist: Steve Firchow
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga
Cover Artist: Tony Daniel and Edgar Delgado
Asst. Editor: Kathleen Wisneki
Editor: Nick Lowe
Published: Dec. 18, 2019
Thanks (I think) to Chi-Town for covering for me last issue! If you are not reading his other reviews and Cosplay articles, you really should! Sure, he’s annoying and it’s all MJ this and MJ that, but’s good stuff and he’s really not that bad of a guy. Once you get to know him.
Remedial ASM 101
Spider-Man 2099 realizes that 2099 is not an alternate reality, but 616 reality and it is imploding. It has something to do with Doom and only Peter Parker can fix it. Meanwhile, Peter Parker is trying to balance his new doctorate class project and playing spy with his sister (ugggh) and Chameleon. A Doombot was assassinated by people trying to get Doom to start a war and now Doom is trying to destroy New York City. Only Spidey can possibly save the day.
The Story – Pay Attention, This Will Be on the Test
Spider-Man uses the Clairvoyant device to see all possible futures of fighting Doom and finds out that in every single one of them, he fails. Finally, he figures telling Doom the truth that he is being played by Silver Sable’s rival will save the day. This tactic works, after throwing an exploding gas truck on Doom, and Doom blows up a few important pieces of Americana, including the Statue of Liberty, before leaving. This fixes the future and Miguel washes up on shore on some tropical paradise and sees Tempest holding a baby. Now that Clairvoyant is powered up by whatever mystical time energy that charged it when Miguel disappeared the first time, Peter commits to helping Jamie develop it for their doctoral project. Meanwhile, Silver Sable is recovering from a successful Infinity formula injection when her rival shows up and gloats that she has just started a war with Doom. It appears that the shot that killed the Doom Bot was a smart bullet that hacked Doom’s system, thus explaining why Doom’s bot minions destroyed things on their way out. Chameleon taunts Theresa and she takes her ball and goes home.
What Passed and Failed
PASS – I did not have to read the other 2099 issues to understand my ASM issues.
FAIL – Theresa – not only is she in this issue again, but there is heavy implications that she will be playing a major role in the upcoming Chameleon arc.
PASS – Miguel getting a happy ending – we don’t get enough of those in Spidey stories.
FAIL – Avengers Endgame Plot – I’ll discuss that more later.
OOTI (Onomatopoeia of the Issue)
On a scale of 1 (POW) to 10 (BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB), KATOOM! rates an 8.
Analysis
It is no secret that I have not been enjoying this tie-in. However, I listened to the most recent podcast and the panel seemed to enjoy the stories so far, so I was determined to give this one a fair shot. It did not change my mind. There were a few things that fell short for me.
Endgame – Spidey looking into several futures to figure out how to beat Doom is neat, but looking into all of them to find out that Doom wins pretty much all the time? That puts Doom now as an Infinity Gauntlet wielding Thanos level threat. I just don’t see it. It was neat seeing the different realities play out, though.
Statue of Liberty – OK, villains cause damage to things all the time, but the idea that Dr. Doom is going to shut down New York and nobody is coming to stop him is a bit out to the range of a shared universe mentality. No Avengers. No Fantastic Four. No Champions. Not even the USAF to fly in and shoot down a few of these Doombots? Plus, Doom is a diplomat, but I’m sure that blowing up the Statue of Liberty and holding a large city hostage doesn’t fall under diplomatic immunity as much as it falls under act of war. This is supposed to set Symkaria and Latveria at war, but I see the US bypassing the whole Symkaria bit and going straight to bombing Latveria. I know, I know – I am able to accept a guy crawling on walls so I should be able to accept this. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess.
Clairvoyant – The power source here is curious. So Peter just happens to be holding it when Miguel pops out of existence and this somehow powers up the device. I’m fine with that. This falls perfectly in the range of superhero science. However, Jamie is just ready to move forward with it no questions asked? And how long does a charge like this last? How are they going to duplicate it? Plus, when you have a guy known for plagiarism and he just vaguely says he had some help obtaining the power source, well, you really ought to be skeptical. Plus, the art was pretty good this issue, but in this section, if Jamie didn’t say “Peter”, I wouldn’t have known that was Peter Parker.
Symkaria politics – I just don’t care.
Chameleon and Theresa – Chameleon has a big story coming up. Theresa is heavily involved with Chameleon. Spencer likes to take months to get to an upcoming story. This means we can expect Theresa to pop in and out for several more issues to remind us she is a thing. Uggh. My guess is that when the Chameleon plot is done, so will be Theresa. When it is over, we will either have Theresa dead or have Theresa proven to not be an actual Parker. Either way, it will be a long slow process to get there.
Extra Credit
I must have missed the ending to 2099. Why is Tempest on an island? Is that Miguel’s kid she is holding? Doesn’t she sprout wings or something? Bonus points to the first to get me back up to speed there.
Was It Worth More Than…
…Putting off watching The Mandalorian to read? No.
Final Grade
I really hate being down on this arc. I want to like it, but I just don’t. I am looking forward to the next issue when we start something new.
D
Your Turn
What grade do YOU give it?
What’s Next?
- There are too many problems in New York City and Spidey can’t be in four places at once– unless he CAN?!
- Peter’s life is as complicated as ever but can science be the answer?
- It’s a new year and the buildup to “Last Remains” and much more starts here!
The words, “and the buildup to” gives me pause, but I’m ready regardless.
Nick Lowe has asked people to let the Spider office know how they are doing by sending an email to spideyoffice@marvel.com and to make sure you mark it “OK to print”. If you get published, make sure to draw our attention to it!
‘Nuff Said!
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Thanks, Mark. Great review as always.
Honestly, This arc seemed like two stories that were ineffectually smashed together, i.e. the Chameleon/Symkaria thread and the 2099 thread. From what I gathered (and I don’t remember the source so, of course, don’t quote me): at a Marvel writers’ meeting, someone mentioned in passing the whole “80 years ago was 1939 and 80 years from now will be 2099” thing, and Spencer really liked it so he took it and ran with it. Unfortunately, this just seems like another lackluster reboot of 2099, a la “Timestorm.” It seems like he was rushing to fit it into a story he already had in the books, the Chameleon plot, and the “seams” of that weaving really show in this final issue. It didn’t really bring the two together in all that satisfactory of a manner.. While I wouldn’t rank it as low as you (more on that below), I agree that this is definitely Spencer’s weakest arc, so I say C-.
Question: what’s with the hate on Teresa? I’m not being indignant, I’m actually genuinely asking. I liked her debut in “Family Business” and, despite my mixed liking of Zdarsky’s SPEC run, I liked her there too. So, set me strait: What’s so bad about her character?
You’re the man Mark. Thanks again. Viva Crawlspace.
Thanks, James 2099. A+ on that report! Now I am all caught up! You get all the bonus points this post.
In the last run of 2099, Tempest was his by a car exploding through the restaurant when she was about to tell Miguel the big news. She is taken to the hospital, but Tempest’s mom tells Miguel that she didn’t make it. When Miguel learns the truth, he has her moved to a Parker Industries facility. Tyler Stone shows up promising a miracle, and moves Tempest to an Alchemex facility. Miguel ‘dies’ rescuing her, but Strange saves him. The last we see of Tempest is when the her from the future and their son Gabe are also trying to stop a terror attack that messes up the future. They part saying that present day her can’t know that Miguel lived without risking messing up the future again. So how/why she is on that tropical island is unknown. Presumably that is Gabe that she is holding, so with 80 years later Miguel in 2099 Omega, my question is does this Gabe also still have spider powers and eventually jump time?
@ Chi-Town & Evan
Chi-Town – *I* don’t have any problem with it, I was just addressing everyone else’s concerns…
Evan – I remember her getting hot by a car just as she was telling him she was pregnant. I also remember that her mother had secreted her away in an undisclosed hospital, but I don’t really remember anything else or even if I have that right. Yeah! This was a loud issue! I love the idea of Spencer sitting around trying to think of sounds that might get him a 10. 🙂
@Mark — I was as confused as you. I remember Tempest being pregnant, but I thought she and unborn child died (in a car accident of some sort, maybe?). All of this is neither here nor there. All that really matters is that, clearly, Nick Spencer is reading your reviews and has taken steps to improve the onomatopoeia.
…and what pray tell is wrong with ” MJ this and MJ that”? NOTHING I tell you! In fact, if MJ was in this issue, your grade would inclined and you know it! So, Your Are Welcome!