MARCO SPEAKS SPIDEY: PLANET OF THE SYMBIOTES #1 REVIEW

THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS

There really is no more epic way to begin the new year than with an all-out alien invasion. The Planet of Symbiotes title is a solid introduction for new and old readers alike who are excited to jump on this mega-event in the Spider-Man universe. The stakes are high, and the fate of the entire Planet Earth is hanging in the balance.

INTRODUCING…

King in Black: Planet of the Symbiotes #1

STORY BY: Clay McLeod Chapman, Frank Toeri

ART BY: Danilo Beyruth, Guiu Vilanova

COVER BY: Tony Moore, Alex Garner, Kyle Hotz, Skan Srisuwan, Todd Nauck

DARKNESS REIGNS OVER THE MARVEL UNIVERSE!

STORY:

The first issue of Planet of the Symbiotes is broken down into two parts. The first part shows what Scream is up to, protecting those who cannot protect themselves and fighting off her evil counterparts, the villainous symbiotes. The second half of the book showcases the Ravencroft facility that holds the most dangerous and craziest Marvel villains imaginable. The space werewolf John Jameson and Misty get a rude awakening when their institute is taken over by Knull… and the sinister Plague is awakened. The world is about to become a dangerous playground for the mind of a serial killer.

PROS:

• I was just happy to see Scream in action, in all her furious glory. What this issue does well is showcase the sheer power and magnitude of Scream’s abilities. She describes her curse of being able to wield the very weaknesses of her rival symbiotes. What we get is a Phoenix-style burst of flame and energy by Scream that looks simply amazing on the full page.
• The book is instantly able to lay out the situation of the world, and it makes it very loud and clear to readers that this isn’t some harmless fun the symbiotes are having at the expense of humans. Right off the bat, a poor child is orphaned as the despicable aliens murder away… it’s just a good thing that Scream is able to make the final save right when it counts, just in time to keep the little kid from being slaughtered by her kin.
• I was pleased to see Ravencroft get its much and well-deserved attention and spotlight this issue, and it stamps its place in the Marvel Universe as THE premiere place for the most psychotic and dangerous villains. It’s definitely not a spot you want to bring your friends or loved ones, but immediately you can sense the bond and chemistry that space werewolf John Jameson and Misty share.
• The pillar of serial killers is revived, with the help of a loyal cult member… which Knull completely takes advantage of, unfortunately… damn life-suckers. But what is spectacular about this chapter is how the creative team demonstrates that while the symbiotes are definitely a malicious force in the Marvel Universe, humans have the potential to be just as bad. And that is why Plague finds a home with the legendary serial killer host.

CONS:

• I know this is an anthology-type collection of stories, but the feeling I always get after reading these individual issues is… I want more. And perhaps in the long run, that feeling of wanting and desiring more is a good thing. It means that readers will stick around to see and witness for themselves what will happen. But at the same time, a part of me would like more action, more meat, more flavor to the fleshed out stories.
• Maybe I am just nitpicking but it would also have been beneficial to give more motivation to the cult member who helped Knull invade Ravencroft and bring Plague to life. What would be truly and immensely creepy is to really delve and get into the minds of these followers… to see what makes them tick and what makes the alien invasion so appealing to the masses.

FINAL SCORE:

B+

The format of such a series will expectedly leave some fans hanging, but the ability to compose such dynamic and violent fights in two mini-stories is admirable. You are definitely getting your money’s worth with this dense issue, so the big hope right now is the other series can continue the sensational stories of characters like Plague, Scream, Jameson and Misty.