Last issue we had an unreliable narrator. This issue we just have a tragically sad narrator. Join me as we delve into everything you ever wanted to know about Gog!
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Story Title: True Companions part 2
Writer: Nick Spencer
Penciler: Ryan Ottley
Inkers: Cliff Rathburn
Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga
Cover Artist: Ryan Ottley and Nathan Fairbairn
Asst. Editor: Kathleen Wisneki
Editor: Nick Lowe
Published: March 25, 2020
Remedial ASM 101
Boomerang and Spider-Man are teaming up to find all the pieces of the Lifeline Tablet before Kingpin does. They are doing an alright job until they also find the monster known as Gog!
The Story – Pay Attention, This Will Be on the Test
Spider-Man explains to Boomerang who Gog is and all of his encounters with him. Then Gog explains to the reader who he is and all of his encounters with Spider-Man and more. Long story short, Gog is basically a Pokemon.
What Passed and Failed
PASS – Boomerang
FAIL – Gog’s lengthy narration – I thought we were going to get a brief flashback, but instead we get the Tragedy of Gog in five acts by Gogspeare.
OOTI (Onomatopoeia of the Issue)
On a scale of 1 (POW) to 10 (BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB), KRUNCH rates a 7. It is a fairly basic sound, but I do like the font and the outline-only effect. That’s how you dress up an otherwise level 4 onomatopoeia, folks. Evan, agree?
Analysis
Not too much to analyze on this one. We get the story from Spidey’s point of view and then get the same story from Gog’s point of view. Man, is this a tragic story. It makes the Gibbon issue look like a comedy. I’m sure even George cried a tear or two at this scene:
I do have to say I appreciate the fact that Gog’s point of view gives us a great example of art and words blending together to tell a story rather than it just being an illustrated story. Here, Gog’s words are limited, but the way the story is shown to the reader, the words are impactful. It makes it even more so if you read the original issues he appears in. His part on Kraven makes Kraven look like a caring master when it is far from it according to Kraven’s words in the original. So, while I was not a fan GOG STORY, I am a fan of how Spencer developed it.
It also gave us an explanation, if you felt you needed it, for why the Lifeline Tablet was in pieces.
And why Gog is after one of the pieces himself.
What does this mean for Spidey? Probably that, after a bit of miscommunication on the two of them, Gog and Spidey and Boomerang are going to team up. Which should be interesting getting there because the first time Spider-Man encountered Gog, he straight-up tried to murder him by dropping him in quicksand leaving him to die.
Maybe we’ll even see Gog shrink back down to size and become Boomerang’s pet or something. Now THAT’S something I want to see!
Extra Credit
Folks, we are all getting a little stir crazy with this shut down. You will all get bonus points if you just reply about anything. Let’s get some conversation going. At this point, I’d be happy to read another Hornacek and Even diatribe about ridiculous it is that I don’t care for Shawshank Redemption. If you need something to spur your reply juices, how about what you think is going to happen here with Boomerang, Kingpin, and Gog? Or how you are liking or not liking the current run with Spencer. Or if you read the homework I gave last review, what you think of the Lifeline Tablet. Or tell me how witty and great my last Cobwebs about the toilet paper comic was.* Or anything. ANYTHING. Guys, I would even read another Peter Norbot letter to the editor just to break the monotony.
Final Grade
B-
Your Turn
What grade do YOU give it?
What’s Next?
- Peter Parker’s life will change… possibly forever.
Yeah… I’m not too worried.
With Diamond Distributors shutting down, I guess it might be a while before we get the next installment. It will be like reading an early Image comic or a JJ Abrams Special!
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!
* So it’s a shameless plug! Just read it!
‘Nuff Said!
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I really liked this story. It is really out of place in Amazing Spider-Man to show a story of an alien kid and his pet, but it does work to elevate the stakes, and to show a ridiculous character as more of a threat than we would assume, so that the same cliffhanger as last issue has more power.
@Mark — Man, and just before reading this review I nearly made a joke in the comments of that Gog-related Panel of the Day from last Sunday to the effect of “I bet that ‘thunderous cry’ is just Gog asking if they’ll be his friend!” I guess it turns out I was right. I’m sure that would have been more fulfilling if I had gotten to the posts as they were published instead of a few days later. At any rate, you gotta love a character whose name is palindromic, right?
And, to answer your question regarding the onomatopoeia, I do agree! The bet part about “KRUNCH!,” though, is that you know exactly how it sounds. It even has that over “BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB.” Plus, it even has a vowel in it, too. (Incidently, I haven’t yet memorized the spelling of BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB — Thank you cut and paste! — but I’m working on it!)
Now that I’m stuck at home I’d watch The Shawshank Redemption, but for two reasons: (1) I already have it memorized, and (2) I loaned the second of two copies I had to a friend a while back. It was the edition with the beautiful Drew Struzan paining on the cover, too.
@William Sinclair & Adam B. Parker & Franz29
William – You know, I think you hit the nail on the head. I wanted Spidey and Boomerang. I got Gog. I liked the Gog story OK, but I was wanting something else and I believe that my view of this comic was colored by by expectation of the comic. To be fair to me, though, the promo for this comic was: Well, knowing what Boomerang is doing sure didn’t help. & Spidey and Boomerang are in trouble in a VERY BIG WAY. It was not Gog Story!
Adam B. Parker – Man, I hope you are doing OK during this time. Sounds like it’s hitting you hard! Pull out your Superior Foes issues and re-read those!
Franz29 – Thanks! I did like how Spencer was able to make Gog an actual character. I am doubling down on wanting Boomerang to take Gog as a pet!
I really liked the Gog narration. Turned a 1 dimensional throw away monster into a fleshed out and sympathetic character. Gog is nothing more than a child, but I think this development might be important in the next issue (whenever we see that).
Solid review again.
Not Spencer and Ottley’s fault. But I really needed a good Spider-Man story this issue, something to lift my spirits and remind me that no matter how many knocks you take, you always get back up.
I’m sure on another week this would have been a fun diversion.
I really liked Gog’s backstory here, it skilfully took him from being a pretty straight-forward Godzilla homage, to a genuinely tragic character. I always liked him, but more as a fun, weird silver age element of Spidey-lore that popped up again from time to time than anything deep or meaningful, so this was a really nice surprise. It was the right kind of retcon, in that it actually enriched previous stories and didn’t really contradict anything we knew before. I guess I can see the disappointment some are feeling, they thought they were going to get Boomerang and Spidey trading quips while fighting Gog, but that got postponed for next issue. Maybe if it was labelled as a bonus side-story like the extra issues for Hunted instead of just a regular issue, it’d have worked a little better, though it does seem like several elements from the backstory are going to be important. Overall, another really good one in my opinion.