Amazing Spider-Man #654.1
Dan Slott (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Carlos Cuevas (i), Edgar Delgado (c). Marvel Comics.
There’s a problem in mainstream comics — not many people are buying them.
Marvel and DC need more readers. Flat out. So, here we are with yet another halfhearted attempt to gather attention. Instead of trying to gather press attention, or make new characters, or reach out to any kind of person who wasn’t already buying comics, we get another effort that remains entirely in the fan base. I sure didn’t see any articles about this comic that weren’t on a site that’s dedicated to comics, did you? Did they honestly expect someone on the street to hear about this “Point One” project, think “I would like to buy a comic” and then actively seek out a comic that has more complicated numbering than usual?
And, on top of all that, in this issue, if they were looking for a comic about Spider -Man then they would be picking up the wrong comic.
This issue is a great jumping on point for the new Venom series that Rick Remender and Tony Moore are going to launch in March. So, why are Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, a creative team with an entirely different flavour, producing this comic? It’s kinda like saying “Hey, Readers, if you like this there will be something that looks and feels entirely different launching in 30 days with the same characters! Stick around!” It makes no sense.
That said, I am more excited about the Venom series than I was before. This actual comic is solid. Slott introduces the concept and it seems like something Remender could really sink his teeth into. It’s not a Slott project and that shows in this issue. Slott nor Ramos are creators that I would call subtle. They are about things on the page that are bigger than life. Espionage series tend to be quieter than that but this issue works well enough.
If the “Point One” initiative was looking to gather more sales from me, someone who was already interested in a new comic from Remender, then they succeeded. But I can’t see anyone else being won over by this muddled marketing strategy. — Miles Baker
Legion of Super-Heroes #10
Paul Levitz (w), Yildiray Cinar, Wayne Faucher (a), Hi-Fi (c). DC Comics.
I know I said the last issue was going to be my last Legion comic for a while, or maybe I just thought it, regardless here’s this one. When the new Legion series started I praised its ability to juggle several awesome plot lines at once, but now, for what seems like forever, they’ve been dealing with a bunch of shape shifters trying to kill politicians for an old grudge — OR ARE THEY?!?
Turns out the bad guys just wanted money. Oldest trick in the book, but I liked the reveal.
This focus on the one story has been pretty annoying, made worse in that I am not feeling the art either. It’s very static and plain — and I don’t know why the leader of the bad guys always looks like that one dragon thing — it was cool the first time, but if you can become whatever you want, do it. This isn’t Animorphs, you don’t have to be a wolf morph every time!
That, my friends, was a ridiculous reference.
On the positive end, by making this story arc last forever it creates the feeling that this is a tough situation to deal with — making Brainiac 5 seem all the more awesome when he walks up, issues some orders, and solves the whole situation in a page and a half. I would have preferred that effect accomplished without needing me to spend so much in earlier issues, but still, very cool.
Well, uh, let’s see: didn’t like the length of the story, didn’t like the art (and they continue to keep me from knowing whether it’s Cinar or Faucher that I don’t like), but I liked the character who was already my favourite Legion character. Yeah, I’m going to drop this title. — Isaac Mills
Yeah, I’m not pleased with the point one numbering thing either. At all. They should have thrown in some concept art for the new Venom series, called this “Venom #0″ or something, and charged a dollar.
You’re very right though, it was a solid read, and I may check out the Venom series, which is a huge jump from past Venom series… though I did read and enjoy the Dark Spider-Man story last year, and that was basically just a Venom mini. In that that was what it was.