Two of our favorite Spider-Titles bite the web this week, and somehow Peter Parker isn’t around to brood about it!
Cullen Bunn wraps up his 28 issue run on Venom in Venom #42 the same week Miles Morales’ Ultimate Comics Spider-Man book is cancelled after 2 volumes and 13 years from Bendis’ brain. Luckily, Marvel pokes fun at itself this week with a new version of What The-?! in the form of Marvel NOW What?! #1.
Jim Zub of Skullkickers writes the return of Cartoon Network’s Samurai Jack #1 and over in ComiXology we see the start of a zombie invasion in Stranger #1.
VENOM #42
WRITER: Cullen Bunn
ART: Jorge Coelho
Publication Date: October 23, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607565204211
Buy it HERE
There aren’t many series I’ve got in my collection that I’ve grown with since the first issue, have made it past the first year of publication and are subsequently cancelled before reaching a major milestone (50, 75, or 100 issues).
I started with Venom when it was announced that Rick Remender was on the book, and I was there when Flash Thompson lost his legs in ASM #574.
I liked Agent Venom as a character, Flash needing redemption and resolution with his home life. The symbiote had a new quality as well, being able to be controlled and molded into a super-soldier suit providing legs and power to the handicapped Flash.
When Bunn took over (first co-writing scripts with Remender), I almost dropped the book because I thought I was buying this to read Rick Remender stories. That wasn’t true, I genuinely liked Venom and Flash, could relate to the problems in his life and the geographical cure he seeks by moving to Philadelphia.
In Philly, his enemies tracked him down, and was as at risk and endangered as ever.
In the last issue, his new symbiote sidekick is given a name, Mania. This neighbor’s daughter is now not only able to use the powers of Venom but has been cursed with a mark of Mephisto.
There’s plenty of action in this one, with a horde of demons and battle with Crossbones.
Too bad to see this one go away, but Bunn teases that he’s “not quite done with symbiotes” in the letter column. Hopefully a Venom & Mania team-up book helmed by Mr. Bunn is in the works for Season 2 of Marvel NOW!
MARVEL NOW WHAT?! #1
WRITER/ARTIST: Various
COVER ARTIST: Scottie Young
Publication Date: October 23, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Marvel Comics
UPC: 75960607942100111
Buy it HERE
If all the heaviness of books closing gets you down, get this Looney Tunes romp of self-referential Mad Magazine laugh fest that is Marvel Now What -?! #1.
Harkening back to the old days and title of What The – ?!, Marvel pokes fun at itself and the Distinguished Competition in an anthology book full of gags, and bookended by the Marvel characters protesting Scottie Young’s youthful portrayal of them.
All that’s missing really is a Fred Hembeck story, you know, the guy with the spiral kneecaps gracing doodles in Bullpen Bulletins throughout the years. But I digress!
Brian Posehn & Gerry Duggan (Deadpool) have a hilarious alternate origin for Doc Ock that puts him on The Gong Show. Comedian Sara Schaefer introduces Cap to online dating, Doom goes to Brunch and find out what happens when too many Watchers watch the Watcher and watch what happens. Panel of the week in that scene by the way with Watcher making amends to Galactus as he’s about to snack on a delicious planet.
Comics are fun, and they made this for us to laugh at ourselves, so get to it. I said DO IT NOW!
SAMURAI JACK #1
WRITER: Jim Zub
ARTIST: Andy Suriano
Publication Date: October 23, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400518900111
Buy it HERE
One of the tables we stopped by at New York Comic Con was Jim Zub’s. The Skullkickers writer was excited about new projects on the horizon; his Shadowman Halloween Special and his work with on the Cartoon Network property of the early 2000s, Samurai Jack!
This first issue takes us to Jack seeking to travel back to his own time, thwarted by the evil Aku.
Soule The Seer advises Jack that he must find Threads of Time to reconstruct the Rope Of Eons, shredded by Aku.
Jack unleashes his mighty sword to capture his first thread in a battle royale but can he defeat a roomful of foes? Of course he can!
Thank you, Cartoon Network & IDW for bringing back my ummm…2nd or 3rd childhood and revisiting the time traveling Samurai Jack! And congrats to Jim for the gig. We look forward to more and Jack seeking revenge against Aku The Demon.
STRANGER #1
WRITER/ARTIST: D.A. Bishop
Price: $1.99
Page Count: 23 pages
Digital Release Date: October 23, 2013
Age Rating: 17+ Only
Buy it HERE
Stranger #1 is a great start to Halloween weekend, a teaser to the oncoming swarms of meandering drunk college zombies and sexy nurses covered in blood coming your way for free candy!
Our solo main main is armed with a crowbar against swarming zombies.
Someone reaches out to help him, but our hooded hero has his Spider-Man moment by confusing Sam Edwards for a zombie.
The action comes to a halt there, but this is a great intro to this world. We’ll get to see more survivors as the story progresses.
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