4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (SEP 19-25) [update]

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #3 of 4
(Straczynski, Kubert, Kubert)

Eh - that's about the best and worst description I can give Before Watchmen: Nite Owl at this point in it's run. J. Michael Straczynski hasn't penned a bad story, by any means, but it also doesn't have the same emotional or narrative weight as Minutemen, Silk Spectre, or Doctor Manhattan, relying mostly on it's fan-service tendencies that feature Rorschach quite a bit. Dan Dreiberg may be a bit less hard-nosed than the other members of the Watchmen, but nearly every issue of Nite Owl presents Dan as more pathetic than effective - even when he's got his costume on, Dan comes across as skittish and nervous, which isn't who he is. Overall, Nite Owl isn't the weakest series in the Before Watchmen gamut, but it's down there with Comedian and Ozymandias.

GRADE: C

Green Lantern: New Guardians #0

(Bedard, Kuder, Bressan, Adams)

As much as I love the Green Lantern character franchise as a whole, Tony Bedard's Green Lantern: New Guardians has been testing my patience, and GL:NG #0 is no exception. First off, this issue breaks a very basic "Issue Zero" rule and doesn't take place before the first issue, which would be acceptable if there was a reason (like the introduction of Simon Baz in Green Lantern #0). But the only real event in this issue is that Carol Ferris becomes the new Star Sapphire representative for Kyle Rayner's fading New Guardians, and that's not a good enough reason to bypass a Kyle Rayner origin, seeing as this series is all about him! Even beyond this hugely wasted potential, the story isn't even all that good, and really only serves to set up "Rise of the Third Army" just a little bit more - poor form, Tony Bedard.

GRADE: D

Nightwing #0
(DeFalco, Higgins, Barrows, Ferreira)

Another fantastic Bat Family "Issue Zero", Nightwing #0 delves (obviously) into Dick Grayson's past, giving readers a thorough new backstory for the original Robin, The Boy Wonder. While the death of his parent's remains the same, Dick's involvement with the Batman comes about in a new and different way courtesy of Tom DeFalco (scripting only) and Kyle Higgins - instead of immediately being taken in by Bruce Wayne, Dick strikes out on his own to hunt down his parent's killer, often running into Batman who continually looks the other way. Eventually, Bruce adopts Dick as his son and begins to raise him while keeping his superhero identity a secret, only to have Dick discover it's Bruce under the cowl after reading Batman's body language. At first, it's only a monitor duty gig, but in the face of death, Dick springs into action with a self-tailored Robin costume (which we get to see for the first time this issue) that brings about the first era of Batman's sidekick - it's a hugely satisfying issue that should be read by any Batman or Robin fan.

GRADE: A

Red Hood and The Outlaws #0

(Lobdell, Ferry, Guara, Booth)

Of all the series Scott Lobdell is currently at helm, Red Hood and The Outlaws has been the only one I've enjoyed on a regular basis - for some reason, the man seems to pour all of his relatable, grounded work into this title. I'm not complaining and in fact, Red Hood and The Outlaws #0 is one of the most satisfying issues of the run, offering the origin of Jason Todd: the second Robin and eventual Red Hood, thorn in Batman's side and anti-hero extraordinaire! It's hard not to root for Jason, a boy whose life went from bad, to worse, to a bit better, then ends in horrifying tragedy only to be resurrected and have the whole cycle start all over again. The final four pages illustrated by Brett Booth are the most revealing of the issue, pointing to the Joker as the mastermind behind Jason's misfortunes as a master plot to create and destroy one of Batman's Robins - it's sick, twisted, and utterly shocking.

GRADE: B

Wonder Woman #0
(Azzarello, Chiang)

Wonder Woman has already been praised up and down for it's dramatic and groundbreaking re-envisioning of the Diana, Princess of the Amazons, and Wonder Woman #0 takes things to the next level with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang offering up an updated tale from Wonder Woman's adventures in the 1940s! Diana is approached by Aires (War) who wants to turn her into the greatest warrior the planet has ever seen, meeting under the full moon each month to train in the ways of battle. In the end, when forced to kill to complete her task, Diana refuses and goes from being War's star pupil to being his greatest failure, only now she's a fully-trained, battle-ready warrior. Wonder Woman #0 is not only one of the best issues of the series to date, it's one of the best issues from the 'New 52' so far - Azzarello and Chiang hit a brilliant chord with this innovative decision, it pays off in spades, and it shows how creators can tell interesting, meaningful stories without all the intricacies and complexities that are standard protocol in today's comic book industry (just look at the chaos that is Teen Titans and Superboy).

GRADE: A+

Spider-Men #5 of 5

(Bendis, Pichelli)

While the rest of the critical world lauds Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli for Spider-Men, I tend to still see it as a self-fulfilling project that didn't meet it's potential because it attempted to reach into too many wells at the same time, in a span of only five issues. I want to stress that for what it is, Spider-Men is great - Bendis' writing is spot-on, and Pichelli's artwork is perfectly suited for Ultimate Comics - but there's just so many instances where the story falls short and misses emotional marks. There's a lot of story that can be mined from Peter Parker travelling to a universe where his teenaged counterpart has already died, but Ultimate Nick Fury puts the kibosh on any inter-dimensional travel and no one stands up to him or questions his authority at all - um...what? Again, I stress that the missed opportunities for this 616/Ultimate crossover are so numbered, it's really hard to accept the fleeting nature of this series as meaningful or important at all (or course, Peter looks up Miles Morales in his world on the final page to which his reaction is, "Oh my god!")

GRADE: C

UPCOMING REVIEWS (SEP 19-25)

Blue Beetle #0
(Bedard, Guara)
- Jaime Reyes is the current host of the Reach scarab Khaji-Da, but who wore it before Jaime? This "Zero Issue" brings a tale of the Reach solider that made Jaime's scarab a household name.

Captain Marvel #4

(DeConnick, Soy)

- Kelly Sue DeConnick has given Carol Danvers a whole new voice, and it's been for the better. After years of playing pawn to Marvel's major events, Carol is now getting the quality treatment she deserves from a writer who knows this character inside and out. I mean, DeConnick was recently given Avengers Assemble, as well, proving she has what it takes in today's comic industry. If you aren't already reading this one, I suggest you start.

DC Universe Presents #0
(Bedard, Robinson, Liefeld, Didio, CAFU, Mychaels, Derenick, Battle)
- In homage to some of the titles cancelled back in April to make way for the "Second Wave" of 'New 52' titles, DC Universe Presents #0 brings five stories about Hawk and Dove, O.M.A.C., the Blackhawks, Mister Terrific, and a special story about Deadman. DCUP has been an excellent anthology series thus far, so I'm excited to see how these smaller stories will fare.

Justice League #0

(Johns, Frank)

- Billy Batson is the focus of this Justice League origin issue, leading in from the "Shazam" back-ups in the pages of JL over the past few months. Will Shazam join the Justice League? How will Billy balance his attitude with his new responsibilities? Find out this week!

Spider-Men #5 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)
- After an issue a bit too stuffed with big battles, I'm hopeful Brian Michael Bendis can pull Spider-Men out from just being another fan-service series and turn it into something that affects both Earth-616 and the Ultimate Marvel universe.

Supergirl #0

(Green, Johnson, Asrar)

- Questions will be answered! In a true "Zero Issue", we find out who sent Kara to Earth on the eve of Krypton's destruction. Also, Kara discovers who murdered her father! Supergirl has been one of the most consistently impressive series DC releases, so I have high hopes for this origins issue.

Sword of Sorcery #0
(Marx, Bedard, Lopresti, Ryan)
- To be honest, I'm seriously not very interested in this series, but I'm still willing to give it a chance to win me over. I've never been a huge "dragons and magic" fantasy buff, and it's looking more and more like that is what Sword of Sorcery is going to be, albeit with an alien world thrown into the mix. Plus, the "Beowulf" back-up just seems silly. But who knows - maybe I'll be wooed by Christy Marx's writing and Aaron Lopresti's artwork.

4-Sentence Reviews

* Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #3 of 4

* Green Lantern: New Guardians #0

* Nightwing #0

* Red Hood and The Outlaws #0

* Wonder Woman #0

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (AUG 8-13)

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 4
(Wein, Lee)


Part of being an effective storyteller is knowing when to leverage 'showing' as opposed to 'telling', how to portray a character in the best way, and figuring out the best way to keep your audience interested. In the case of Ozymandias, Len Wein has found a nigh-perfect balance with Adrien Veidt, a man who takes the time to dictate his own autobiography because he's exactly the kind of person who would do something like that. While other characters like Comedian and (most of) the Minutemen weren't heavily characterized, even in the original Watchmen, Ozymandias has always had a god complex, a feeling that is thrilling to watch evolve as Adrien discovers more and more about how to be the hero he wants to be. I went into this series expecting it to be one of my least favorite of this whole Before Watchmen experiment, but I've found that it's pleasantly enjoyable and actually adds information that's worth reading (instead of, say, showing Eddie Blake killing Vietnamese soldiers).

GRADE: B

The Ravagers #4

(Mackie, Sampere, Martino, Rapmund)

The Ravagers has been anything but consistent so far in it's run that started back in May as part of DC's 'New 52: Second Wave' - it started as a spin-off to an already convoluted storyline, and since then hasn't really been able to pull itself up above being a series about a bunch of troubled kids who are angst-ridden. Now, this might be tolerable if the plot was strong, but Howard Mackie has really struggled to characterize and develop any of the main players of this series: Caitlin Fairchild is almost exclusively a worry machine, Thunder and Lightning have a stereotypical brother and sister relationship, I still really have no idea who Ridge is, while Beast Boy and Terra exhibit super-cliched "us vs. them" isolationist behavior. And they aren't actually even 'Ravagers' at all, in the strictest sense, meaning that this series' title is a total mislead. I have to hope for something better in the future, as all of these characters could be connected to other teenage series down the road - something I hope will inject something interesting into this lackluster series.

GRADE: C-

Spider-Men #4 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)

One my biggest pet peeves about comic books is misleading covers, and Spider-Men #4 commits a capitol sin in this regard, showing a broken and beaten Miles Morales in the arms of a distressed Peter Parker - a powerful image that never, irritatingly, ever happens in this issue, or even comes close to happening. In fact, this entire issue is about relationships, foregoing most if not all fighting in exchange for Peter connecting with people he's lost in his own universe, as well as meeting alternate versions of some of his closest allies. There's nothing wrong with this issue, per se - the emotional impact of Peter being in the Ultimate universe are palpable at Brian Michael Bendis' hand, and Sara Pichelli's artwork is stunning as ever - but the fact that the image on the cover was decided upon purely to sell more issues is truly frustrating. It's frustrating when such a good issue from such a good series and such good creators has such a big flub.

GRADE: B-

UPCOMING REVIEWS (AUG 8-14, 2012)

Batman #12
(Snyder, Cloonan)
- Now that "The City of Owls" is behind us, Batman moves forward with a stand-alone issue before the next month's Issue Zero then the return of the Joker in Batman #13. For now, we get a look at Harper Row, a new character Snyder is introducing who's actually made an appearance or two already!

Batman and Robin #12

(Tomasi, Gleason)

- This is the final fight with Terminus? I really feel like there hasn't been a first fight with Terminus, let alone a final one. But what do I know? Hopefully, the "War of the Robins" story continues this month, as it has proved a far better narrative than anything to do with that weirdo with a needle fetish.

Resurrection Man #12

(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

- It's the final issue of Resurrection Man, not counting next month's Issue Zero, which tells the tale of Mitch Shelley's origin. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will be wrapping things up nice and tight, hopefully, by giving us a definitive look at the way everything started going to Hell for Mitch.

Spider-Men #4 of 5

(Bendis, Pichelli)

- We've all been waiting for the meeting between Peter Parker-616 and Ultimate Aunt May (which is totally awesome to type), and it started happening at the end of last issue. Now, we get the fully reunion between two people who lost the most important people in their lives. Classic Bendis.

Superboy #12

(DeFalco, Silva)

- Yeesh. It seems, by way of DC promo material, that this issue of Superboy is about Kon-El dealing with dark influences and the choice he has to make whether to stay good or go bad. That's about as sappy and cliche as a teenage story can get, so hopefully Tom DeFalco has something up his sleeve to pull this story out of mediocrity.

4-Sentence Reviews
- Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 4
- Space: Punisher #2 of 4
- The Ravagers #4
- X-Treme X-Men #2

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (JULY 11-17)

AvX: VS #4 of 6
(Remender, Andrews, Peterson)

Last month's lackluster issue of AvX:VS really made me want to stop picking up this series - Marvel's penchant for pitting oddly-matched characters against one another has led to a lot of ridiculous panels that don't have a lot of substance behind them, even for this skimpy series. AvX: VS #4 tries to right this path by giving readers one obscure match-up, between Daredevil and Psylocke, and one 'big league' bout; Thor vs. Emma Frost. Daredevil and Psylocke's fight makes for a lot of cool ninja action and dour, speechless panels that are actually somewhat indicative of how these two people fight, while the Emma Frost/Thor match, on the other hand, feels like a demigod slapping fit that's not even drawn very well. The worst part of the issue is the panel that's angled behind Emma as she delivers a high kick to Thor and giving the entire audience a very clear shot of her lady section.

GRADE: C+

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2 of 6

(Cooke)

Darwyn Cooke's fantastic Minutemen series has been leading the pack of Before Watchmen titles, combining amazing retro art with a phenomenal story that simultaneously gives readers some clean-cut history of these characters as well as intimate plot details that flesh out a group of heroes that was barely covered in the original 12-issue run of Watchmen. Disagreement over the team's focus becomes the focal point of Minutemen #2, with half the team dedicated to their cause, while the other half just wants to bask in the limelight. Silhouette, Nite Owl, and Mothamn track down a serial child molester, while Captain Metropolis and Hood Justice's sadistic homosexual relationship is highlighted, all while Comedian gets in an argument with Dollar Bill over the morality of making one's way in the world, no matter what the costs. While the decision to intercut a homosexual relationship (with dark, dark overtones) with half the team's search for a sick, twisted child molester might have been a bit half-baked, Cooke's masterful development of Minutemen keeps it at the top of the pile, making me want to come back each month for more.

GRADE: A

New Avengers #28
(Bendis, Deodato, Beredo)

While New Avengers has technically been crossing over with Marvel's "Avengers vs. X-Men" series since April, the last three issues have been set centuries in the past, recounting a time when the Phoenix took an Iron Fist as it's host. Since all that wrapped up last month, Brian Michael Bendis brings New Avengers into the present and focuses on the incarceration of Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, and Hawkeye, characters who have all had a major impact on their respective teams. The three Avengers are being held on Utopia when Hawkeye uses his dinner plate to break out, free Luke and Jessica, then mount a daring escape that sees them take down three of the Phoenix Five before they hijack a nearby speedboat. The revelation that their escape was simply a virtual reality simulation created by Danger is chilling and shows just how far Cyclops and the other Phoenix's are willing to go to break the spirits of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

GRADE: B+

Spider-Men #3 of 5

(Bendis, Pichelli)

If last month's issue of Spider-Men was a whole lotta hardcore fan service, Spider-Men #3 is all about catering to the grander audience with the inclusion of Spider-Man's rogues gallery all appearing at once. Mysterio's abilities seem to have grown, and now his 'hallucinations' actually pack a punch, much to the chagrin of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. While much of the issue is dedicated to this brawl, the real meat of the issue comes when the battle ends and Peter strikes out on his own, hoping to find some vestige of personal familiarity in this oddly similar world. Of course, Peter finally makes his way to Ultimate Peter Parker's house in Queens to find his Aunt May, a scene that couldn't be more touching if Brian Michael Bendis wanted it to be.

GRADE: A

UPCOMING REVIEWS (JULY 11-17)

Here are this week's upcoming reviews for "The Endless Reel" for the week of July 11th. All reviews are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, so if you don't see one of these reviews this week, it will probably show up under the 4-SENTENCE REVIEW header.

Batman #11
(Snyder, Capullo)

It's Batman vs. Owlman! Bruce Wayne vs. Thomas Wayne Jr! Scott Snyder's excellent Court of Owls mega-arc begins it's ending as Bruce must face his long-lost brother! Snyder's work on Batman has been a highlight of DC's 'New 52' and shows no signs of slowing down.

Batman and Robin #11
(Tomasi, Gleason)

Damian Wayne continues his quest to defeat all the Robins! After last month's psychological duel against Tim Drake, Damian goes after RED HOOD! Also, Terminus sends his Batfreaks out into Gotham City!

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2 of 6
(Darwyn Cooke)

Darwyn Cooke continues his phenomenal Minutemen series! Peer into the past of the Watchmen to see who came before. Cooke's retro-style artwork is the biggest pull of this series, but if the writing stays consistent, it looks to be the best series in the Before Watchmen pantheon.

Demon Knights #11
(Cornell, Neves)

Paul Cornell continues his look at Camelot through the ages! The true natures of the team's members are revealed - and they're MONSTERS! I've been reading Demon Knights since the beginning, and I think it's high time to include it on "The Endless Reel"!

Resurrection Man #11
(Abnett, Lanning)

Fortunately, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning already have a new gig over at BOOM! Studios with their new series, The Hypernaturals. With Resurrection Man winding toward it's final issue next month (not counting the prequel issue zero), the secrets of Mitch Shelley's life start coming to a front! Finding the Transhuman is the only way to figure out "Who Is Mitch Shelley?"

Spider-Men #3 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)

After a bumbling first issue followed by a totally solid second, Spider-Men is shaping up to be one of the best limited series of 2012. Mysterio's playing a BIG, BIG part in this story, so if you're a Spider-Man fan, this title is for you!

Superboy #11
(Lobdell, Silva)

It's finally time to start letting Kon-El stand on his own two feet! After a long-running crossover with Teen Titans, Scott Lobdell finally decides Superboy can actually be a good book without the help of a team of teens!

(COMIC) SPIDER-MEN #2 of 5

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Sara Pichelli

Well hello, multiverse! In Brian Michael Bendis and Sarah Pichelli's Spider-Men #2, some revelations are made, some characters introduced to each other for the first time, and we get a whole lot of Mysterio! Last month's premier issue wasn't my favorite. In fact, I felt that Bendis went on an ego trip, writing as many witty one-liners as he could for the web-slinger and turning him into an anecdote machine. It came off as showy and overly-saturated. Spider-Men #2, however, makes a 180-degree turn and sets things right for this series. Miles gets some lines of dialogue, Peter freaks out a lot harder than he normally does, and Nick Fury meets the Peter Parker than could have been. This is an issue of graphic art and storytelling that reminds us why we read comics: for the fun of it.


Mysterio made a confusing cameo last issue, babbling on about "the other Peter Parker" before his machine sucked Peter Parker Spider-Man into some wormhole. Of course, we re Mysterio aders know that Pete has landed in the Ultimate universe, a dimension quite similar to ours, with minor differences like Nick Fury's race, a giant Triskelion outside Manhattan Bay, and a Spider-Man that isn't him. While is one of Spider-Man's oldest and most consistent villains, he hasn't had a major presence in the Ultimate line of books outside of one storyline that didn't reveal much about the character in a significant way.

Ultimate Mysterio's enigmatic nature is finally addressed with the reveal that Quentin Beck has been sending a Mysterio-avatar through the rift, using the Ultimate universe as some sort of sociological experiment. During Ultimate Peter Parker's encounter with Mysterio, he was never able to figure out how Mysterio's head stayed imaterial, a question that might have been minor at the time, but now ties into Beck's control of the dimensional portal and Peter's current dilemma.

Now, about Peter and Miles.

The only thing I really didn't like about their meeting was the obligatory 'fight of misunderstanding.' Peter starts freaking out - more so than usual - as everyone seems to know his real identity. Regular civilians tell Peter his choice of costume is, "in bad taste" in consideration of the deceased. Of course, Peter Parker-616 has never been the most put-together guy, so it makes sense that he would lash out at a different Spider-Man - who still knows the name Peter Parker - who randomly shows up and tells you you're actually dead. And even though it does seem logical, the fight still feels forced, like Bendis was bullied into including it simply for the sake of pitting the Spider-Men against each other. There had to have been better, more natural ways to make these two characters fight. In the pages of Avengers vs. X-Men, Spider-Man even comments on the age-old tradition of 'fights of misunderstanding' and how much he misses them. Each Spider-Man tries to unmask the other. Only Peter is successful - albeit after giving Miles a rather stuck-up lecture on superheros and masks - and Miles is forced to run around covering his face until he manages to knock out Peter and turn him over to Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.


Now, the inclusion of Ultimate Nick Fury was somewhat inevitable, as this summer's movie blockbuster, The Avengers, featured Fury as portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, who was the original inspiration for Ultimate Nick Fury in the first place. If that sounds a bit convoluted, it is, not to mention that the regular Marvel Universe (Earth-616) now has a black Nick Fury to call it's own. Obviously, Marvel is doing everything it can to make connections between the movie Avengers and the comic books that inspired the film (see black Nick Fury, Avengers Assemble, Hawkeye's new costume, etc.), so bringing in Fury was a question of "when", not "if".

Spider-Men #2 is a huge step forward from the first issue, not only in terms of story progression, but also of narrative structure. The subtle hints at past events connecting to current dilemmas is near-perfect, and Sara Pichelli's art just fits so well with the tone of everything going on. Mysterio looks menacing, Peter looks dumbfounded, and Miles looks overwhelmed. There's got to be more to Mysterio's involvement in this situation, and Bendis seems to be taking the series in the right direction. I'm definitely looking forward to next month's issue!

GRADE

B+

(THE WEEK) JUNE 27 - JULY 3, 2012

Batman Incorporated #2
(Morrison, Burnham)

Grant Morrison continues his saga of Batman and his international posse against Leviathan! Let's hope things start making a little more sense!


Before Watchman: Nite Owl #1
(Straczynski, Kubert)

Before Watchmen is two for three right now, so hopefully J. Michael Straczynski and Andy Kubert can give us another great entry in this series.


Green Lantern: New Guardians #10
(Bedard, Kirkham)

"Fall of the Blue Lanterns" continues this month as the New Guardians reunite to stand against the Reach and their invasion of Odym!


Justice League #10
(Johns, Lee)

The Justice League's newest villain is finally revealed! Plus, "The Power of Shazam" back-up continues - maybe we'll get to see Shazam this month?


Justice League Dark #10
(Lemire, Janin)

The team finally establishes a headquarters - The House of Mystery - and take on the Demons Three!


Spider-Men #2 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)


Last time, this series was the Peter Parker Show, and it wasn't quite that interesting. Now, as Peter and Miles Morales meet for the first time, things should start spicing up!




Superman #10
(Giffen, Jurgens)

Superman's untouchable foe has found a way to harm Clark Kent, too!


Teen Titans #10
(Lobdell, Booth)

Let's hope the Teen Titans' foray on the Island of Mysterious Mystery is as enjoyable as Superboy and Wonder Girl's. Plus, Skitter is still missing?

(COMIC) SPIDER-MEN #1 of 5

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Sara Pichelli

Spider-Men is an event that, this author feels, might become a bit long in the tooth. Fortunately, Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli may have also recognized this, seeing as the series is only five issues, not quite a mini-series, but not a mega-event like Avengers vs. X-Men or last year's ridiculously long and boring Fear Itself. Indeed, Spider-Men seems to be a perfect length; long enough for a popular character such as Spidey, while not overdoing it and losing readers in the process. Of course, this is all speculation after reading only Spider-Men #1. And actually, this first issue really should be called Spider-Men, Part 1: Peter Parker because Miles Morales is only on the final page, for one panel.

Bendis spends the entire issue in Peter Parker's head, following his stream of consciousness as he swings around New York City and beats up some bad guys. Eventually, Parker sees a mysterious glow, follows it, fights Mysterio for a quick mo',  then gets sucked into the Ultimate Universe through the mysterious glowing....thing. A lot of things are left vague and open at the end of Spider-Men #1, and it's hard to tell if it's on purpose or if Bendis is just trying too hard to make Spider-Man more insightful than he is. And though Mysterio is supposed to be the 'villain' of this arc, he literally has less than a paragraph's worth of lines, mostly relegated to lines like, "NO! Not you!" and the ever-popular-and-cliched, "You have no idea what I am capable of!"

And really, that is what irks me about Spider-Men #1: it's not really a crossover yet. If Bendis wanted to do a lead-in to their meeting, he should have done it in an issue of The Amazing or The Avenging Spider-Man instead of taking 1/5 of his narrative about TWO Spider-Men and only focusing on the one. I finished the issue thinking Well, maybe issue two will be in Miles' head, then immediately thought how boring and tedious THAT would be! Bendis is a great writer - one that seems to be a bit overworked these days - and I have faith that Spider-Men will get better, but based on this first issue alone, there's a lot left to want for.

GRADE:

C+