ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #160

Not that it's a spoiler, as this is the final part of the "Death of Spider-Man" arc, but Peter Parker dies in this issue. I wasn't the biggest fan of this book until the re-boot a few years ago when it re-started at #1 and had David LaFuente drawing it. For some reason it really clicked; it was pretty to look at and a lot of fun to read. This arc ditched LaFuente for Mark Bagley and for one reason or another never worked. The Sinister Six returned, Norman Osbourne turned into a giant devil-goblin thing, Parker was unmasked, and an exploding truck caused Parker to fly through the air, land with a thud, and die. Yep, a fucking exploding truck caused the death of Spider-Man. How lame is that? Bagley's art these last few issues didn't help either. His stuff is just too sloppy, too rushed. Bendis' scripts, too, have been flat. This arc hasn't been compelling or fresh and it certainly wasn't fun. While the best thing Marvel could do is get rid of the "Ultimates" line, they say that a new Spider-Man will show up and a new book will start. Bendis probably has done everything possible with Spider-Man, right? Either put him on on the flagship, "real" title or let him walk away into the sunset. This alternate universe where death is meaningless is a totally pointless excursion now. **

GODZILLA: GANGSTERS & GOLIATHS #1

I know, I know: why the fuck am I reading a Godzilla book? IDW, the publisher, probably thought the same thing so they got a great artist and a great writer to give the public at least a reason to want to read this thing. The writer of Chew, John Layman, is aboard, as is the artist of Unknown Soldier, Alberto Ponticelli. They even got the old-school master Geoff Darrow to draw the cover. The plot is semi-interesting. Some gangsters are on a boat off the coast of Monster Island. They shoot a dude and throw him into the sea but he isn't dead and he goes into the island where they chase him. This dude ends up finding those two little girls that control Mothra, the big moth monster thing, and takes them back to mainland Japan. Oh...and Godzilla is in it, briefly. Honestly, all we want is Godzilla destroying a city ("Man in suit!" sadly can't be yelled while reading this). I suppose that will happen in #2. As for this issue and series so far? It's probably about as good as a Godzilla comic will ever get, which means it's entertaining, silly, stupid, and a little fun. The art is terrific and the plot at least shows that they're trying. **1/2

AMERICAN VAMPIRE: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST #1

The regular American Vampire title has gotten rave reviews. I never liked it, though. It just didn't work. Perhaps even the writer, Scott Snyder, realized this, because he's out with a much better five-part spin-off. The premise here is that a young, tough woman belongs to an anti-vampire league and she's one of the best agents. She's sent to Europe to infiltrate a castle and find a missing comrade along with a mysterious serum that may stop the vampire gene from turning someone into a bat-shit killer. This issue is all set-up, but it really gets you pumped for #2. Who doesn't want to see this hardcore chick head to a castle in creepy Europe where mysteries and vampires lie? The art, by Joe the Barbarian artist Sean Murphy, is equally effective. It's sketchy and fits the WW2 era with its old-school, nostalgic look. Sure, it's nothing new; the cover promises Nazi vampires on the agenda, but it's a great read. ***1/2

CRIMINAL: LAST OF THE INNOCENT #1

Writer Ed Brubaker hasn't written anything great lately for Marvel. His one-shot prelude to "Fear Itself" was fairly inane, and his run on Captain America has gotten pretty dull lately. Perhaps he shouldn't even waste his time writing superheroes. His latest issue of Criminal, for Marvel's indie imprint Icon, is a masterpiece. It might just be the best book I've read all year (Morning Glories #8 was also one of the year's best so far). This issue starts off like the film Garden State; a schlub goes back to his hometown to see his sick father. He meets his old high school friends and gets all wrapped up in nostalgia (the flahbacks are drawn in an Archie comics type style...which is terrific). The catch comes in the last panel, a knock-your-socks of classic noir cliffhanger. The big reason this issue works, though, is that Brubaker's dad did recently die and that adds a layer of sadness and realism to the proceedings. He's writing from the heart and it shows; the book is swift, entertaining, but also emotional and true. The art by Sean Phillips is great; his range is really shown here as he gets to play in the sandbox a bit. Just an all around classic issue of a great book. **** (out of ****)