READING THE CLASSICS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #244

 

Published on September 1st, 1983

    I'm not sure if every comic book back in the good old days felt like a soap opera...but this book certainly does. When I say "soap opera" I don't mean love and romance...I mean a slow drip storyline that takes time to develop while introducing a plethora of characters each with their own storyline. These days it seems that the big superhero comics are all fast paced and they never take the time to develop anything long term. That's just evolution, sadly. Everything these days, thanks to the internet and everyone being instantly connected, is short and fast. Kids would rather watch a short Youtube video then sit down and watch a 2 hour movie. Short attention span is the norm, and thus a great book like 1983's The Amazing Spider-Man probably wouldn't fly these days. I'm not saying it wouldn't be as great, I'm just saying that it might not be as popular. Who knows, though? Great comic books are usually great whenever you end up reading them. And while this issue isn't fantastic or anything, it's totally engrossing. You really get wrapped up in the story. Since comic book writers don't last long writing the same book these days, this old-school, world-building, long-form storytelling is pretty rare. Saga from Image is one of the few, current comic books that still subscribes to this. That's one of the most popular and talked about books out there. In this issue, Peter Parker quits grad school. Mary Jane goes on a date with some guy. Spider-Man kisses the Black Cat in the hospital. Hobgoblin hires a criminal to steal Osbourne chemicals for him. And there's a fight at a warehouse between Spider-Man and the criminals trying to steal the chemicals. The art by John Romita, Jr. is great. Roger Stern's writing is pedestrian but it works. Just reading these old books keeps making me realize how fucking God-awful Spider-Man books have been lately. I wonder if that'll ever change. **1/2

READING THE CLASSICS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #239

 

Published on April 1st, 1983

    This is the second part of the original Hobgoblin story. I'm not sure how many Hobgoblins there have been over the years, but in the current run there are two Hobgoblins. Writer Roger Stern does an incredible job setting up the mystery of who the Hobgoblin is in #238 and #239. I guess we'll see if the big reveal is a disappointment eventually, although since I didn't read the book back in the early 80's, it could be some character I don't even know. The only suspicious character so far is another photographer for The Daily Bugle. His name is Lance Bannon and he's kind of a jerk. There's also a bunch of other stuff going on in this issue besides the Hobgoblin stuff. While the current run of TAS does have some side characters that seem to be setting up future storylines, current comic books don't seem to really do the long-term, world building storytelling you need to do to produce great comic books. The one reason is probably that writers don't stay on the same comic book for very long anymore. Jason Aaron has been writing The Avengers since #1 and they're at #61 now...but that's almost an anomaly. And Aaron isn't exactly a "world builder." But The Amazing Spider-Man #239 is a perfect encapsulation of the world-building strategy. Introducing various characters, various plot points, and using those to anchor the book for future payoffs that reward the reader and mean something. Spider-Man visits the Black Cat in the hospital after she was shot in The Spectacular Spider-Man #76 (which, surprisingly, hasn't been digitalized by Marvel yet...meaning you can't buy that issue online unless you somehow track down a rare hard copy). He also visits Madame Webb who's in the hospital from a Juggernaut battle in a previous issue. Then there's Lance Bannon's female friend that calls Parker for a dinner date. He rejects her ass! Parker then goes to visits two of The Green Goblin's secret hideouts that are, shockingly, still around ten years later (granted, Parker doesn't exactly age much in the book...he's supposedly in grad school in #239...and he's out of school currently but not exactly old). The Hobgoblin just happens to be at the second of The Green Goblin's secret lairs, trying to pilfer some old tech secrets or something. And then we get the first big battle between Spider-Man and The Hobgoblin. What's unique is that The Hobgoblin admits in thought bubbles that he's not up to the task of defeating Spider-Man just yet. He actually is...gasp...a real person with...flaws! I loved this issue. The artwork by John Romita, Sr. is pure, classic, old-school Marvel style. And the way the book is laid out it feels like a great, long-form serial that you get immersed in and by the end you're dying to read the next issue. The next issue has The Vulture...which I actually really want to read even though I kind of started this just to review The Hobgoblin issues. I probably should just give up reading the current issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. It pales in comparison in pretty much every conceivable way. ***

READING THE CLASSICS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #238

 

Published on March 1st, 1983

    Zeb Wells is writing The Amazing Spider-Man these days, and he just started a new arc featuring The Hobgoblin. John Romita, Jr. is drawing the book, and his dad was penciling the book when The Hobgoblin was first introduced in 1983. Currently, The Amazing Spider-Man is not good at all. It's kind of hard to even remember when it was last any good. Marvel and DC books are really in the doldrums these days, for whatever reason. Neither company is putting out a great, must-read book. You have to read something from Image or Boom for that. It wasn't always like this, though. I'm not sure what the reason is as to why they can't put out a great Spider-Man book. Is it because it's all been done? Maybe, although Marvel isn't doing any favors considering Norman Osbourne is still a main character in the current run even though he was killed off in 1973. Hobgoblin showed up in 1983. Did they actually go ten years without a Goblin nemesis? That's hard to fathom. I thought I'd read the original Hobgoblin story and see if it's actually as good as everyone says. The one thing that's obvious when reading old Marvel comics is that there's a ton of words in the books. They actually take a while to read and you actually feel like you get your money's worth. I can read a current issue of The Amazing Spider-Man in like two minutes. The Hobgoblin makes his debut in The Amazing Spider-Man #238. John Romita, Jr. did the pencils and Roger Stern wrote the script. The title page says that John Romita, Jr. and John Romita, Sr. did the art...so I'm guessing Jr. did the inking? It's crazy that Jr.'s still working at Marvel fifty years later and drawing their flagship book. How old is Jr.? 66. His dad was a better artist, although the artwork back then wasn't as dynamic or flashy as it is now. The art in TAS #238 is pretty by-the-numbers, though it's got that classic, comic book feel. The story isn't all that special, either, but it works. This is why I'm baffled why no one these days seems to be able to write a great Batman or Spider-Man run. It's not fucking rocket science! The great, classic issues, like #238, weren't even anything spectacular. The basic premise is that Spider-Man chases some robbers around NYC. One gets away in the sewers and ends up finding one of The Green Goblin's hideout labs in an underground bunker. The robber ends up selling the lab stuff to a mystery man that turns out to be...The Hobgoblin! The other stuff in the issue is basic Peter Parker stuff. He sells some pictures to The Daily Bugle. Aunt May is working at a homeless shelter or something...then goes to Florida on vacation where she runs into Mary Jane. I know not every back issue of TAS is a classic...but reading these old issues just makes you realize how bad the current issues are. It seems like the artwork has gotten better but the writing has gotten worse. And even that's not even accurate, as I kind of love the old, comic book style that's basic but doesn't feel rushed. Supposedly the mystery behind "who is The Hobgoblin?" was a big thing in this storyline. Since I'm not reading the whole run, I'm not sure if the guy revealed was even a major character or anything. And that last page...when The Hobgoblin is revealed in costume in full...fuck... it makes you realize how great comic books can be. ***1/2

DETECTIVE COMICS #1058

The Tower

Part 12 of 12

    Weird, but I didn't realize that everything pretty much ended in Part 11 last week and this issue is, sadly, just an epilogue of sorts. Everyone got out of Arkham Tower and the Bat people saved the day? I kind of barely remember that. There's not much in this issue. The last page has The Riddler talking on the radio which leads into the next issue. Batman dresses up like Psycho Pirate to trick The Penguin's thugs. The art, by the poor man's Greg Capullo, is actually pretty good in this issue. Granted, it just reminds me painfully how there hasn't been a great Bat book since Capullo was the artist and writer Scott Snyder was fucking killing it. This issue has an ad for the 3rd Batman series that Sean Murphy is writing/drawing. His first one was phenomenal, so there are, I suppose, good Batman books out there sometimes. It's just a bit rare, which is strange, because Batman and his rogues gallery are such compelling villains. There's also an ad for the next big Batman event, a 9 part, Joshua Williamson written mini-series that goes through a bunch of the Bat books. It's called "Shadow War." I really hope it's a lot better than this. I should also mention that in the backup, the kid is shot and killed by The Penguin. What an uplifting ending! And I should also mention that, as usual in this epic serial, the cover is atrocious. *

DETECTIVE COMICS #1057

The Tower

Part 11 of 12

    Sadly, this book never "got better." The first issue was great. Then when the action started the book got worse. The big climax in this issue, the penultimate one, has the mayor's wife putting on Psycho Pirate's mask. Yeah, that's the huge cliffhanger. Jesus Christ. At least Batman is in this issue. He was missing from parts 1 to 9. It makes sense to have Batman in a Batman book...especially since The Batman is in movie theaters right now so his presence should be, well, known. The artist on this issue is Amancay Nuhuelpan, who I've mentioned before being a poor man's Greg Capullo. While I think his art is actually pretty good, there is one panel that is God awful. Batman and his crew finally find Scarecrow to confront him. In the panel, Batman and his crew are standing literally inches away from Scarecrow. Like...fucking punch him or something! I get it...the artist wanted to fit everyone in the panel...but still, it looks ridiculous. The other things that go in this issue: Penguin sends in a bunch of his soldiers to Arkham Tower. Also Lady Clayface saves Harley Quinn. Lady Clayface is yet another character who has apparently been in the "trapped" building all along. Sigh. This book's a complete mess. 1/2*

DETECTIVE COMICS #1056

The Tower

Part 10 of 12

    The whole premise of this story is that the crazy patients of Arkham Tower have taken over and locked the outside world out so that it's mayhem inside. Okay, so why do new people keep showing up inside the tower? In the last issue it was Scarecrow. In this issue it's Harley Quinn. Batman even shows up in this issue, saving Nightwing when Scarecrow throws him out of the tower. Batman, in Batman, had left Gotham to solve a murder that involved Batman, Inc. and Lex Luthor. That's going on in the flagship title. He's not back in Gotham in the flagship title, which makes it weird that he was gone because of the story in Batman but now he's back even though he's not in Batman. There's no logic, idiots. I had earlier mentioned this book should fire its editor. That's not good if I have to mention it again. I just looked at the credits and this book has three editors; an editor, a group editor, and an associate editor. They're all to blame! I had kind of thought once the action heated up in this book it would become great like Die Hard...which is what this storyline is kind of like. But nope! The quality has kind of gotten worse. They still haven't explained how Scarecrow got in or why he's there. And the book opens with the Mayor of Gotham's wife talking to Psycho Pirate and it gives a short backstory of her. Since when was she ever in the tower? This is a weekly book and I've already forgotten what happened last week. I think that tells you something about the quality of this book. *1/2

DETECTIVE COMICS #1055

The Tower

Part 9 of 12

    Finally this book is heating up. Sadly, though, the action involves Mr. Freeze firing his freeze gun at Huntress and Nightwing. Mr. Freeze was a patient and now all of a sudden he's in his costume with his gun. They do explain this. Mr. Freeze says, "Huntress, look what I found. They kept all our equipment." Hmmm. That's not the only ridiculous plot point. The big climactic ending has Scarecrow showing up holding a tied up Nightwing in his grasp. How is Scarecrow in Arkham Tower? I mean...he could've been a patient and they just never mentioned that nugget or he snuck in for unknown reasons. The other big thing is Dr. Wear, who was the head of Arkham Tower, is thrown out a window and dies. This issue starts with him falling. Was he thrown out the window last issue? Funny, because I read the last issue last week and don't recall that. The other new thing in this issue is a new artist on board: Amancay Nahuelpan. Sounds like a Sherpa. Heh. The art is pretty good, though, actually. There are some panels that are fantastic. It kind of looks like a poor man's Greg Capullo. Although, that sounds like it's awful. It's good. In the backup, the "kid" (does he even have a name?) is...eh, who the fuck cares? This "House of Gotham" backup is terrible. It's shocking because the backup writer, Matthew Rosenberg, is also writing the best comic book out there right now, Image's What's the Furthest Place From Here? I don't understand it either. **