Comic Book Pick O' the Week!: Spider-Men #4

When I first heard the idea behind the Spider-Men limited series I could just smell gimmick all over it. Bringing the two Spider-Men from separate dimensions (616 Spidey, or real Peter Parker, and the 1610 Ultimate Spidey, or Miles Morales) felt like a cheap ploy to get people to buy books. The kind of "gee-wiz" stories that pitted Superman against Spider-Man in the 1970's. Surely nothing that would have any real consequence on these beloved characters.

Well, boy, was I wrong.

Lets first do a little history lesson on the two Spider-Men.

Peter Parker of Earth 616 is the Peter that we all know and love. Bitten by a radioactive spider, gets awesome powers, Uncle Ben dies, fights crime in spandex. You get the idea. He's the character that for the last 50 years has spanned comic books, television, and movies. He's you're original, and favorite, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

However, in the early 2000's writer Brian Michael Bendis was assigned to create a new comic book, set in a completely alternate reality, that brought Peter Parker back to high school and reformulated the Spider-Man mythos for a modern era. What came of that idea was Ultimate Spider-Man, and guess what, it was totally awesome. Bendis not only created a whole new way to look at the wall-crawler, but also reworked just how superhero stories were done. Long over-arching story lines, more realistic and believable heroes and villains, and wonderfully done character development. It was truly the new benchmark.

Then they fucking killed him.

Yeah, they did. And not in the he'll-come-back-in-like-two-issues kind of dead, but dead. Dead dead.

Since in the Ultimate Marvel Universe dead really means dead Peter Parker of 1610 really made the ultimate sacrifice (pun intended). While trying to save Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, and Mary-Jane Watson from the murderous and oh so insane Norman Osborn, Peter Parker laid down his life.

The aftermath was beautiful and tragic in a way only Brian Michael Bendis could do, and it rocked the Ultimate Universe to its very core.

Luck, of course, would have it that another kid, Miles Morales, also gained super cool spider powers and now takes up the mantle as Spider-Man in order to bring even more honor to his legacy.

Get all that? Good. Moving on.

Now in Spider-Men the alive and kicking Peter Parker finds himself transported by Mysterio into the Ultimate Universe where he runs into Miles Morales. Now, as the limited series unfolds, Peter begins to learn more about his counterpart and the sacrifices he made. As they try to find out just what brought Peter over they also begin to chip away at all the tragedy from both sides of the dimensional rift.

What makes issue #4 so spectacular is that after 3 issues as beating around the bush we finally see Peter interact with the still grief stricken Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, and Mary-Jane.

These conversations, while weird on paper, are beautifully written. The concept, while great in previous issues, really begins to pay off here. These aren't easy discussions to have, and for much of the issue these characters don't quite know how to handle seeing loved ones from beyond the grave. They have so much to say but also so much to hide. While Bendis does skirt away from the more destructive realizations, these panels really hit home. He certainly has readers in eager anticipation to see how he will finish up this arc, and how potentially, these characters could interact once again.

Sara Pichelli also lends fantastic artwork to the series as a whole. Bendis went on record saying that he would not do Spider-Men without Pichelli to accompany him, and it turns out he made the right choice. This book relies heavily on the smaller character driven moments, and Pichelli certainly knowns how to deliever. She makes the characters endearing and heart-wrenchingly real while still making them very much animated comic-book entities. Her actions sequences aren't too shabby either, however they are certainly not the highlight.

Now, if you aren't familiar with Ultimate Spider-Man and the legacy Bendis created, then this book isn't going to make a whole lot of sense to you. But, also, on the flip-side, what the hell is wrong with you? Go out and buy some of the trade paperbacks of Bendis's work right this minute. You'll be glad you did.

Then, of course, read Spider-Men, because it's rad.

Comic Book Pick O' the Week!: Hawkeye #1

Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, is a bit of an anomaly in the Marvel Universe. He doesn't have any super powers, he isn't an alien, and he isn't a super-hot chick. By that logic then he shouldn't be much of an interesting comic book superhero. Even though he may hang out with Wolverine and the Hulk he is, for the most part, a pretty average guy. Yeah, sure, he's the "greatest sharp shooter known to man", but he is still in a pretty compromising position when one of those pesky alien invasions pop up, which they always seem to do.

Now, for those in the know, we understand that the opposite is true. Sure, Mr. Barton may not be able to fly or throw a semi-truck into a super-baddie, but he is anything but boring. The man has gone from small-time villain, to Avenger, to even dead for a spell then resurrected. Currently the leader of the New Avengers, Hawkeye has proven time and time again that just because he is normal that in no way means he is average.

With Matt Fraction behind the helm of the Hawk's new ongoing series we are being show just how great this hero can be.

From the very start of the issue we learn quickly that this isn't going to be a conventional super-hero comic book. The opening description of the book is snappy and a bit tongue-in-cheek..

"Clint Barton, a.k.a Hawkeye, became the greatest sharp-shooter known to man. He then joined the Avengers. This is what he does when he's not being an Avenger. That's all you need to know."

We are being told a few things here:
1) If you only know Hawkeye from the new Avengers movie, then don't be afraid to try out this new comic.
2) Matt Fraction is shaping up to have a new and dynamic take on this old character.
3) Your day just got  a whole bunch better.

And your day just got a whole bunch better because this book is awesome, however not in the conventional in-your-face way. It isn't full of explosions or huge action sequences. Instead it shows us a very humanized Clint Barton who desperately tries to do the right thing even when he isn't standing next to Captain America and Iron man. At the start we see a Clint Barton hospitalized and almost completely broken after a hero-ing that goes sour. From there, as he tries to put the pieces of his life back together, we are treated to one of the best stand alone stories I've read in quite some time. Here is a Barton that has real flaws and who also hangs up the suit from time to time, just like everyone else.

With David Aja's art we get an even deeper sense of the book's direction. While the pencils remain sparse they are in no way simple. Aja is able to capture the wide range of emotions that flow from panel to panel, while still focusing in on the humanity and humor of everyday life. I was instantly surprised by the book's look, and found myself going back just to review all of the the beautiful panels and clever cuts. It is a layered beast that allows itself to be not only gritty and tragic but also funny and charming.

So, as you can see, I liked Hawkeye #1. It's doing different things than most superhero stories, and should be recognized for doing something a little ballsy. Matt Fraction's take is an adult and thought provoking adaptation of Hawkeye, and I'm certainly interested. Bring on the next issue!