Back In Black

Amazing Spider-man #539 by J. Michael Straczynski and Ron Garney

Although already featured in recent issues of Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-man the Black in Black storyline officially starts here with Pete deciding to don the black costume to send the message that he's different now and he's not to be messed with. At the end of the issue he states that he's going to kill whoever was responsible for shooting Aunt May.

I have a couple of problems with all this. One, I remember him getting rid of the black costume because it freaked MJ who had been kidnapped by Venom. He wouldn't keep it webbed up and hidden underneath some gargoyle atop a skyscraper "just in case". I'll have to look up what happened in my back issues.

More importantly, I don't believe that he would say that he will kill whoever is responsible. Yes he's changed etc and been through a lot, but he couldn't bring himself to kill Norman Osbourn, the Green Goblin, after he killed Gwen. A more mature Pete would certainly be angry and I like the black costume as a symbol of his new attitude following the events in Civil War and his unmasking - but I can't see him wanting to kill somebody in revenge.

These points aside, it's a good issue. Garney's art is fine without being flashy and JMS moves the story on quickly. Shame that as Aunt May has already died once (don't ask) her condition has lost some impact.

Rating 7/10

Civil War: The Confession One-shot was another disappointment by Bendis. What's going on? After the poor Civil War:The Initiative this was yet another waste of time and money. The book was split into two halves - which for some reason were in reverse timeline order.

In part one, Iron Man sits weeping over the dead body of Cap saying that he saw it coming after meeting King Arthur (Iron Man #150 if my memory serves me right). WTF? He can see the future now? This part finishes with Iron Man saying that his victory wasn't worth it.

But in the next part, Iron Man faces Cap in his cell and tells him that he's a sore loser. Nice and mature.

The crying scene would have been better following this showing that Stark had come to realise that winning isn't everything.

Nice art by Alex Maleev though.

Rating 4/10

New Avengers #28 was a better Bendis issue with art by Leinil Yu.

There was some nice touches of dialogue and the story of Ronin (aka Echo) is good. Not sure that Yu is right for this book (as I've said I'd love Alan Davis to be drawing this) but it does have a certain quirkiness to it. Not sure that I'll still appreciate that after a year though.

Rating 6.5/10

Wolverine Origins #12 by Daniel Way and Steve Dillon is just more of the same. Yet again the villain comes from Wolvies past and the inevitable clash with his long lost son draws ever closer.

Dillon's art keeps me on the title and the story, for what it is, is well told. I just wonder how come Wolverine can be in so many places (read comics) at once without them ever connecting. I mean, he was in Japan in New Avengers above and Germany in Origins. In Wolverine main title he was fighting Sabretooth back at the mansion in New York. Finally, he's gallivanting off to the Breakworld in Astonishing X-Men. And that's just the one's I know about.

He sure gets about....

Issue rating 7.5/10