AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #666-668 (bi-weekly series, Marvel Comics, $3.99)

WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? Dan Slott (writer); Stefano Caselli and Humberto Ramos (pencillers); Carlos Cuevas and Victor Olazaba (inkers).

This could still go horribly wrong. THIS, of course, is “Spider Island,” the much-ballyhooed, multi-issue story line for “The Amazing Spider-Man” in which New York City is overrun by people boasting powers and abilities similar to those of our web-slinging title character.

As it turns out, the old Spider-Man villain Professor Miles Warren, aka the Jackal, has bio-engineered bedbugs and other insect creatures that have “infected” much of the city’s population. Now millions of New Yorkers must decide what to do with the proportionate strength of a spider, the power to stick to walls and even organic webbing.

Predictably, some of them have turned to crime, and now Mayor J. Jonah Jameson and his police force are overwhelmed by hordes of ne’er-do-wells. Villains that … horrors of horrors! … have disguised themselves as various incarnations of Old Flattop’s longtime nemesis.

Luckily, the Avengers, the Future Foundation and other heroes have leapt to the city’s defense. Since they’re unable to tell which of these numerous Spider-Men is the real one, though, his teammates have cautioned him to stay out of the action. Never one to take no for an answer, Peter Parker swings into action as himself, without a costume. (Hey, HE could have gotten powers this way as well, you know! )

Meanwhile, the Jackal, the Tarantula and the Spider-King have yet to reveal what they’re really up to, aside from unleashing chaos upon the Big Apple. Then there’s Jackal’s mysterious benefactor, who must have her own motivations for funding and equipping the bad guys.

THE GOOD.

The Marvel Comics flagship title boasts some of the best art of any of the company’s books. Stefano Caselli, who drew the “prelude” issue
(No. 666) has a more refined, realistic style, as compared to the almost manga-esque, exaggerated and cartoonish work of Humberto Ramos.

You can’t lose with either one, though Ramos is doing art for six of the eight issues. Both artists’ scenes are dynamic, exciting and well-drafted. Of course, it helps that Slott has been writing this story line as if it were a blockbuster, summer action movie, which plays to both their strengths.

And while this material has its dark elements, it’s done in a pretty fun manner. This is one “event book” that never takes itself too seriously.

THE BAD.

Two words: Clone Saga. It’s already been shown that this story line is referencing that most-dreaded, nearly-title-killing run on the book. (It turns out the Tarantula is a transformed version of one of the clone characters, and Jackal was prominently featured in those earlier stories as well.)

Also, I have the distinct feeling that the person behind the Jackal might turn out to have connections to the Clone Saga. Either that, or she could have tied to a forgotten story line from the Paul Jenkins run on “Peter Parker, Spider-Man” (one that wound up giving Peter Parker organic webbing for a time, for anyone that remembers it).

THE UGLY.

Sigh. Marvel can’t have sort of “event” book or story line without having a series of crossover books to accompany it. In this case, that means there are a handful of interconnected miniseries as well as tie-in issues of the monthly “Venom” title. In fact, if you haven’t read issue No. 6 of that series, you might have missed the revelation about which Marvel hero was transformed into the Spider-King. (It’s a real shocker.)

That being said, the first issues of the “Cloak and Dagger” and “Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu” tie-in miniseries were very enjoyable.

IN CONCLUSION:

As mentioned, this could still go wrong if it’s too closely tied to the Clone Saga. However, Slott’s entire solo run on “Amazing Spider-Man,” his so-called, new “Big Time” directive for the book, has been really good. So it’s hard to believe that he won’t do something special, memorable and good with the material.

This is as good a place to start if you haven’t already done so. Together with the Ultimate Comics version of Spider-Man, there’s rarely been as good a time for be a fan of the character and concepts.

Jerk-Bot is the robotic nom de plume or Utah-based writer/reviewer Jeff Michael Vice. He would like you to listen to him rant about movies and other geeky stuff on both the Geek Show Podcast (www.geekshowpodcast.com) and the Mediocre Show (www.mediocreshow.com), as well as watch him review movies on the Xfinity On-Demand program Big Movie Mouth-Off (www.facebook.com/bigmoviemouthoff).

It’s the last edition of VGQH for August and it’s not exactly chock full of goodies. Which is a little weird considering PAX took place over the weekend. Oh, well. On to the news.

Some of you may be surprised to know that Harmonix is still putting out weekly DLC tracks for Rock Band 3. While the music genre has basically died, the hardcore fans are apparently still picking up new tracks. I see the release list every week but tend to ignore it in VGQH. But today’s tracks are good news for me. Considering I do actually still pick up my fake plastic Fender a couple of times a month, I’ll actually be picking up all eight of these tracks from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Five classic songs are included, as well as three from the new album, I’m With You (in stores now). Individual tracks are $1.99 each, or you can get the whole package for $13.49 (or equivalent points, as usual). Two of the older tracks, “Californication” and “Otherside,” feature upgrades to Pro Guitar and Bass mode for $0.99 each. The remaining classic tracks are “By the Way,” “Parallel Universe,” and “Scar Tissue.” The three songs from the new album are “Look Around,” “Monarchy of Roses,” and “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.”

Did you like Portal? Of course you did. If you didn’t, you’re wrong! Anyway, we all know Valve is amazing and they did a great job expanding on the Portal concept with the recent sequel. But did you know that one of the co-creators of the original game, Kim Swift, has been working with Airtight Games on a first person puzzle game set for publication by Square Enix early next year on PSN, XBLA, and PC. Quantum Conundrum has the player trying to rescue your scientist uncle who is trapped in another dimension. The player has a few of the uncle’s inventions to help shift through parallel dimensions, seemingly at will, to solve puzzles. For example, shifting into a “fluffy” dimension makes objects lighter, allowing them to be thrown, then shifted back into the normal dimension where that lighter than air box suddenly becomes a heavy safe, smashing through the pane of glass that was blocking your path. Make sense? Probably not, but try explaining Portal to someone who hasn’t played it. Check out these two screens, which appear to be the same scene in two different dimensions.

For everyone that’s digustingly enthralled with Mass Effect (like me), Bioware and Dark Horse have a nice treat upcoming. The Art of the Mass Effect Universe will be out in February, with an MSRP of $39.99. This hardcover tome will highlight the unique art and glorious detail that we’ll find in Mass Effect 3 on March 6, 2012. While I’m at it, how about I confuse you with a few more dates. A collection of the Mass Effect: Evolution comic series will be available September 21st, and the new series, Mass Effect: Invasion, begins October 19th. Best get to your comic shop and add these to your pull list.

There wasn’t much in the way of new information about two of my most watched games at PAX, but a few new screens did make an appearance. Check out this shot of Juggernaut and Adrian, one of three playable characters as potential X-Men, in X-Men Destiny. Dig the matching outfits. It’s like Marko got a Mini-Me.

The other game getting some new screen shots, of course, is Spider-Man: Edge of Time, Activision and Beenox’s follow up to the fantastic Shattered Dimensions. Let’s stick with the theme of oversized villainous type dudes and give you this shot of Eddie Brock as Anti-Venom, getting ready for some ultraviolence on our amazing superhero.

And… Well, two screens and no news is a weird place to end. But, frankly, I don’t have any more and nothing is connected enough to go back and edit the order of the stories. Check back on Friday and hopefully we’ll have a bit bigger news day. I’m starting wonder if things are slowing down in the news department because so many huge games are getting set for the October-November rush and there isn’t really anything new to say about them until they release. In the mean time, I’m getting close to my Insanity end run on Mass Effect 2. Depending on how bad I suck at it, I could be finishing that up this week, leading to a little clean up for my Platinum trophy and starting “The Arrival.” Wish me luck.

Every month I buy a shit ton of toys to add to my Nerdorium (A.K.A. home office). But I hardly ever get around to reviewing them on the site. I generally just talk about them on our monthly podcast (which you can listen to here, but I don’t recommend it). Similar to baldassbats Video Game Quick Hits, I’m going to try and do one for all the nerd shit I buy in a month. This month has been an exciting one. I just got a new job, and with it, a lot more income. Of course I spent a good chunk of my first check on collectibles. Also, my wife may or may not be leaving me.

Rock Man Plastic Model Kit
$27.99 EntertainmentEarth.com

When I was in high school I bought a lot of Rock Man Kits off of eBay. I lucked out and got four or five of them for one cent plus shipping. I loved those kits and had a lot of fun with them. Some day I hope to do a retro-review of them. You can imagine how excited I was when I saw the solicitation for new kits being released in the states.

PROS
• The details on these figures are wonderful.
• Plenty of extra hands and facial expressions to swap out.
• Great instructions which made building them a breeze.

CONS
• Kind of a high price point for these. I waited and got mine on a sale.
• Being a model kit, these figures fall apart pretty easily. Which can be frustrating while posing.

Sonic the Hedgehog: 20th Anniversary Through Time Action Figure (1991)
$11.99 Target

Oh, nostalgia. I’d say you’re responsible for at least two thirds of my purchases. I’m glad to see SEGA finally putting out some worthwhile figures of our favorite blue hedgehog. This figure follows the theme from the upcoming game, Sonic Generations. There are classic and modern versions of each of the characters available for the smaller format. I bought the larger five inch figure, which comes in classic or modern Sonic.

PROS
• Nostalgia.
• Great sculpt. From any angle it screams classic Sonic.
• Pretty well weighted for a top heavy figure. The smaller guys tend to fall over.

CONS
• Overly articulated. Sonic can twist at the pelvis, which leaves a big nasty break in his circular stomach.
• Some kind of serial number is printed on the inside of his shoe. There wasn’t a better spot?
• No accessories. Some rings or chaos emeralds would’ve been nice with the five inch figures.

Spider-Man 3 by Hot Toys
$149.99 Sideshow Collectibles

Man, Hot Toys sure has taken a lot of my money over the last few years. They keep getting better and better licenses. Most recently acquiring Star Wars. (Bespin Luke, anyone?) I was torn when this figure was pre-released. I love Spider-Man, but the third movie… not so much. Then again, the Wolverine figure Hot Toys released was based off of his solo movie. You know what? Fuck it. I’m buying one.

PROS
• As usual, this figure has spot on likeness to his big screen counterpart.
• Really awesome package design. My favorite box from the line.
• Webbing is printed on the outside of the costume, showing the attention to detail.
• Amazing (get it?) accessories. Lots of extra hands and webs. As well as a giant stand.
• Mid-range price point for a Hot Toys figure. $150 is very reasonable.

CONS
• I am so afraid to damage this guy. He’s the only spandex clad $150 doll I own. Although JJ (Lost In Comics) has put his figure through the ringer and says it holds up well.
• Being from Spider-Man 3, they are making a Mountain Dew Goblin to go with this. Hopefully they’ll go back and do a Doc Ock. I’d gladly play over $200 for him.

Stay Puft: Gozer the Destroyer
$70 Matty Collector

We’ve been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft’s okay! He’s a sailor, he’s in New York; we get this guy laid, we won’t have any trouble!

PROS
• Over 20 inches tall and made from a squishy foam material. Largest Stay Puft ever made.
• Limited articulation at the shoulders, legs and head. Any more would ruin the sculpt.
• Comes with a gigantic cardboard diorama.

CONS
• San Diego Comic Con exclusive, therefore super hard to get ahold of.
• The foam is super fragile. Easily marked up, so be careful unpacking him.
• Face sculpt is good but not great. I prefer Gentle Giants piggy bank sculpt.
• I worry about discoloration over time, as well as general dust damage.
• Where the hell am I going to put him?

In conclusion I spent way too much money on toys this month. It’s hard to pick a favorite out of the bunch. I think Sonic has gotten the most attention from me. Especially for the value packed with nostalgia. Stay Puft is cool, but expensive for what he is. Same with the Rock Man kits. I love how my Spider-Man doll looks next to Wolverine and Batman. Next to join, Captain America. Now it’s time to get back to work so I can blow more cash on dolls.

Seen in the above video taking the first spot in the Q&A for the Amazing Spider-Man panel. Andrew Garfield gives a wonderful speech on why he loves Spider-Man, and is honored to play him. This deep connection to the character really makes me more excited for the film. The character Spider-Man means a lot to me, not just because of his quips while he’s fighting, or the great rogue gallery. Instead of me trying to reword it, let me just quote Andrew:

And I think that we all wish we had the courage to stick up for ourselves more, to stick up for a loved one more, or even a stranger you see being mistreated, and Peter Parker has inspired me to feel stronger. He made me, Andrew, braver. He reassured me that by doing the right thing, it’s worth it. It’s worth the struggle, it’s worth the pain, it’s worth even the tears, the bruises, and the blood.

Spider-Man does the right thing when it’s not the popular or easy thing to do. He stands up for those who can’t. He is a character that constantly has the weight of the world on his shoulders, but always finds a way to push through it. And Andrew totally seems to channel that. Hopefully it comes through on screen.

Source: NYMag’s Vulture

We all know Comic-Con and Captain America are the big news this week, but there’s still been some slowly breaking video game news. I imagine Tuesday’s update will have more information from Comic-Con itself. Then again, the ‘bots on the ground in San Diego could have it covered already by then. But that’s the future talking, what do you need to know right now?

As mentioned on Tuesday, the Batman: Arkham City Collector’s Edition has been announced. But you may recall that I didn’t have a pitcure at the time. Now I do. As a refresher, this edition will be $100 and comes with a Kotobukiya Batman statue, art book, early access to the Iceberg Lounge challenge map, a Dark Knight Returns character skin, game soundtrack, and the Batman: Gotham Knight animated film. It’s all available October 18th.

Clearly not enough Arkham City am I right? How about the announcement of two more characters? Talia al Ghul and Solomon Grundy (“born on a Monday”) have both been revealed. Not much more to say than that other than Talia is being voiced by Stana Katic, so just take look at the pictures. Sorry they don’t really match.

Yet another game mentioned on Tuesday that gets more new today. The SSX reboot has been making a splash with character announcements, getting long time fans excited to see some familiar faces. In that vein, Griff Simmons of SSX3 has just been revealed with an updated look. But there will be new faces as well and the first one has been revealed. Tane Mumea is a surfer type with a thing for tie-dye. As excited as I’ve been getting for this game, seeing him as the first new character announced is pretty disappointing. Mostly just looks like a douche. Oh well, hopefully we see something better before the game comes out in January.

With new games coming out in two of their top franchises, Marvel is slowly amping up excitement. Activision recently announced the voice cast for Spider-Man: Edge of Time and X-Men Destiny, both of which have a mixed pedigree for game quality but have improved in recent outings – especially in the quality of voice work. [Both of these games are playable at Comic-Con, by the way. I’m sure we’ll have some coverage, but please let us know your experiences with them as well.] In Spider-Man, you’ll hear Val Kilmer as Walker Sloan, Laura Vandervoort as Mary Jane, and Katee Sackhoff as Black Cat. Looks like Katee is keeping busy with voice work. Milo Ventimiglia, Jamie Chung, Scott Porter will be the three playable mutants in X-Men Destiny (Grant Alexander, Aimi Yoshida, and Adrian Luca, respectively). You’ll be playing as the new X-Men September 27th, and taking on the role of two Spider-Men October 4th.

A little extra Spider-Man news for you: Pre-order incentives are popping up for Edge of Time. Pick up the game from Amazon for an early unlock of Spidey’s new Future Foundation costume. GameStop is offering the Identity Crisis pack which includes four new suits: Hornet, Dusk, Ricochet, and Prodigy. Only Prodigy is listed as a GameStop exclusive, so I’d expect you can get the rest through other retailers. Or it could mean that the FF suit and Identity Crisis packs will be future DLC but won’t include Prodigy without using GameStop. I’ll update with more information when I get it. [If you don’t know the Identity Crisis thing, don’t worry. They’re just alternate personas Peter created for a while to escape the pressure of the Daily Bugle. And because he was wanted for murder.]

More on the voice talent front, but on a game I’m far less excited about, Saints’ Row: The Third. Daniel Dae Kim of Lost will be reprising his role from the first two games as Johnny Gat. Additionally, former porn star Sasha Grey will be voicing Violet DeWynter, and wrestling legend Hulk Hogan takes on the voice of Angel de la Muerte, leader of a luchadore gang. As if my feelings on this game weren’t mediocre enough as it was, now they’ve got this gang of misfits as their “celebrity” voice talent? Whatever. If you still care, the game is set for release on November 15th.

While I’m a little surprised both of those games are still meeting their planned release windows, I’m not at all surprised The Darkness II has been pushed back. That’s just the way it goes in game development. While it was announced for October 2011, the game is now slated for February 7, 2012.

Activision has finally made an official announcement about GoldenEye 007: Reloaded. It’s coming to 360 and PS3 in fall 2011, an already crowded time for top shelf games. Temper your excitement a little though. It’s actually an HD upgrade of the 2010 Wii game, not the 1997 N64 title. There is a difference, but for fans it’s not going to matter much. If you didn’t waste way too much time playing this game’s pioneering multiplayer when it was first released, you probably didn’t know how to hold a controller. Actually, you may not even have that excuse this time as it will support the Sharpshooter and Move on PS3. Multiplayer will be a part of the “reload” as well, but now it will be online.

Do you remember a little game that came out earlier this year called Homefront? The concept was brilliant, but it was widely panned for its ridiculously short single player campaign. But the multiplayer got decent reviews and it looks like there will now be more of it. “The Rock” Map Pack is coming soon on XBox 360, with a PS3 release to follow soon after. For $4.99 you’ll get two brand new maps (including Alcatraz, hence the name) and two new Team Deathmatch areas. Mostly I just have to wonder why THQ is releasing DLC for a game whose development studio, Kaos, was shut down almost immediately after the game shipped.

Back to Marvel, for the announcement of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Not content to release 37 versions of Street Fighter, they’ve taken the practice to their crossover fighting game as well. The new version ($39.99, possibly with a DLC enhancement option for existing owners) will include the pre-existing DLC fighters, Jill Valentine and Shuma Gorath, plus 12 new combatants. From the Marvel side, Ghost Rider and Hawkeye have been announced, while Capcom’s new fighters will be Firebrand from Ghosts n’ Goblins (awesome) and Strider Hiryu. More from each brand will be announced soon, possibly at Comic-Con. A new spectator mode has been included as well as some rebalancing. Look for it in November. [Actually, a leaked list of the new fighters is already available, but file it under rumor for now – Marvel: Iron Fist, Doctor Strange, Nova, and Rocket Racoon; Capcom: Vergil (DMC), Nemesis (RE3), Phoenix Wright, and Frank West (Dead Rising).]

If you’re looking for Frank West news that isn’t rumor-milled, look no further than October 11th. That’s the day Dead Rising: Off the Record is announced for release. Bringing back the washed up, photographer hero of the first game and depositing him straight into the seedy underbelly of Fortune City from the second could be a homerun for Capcom. Or it could be just a little too much milking of the franchise (and fan goodwill).

Yet another game getting a recently confirmed release date is Prototype 2. Shockingly, it’s not coming this fall/winter. The game is actually scheduled for April 24, 2012. But you won’t be taking the tendrils as Alex Mercer again. Instead you’ll be out for revenge against Mercer as Sergeant James Heller. Heller blames Alex for the death of his family in New York City. The first game has been in my GameQ for a while, but I keep pushing it below all the other great stuff that’s been coming out, and I just don’t play games that fast anymore. Sounds like I’ve got a few months to move it up and get up to speed, because the second one is looking very good.

Have you been playing Shadows of the Damned? Have you played anything else by Suda-51? Do you want to see what he’d do with the zombie genre? Then keep your eyes on Lollipop Chainsaw. This is the next game being developed by Grasshopper Manufacture and it looks just as bizarre as everything else Suda-51 has touched. Characters will take the role of Juliet, a cheerleader turned hero, after zombies invade her high school. No dates have been announced and it’s currently only announced for Japan.

Sonic fans are surely waiting for a little more information about the upcoming Sonic Generations. I don’t have much, but I do have something. The Chemical Plant Zone from StH 2 will be making a comeback. For the 2D levels it’s pretty much just converted to HD. But it’s also been completely reimagined for the 3D perspective. The other piece of news regarding this game is that the loved and hated Metal Sonic will be coming back as well.

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection and have been disappointed that a release date has not been forthcoming, rest easy. Come September 27th you’ll get two PS2 classics in 1080P with 7.1 surround and sterescopic 3D. Sony has also announced some bonuses for the release. There will be additional video content for both titles and some exclusive footage of The Last Guardian. You’ll also get download codes to score an XMB theme for each game.

Do you remember when the DLC character announcements came for Mortal Kombat they said there would be a fourth mystery character? Mystery solved. Freddy Krueger (yeah, that Freddy Krueger) will be hitting Outworld on August 9th for $4.99. I still feel the prices for these characters is a tad high, but if you don’t think this is awesome then you have no concept of joy. This is definitely the coolest character addition to any video game since they announced the Kratos exclusive.

This is running long and more stuff is coming in faster than I type. I’ll sort the wheat from the chaff over the weekend and you can find the highlights in Tuesday’s edition. Meantime, keep your browser here at Big Shiny Robot! as Swank and Citizen-bot keep you up to speed on all the biggest goings-on at Comic-Con 2011.

It’s been really super-crazy the way comic book movie teasers have been leaking the last few days, hasn’t it? Well, we’ve got another one for you today, I’m not sure which movie this trailer is attached to (one would assume Captain America), but it’s pretty long for a first trailer, clocking in at about two and a half minutes. Have a look at the muffled, slightly shaky footage and I’ll share some thoughts after ward.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWP8TdXdFZg

So, the first obvious thought is: Really? You’re going to tell the origin again? Why? the Raimi movies aren’t that old, everyone and his uncle knows how Spidey got his abilities. If they’re tying it into Curt Connor’s story, or to explain mechanical web-shooters I guess it’s justified, but it shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes tops.

Also, we’re actually going to get a glimpse into Peter’s parents? That’s pretty cool. Too bad that Spider-Man is kind of off to the side with other Marvel movies, because using the “Red Skull killed Richard and Mary Parker” would be a cool way to tie them together.

Gwen is brainy Gwen. That’s cool, I suppose.

I know Spider-Man can be a brooding character, but he can also be fun-loving and bombastic. The Raimi movies barely had the type of Spidey-brand humor that I’m talking about, and it seems this one is going to follow suit.

The end sequence is admittedly cool. It’s like an FPS (First-Person-Spidey)! It also is a good way to convey Spider-Man’s moveset without the CGI looking super-fake.

The bottom line of course is that I love Spider-Man and I’ll watch this movie regardless of the quality, but if anything else, I am more cautiously optimistic rather than gung-ho over this movie now.  Who knows? Maybe when it’s officially released, it’ll wow me a bit more. Until then though…

UPDATE: Of course we’ve got the officially released trailer now.

It’s been a while since we have heard anything on the Spider-Man front. For a while there we were being inundated with all sorts of cellphone camera footage and images of Spidey jumpin, running, flipping and swinging around.

Now, The Amazing Spider-Man directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Denis Leary, Chris Zylka, Irrfan Khan, C. Thomas Howell doesn’t hit theaters until July 3 of next year, but with Comic-Con right around the corner the studio is definitely making this film’s presence known and already seem to be ramping up some excitement for the film.

The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly features ol’ web-head himself on the cover, donning the suit without the mask.

Another photo released this week is a nice high-res version of Spider-Man sporting the mask.

So now we have some really good shots of the suit – at least from the waist up – showing the textures used, the design their going with, and if your familiar with the comics, where the costume designer got his/her inspiration from.

For me, I see a bit of everything mixed together. For some reason when I look at the suit I still see a bit of “classic” Spider-Man, a bit of Ultimate Spider-Man, and a fair dose of Spider-Man 2099. When chatting about the new suit with Kill-tacular-tron he said, “the costume is a little too [Spider-Man] 2099 for my taste, but it’s not awful.” I know there are some Spider-Man fans are really displeased with this redesign, but I quite like it. I really thing a lot of care was taken in bringing us a new version of his suit that is something fresh for this new start to the franshise without completely going off the tracks with something that didn’t even resemble the classic Spider-Man long johns we’ve all come to know and love over the years.

As for Garfield, I don’t think too many people will dispute he definitely fits the look of Peter Parker. In fact, if I may be so bold to say, he looks more like a Peter Parker to me than Toby Maguire ever did – no we just have to see the treatment of the character on screen to see if the look matches the demeanor and personality; if it does, then I really think they’ve hit a homerun in casting everyone’s favorite nerd-turned-superhero.

In addition to these new images released, there is also a description of the teaser trailer floating around which is supposedly set to be released next week. According to reports the trailer was seen by a Comic-Con employee, and this description was posted to the interwebs. Obviously, if you want to go into the trailer wanting to be surprised, then you may want to skip this.

Trailer opens with Peter Parker [Andrew Garfield] being beaten by bullies, one of which is played by Chris Zylka.

Shots of Dr.Connors [Rhys Ifans] being injected by a greenish fluid in a lab.

Shot of Parker being bitten by a spider,in his own house in what appears to be an attic lab.

Shots of Gwen Stacy’s face, Uncle Ben’s face and Aunt May’s face.

Shot of an alley with Ben [Martin Sheen] and Parker, then one of a dying Ben who utters ‘With Greatest power must come greatest responsibility, never forget that.’

Shot of Parker putting on the costume, camera angle from his back. He turns and is now atop The Empire State Building.

Goes black for a few seconds, we hear some monstrous sounds and cut to Connors’ lab where his foot transforms into a scaly one. Goes black and we hear roars.

Then we see a giant web with the title The Amazing Spider-Man. Coming Next Summer in 3d and Imax.

If the description of this trailer proves to be true, then it sounds like we may be getting another origin story – which isn’t terribly surprising, but I kind of hope they blow through it pretty quickly since we have already gotten the origin story in the first Spider-Man film (yes, I know this is a “reboot”, my point is most people are familiar with the origin of Spider-Man, let’s cover it in a fair, but quick mannor and get on with his story!). There are a few nitpicky things that I’m questioning reading this, like him being bitten by the radioactive spider in his own attic, and Kill-tacular-tron thought the slight changes in Uncle Ben’s “With Great Power . . .” statement were a bit “cheesy”, but we both agree these are just nitpicky things. I’m fine with some changes to Spider-Man’s story if they fit the movie treatment well, and I think we will have a better idea of what to expect once the trailer finally hits.

I’m incredibly optimistic about this reboot of the Spider-Man franshise. I like the director, I like the cast, and from the images I’ve seen I like the look they are going with. I’m excited to get a “feel” for this movie once the teaser is released next week and I’m really anticipating the July 4 Holiday weekend next year when we get to see our new Spider-Man in action on the big screen and all take to the webs with our final judgements! No pressure, Marc Webb . . .

UPDATE 07/14/11 12:30PM:

Entertainment Weekly has released the photos from inside this issue featured in their Spider-Man piece! Check out the gallery below and share your thoughts in the comments!

Sources: EW, Geek Tyrant, Movie Web

The comics summer event. An almost yearly occurrence from the big 2 publishers of comics, DC and Marvel. The subject of much bitching on the internet, yet increased sales prove. As an employee at a local comic shop I see many types of customers with many differing opinions on events. One type of customer, the “Event Completest”, is the person who gets every single issue and tie-in to an event. Even though most times you only need the core event book and occasionally a couple of other tie-ins to get the whole story, there are those that must know every little bit to the story… no matter what! After seeing a couple of these people, myself being one of those with Flashpoint, I wanted to see how much those of us that must have it all will be spending and I feel it is my civic duty to inform you as well.

First up is Flashpoint, the catalyst for the big DC relaunch starting this September. It had a 4 issue prelude in the ongoing Flash series. The event itself is made up of a five issue miniseries, four one-shots,  fifteen 3 issue mini-series, and it ties in with only one ongoing series for three issues. Here is the full checklist with prices:

Prelude/Main Series

Flash #9 – 2.99

Flash #10 – 2.99

Flash #11 – 2.99

Flash #12 – 2.99

Flashpoint #1 – 3.99

Flashpoint #2 – 3.99

Flashpoint #3 – 3.99

Flashpoint #4 – 3.99

Flashpoint #5 – 3.99

Tie-Ins

Abin Sur – The Green Lantern #1 – 2.99

Abin Sur – The Green Lantern #2 – 2.99

Abin Sur – The Green Lantern #3 – 2.99

Batman: Knight of Vengeance #1 – 2.99

Batman: Knight of Vengeance #2 – 2.99

Batman: Knight of Vengeance #3 – 2.99

Booster Gold #44 – 2.99

Booster Gold #45 – 2.99

Booster Gold #46 – 2.99

Citizen Cold #1 – 2.99

Citizen Cold #2 – 2.99

Citizen Cold #3 – 2.99

Deadman and the Flying Graysons #1 – 2.99

Deadman and the Flying Graysons #2 – 2.99

Deadman and the Flying Graysons #3 – 2.99

Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #1 – 2.99

Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #2 – 2.99

Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager #3 – 2.99

Emperor Aquaman #1 – 2.99

Emperor Aquaman #2 – 2.99

Emperor Aquaman #3 – 2.99

Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #1 – 2.99

Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #2 – 2.99

Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown #3 – 2.99

Green Arrow Industries one shot – 2.99

Grodd of War one shot – 2.99

Hal Jordan #1 – 2.99

Hal Jordan #2 – 2.99

Hal Jordan #3 – 2.99

Kid Flash Lost starring Bart Allen #1 – 2.99

Kid Flash Lost starring Bart Allen #2 – 2.99

Kid Flash Lost starring Bart Allen #3 – 2.99

Legion of Doom #1 – 2.99

Legion of Doom #2 – 2.99

Legion of Doom #3 – 2.99

Lois Lane and the Resistance #1 2.99

Lois Lane and the Resistance #2 2.99

Lois Lane and the Resistance #3 2.99

Project Superman #1 – 2.99

Project Superman #2 – 2.99

Project Superman #3 – 2.99

Reverse Flash one shot – 2.99

Secret Seven #1 – 2.99

Secret Seven #2 – 2.99

Secret Seven #3 – 2.99

The Canterbury Cricket one shot – 2.99

The Outsider #1 – 2.99

The Outsider #2 – 2.99

The Outsider #3 – 2.99

Wonder Woman and the Furies #1 – 2.99

Wonder Woman and the Furies #2 – 2.99

Wonder Woman and the Furies #3 – 2.99

The World of Flashpoint #1 – 2.99

The World of Flashpoint #2 – 2.99

The World of Flashpoint #3 – 2.99

Now if you were to get every little bit Flashpoint your grand total would come to $196.36 . That is quite the investment!

Next up is Marvel’s big crossover, Fear Itself. At this time I can’t give an accurate dollar amount on what you’ll be spending because there is still one more month of Fear Itself that hasn’t been solicited. For now the list goes through issue 6 and its tie ins. So far Fear Itself is made up of one prelude, a seven issue main series, ten mini series, four one-shots, and ties into sixteen ongoings. Here is your checklist (JiM stands for Journey into Mystery) and prices for Fear Itself so far:

*JiM stands for Journey into Mystery

Prelude/Main Series

Book of the Skull – 3.99

Fear Itself #1 – 3.99

Fear Itself #2 – 3.99

Fear Itself #3 – 3.99

Fear Itself #4 – 3.99

Fear Itself #5 – 3.99

Fear Itself #6 – 3.99

Ongoing Tie-ins

Alpha Flight #1 – 3.99

Alpha Flight #2 – 2.99

Alpha Flight #3 – 2.99

Alpha Flight #4 – 2.99

Avengers #13 – 3.99

Avengers #14 – 3.99

Avengers #15 – 3.99

Avengers #16 – 3.99

Avengers #17 – 3.99

Av. Academy #15 – 2.99

Av. Academy #16 – 2.99

Av. Academy #17 – 2.99

Av. Academy #18 – 2.99

Av. Academy #19 – 2.99

Black Panther #521 – 2.99

Black Panther #522 – 2.99

Black Panther #523 – 2.99

Ghost Rider #1 – 3.99

Ghost Rider #2 – 2.99

Ghost Rider #3 – 2.99

Herc #3 – 2.99

Herc #4 – 2.99

Herc #5 – 2.99

Herc #6 – 2.99

Heroes for Hire #9 – 2.99

Heroes for Hire #10 – 2.99

Heroes for Hire #11 – 2.99

Hulk #37 – 2.99

Hulk #38 – 2.99

Inv. Iron Man #503 3.99

Inv. Iron Man #504 3.99

Inv. Iron Man #505 3.99

Inv. Iron Man #506 3.99

Inv. Iron Man #507 3.99

Inv. Iron Man #508 3.99

Iron Man 2.0 #5 – 2.99

Iron Man 2.0 #6 – 2.99

Iron Man 2.0 #7 – 2.99

JiM #622 – 3.99

JiM #623 – 2.99

JiM #624 – 2.99

JiM #625 – 2.99

JiM #626 – 2.99

JiM #627 – 2.99

JiM #628 – 2.99

New Avengers #14 – 3.99

New Avengers #15 – 3.99

New Avengers #16 – 3.99

New Mutants #29 – 2.99

New Mutants #30 – 2.99

New Mutants #31 – 2.99

Secret Avengers #13 – 3.99

Secret Avengers #14 – 3.99

Secret Avengers #15 – 3.99

Thunderbolts #158 – 2.99

Thunderbolts #159 – 2.99

Thunderbolts #160 – 2.99

Thunderbolts #161 – 2.99

Thunderbolts #162 – 2.99

Thunderbolts #163 – 2.99

Uncanny X-Men #540 – 3.99

Uncanny X-Men #541 – 3.99

Uncanny X-Men #542 – 3.99

Uncanny X-Men #543 – 3.99

Minis/One-Shots

Black Widow #1 – 3.99

Deadpool #1 – 2.99

Deadpool #2 – 2.99

Deadpool #3 – 2.99

Fearsome Four #1 – 2.99

Fearsome Four #2 – 2.99

Fearsome Four #3 – 2.99

Fearsome Four #4 – 2.99

Fellowship of Fear – 3.99

FF #1 – 2.99

Hulk vs. Dracula #1 – 2.99

Hulk vs. Dracula #2 – 2.99

Sin’s Past #1 – 4.99

Spider-Man #1 – 2.99

Spider-Man #2 – 2.99

Spider-Man #3 – 2.99

The Deep #1 – 2.99

The Deep #2 – 2.99

The Deep #3 – 2.99

The Deep #4 – 2.99

The Home Front  #1 – 3.99

The Home Front #2 – 3.99

The Home Front #3 – 3.99

The Home Front #4 – 3.99

The Home Front #5 – 3.99

The Home Front #6 – 3.99

The Monkey King – 2.99

The Worthy #1 – 3.99

Uncanny X-Force #1 – 2.99

Uncanny X-Force #2 – 2.99

Uncanny X-Force #3 – 2.99

Wolverine #1 – 2.99

Wolverine #2 – 2.99

Wolverine #3 – 2.99

Youth in Revolt #1 – 2.99

Youth in Revolt #2 – 2.99

Youth in Revolt #3 – 2.99

Youth in Revolt #4 – 2.99

Youth in Revolt #5 – 2.99

Like I said above this still isn’t a complete list of Fear Itself, but up to this point if you are getting everything the damage comes out to $350.96 .

It is kind of eye opening how much events like this cost overall when its actually put in front of you.

For years now, Dark Horse has had a neat little series of wooden figures also known as sorocos. They hearken back to the 1930’s and 40’s where this type of character statue was the only kid on the block, and they are very sought after by collectors nowadays. Previous partner’s in the Soroco program have been DC Comics, Disney, Archie, Dark Horse themselves, and all manner of animated characters.  Now finally, Dark Horse has teamed up with Marvel for a new series of soroco figurines. To kick things off with a bang, they’re offering an exclusive version of Spider-Man for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. To say it’s amazing is a vast understatement.

Based on a classic pin-up by the ever-incredible Steve Ditko, a limited run of 1,000 of these figures will be available at SDCC for a retail of $49.99. I really want one. Enough to bribe some of my fellow SDCC attending robots to pick me up one. You can read the official press release below, and while you do, I’m going to clean up this puddle of drool…

As part of Dark Horse’s recently announced Marvel Syrocos program, it is announced today that these highly anticipated statues will make their debut at next month’s Comic-Con International in San Diego!

——-

Comic-Con attendees will have a very significant opportunity to acquire a special statue of none other than Spider-Man. He is shown as half Peter Parker and half Spider-Man. Only one thousand numbered copies of this statuette are being offered. It is packaged in the same litho-printed tin box that is the hallmark of the Dark Horse Syrocos, and seems destined to be a bona fide hot item, both at Comic-Con and far beyond the exhibit hall. It will be sold at the normal retail price of $49.99, with a limit of four per customer.

“We couldn’t think of a more appropriate venue to launch this truly collectible series than Comic-Con,” Dark Horse product development VP David Scroggy remarked, “and a Spider-Man limited edition of only one thousand pieces makes this a scarce item. It gave us the opportunity to recall one of the early treatments by artist Steve Ditko, where we see both of Spidey’s identities simultaneously. Our spider sense is tingling, and the message is a quick sellout at the show.”

As previously announced, the program will begin in September 2011 with two alternating series: Classic Marvel Characters and the Fantastic Four. This new line will be deliberately different than the common modern Marvel collectible sculpture, with features like a rougher surface texture, visible seam lines, and other slightly “distressed” aspects, such as the method of paint application.

These special Comic-Con exclusives will be available at six p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 at the Dark Horse booth (#2615). Don’t miss your chance to own one of these fantastic statues!

ULTIMATE COMICS: SPIDER-MAN #160 (monthly series, Marvel Comics, $3.99)
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE? Brian Michael Bendis (writer); Mark Bagley, AndyLanning and Andrew Hennessy (artists).

Spoiler alert: They really did it. “They,” of course, are the folks behind the “Death of Spider-Man” story line in the Ultimate Comics version of the title. (For those who are unfamiliar with thedistinction … Marvel has Spider-Man comics in its “proper” universe, one in which Peter Parker is an adult; the “Ultimate” Peter Parker is a completely different continuity and universe, and is a teen.)

And before anyone gets too mad about me coming out and so blatantly saying that Ultimate Peter is dead … you couldn’t have missed this news unless you were living in a total vacuum. Besides, didn’t I already mention that the story line is called “Death of Spider-Man?”

Another side note: Both the monthly Amazing Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man titles have been running neck-and-neck in terms of quality in 2011. It’s as if the respective writers, Dan Slott and Brian Michael Bendis, are in competition with each other.

Bendis, in particular, has stepped up his “game” with this latest story line. In it, war has come to the Ultimate universe. Members ofthe “Ultimates” and “New Ultimates” teams are warring. (A mini-series written by Mark Millar actually tells most of this particular story.) Ultimate Spidey finds himself drawn into this conflict. When the Punisher attempts to assassinate Captain America, our hero rescues his would-be mentor and takes the bullet meant for him. It’s a terrible wound, but Spidey has no time to seek emergency medical treatment.

That’s because Green Goblin and his Sinister Six (which includes Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Sandman and Vulture) have broken out from captivity. The revenge-minded villains know Spidey’s true identity, and are on their way to kill his loved ones and family.  They’ve already taken out Spidey’s allies Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake (akaHuman Torch and Iceman), and they mean business. So the last line of defense is an exhausted, possibly mortally wounded teen.

THE GOOD
Bendis really gets the voice of teens, and he writes one of the smartest, funniest versions of Spidey. (Though Slott’s more adult Peter Parker is also a joy to read these days.)

And what happens in this story line, particularly this issue, promisesto shake up this title, which is re-starting with a new Spider-Man character and a new No. 1 issue once it is all over. (Confusingly, there are two issues of a six-issues mini-series titled  “Ultimate Fallout,” that will cap the series. They take the place of the originally solicited Nos. 161 and 162 issues.)

This “finale” is pretty action-packed as well. Once Spidey dispatches the other Sinister Six members (with help from others, including Aunt May!), he battles to the death with his longtime arch-nemesis Norman Osborn. Neither of them pulls any punches either. Seriously, this is one brutal, shocking fight to the finish. You’ll feel exhausted just reading it.

THE BAD
Artist Mark Bagley has been with Bendis on the title through most of its 160 issues. Due to his competence and professionalism, the book always hit its monthly deadlines. It also had a consistent look each month. (That being said, I much preferred the issues drawn by Stuart Immomen, David Lafuente and Sara Pichelli, whose works is more dynamic and interesting.)

Unfortunately, Bagley’s artistic and story telling skills seems to have waned during the time he spent at DC Comics, drawing its Justice League title. He’s never had the most distinctive style, but now his character faces all look the same (both male and female). His action scenes no longer have the zip and energy they once had. The ones here are a little cluttered and confusing. They’re not awful, but they’re certainly not his best work. The thick ink lines by Andy Lanning and Andrew Hennessy don’t really help much either.

THE UGLY
Super hero deaths have become too common place in the Marvel Universe, both in the “proper” and Ultimate ones. (The Fear Itself mini-series also recently featured a shocking hero death, apparently.)
In particular, the Ultimate lines have gone all “kill-y.” If this weren’t a major character, one with his own solo title, would we even care?

Also … no disrespect to Bagley, but his art sort of did the story a disservice. For example, I actually had to interpret and explain the final three panels of this issue to comic store employees. I’m pretty sure I’m right, but these are well-versed geeks who are getting confused.

IN CONCLUSION: Art quibbles aside, this has been one of the strongest story arcs in the book’s 10-year-plus history. It’s compelling, strong stuff that might just make you choke up a little. There’s a lot of heroism in play here. As well as the culmination of years’ worth of story lines. It’s a bittersweet but rewarding reading experience.

ALTERNATIVE CONTRIBUTOR COMMENTARY
Kill-tacular-tron here. Jerk-Bot has touched on all of the highs and lows of this final story arc for our favorite wallcrawler. I mostly just wanted to throw some speculation into the mix.

Similar to how Uncle Ben’s death inspired Peter to be Spider-Man, his death saving Aunt May and friends will inspire another to take his place. Who will it be? A lot of persons have speculated Jessica Drew, Spider-Woman. AKA Peter’s clone from around issue 100. That would make sense. After all, to be Spider-Man they’re going to need Spider powers. Which brings me to my main point… I get the feeling clones are going to be heavily involved in the start of the new series.

A quick trip through my back issue box helped me find some interesting stuff. So Doc Ock was one of the men responsible for the clones of Peter. As it turns out the CIA was funding Octavius to create these clones as a possible solution for the super soldier program. During this whole fiasco Gwen Stacy was brought back from the dead with the not-so-sweet alter ego Carnage. (That makes at least two Spider-Man characters to come back from the dead, the other being Norman Osborn.)

Jump forward to this week’s issue of Avengers vs. New Ultimates #5 to see an alternate Spider-Man leading a rebel uprising in Korea. This was all the under the master mind of Tony Stark’s brother, Gregory. While arguing with Nick Fury, Gregory says, “This is everything I grew him for.” Referring to the Korean (literally) version of Spider-Man. “Grew” is a very specific verb. Clone maybe? While I doubt he’ll take over for Parker, maybe there are more clones out there.

Well, this is food for thought at least while we wait until Bendis bestows upon us some more Spidey glory.

Jerk-Bot is the robotic nom de plume or Utah-based writer/reviewer
Jeff Michael Vice. He would like you to listen to him rant about
movies and other geeky stuff on both the Geek Show Podcast
(www.geekshowpodcast.com) and the Mediocre Show
(www.mediocreshow.com), as well as watch him review movies on the
Xfinity On-Demand program Big Movie Mouth-Off
(www.facebook.com/bigmoviemouthoff).