MK Spider-man #1

[MatthewSmith]

Marvel Knights Spider-man #1

Writer: Mark Millar
Art: the Dodsons

Overall, I thought this was a pretty good issue.

I'll start with what I didn't like about it since it occured in the opening scene. I dislike the fact that Millar decided to use the Green Goblin as the villian here. Green Goblin is supposed to be a major rouge for Spidey, yet he gets taken down in just a few pages? I don't think so. And what's the deal with Goblin actually getting arrested? Major supervillians don't get arrested. But those are minor points I guess. Hopefully, Millar's going somewhere with this and it will tie in later. Plus, I shouldn't be too picky. At least I'm getting to see Spidey fight a supervillain instead of some supernatural menace. I love JMS's Amazing Spider-man, but the hocus pocus stuff is beginning to get old.

Anyway, back to what I was talking about, my favorite thing in this issue was Peter's interaction with MJ and Aunt May. In the past MJ just got to play the role of the worred housewife when things were bad, and acted all sexy and kinky when things were good. It's nice to see her taking an active role in Peter's work instead of just talking about how much she worries about him while he's out and how much she hates to see him in such pain, etc. The scene between Pete and May was nice too. And that line about the Dr. Octopus engagement ring was a nice touch.

Another great scene was Peter in the classroom interacting with students. This is the kind of thing I was hoping to see when JMS had him become a teacher, but we haven't seen too much of it. I love how the kids are way more interested in Peter's celebrity wife and Hollywood gossip surrounding her than their science lesson. Great stuff.

Then there's the mystery villian. I'm interested in who this is, but I hope things in this storyline don't end up the way things did inthe Batman Hush storyline. Sorry, but despite the great art, I just wasn't a fan of that story. Hopefully, Millar can do a better job with the mystery villian plot device.

The art was also great. I hope that this series does well because the Dodsons deserve to have some success on a Spider-man title. And Mary Jane is looking quite hot if I do say so myself.

All in all, a great read.

I bestow upon this the grade of an A.

[melperfect]

I really liked seeing Peter sans red and blues, swinging across town at top speed, not sure I've seen that before, or at least if it has happened, I missed it.
The Dodsons get an A for this one as well, great job on the art.

I've added it to my pulls, and I'm anxious to see where the story goes.

[YDLM]

cough*Ben Reilly*kaff

[MudshovelForYou]

Originally posted by YDLM
cough*Ben Reilly*kaff

Are you making up names again? I thought you understood: there is no Ben Reilly. Never was. ;)

I thoroughly enjoyed this issue. And if this is what's meant by a more mature Spider-Man, then I'm all for it.

[Randy A]

This being my first foray into spider-man (aside from Ult. Spidey) i was actually quite impressed. Are all the other Spidey books up to par with this one? (like i need even more to buy every week...)

[MudshovelForYou]

Originally posted by hal0
This being my first foray into spider-man (aside from Ult. Spidey) i was actually quite impressed. Are all the other Spidey books up to par with this one? (like i need even more to buy every week...)

I love Amazing.. A lot of people are a little turned off by the mystical elements of the book, but I think it intergrains them with Spidey quite well. That book basically focuses on is this Peter's predetermined fate. Was he destined to become Spider-Man or was it an accident.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by MudshovelForYou
Are you making up names again? I thought you understood: there is no Ben Reilly. Never was. ;)

I thoroughly enjoyed this issue. And if this is what's meant by a more mature Spider-Man, then I'm all for it.

I too have never heard of this "Ben Reilly" that you speak of. Why would someone just randomly throw out weird names like that that have absolutely nothing to do with the world of Spider-man?

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by YDLM
cough*Ben Reilly*kaff
Ben Reilly's dead, Norman killed him. Then he disintegrated, proving he was a clone. I'll admit I thought it was Reilly, until I remembered he died. Heh, maybe it's Kain, or whatever the hell his name was.

[MayorBigRig]

Meanwhile, back on topic...

This issue started off completely neutral in my mind.

Good: Dodson art. Been hooked on the Dodsons ever since Harley Quinn and Spider-Man/Black Cat. Comic book cheesecake the way it should be.

Bad: Millar writing. Mark Millar is for me what Chuck Austen is apparently for everybody else. Hit and miss leaning towards the miss. I really liked Red Son, I really like Ultimates and his Ultimate X-Men... But everything else is just... no bueno.

Good: Spider-Man!

Bad: Another three bucks a month!

There are more examples, but really, for every good thing about it before I read it, there was a bad thing about it.

Then I read it.

At first I was just a little bit disappointed. The first few pages weren't worth starting a new series over, but I knew it was JUST the first few pages, so I didn't throw the book down in disgust just yet. When Peter went home after the Goblin fight, I began to think this first issue was simply going to be a "day in the life of Peter Parker" story, which is perfectly fine, but is not worth starting a series over.

However, once Peter got the call at school, I felt like it really picked up and became an AWESOME beginning to what looks to be a very good story and a very good series.

So all in all, I give MK Spider-Man #1 an A. Bravissimo.

[LoveForFire]

I give this an A.

It was fun, exciting, and dialogue was well done.

Another great scene was Peter in the classroom interacting with students. This is the kind of thing I was hoping to see when JMS had him become a teacher, but we haven't seen too much of it. I love how the kids are way more interested in Peter's celebrity wife and Hollywood gossip surrounding her than their science lesson. Great stuff.

I thought this scene was great and it showed how hard it would be to have a secret identity in today's society.

I thought that it was Ben Reilly also. It's really Rocket Racer.;)

[YDLM]

Its either Kaine,Ben Reilly, Spidercide(yuck), or maybe Jackal.Since all the silouettes were of a guy hanging upside down.I would love if it was Kaine, but isnt Kaine a lot bigger than that?Good Review,Matt.

[Buttery Wonder]

Originally posted by YDLM
Its either Kaine,Ben Reilly, Spidercide(yuck), or maybe Jackal.Since all the silouettes were of a guy hanging upside down.I would love if it was Kaine, but isnt Kaine a lot bigger than that?

Possibly, but they did a good job of keeping the antagonist well shadowed and unrevealed, so who knows.

[Big Grim]

all in all, this book is off to a great start. And don't worry, Norman won't stay down for long. I won't be surprised if he's released by the end of this arc.

[Woody]

Originally posted by Big Grim
all in all, this book is off to a great start. And don't worry, Norman won't stay down for long. I won't be surprised if he's released by the end of this arc. But see... I didnt think the general public knew Norman was the Goblin

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Woody
But see... I didnt think the general public knew Norman was the Goblin
I'm sure it'll be revealed if and when the cops pull his mask off now that he's in custody. We'll just to have to wait and see what happens with that matter.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by YDLM
Its either Kaine,Ben Reilly, Spidercide(yuck), or maybe Jackal.Since all the silouettes were of a guy hanging upside down.I would love if it was Kaine, but isnt Kaine a lot bigger than that?Good Review,Matt.

Kaine is one of the few ideas during the clone saga where I can look back and say that that was cool idea. I wouldn't have a problem if he came back in some kind of fashion as long as he's the only thing clone related that does come back. However, I don't think it's him.

And thanks for the kind words.

[The 'Nam]

I hope that this series does well because the Dodsons deserve to have some success on a Spider-man title.


hmm......i doubt this book will have a hard time selling.....

a new number one? check.
Popular writer? check
great art? check.
etc...

[leez34]

Originally posted by The 'Nam
hmm......i doubt this book will have a hard time selling.....

a new number one? check.
Popular writer? check
great art? check.
etc... SPIDER-MAN? Check.

[deathlok]

I would like to see the Jackel (hope thats him hanging upsidedown).........rocket racer! ......good olde gerry conway & ross A. LOL.........i remember him......would rather 4-get him...........

[Rezlo_Kradd]

Hi, I have been reading the boards for awhile but this is my first post.


I think that the mystery villian (hanging upside down) is the vulture. I mean he is bird-like and, well he is on the back part of the cover.

It would be really neat to finally see this old villian used to his full potential.


Rez

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Rezlo_Kradd
Hi, I have been reading the boards for awhile but this is my first post.


I think that the mystery villian (hanging upside down) is the vulture. I mean he is bird-like and, well he is on the back part of the cover.

It would be really neat to finally see this old villian used to his full potential.


Rez
I thought that too, but then I thought he was too minor a villain to be behind such a thing. No offense to the Vulture or anything, he just doesn't hold weight against villains like the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Venom. But then again, Kraven was the mastermind in Spider-Man:Blue. Ah well, I guess it could be him, but it seems silly to make it someone who's on the cover. Whatever.

[Outshined_One]

If it is Kaine, I will give massive props to Mark Millar. He is one of the loose ends from the Clone Saga storyline that NEVER ended up getting explained. In spite of that, he was a fascinating character who I thought could have been memorable if he was used more often.

However, I remember in one of the ASM letter pages that JMS declared his writings to be "Clone-free" and that he had no interest in revisiting that storyline. So, if Millar uses Kaine, I will be quite impressed!

This was quite a good issue, by the way. It's really easy to pick up and enjoy, imo. Great art, too!

[sweetchristmas]

Originally posted by Big Grim
I thought that too, but then I thought he was too minor a villain to be behind such a thing. No offense to the Vulture or anything, he just doesn't hold weight against villains like the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Venom. But then again, Kraven was the mastermind in Spider-Man:Blue. Ah well, I guess it could be him, but it seems silly to make it someone who's on the cover. Whatever.

Hmm... isn't that what was being said about the riddler during hush? I mean if you thought of villians capable of pulling off what the riddler did, i'd put riddler far and away from the top of the list.

That and it can't be Vulture, that'd be too obvious. I think that it could very easily be Kaine or a real shot out of left field...............


Harry Osborn.

[MayorBigRig]

Or, it could be...

SOMEBODY NEW!

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by sweetchristmas
Hmm... isn't that what was being said about the riddler during hush? I mean if you thought of villians capable of pulling off what the riddler did, i'd put riddler far and away from the top of the list.

That and it can't be Vulture, that'd be too obvious. I think that it could very easily be Kaine or a real shot out of left field...............


Harry Osborn.
I never thought Riddler was too minor a villain, he's always been one of my favs. And if it was Harry, that would be kinda cool, but also kinda stupid. I think he needs to stay dead.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by MayorBigRig
Or, it could be...

SOMEBODY NEW!


In all honesty, if I were a betting man, that would be what I'd put my money on.

Just my gut feeling.

[Woody]

For some reason I want to say that it's the Owl

I have no idea why, but thats just who I think it is

[The 'Nam]

Originally posted by MatthewSmith
In all honesty, if I were a betting man, that would be what I'd put my money on.

Just my gut feeling.

i agree. this is what i would put MY money on.


IF i was a betting man :D

[Wrath]

I thought it was the Vulture also.. but then vultures dont hang upside down

This spider clone thing... I really dont think they would go there

but who knows


I think it could be Morbius or like someone else said "new" character

but after reading the promos for 2 and 3...

he fights the avengers in 2 and electro in 3

Electro is bald but doesnt hang upside down :)

so obviously this guy who knows who spidey is will be bringing out the motley crue of spider man foes

so who could the mastermind be?

Kain (which I really know nothing about except from that online documentary of the Clone saga) could be a good guess since it sounds like a potential MO for the guy.

who is bald or has a full head covering that knows who parker is and hangs upside down?

[Terram]

Yeah, but Kaine essentially is Peter Parker, and even a Peter Parker who had to leave his wife and family behind wouldn't be motivated to hurt or kill them in the future. Same reason why you wouldn't expect Ben Reilly to go off and do the same thing.

It's way more likely to be Spidercide.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by Terram
Yeah, but Kaine essentially is Peter Parker, and even a Peter Parker who had to leave his wife and family behind wouldn't be motivated to hurt or kill them in the future. Same reason why you wouldn't expect Ben Reilly to go off and do the same thing.

It's way more likely to be Spidercide.

But Kaine did kill people.

I agree that it's not him. But I'm not following the argument here.

[TheFoo]

Originally posted by Wrath

Electro is bald but doesnt hang upside down :)



Yeah, where did he come from? Last I remember, he died, while falling to his death back when Steve Stockes (sp) did Spectacular a few years back, shaved head, full powered bad ass, revived by the Rose (RIP).

I'm sorry, but I'm an continunity ass. Cant help it. Just the way I am.

[Terram]

Originally posted by MatthewSmith
But Kaine did kill people.

I agree that it's not him. But I'm not following the argument here. He killed people out of love for Mary Jane. A shift in moral bearing sure, but I don't think it would change to the point of wanting to kill her or Aunt May.

[Lobok]

How was Goblin taken down easily? Did you not see the damage done to both him and Spider-Man, or not pay attention when Spidey said Goblin had taken hostages four hours earlier? They were likely fighting for a while.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by Terram
He killed people out of love for Mary Jane. A shift in moral bearing sure, but I don't think it would change to the point of wanting to kill her or Aunt May.

Yeah, that's right. I remember now that he was having all those premonitions of MJ dying. He hated Peter but cared for the other folks in his life. Man, I've tried so hard to erase the clone saga from my mind but you just sent a flood of memories rushing back.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But anyway, we still agree that it's not Kaine. We just have different reasons for thinking so.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by Lobok
How was Goblin taken down easily? Did you not see the damage done to both him and Spider-Man, or not pay attention when Spidey said Goblin had taken hostages four hours earlier? They were likely fighting for a while.

Yeah, I understand that. My problem is that since Goblin is such a major villain for Spider-man, if you're going to have such a huge battle between them, it shouldn't happen off-screen. That is unless there's some plans for the Goblin later on down the line that lead to something bigger, which is my suspicion.

[Xaraan]

I liked the story.

I didn't mind seeing Green Goblin taken down quick, we obviously came in at the end of the fight and that is not the main focus of this story. And if you don't arrest supervillains, what do you do with them? I've seen them hauled off plenty of times also see them break out of jail a lot, so they must get arrested.

The story was good and I'm interested in seeing more. The only thing I thought was that it reminded me a bit about the Batman Hush storyline.

The art was awesome and I liked seeing Peter Parker having to recover from fighting, that was kinda cool.

[The Creeper]

I wasn't very impressed with this title.

It seemed as if I read this book before.

I'll buy in TPB form though.

[JK Parkin]

My first thought was that it's Doc Ock, but I think I was influenced by the characters who appeared on the (very nice) wraparound cover.

As for the book itself, solid A. Great characterization, great art and a very realistic look at how Peter feels after a fight with a major villian. That was my favorite part.

[JK Parkin]

Originally posted by MatthewSmith
Yeah, I understand that. My problem is that since Goblin is such a major villain for Spider-man, if you're going to have such a huge battle between them, it shouldn't happen off-screen. That is unless there's some plans for the Goblin later on down the line that lead to something bigger, which is my suspicion.

Maybe he told the secret baddie who Spider-Man really was.

[The Creeper]

Any thoughts on who this stalker is?

[YDLM]

HARRY OSBORN, Look at the sillouette, that guy has hair similar to Peter, which knocks Ol brillo pad out of the running.

All of Spidey bald foes. See above.

Ben Reilly. No motive.

Venom.Too easy and not his style.

Doc Ock. He is being done to death already why Millar use him for.

Spidercide. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAAAAAAAA

Cletus Kasady/Carnage. Could have learned Peter identity from his symbiote,and would have no problem with killing May.But that what eliminates him. He would have MJ and May's heads in the fridge with the lettuce.So he is not it.

Kaine.Smart enough, has tons of motive, nobody said that May was touched. He is nuttier than box full of Paydays.I think we have a winner.

[Xaraan]

Maybe Flash has come out of his coma and is a little psycho now and going after Parker!

Far fetched, but I'm just throwing things out there.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by Xaraan
Maybe Flash has come out of his coma and is a little psycho now and going after Parker!

Far fetched, but I'm just throwing things out there.
I don't think we'll be seeing much of flash outside of Spectacular, since Jenkins started the whole thing with Flash becoming a vegetable. I really have no idea who this bad guy is though, I'm just gonna wait and see.

[paulski]

Well, due to the fact Marvel's stupidity knows no bounds, they've now revealed the bad guy on the cover of #4 in their solicitations. I won't spoil it for those of you who don't want to know yet, but suffice it to say it's someone mentioned on page 1 of this thread. A number of times.

And I remain very, very unimpressed by who it is... :(

[Godfather]

The Vulture? But...the guy on the phone had hair...

I think I'm teetering on dropping this title. #1 was ok, didn't do much for me. And Spectacular is going back to Ramos anyway. I guess I'll just live with my Spider-fix in the form of Ultimate.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by paulski
Well, due to the fact Marvel's stupidity knows no bounds, they've now revealed the bad guy on the cover of #4 in their solicitations. I won't spoil it for those of you who don't want to know yet, but suffice it to say it's someone mentioned on page 1 of this thread. A number of times.

And I remain very, very unimpressed by who it is... :(
actually, they didn't say that's the bad guy. They did however list the 3 villains featured in that issue, 2 of them are on the cover to #1. And who cares if that really is the guy and they gave it away. I don't. But I don't think it's him.

[TheFoo]

I was massively dissapointed by this issue. It came off as downright chessey. All the strength that JMS has given Aunt May seemed to have been flushed down the toilet. She came off as weak, something that I thought was written out a long time ago. Second, the dialog in the class room was just...came off to me as air to fill time before Parker got the message about the headstone.

However, I really want to know who is behind this thing, and I think I'm going to at least stick to it for a few more issues.

Overall, C.

[Big Grim]

Originally posted by TheFoo
I was massively dissapointed by this issue. It came off as downright chessey. All the strength that JMS has given Aunt May seemed to have been flushed down the toilet. She came off as weak, something that I thought was written out a long time ago. Second, the dialog in the class room was just...came off to me as air to fill time before Parker got the message about the headstone.

However, I really want to know who is behind this thing, and I think I'm going to at least stick to it for a few more issues.

Overall, C.
I rather liked the classroom scene, it's something we really haven't seen since he became a teacher.

[MatthewSmith]

Originally posted by Big Grim
I rather liked the classroom scene, it's something we really haven't seen since he became a teacher.

I agree. So far all we've really gotten out of JMS in the classroom is Peter finding out that one of his students has a problem or her brother got kidnapped by some guy who can journey to the astral plane and stuff like that.

It was nice just to see Pete interacting with his students.

[punkmonkey]

SPIDER-MAN #1
“Down Among the Dead Men” Pt 1 (of 4)
Marvel Knights -- $2.99 / 23 pgs.
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson
Colorist: Avalon’s Ian Hannin
Cover Artist: Dodson

Reviewed By: Jared Moraitis
Grade: C+

I’m glad to see the Dodson’s back drawing my favorite super-hero, after the stalling of the SPIDER-MAN: BLACK CAT mini-series, but I can’t help but wonder at the decision to begin an entirely new Spider-Man title just to accommodate writer Mark Millar’s desire to write Spider-Man. It seems Marvel is beginning to slide back into the glut of repetitive titles it once suffered from -- hell, they’ve got more X-titles now than they did when they started “cleaning house” several years ago, and the Spider-Man titles are quickly catching up. But I digress...

I gather that this series is within regular continuity, but Millar seems to be given plenty of latitude to play within, and I don’t really agree with all his decisions. There is supposed to be a sort of truce between Green Goblin and Spider-Man, but Millar has GG break this truce for no other reason than he simply got “bored” and the writer wanted an impressive Spider-villain to kick off the first issue with. This seems to reduce this top-tier villain to the role of a C-grade MacGuffin, used simply to move the action forward without any of the importance that usually accompanies the return of the Green Goblin. Millar has stated in an interview in WIZARD that “I just wanted to play with all the toys as quickly as possible”, and the lack of restraint he’s so far showing seems remarkably unprofessional to me. Of course this is the guy who had an entire 6-page article devoted to the subject of what an immature alcoholic he is, so whaddaya expect. Still, the man can craft a powerful story once in a while, and he may be heading in that direction with this series, but I fear his desire to frolic with the toys, so to speak, may get in the way.

There’s really nothing new and different to be found so far. Millar has claimed he’s going to be upping the ante and delivering a more brutal and uncompromising take on Spider-Man, showcasing Peter actually receiving cuts, breaks and bruises, but that’s certainly nothing daringly new. This first storyline seems to center on a mysterious villain who discovers Peter’s secret identity and takes action against one of Peter’s loved ones, but that doesn’t seem particularly fresh either. Not to mention the fact that any Spider-Man comic that features Spidey yelling “Who’s your daddy now, Mister Osborn?” immediately loses points in my book. Other than that little gem, Millar’s dialogue is pretty decent, but he’s given a bit too sudden of a character shift to Aunt May. Peter’s aunt has always been disturbed and frightened by the destructive antics of costumed heroes and villains. When she recently discovered that her nephew was one of these heroes, her reaction was horrified shock that took her a while to get over. She soon grew supportive of Peter, yet still did not want to delve too deep into that aspect of Peter’s life. Here, Millar presents her as a fanatical super-hero worshipper, going so far as to keep labeled VCR tapes of recorded news spots about the heroes. Millar writes a nifty scene in one of Peter’s classes where he learns from his students just how much his they actually know about his private life and marriage to Mary Jane, thanks to the age of “google searches”. The most powerful scene in the book, to me, is a one in which Peter, fueled by desperation and fear, swings through the city at breakneck speed without bothering to change out of his civvies, not caring who sees him and hoping he’s swinging too fast to be identified or easily described.

The art by the Dodson’s, husband and wife team Terry and Rachel, is absolutely terrific, and it’s been too long since they’ve had a regular monthly assignment. Terry brings a nice sense of power and urgency to the action scenes, and everything is rendered very sleekly -- which sometimes poses a problem, though. If there’s one area I think the Dodson’s could stand to improve, it’s in conveying a broader sense of texture in the art. The sleekness permeates every object in the book, no matter the material or surface texture, and I think a bit of variety could really push their art from great to outstanding. Also, Terry needs to make Aunt May seem as old and frail as she really is -- her face and hands seem a bit too youthful and smooth (again, perhaps stemming from the “slick” problem) and the only real indication of her age is a few lines around her eyes and some outlined liver spots on her hands and face. If Terry could only make her hands and neck seem more willowy and a tad emaciated he’d achieve a more appropriate look for the character.

While Millar’s first issue is a little disappointing, he may pull something interesting out of this if he can resist the temptation to leave his toys laying all over the place and let the story dictate which toys he plays with rather than the other way around. Does that make any sense? I’m gonna say “yes”.

[Woody]

Woo! First Post!












(i know im not the first post, i just wanna see what happens when punkmonkey snaps)

[punkmonkey]

Originally posted by Woody
Woo! First Post!


(i know im not the first post, i just wanna see what happens when punkmonkey snaps)


SNAP!!:mad:

Now you've done it!
Time to go kick the dog around...

[coldoutlawblues]

Does anyone but me see this as a lackluster attempt to return SpiderMan to his savage badass dark days under Todd McFarlane?
Putting my utter disgust and disdain for Mark Millar aside, this plot line is played out, I don't care what twist he thinks he's gonna put on it, and his things you never thought about SpiderMan doing bit isn't strong enough to warrant an entire comic.
I also seem to have been misinformed, because last time I checked, Peter Parker was bad ass, you know, the kind that can throw cars and what not- when are writer's gonna give him some credit.
Oh, and who's Kaine? After the overdone Venom stuff and the Clone Saga nonsense, i had a convulsive vomiting problem and am not up to date on old shitty Spidey history that likely doesn't need to be brought back up. Thanks, Mr. Millar!