Gint's 2-3-15 Pull-List Review

Only two books this week. One's an old faithful, the other's a brand new adventure. Away we go...

Second Place:

Spider-Man #1

At this point its #1, but volume like... 35, right? Anyhow, it's the latest Marvel Spider-Man launch written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Sara Pichelli. Bendis has always been (mostly hit) hit or miss with me, but I've never not been a fan of Pichelli. This is also the first time I've read an actual Miles Morales book. He was in Secret Wars, but that doesn't really count.

Being a #1 this issue lays the land of who Miles is, who his parents are and what his situation is juggling school and being Spider-Man. While entertaining, I couldn't help but get a distinct "been there, done that" vibe. The entire issue, until you meet the bad guy at the end, I feel like I've seen a million times in a million Spider-Man vehicles. The classroom scene where Miles has to leave to chase a firetruck was just laborious.

What I did like was Blackheart – the new(?) villain who happens to be the son of Mephisto and a prince of Hell. I don't know who designed him, but he's fucking cool. Looks like he stepped right out of B.P.R.D.. It was refreshing seeing Spider-Man not fight one of the goofy members of his rogues gallery.

Aside from feeling like I was just reading the Jeph Loeb/Gerry Duggan Nova run without all the cool space stuff, there's enough here to build on. Afterall, you can never judge a tv show on its pilot.

First Place:

Nailbiter #20

Whoo boy do Joshua Williamson and Mike Henderson bring the heat in this issue. All the build-up they've done with Agent Baker comes to a head and the book leaves you in a painful spot.

I really got attached to Agent Barker since her introduction and had a feeling her flashes of violent murder after her abduction in Buckaroo weren't going to end well. What was so painful about it was her panic to not be like the butchers is what pushes her over the edge. Williamson and Henderson make the whole bit feel like it could be one of her flashes, which was a brilliant storytelling trick.

There was a time, maybe around issue 15 where this book seemed to have stalled out. The last few issues have been great and I couldn't be happier for being turned on to this book.

Panel of the Week:

Just a really cool artistic panel from Sara Pichelli.

-Gint