The post Comic of the Week: “Marvel/DC: Spider-Man/Superman” #1 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
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Marvel Comics and DC are teaming up again, with Spidey and Supes joining forces. While we missed the timing to include March’s “Superman/Spider-Man” team-up, this comic continues the crossovers, just with the order reversed on the title. So of course a cross-company team-up like this has to be our Comic of the Week.
“Spider-Man/Superman” is an anthology of team-up stories, so it’s written, illustrated, and colored by multiple creators. Among the credits are familiar names like Geoff Johns, Jason Aaron, Dan Slott, and Stephanie Phillips, to name a few writers, as well as artists like Humberto Ramos, Todd Nuack, and Sara Pichelli. Credit must also be given to the colorists, including Muntsa Vicente, Brad Anderson, Federico Blee, and Louise Simonson. There’s only one name consistent between each and every story, and that’s Joe Caramagna as the letterer.
So, with all those talented creators on the team, how is the comic?
Each story in “Spider-Man/Superman” presents different scenarios where the characters meet, and gives them all chances to shine and showcase their personalities. The largest story has Brad Meltzer, Pepe Larraz, and Matthew Wilson on a team-up tale called “Our Kryptonite,” but others feature team-ups with Spider-Man Noir and the early version of Superman, Gwen Stacy and Lana Lang, Miles Morales and Superman, and even Jane Foster as Thor teaming up with Wonder Woman.
The details for each story differ from writer to writer, featuring different types of team-ups. We have Spider-Man and Superman trapped by villains and talking each other through it, Ghost Spider and Supergirl forming a rivalry, The Thing being inspired by Superman to do more than clobber, Steel and Thor meeting up, and more. Each one gives their respective characters an opportunity to show off their personalities and bounce off each other in ways we’d never get to see outside of this crossover, like Superman giving Miles Morales a pep talk, while highlighting each of their strengths.
The entries vary in length, with the longest being over 20 pages, and the shortest coming in at two. The writers and artists make full use of however much or little space they have, telling a satisfying story or snippet in each one.
The key to this lies in the characters above all else, as the comic highlights what makes each of them timeless. Superman inspires. Spider-Man perseveres. Wonder Woman sees the good in everyone. The stories that capture these core elements hit the key emotional beats they need to showcase the characters and the love that the writers and artists hold for them. Some do it better than others, but overall the writers nail it more often than not.
By focusing on these central character traits, “Spider-Man/Superman” manages to tell multiple character-driven stories that carry emotion along with the action. Sure, seeing Superman breaking free of the Venom symbiote is cool, but it’s the conversation before that, where Superman and Spider-Man share what motivates them, that makes the story land. The balance of character dynamics and team-up action make the stories land, while focusing on the timeless elements of the heroes.
Each story also features a different artist, showcasing an array of styles. Pepe Larraz, Gary Frank, Todd Nauck, and Sara Pichelli are some particular stand-out artists, but credit must be given to all of them. The art styles tend to match the stories nicely, with artists that can bring out both the action and the emotional moments.
For instance, Marcos Martin and colorist Muntsa Vicente bring Dan Slott’s Spider-Man Noir/Superman story to live with a distinct style, utilizing bold designs that go light on the detail to make characters pop more while looking similar to older art styles that suit the time frame of the comic. Martin occasionally shapes the comic panels into letters to emphasize the sound effects, blending the diegetic sound with the framing of the comic to add a nice emphasis to the moment.
While opinions will vary about which story is best, and some work better than others, there’s a little something for everyone. Obviously, Spider-Man and Superman fans will get the most out of the comic, but it also takes the time to highlight other iconic characters. (Personally, my favorite story is “Our Kryptonite,” while my least favorite is the Ghost-Spider/Supergirl team-up “Remarkable,” but even my last pick still has plenty to appreciate.)
Overall, “Spider-Man/Superman” is a rare and welcome crossover. It features works of passion by creators that love the characters, and takes the time to focus on the elements that have made the characters timeless. If you’re a fan of either Superman or Spider-Man, or just want to get a Marvel/DC crossover for your collection, you’ll want to pick up this comic.
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]]>The post Comic of the Week: “Black Cat” #1 appeared first on G33K-HQ.
]]>This does mean there will be minor spoilers.
Felicia Hardy, AKA the Black Cat, is a professional cat burglar, antihero, bi icon, and on-again/off-again romantic interest of Spider-Man. However, she really gets a chance to shine when she’s headlining her own comic.
G. Willow Wilson’s run picks up to coincide with the events of the current “Amazing Spider-Man” comic, wherein Peter Parker appears to be having one of his “something went wrong and now I’m taking it out on everyone and isolating myself from my friends and family” moods, creating the perfect opportunity to focus on other characters when they’re outside of his orbit.
The story kicks things off in the Night Nurse’s office, creating a hook as we see what brought Felicia there on this day. It uses a fourth-wall-breaking narration to bring us back to earlier events, giving us a fun chase scene and fight that carries the story forward.
For those curious, let’s take a moment to address the fourth wall breaking. “Black Cat” #1 utilizes it as part of the narrative structure, with Felicia addressing readers directly in asides and in the box text during flashbacks. It’s not at the Deadpool level of medium awareness, instead serving to assist the storytelling and carry readers along.
The story moves at a fast pace, bringing us through the chase and subsequent fight in the first half of the book, then the cooldown and Felicia’s revelation in the latter. Her narration lets us understand her state of mind, before her conversation with the Night Nurse brings her to the idea that will kick off the comic’s plot: with Spider-Man distracted by his own problems, Black Cat has to step up and be the hero. (There you go, that’s the spoiler.)
While the comic’s setup works well as an introductory first issue, it’s the dialogue that really makes it work. Wilson does an excellent job capturing Felicia’s voice, giving her a combination of confidence, sarcasm, and professionalism that’s filled with personality. The other characters have equally strong voices, like the Night Nurse casually chatting as she treats Felicia’s wounds or Boris and Bruno helping her reach a safehouse with just a little bit of snark.
Credit should also be given to how the Lizard communicates in this issue, using hisses and growls that get translated in the text boxes.
So that makes “Black Cat” #1 enjoyable to read, but comics are as much a visual medium as anything else, so how’s the art?
Gleb Melnikov’s illustrations are lively and bold, using a nice blend of detail and just slightly exaggerated proportions to bring out key details, like musculature or facial expressions. The characters all have distinct and recognizable silhouettes and designs bursting with personality, adding to the voice and tone of every moment.
For those wondering about the fanservice, yes, Black Cat’s costume does show plenty of cleavage, and she gets a bath scene on one page. It’s tastefully done, though, and the following page goes into the work Felicia does to maintain her iconic style, giving us a look at her inner workings (not just her outer appearance).
Melnikov captures the action scenes nicely, relying on dynamic posing without too many action lines to show the characters in motion. This helps the characters stand out throughout each panel, keeping each moment clean and crisp. The sound effects add a lot to the action, especially when they use large outlines of the effects to emphasize the impact without obscuring the artwork.
Additionally, Melnikov does a great job with the scenery, bringing the city to life with a lively minimart, graffiti’d walls, and busy streets. It makes the world feel alive without making the pages cluttered or distracting from the characters, and when the backgrounds vanish, it’s to help the readers focus on the characters and action.
If I had to critique one thing about the art, it’s how the larger facial features, while adding to the expressiveness, can throw off the faces just a little. However, that’s a minor criticism and an understandable stylistic choice that brings out more of the characters’ thoughts and feelings.
Then we have the colors by Brian Reber. Reber’s color work is bright and eye-catching, but he adjusts the color scheme and tinting to match the mood and scenery. While the outdoor scenes use bright, natural colors, the world is cast in red from the lights outside Felicia’s safehouse when she’s inside, while the Night Nurse’s office turns the world a shade of blue/green to capture the atmosphere. It’s an effective use of colors to control the mood and differentiate the locations.
Overall, “Black Cat” #1 is off to a great start, kicking off a new chapter of Felicia Hardy’s misadventures and road to heroism. It’s fun, fast-paced, and yes, sexy when it wants to be, with great writing and solid artwork on every page. The story builds on the ongoing events of “Amazing Spider-Man” while standing on its own, so it’s safe to say that fans of the character won’t be disappointed.
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]]>The post Sony Reveals “Kraven The Hunter” Trailer appeared first on G33K-HQ.
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In the comics, Kraven (AKA Sergei Kravinoff) is a Russian hunter whose pursuit of greater prey lead him to hunt down Spider-Man, becoming a recurring and popular nemesis and frequent member of the Sinister Six. In the many years since his introduction, Kraven’s accomplishments include defeating Spider-Man, impersonating Spider-Man, dying, coming back to life, and becoming a trusted friend to Squirrel Girl before dying again, replaced by his identical son.
While the movie, like “Venom” and “Morbius” before it, does not appear to include Spider-Man, the last moments reveal another animal-themed antagonist making an appearance. Instead, the trailer puts Kraven in more of an antihero role, as he goes on a bloody rampage of revenge (emphasis on “bloody,” as this movie is rated R).
“Kraven The Hunter” hits theaters this October. Let us know your thoughts on the trailer, and keep an eye on G33k-HQ for more news as it’s made available.
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