Tag Archives: Peter Parker

The Amazing Spider Man The Parker Luck Review

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Well, it was finally time to take a look at what has been done to the Spider Man comics as of late and what better place to start than with the first volume right? Well, there has definitely been no exaggerations when I’ve heard about how awful Peter has become over the years because he is definitely a terrible main character. The comic would be decent without all of the constant love at first sight moments, but they are here so the comic takes a shot. Let’s see why it couldn’t become the definitive Spider Man series.

Well, the plot is that Peter Parker is back! Doctor Octopus wrecked most of his social life during the time that he had taken control of Peter’s body so now Parker finds himself in an estranged world. Unfortunately, he doesn’t actually remember what happened over those last few weeks/months so he is completely out of the loop. He owns a company so hopefully he knows what to do with it. Black Cat was defeated by Doc Ock so now she wants to destroy Spider Man. She teams up with Electro and they get ready to attack the Wallcrawler. Meanwhile, Spider Man learns of another kid who was bitten by the radioactive spider of his origin and frees her from her cell. Her name is Silk and now they will be teaming up while trying not to constantly fall for each other due to their spider instincts.

So, the main reason why this comic is pretty unenjoyable are the constant, unnecessary scenes that bring it down. We get a pointless scene where a new character appears and makes out with Electro only to be destroyed. The passionate embraces between Spider Man and Silk are also pretty bad and they really hurt the story. Spider Man doesn’t look like the seasoned veteran that he is and he looked a lot more professional back in the 60’s. Likewise, you can’t really become a fan of Silk when she’s also giving in to the instincts so easily. It’s just terrible writing and the series seems to be doing all that it can to quickly rack up some sales by having controversial moments like that one without actually worrying about the plot.

The actual writing is hilariously bad in the comic, but it could actually work if not for scenes like the ones that I just mentioned. One person actually says the word “hashtag” out loud as they upload pics to twitter and there really are jokes in almost every page. The writer definitely wants you to know that this series is supposed to be really funny. Again, it’s pretty bad, but in a funny way so I can deal with that. It could have still gotten a 7 if not for the fake romance. Unfortunately, it was not to be.

It should also be noted that the art is pretty bad here. The facial expressions will crack you up many times over. Captain America’s face is drawn like that of a child’s and J Jonah Jameson’s are even more exaggerated than usual. His big 180 change over the TV industry is one of the best parts because of how he’s drawn. I definitely would prefer some better drawings for this series, but at least it keeps up the humorous tone here. If only the characters were more likable.

Okay, let’s actually talk about the heroes. Spider Man was not officially retconned so we’re still supposed to believe that this is the same Spider Man from back in the 60’s. At least he did age about 20 years over the last 50 so his character progression is much better than the average hero’s. That being said, his experience and personality have certainly taken a big dip. Spider Man is only good at cracking jokes now and he’s simply not a good crimefighter anymore. He’s treated as a joke and this is justified because he keeps messing up. He really doesn’t look good against Black Cat and it makes you wonder how he has survived for so long. He may have his spider sense, but you can only dodge for so long before the enemy eventually gets a lucky hit. This portrayal of him is quite possibly the worst that I have ever seen and Parker has become the kind of hero that you will actively root against. He goes after so many women nowadays that he may as well be James Bond and that’s why I don’t see him becoming a very likable character in his series for a very long time. The ship has sailed and it did so without Parker.

Silk debuted in this volume, but she’s not a good character either. As much blame as I give Peter for their situations, she definitely deserves half of the blame. Nothing can happen without two people right so Silk should have also kept Peter in the legendary friend zone. She’s pretty tough and the comics are definitely trying to make her seem like the better crimefighter than Parker. I don’t know how long that will last, but just having cool super powers is not enough to instantly make you a likable character. Silk’s going to need a personality change and her overconfidence can be a bit much considering she only has the proportionate strength of a spider. At least her good luck counters Black Cat’s bad luck…but those powers were always a stretch anyway.

Electro doesn’t look great here. He was messed around with by Doc Ock and now he basically has to work for Black Cat. Things just don’t go his way, but at least the ending leaves some hope for him to hopefully become a better person. He seems tired of the whole villain gig so maybe he’ll just stay in jail peacefully until the next writer decides to grab him and make an arc around the thunder villain. Black Cat is now a total villain so gone are the days where she would ambiguously tread the line of what side she wanted to help. Either way, she was caught trying to steal something so she has nobody to blame but herself for being thrown into prison. Her reaction of wanting to destroy Spider Man is definitely a little exaggerated, but I guess Slott just wants her to become a villain once again. She’s still not very threatening though because Spider Man is physically more impressive than her and luck powers can only help for so long. I definitely don’t see her coming out on top for very long, but it seems like she may stick around for quite a while.

Jameson is still a pretty likable guy though and it’ll be fun to see how he tries to wreck Spider Man’s life from the TV station. The Spider Man universe is still pretty large and there are many plots that will likely be around for quite a while. That’s why it’s regrettable that the series has been handled so poorly as of late. Then again, you can argue that Peter Parker hasn’t looked good in his own series for years at this point. I miss the 80’s-90’s where he was arguably at his peak and things just went down for him at that point. I can’t say that volume 1 will leave you hyped for what’s to come next, but the bright side is that most of the other characters besides Peter actually look decent. If the series was to let go of the flirting with everyone scenes, it could actually go places.

Overall, This is one of those graphic novels that will definitely make you accept the possible upcoming Marvel reboot with open arms. I only say possible because depending how merged the universes get, there may not be a huge amount of differences to the Spider Man realm. It’s not the universe that has gone wrong either, it’s simply Peter’s character. Parker is the guy who needs a reboot and hopefully his personality will get a complete rewrite. It’s entirely possible that this is also the writer’s influence so he needs to go as well or this will not change. I definitely don’t recommend this volume. It may be pretty fun on the whole, but the romance scenes are simply too much and they make Peter look terrible. If you want a good Spider Man adventure, check out the Cosmic Spider Man arc!

Overall 4/10

The Amazing Spider Man The Movie Prelude Review

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The Amazing Spiderman films never really smashed Hollywood with positive reviews. While I thought that the second one was great, I can definitely see why people would not care for the first. (Peter’s portrayal….) Naturally, a comic in that continuity would definitely be intriguing to read. It’s decent, but the backup stories are what really keeps the collection alive and kicking.

The story takes place at sometime during the first film. I forgot exactly where it takes place since it’s been a while since I saw the film, but it ends with Spider Man about to team up with the police to stop a serious threat. Spider Man is basically just chilling out until he is attacked by a group of guys with masks. Can he defeat them? Meanwhile, Gwen is trying to make Flash Thompson a better person by tutoring him.

Well, it’s a decent story, but there is nothing that happens here. Seeing Spider Man take on random humans is not going to sell very well. The author tries to make it dramatic by having Spider Man be on the losing side of the fight, but it’s pretty hard to swallow. Can Spider Man really lose to random humans? Let’s not forget that he has his Spider Sense and he’s probably an A rank fighter with it. There’s just too much of a suspense for disbelief here and it doesn’t work.

The artwork is pretty good for the two issues though. It’s not great of course and Spider Man’s design could use a little work, but I would still give it a passing grade overall. It’s good enough to let you enjoy the story in peace..of only we had more of a story. The subplot involves the fact that Flash is bullying another kid and Peter Parker doesn’t want to get involved. So, he dumps the responsibility on Gwen who quickly cleans up his act by agreeing to tutor him. If she can’t help him pass the test, then nobody can! Hopefully Flash gets with the program and soon if he wants to learn everything in time.

So, it’s not a bad story, but it doesn’t have the firepower that you would expect from a Spider Man comic. The backup changes that as we get a 3-4 part story about the Lizard. He has transformed once again so Spider Man decides to stop him without hurting the poor villain. He takes this a little too literally though as he barely fights back. Luckily the Human Torch arrives to take the Lizard down, but now Spider Man has to stop him from seriously hurting the Lizard. This could get dangerous for both of them!

I definitely have to give the backup stories some props since they were great. This the Spider Man universe that I remember. Spider Man doesn’t actually look as good as usual since he doesn’t want to hurt the Lizard, but at least his power level is pretty solid. He can really take a hit and the Lizard just can’t take him down for the count. His Spider Sense actually worked back in these days so it’s good to see.

The Lizard looks decently good as well since he finally overpowered his human persona. He’s a good villain even if I think that he is no match for Spider Man. There’s just nothing to dislike about his portrayal here. Of course, the Human Torch is the guy who steals the spotlight here. He just looks great! You can tell that he is a true superhero right from his opening scene and his confidence never wavers. He knows that the Lizard is no match for him and he doesn’t hesitate to fight even when the villain is under water. He wasn’t afraid of the water back then! He knows that it’s his weakness, but he has ways to get around that. The comics don’t portray him to be as resourceful nowadays, which is just too bad.

The art is also great for these issues since I loved the retro style of this era. The characters are all pretty vibrant and colorful while the battles are still pretty intense. The writing is also good and Peter Parker is concerned about the right things like stopping the Lizard instead of just thinking about Gwen the whole time. There’s a time and a place for romance and it isn’t when you’re in the middle of a battle.

This collection is worth it even if it was only the back up issues. It would be a very quick read, but the comics are too good to pass up. As it stands, the movie issues aren’t bad either. The portrayals for the characters aren’t quite as good as in the comics, but they aren’t bad either. There is no real action to be found so it’s more of a thought provoking issue with a lot of plot. It’s filler, but it’s still pretty entertaining so you’ll be cruising through the issues before you know it. That is the hidden power of a good Spider Man comic.

Overall, This is a pretty fun collection. There isn’t a lot of action in the main story, but the backup makes up for this. The old stories are as great as you may remember from the old days. This is probably the Human Torch’s best portrayal that I have seen in a long time. It definitely isn’t the greatest Spider Man collection, but it will definitely beat the average comic that you see in the stands nowadays. It’s good for a quick read and I definitely recommend it to my fellow comic readers. Of course, if you want to read the ultimate Spider Man saga, just go to your library and check out the Cosmic Spider Man arc. That collection is officially my favorite as far as Spider Man is concerned and I don’t see anything being able to pass it…it was just about perfect. Maybe I’ll find a Spider Man tie in for the second film soon…

Overall 7/10

Spiderman Edge of Time Review

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Edge of Time is another video game that I’ve had my eye on for a very long time. I greatly enjoyed Shattered Dimensions and while I’ve heard that this one is not even comparable..I knew that it would still be good. I’m pleased to say that the game is definitely a lot of fun and it’s worth buying.

The plot is pretty sad for Peter Parker since he is destined to die. Spiderman 2099 is going to need to alter the timeline to save him, but will there be consequences to his actions? Someone is messing up the time stream and both of the Spidermen need to find out who the culprit is. The answer may shock long time fans and amuse people who’ve never heard of Marvel before. Either way, the plot is solid and you’ll definitely enjoy it!

I definitely prefer this story to the one that was in Shattered Dimensions. For one thing, this game has more actual cutscenes as opposed to moving stills. You really feel the danger when Anti Venom gets involved and the beginning of the game is very epic. Seeing Spiderman 2099 take on Anti Venom was also pretty awesome. The start of the game is easily the best part and the rest is still good…just not as epic. There are three acts in the game, which results in around 15 levels. Acts 1 and 3 are great, but Act 2 isn’t quite as exciting. Less stakes and less danger, but that makes sense since the middle is usually the low moment for just about any game.

One factor that may hurt your experience is the portrayal of the two Spidermen. They’re constantly arguing and both of them come across as being unnecessarily mean to each other. Spiderman 2099 yells out pretty much all of his lines and he likes to insult Peter. Peter is quick to take some shots at Spiderman 2099 as well and while he doesn’t yell as much, he’s always very snippy. They just did not seem to be in character and I can’t imagine Spiderman acting like that. He even gives up at one point and resigns himself to oblivion. Finally, Peter was pretty overconfident during his fight with Anti Venom, which was okay….but letting down his guard is not cool.

Gameplay wise, this game tries to be the same as Shattered Dimensions. We still have the free fall levels and Spiderman’s gameplay is what you would expect. That being said, it’s not quite as smooth as Shattered Dimensions. I had to get used to this during the first few levels, but it’s great by the end of the game. I’m inclined to prefer Shattered Dimension’s fighting style, but this game is still solid in that aspect. The Spider Sense can’t stay on like in the last game so you can only use it as a short burst. Meanwhile, you can automatically dodge all attacks as long as you hold L2 while in Spiderman mode. It’s cool to watch, but it makes his fights extremely easy. The enemies cannot hurt you at all in that form, no matter what attacks they may try. Yes…that includes bosses! Spiderman 2099 doesn’t have that ability, but he can fire clones made out of energy which help you fight and it’s just as useful. All of the enemies will immediately go after the clone so you can get some free hits off of them.

Web slinging is the biggest negative compared to other Spiderman games. It’s hard to gain altitude and you constantly have to let go and just do a classic third jump. Unlike Shattered Dimensions, you can’t infinitely jump so you have to pause and swing around for a sec before continuing. It’s not a terribly long process, but it really wasn’t needed. They shouldn’t have altered the web slinging process! Defeating enemies can be a little tedious during the beginning of the game because the health bars on these minions are pretty large. It takes a lot of hits to finally bring them down, so I recommend upgrading your attack power right away. While the gameplay may not be as good as Shattered Dimensions, it’s still in 3D and we still get a lot of action. I would give the combat an 8/10, which is great!

One slight negative for the game is the lack of bosses. We get to fight Black Cat, Anti Venom and the final pair of bosses. That’s not as many bosses as I would like in a game. Throwing in some more would have definitely helped the game and it would have also lengthened the story. The game may be under 10 hours in length, but we have the Web Challenges to keep you busy. There are over 60 of them (Significantly less than Shattered Dimensions) and they are simple enough. The Free falling challenges can give you some mild trouble.

My biggest negative with the game is the level designs. Yes, even more so than the fact that you can’t skip many cutscenes. You never get to set foot outside, which is very sad. What happened to swinging across buildings? That’s typically one of my favorite parts about playing a Spider Man game and I was sad to see it go. There may be around 15 levels, but some of the designs actually appeared to be copied from each other. After a while, you’ll feel like you keep going to the same rooms and labyrinths. The bland level designs can take away from the fun and the scenery just isn’t fun to look at. It’s basically always night time. I really hope that they never cut out NYC from another big Spiderman game because that definitely hurts the experience.

The Graphics aren’t terribly impressive. It’s definitely using a different style than Shattered Dimensions, but the graphics during gameplay are pretty good. The ones that I was not impressed with were the scenes that took place in the cutscenes. At one point, Peter has his big scene and he takes off the mask…only to look nothing like Peter Parker. I had to wince at the design and the graphics did not really look like a PS3 game. It felt like I was looking at Madden character models. Either way, the game doesn’t have a whole lot of cutscenes and the gameplay graphics definitely suffice.

The trophies in this game are considerably easier than Shattered Dimension’s. You have fewer things to do and long challenges like getting all of the Golden Spiders have become pretty simple. Your Spider Sense will tingle if you’re near a spider and the game did a very good job with it. You can obtain just about every Gold Spider through a normal play through. I don’t have the Platinum yet, but I just have three trophies left so I should be getting it pretty soon. You don’t need to worry about any “unfair” trophies so that could help you decide to pick up this game.

I can’t say much for the soundtrack. It defeats Shattered Dimensions in this aspect, but it’s pretty close. I really like the main menu theme for Edge of Time and the epic music that occurred during the Anti Venom moments were also pretty intense. Beyond that, the rest of the music was pretty forgettable and we didn’t have much in the way of boss themes.

Overall, this was a very good Spider Man game. It may have lacked Shattered Dimension’s combat mastery, but the epic story line made up for it. The gameplay is solid and the graphics are good enough. The game isn’t terribly long and you can complete it in under 10 hours. That being said, the replay value will help you out and it’s definitely worth the current price. (Around 15-20) I guess this means that I need to go and pick up the Amazing Spider Man game for PS3 at some point, but I doubt that it will be able to beat this one. Still….we shall see! I recommend this game to all action fans and to anyone who is a fan of Spiderman.

Overall 8/10