8/28 Comic Reviews: Family Ties

Ultimate Spider-Man #8 written by Johnathan Hickman with art by Marco Checchetto

“I’m the most interesting man in the world. Everywhere I go, people love me.”

Look, I know these so-called “reviews” are thinly-veiled excuses for me to gush about comics I’ve been enjoying, but this time, I’m really going to gush. In fact, I’ll say it up front: this is my favorite issue of the series thus far and it may end up being one of my all-time favorite Spider-Man comics. 

It’s the Parker kids’ birthday party. They’re not twins, but apparently they were born in the same month and it’s the family tradition to celebrate both together with a huge party. Peter is becoming increasingly distracted by his superheroics, but he and MJ made a promise that the kids’ birthday takes precedence over everything. We see a brief moment of temptation for Peter to dive back in, but he squashes that and spends the rest of the time focused solely on his family. For teenage Peter Parker, “with great power comes great responsibility” means that sometimes he has to prioritize helping people over his own personal happiness. Maybe he can’t go on that date because there are people in need somewhere. The thing is, though, that same standard can’t be applied to a husband and a father. He can’t just put his family on the back-burner to go be Spider-Man and he doesn’t even want to. His work as Spider-Man may be important, but it’s just that: work. It’s really interesting to see a version of Peter who possesses the kind of focus and priorities that the character traditionally lacks. It isn’t just in his superhero life either. We also get to see Ben discussing the possibility of Peter joining Ben and JJ’s news team. It’s clear that what they’re doing is taking a noble stand against media censorship, but Peter’s first priority is to his family and losing his health insurance and 401k is a genuine concern. He’s already taking a risk by going out and being Spider-Man and throwing away the security of his job would compound that risk even more. Anyone who’s struggled with the decision of leaving a job with better security for one which may be more fulfilling but also more risky is going to understand exactly what conflict is going through Peter’s mind. 

That isn’t to say this book isn’t filled with superhero intrigue, though. After Peter and MJ’s conversation, the book cuts back to the ending of the previous issue with the Ultimate Tony Stark’s surprise entrance in the middle of Harry and Peter’s training. I haven’t read The Ultimates yet, so there’s a lot I don’t know about this new version of Tony Stark. He seems younger and angrier, understandably so considering what the Maker has done to their world. It seems like his father was privy to a lot of it and the suit he sent Peter was the last thing his father created. In fact, Peter’s first question was why the suit was sent to him of all people. Stark reveals that there was some kind of list of heroes threatening enough that the Maker was actively trying to prevent from them from coming into existence and Peter was at the very top. In a meta sense, I think there are a lot of people who would rank Spider-Man as the greatest superhero, but I’m curious what circumstances in their universe have led to Peter being ranked in such a way. On the other hand, Harry is none to happy about this surprise appearance. Considering how Stark has been implicated in the explosion that killed his father, it’s understandable why he’d feel that way. After Tony mentions the list, Harry asks where he placed, and Tony tells him “[he] wasn’t even on it.” It’s unlikely that those words are going to make Harry’s inferiority complex any better, but Tony follows up by saying that Harry should keep the suit and that if he’s hanging around with Peter, he’ll surely grow into it. Once again, the multiversal hand of destiny seems to be closing in and it remains to be seen whether this version of Harry can be steered through the darkness and become a hero, but if there’s anyone who can do it, it’ll be Peter Parker. Stark leaves the two would-be heroes with an ultimatum. The Maker will return one year from now and they need to be ready. It’s clear that there are bigger things on the horizon than Wilson Fisk, and they’re going to need to seriously step up their game. 

Maybe I’ve been slow on the uptake, but this is the first time I’ve noticed just how much they’ve been focusing on Peter’s suit throughout this series. The mysterious “picotech” that has the ability to change its appearance has consistently been referred to as something leagues beyond any imaginable technology in their world. Even Otto Octavious was confounded by it. When the story cuts back to the present and Peter resolves to leave his suit behind before joining the party, the suit calls out to him before he walks away. Seeing the suit in its basic black orb form creepily speaking with Peter is what made caused it to click in my mind that we may be looking at this universe’s version of the Venom symbiote. The major difference besides origin being the fact that this one has Peter’s personality. It’ll be interesting to see if that proves to smooth a historically rocky relationship or if it only drives the conflict in a strange new direction. It’s yet another example of Hickman introducing a concept readers believe themselves familiar with and quickly proving that whatever we know may not matter this time around. The subversions create intrigue for long-time fans while also making the book completely accessible to new readers who may not want to read a half-century backlog of comics. 

This brings us to my favorite part of this book and, by extension, the series as a whole. J. Jonah Jameson at the Parker kids’ birthday party. Peter is the first to ask why he’s there, and Ben, proving that he’s the friend JJ has needed his whole life, tells Peter that JJ is lonely and vouches for a heart of gold beneath his rough exterior. Of course this whole conversation is taking place while JJ is demanding a sandwich at a bakery and the beleaguered cashier is trying to explain they don’t sell them. At which point, Ben adds the caveat that while JJ has his moments, they’re not necessarily strung together. Even better is that he doesn’t even realize it’s both Parker kids’ party. Of course, it’s hard to give him too much flak given the scene he has with Richard. We’ve seen him having a conversation with Peter’s son earlier in the series and here we start to see just how much that interaction has meant to JJ. As Peter gets destroyed in DDR by his daughter, JJ takes Richard aside and gives him a gift, a copy of his autobiography. It would have been easy to make it a joke about what an ass JJ is and leave it at that, but instead he tells Richard about what it took to get that book written and what having it in the world meant to him. He was a quiet kid in school who preferred to be alone with a book and didn’t really have any friends until he met Ben, who he makes a point to say is the kind of friend a person should hold onto for life. JJ sees a lot of himself in Richard, and giving him that book is a way for him to pass on some of what he’s learned to try and help the boy navigate some of the struggles he may find himself facing in life. Again, it would have been easy to make the scene a joke and have Richard make some kind of wisecrack about a lame gift, but he sees the intent JJ had in giving it to him and actually appreciates it. It’s wild that my favorite moment in all of Spider-Man doesn’t actually have the hero in it. Instead it’s just a moment of sincerity between Peter’s alternate universe surrogate dad and a boy we’ve only seen a couple times, but to me it captures the essence of what’s making this book such a treasure. It’s a book about people. Yeah, there are superheroes and supervillains, but what’s most important is the people under those masks and the every day lives they’re trying to protect. Not only is this a beautiful character moment, it also makes it clear how high the stakes are for Peter. If anything bad happens to either of these people, it’s going to be devastating and we can’t count on the status quo keeping them alive either. Being invested in the characters means having genuine tension in a book where they might be put in danger. 

The book caps off with another slice of intrigue as we’re introduced to the six leaders of the New York underworld. All of the members are familiar but their resemblance to their 616 counterparts varies among them. Fisk has a plan to deal with the two heroes who tried to stand against him, but it’s also clear that he’s feeling fairly confident after that first conflict. How much that confidence is earned and how much it’s going to be his undoing remains to be seen, but, regardless, it’s clear there are tough times ahead for our heroes.

There is a lot that happens in this issue and Marco Checchetto knocks every moment out of the park. On the superhero/villain side, his depiction of Iron Man and the Sinister Six all look fantastic. Iron Man doesn’t do much, he looks like he’s leagues above Peter and Harry. For the villains, he’s giving us our first look at new versions of longtime Spider-villains. All of them are fairly faithful to their 616 counterparts with slight differences. In terms of artistic direction, the approach seems to be “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But it also reminds us that the major difference of this universe is that fact that it doesn’t have its heroes. On the other hand, its villains have all developed without interference, so of course they’d be similar to their original counterparts. Of course, as is the case with the writing, the art really shines in the character moments. Ben and Peter talking with JJ off in the corner stressing out a baker is delightful. Peter having a conversation with his suit is made even more unsettling by the way the scene focuses on the black orb that’s talking to him. But, again, the standout moment is the conversation between Richard and JJ. The way Checchetto draws eyes adds a lot to every character moment because he’s able to use their facial expressions to convey emotions with the same subtleties a person would in real life. It grounds the characters further and triggers the readers’ empathy responses when we identify what they’re feeling without them explicitly telling us. Every moment feels dynamic and compelling and I just can’t stop talking about how perfect this pair is on the best Spider-Man book to ever hit the shelves. 

So yeah, like I said: I really needed to gush about this issue. Spider-Man has been around for decades and there have been a lot of interpretation over generations of storytellers. There are a lot of standout books that have been created and people are going to have different favorites, and I’ve found mine right here. 

Jenny Sparks #1 written by Tom King with art by Jeff Spokes

“This is the problem with the world today. Nobody wants to be God anymore.”

Who is Jenny Sparks? That was the question I was asking throughout this book, and it seems very much like the book is asking that question as well. All I really knew going in was that she was a child of the Wildstorm universe, originally a separate imprint from DC Comics that was gradually and tenuously assimilated into its universe. Other than that, I knew next to nothing about her. What I’ve gleaned from the book is this: she’s a more or less immortal figure who has been around for at least one hundred years and now fills the role of the one who watches the watchmen so to speak. She’s basically internal affairs for superheroes. The book reflects that with a lack of reverence for these godlike figures that echoes Jenny’s own when she runs into them. 

Fittingly, much of the book focuses on one of the most godlike figures among DC’s superheroes: Captain Atom. A former soldier who’d been caught up in some sort of experiment which imbued with the ability to manipulate matter on the atomic level. Most of what I know about him comes from his appearance in the Justice League Unlimited animated series where he was portrayed as a stiff but decent man willing to lay down his life for the greater good. Many will likely be more familiar with Dr. Manhattan of the Watchmen comics who Alan Moore created as a stand-in when he was denied permission to use preexisting characters for his opus. The choice of Captain Atom as a foil for Jenny is an interesting one ripe for speculation. Much like Jenny, Captain Atom was part of a separate comics imprint, Charlton, which was similarly integrated into DC. In fact, the choice to bring a character connected to a superhero without oversight as a foil to one who’s job is explicitly oversight may be more than just a coincidence. The reason for their conflict seems pretty straightforward on the surface. Captain Atom has suddenly started killing people as he wanders around the city streets rambling to himself. At the moment, his motives are unclear, but as he recounts some of his past, it’s clear he’s been through a lot. The idea that’s he’s suffering a breakdown isn’t the least bit out of the question, but it’s hard to treat someone with the power to destroy a city with a thought. Of course, whether or not Jenny’s response is even going to get him help or try for a more permanent solution remains to be seen.

As for Jenny herself, we’re mostly limited to brief glimpses of her. Those glimpses present us with a seeming;y jaded woman devoted to her job of keeping the heroes in line. As mentioned before, she’s patently unimpressed with the costume crowd and seems to delight in talking down to Atom in their first encounter. The only thing that seems to get a rise out of her is her previous team being mentioned, but it remains to be seen if that’s more than an allusion to past comics. Right now, the mystery that has me most intrigued is just what she is in the first place. By the end of the book, she introduces herself as “The Spirit of the 20th Century” and considering her age of 124, that may actually be literal. I’m sure I could look up her character wiki and learn everything I need to know, but it’s so rare to find a book about a preexisting character I can actually go in blind on, so for now I’m just going to enjoy the ride. 

Jeff Spokes’ art does an excellent job finding the middle ground between the grandeur of superheroes and the grittiness of Jenny’s life. He can put her and Captain Atom on the same page and have both feel like natural parts of the world. Not only that, but it’s framed in a way which makes it clear that Atom is the one who doesn’t know what he’s up against. It does a lot of the work in giving an unfamiliar audience reason to buy into the idea that Jenny is more than capable of doing her job. And when she shows off her powers? Woo boy, it’s a sight to behold. It’s hard to imagine Atom holding onto his god complex when facing a foe like this. 

This issue presents more questions than answers which is exactly what a first issue should be doing. We may not get much of an idea of what Jenny Sparks is, but we certainly know who she is by the end. She’s the person who makes sure the heroes are doing their job and woe to anyone who gets in her way. I’m ready to see where this story goes and I’ve got every confidence it’s going to be a wild ride. 

Detective Comics #1088 written by Ram V with art by Guillem March. Backup by Dan Watters and Christopher Mitten

Finale begins here. We’re in the final stretch of one of the most innovative runs on Detective Comics in years but it’s made immediately clear that the action is far from over. The recently relapsed Joker’s Daughter is here to cause chaos and no one is happy to see her. Her presence derails the plans for the Orgham matriarch and adds another threat for Batman to deal with. As the change in title suggests, we’ve hit a turning point in the war between the Bat-family and the Orghams. Mr. Freeze makes short work of Neang, the mad doctor of the Orghams, while Two-Face get’s his revenge on Gael Tenclaw for all the abuse he heaped on the erstwhile villain in the beginning of the run. Both longtime Bat-foes have been noted in the best for their sympathetic attributes and in this issue we see that at the very least they’re capable of respecting Batman’s “no killing” rule while they’re working with him. There was always a question of if Batman had made the right choice in inviting them to fight alongside him, but here we see his faith rewarded as their respective codes of honor win out as they incapacitate their foes and slink back off into Gotham’s revived darkness. I have to say, though, that my favorite fight is easily the one between the Ten-Fingered Man and Shavod, the Orgham’s master of manipulation. Her mind control abilities have marked her as one of the most malicious and dangerous foes in this run and her intelligence has proven even more frightening than her powers. Of the three Orgham servants, she’s certainly the biggest threat, but even she has no idea what she’s in for when she faces the Ten-Eyed Man. In all fairness, I don’t think anyone would be ready for him. In a run full of strangeness, he stands out as the strangest by far.Often appearing as something between a shaman and the archetypal “fool”, the Ten-Eyed Man engages Shavod in a battle of the mind as his fragmented mental state made up of harmonious contradictions, much like Gotham, proves more than the manupulator can handle. The psychic battle we’re treated to between him and Shavod is a visual treat as we see her shatter like glass before him. Of course, the fight is far from over as Batman finally comes face to face with Mama Orgham and she reveals that she may be the most horrific monster of them all. 

Guillem March has worked on a number of Bat-books in the past and his art always manages to impress. Each time a new artist joins the book, the first thing I want to see is how they depict Batman’s new suit. March’s version is somewhat more muscular and less wreathed in shadows as he busts into the Orgham stronghold for the final battle. Of course, his standout scene is the battle between Shavod and the Ten-Eyed Man I mentioned before. Much of their battle takes place in a mental landscape where reality twists and the mind is made manifest. The Ten-Eyed Man does not appear to be evil, but he is certainly one of the most frightening figures in this run. Given that we’ve reach the final battle, I’m certain there’s plenty more visual spectacle to come.

This issue we’re also treated to a backup story by Dan Watters and Christopher Mitten featuring Talia Al’Ghul. The story picks up on a thread laid out shortly before Batman had returned to Gotham involving Arzen Orgham, the golden son of the Orgham family. Arzen was killed by his mother for his part in helping Bruce Wayne escape Gotham but, as Talia can attest, death is just another prison to be broken out of. Arzen returns to life, but now is forced to reckon with the fact that he will never be able to return to his family after his betrayal. Without the legacy to which he was heir, he now lacks identity and purpose. Of course, everything he loves and believes in is currently in the midst of a war which means there’s only one place to go. All the while, Talia watches and through her thoughts towards Arzen, we learn a little about her relationship with her own legacy. 

Don’t let the title fool you. This may be the finale, but the fight is far from over. Batman seemingly has one last foe before him and that foe has nothing left to lose. There’s also the question of what comes next for Batman. His city may be regaining its darkness, but where does that leave him in relation with it? Fittingly for Detective Comics, the book is full of questions (and The Question), and I’m looking forward to seeing which ones will be answered and which ones we’ll be left pondering in those quiet moments as we struggle with our own darkness. Look, I’ve been saying it since I started writing these reviews in March, go check out this book. It’s a fantastic work of art and I cannot recommend it enough.

Rogue Sun #21 written by Ryan Parrott and Nick Cotton with art by Abel. 

Dylan and Divinity continue their beatdown of a gothic-horror incel. Maybe a weird sentence to start with, but it’s very much what happens and captures the absolute balls-to-the-walls weirdness that makes this book so much fun. Vein, the aforementioned gothic-horror incel, is endlessly monologuing but neither of his opponents are giving him the time of day. Instead, Divinity is taking Dylan to task over just how arrogant his plan to fight Mourningstar actually is. She may not care about Dylan one way or the other, but she acknowledges that the world needs Rogue Sun and Dylan’s sure-to-fail plan risks removing him from the board permanently. Dylan is as cocky as usual and convinced he’s more than up to the task, but as he finds himself struggling with Vein, Divinity uses the opportunity to prove just how much more he’s got to learn. In the previous issue, she came across as a morally-ambiguous hard-ass, but in this issue, we get a much better sense of who she is. She’s the niece of Dotty, Rogue Sun’s most trusted support, and seeing the state her aunt was in after Marcus died was more than enough reason to make sure Dylan doesn’t follow suit. It’s clear that she’s got plenty more secrets as her conversation with Dotty later in the book shows. She seems to be in debt to someone or something called “The Perfection”. How and why she ended up with this debt is a question for another day, but it appears to be the reason she’s fighting monsters in exchange for more time to live. The fact that she’s paying to extend her life beyond a few months doesn’t exactly paint The Perfection in the most positive light, but in a book full of morally-grey characters, Dylan can’t afford to turn away from potential allies. 

In the meantime, the Bell family takes a trip deep into the woods for a talk with the strange being known as Finnegan’s Root. Juliette is worried about that Caleb’s possession has left some residual effects on Aurie and is hoping to get a solution. The creature takes Aurie aside and asks her three questions. The first two are fairly benign, but the last one cuts to the quick and leads to her lashing out. Afterwards, he consults Juliette and makes it clear that the Bell family still has plenty more challenges to deal with. The Bells have grown into one of my favorite parts of this book, in large part due to Juliette being just about the only positive adult figure in Dylan’s life. Of course, Dylan doesn’t know anything about what they’ve been dealing with recently and it remains to be seen how far their trust of him goes. Hopefully, this is the key to him and Aurie finally making peace with one another and not a wedge driving Dylan away from the last family he has. 

Heading home to nurse his wounds, Dylan finally calls out his father as a mentor. He points out that he’s seen plenty of Rogue Suns in action during his time in the Sun Stone and it was clear that each one had a slew of powers to call upon whereas Dylan’s only learned about his ability to fly and the blackfire. He raises the valid question of whether Marcus has been deliberately holding out on him, but before he gets an answer, the Raven Queen appears. We’d been introduced to the ruler of the otherworldly Aviary in a previous issue where she was presented as an ally who had a history with Marcus. Of course, this time Marcus is actually present with Dylan, so we may learn a bit more about what that history actually entails. She requires Dylan’s help solving a murder in the Aviary, and I just about jumped out of my chair and yelled “Murder mystery!” when I read that. I’m not sure how much time will be spent on investigation, but I’m a sucker for a murder mystery and I can’t wait to see what happens. 

Each issue I read has me in awe of how much work Abel’s art is doing in setting the tone of the book. It just looks good. The characters are animated and expressive which keeps the energy going in the quieter scenes and the heroes and villains are almost all wreathed in fire and energy as the leap across the pages and clash with one another. The character designs are also stellar. Finnegan’s Root looks so cool as he lumbers out of the trees like a creature from Celtic myth and Divinity steals the show with her explosive takedown of Vein. I remember the Aviary being a visual feast last time we visited, and I’m so jazzed to see how it looks when we go back 

Rogue Sun is one of those books that scratches an itch I didn’t even know I had until I read it. This issue hints at some exploration of the deeper mythology of the series without ever forgetting the people at the heart of the story. This book feels like the sleeper hit of the Massive-verse and I highly recommend checking it out!