Comic Review 236 // Marvel Action Spider-man: New Beginnings

You must love the library and all the great finds you can discover! This week's discovery is a Marvel Action Comic titled Spider-man: New Beginnings. Long a standing fan of the 90's cartoon, I have been trying to get into the new Spider-man series as my son loves them, so maybe the new beginning title will assist?

Title: Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Vol. 1: New Beginnings

Author: Delilah S. Dawson

Illustrator: Fico Ossio

Blurb:

A Marvelous new era begins here! Readers of all ages can get tangled up in these all new adventures of Spider-Man and his astonishing friends!

Peter Parker has thrown down with deadly villains and legendary heroes, but high school life might be his greatest challenge yet. Luckily, he has a shot at making the grade with a little help from his new friends... Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy!

Collects issues #1-3 of the comic series.

Format: 80 Pages (Buy via Amazon.ca)

Review

New beginnings were a great starting point for retraining my brain! It collects the first three issues of the series. It was also seemingly aimed at teens, so it wasn't overly simplified, which is nice. We join a Sixteen-year-old Peter Parker, who has secured an internship at 'Daily Bugle.' We discover that Peter wasn't the only one chosen, and with a room full of competition, Peter will have to bring his A-game to secure the Prize of interviewing Iron Man! After a rough introduction to the Bugle, Peter is teamed up with two other interns, Miles and Gwen. 

Now, of course, the city comes under threat, all three make reasons to leave, and soon a new Spidey team is forming! The story is rather good and enjoyable. With this being the beginning, the story is left open for me to find Volume 2. Though they seemingly found an excellent spot to stop at, you are left feeling fulfilled while needing more! I enjoy a less dark tale, and though it was aimed at teens, it was childish or brain-dulling.

Overall a terrific tale.

Comic Review 228 // Spider-man Bad Luck

What is with me? I love reading these young marvel comics! I know it's great to read to the kids, but I am actively seeking them out currently!! I think I am broken, haha.

Title: Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Vol. 3: Bad Luck

Author: Delilah S. Dawson

Art: Fico Ossio

Blurb: Peter, Gwen, and Miles have learned to work together, but a sinister new enemy is about to tear them apart!

After a devastating encounter with the Black Cat and her bad luck powers, the Spidey team is down on their luck and at each other's throats. Will Peter, Miles, and Gwen learn to overcome their bad luck and work together again, or is this the end of the line for the Marvelous Spider-Trio?

Collects issues #7-9 of the Marvel Action: Spider-Man series.

Buy now off Amazon

Format: 72 pages, Paperback

Review

What can I say? My son loves Spider-man, so once more, we delve into the Spidy worlds. Unsurprisingly it is fun, easy to follow, enjoyable and not groundbreaking. As we know, all three spiders - Parker, Morales and Stacy, go to the same school, suffer from the same teenage dramas and then fight crime at night.

The whole premise of this book is to teach teamwork and see the trio become a team. Highlights include the fact that this is a stand-alone piece, with no carry-over of earlier stories or the dreaded to-be-continued ending. We see the writer playing up to the friction of Peter and Miles both going by the same name code name, which was good to see, and the "villain," Black Cat, was well thought out and interestingly showcased. As this is kid-friendly, we are given a realistic Black Cat that isn't over-the-top sexual.

An easy, enjoyable read at night. Go in expecting some fun and you can't go wrong.

Comic Review 227 // Spider-man Shock to the System

Does everyone love Spider-man? He seems to be one of those rare Super Heroes I have struggled to find haters for. I am sure they are out there, but for now, in this household, he is the winning hero. We found this title in our local library, and it seems to be volume five in the series but is a complete one-shot tale.

Title: Marvel Action: Spider-Man, Vol. 5: Shock to the System

Author: Brandon Easton

Artist: Fico Ossio

Blurb: Your favourite wall-crawler is back in action, and he's not alone! Middle-grade readers can get tangled up in these all-new adventures of Spider-Man and his amazing friends!

A sinister new villain appears! Miles and Gwen are preparing for the biggest test of their high school careers, but will they stay focused with the team all shaken up over their newest foe, the Shocker? And can they overcome his bad vibes with the exam putting their very futures at stake?

The Marvel Action line from IDW makes the world's most popular superheroes accessible to middle-grade readers through stories emphasizing humour and fun alongside action and super-powered heroics.

Collects issues #1-3 of Marvel Action Spider-Man Vol. Two.

Format: 144 pages, Paperback

Buy now on Amazon

Review

Feels like an age since I've seen Shocker! He always came across as a side character, easily defeated by the hero. But in this tale, Shocker is once again an actual threat. Where the heroes so to discover the villain and work out how to defeat them. I also enjoyed the fact that we see the kids using science to solve the problem rather than a straight-up fistfight. This felt I a true Spiderman story of my 80's childhood. The rest of the story deals with the kid's issues as they stumble through schoolwork and personal life issues. Pretty standard stories of a superhero teenager.

The kids loved the story, but I found it a bit disjointed at times and had to check back to make sure a page wasn't missing. Felt like a panel or two had been deleted but no effort was made to keep the flow smooth, which is weird to read through. The artwork was fine. Pretty simple but added no real worth to the story.

As I said the kids loved it which is a plus, but for me, it was average at best.