Afre's Profile

Today is the day of disappointing comics. How Ewing ends his 5 year run on Venom is certainly a way to end it. What a nothing burger. I don't really have words to describe my feelings, because while ASM #1000 I have a lot to say, this I don't. It's just: "meh". Everything about this is meh.

Is this review identical to Venom #262? Yes. But if Ewing can recycle dialogue for like 3 books, I can do it for two reviews.
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Today is the day of disappointing comics. How Ewing ends his 5 year run on Venom is certainly a way to end it. What a nothing burger. I don't really have words to describe my feelings, because while ASM #1000 I have a lot to say, this I don't. It's just: "meh". Everything about this is meh.

Is this review identical to Queen in Black #5? Yes. But if Ewing can recycle dialogue for like 3 books, I can do it for two reviews.more

It's annoying for me to tell how I feel. Because I am left with a heavy sigh. This book has pretty good regular ASM issue in it, a great what if from Hawley and Gleason, and bunch of small side-stories, where I read and go mostly "pretty good" (or pretty bad), capped off with really good retelling from Martin and Slott.

But what is this about.

Yeah. Spider-Man. But. Whole ASM is about Spider-Man and is about different stuff, but usually these milestone issues have some sort of connecting tissue. This one doesn’t have really anything. And I think it might be one of the worst milestone -issues I have read. Not because of the content. But because of this being #1000 and such a lackluster one.
1000. And this is what we get?

First story from Kelly and Larraz is a good ASM story. But it’s just that. An ASM story. Generally ones we get for milestones don’t just suddenly end. Especially when things are getting interesting. I think of the last ones Nick Lowe edited. 800. 850. 900. 950. And now 1000. This is the first one where the big story from main writer just ends. Why not have all the main pencillers with Kelly to make this a bigger story? Why waste McGuiness to a Triple H story. This

feels like Act 1 to three-act story and sure, we are getting continuation in 1001 and 1002, but we should get them here!
I knew I would feel this way. If this was just #36 of Kelly’s run, this would be really good. Is Cormac’s turn sudden? Yeah. It is supposed to be and it’s a great way to have the focus on the trio of characters, instead of having multiple cameos and characters. Generally for stories I mean. But for milestone issue? It just ends and I am left with “so I will need to wait a month to get the full picture of this story” and it kinda annoys me. It does build up well from the first arc, but it also just leaves me wanting more. And in bad way.

Hawley and Gleason are next and that I liked. It had different setting. Sure, focus on Gwen was meh, I was never a massive fan of her, but I liked the world enough and Gleason was wonderful.

The rest are just general milestone small stories. Some good, like Slott/Martin and Matteis/Ramos, some okay like Bendis/Immonen, and the rest are meh. But they aren’t really connected to anything. I don’t feel celebration of different eras of Spider-Man. I just feel like I read stories they wanted to make. And sure, that’s nice, but there is a reason why we don’t mix issues from clone saga, New Avengers and Big Time era together in one trade. Sure, they might all be good issues, but if there is nothing to connect them, there is no reason to have them together.

I said that if Lowe was still on-board by 1000, I would stop ASM. And it’s hard not to. All this happening just feels because he doesn’t do good job. And what annoys me is that he has done much better job previously! 800, 850 and 950 were all good (850 maybe not so, but it was cohesive at least). This? It doesn’t feel like a milestone issue. It certainly doesn’t feel like a #1000 issue of ASM. It just feels like someone glued together a pretty good issue of ASM, what-if and side stories.

And I don’t know what is sadder. That was the intention from the get-go, or they couldn’t do better. ASM deserves better. First Marvel character, the flagship one, getting the 1000th issue, deserves better.more

I think post Spore issues, I've had really hard time to say how I feel about Kelly's issues. I don't have clue how it's going to go, and lack of connections to Hellgate and other stuff (so far) feels odd.

But on the other hand, the stuff is at worst very decent. I haven't hated anything, I enjoy every issue more or less, so I shouldn't really complain.

I think the biggest rea son is the looming #1000. It is a massive thing for Marvel, I think first of it's kind and many have waited for this, with high expectations. Or ready to be negative about it because no MJ and no marriage. I can't imagine the stress Joe feels about it.

This issue is fine. And I think if I thought the next issue as just #36, I would feel much better. But my expectations are still surprisingly high, even if I am wary of what is to come. Kelly hasn't disappointed me on this run.

I have so many questions, but the stuff that hits home (May), hits home hard. I love the focus on her character in this run. So let's say I am cautious about #1000. But it feels a bit unfair, because I wouldn't feel the same if it was just #36.

But Pepe Larraz, I am thrilled to have you back. And Kelly, keep cooking.more

Loved it but would have liked a bit more info on Verity.
I'm intrigued by the Joker development.

Fractions run has been solid if unremarkable.
That's more than can be said for the Zdarsky and Tynion runs at least