Raven's Haven: Marco Checchetto

Showing posts with label Marco Checchetto. Show all posts

Wednesday, 28 December 2016

Morbius the Living Vampire (2013) # 1-9, Amazing Spider-Man (1963) # 699.1

(I originally read these comics in mid November 2016)

After escaping from super-prison the Raft in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man # 699.1, occasional, mostly reluctant Spider-Man antagonist Morbius the Living Vampire settles in the slum area of Brownsville, New York. He soon crosses punk gang leader Noah St. Germain who has mysterious backing, gets blasted in the chest with a shotgun, recovers (obviously) and befriends a street urchin. From here, Morby is gradually established as Brownsville's protector.

I was halfway through reading this series when it dawned on me I didn't care about the story or the cast. And I'm a Morbius fan. The real Morbius, that is. Though he's still prone to the occasional bout of throat-ripping, make no mistake this is a watered-down, prettified version of the character. (He even lacks the pug nose that Gil Kane originally endowed him with, no doubt so he could draw up-the-nostrils shots from any angle.) The comic as a whole is bland, choosing to depict Michael as a hoodie-wearing bum and playing down any horror aspects. His fellow slum residents (mostly noble minority types, of course) are also far too accepting of a chalk-white, red-eyed bloodsucker amongst them for it to remain credible. Things take a super-heroic turn halfway through with the reveal of St. Germain's benefactor (SPOILER: It's the Rose. Or a Rose, whatever...) and a two-issue guest spot from the Superior Spider-Man. It's around this time Morbius gets an updated costume, no doubt another low sales-inspired concession to traditional, super-hero storytelling. It's too little too late, though, and the series was prematurely truncated after the ninth issue. Writer Joe Keatinge at least gets to wrap everything up neatly and even allows a little ray of hope to penetrate the roiling, black sky of our tortured protagonist's life, but I wouldn't be tempted to seek out more of his work based on this. However the art, mostly by Richard Elson, is very attractive. It's just a shame he never got to illustrate the Morbius I know, ie, the one presented on the first issue cover to (blood)sucker in the horror freaks.

Morbius the Living Vampire lacks bite. ...Yeah, I said it.

As an extra, here's Ed McGuinness' variant cover for Morbius the Living Vampire #1.

Amazing Spider-Man (1963) # 699.1 and Morbius the Living Vampire (2013) # 1-9 are collected in:

Softcover:

Morbius the Living Vampire: The Man Called Morbius (US)

Morbius the Living Vampire: The Man Called Morbius (UK)

Morbius the Living Vampire (2013) # 1 is collected in:

Hardcover:

Marvel Now! Omnibus (US)

Marvel Now! Omnibus (UK)

Sunday, 4 December 2016

Scarlet Spider (2012) # 1-9/12-25, Point One # 1, Superior Spider-Man Team-Up (2013) # 2

(I originally read these comics in mid July 2016)

Post 'Spider-Island', which I haven't read yet, the surviving Peter Parker clone, Kaine, is cured of the degenerative condition that previously ravaged his body and is heading towards Mexico to escape the attentions of the FBI, Avengers, etc. However, he only gets as far as Houston before reluctantly getting involved in thwarting a people-trafficking operation. He becomes guardian of the one survivor, a teen girl who may be psychic, and establishes his base in a luxury hotel with money looted from the traffickers. He's repeatedly drawn into situations where he has to choose whether or not to act for the good and eventually decides this may be his opportunity to atone for the killer's life he's led so far.

The figures behind the human trafficking operation are revealed as the Lobo cartel, a Mexican crime family who are also werewolves. This is their first appearance since Gerry Conway's awesome late '80s Spider-Man runs, so that was cool.

Kaine is not Peter Parker; while not killing his enemies he displays no hesitation in seriously maiming them, and he's forever fighting the 'monster' within. Writer Chris Yost seems to think Kaine stopping short of killing criminals who want to kill him is 'heroic'; I beg to differ. He incurs the wrath of the Assassin's Guild (best known from their association with Gambit) and this plot comes back to haunt him when he's pressed into killing Wolverine. He also has a run-in with the Superior Spider-Man (Doctor Octopus, inhabiting Peter Parker's body) that follows up his killing of Ock during the Clone Saga, fifteen years previously. Unfortunately, this could have been better.

A long foreshadowed plot featuring the revived Kraven the Hunter (yuck) comes to fruition towards the end of the run and takes the series to its bittersweet conclusion.

This is a good series and I'm sorry it didn't last longer. Kaine is a bad guy trying to make good but knowing that in the end it's fruitless. He is what he is. Maybe it'd have played out differently had the comic not been cancelled but I'm glad in a way it didn't go that far. It's a refreshingly honest conclusion in a genre in which characters are permitted to hop between being hero and villain with amoral regularity. The supporting cast, including a gay doctor/cop married couple (rolleyes) are engaging. Artists vary but Ryan Stegman is the first and best.

I missed out issues 10 and 11 this time because I read those as part of the 'Minimum Carnage' crossover (reviewed here) and it's far too soon for a re-read.

Point One (2011) # 1 and Scarlet Spider (2012) # 1-6 are collected in:

Hardcover:

Scarlet Spider Vol. 1: Life After Death (US)

Scarlet Spider Vol. 1: Life After Death (UK)

Softcover:

Scarlet Spider Vol. 1: Life After Death (US)

Scarlet Spider Vol. 1: Life After Death (UK)

Scarlet Spider (2012) # 7-9/12.1-15 are collected in:

Softcover:

Scarlet Spider Vol. 2: Lone Star (US)

Scarlet Spider Vol. 2: Lone Star (UK)

Scarlet Spider (2012) # 10-12 are collected in:

Softcover:

Minimum Carnage (US)

Minimum Carnage (UK)

Scarlet Spider (2012) # 16-20 and Superior Spider-Man Team-Up are collected in:

Softcover:

Scarlet Spider Vol. 3: The Big Leagues (US)

Scarlet Spider Vol. 3: The Big Leagues (UK)

Scarlet Spider (2012) # 20 and Superior Spider-Man Team-Up (2013) # 2 are collected in:

Softcover:

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol. 1: Versus (US)

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up Vol. 1: Versus (UK)

Scarlet Spider (2012) # 21-25 are collected in:

Softcover:

Scarlet Spider Vol. 4: Into the Grave (US)

Scarlet Spider Vol. 4: Into the Grave (UK)

Friday, 23 September 2016

Daredevil (2011) # 1-10, 10.1, 11-36

(I originally read these comics in early August 2015)

I read Mark Waid's first run on Daredevil and flew through it. It picks up after the 'Shadowland' crossover, which I read a couple of months back, and starts well by introducing yet another possible new love interest for Matt (I can't help thinking the endless string of beautiful women is wasted on a blind man). However, it then launches into a two-parter featuring Fantastic Four villain Klaw that I found near-incomprehensible. Then Matt comes into possession of something called 'The Omega Drive,' a piece of technology that holds info on five worldwide terrorist groups including Hydra and A.I.M., for a plot that's drawn out too long. Matt's then abducted to Latveria and is relieved of his powers. He regains them thanks to Hank Pym, but a succession of events have led Foggy Nelson to believe Matt is losing his mind and he dissolves their law partnership. That lasts until Matt's "madness" is revealed as a gaslighting plot by a returning enemy. With Nelson and Murdock restored, Foggy reveals he has cancer and DD battles the Sons of the Serpent, a white supremacist group who've infiltrated all aspects of the justice system. (That must be the reason all those poor, misunderstood black youths are sent to jail after selflessly relieving old people of the burden of their weighty valuables, according to Waid.) The run climaxes with Matt confirming his long-suspected dual identity to the court in order to foil being blackmailed and he and Foggy being disbarred as a result.

I always assume I'm going to enjoy Mark Waid comics more than I actually do. He can be a great writer and he occasionally is here, though I've no doubt this run is held in higher esteem than is deserved due to art by Paolo Rivera, Marcos Martin and Chris Samnee, three of the best artists working right now. Unfortunately, Waid grossly disappointed me recently when he had a hissy fit on Twitter and branded ex-Muslim and anti-Islam cartoonist Bosch Fawstin a "white supremacist." (Somebody should tell this moron not all Muzzies are brown.) I knew he was an outspoken libtard and had enjoyed his comics regardless, but that was plumbing new depths of leftist idiocy. Outside of anything he's already done for the Big Two, I'll be boycotting him from now on.