Spider-Man: Mighty Mayhem!

My oldest kid loves this series, and I cannot believe I have not reviewed a book from it until now. Spider-Man: Mighty Mayhem! is the fourth Mighty Marvel Team-Up book by Mike Maihack, who is best known for his Cleopatra in Space series of graphic novels that were also adapted as a cartoon series. In this book the web-spinner teams up with Thor and a gaggle of Asgardians who have run afoul of the Enchantress. She was scheming to steal powerful magical artifacts, and was thwarted by Odin but not before she could transform him, the magical items, and all the Asgardians into mundane animals and household objects. 

Thor (in frog form) enlists Spider-Man to help find the artifacts before the Enchantress, and they journey across the different realms in order to fulfill their quest. Along the way, they encounter frost giants and other assorted obstacles, and there are lots of funny scenes, witty banter, and action sequences to enchant and delight readers. 

The artwork is vibrant and energetic, and I loved getting to see so many different characters featured in an accessible and wonderful way. I very much enjoyed this romp across the Marvel Universe, and what is more, my oldest child declared it the best and their favorite of the four books. And each one is stand-alone, so anyone can pick up and get into the fun without knowing much about superheroes.

I was only able to locate two reviews of this book, and they were both positive. J. Caleb Mozzocco called it "a gentle, all-ages adventure with more jokes than fights, and another swathe of the Marvel Universe appealingly rendered in Maihack’s lovely style." Robert Greenberger wrote, "Aimed at readers 6-9, the book will most definitely satisfy and amuse them."

Spider-Man: Mighty Mayhem! was published by Abrams Fanfare, and they offer more information about it here.

Miles Morales: Shock Waves

My boys both loved Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and it's a movie I have seen a bunch of times. I think it works on a number of levels, and I bring it up because I think it is the direct spiritual influence of this book and probably the text that most younger readers who are its intended audience would have seen. I think the only real difference in his characterization is that this book keys more on his Puerto Rican side, which especially comes to the fore when an earthquake strikes the island and his family spearheads a fundraising event to send aid. Although it is not a sequel or related to the movie in any direct way, this book treads similar ground in terms of characterization and tone. It works as an introduction to the character but also as a continuation of his exploits for his fans. Miles is a young African-American/Latinx New Yorker endowed with great power, which he uses to protect others and thwart villains. 

Like most good Spider-Man stories, this book focuses on a mixture of Miles' identities. There is plenty of crossover between his work/school/home personas, and his problems are grounded in reality and very relatable. Of course, his superheroics often conflict with his personal/family life.

Miles also meets a new classmate at school, Kyle, and she's got a dilemma of her own when her tech genius father goes missing. In the course of this investigation, it seems that one of the largest contributors to the Puerto Rico fundraiser may be involved, and Miles has to tread lightly in his guise as Spider-Man. Rounding out all this personal drama, this book also has its share of action.

I think it works well as a compelling superhero narrative, full of action sequences, and intriguing mystery, and deeds of derring-do. In many ways, the six chapters read like individual comic books, with cliffhangers and a good amount of self-contained story, potentially making this an entry point into serial comics.

One thing I wondered as I read this book was how it would play with readers who were new to superheroes. I feel it relies on the reader knowing who the main players are already, as well as a passing knowledge of who the Avengers, Peter Parker (Spider-Man), and Tony Stark (Iron Man) are. It follows the lead of the Marvel cinematic universe, introducing a number of different concepts, like Terrigen mist and Inhumans, and new characters like Ms. Marvel (star of the next Marvel book from Scholastic Graphix) and Squirrel Girl, in hopes of constructing an interlocking series of books.

This strategy of building continuity contrasts pretty sharply with DC Comics' line of YA graphic novels, which seem more creator-driven, stand-alone volumes. A bunch of those books center on the same sets of characters, but there is no apparent attempt at continuity between the books, except when there are sequels. Personally, I thought this book was a fun and breezy read, and I am curious to see how well it and the entire line sells going forward.

The two main creators on this book are writer Justin A. Reynolds and artist Pablo Leon. Reynolds is a novelist known for his best-selling debut Opposite of Always, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2019., and his more recent Early Departures. Leon has drawn a number of works but is perhaps best known for the Eisner Award-nominated digital comic The Journey. Both creators speak about their collaboration on Shock Waves in this interview.

The reviews I have read of this book have been mostly positive. In a starred entry, Kirkus Reviews concluded, "Big heart and enduring life lessons make this a cherished addition to a viral character’s legacy." Eric Kallenborn wrote, "It’s a great entry into the character with a great story to boot." In a more reserved review, Tiffany Babb called it "an enjoyable but weightless read for younger Spider-Man fans."

Miles Morales: Shock Waves was published by Scholastic Graphix, and they offer more info about it here.

The Superior Spider-Man: My Own Worst Enemy

Growing up, Spider-Man was my favorite superhero. I watched the 1966 cartoon series in reruns, watched the horrible live action 1970s TV show, bought his MEGO action figures, and learned to read in part because I loved those Pocket Books paperback collections. Today still, when people ask who my favorite superhero is I say Spider-Man, but truth be told I have not read a Spider-Man comic book regularly since I was in college, and only really checked in sporadically since with tweaked versions of the character, such as Brian Bendis's Ultimate Spider-Man, the Tangled Web anthology series, or Dan Slott's nostalgic look back in the Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm with Stupid mini-series.

All that said, lately there was some news buzz because Peter Parker was being killed in the milestone issue #700 of Amazing Spider-Man, and there is a part of me that is a seasoned comic book fan who could not care less about such theatrics and blatant media baiting about a corporate property I knew could not be substantially altered, at least not for long. Still, I knew that I liked Slott's other work and also that he had a respect for the version of Spider-Man I grew up with, so one day when I had a little bit of extra scratch and found myself in JHU Comic Books in NYC in November, I picked up this first volume of this new series to see what had happened to my erstwhile favorite superhero.

This volume collects the first five issues of a new direction for the webslinger. Peter Parker is dead, in mind but not in body. Dr. Octopus, his first major villain, pulled off the ultimate victory, trapping Parker's consciousness in his old, dying body and transferring his own mind into Peter's younger, more vital form. The catch is that Doc Ock also has all of Peter's memories and profound sense of responsibility. So he is compelled to be a superhero, and his profound ego drives him to be an even better, more efficient crimefighter than his predecessor, hence the series title.

This Spider-Man is more calculating and economical. He builds multiple devices to aid his quest to enforce justice. He is much more strident, violent, and ruthless than before. He has little remorse for his adversaries, and what is more, as a former villain who worked with many of Spider-Man's enemies, he has specific insights into their strategies, personalities, and pasts that he can use to his advantage. Still, he does his all to maintain his secret identity and not let others in on the fact that, despite outward appearances, there is an entirely different person in that body. And because he is Spider-Man, maintaining that secret identity does come at a price:

In all, I found this series very captivating, and I liked the contrasts drawn between the sensibilities of the characters who are Spider-Man. I particularly enjoyed how Doc Ock is portrayed as ethical in his own way; he's pretty much a horrible person but he does have a redeeming quality or two. I also liked that there are many relationships, such as the ones with J. Jonah Jameson, the police department, and Peter's friends and associates, including his girlfriend Mary Jane and his Aunt May, that are turned on their heads and examined from different angles. These situations made for some intrigue and drama, and I find myself wanting to read much more of this series.

Writer Dan Slott is a long time comics author, who is known for his ability to combine action and humor. I really enjoyed his past work on the Great Lake Avengers, a parody comic that ended up being more than a one-note comedy. I love the twists on classic Spider-Man tropes he makes, and the plotting and characterization in this book are exceptional. The art in this volume is by two different pencillers, Ryan Stegman and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Stegman's style is more cartoony and energetic with some ragged lines, while Camuncoli's is more polished and clean. Both are expressive and skilled enough to well capture the human moments as well as the dynamic action scenes.

Reviews I have read and heard about this series have been very positive. Matt Adams called it "a refreshing new direction for the 50-year-old superhero." Marty at the Rocket Vlog (video has some adult language) gave the book a 10/10 and commented that there were "some interesting bits of humanity in it." Ryan K. Lindsay gushed about the first part of the series, calling it "a complete success, a reboot issue that builds from what came before but is entirely accessible for new readers."

This collection is published by Marvel Comics. There is a short preview available here from Comic Book Resources.

SPOILER: I forgot to mention, Peter Parker is not dead. He's a ghost in his own body. And he'll be back very soon.