Spider-Island: Avengers #1
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| "For the last time, Hawkeye, I don't know 'Rainbow Connection'." (art by Leinil Francis Yu) |
Creative Team: Chris Yost (writer), Mike McKone (art)
Capsulized Review: I was kinda worried about this one, given Yost's tendencies towards Furmanesque mass character deaths, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a fun, goofy book - a nice snack compared with some of the heavier Spider-Island tie-ins.
Page 1: ULTIMATUM (Underground Liberated Totally Integrated Mobile Army To Unite Mankind, which is stated in the book itself, but man, it's a great acronym, isn't it?) is an anti-nationalist terrorist group led by the Flag-Smasher; as you can imagine, they fight Captain America a lot. This is the second Flag-Smasher, Guy Therriault, who first appeared in Civil War: Young Avengers and Runaways #1; the original Flag-Smasher, Karl Morgenthau, was assassinated by Domino in Cable and Deadpool #28.
Flag-Smasher has a robot arm here because Flash Thompson, in his first outing as Venom, bit it off in Amazing Spider-Man #654.1.
Page 2: The Avengers battled Dr. Octopus' giant robot octopuses in ASM #646, and were "turned into Venoms" by Kristoff Vernard's symbiote virus in Mighty Avengers #8.
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| Avenomgers, Avemble! (Mighty Avengers #8, written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Mark Bagley and Danny Miki) |
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| I think I found something he's worse at than pillow talk. (Ms. Marvel #47, written by Brian Reed, art by Mike McKone) |
Page 7: Eugene Patilio is the son of Vincent Patilio, the crappy Daredevil villain known as Leap Frog, whose superpower was...uh, a frog suit with springs on the boots with which, much like Wonderella, he could jump hella high. Eugene, who debuted in 1982's Marvel Team-Up #121, decided to do some good with his father's old gear, so he became the fabulous Frog-Man! He means well, but he's not very good at...well, anything, really. But he tries. He's popped up a number of places since his debut - trying (and failing) to join the Defenders, sorta-teaming with Captain America against the Yellow Claw, joining with the Toad and Spider-Kid (but sadly not Glenn Danzig) to form the Misfits...
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| "...you suck!" (Marvel Team Up #121, written by JM Dematteis, art by Kerry Gammill and Mike Esposito) |
Page 14: This may be a reference to The Mutant Misadventures of Cloak and Dagger, one of C&D's short-lived ongoing series.
Page 15: Moondragon is an ex-Avenger. Think "superheroic Persis Khambetta" and you won't be far off.
Page 16: Spider-Man's adhesion power can in fact be used offensively like this - most notably, insane Spider-clone Kaine's disfiguring "Mark of Kaine" was basically him burning his handprint into people's faces. Spider-Man himself could do this as well, but he doesn't. Well, not much.
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| GIVE ME YOUR FACE (Amazing Spider-Man #637, written by Joe Kelly, art by Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano) |
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| Do not punish while light is flashing. (art by Mike Del Mundo) |
Creative Team: Greg Rucka, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Joe Caramagna, Skottie Young (writers), Max Fiumara, Chuck BB, Dave Guertin, Greg Baldwin (art)
Capsulized Review: Hard to go wrong with an anthology book, especially one with this much talent behind it. This one has a little something for everyone - adorable cats, small children, and even the Punisher!
This is not exactly a continuity-heavy book. Nothing to Spider-Mannotate, even. So let's leave things here, and join me next week for Amazing Spider-Man #669, Herc #7, and Spider-Island: Amazing Spider-Girl #2!
Jessica Jones' schoolgirl crush on Peter Parker was actually established in Alias #22, six years before the Amazing Spider-Man backup you credit. In Jessica's origin story, she's just about to ask Peter out (though he's never noticed her) when he's bit by the spider.
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