comics round-up 11th September 2008

Slow week this week for my pull list...

Amazing Spider-Man #571 'New Ways to Die' book 4: My god, this book is off the fucking chain. John Romita JR is absolutely brilliant. Without any spoilers, this week, it's Anti-Venom vs Spider-man vs Radioactive Man vs Songbird or thereabouts, and Menace vs Norman Osborn with some interesting reveals about the source of Menace's technology. Maybe calling Menace a cheap Goblin knock-off isn't so far from the truth. We end with Bullseye released and ready to track down Spidey. The artwork on this is absolutely incredible, the panelling, the colouring, the drawings of Spidey in action. This is how the Spidey of the 60s should look drawn 40 years later.

Secret Invasion #6: So I started reading this so I knew what the Marvel 'annual big event status quo' would be when it finished. And it's not bad. However, like Civil War, the pacing is really off, with some months loads happening, and others not much- filler. I know they do this to spread out the Skrull reveals, which is the other reason I think I read this. So no major Skrull reveals this week. Mostly, Nick Fury holds the fort down in Manhatten; the Skrull Queen dressed as Spider-woman plots; and the heroes bomb it back from the Savage Land. The best bit of this issue is the last double-page illustration of the Skrull warriors and all the Avengers (Mighty, New, Secret and Young, as well as the Initiative) all going at it.

Deadpool #1: Everyone loves Deadpool cos he's so sarcy and lairy and a bit more post-modern than other heroes as he is aware he's in a comic book. This is a bit of a waste as it's a Secret Invasion tie-in and doesn't really set up an arc I'm excited about following. Hmmm.

Every comic fan should be reading 'New Ways to Die' though.