And we’re back! This update took longer than I suspected for many reasons. Some of them personal, some of them ironing out a few continuity issues, but luckily none of them trying to figure out if it was winter and where Peter Parker was working!
It’s a big update consisting of over 90 issues as we make our way through most of 1981-1982.
As usual, spoilers follow from here on out if you’ve missed out on the last 50 years of Spider-Man and are just getting started.
The Death of Captain Marvel is one of those stories that routinely show up on critics “best of” lists, but that you never get around to reading. Well, it has been that way for me anyway. But I recently remedied that as I had to read it to see if it fit in with the Spider-Man Complete Chronology. Given I’m writing about it in this column series and not in a Chronology update, I think reveals the answer to that.
More about The Death of Captain Marvel and it’s place in Spider-Man lore after the break.
Continue reading Spiders, Spiders Everywhere Part 10 (Death Of Captain Marvel Edition)
If you are old like me you probably remember Marvel Super Hero Contest Of Champions. It’s a series with a backstory perhaps more interesting than the series itself. It also paved the way for all those mega crossovers you love/loathe today.
Contest was Marvel’s first limited series. It was also the first time that one of the big two had all of their heroes come together to battle a single threat. And while it had no endless amount of tie-in books, it clearly set the stage for the original Secret Wars and DC’s Crisis On Infinite Earth’s, which would appear not long after.
More on Contest and what any of this has to do with our pal Spider-Man and it’s exclusion from the Spider-Man Complete Chronology after the break.
Continue reading Spiders, Spiders Everywhere Part 9 (Contest Of Champions Edition)
Well, it is finally over! Ok, it was finally over back in the beginning of January, but I’ve finally finished my write ups. With that done, after the break check out our (well, mostly my) final rankings for all the Secret Wars series.
It was a huge event and most will not be insane enough to read it all. If you are interested in the main story, you can mostly get by with just reading the main series. Very few of the other series tie into the main event, and those that do are recapped as needed in the lead book.
Outside of that, I’d recommend giving any of the top 15 a shot. As for the rest, you can likely just pick and choose the series that interest you. As said, most have no ties to the core book outside of Doom being God and the story taking place in a domain of Battleworld. And some barely bother with that.
Let us know what’s ranked too high or too low.
Continue reading The Secret Wars Power Rankings – Final Standings
As discussed in part three of this series, in his 50+ years of continuity, it has only been the last decade or so that Spider-Man has been a full fledged Avenger. He was always too much of a loner or often times viewed as a criminal. It never stopped the Avengers from trying to recruit him though.
After the break, we’ll look at a bunch of cameos from our webbed wonder in the main Avengers book that didn’t make it into the Spider-Man Complete Chronology.
Continue reading Spiders, Spiders Everywhere Part 8 (Avengers Edition)
Everything was going along just fine until disco came along. I’m probably not the first person to write that sentence. For our purposes I refer to the fact that even with 3 monthly books and various guest appearances, the wall-crawlers adventures had been pretty straight forward to put in order. But then came a couple of issues where Peter went to the disco (and then teamed up with the cast of Saturday Night Live) where everything just went all to hell.
Much, much more on this after the break as I try to put this update to rest, not because I’m happy with it…but to save my sanity. I can’t imagine what this is going to be like when I get to the 90’s…
As usual, spoilers follow from here on out if you’ve missed out on the last 50 years of Spider-Man and are just getting started.
Continue reading Spider-Man Complete Chronology Update 8 (Couldn’t Stand The Weather Edition)
Well, the day is finally here. The last issue of Secret Wars is finally in our grubby little hands or sitting digitally on our computers, tablets or other electronic devices. It’s been a long time coming. I’ll look at the finale in all its spoiler-y glory after the cut.
Unfortunately for me (and probably for you), this is not my last Secret Wars post. I still have some odds and ends to finish up my walkthrough, namely twenty or so issues that I haven’t covered. (Excluding the Toys R Us exclusive giveaway Armor Wars #0.5…which I couldn’t find a copy of first or last.)
Continue reading Jimmy Attempts To Read All Of Secret Wars 49 (It’s Finally Over Edition)
Co-directors and gluttons for punishment The Russo Brothers have revealed they currently have 67 characters lined up to appear in the two part Avengers: Infinity War. My immediate reaction was “Holy $#@*!” That has got to include EVERYONE. The MCU regulars of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, new blood like Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange and Blank Panther. Even the TV crowd most be represented. Anyone from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daredevil, Luke Cage and/or Jessica Jones. The Captain Marvel movie is scheduled in between Infinity War Parts One and Two so you’d think she’d be involved somehow. And there are sure to be characters making their debut here as well. Sounds like a whole lot of awesome.
Joe Russo teases:
“People will not be disappointed in the amount of characters in the movie. The concept of ‘Infinity War’ is that the Marvel universe unites to battle the greatest threat to the world and universe that you’ve ever seen, and we’re going to honor that concept.”
All that said, maybe we need to keep expectations a little in check. I’m sure we will see a lot of the crowd mentioned above. And the TV shows do make occasional reference to the movies so they clearly take place in the same universe unlike whatever mess DC has going on. But keep in mind the phrasing here…67 characters. There could be villains other than Thanos that appear. Aunt May is a character. Night Nurse. Agent Carter. Pepper Potts. The cop picking up Twinkies for his wife before heading over to Nakatomi Plaza. That S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent with the red shirt on that Thanos kills on an away mission. You get the point.
And it won’t be any day soon we’ll get much clarification here as Avengers: Infinity War Part One is not scheduled until May 4th, 2018.
At least Marvel is being upfront and honest. In translation, we know superhero deaths have become mostly meaningless and pretty much everyone makes a return within a year or so.
Civil War II will be released this June, a month after the loose adaptation of the original series hits the big screen in Captain America: Civil War. The premise to me sounds like a super hero version of Minority Report:
A mysterious new Marvel character comes to the attention of the world, one who has the power to calculate the outcome of future events with a high degree of accuracy. This predictive power divides the Marvel heroes on how best to capitalize on this aggregated information, with Captain Marvel leading the charge to profile future crimes and attacks before they occur, and Iron Man adopting the position that the punishment cannot come before the crime.
So who do you think that death will be? Marvel has already confirmed it won’t be the Human Torch or Spider-Man. Vote in our poll after the break.
Continue reading Civil War II’s “First Death Will Merely Serve As The Series Marketing Hook”
No theme to this post, just trying to clue up some odds and ends. After the cut I will take a look at series final issues: Red Skull #3, Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #4-5, Captain Marvel And The Carol Corps #3-4 and Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #4
Be sure to check out our latest Secret Wars Power Rankings, which also features links to the other parts of my read through.
Continue reading Jimmy Attempts To Read All Of Secret Wars 48
Gabbing Geek 