Your Weekly Spidey Post

Nope, I didn’t miss posting about Spidey in the NY Post this week, I was at the Kick-off Party for Psychosis which launched at Chiller Con in New Jersey this weekend, and was followed by our Indie Party at Twins Pub in NYC afterwards.

Well, you’ve waited long enough; here is this week’s Spidey cover.



Obviously this is not the original cover, but the new one that is used for the second half of each story.

Well, now that I have you attention, I wanted to say that while I’m not entirely certain that I’m going to like the world that is going to come out on the other side of Marvel’s Civil War event, but I have to tell you that I am really enjoying the stories that are taking us there. Sensational Spider-Man #31 was incredible, the story arc running thru Ms. Marvel 5-7 is chilling, and the Story in Amazing Spider-Man #535 was simply stunning.

It has been a long time in coming, but all of these stories are really compelling, especially the Civil War and Front Line series themselves.

SpiderFan Totally Rules!

As many of you are sure to already know, not only am I a Spider-Man fan, but I am a staff reviewer and the Sr. Title Coordinator for SpiderFan.org. Well, just recently I reviewed Marvel Team Up (Vol. 2) #7 Spider-Man and Blade, the Vampire Hunter. Only, after I had finished writing the review, I went to post it and discovered that someone else had already posted a review of that issue. So, instead of just tossing my own review out, I decided to post it here.

Enjoy!

Marvel Team-Up V2 #7
TITLE: Sun-Walkers

BACKGROUND:
Day-Walker Blade (the vampire hunter who, even though he himself is afflicted with the blood-borne disease, can nonetheless walk during the day) is tracking a specific vampire named Henry Sage, who has been injected with a formula that will finally allow the undead to also walk again by day. Blade has tracked him to NYC from New Orleans, where they both cross paths with the amazing Spider-Man.

DETAIL:
Dawn at Empire State University finds Blade outside the building, looking to break into the building. He is talking to someone on the phone. Inside, is Peter Parker, who has fallen asleep inside one of the labs while studying for an exam. Peter is awaken by Jose, the janitor, who is killed moments later when he walks in on a vampire (whom we later learn is Sage).

Sage is injecting himself with a serum that will transform him into a Day-Walker like Blade. When Peter hears Jose’s death scream he changes into his Spider-togs and heads out to help. He discovers Sage hovering over Jose’s dead body, draining the old man’s blood. Spidey chases the vampire out of the building and fights him on the University’s grounds, as Blade watches.

Spidey manages to beat the vampire, and then webs him up, leaving him for the cops, who retrieve him and bring him to Riker’s Island. Blade follows his quarry to the jail, and then, with the help of a sympathetic cop, manages to secure Sage, and transport him out of the facility. Once he has the vampire outside, Blade stakes him out in the noonday sun and interrogates him about his ability to walk in daylight, and about the Day-Walker formula.

Next, we watch as Peter and Mary Jane attend Jose’s funeral along with his family. Later that night, Pete and MJ are watching TV when they see a report on Sage “escaping” from Riker’s with the “help” of Blade. Vowing to avenge Jose, Peter (knowing that Blade is from New Orleans) webs up and heads down to the Big Easy by hitching a ride on a box truck with Louisiana plates.

As it turns out, Blade is in fact, heading back to his base of operations in New Orleans with his captive. Once he arrives in the city, Spidey begins looking for Blade and Sage. Inside, Sage is strapped to a table while a team of scientists run tests on him. As this is going on, Sage relates his feelings about his dead wife (who was slain by vampires over 205 years ago) to Blade. For his part, Blade is having a difficult time believing that this vampire has any feelings for the formerly alive.

At this point, Spidey breaks in and attacks Blade. During their fight, Sage escapes, and Blade convinces Spidey that they need to team up to go after the escaped vampire. They track him to a cemetery where another fight breaks out and Blade kills Sage, who thanks the vampire killer. It his then that Blade realizes that while the Day-Walker formula allowed the night beast to come out during the day, it is what also resurrected his feelings for his departed wife, and eventually proved his undoing.

GENERAL
Given that this story is written by someone of the unarguable stature and ability of Marv Wolfman, it is surprising that it is so badly written. By this time, Spider-Man has already fought Dracula, and other vampires, including Morbius (not to mention the Frankenstein Monster, werewolves, demons, aliens mystical threats, and other non-scientific villains, that he can’t seem to get his head around that Sage is a vampire is something of a puzzle. Then Blade, in full regalia (complete with his swords and knives) is not only allowed on Riker’s, but is then allowed to enter a prisoner’s cell (alone) and then cart him away.

Spidey, rather than buy a plane ticket (ask for transportation from one of the many heroes he knows with such transport, or even buy a plane, bus, or train ticket) hops on top of a box truck and rides on the outside of the truck for the 20+ hour trip. Not to mention that no time frame is given for how soon after he was killed than Jose was buried (a day, a week?). The event is presented as if it happened that evening, which is stretching the bounds of storytelling I would say.

RATING: 1.5 WEBS

RATING EXPLANATION:
While I’m as big a fan as any of superhero team-ups (especially ones containing Spidey as part of the team) it is always something of a stretch to get Spidey, a home-town hero synonymous with the new York, to travel outside the city limits to hook up with outer heroes. And while it is fun to have unusual tram-ups, they really should work, this one, this time out, simply doesn’t.

FOOTNOTE:
I’m not a big Blade fan, nor do vampires do much to turn me on either. Still, this story seems to me little more than an exercise in allowing writer Marv Wolfman (creator of Blade, and former scribe on both Marvel’s Dracula and Spider-Man titles) to put two of his favorite characters together.

Never Judge a book...

So, you’ve heard me talking about my short story

Well, the story, Never Judge a book... is in Psychosis! well, I just want you all to know that I’m running a contest to win a copy of the comic. I’m giving away four copies of the comic (one of each cover) autographed by as many of the creators as I can get to sign them. For details on how to win one for your very self, go here and check in.

For those of you who don’t win, or simply don’t want to wait, go here and buy a copy of your own.

As you can expect, I’m really excited about the comic coming out. In fact, we’re having something of a kick-off party this weekend at Twins Pub in NYC, if you are in the area, come on by and stop in to say hello. I’ll be the one who is very excited (heh)

Thanks!

Spidey! Spidey! Spidey!

Welp, here it is Sunday again, and our Friendly Neighborhood Wall Crawler is back in the NY Post once again to wrap up his throw-down with the Sandman. Yeah, I have all of these early adventures (all in their original printings), but I gotta tell you that I really love this stuff. Classic Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. I’m telling you man, this is why I got into comics in the first place.

Supperhero stuff really doesn’t get any better than this!

Enjoy Effendi!

Multiple covers for Psychosis! #1

The (Re)Orders are piling in!

OK, perhaps “piling” is a tad strong, but I just heard that Midtown Comics has just placed a (small) re-order for Psychosis! #1. and GWP Creative Director Mark Mazz couldn’t be happier (when I spoke to him, I think he was dancing a jig), meanwhile CAG President Keith Murphey is as giddy as a schoolgirl.

I also heard that of the four covers, the cover by Melvin Ylagan seems to be selling quite well in the brick-and-mortar stores, while the Meth cover is doing some serious business on-line.

Meanwhile, the Birds cover as well as the Wastrel Isle covers are also selling well. I’m not sure what any of this means, but it is interesting to watch the numbers.

So, if you are at all interested (and we know that you are) you should check into DimeStore Productions’s on-line store, and buy a copy (or four) of your very own.

Hope to see you all at the kick-off party. For more on all of this check out this post.

Back where he belongs!

That’s right folks, Spidey is still hanging out in the pages of The New York Post. His reprint adventures have moved from Thursdays to Sundays (apparently so that the corporate carpetbagger masters over at the Post can chisel another 25¢ out of us every week).



While I’m obviously not happy about the extra cash I’ll have to shell out every week, I’m still enjoying the presentation of this classic comic. Besides, I plan on giving the second set I’ve been collection to my 12-year-old nephew Tony-o and then selling/trading whats left over to a retailer I met last weekend at the East Hartford, CT comicbook show I went to with the CAG/GWP folks.

Which segues nicely into this next announcement. Psychosis! #1 is finally out! Yep, that’s right kids, you can hustle over to DimeStore Productions and order up a copy of your very own (there are four alternate covers, the cover that represents my story, entitled Never Judge a Book..., is the 1a cover.

Then enjoy!

Neither forgotten nor gone

I have it on good authority that Spidey’s comic has not been dropped from the NY Post, but rather been moved to Sunday (the better to get more cash out of those of us who are buying the paper just for the comic I’ll bet).



Anyway, don’t frett young’uns, just grab up the paper on Sunday for yer weekly, retro, Spidey Fix.

Snakes in a Plane Comicbook!

So I saw the film, and it was a hoot and a half (go here to find out how much I liked it). Sure, sure it was a “B” film, but everyone (including the cast and crew) going in, so no harm, no foul (ya gets whatcha pay fer). Well, I saw the film a while ago, but never got around to posting my review which should (finally) be up tomorrow. (Hey I wrote it shortly afterwards, I just haven’t been able to get to posting it).

Anyway, today I was in my favorite local comic shop (A Timeless Journey), and I found the comicbook adaptation of the film. Now, normally I shy away from comicbook adaptations of films, but only because I’ve been burned by them before (they hit all of the high points from the film, but have none of the power), plus as they are assigned way before the film is even produced, they very often suck.

Still, this is Snakes on a Plane, and I simply had to have the comic (besides, I go into Paul’s shop only once or twice a month, and I feel bad if I don’t buy anything from his, as he is always so nice to me and all). So I picked-up the two-issue Wildstorm comic, and while it wasn’t nearly as entertaining as the film, for me, it was a “must buy” scenario.

And I don’t care what Walt says, I’m entertained,and I think that the film will only grow bigger in the secondary market.

The comic comes in two flavors. Each issue has a photo cover (featuring Sam Jackson in all of his wicked-cool glory) and the second cover is a drawing of Sam Jackson in all of his wicked-cool glory. Me, I purchased the photo covers as I felt that hey were, well, cooler. Which is not to say that the art covers weren’t cool; I just liked the photo covers better. You can pick your own issue.

CAG Rules!

You read that right, CAG (Comic Artists Guild) Rules. By-the-by, I’m not just saying that because I’m the newly-appointed Minister of MisInformation Director of Communications, (and Webmaster of the GPW — Guild Works Productions — Web site), I’m saying that because it is flat-out true. As writers and artists we have joined together to form a sum that is greater than the individual parts. CAG offers us networking, friendship, and buddies with whom we can talk shop. I say again, CAG Rules!

Hold your applause, there’s more.

Well, last weekend I met with these guys in Middletown, CT we talked about the Psychosis! issue, as well as the formation of CAG-L.A. and CAG Lincoln, Nebraska, plus there was something of a re-org within the management structure.

Oh yeah, and (because it was my birthday), they not only got me a card, but a (cheese)cake as well. Thanks guys. I was so overwhelmed by it all, I forgot to take any pics, but I do have a scan of the card they gave me. Cute, huh?



Well, anyway, this weekend, we went up to East Hartford to partake in a comicbook show there. It was there that I (finally) scored an affordable copy of Amazing Spider-Man #36 V2, The World Trade Center edition. I think we are going back for the next show in December.

Next weekend, we’ll be back in NYC for a show there, and then perhaps in Milford on Oct 22nd for a show there (we’re still working out the details on that one). In the meantime, I’ve been told by Art/Editorial Director, Mark Mazz that Psychosis! #1 is at the printer, and we’ll have copies next week (if you want a sneak peak at ordering one, go to DimeStore Productions and Purchase Psychosis! #1 from them, or you can also order it (on-line or in person) from Midtown Comics or Jim Hanley’s Universe.

Oh yeah, here’s the card I got from the family.