Screaming Enigma's Profile

Really good issue that goes into the "origins" of Radiant Red. Definitely one of my favorite issues thus far. Very much hoping that we can get something similar for Yellow and Pink, following their introductions in the previous issue. Furthermore, I'm hoping Red continues to get a good amount of focus as the series progresses. I might be more invested in her than Marshall right now, honestly.

Good issue that follows up on the shocking ending of the previous one while also advancing the ongoing story and adding to the world a bit more, particularly with the introductions of Radiant Pink and Radiant Yellow. Glad that Nathan isn't actually dead here, especially as I'm now intrigued to see what happens when he, hopefully, recovers and finds out that Marshall is now Radiant Black.

Woah, alright then. Definitely not what I was expecting to happen here. Like, at all. The ending of this hooked me in a way none of the previous three have before. I've had some trouble figuring out what to talk about in my reviews of the last three issues, so I had my notes app open while reading this to try and figure out what to bring up. The only thing I wrote down before the final fight was t hat I thought Marshall eating what appears to be black licorice was gross. However, that twist ending really caught me off-guard (Spoilers incoming). Not just Nathan dying, but Marshall actually now becoming Radiant Black going forward was just wild.more

A nice issue that I particularly enjoyed for its focus on writer's block. It's not doing anything groundbreaking with the concept or anything, but I did feel that it portrayed a lot of what it's like accurately. Some neat teases here, as well, regarding the future of the book. Still pretty cryptic, but enough to create interest within me. Definitely still looking forward to whatever's next from th is.more

Glad to say that I liked this more than the first issue. In my review of the first issue, I mentioned that this might pick up a bit with the setup out of the way, and I think that's exactly what happened here. Not only do we get to build upon it with the characters we were already introduced to, but I also liked the more formal introduction of the red version of Nathan's suit that we saw at the en d of that aforementioned issue. Cool fight, as well, and I liked that they, seemingly, have different abilities. Looking forward to more.more

Pretty solid opening here. Didn't get me super strongly invested, but it did so enough to make me want more. There's definitely potential here, but, perhaps, it just needed the setup out of the way to really get cooking. We shall see, but, so far, I'm liking it. Nice interiors from Costa and good writing from Higgins. The latter had some moments where it felt a bit generic, but it wasn't bad at al l.more

This is what I've been hoping for this whole time...and, man, did it hurt. I read this and loved it, but it didn't quite get me to cry and I ended up landing on a 9.5/10 (Not that I only give a 10/10 to books I've cried to, but I think you get the point). I began to think that, perhaps, a re-read might do the trick. A few hours later, I re-read it and we got there. I'm solid in my 10/10 score and this did, in fact, get me to tear up. Particularly the last couple of pages, where we actually see Peter where he's been narrating the whole book, along with Mary Jane, whose words were really what sent me over the edge. Just beautiful stuff there, man. Loeb and Sale do it again.more

Really good penultimate issue here. This basically continues on with everything I've praised the book for in previous issues, so I don't really feel that there's a whole lot for me to say here. Loeb and Sale have proven to be a strong duo in the past, and this book remains no exception to that. Looking forward to seeing how this wraps up in the next issue.

Super solid issue, though I wasn't particularly into the stuff with Vulture. It was fine for what it was, but this really shined when he wasn't being focused on. Especially in the first few pages, as we got one of the best quotes, if not the absolute best quote, of the series thus far with "I never, ever, thought I would be burying you before her, it’s just not the way life is supposed to work." J ust hit me incredibly hard when I read it.more

My favorite issue thus far. It just barely crosses the threshold of "greatness" that I mentioned in my review of the previous issue. The villain interactions have consistently been very enjoyable throughout this book, but I've always particularly liked Lizard, so, perhaps, that does some of the work in that regard. Although, the introduction of Mary Jane is really well-done here, as is the persona l drama between Peter, MJ, Gwen, Harry, and the others. Speaking of Harry, that conversation between him and Peter on the last couple of pages was pretty good, as well. Really liked how Loeb handled that.more

This really feels like it should be better than it is. Don't get me wrong, this is really good, hence my rating. But it's just falling short of the "greatness territory' that I can't help but feel like it should be reaching. Sale's art continues to be fantastic, and Loeb continues to write everything very well. It's just missing something to get to that next level, for me. In any case, I'm still r eally enjoying this.more

A super solid start to this. It's far from a perfect issue, but I feel a lot of potential for this to become something great. Really nice interiors from Sale here, and Loeb does a nice job balancing the differing tones here, between more classic Spidey and the more somber stuff we see through Peter's narration. Looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

It was solid, but definitely one of the weaker issues in the series thus far. The Big Man and the Enforcers were kind of neat, but I wasn't all that invested in them until the very end, in which we get the reveal of Foswell being the Big Man. Furthermore, while I did like the reveal of why Jameson constantly slanders Spider-Man, I think there was a better way to execute it, rather than just having him randomly go on about it. Though, I did think the action was enjoyable here, as was the character/personal drama.more

One of the best issues thus far, which is especially good when you consider my feelings on the previous issue. In any case, this was a stronger issue that had a nice balance of super-heroics and personal-life/character drama. Electro is a neat villain, I must say, and one that I enjoyed more than the likes of Vulture and Chameleon, but, perhaps, not as much as Doctor Octopus or Lizard. Anyways, ye ah, this was really good. Especially interested to see how things progress between Peter and Betty.more

Definitely my least favorite Spider-Man issue up to this point. I thought the story with the Living Brain, itself, was solid, but thing swerving into a boxing match between Peter and Flash was just super weird to me. Everything aside from that, in the main story, was good for what it was. Though, that's the thing. This has the return of a second story to the title, and I wasn't particularly into t his one. I didn't really see the point for it existing in the first place, but it just didn't end up doing a whole lot for me, unfortunately. This is still an issue I liked overall, but I'm hoping it's more of a minor bump in the road, rather than a sign of things to come.more

Glad to say that I enjoyed this more than Vulture's first appearance back in Issue #2. The wordiness has toned down since then, and I enjoyed seeing Spider-Man have a second encounter with a villain for the first time. Vulture isn't particularly the first villain I wanted to see return, but I liked him in his first story and I liked him again here. Though, Doctor Octopus is really the guy to have return after how good his issue was, in my opinion.more

Another very solid read. I particularly enjoyed Spider-Man's confrontation with J. Jonah that leads to the latter taking Peter with him to Florida. Additionally, I thought Lizard was a fairly interesting antagonist, especially considering that he's the first person Spider-Man has fought that doesn't really "want" to be a bad guy. While everyone prior to this (ex. Chameleon, Vulture, Doctor Octopus , Sandman, etc.) has had immoral motives, Curtis became Lizard while trying to heal himself, with the antagonistic actions/tendencies/etc. coming as an unintended "side effect."more

A bit of an improvement over the previous issue, but still not perfect. This does benefit from the fact that this is Spider-Man's first time facing a preexisting villain, in Doctor Doom, so Lee doesn't really need to get into any origins. Additionally, Doom is a fun character, so it works well here. I think Doctor Octopus was still better, but Doom facing Spider-Man was definitely still enjoyable. Some good non-superhero stuff here, as well, particularly with Flash.more

I'll be honest and admit that I do not find Sandman to be a compelling villain. I've never really read a Sandman story that, off the top of my head, really stuck with me. And his introduction here is kind of the same way. He presents a unique challenge for Spider-Man to overcome, but he doesn't really have the enduring personality to match. He's defeated by a vacuum cleaner! I don't care how indus trialized it is, that's not cool.

The reason to read this issue is the Peter Parker soap opera stuff. Betty Brant was introduced in issue two, but she's finally named here. She and Peter actually interact on panel, it's quick but it's a big deal since she's going to become Peter's first love interest. On the flip side, we see that Liz Allen is willing to date Peter. She's another early love interest, and soon that sort of thing will be brought to the forefront.

There's some fun here with Jameson. Seeing him standing behind his desk in his underwear is a very funny image. Otherwise, he sounds like any Conservative anyone's ever met, and Conservatives are unintentionally funny too.

I said in my last review that I felt I wouldn't have enough to say about the issues I liked, but honestly this issue is proving to be more difficult. Not a ton happens in this issue, and the villain isn't as compelling as Doc Ock. So... Within the span of a single issue, we see how the longer format can help *and* hurt the storytelling. Sandman would've been a much better villain for an 11 page story. I think so, anyhow.

Quote of the issue: "Ever Get Any Love Taps From a Guy's Rock-Hard Head?"more