Join us as the Marvel Reporters turn into the Marvel Reviewers our weekly review roundup. This is where we have assembled to give our thoughts on various issues that are released each week. This week we have Jay, Louis, and Tatiana giving reviews for books for the week of March 13, 2019. Check out the reviews below and let us know what you think in the comments below or on Twitter. Welcome to the MARVEL REVIEWS, hope you enjoy the experience!
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17
Written By: Nick Spencer
Pencils By: Humberto Ramos
Inks By: Victor Olazaba
Colors By: Edgar Delgado
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Humberto Ramos & Edgar Delgado
Variant Covers By: Various Artists
Price: $3.99
This issue opens with a great sequence homaging Kraven’s Last Hunt. Edgar Delgado does an impressive job with the colors while Nick Spencer’s caption boxes present Kraven’s motives. Spencer makes it clear to the reader that Kraven is looking for death but he can only die by Spider-Man’s hand (see The Grim Hunt). However, while this explains the why of Kraven’s plan it doesn’t explain how all of the things he’s done will accomplish this goal. Meanwhile, Spider-Man fights Kraven’s clone/son and gets exposed to some mists that create a vision of an unknown threat attacking Mary Jane. If Kraven’s behind the attack this could hint at how he’d convince Spidey to kill him. However, this could just be part of Nick Spencer’s longer arc on this title involving an unknown recurring character (I’ve been calling him Mr. Creepy). Ultimately the issue ends with Spidey (in his old black suit) and every hero and villain captured by Kraven trapped under a dome in Central Park hunted by Kraven bots. While this new arc Hunted has a strong opener, it’s potential does not feel as memorable as previous Kraven-centric stories. ~ Louis @spiderman1991
Verdict: 3 ½ Stars
THE MAGNIFICIENT MS. MARVEL #1
Written By: Saladin Ahmed
Art By: Minkyu Jung
Colors By: Ian Herring
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Eduardo Petrovich
Variant Covers
Price: $3.99
Welcome to the world of Ms. Marvel! For the first time, someone new is writing the Ms. Marvel title other then G. Willow Wilson and Saladin Ahmed is off to a great start! I liked how new reader friendly this issue is, you can jump in this issue having known nothing about the character and get a great feel for her, and if you did read the previous series, this doesn’t feel so exposition-heavy. The balance of the old and the new is very well done here, and I love the new, I love that her Abu has found out about her being Ms. Marvel, and the little lowkey drop about something going on with him was nice. The art here feels different but similar to previous artists giving it that familiar feel while at the same time cleaning it up and refining it a bit. Overall I am looking forward to seeing where this story goes from here. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 4 ¼ Stars
MARVEL ACTION: SPIDER-MAN #2 (Via IDW Publishing)
Written By: Delilah S. Dawson
Art By: Fico Ossio
Colors By: Ronda Pattison
Letters By: Shawn Lee
Cover By: Fico Ossio
Variant Cover
Price: $3.99
Peter and Miles team up to take out more mutant rat hybrids and break a big story while earning the wrath of Gwen Stacey. Deliah S. Dawson writes and AMAZING Spider-Man duo (soon a trio) book here! We get the best of both Peter and Miles, both very much in character and displaying how much they have in common. Dawson perfectly uses their internal monologues to show us their strength, fears, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities perfectly! I want this, no scratch that, I NEED this to be more on a regular monthly schedule as the three and a half month wait between issues was just too damn long! Ossio slays it with the art here! I feel like I am watching cartoons on Saturday morning with the fluid flow of the panels and the clean style of lines along with the vibrant colors of Pattison, it is just SPECTACULAR! This is the new ULTIMATE Spider-Man! ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 4 ½ Stars
RUNAWAYS #19
Written By: Rainbow Rowell
Art By: Andres Genolet
Colors By: Triona Farrell
Letters By: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover By: Kris Anka
Price: $3.99
Molly leaves with Alex to bring back her family only to figure out she already has her family. This was a fun cute issue, but it lacked a proper resolution which cheated the story as a whole. Molly choosing to follow Alex is very much in character and goes great with her being the youngest, so naturally, she would miss her parents. That part of the story was great, but the end with the Runaways showing up demanding her back and her just returning felt cheap. Where is the emotional scene with Molly telling them how she feels? The art team here did a great job staying within the Anka wheelhouse but making some nice additions and tweaks. I love Molly’s new hat, it fits her, she is still the adorable little sister but now she has a little edge to her as she grows up. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 3 ¾ Stars
THE UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL #42 (but really 50)
Written By: Ryan North
Art By: Naomi Franquiz. Derek Charm and Erica Henderson
Colors By: Rico Renzi
Letters By: Travis Lanham
Cover By: Erica Henderson
Price: $3.99
Unbeatable Squirrel Girl has been a guaranteed good time for years now, and the start of the new arc – featuring your friendly neighborhood Kang the Conqueror, no less – means it’s an excellent time to hop on. Ryan North has been delivering consistent humor by exploring the ridiculously fun side of squirrel superpowers as well as the joys attached to being a computer science major, and original artist Erica Henderson’s presence on the 50th issue – despite being numbered Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #42 – ensures that Doreen Green and friends look like their best selves this week. Naomi Franquiz, Derek Charm and Rico Renzo round out the art team, and together they make the so-called dark future still look as bold and bright as ever. This week’s Squirrel Girl is another trip through time, which the series has mined quite successfully and creatively before. The tone is more lighthearted than expected given the post-apocalyptic setting, but it fits Doreen perfectly and sets up what is sure to be an enjoyable trilogy. ~ Tatiana @myrcellasear
Verdict: 4 Stars
WINTER SOLDIER #4
Written By: Kyle Higgins
Art
Colors By: Rod Reis
Letters By: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover By: Rod Reis
Price: $3.99
Bucky Barnes’s newest mission is helping former criminals who are willing to work for a second chance. Unfortunately, Richie (father of Bucky’s ward, RJ) is not one of those people. Bucky only decides to help Richie because RJ asks him. This is a great example of how well Kyle Higgins writes Bucky’s character in this series. It started off with Bucky taking RJ under his wing after the latter turned against Hydra. Higgins makes it clear that Bucky’s main motive is making sure RJ can’t go back to Hydra. This means helping the kid even though it means giving him up so he can have a somewhat normal life. Unfortunately, Richie still wants to get one last big score and Bucky finds out he only got released because he made a deal with RJ’s former handler, Mr. Colt. Ultimately when Bucky confronts Richie about this they come to blows that end with a solution to the Ritchie problem but may destroy RJ’s trust in Bucky. This is a perfect ending for this issue as we head into the series finale. Kyle Higgins has done an outstanding job with this title and showing that Bucky is more than just Captain America’s former sidekick. ~ Louis @spiderman1991
Rating: 5 Stars
X-23 #10
“X-Assassin Part 4”
Written By: Mariko Tamaki
Pencils By: Diego Olortegui
Inks By: Walden Wong
Colors By: Chris O’Halloran
Letters By: VC’s Cory Petit
Cover By: Ashley Witter
Spider-Man’s Villains Variant Cover By: Inhyuk Lee
Price: $3.99
The conclusion to X-Assassin sees Laura facing off against an army of cyborg assassin versions of herself. This was a good conclusion but felt a bit rushed. Tamaki does a great job though with the character development here through the monologues and narration. The best part though has to be Gabby, she brings us on her emotional journey here, when she is up so are we and when her heart breaks so do ours. The art here was good but could have been stronger with the X-Assassins, it just seemed a bit cluttered and scratchy. ~ Jay @ComicBookTheate
Verdict: 4 Stars
Let us know in the comments what you think of The Marvel Reviews for this week and don’t forget you can check out Marvel Shipping NOW! For Wednesday, March 20, 2019!