Marvel Comics 16th March 2011

Amazing Spider-Man #656:

The second half of the bizarre hostage situation, and we have a reminder of how ruthless the killer is, and as Spidey arrives we get a reminder that our hero is now without his Spider-sense after the last story line. His web doesn't affix to a wall only it's plaster and he falls into a police car. He's only just realising how big a problem loosing his sense is going to be. Thinking about it, that's probably the only way he's won most of the fights he gets into. I find it rather interesting that in recent years we are exploring each lesser part of Spider-man's powers and weapons. First of all he got organic web shooters to mimic the film- but that didn't last long, then we had the Spider tracer killer- and more and more recently he's gotten back into using them again. A homing beacon he could find using his spider sense, and now he's lost his sense itself, so we get to see just how much he relied on it to dodge every bullet and throw every web. In essence I believe it is his sense that made him a super hero.
So far he's just been shot and used a tracer on the bad guy as he escaped, only to realise he cant follow it. He gets treated by Night Nurse at her secret super hero clinic, both of which were introduced in the Marcos Martin illustrated Doctor Strange: The Oath. In the waiting room a confrontation with Paladin leads to him realising he needs a more armoured costume now.
After a recent press conference J. Jonah Jameson has the opposite kind of revelation to Spidey's recent "Nobody dies" approach. HE is now Zero tolerant on murderers and orders the death penalty on Smythe, the man who killed his wife, and sets off new instructions about the recent Massacre problem, which appears to be the new villains dubbed name. He attacks again downtown, and we get a brief history of the character via Max Modell's new Suspect Identification Software. Spider-man is there in a flash in his new armoured costume, and using new magnetic webbing to stop the bombs radio signals. Saving the villain has been done before, but it's interesting how Spidey has stopped J.J. Jameson's orders from killing him.

Fear Itself Prologue: Book of the Skull Oneshot:

From a book I was unsure whether to buy or not I was actually impressed.

Zemo and the Red Skulls daughter are going through one of his secret lairs to find a book made of Atlanteans skin.

A spell book from during the war, which brought a weapon from the God's to his aid. It is a hammer much like Thor's but clearly not as it is implied that nobody has touched it still and it has been where it landed ever since. We are treated to a pretty light hearted flash back with Captain America, Bucky and Namor on the trail of the same "weapon" only a massive Asgardian Troll came through as well, and they believe that to be the weapon. After it's demise they are unawares as to what the true weapon was. I normally find the WWII stories with Cap a bit of a drag to read through but this was Fairly entertaining. Great art too, which was probably why it felt more accessible to me. I am now looking forward to how this Asgardian weapon will be used and who will wield it during Fear Itself.

Thunderbolts #155

Doctor Strange isn't joining the Thunderbolts after all, instead he and Luke Cage are out to find a permanent magical addition to the team. They are after Hellstrom's sister, Satana. They use Man-Thing to transport them to her magically protected Fortress.

Then do a quick magical switch-a-roo and trick her into think Strange is Cage so he can get close enough to whack a special enchanted T-bolts collar on her so they can control her. She then finds out Man-Thing also cam along with them and says she would have joined them willingly if she knew he was on the team. Meanwhile back in the Thunderbolts tower Songbird is following the orders to assemble, train and lead a Beta team, so when anyone from the main team dies they can be replaced by a partially trained member. Interesting idea, and I'm sure it will read a lot more interestingly the Legion Academy *shudders*. Great art as always, partially stylised and also great use of line and solid shadow.

Uncanny X-Force #5.1

A point one issue half way through a current Deathlok story line makes no sense. Surely if it was 4.1 at least it would have been a better "jumping on point". We are offered no back story, merely chucked into a one part mission to stop Lady Deathstrike and her Reavers from teleporting onto Utopia, the X-men's current home, and blowing it up. Not to kill all mutants but to irritate Wolverine, knowing full well she can't kill him. So X-force attack her in a bar before it happens. I suppose as a jumping on point you merely get to see each characters powers in action, and get a feel for the characterisation of the team. In that respect the story is well crafted at giving each of them a chance to shine.

This panel makes just as little sense in the context of the book.

Of course they accomplish the mission but not before a number of Reavers followed by Psylocke teleport and chase through the streets of Utopia. So you get to see Magneto and Cyclops in action to, which deals with the X-men's relations to X-force. Interesting art too, a much looser feel that is reflected in the colouring and texture application.