Throwing Down The Gauntlet

After an eighteen-month absence, which piles up very quickly when a title comes out three times a month, I return to Amazing Spider-Man with "The Gauntlet", volumes one and two. 'Tis a much hyped "event", and one I liked the sound of: a bunch of Spider-Man's old enemies simultaneously start upping their game, so to speak, creating a series of emergencies that wear Spidey down over time. Through all of it, Kraven the Hunter's wife and daughter plot to turn events to their own advantage. Sounds fun.

But how does it work in application?

Volume one opens with Dark Reign: The List: Amazing Spider-Man. Not really connected to any other story, it was nice of the Marvel TPB department to include this, so fans didn't have to shell out for the thoroughly mixed-bag that was The List collection. I assume the other List issues were reprinted appropriately for their respective titles? (Because the Avengers and Punisher issues were a wee bit important for their titles.)

While this issue had a lot of great Norman Osborn moments, it also had a few moments of Norman being incredibly sloppy. While Norman always fluctuates between Chessmaster and Raving Loony on the villain scale, he was a bit too close to the latter for my tastes. However, he was similarly sloppy the last time Slott wrote him (New Ways to Die), so while it's not my favorite characterization, Slott's keeping it consistent.

Unfortunately, the story was ultimately hampered by its inability to have a real conclusion. Siege hadn't happened yet, and the Iron Patriot couldn't get a real thrashing yet. But for what it is, it's very solid.

Also, I want me daggers with pumpkins sculpted onto the hilts.

Next in the book was Gauntlet Origins: Electro. Now, I like the idea of Gauntlet Origins, in theory. In practice....

Well, Electro's was the best of the bunch. It highlights what was always Electro's flaw: for having the power he does, he lacks the ability to really think of anything useful to do with it. The guy should be unbeatable, but he's limited by his own imaginations. (Or lack thereof.) Freaking Static Shock made better use of electric powers than Max Dillon ever has.

The Origins story doesn't really jive with the main story itself, though, because Max doesn't really do much more than run an extortion scam. (In fact, none of the Origins shorts had much to do with the main stories; were they supposed to? If not, what was the point?)

And, frankly, it was a lame scam. This whole story didn't impress me much; it seemed like most of the action was focused on getting to the destruction of the Bugle building at the end. Now, that was handled very well, but for a story that was supposed to offer a new, revitalized Electro, it didn't really change much about the character. The "ripped from the headlines" appeal fell flat, and frankly, writers need to stop trying to improve Electro's powers. It never sticks, because his powers are necessarily ill-defined. Frankly, I thought the opening idea of the story, Electro's powers are killing him, was something that should have been developed more.

The teaser of Electro's recruitment at the end was very well done.

Now, the Sandman story....well, this one is just weird, I have to be honest. It doesn't tie into the Gauntlet at all, Sandman didn't get an Origins segment, and doesn't get recruited at any point. The story itself seems like it deserved an extra issue to really flesh out. I don't mind cribbing the "Sandman has a daughter" angle from SM3, because a good idea is a good idea, but...what happened to Sandman's powers? Why can he suddenly do a half-dozen things he's never been able to, before? Did I miss something? To heck with Electro's media campaign; I want to see more of what's going on, here.

Volume 2 opens with Origins: Rhino, and while it's an interesting little story, it goes a little too far in making Rhino an idiot. Yeah, sorry, Alex, there's simple, and then there's what you are, here. Still, mad props for the once panel showing his operation.

What bothers me about this story, though, is that it really clashes with the portrayal of Alex in the main story; in that, he sounds, well, Russian. He speaks like someone who didn't take English as a first language, and his personality is completely different (and a darn sight smarter) than in the Origins story. I know they were written by different guys, but since one story was supposed to promote the other, they really should have been on the same page with characterization.

The new Rhino is thoroughly boring, in both personality and design. It's just Ultimate Rhino with a scythe, guys. Sorry. Nice to see Doc Tramma again, though.

Oh, and Ana? Beating up blind crippled ladies isn't something to be proud of. Your father couldn't hunt his way out of a paper bag, and even he wouldn't stoop so low.

The Mysterio Origins short was...it was like a super hero version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; all it needed was the horrifying picture. "Stand back, Quintin; I'm about to rip off 'Pickman's Model'!" Weird.

But the main Mysterio story was definitely my favorite of the two books. My one complaint is that it showed its hand too early; when Mysterio is on the cover of the dang comic, you as a reader are on the lookout for the trick. It would have been cooler, in my opinion, if Mysterio hadn't been in the first issue at all, and the story was pitched as a straight mob power struggle.

But I found this story to be a lot of fun, mostly because while everyone else treated the events with the proper gravity, Mysterio just started choking to death from all the scenery he was eating. Beck may not be insane compared to Venom or Osborn, but he's certainly detatched from reality just enough to make him hilarious.

Having said that, the evil Aunt May plot doesn't seem to have a lot of legs. I mean, what's she going to do? Besides, it's Aunt May; everyone will forgive her. People would sell their soul for this woma-Oh, wait a sec.

So, what do I like? I like Norah. I like that the Black Cat is back. I like the potential the Gauntlet has, and I love the possibility of a new Sinister Six. I don't like the new Rhino. I don't like the Devil's Blood.

I'm on board for the next volume, (and the relaunched New Avengers!) and when I'm settled down in my personal life, I'll probably pick up the ones I've missed.

What's everyone else think?