SPIDER-MAN versus VENOM
Undone (Marvel)
Where: Spider-man Family #2 When: June 2007
Why: Sean McKeever How: Kano & David Lafuente

The Story So Far...
Nightly patrol for the web-slinger turns up an unfortunate sight when the screams of a limousine driver draws his attentions to one of the deadliest of his lethal foes - the alien costume clad, Venom!
The symbiote baring madman menaces the corporate passenger, seemingly without reason, but when Peter Parker researches the significance of Ione Damasco and her associates, he uncovers enough of the truth to receive a package from the lethal protector himself!

Venom's notes reveal the truth about Damasco and the pharmaceutical company she serves as a board member for, Devlin-MacGregor. Their greed led them to perform involuntary experiments on the homeless, a fact uncovered by Venom in his life as a Bugle reporter. Now empowered by the symbiote; Eddie Brock stalks the members of the board in an effort to exact brutal justice for their inhuman experiments, and vengeance for their threats to he and his wife.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Superhuman)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Spider-man 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Venom 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Power: Venom 2 (Projectiles)


- A bite from a radioactive spider should have killed highschool nerd, Peter Parker, but instead it would irradiate his own blood, granting him extraordinary powers.

After turning to a life of profit, Peter is inspired to use his gifts for the greater good when his decision to allow a burglar to escape leads to the murder of his adopted parent and uncle, Ben Parker.
Ben's sage-like advice, "with great power comes great responsibility", becomes a mantra for Parker as he becomes Spider-man!

Spider-man possesses the proportional strength, speed, and agility of a spider. Adding to his arsenal is a precognitive spider-sense that warns him of pending danger. Self-made mechanical webshooters round out Spidey's abilities, allowing him to ensnare opponents in a variety of modes; travel through the city by web-line; and form basic constructs based on the available quantities of his own formula of web-fluid.

- During the secret wars staged by the Beyonder; Spider-man's attempts to repair his costume inadvertently released a bizarre alien creature from within the Beyonder's machines. The symbiote formed Spider-man's black costume, enhancing his strength and abilities, while also subtly influencing his character with a more aggressive persona. This aggression led Spider-man to discover, with the aid of Reed Richards, the truth about the creature's intent to form a permanent bond with Peter Parker as host.

Using the immense vibrations of a churchbell to disrupt the creature, Peter Parker freed himself of it's influence, unwittingly delivering the symbiote to a man whose bitter hatred of both Parker and Spider-man would make the perfect host for the rejected symbiote. Eddie Brock welcomed the bond of the costume which transferred facsimilies of Spider-man's powers, and all the intimate secrets the wallcrawler had revealed to the creature.

As Venom; Brock possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, wall crawling, web-slinging, and a host of abilities unique to the symbiote, like; adaptive camouflage and basic morphing, multi-forming tendrils, and the ability to bypass Spider-man's danger warning spidey-senses.

When Brock learnt of his development of cancer not even the symbiote could cure, he opted to sell the alien at a supervillain auction with the hopes of using the profits to attone for his criminal activities. Deeply conflicted, Brock attempted suicide after opting out of a plot to kill May Parker, but the once lethal protector survived once again to fullfil a second chance at redemption. A chance meeting with the mysterious Mr. Negative cures him of his ailments, and transforms the remnants of symbiote matter in his blood to turn him into the white Anti-Venom.

Math: Spider-man Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Spider-man beats Brock to the swanky apartment of Max Fischer, where the web-slinger confronts the corrupt businessman with the intent of interrogating to a confession. Enraged by the unscrupulous practises for the development of a hair growth formula, Spidey accidentally places Fischer in the sights of Venom!

Venom reveals to Spider-man the last pieces of the puzzle, which ended threats on he and his wife's lives. Spidey makes attempts to appeal to the moral fibre of an Eddie Brock who refused the company's bribes, but finds only the murderous intent of a lethal protector.

Unable to pacify Venom's vengeance, Spidey prepares to challenge his physical superior in battle. The symbiote-enhancements of Venom offers him no spidey-sense warning as a black blur charges toward him, smashing his body through the structure of Fischer's apartment. Spidey strikes back with an uppercut, but suffers the blow back ten-fold from the super-strong Brock!

Venom snatches Spider-man by the ankle and tosses him through a wall, sending Spidey helplessly tumbling through a hail of plaster, tile, and rubble! The web-slinger comes to rest in the bathroom where he launches a counter attack on the raging bull that is Venom, thrusting his kick into the jaw of his counterpart!

With the powerhouse on the backfoot, Spider-man takes full advantage with a hammer lock and drives Venom's fanged face into a nearby mirror! Spidey loiters deep within his own mind, contemplating the constant threat posed by his dark shadow, but before he crosses any moral boundary, a cry for help snaps him back.

The carnage wrought by Venom's charge had ignited an electrical fire in the apartment, threatening the safety of Max Fischer, who was helplessly webbed to a wall by Spider-man in his interrogation. The web-slinger turns his back on personal grudges, diving through the flames to rescue the vile businessman.

Venom marches furiously behind his arch-rival, but finds the intensity of the flames too damaging to the fire-sensitivity of his alien costume. As the flames engulf more of the apartment, Venom is forced to make a hasty escape, diving through a window to avoid the licking sting of growing inferno!

Spider-man successfully rescues Fischer and turns him over to police, while also delivering Eddie Brock's research to Bugle reporter, Ben Urich. The headlines tell the damning story of Devlin-Macgregor with a credit to the fallen reporter for his groundwork on the story, but for Venom, it is a hollow victory.

The Hammer...
Mmm, it was a tough call this week, folks!
Both got their licks in, but we're going to equate Venom's retreat to a forfeit, and hand the eventual conclusion to Spider-man!

Regular readers will know this win comes two-fold as we put an Olympic pause to our post-One More Day Spider-Boycott, which has seen the top ranking 2007 character absent since the beginning of the year [last seen in the Infinite Wars' Marvel Knights: Spider-man #1 review].
This story was actually right at the top of the to-do list before we opted out of the Spider-business, so it seemed like a fitting choice, even if there isn't any particular connection to the themes we've explored around the Olympic Games.

Throughout August we've been watching developments in the three-times weekly Amazing with our regular instalments of the weekly shipping lists. It's been interesting to observe a swing that might very well have been planned from the beginning of Brand New Day, but seems to undermine much of the described intention to re-establish Spider-man with a new vibe and relatable world.

The reintroduction of Spider-man into the Marvel Universe has been a pleasant change, to be sure, but I'm not sure snipping the ties of matrimony have made Spidey's battles with Venom and Anti-Venom any more relatable. In fact, as welcome as the reintroduction of old foes into the mix is, it seems somewhat counter productive to the BND initiative to throw in a concept like Anti-Venom - which builds upon and defies so much of recognisable mainstream Spider-history.

So much about Brand New Day stirs debate about the validity of reboots in modern American comics.
I recently came across European sentiments which bordered on bemusement when attempting to decypher the history of Wonder Woman, which, really, is no more garbled than the Spider-man saga and it's clone-related twists, and Mephisto-dealing turns [for the worse].

DC Executive Editor, Dan DiDio, recently acknowledged the folly of constant reboots that had served to reinvigorate franchises for short periods, at best, and largely alienated the core audiences that support and care for characters. It was an admission that was welcome, even if it lacked sensitivity to the creative requirements of these lasting properties. Requirements that, as found by our unnamed European friend, could really benefit from some kind of tempered consideration for consistency.

Spider-man Family, from which our review is taken, is an anthology comic that reprints Spidey classics and presents new stories that don't appear to have any ties to a particular era of Spider-man.
This, embarassingly enough, along with titles like Marvel Adventures: Spider-man and Ultimate Spider-man seem to present the obvious counterpoint to any argument that suggests Brand New Day was a good, or necessary idea.

I could not argue against the fundamental principles of a reboot, or revamp.
Many fine examples exist to paint a positive reflection on a creative shake-up, but more often than not, I believe we see the great examples deliver something informed and based upon the logic established by history.
Grant Morrison's work on New X-Men is one such work that comes to mind, building upon the overdue progress of many facets of the X-brand, including; human-mutant relations, field operations of the team, the next generation, and personal struggles for characters like Cyclops, Beast, and Wolverine. Despite it's many asthetic shifts, everything about Morrison's work on X-Men, if not his superhero work in general, was firmly routed in logics derived from other references. It was change - but with an informed basis and exciting energy.

In the Monthly Punch-Up, we've watched as sales figures for the droll Spider-Reboot continue to gurgle downward. Early plunges mean the revamped book is already approaching figures that would traditionally be associated with yet another reboot, as has been seen in recent years with the erratic direction of the X-Men franchise, which has long since deconstructed anything contributed to the canon by Morrison and his collaborators.

I'll be very interested to continue to watch with some scepticism as we absorb the statistics for this month's issues of Amazing Spider-man. I wonder if the reappearance of familiar characters will sponsor a slight upward turn in sales, and if this will at all contribute to the inevitable return to pre-OMD Spider history.

The Infinite Wars is typically a site reluctant to summarily dismiss companies or creators, but with their recent history, that lingering lure of a time before Mephisto really does seem like an all too familiar construction for sales boosts. If it isn't a radical change from the norm, it's a radical change back to the norm.

In recently digesting massive amounts of Akira Toriyama's classic martial arts epic, Dragon Ball Z, one notes the joy of a simple formula of accumulation. While the organic nature of some devices might be questioned, Toriyama's approach to writing that he admits was an unplanned flow of consciousness, allows characters to develop relationships and mythology with a delightful consistency. Forward momentum allows for change, but constantly calls upon in-built logics.

Toriyama's work suffered from the crippling effects of rapid escalation, but with Marvel's disappointing promotions-heavy output, their problem feels far worse as consequence and history fade from relevance.

The happy medium was a foundation for my hopes to enter independent creation with Nite Lite Theatre. Robert Kirkman is now calling upon similar principles to encourage more big-name creators to turn to self-promotion and original intellectual properties.
Lost on some creators was the unspoken logic of Kirkman's call to arms, not just an effort to inform the obvious of many writers and artists who have already embarked on self-publishing, but as an effort to create a mass movement that would force change within the industry and fanbases that have been reluctant to sufficiently support independent enterprise. He suggests a movement not unlike the alliance of artists that allowed the birth of Image Comics in it's original inception/insurrection, from the shadows of the Marvel offices.

Creators like Brian Bendis; who in interviews showed no awareness or consideration for this subtext; have been reluctant to speak-out in favour of these efforts that buck against the treadmill trends of stories like BND.
It's undeniable that Kirkman's point relies heavily on mass commitment from already prominent names. It needs that level of dedication to steer away from the churning mass market of the Spider-mans and Batmans, but, if self-preservation can be put aside by some very bold men and women, we may yet see a new era that forces the kind of consideration we've described upon the companies that are again all too often relying on cheap tricks and poorly considered gimmicks.

Suffice to say, Amazing Spider-man and Brand New Day is yet to win us over, but as the book continues to return to the familiar, we hope this might eventually lead toward a stronger creative direction for Marvel overall. Anti-Venom? Believe it or not, I actually think this is a real step in the right direction!

The Fight: 4.5 The Story: 7

Symbiote naysayers need to pick this comic up!
Sean McKeever delivers one of the finest Venom stories I've ever read, balancing the lethal anti-hero qualities of the character, with the villainous aspects that antagonised Spider-man in Brock's early career! Our brief glimpses at the artwork provided by master penciler David Lafuente (with flourishes by Kano) cannot begin to communicate how beautiful the artwork in this story truly is! Everything comes together - even the unique lettering treatment from Nate Piekos - to tell a truly atmospheric tale that's both creepy AND mysteriouso! Shades of noir detective work make this not only a great Venom story, but also a terrific outing for Peter Parker! You'll find the collected digest in the Amazonian Gift Shoppe which also includes other fantastic tales - and - by using purchase links provided you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Check it out!

FANTASTIC FOUR versus GOMDULLA
Electrical Problems! (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Family #3 When: August 2007
Why: Paul Tobin How: Pierre Alary

The story so far...
Bombarded by cosmic rays, the quartet of Reed Richards, Susan Storm, her brother Johnny, and test-pilot Ben Grimm are transformed in bizarre ways to become Marvel's first family -- the Fantastic Four!

The idols of millions, the FF would expand their membership over the years to include many allies, but alas, it never quite worked out for Spider-man, who early in his career attempted to join the team -- a point of lasting ridicule for the Johnny Storm, the Human Torch.

Co-existing on the same turf, Spidey just happens to be swinging through downtown as the team struggle to combat the giant-sized menace of Gomdulla, the living mummy monolith! Can Spidey provide the valuable assist, or are things destined to take yet another sour turn for the well meaning wall-crawler?

Previous Form:
Fantastic Four [#2]: Team wins over Frightful Four, Paibok, & Dr. Doom.
Spider-man (#1): Successful team-ups against Trapster, Wizard, Carnage, & the Sinister Twelve.
Gomdulla: Making his lumbering debut in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Genius)
Speed: Human Torch 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Gomdulla 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Invisible Woman 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Human Torch 7 (Solar Power)


- The Fantastic Four are: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing.

The original Fantastic Four were exposed to cosmic rays when Reed Richards led the team in a race to beat the Russians to space. Without sufficient preperation time, the shuttle lacked the shielding needed to filter the cosmic radiation, resulting in unique transformations in each member.

Reed Richards, already a potent force given his genius for invention, exploration and theory, gained the ability to stretch and contort his body with limited restriction.

Sue Storm is able to manipulate invisible forcefields to create a variety of objects, typically bubbles, platforms and shields. She is also able to cast a veil of invisibility over herself, others, or objects, and do so in a variety of creative ways.

Johnny Storm is the Human Torch, literally capable of englufing his body in flame. This fire can be projected, reach extreme temperatures, result in blinding light, and produce a wave of heat sufficient to propel his body through the air.

Ben Grimm, better known to the world as the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing is a rocky bruiser of incredible size, strength and durability. The power of his fists is dwarfed only by the power of his heart, which refuses to quit, even in the face of the greatest adversary.

- Gomdulla is a rampaging giant alien mummy from space, whose origins are largely a mystery. Though the means are unknown, Gomdulla is capable of limited telekinesis, levitation, and possesses super human strength largely due to his gargantuan size.

The Math: Fantastic Four The Pick: Fantastic Four

What went down...
We join the Fantastic Four in the steets of Manhattan, combatting the ancient rampaging mummy-monolith: Gomdulla! Mr. Fantastic wraps around the monster's body, while Human Torch and Invisible Woman (in the Fantasticar) hover around the building-climbing giant.

While Mr. Fantastic coils further around Gomdulla's head, the impulsive Human Torch floats in with the intentions of setting Gomdulla alight. Invisible Woman directs him away from "... a rampaging sixty-foot-tall mummy on fire." to instead use his flame powers to blind him with a flare.

Reed Richards unravels as Invisible Woman orders him to Gomdulla's feet, to use his stretching powers to bind the giant's movement.

So busy orchestrating is Invisible Woman that she leaves herself exposed to Gomdulla's lumbering attack. He swats at the Fantasticar with a giant bandaged hand, pushing an impromptu forcefield to it's limit. Foregoing the concern of igniting the beast, Human Torch comes to his sister's aid with a vengeance!

At street level the Thing struggles to do any damage, pounding at the sixty-foot mummy's ankles with super human strength. Doing little good, the Thing looks for a way to get a better vantage point, when suddenly he finds himself hoisted into the air by the stretchy adhesion of spider-webs!

Arriving on Gomdulla's shoulder, Thing taps the monster's cheek to get his attention, before unloading with a haymaker so powerful, the mummy snaps backward, getting knocked off his feet!

Thing tumbles earthbound in a free fall, while Mr. Fantastic limits collateral damage and civilian casualty by stretching himself out like a giant rubber canopy, to direct the monster's landing.

Thing isn't so fortunate, coming to a stop in an unceremonious meeting of ashphalt and cosmically enhanced rock.

Seasoned in weird; Human Torch heckles Spider-man for being afraid, while Invisible Woman offers sincere thanks for his match-winning assistance.

The hammer...
With the assist from Spidey, it's the Fantastic Four with the win.
Though Thing hit the knock-out blow, we're going to give the rest of the team the benefit of the doubt for their involvement both on and off the page, so this is a full stat for everyone.

I'm typing this entry on Sunday, so you've probably noticed by now that we've caught up to Thursday, only to completely drop the ball again through the weekend. What can I say? I guess that busy exciting life o' mine has finally managed to interfere so much, I can't even do the usual phone-in at the end of the night.

I'll be doing my best to avoid a repeat of last week's worth of posts, providing more entries from 2007, rather than another string of cover to cover recaps, but I won't make any promises. Suffice to say obligations of [today's] original holy day of fights, and tomorrow's Saturday Street Fight, shall be met!

If you've been following the on-going saga, you'll know it's been slim pickings for 2007. Of the few fights available to me from this year, this probably isn't the most battle-worthy, but I really love the spirit behind this story. Actually, it's quite a bit longer, and chances are you'll be seeing why it's called Electrical Problems in a future entry [hint-hint].

Spider-man Family really has been one of the break-out new series in my eyes. There have been few titles that have had me this excited, and certainly very few Spider-man books that have been this good in the past few years.
In a lot of ways Family brings the Unlimited model back, showcasing talent not typically seen on characters like Spidey, with stories that aren't necessarily placed in any particular time or situation. Of course, Family pushes the addition of classic reprints and first-time translations of Japan's Spider-man J, better justifying the purchase than the days of old.

I've enjoyed material both new and old, and will no doubt be following up with more original-story entries from this issue, and the previous. Entries that are particularly suitable given our desire to represent in some form a distilled capsulation of the year's hot characters, events, and overall zeitgeist.
Spider-man Family in it's first three issues, presumably by design, cast a spotlight on characters destined for the big screen. The first issue featured Sandman and Green Goblin, while the second took a look at Venom, and this issue correlated roughly with the big-screen FF sequel; making it the ultimate complimentary series to our intentions.

The series managed to depart from the film centric model, but also showcases it's nature as a pseudo successor to the departed Team-Up title, with characters like the Agents of Atlas, Dr. Strange, and soon, Thor.

To backtrack to the creative talents featured in the book, I should probably make some clarification. A guy like Sean McKeever, even before his move to DC (and Countdown), isn't exactly a total unknown. Neither are a variety of other writers and artists who've contributed, but the point remains that with Marvel plugging quietly away at a title like this, and the recently resurrected MCP, it's my hope that we see a new fostering of new talent.

Sure, it's a slightly selfish conceit. As a hopeful young writer dedicated to the comics medium, it's with some chagrin that I observe the influx of writers from other mediums. It's a frivilous debate to argue that one type of writer should be segregated from another, but with so many "big name" talents being poached from other mediums (with varying success), it's hard not to observe some level of concern given the methods by which writers enter today's 'big two' industry.

Even as a fan, I like the idea of a comics writer writing comics.
So, even if division is a silly pursuit, I think it's a wonderful sight to see Marvel pushing projects that potentially provide platforms for experimentation with new ideas, and new talents who may be ripe for the picking, but otherwise overlooked. Realistically, this excites me as a fan more than anything else, but the notion that as a writer I may one day be given the opportunity to enter the field with short stories? There's a classic charm to that, and a self-perpetuating quality that's kinda nice.

The Fight: 4.5 The Story: 6.5

Spider-man Family hasn't yet been collected, but at over one hundred pages, these serve as collections unto themselves. If you haven't yet picked up this book, do yourself a favour a give it a quick flick through at the comics store. I honestly think this is the best Spider-man book of the decade! I love it!

HELLCAT versus BLACK CAT
Catfight (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Family #1 When: April 2007
Why: Fred Van Lente How: Federica Manfredi

The story so far...
Watch out, Rama-Tut! There are a couple of new cats in Chi-town, and they're about to come head-to-head in an afterhours catfight at the museum!

Black Cat is looking to drum up some business for her new security service, by personally testing the vulnerabilities of the museum's protection. Little does she know, Chicago is home to the heroic Hellcat!

It looks like Hellcat is going to have to defend her territory, but is this rookie hero's kung-fu a match for the cagey guile or the crafty Black Cat? Or will passing this Black Cat's path prove to be a turn of luck for the worst? Stay tuned!

Previous Form:
Black Cat (#25): Aided in the defeat of the Sinister Twelve, Carnage, & Venom.
Hellcat: Has not yet been featured on the site.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Hellcat 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Cat 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Hellcat 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Hellcat 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Draw 2 (Projectiles)


Okay, set your watches people. I have until the end of this entry to come up with something thought provoking enough to fulfill my blogdream of getting a link of When Fangirls Attack. Why? Because it's an all-girl slugfest, of course!!!

As you'll have already gathered from the intro, this particular story takes place sometime early in the careers of the respective femme fatales. As always, the tape reads to represent a fairly broad representation of the characters, rather than reflecting the time placement, or status of the characters in this given story.

Two key abilities aren't particularly reflected in the tape:
- Hellcat's telekinetic abilities, attained during her time trapped in hell. As it were, I'm not quite sure Secret Earths is ready to recognise these powers obtained in the late 90's mini.

- Black Cat's bad luck powers. A standard I'm more inclined to accept, being a reader cultivated mostly through things like eighties Spider-man comics. Although, unless I'm mistaken, she hasn't had the ability to effect luck since Dr. Strange magically lifted her hex from Spider-man.

If we were to remove both powers from the equation, the fight is essentially boiled down to two skilled combatants with independently cultivated fighting skills. Each represents the height of human physical conditioning, although her ties to the super-natural tend to point the tape in favour of Hellcat.

Likewise, while Black Cat is no schlub in the field of ass-kickery, she generally exhibits less refined and martial fighting skills than the combative Hellcat.
To compensate, Black Cat needs to call upon her instictive cunning and guile, taking full advantage of her moral amiguity to play a little dirty.

I'm not sure if it would be enough to compensate for Hellcat's skill, but I at least like to think Black Cat is the more confident of the two. Hellcat has seen a lot of action, but Black Cat is the more naturally evolved character, and more confident from inception. That said...

The Math: Hellcat (Champion Class)
The Pick: Hellcat

What went down...
Having done away with the solitary guard, and worked her way into the laser secured Egyptian exibit; Black Cat closes in on a rare artifact, blissfully unaware that another, yellow suited cat has been watching her every move.

From a perch behind an Egyptian bust, the Hellcat leaps down at her unsuspecting prey!

The Black Cat manages to get a defensive leg up, contorting her and her attacker as they tumble to the ground.

They part, Black Cat extending a leg in a crouching mule kick, but Hellcat is quick to parry.

Snatching the Black Cat's ankle, she uses the wreckless move to turn Black Cat's momentum around, tossing her into one of the exibit walls.

Knocked silly by the impact, the Black Cat doesn't even find her way back into the fray. Hellcat utilizes hidden cables in her suit's gloves. Shooting her tethered claws, Hellcat wraps the would-be burglar up with ease, dropping her to the ground in an uncoscious heap.

Inspecting the Cat's bag, the Hellcat discovers not stolen goods, but rather tape and mirrors -- equipment for entry into the museum. Turning back to the artifact in the center of the laser-filled room, she notices at the foot of the statue a card that reads -- "Your security stinks. Want to improve it? Call me @ 555-BCAT"

As the recovered security guard comes to and sounds the alarm, the Black Cat's uniquely noble intentions dawn on Hellcat.

With a team of armed guards on their way, Hellcat uses the talons in her gloves to cut-free the Black Cat, and helps her escape without a second spare!

On the roof of the museum, Hellcat warns Black Cat off peddling her scam in Chicago as long as it's her turff. Black Cat playfully considers giving New York a shot, before comparing her own status as a novice to Patsy Walker's.
Black Cat tosses Hellcat's wallet to her, and takes off into the city skyline.

The hammer...
Though a peaceful resoluton was met, this one undoubtedly goes to Hellcat! X-52, why don't you tell her what she's won?... X-52?...

So, anyway... Through the wonders of international timezones I'm going to call this a Friday 13th entry, even though it's now the fourteenth here in the future. It was for this reason I took the opportunity to grab at this fight (Black Cat, get it?) that was something I've wanted to do since the last feature taken from the superb first issue of the multi-story collecting, Spider-man Family.

Not only is it a chance to take a look at a couple of interesting, more street levelled characters, but it's also one of those rare opportunities to do an all-girl fight! I'm sure they're out there, but without any kind of agenda requiring it, I tend not to seek them out. The last one was Skrull-Elektra/Ronin, I think.

Speaking of which, it was there we discussed the strength of female characters, and the often all-too derivative nature of their characters. [New Avengers #27]
So, we're not going to get the girls to talk about us by revisiting that. Likewise, the discussion of realistic violence in female-centric comics [Superman/Batman #15] is already covered, so what's left? Obviously, boobs.

Most commentary-based blogsites have a predisposed fixation with the female breast. You honestly have to wonder if some blogs would survive without the bouyancy of characters like Powergirl, who provides regular new material in cover shots, and a wealthy backlog of ironic panels, and kitschy humorous situations.

Without sounding smug, here at Secret Earths the female breast has lots it's fascination. Long ago we resigned to the fact that, like human male superheroes, the physiques in question may challenge the rules imposed by reality.
Nay, they may even laugh in the face of the Greek and Roman models of the ultimate man or woman, but they do so whilst also pushing most other facets of reality beyond the believable fold.

Not to say there aren't actually men and women out there who do resemble some comic characters. It may well mortify readers to know in my lifetime I have often found myself in physical activities where the most Liefeldian of positions were required. Yes, while my chest may not be inclined to open like a refridgerator door to gaze upon the reader at-right; twisted backs and taut calves are a staple of many-a sporting activity!

So, what am I really saying?
Well, I guess my point is, you can have your one-panel witicisms and distanced observations of the human form. Those things have their place, but maybe somewhere in the back of your mind it might pay to wonder -- is it really that shocking? Are these things not facilitated in many-a clothing store?

And besides, what are a few tentacles between heroes for hire?
Heyooooohhhhh! Went there!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 7

SANDMAN versus SPIDER-MAN
Homesick (Marvel comics)
Where: Spider-man Family #1 When: April 2007
Why: Sean McKeever How: Terrell Bobbett

The story so far...
For much of his life William Baker has struggled with right and wrong. After escaping from prison Baker took a nap on a beach where he was the victim of bizarre radioactive waste which caused a molecular shift in the composition of his body, giving him great power over the sand particles that would now make-up his body.

Rather than using his new powers responsibly, Baker continues his career in crime as the Sandman, clashing with Spider-man time after time. A series of defeats and repeat sentences in jail eventually lead to a shift in the sands of the Sandman.

Desperate for an opportunity to live a normal life free of his criminal history, Sandman tries to adjust in various ways. One way is getting a job lugging crates at the docks, but when Spider-man comes swinging-by looking for trouble, he feels an obligation to step in an help his fellows. But Spidey isn't backing down!

Previous Form:
Spider-man (#1): Spider-man has defeated classic foes like Kraven and Tombstone.
Sandman (#79): Sandman scored the victory over Thing with Thundra and the Frightful Four.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Sandman 5 (Super-Strength)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Sandman 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Sandman 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting Ability: Spider-man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy Powers: Draw 2 (Projectiles)


Well, Sandman's an interesting case, isn't he? I think we see part of the point in the situation that's arisen in the Spider-man 3 film. As cool a villain as Sandman is, he might not have the depth or motivation to properly represent an A-list villain. In the case of the movie that means you've got it padded out and mooshed into a bunch of other things, while here, you have an awkward balance between legitimate threat and villain-of-the-week.

Physically Sandman has to be one of Spidey's more physical opponents.
As problematic as a Dr. Octopus or Green Goblin might be, neither of them can really exert the physical dominance Sandman displays, and that's a versatile weapon in this case. Not only can he turn his hands and arms to rock hard clubs and mallets, but he can also form various other objects like stoney walls, or dense, sandy tidal waves.

Without easy quick-solves like something involving water to upset the meta-physical balance, Spider-man struggles to properly compete with someone like this. Especially when you throw that tricky intangibility factor into the mix.

Ultimately in a one-on-one confrontation it's hard to pick against Sandman, given how broad his powers are, and how non-specific Spidey is. As intelligent as he is, he doesn't usually have the resources or super-smarts of a Reed Richards, who might be more likely to get the best of Sandman.

As strange as it feels to do it, I've got to say in the absence of a construction scene with a cement mixer, or a dissipating jet stream from a conveniently placed firehydrant, Spidey's toast.

The Math: Spider-man
The Pick: Sandman

What went down...
Unable to sleep, Peter Parker decides a little late night web-slinging might be the trick needed to tire him out. After foiling a jewellry store robbery, Spidey is discontent to find himself on an adrenaline high, more alert than before.
Lucky for him, his trusty new black alien symbiote costume can lend him a hand, knocking him out cold with a crack from a go-go gadget mallet!

Gently carrying forth it's sleeping host, the symbiote decides to continue into a night of terror, overlooking basic theft and a rendezvous with Black Cat in favour of finding some action with some mooks at the docks.

It just so happens these unwitting mooks are the Sandman's newest pals, and he hasn't taken too kindly to what he thinks is an unprovoked attack by Spider-man! Little does he know, the alien symbiote is driving this ship!

Sandman's clubbing fists flow into a barrage of sand, but even on auto-pilot Spidey's agility is more than sufficient for dodging the attack that shatters some nearby crates.
Sandman isn't discouraged, taking another swing with a giant, rock-hard sand fist that is likewise jumped over. Symbiote-Spidey takes a swing at Baker's sandy mug, but his fist travels straight through, popping out the other side.

Symbiote-Spidey follows up with a double shot of webbing, but the Sandman's metamorphic abilities allow him to open up a hole in his mid-section, whilst shifting sands to make a spiked-club of his fist!
The club hammers down on the attacking Spider-man with devestating force!

As much as he'd love to have heard the final words of the uncharacteristically silent Spider-man, Sandman is content to see to finishing the job. He looms over the symbiote Spider-man before crashing down as a wave of sand that turns into a swirling storm before dissipating.

Before Spidey even realises it, a towering Sandman pushes some of the steel freight containers that litter the docks down upon his tiny frame!

The Sandman's gloating turns to curiosity when Spider-man doesn't emerge from the wreckage, but that changes quickly. The goopy, elastic black costume stretches it's way from beneath the crates and slithers it's way into humanoid form to lurch at Sandman.

In a reversal of mere moments ago, Sandman finds himself swinging at air as the symbiote opens itself up where a sandy fist attempts to strike! As the symbiote looms over Sandman he lets out the cry, "What are YOU?!", before being engulfed beneath the slick black, and white sentient costume.

Sandman manages to burst through the goopy pseudo-fabric, emerging to freedom with a renewed determination to put an end to the creature.

The two malleable beings swirl around each other like two halves of a double helix, each attempting to best the other.
They wrap around one and other, before exploding away like two equal and opposing reactions.

Conceding that the symbiote creature knows how to hit, a staggered Sandman seaches the scene for the missing black costume. It finds him before he finds it, as it leaps into his mid-section.

The formless symbiote buries itself in the particles of Sandman's grainy mid-section, jetting deep inside of him.
Baker clutches at his stomach, before rigidly throwing his limbs out straight in reaction to the internal struggle being inflicted upon his transformed being. The symbiote does it's wicked business.

Stringy black tendrils begin to burst out of the Sandman's body, before he explodes in a grainy spray of sand and bodypart shaped blocks as the symbiote expands itself from the inside out.

Emerging as an erect, but formless black sludge, the symbiote discovers one of the artifacts contained within the freighter crates. An artifact that reminds it of a time long ago. An iron-nickel composite meteorite found in Canada. A piece of home.

The hammer...
Well, since Parker was asleep for most of the thing, I'm going to give this one to the Venom Symbiote, with an assist to Spidey.
Not a bad way to kick off Web-Slinging Wednesdays, even if I am over a week late. Sorry about that, guys.

Parker wakes at the end of the story to find himself tucked into his bed, with the black costume hanging innocently over the back of a chair. Presumably this is indicative of the story's place in Spider-man canon, placing it during the period where Peter Parker was the unwitting slave of the Symbiote's midnight whims.

I picked up Spider-man Family on a whim, and I have to say, it's one of the best things I've seen coming out from Marvel in a while. Though a little pricey, it's ultimately worth it considering this particular issue is jam packed with two brand new stories, two classic re-prints, and the first ever translation of Japan's Spider-man J. Pretty damned good, particularly given the title's slant toward the characters being featured in Spider-man 3. I think it's a fantastic way to introduce and induct new fans into the comics culture!

I actually wanted to feature the other new feature story, which dedicates itself to a fight between Black Cat and Hellcat, way back when we were talking International Woman's Day [New Avengers #27]. It never eventuated, but I'm glad to have at least approached the book here with this month of Spidey 3 fun.

Though initially a little uncertain about whether or not it was a Marvel Adventures story, I still found McKeever's classic comicbook fight style to be more than satisfactory in it's balance of characterization and plot. Granted, it isn't a deep plot, but it provides insight into the nature of the Symbiote and it's historical relationship with Spidey for the uninitiated, who might be curious about how the film's take on the effects differed.

The visual combination of Terrell Bobbett (Pencils), Gary Martin (Inks) and Bruna Brito (Colours) makes for a visual feast. I'm a really big fan of this very clean, slick looking style, and I was pleased to see it loosely carried over into the secondary new story, and hope to see a lot more from these guys in the future!

I probably won't actually get around to seeing Spider-man 3 until it hits DVD, but I feel like there has to be something said for Sandman. He's one of those villains who maybe isn't supremely significant, but like a Tombstone, he's just one of those guys I really love to see done well.

Like Doctor Octopus before him, and maybe even Norman Osborne to a lesser degree, Sandman's suffered for his fame in the comic book world. A resurgence in Sandman appearances has seen something of an over saturation, far beyond this book, expanding out into appearances in various core books, and also a complete annual dedicated to a revised origin.

Unfortunately a lot of Sandman's more recent appearances have rested on a return to his more classic villainous role, ignoring the progress the character had made over the past few decades as a man redeeming himself. I gather this is somewhat translated into the film, despite his shonky connection to Uncle Ben's death, but unfortunately the comics have felt the need to push him back into that corner.

Perhaps what made Sandman's transition into a more heroic role more readily acceptable than even an Eddie Brock-Venom was the fact that he never really had any strong motivation. For the most part Flint Marko/William Baker was always characterized as a petty career criminal who simply took advantage of his powers to continue to look for an easy way to make some bucks, usually by robbing or working as a henchman.

The attempts to redeem himself as an honorary Avenger, and as a member of Silver Sable's Wild Pack, were really the biggest steps made, I feel, to fleshing the man behind the sand out, and developing his character beyond the two-dimensional villain of the week he was beforehand.

Still, I'm not too fussy. I'm usually pretty happy to get my Sandman however I can get him, and even as a mook with the Frightful Four, you've seen me enjoy him for what he is. [Fantastic Four #129]
I just can't help but feel it's worth highlighting that Marvel continues to make fairly uninspired decisions like these, pushed less by well grounded creative decisions, and presumably more by cheap tricks.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 7