Reflections #5 - Ultimate Spider-Man #91

There's just one question I want to pose today: Where is Aunt May really going?

I don't know about you, but I don't buy the whole "getting together with friends from work" thing. You get that dressed up for a work get-together? She's definitely seeing some one, but who? Two possibilities leap to my mind:

One, it's a member of Nick Fury's staff (like an accountant or something) dating Aunt May to get her in trouble and further mess with Peter's life. Because, you know, Nick Fury gets his kicks from stuff like that. Heck, Fury is probably in charge of Deadpool and his Mutant Loser Brigade. And now I'll stop before I start ranting.

Two, she's dating J. Jonah Jameson. I can't remember if he's married in this continuity, but if he isn't, their mutual distrust of Spider-Man could be a connecting point. Jameson may not believe Spidey is evil anymore, but he has (understandable) questions about someone who swings around in a weird costume punching people. And Aunt May, well she made her feelings pretty clear when Peter was going to tell her he was Spider-Man.

Plus, I can recall at least one or two occasions where May put Jameson back on his heels, particularly when JJ offered Peter the job at the Bugle. Jonah seems to like/respect people who aren't intimidated by him. Ben Urich is constantly giving him crap, but Jameson lets him because Urich gets results, and because Jameson trust people who don't let him push them around, up to a point. So that may make her intriguing to him.

Seriously, how badly would that mess with Peter, his boss dating his aunt? He might be better off with the "Nick Fury is trying to mess with you" option.

Free-for-all #2 - Comic thoughts

Just a few thoughts on the books I bought this week:

I really want to know the circumstances between Wolverine (hereafter referred to as some form of James Howlett) and Bucky. Why would Bucky kill James' loved ones? Besides the obvious explanation that he's actually the Bucky from the Ultimate Universe, so his role model was the jerk that calls himself Captain America in that universe. Which means the Bucky in the Ultimate Universe may be the Marvel version. Because he's old, he can't tell this isn't the same Cap he worked with during WW2.

Seriously though, I am interested, I just wish it hadn't taken Way four parts of a five part story to accomplish that.

I think that Ultimate Peter Parker's life is difficult enough without Nick Fury actively trying to make it worse, to "test" him. I think what's going to happen is, that Fury is going to unleash those "Slayers" he confiscated (I mean, liberated) on Peter, and simultaneously use that genetic paralyzer S.H.I.E.L.D. has on Peter, to block his powers, to really put Pete through the wringer. Good thing he'll have Spider-Gir. . . I'm sorry, I can't call her that. She's Shadowcat. Period.

This could wind up being like that story Larsen did, when Peter asked to have his powers removed, but then his enemies kept causing trouble, so Peter wound up trying to fight the Scorpion without powers.

I'm still not sure why we're seeing so much of the Squadron Supreme these days, regardless of incarnation. Is this supposed to be Marvel's version of the Pocket Dimension?

Should I just assume we're never going to see Peter use his "new" powers for as long as he has this spiffy armor? Or should I just assume we're never going to see Peter use his "new" powers ever again, thus making "The Other" a complete waste of four months?

Random Comic Thoughts from this Week's titles

Blech. I need a better name for this than that mess. Maybe it should fall under "Things I think About". Oh well. Just some questions and random impressions from the week, now that I got that whole "mutant" thing out of my system:

1) I'm worried Starfire won't survive Infinite Crisis. I glanced through what I think was the most recent Outsiders. Her sister, who I take it doesn't like her any better in the comic than she does in the cartoon, is there, extra powerful and looking unfriendly. I hope I'm wrong, because I would really like to see Starfire in Teen Titans when One Year Later kicks off. Nightwing doesn't seem to be in a bad place (at least if IC is to be believed) and that was the whole reason she left the Titans, to keep an eye on him. I guess I'm just paranoid. I start thinking Batgirl might be OK, so now I'm thinking "Which other character I like is DC gonna take instead?"

2) If Cassandra Cain is a living member of the Birds of Prey at the start of OYL, I will buy the title regardless of quality. Come on Didio, I'm not asking for her to still be Batgirl (though I ask why she couldn't be), just that she still be alive. Work with me here!

As for books I actually bought:

Robin #146: What was with those sores on Conner's body? I can't figure his body would start devouring itself in select circular patterns here and there, though it is better for him than his body eating his own heart.

Robin mentioned a program he made that determines how difficult a place is to break into, on a scale of 10. There were 3 tens: The JLA Watchtower (oops, never mind), something in Washington D.C., and something that moves, and was in Coast City at that moment. What is the thing that keeps moving?

Ultimate Spider-Man #89: Is there a reason to have S.H.I.E.L.D. except as cannon fodder? I mean, they are constantly getting shown up. If it isn't six of Spidey's enemies escaping from a prison designed to hold them, it's Norman Osborn managing to hide Harry's "abilities" from the lab guys. Or it's Magneto escaping, or anything that's happening in The Ultimates. I know I said it when I reviewed this book, but I do not feel confident in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ability to stop Gah'Lak'Tus.

Exiles #76: Should I be expecting the Dr. Doom of 2099 to catch up to and absorb Proteus' abilities at some point? Doom stole the Beyonder's power, and compared to that Proteus is like a firecracker.

New Avengers #15: Would Jameson really have broken his word like that? Saying he will ease off Spidey for exclusive access, then turning around and broadcasting that arrangement to the world.

I mean he lied to CAPTAIN AMERICA! Isn't that considered treason?

Also, doesn't this mean Joe Robertson quit? He told JJJ, 'Say yes or I quit.' Jonah ended up going back on the deal, so I guess Robbie has some people offering him jobs now. Good, now let's see the Bugle fall apart, and Jonah have to crawl to get Robbie back.

And really, why can't Warbird be on the Avengers? I mean, besides Cap, Iron Man, and I would say Spidey, none of the others have proven themselves as much as her. That includes Luke and Jessica, and I'm really glad they're on the team.

Spider-Man and the Black Cat #6: One more time, why did Kevin Smith add rape into Felicia's origin? I would say that when a book is as late as this one has been that your goal should be to take what Chris has described as the Geoff Johns approach: comfort food. Don't go for the home run, just give the fans what they want. Some fighting, the hero wins, his friend is safe, maybe she gets to do some ass-kicking too. Just a simple superhero story. Do NOT add elements of rape to a story that didn't need it!

Wolverine #38: I'm sorry, was there anything to this issue?

Amazing Spider-Man #528: What was the point of Peter being sick? The first four issues of The Other, they made a big deal about how Peter was sick, and there was nothing anyone could do, in the realm of science of magic, to fix it. He was weaker than normal, and then Morlun attacked, and skin was shed, and Spider-creatures showed up, and it just got dropped.

From a biological standpoint it made sense for Morlun to attack when Peter wasn't at 100%. That's how it works in nature, predators attack the weaker individuals. The young that aren't full-grown, or the old, or the sick, or the injured. But there wasn't any need for that in this story. Morlun showed the first time around he was fully capable of kicking Spidey's ass even if Peter is at full strength. Peter won that fight on a gamble that paid off. The sickness was unnecessary. This one has been bugging me for awhile.

If you have answers to any of these, please help the world (meaning me) to understand.