Let's Get Comical! - Miscellaneous Comics

Editor's Note: This was to be posted in late July but my role at the radio station has picked up, so here it is, slightly unfinished. I hope to one day catch up on comic reviews.

Another morning at the radio station means some random comic reviews!

This time I'll be working my way through two miscellaneous comics currently in my bag, Amazing Fantasy #15 and Justice League #10.




Amazing Fantasy #15 (Reprint) (Purchased June 27, 2012)

This is a reprint of the famous Amazing Fantasy #15, featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man. The comic appears to have the same artwork/text as the original, just remastered. This was also reprinted apparently to tie in with the new Spider-Man movie. We all know the basic synopsis here, Peter Parker is a nerd who is picked on at school. One night he attends a science convention and is bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him superpowers and the ability to stick to walls. He uses these powers to go onto TV and wrestle wrestlers and show off stunts. But his money source soon runs out when he is payed by check, and can't get them cashed because he can't reveal his true identity. After getting a big head and not helping police to stop a thief, Peter returns home to find that his Uncle Ben has been murdered by the same crook he failed to stop. Peter and his Aunt May can't make money or pay bills, and Spider-Man is having slanderous articles written about him by J. Jonah Jameson. Even after Spidey saves Jameson's son from a rocket crash, Jameson continues his crusade against Spidey. This segues into the second part of the comic, a reprint of Amazing Spider-Man #1, where Spider-Man attempts to join the Fantastic Four for cash, and is disappointed to learn they're a non-profit organization. Spidey is then thrust into a feud with a criminal called The Chameleon, who can imitate and disguise himself as anyone. Chameleon frames Spidey for a crime but is thwarted, and despite Spidey helping the police catch the Chameleon, he is still hated by everyone and seen as a menace. What else will happen to Spider-Man, the comic asks on the last page? Hopefully nothing involving weird alien goo that gives him a black costume...

Justice League #10 (Purchased June 27, 2012)

You may remember I caught up on the series last month. Issue 10 begins three years ago with Graves, the weird body jumper from last issue, walking through some snowy mountains and encountering gods. Jumping back to the present day, Aquaman is summoned to the Justice League's orbiting satellite hideout after saving everyone aboard a sinking cruise ship, but being pestered about his uselessness by reporters anyway. The heroes meet and discuss the new threat of Graves, who has abducted all of the League's villains and knows all of their secrets. After some soul searching that leads to member distrust, Graves himself appears before the League, and turns them all into skeletons using ghosts not unlike the ones from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Umm, okay then. And that's the issue? Whatever. More than half of the comic is dedicated to the Shazam story. Billy Batson runs off at night and visits a tiger at the zoo, but one of his adopted "brothers" follows him, and the two plot revenge on the rich bullies and their dad. Meanwhile, scavengers discover the tomb of Black Adam and unleash him on the world.