Spider-Men #1

Written by Brian Michael Bendis

Art by Sara Pichelli

Marvel

$3.99

Brian Michael Bendis is probably one of the best Spider-Man writers in a long line of Spidey writers. And I mean the character, not necessarily the book. 

That being said, the 5-part Spider-Men mini is entertaining largely because it’s filled with Peter Parker’s inner monologue. As a matter of fact, the entire book is done through Parker’s oddly winning neuroses. It’s a cheap trick, but it kind of works. Especially when goofy plot details involving universe transferring portals are glossed over in favor of it.

American Vampire: Lord of the Nightmares #1

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Dustin Nguyen

Vertigo/DC Comics

$2.99

Since it said #1 on the cover, I picked this one up by accident.  It’s a spin-off of Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque’s American Vampire series. I’ve never read the regular book, but I have heard that Scott Snyder is one to look out for. He doesn’t disappoint.

As far as I can tell, government agents and vampires are in some sort of power struggle for the mother of all vampires.

Men in Black-meets-Underworld sounds kind of played out, but Snyder and Nguyen keeps things moody and moving. The dialogue is nimble but specific, and the character of Hobbes seems like one of those narrative threads that keeps the series continuously interesting.

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1

Written Darwyn Cooke

Art by Amanda Conner

DC Comics

$3.99

Almost 30 years after Alan Moore’s original series, DC Comics has decided to push forward with Before Watchmen, a new series that focuses on the initial drama that got all the players to the original. 

As descriptive as it was, Alan Moore’s Watchmen was as much about what it did describe as what it did not. The human drama was about the internal damage that the super-powered characters had experienced years later, not about how they got there.

And that’s the problem with Silk Spectre. These stories feel like they weren’t meant to be told. Mostly because the mother-daughter angles and teenage angst aren’t the juicy bits of the story, they’re just the unnecessary crumbs.

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