Algernon writes...

While I'm at it, more Spectacular Spider-Man.

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GROUP THERAPY

Another great episode, admittedly I was slightly worried that the story would be a bit crammed with both the Sinister Six and the alien costume story, but once again this you guys manage to make the most out of your allotted twenty minutes.

The six themselves were played fantastically. This episode does a good job of show casing what a villainous mastermind Doc Ock truly is. It's interesting how he's apparently taken Electro under his wing. I especially liked his warped sense of chivalry regarding May and Anna. Ock may be a homicidal maniac but he is also a gentleman.

Speaking of may, I really liked that she stood up to the Six for Spidey. The whole "that awful Spider-Man" routine in the comics always made her really unlikable to me. I do hope that they don't overdo May's ill health, it's okay here but in the comics it's devolved into a borderline running gag.

I really liked how you've been developing the symbiote, very creepy and very subtle. I especially liked the way Symbiote Spidey literally beat the Six in his sleep.

The only thing that did bug me was Eddies sudden turn from a seemingly okay guy whose understandably pissed at Peter to creepy psycho. I understand how losing you clan or crippling your brother might drive you round the bend. But Eddie thinking Pete is a jerk doesn't seem quite eternal vengeance worthy to me. Still I'll reserve judgment till the current arc is over.

In short: 95% greatness and 5% "meh", still great stuff. The promo for the next episode looks creepy as hell.

TTFN

Greg Bishansky writes...

Group Therapy
In our latest misadventure, the Sinister Six comes to town.

First off, this was almost a Where's Waldo of previous characters. Let's see, who's in this episode?

Dr. Octopus; Vulture; Electro; Montana/Shock; Sandman; and Rhino. Our Sinister Six. But Hammerhead; Fancy Dan; and Ox also make appearances. I think Quentin Beck and Phineas Mason were also seen in Rikers Island.

Really, Green Goblin; Lizard; and Chameleon were the only ones missing. Goblin and Lizard apparently had Knicks tickets; I'm guessing Chameleon is a hockey fan, and hoping Black Cat is into jello wrestling ;)

Okay, first off, I loved the prison scenes. Especially Rhino and Sandman's cells. How does Rhino go to the bathroom? Kudos for the Dr. Ashley Kafka cameo. I enjoyed Electro and was glad to see he was the catalyst of their escape. I didn't expect Ox and Fancy Dan to join in the escape, but nice to see they're off with Hammerhead and I'm sure we'll see them again doing the Big Man's bidding...

... While I'm on the subject. One of the many things that annoyed me about the 90s series was that the Sinister Six.... er, "Insidious" Six (apparently, Sinister was a no no word for Fox Kids) were nothing more than Kingpin's glorified goon squad, with Doc Ock as the leading lackey. For a moment, I was afraid we'd see the same here, with Tombstone in the Kingpin's role. But, I'm glad that's not the case. While they may have coordinated, the Sinister Six is Doc Ock's show.

And what a show it was. Ock was cold, ruthless, sadistic and had all the best lines. Yup, that's the Doc Ock I know and love. I loved the dinner scene, hell, if I were locked up for a while, first thing I'd want is a four star meal at the best Italian restaurant in town. "Gentlemen, and Rhino," I loved that line.

The fight scenes were brutal. The first one, where Spidey got his ass kicked, and the second one where the Six got torn apart. Ock was just vicious, what with all the talk about impaling (heh, only character I foresee getting impaled wasn't in this episode) and peeling the symbiote off.

Finally, I'm glad the symbiote didn't make Peter over the top ruthless and vicious like the third movie and the 90s series did. While, I'm no fan of the story, I still liked the nod to the symbiote taking Peter out for a joyride.

The only thing about this episode I did not like was the Eddie Brock and Mary Jane scene. Okay, his first scene with Peter was fine. I can believe the guy drives like a maniac... he's crazy enough to tackle the Lizard. But, I just can't see the guy we have previously seen doing that to Mary Jane. I can't. Personally, I think this is an intrinsic problem with the character of Eddie that goes back all the way to his comic book debut. There is no logic at all to what he becomes. I hope I am proven wrong, and so far this show has done nothing but hit everything right as far as I'm concerned. But this here, by itself, just fell flat to me. Aw well.

Good show.

Algernon writes...

One more belated Spectacular Spider-Man Review

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Persona

Another jam-packed episode, giving us the alien costume, Black Cat, Chameleon & our first real look at Captain Stacy. I really don't know how you do it Greg, I have to check my watch to make sure these episode are really twenty minutes long.

I think it's interesting how you've chosen to go with the classic alien version of the black costume as opposed to the Ultimate "cancer suit". Particularly since your version of Brock draws heavily on his Ultimate incarnation. This show does a good job of blending elements from Spidey's various incarnations.

This episode also introduces two new antagonists into Spidey's world. Black Cat is a lot of fun. And before anyone else says it Felicia was doing the whole "amoral-cat-burglar-with-the-hots-for-our-hero" thing back when Catwoman's schemes mostly involved using black magic to turn Superman into a house cat. The Catwoman that Black Cat supposedly ripped off didn't really exist before Frank Miller's Batman: Year One, so there.

We also meet Chameleon. I liked that you went with the more old school master of disguise version, as opposed to the more Mystique style shape shifter he's become in recent years. He's also the man behind my favorite line in the episode…

"My insectoid early warning system is tingling!"

I'd go on but there are only so many different ways to say "I liked that" without it sounding repetitive. Looking forward to the Sinister Six.

Todd Jensen writes...

My ramble/review of the most recent episode of "The Spectacular Spider-Man".

This is a minor detail, but I was astonished when Aunt May and Anna Watson were talking about Falstaff in the play that they were going to see. I can't fully explain why at present (because of the "no ideas" rule), but we were discussing "Bad Guys" a couple of days earlier in the comment room, and part of the discussion turned on Dingo's real name being Harry Monmouth (a name also borne by Prince Hal) and its implications. (Though the play that Aunt May and Anna Watson were going to see was apparently "The Merry Wives of Windsor" - which I like to think of as the Falstaffian equivalent of the "Goliath Chronicles", incidentally, except that Shakespeare wrote that one - rather than one of the Henry IV plays.) At any rate, I was surprised at the timing.

I hadn't thought at first that Peter's sleepiness, and his silence during the final battle with the Sinister Six, was due to the alien symbiote, but that made a great revelation at the end. I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops in the upcoming episodes.

J. Jonah Jameson had another human moment when he discovers that Aunt May had a heart attack (I'd suspected, incidentally, that we'd see that coming when she had a faintness spell at the start of one of the earlier episodes - I think it was the Chameleon one).

The Sinister Six definitely came across as a threat - and I liked how they were all handled with their familiar characterizations (Sand-Man is still more interested in making a big haul than in getting revenge on Spidey, for example).

innyj writes...

help! i need facts on medieavl gargoyles where can i go

Dennis Knipper writes...

in the state of fla does the court consider the spouses, new spouses income in their calculations in fiquiring out how much child support is owed and is the law changing under the new regulations

Chris Velazquez writes...

During my reading of Bad Guys #3, one of the things I liked seeing the most was watching the clock tower being reconstructed (along with the absolutely psychotic expression the artist gave Robyn during the flashback of her blowing it up). Anyway, watching the clock tower being reconstructed reminded me also of Owen mentioning about being tired of overseeing the constant reconstruction of the castle due to the battles there. So, my question being, after the events of The Reckoning, is Coney Island being reconstructed? I'm quite curious about it, as Coney's quite a special place for both me and an aunt of mine (she's in her sixties of age and also a huge Gargoyles fan).

Anonymous writes...

I just wanted to note something from one of your previous question/answer entries. Laura aka 'ad astra' asked "about Titania and Oberon's son and daughter....Have we met them in some shape or form seemingly totally unconnected?" You answered "No. Not to my knowledge. (I thought I was sure.) I know who they are, but they did not appear in the first 66 episodes."

Here's my question. Have Oberon and Titania's son or daughter (Not Fox or Merlin, I mean the son and daughter Oberon and Titania had TOGETHER) appeared in some shape or form in the current issues of the comic series?