Amazing Mary Jane #4 (2019)
pencil & ink by Carlos Gomez
color by Carlos Lopez

Since the launch of The Amazing Spider-Man series in 1977, the titular hero has enjoyed mainstream penetration like few others on the big screen. The Spider-Man trilogy, between 2002 and 2007, propelled him further into pop culture – and it is not just in cinema where the impact has been felt.

In this article, we will consider the far-reaching places Spider-Man has made his mark. From lending his likeness to slots games in UK online casinos, to merchandise and video game crossovers.

Gaming

Perhaps Spidey’s broadest legacy is in the world of video games. The titles featuring the character are almost too numerous to count, and they include outings on 15 different gaming platforms across four decades.

The first Spider-Man game was released on the Atari 2600 and offers classic action featuring the pursuit of criminals across skyscrapers. It even includes a cameo appearance from the Green Goblin, whose bombs you must avoid.

Text-driven graphical adventure games followed, including an appearance in the Questprobe series of games, before a return to a more modern format in the late 80s and early 90s. Fast forward nearly 30 years and games like Marvel’s Spider-Man have helped keep the character at the forefront of the industry.

The title attracted rave reviews from critics and has helped to keep the franchise front of mind across the world in between big screen releases. And while many game adaptations of films flop horribly, Spider-Man has enjoyed a relatively smooth transition between formats, including sub-sectors like casino gaming, where his likeness is often seen in slot games.

TV shows

It’s common to to see films make the switch to the small screen, with live action and animated serialisations helping to entertain existing audiences and build new ones. And Spider-Man is no exception.

The majority of TV shows created featuring Spider-Man have been animated, starting with the original series in 1967, through to 2021’s upcoming Spidey And His Amazing Friends.

That the franchise can engage with audiences young and old is another string to its bow, and a huge advantage in the marketplace, especially at a time when streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime are commissioning a seemingly endless amount of original shows.

Merchandise and total value

Elsewhere, the Spider-Man merchandise industry is big business, with Amazing Fantasy #15 – the first comic to feature the character – worth just under $300,000. But although it’s the comics that command the biggest prices, everything from air fresheners to apple juice drinks can also be snapped up.

The current Sony-Disney split over Spider-Man – a result of the apparent divorce of Sony from Disney-Marvel – is helping to dive up the value of the IP. Far From Home, released in 2019, grossed $1.232bn at Box Office, from a budget of $160m, so it’s no surprise that the world’s biggest media giants are battling for control.

Whether it’s the films themselves, the extensive library of TV shows and games, or the infinitely collectible series of comics, it’s beyond question that Spider-Man enjoys one of the biggest media footprints in all of modern pop culture.

It’s nice to know Mary Jane is in Peter’s corner.

Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #141

Published: c. November, 1974?
Cover Date: February, 1975

“The Man’s Name Appears to Be… Mysterio!”
Writer: Gerry Conway
Artist: Ross Andru
Inker: Frank Giacoia and Dave Hunt
Letterer: Artie Simek
Colorist: Petra Goldberg

Guest post.

Comics are exciting, and most of us love them. In the everyday eye, writing such interesting stories seems to be a straight forward task, but in reality, there is a lot of writing these pieces than meets the eye. It is because the process of writing comics has remained a mystery to most people.

In reality, you need to put more time and effort into the preparation if you want to make your comic a worthy read. You ought to put in time researching, think visually, and then plan out the structure of your comic. You must also consider working with an artist who will help you bring your story to life using beautiful images.

Nevertheless, that shouldn’t scare you. There are lots of materials available that can guide you into writing an interesting comic story. Want to write a comic novel? Here is a guide on some of the steps you can follow to write a piece that comic fans will love:

• Come up With a Compelling Story

Before creating a comic, you should have a story that the comic will be based on. Most of the best comics you see today are based on some books you have read. So a good story is the basis of a great comic. You don’t have to draw to create comics. Ensure you have several characters in your story. Most importantly, the characters should be well defined, with the main character coming out clearly.

Once you have the main character, create a conflict. By overcoming what is on the way, your main character should come out as a hero or a supervillain.

If you cannot think of a good story, you can always seek help from paper writing service. Most of these services will help you craft a creative story that you can use to write your comic.

• Think in Pictures

Writing for comics varies from writing a novel. It is because comics are based on dialogue and artistry.  Always make the story visual and incorporate conversations that are short and concise. If you can replace a sentence with an image, then do so.

You should also be dynamic with your characters to make your story interesting. Allow your characters to make mistakes, get hurt, and then heal them in the most unexpected ways. Don’t make your hero a perfect figure; let them take charge and make wrong decisions that will cost them dearly.

• Structure Your Story

Now that you have the story, you should think about how to structure it. Think of the number of panels you’ll have on each page, how you want the panels to be, among other considerations.

Ideally, a well-structured comic should have about five panels on each page. To make your comic visually appealing, vary your panels from one page to another. Panels are the layout of the page; therefore, if you make them the same throughout, your book is bound to look dull.

The panels can be constructed based on the scene and the actions taking place. If, for instance, the scene is taking place in a high place, you can use the eagles’ eyes method to make your panels large and enable the audience to understand the action better. It is artistry work, so be sure to hire an artist whose style fits your particular story.

• Length and Format

Comics can be written in many formats. You can decide to write a short one-page story or a novel, or even publish a monthly series. The length and format you choose will depend on your preference and plot.

However, if you want to write a comic that makes you money for a long time, consider how marketable your story is. That’s the whole essence of doing research.

• Conduct Thorough Research

You don’t want to write a comic that no one will read just because it is similar to another popular cartoon or because it’s boring. So do research about the existing comics and read many stories and come up with the one-of-a-kind comic. I understand that’s difficult to do in an industry as productive as the comic industry.

However, do enough research and study how other comic writers bring out their superheroes. You should then create your superhero and get something to make him stand apart. Be as dynamic as possible, and try to break the standard mold with your story, and your comic story will be a successful read.

Conclusion

Writing a great comic story is about being creative, reading widely, and coming up with a story and characters that will be new yet so exciting to comic lovers. With some hard work and thorough research, you should be able to come with something interesting.

The post How Do I Write a Comic Story? appeared first on Berkeley Place.

In the aftermath of the last two-part story, which ended in a battle in the Baxter Building, Spider-Man inadvertently releases Super Skrull from his containment cell and it takes two issues and Human Torch and Ms. Marvel to recapture him.

Why Reed kept him at the Baxter Building, in the middle of a major metropolitan area, is beyond me.  Ms. Marvel gets in a nut shot…

…before she takes a huge punch…

…And gives one.

Anyway, lots of punching and krakowing.  After getting punched all the way to the Statue of Liberty, Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man get to talking…

Skrull needs a crystal to…Know what?  It doesn’t matter.  He’s foiled in the end and the crystal isn’t really anything that comes back.

Good story and great art.

Creators: Chris Claremont and John Byrne
Grade: B-

For the complete history of the MU, year by year, go here.
And see my Ratings of Runs on comics here.

The post MARVEL TEAM-UP #61-62 (1977) appeared first on Berkeley Place.

Atlantis Attacks #3 - “Sword of the Sirenas” (2020)
pencil & ink by Ario Anindito & Robert Gill
color by Rachelle Rosenberg

The Umbrella Academy season 2 character posters are not the trailer that we were all eagerly awaiting. Instead, we got posters that are more detailed than the ones released last year. There was a fun date announcement video, but it didn’t feature any new footage or looks into season 2. So when the show teased something coming soon, a trailer was the first thing on everyone’s mind. But the posters we got are not at all disappointing, since they are very in-depth. Not to mention some head-scratching aspects that definitely seem to tease what may come in Umbrella Academy season 2. 

Umbrella Academy Season 1 Really Put The ‘fun’ In Dysfunctional

three. pic.twitter.com/mnagHnyRla

— Umbrella Academy (@UmbrellaAcad) May 28, 2020

The Umbrella Academy is one of Netflix’s better comic book adaptations. The series follows the graphic novel series from Dark Horse Comics by Gerald Way and Gabriel Ba. Released in 2019, season 1 introduced us to the Hargreeves family. The Netflix original was about a weird group of adopted children with powers, raised by an old rich man. Their intended purpose was to become a superhero team. But the emotional trauma received due to their upbringing caused them all to separate in adulthood. Season 1 is all about how they have to come together to stop (almost) an apocalyptic threat, despite their better judgment. 

Season 1 of The Umbrella Academy was great because it was a superhero TV series that featured flawed and messed up characters. Not at all on the scale of Amazon Prime’s The Boys, but still subverting the tropes of what we expect from superheroes. The characters’ flaws were due to their lives just not working out how they expected, something that is very relatable. The season 1 finale saw the group having to time travel to escape the end of the world, potentially becoming lost in time. And that’s the focus of The Umbrella Academy season 2 character posters. 

Umbrella Academy Season 2 Character Posters Reveal A Lot

Images via Netflix.

Umbrella Academy’s official Twitter account put out the new season 2 character posters. The posters feature each of the seven Hargreeves children, with their faces covered by umbrellas. However, the most interesting part of the posters is the character looks and their clothes. Not knowing what time period they all ended up in, the clues are all over the place. Even though the posters seem pretty straightforward.

 Vanya (Ellen Page), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), and Luther (Tom Hopper) all look like the characters we’ve grown to love in season 1. Their clothes, styling and feel very much in tune to their arcs. Although Allison’s outfit looks very 60’s, possibly providing a clue as to where they may be. Ben (Justin H. Min) also looks the same, but that’s understandable given his character’s status in the entire series. However, it’s the others that are more interesting. 

When Are They In Umbrella Academy Season 2

two. pic.twitter.com/TIbPaGKLPE

— Umbrella Academy (@UmbrellaAcad) May 28, 2020

The poster featuring Klaus (Robert Sheehan) looks interesting, but provides little clues as to the new season. Klaus is shown shirtless in a Prince-like jacket, which for any other character would be intriguing. But given Klaus’ dramatic and flamboyant sense of style, it might not be a clue at all. But then again, he could be in the Victorian-era England for all we know. Then there’s Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) who is in the same clothes we’re used to seeing him in, but is older and taller? This also could be irrelevant given that Gallagher is the youngest actor of the cast, and this could just be him aging between production. The most noticeable aspect of Five’s poster is the blood splatter and creepy smile on his face. What that implies is something we still have to figure out. 

The most glaring part of the Umbrella Academy season 2 character posters is Diego’s (David Castaneda). Diego looks completely different with much longer hair. If that has something to do with time travel or if it’s just an aesthetic change is still unknown. It’s possible that Diego could have, somehow, spent more time apart from the others. With time travel as the main plot device of the series, anything is possible. There’s also the mystery of what Diego is holding. While everyone else in the season 2 character posts are just holding their umbrellas, Diego’s got something else too. The long and thin object is different from the blades he usually wields, lending some more mystery towards season 2. 

The Umbrella Academy season 2 premieres on Netflix on July 31. 

What did you think of the new Umbrella Academy season 2 character posters? 

There Is A Lot Going On In The Umbrella Academy’s New Season 2 Character Posters
Shah Shahid