Marvel Pick Of The Week – January 7, 2015
By Matt Conner
Pick Of The Week:
Ant-Man 1, by Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas
I have to say, I was not too excited about this book coming out. For one, though I have loved the heart shown in Nick Spencer’s Avengers books and the intricacy of his Morning Glories, I am still recovering from the cancellation of two-time Pick Of The Week Superior Foes Of Spider-Man. That book made me laugh more than any other book of the last year, and if I can’t see that brilliant comic timing or the true-to-life awkwardness of a screw-up digging himself deeper with every sentence, I just don’t think I’m ready to read Nick Spencer again yet.
In addition, Scott Lang hasn’t been my favorite character, and I sort of resent Marvel pushing a book if it’s just to get a trade paperback out in time for the movie release. He’s got a pretty complicated backstory: a thief steals Hank Pym’s size-changing, insect-talking accoutrements and ends up becoming a hero anyway, then he becomes a pretty bland fill-in character on the Fantastic Four when Reed Richards is presumed dead for a couple years in the 90’s, then he dates Jessica Jones until she announces that she’s pregnant with Luke Cage’s baby, then he dies during Scarlet Witch’s chaotic disassembling of the Avengers, then his teen daughter brings him back to life, then he fills in for Reed Richards again in a wacky makeshift Fantastic Four team including his pop-star girlfriend, Miss Thing. This is not the guy you hand to a new reader.
Except if you have the chance to hand them this book. And in that case, buy an extra copy, because you’re not getting your book back.
This was absolutely stellar. Spencer quickly finds the humor this character never really had by playing him with the same tone as the Superior Foes, a down-on-his-luck ex-con who might as well laugh at himself. In the opening scenes, he wears his superhero costume to a job interview, allowing for some nice absurd moments alongside an efficient delivery of the relevant origin story. Afterward, he competes for the job of Head Of Security Solutions against Prodigy, Victor Mancha, and the new Beetle from Superior Foes. The plot balances legitimate action sequences with a barrage of jokes, and the art is so grounded that the humor stands out even more. I am going to miss Nick Spencer’s last book, but this title is giving me almost everything I needed to see in a follow-up.
It would not surprise me to revisit this book in a Pick Of The Year column. January is off to a great start.
And BamSmackPow editor Nick Tylwalk agrees!
Honorable Mentions:
Legendary Star-Lord 7, because even if the rest of the issue hadn’t been amazing (and it was, trust me), this book brings the following to the world:
Looks like you got some trouble there, Chris Pratt. Bet I could find you some help, Chris Pratt. Man, space is dangerous.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 1, for a team taking a bunch of the humor that has made Squirrel Girl such a fan favorite but making a tone all their own, walking an omnipotent character through a delusionally naive attempt to keep a secret identity while enrolling in college.
Wolverines 1, for starting a weekly series off with a scene where Mr. Sinister mutilates Daken, like, mutilates him in the face-parts, but because this is Marvel, we’re shocked instead of queasily numbed.
Spider-Man 2099 7, for choosing to solve a problem by calling Punisher 2099 to introduce the bad guy to his ridiculous weapons cache. I loved that guy, and it’s great to see him back.