Blogs by Nathan

• Spider-view: “The Spectacular Spider-Kid” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 31)—01.18.2021
  A nice palate cleanser, this single story juggles certain elements neatly while fumbling some characterization
• (Strand)om Stories: Iron Man Epic Collection: Stark Wars Review—01.17.2021
  "Stark Wars" presents bombastic action and hints at character depth in this 80s installment in Iron Man's Epic Collection line
• Spider-view: “Breakin’!” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 30)—01.15.2021
  A long-running subplot culiminates in fascinating fashion in this celebratory 100th issue of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man
• Spider-view: “Trade Secret” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 29)—01.11.2021
  This standalone narrative wobbles in places, an interesting concept weighed down by mediocre execution
• Spider-view: “Such Sweet Sorrow” (Cloak and Dagger, Part 9)—01.08.2021
  Bill Mantlo presents an engaging, somewhat cliche standalone issue, including proper characterizations of Cloak and Dagger
• Spider-view: “Spider on the Spot” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 28)—01.05.2021
  As Milgrom builds towards issue 100, he follows a shaky path in a rather unbalanced penultimate issue
• (Strand)om Stories: The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus (Vol. 1) Review—01.03.2021
  Chris Claremont's stunning run on Uncanny X-Men begins strong with this wonderfully entertaining tome
• Spider-view: “'Tis Better to Give” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 27)—01.01.2021
  Marvel Team-Up comes to a bittersweet ending with a Spidey/X-Men pairing that successfully builds upon the past
• (Strand)om Stories: Man-Wolf: The Complete Collection Review—12.30.2020
  An entire collection focused on John Jameson's alter ego can be wonky at times but is ultimately more satisfying than disappointing
• Spider-view: “The Scorpion Takes a Bride” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 26)—12.29.2020
  Stan Lee's brief return to Spidey-dom is a celebratory blend of old and new
• Spider-view: “Shadowman” (Cloak and Dagger, Part 8)—12.27.2020
  Chris Claremont successfully blends mutant heroism with Cloak and Dagger's ongoing narrative
• Spider-view: “The Incandescent Man” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 25)—12.21.2020
  Some crammed backstory and a forced moral hinder an issue that would otherwise spell an entertaining team-up
• Spider-view: “True Confessions” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 24)—12.19.2020
  Al Milgrom's latest issue is a step backward for the writer, an unbalanced menagerie of events and faces
• Spider-view: “The Challenge of Hobgoblin” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 23)—12.15.2020
  Tom DeFalco unleashes the Hobgoblin and deepens the mystery of one of Spidey's zaniest story arcs
• Spider-view: “Hermit-Age” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 22)—12.12.2020
  Al Milgrom paints a relaxing standalone issue buoyed by subplots which compensate for a weak main narrative
• Spider-view: “All My Pasts Remembered” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 21)—12.10.2020
  Tom DeFalco explores Mary Jane Watson's past in a genuinely engaging and deep issue
• Spider-view: “A Child Shall Lead Them” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 20)—12.07.2020
  A fun, frantic Human Torch/Spidey team-up isn't burnt too badly by a less impactful Thor/Spidey pairing
• Spider-view: “The Final Answer” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 19/Cloak and Dagger, Part 7)—12.05.2020
  With the alien costume seemingly gone, Al Mlgrom wraps up another plotline in an issue that reads better that some of his past work
• Spider-view: “The Sinister Secret of Spider-Man’s New Costume” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 18)—12.01.2020
  Tom DeFalco reveals the alien costume's true nature in an issue filled with wit and wonder
• Spider-view: “Memory Lane” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 17)—11.29.2020
  A fun standalone issue hones in on the hitherto unknown childhood years of one Aunt May
• Spider-view: “Hero Worship” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 16)—11.27.2020
  This Marvel Team-Up issue tells a winning story about herosim without coming across as heavy-handed or preachy
• Spider-view: “The Collected Spider-Man” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 15)—11.10.2020
  A frantic team-up tale holds only a small candle to a well-developed, surprisingly relatable backup narrative
• Spider-view: “Beware the Claws of Puma” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 14)—11.04.2020
  New villains and new revelations await our stalwart hero as Tom DeFalco ratchets up the stakes
• Spider-view: “How Ya Gonna Keep ‘em Down at the Morgue After They’ve Seen N.Y.C.?” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 13/Cloak and Dagger, Part 6)—10.29.2020
  Largely freed from the constraints of recent continuity, Al Milgrom crafts an engaging two-parter that sees his storytelling abilities at the forefront
• Spider-view: “Hometown Boy” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 12)—10.23.2020
  A supervillain character study gets surprisingly deep in this one-off Spidey/Iron Man issue
• Spider-view: “My Sword I Lay Down” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 11)—10.18.2020
  This standalone issue raises and explores some engaging questions, yet only scratches the surface in answering them
• Spider-view: “A Hot Time in the Old Morgue Tonight” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 10)—10.11.2020
  Tension flits through this issue, some of it decently inserted, some of it misplaced, as Milgrom wrestles with the Spidey/Cat dyanmic of the series
• Spider-view: “Even a Ghost Can Fear the Night” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 9)—10.06.2020
  Interwoven subplots take a back seat to a one-off filler issue that ends up being more fun than it appears at first glance
• Spider-view: “And the Answer Is…” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 8)—09.22.2020
  Al Milgrom's chronology might still be broken, but he works to make up for it with the addition of a great new villain
• Spider-view: “With Great Power…” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 7)—09.12.2020
  Spidey's most famous mantra powerfully hangs over him in this DeFalco/Leonardi issue
• Spider-view: “Foiled!” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 6)—09.08.2020
  Good and poor characterizations abound in this David Micheline two-parter, creating an unbalanced but entertaining tale
• Spider-view: “If It Wasn’t for Bad Luck…” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 5)—09.01.2020
  A well-told Spider-Man/Black Cat tale is hampered only by chronological inconsistencies
• Spider-view: “By Myself Betrayed” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 4)—08.18.2020
  Tom DeFalco gives Peter, and readers, ideas to mull over even as a supposedly impactful revelation falls flat
• Spider-view: “Where, Oh, Where has My Spider-Man Gone?” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 3)—08.08.2020
  This Secret Wars tie-in tells a fun tale about the Black Cat but suffers from some chronological and character issues
• Spider-view: “Blind Justice” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 2)—07.28.2020
  "How" Christopher Priest crafts this team-up between Spidey and Daredevil ends up far outweighing "Why"
• Spider-View: “Homecoming” (Alien Costume Saga, Part 1)—07.21.2020
  Our first look into the "Alien Costume Saga" displays promise for an entertaining premise
• Spider-view: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars—07.10.2020
  Marvel's classic crossover event, though not flawless, remains a genuinely rewarding series over thirty years later
• Spider-view: Marvel Tails #1—07.05.2020
  Tom DeFalco sucessfully creates an amusing and humorous 80s parody of the Wall-Crawler
• Spider-view: “The Hunters and the Hunted” (Cloak and Dagger, Part 5)—06.22.2020
  Founded on familiarity, this Marvel Team-Up annual nonetheless dovetails nicely with Cloak and Dagger's limited series
• Spider-view: Cloak and Dagger (vol. 1) (Cloak and Dagger, Part 4)—06.16.2020
  The vigilante duo's first standalone series broadens their world and establishes Cloak and Dagger as people, not just heroes
• Spider-view: “Stalkers in the Shadows” (Cloak and Dagger, Part 3)—06.08.2020
  In a story that nicely develops Cloak and Dagger, the regression of Frank Castle is an unfortunate downside
• Spider-view: “Switch Witch”—06.03.2020
  A medicore Spider-Man narrative is overshadowed by a delightful back-up story by Roger Stern
• Spider-view: “In Darkness Seldom Seen” (Cloak and Dagger, Part 2)—05.30.2020
  Cloak and Dagger return, their characters given more nuance...but not all the new pieces fit perfectly
• Spider-view: “Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut”—05.26.2020
  Roger Stern's beloved two-part tale ratchets up the intensity in one of Spidey's toughest battles to date
• Spider-view: The Death of Captain Marvel—05.23.2020
  Marvel's first-ever graphic novel is a gorgeous tribute to a fallen hero
• Spider-view: Marvel Fanfare #1-4—05.19.2020
  Chris Claremont kicks off a 1980s series with a near perfect take on Spider-Man
• Spider-view: “Cloak and Dagger” (Cloak and Dagger, Part 1)—05.15.2020
  Bill Mantlo introduces two important characters to the Spider-Man mythos
• The Spider-Man Chronology Project—05.13.2020
  Untangling Spidey's history, one tale at a time
• My First-Ever Friendsgiving—11.25.2019
• Unleashed—10.28.2019
• Joker: Review—10.13.2019
• Jeff Smith’s Bone Book 5—09.22.2019
  Rock Jaw Master of the Eastern Border Finally Gives Our Starring Protagonist a Role of His Own
• Jeff Smith’s Bone Book 4—09.21.2019
  The Dragonslayer Dedicates too Much Time to Subplots and Fails to Significantly Enhance the Main Story
• Jeff Smith’s Bone Book 3—09.21.2019
  Eyes of the Storm Kicks Smith's Epic Story into High Gear, Stumbling Only Slightly Along the Way
• Jeff Smith’s Bone Book 2—09.15.2019
  The Great Cow Race Stands Wonderfully on its Own but Adds Little to the Overall Narrative
• Jeff Smith’s Bone Book 1—09.13.2019
  Out from Boneville is a Great Start to an Epic Fantasy in Comic Form
• Hunted vs Spider-Island—09.07.2019
  How Nick Spencer's First Major Amazing Spider-Man Storyline Compares to Dan Slott's
• Whatever It Takes—05.04.2019
  Where Does Avengers: Endgame Fall on the ‘Marvelous’ List?
• Marvelous: Ranking the Movies of the MCU, Part 3 (7-1)—03.12.2019
• Marvelous: Ranking the Movies of the MCU, Part 2 (14-8)—03.11.2019
• Marvelous: Ranking the Movies of the MCU, Part 1 (21-15)—03.10.2019
• Fit for a Kiehn: Ranking the Songs of Fit for a King, Part 3—09.15.2018
• Fit for a Kiehn: Ranking the Songs of Fit for a King, Part 2—09.15.2018
• Fit for a Kiehn: Ranking the Songs of Fit for a King, Part 1—09.15.2018
• Spencer’s Spidey, Part 4: 10 Things Nick Spencer Shouldn’t Do as Writer of The Amazing Spider-Man (5-1)—06.22.2018
• Spencer’s Spidey, Part 3: 10 Things Nick Spencer Shouldn’t Do as Writer of The Amazing Spider-Man (10-6)—06.22.2018
• Spencer’s Spidey, Part 2: 10 Things Nick Spencer Should Do as Writer of The Amazing Spider-Man (5-1)—06.22.2018
• Spencer’s Spidey, Part 1: 10 Things Nick Spencer Should Do as Writer of The Amazing Spider-Man (10-6)—06.22.2018
• Incredibles 2: 14 Years Too Late?—06.17.2018
• The 10 Best Amazing Spider-Man Stories by Dan Slott, Part 2 (5-1)—06.02.2018
• The 10 Best Amazing Spider-Man Stories by Dan Slott, Part 1 (10-6)—06.02.2018
• Courting Death: Characters Who Might Die In Avengers: Infinity War—04.04.2018
• When Nostalgia Isn’t Enough—How The Last Jedi Substitutes Subversion for Shock—12.17.2017
• The Superior Spider-Manalysis (pt. 2)—12.08.2017
• The Superior Spider-Manalysis (pt. 1)—12.08.2017
• The 10 Best Deaths in Superhero Movies (5-1)—09.05.2017
• The 10 Best Deaths in Superhero Movies (10-6)—09.05.2017
• The 10 Best Plot Twists in Superhero Movies (5-1)—07.11.2017
• The 10 Best Plot Twists in Superhero Movies (10-6)—07.11.2017
• Where Love is Central—06.10.2017
• Rall Symposium 2017 Presentation—05.19.2017
• A Galaxy Far, Far Away Gets A Little Closer—01.02.2017
  A Newfound Appreciation For The Star Wars Universe
• Looking for Lewis: Day 10—06.28.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 9—06.28.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 8—06.28.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 7—06.28.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 6—06.25.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 5—06.25.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 4—06.22.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 3—06.21.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 2—06.20.2016
• Looking for Lewis: Day 1—06.19.2016
• Wisdom From the Mountains: Breakaway 2016 - Part 2—03.30.2016
• Wisdom From the Mountains: Breakaway 2016 - Part 1—03.30.2016
• Come To The Table - Part 2—08.13.2015
• Come To The Table - Part 1—08.10.2015
• The 10 Best LEGO Superhero Vehicles of All Time (5-1)—07.01.2015
• The 10 Best LEGO Superhero Vehicles of All Time (10-6)—06.30.2015
• The 10 Best LEGO Superhero Minifigures of All Time (5-1)—01.30.2015
• The 10 Best LEGO Superhero Minifigures of All Time (10-6)—12.23.2014
• The 10 Best Action Figures of All Time (5-1)—11.02.2014
• Age of Ultron Trailer: My Reaction—10.23.2014
• The 10 Best Action Figures of All Time (10-6)—10.07.2014
• Lego Superhero Sets Review (2014)—08.22.2014
• How To Make The FF Reboot Fantastic—06.25.2014
• Why ASM2 Is the Best Superhero Movie Since TDKR—05.23.2014
• Marvel Phase 3 Theory pt. 2: Phase 3 Films—05.10.2014
• Amazing Spider-Man 2: Initial Reaction—05.03.2014
• Prairie Light Review Poems—04.24.2014
• Marvel Phase 3 Theory pt. 1: Phase 2 Summary and Conclusion—04.01.2014
• Musical Genres—03.22.2014
• Lego Superhero Sets Review (2013)—03.19.2014
• 2013 Movie Predictions Fulfilled—03.04.2014
• A Super Future 2—09.07.2013
• The Gray Guard: Chapter 1—05.22.2013
• A Place of Growth pt. 2: Relationships—05.18.2013
• A Place of Growth pt. 1: Class—05.17.2013
• 2013 Movie Predictions—05.11.2013
• The Blizzard of DQ—04.30.2013
• 2012 Movie Predictions Fulfilled—03.22.2013
• Back At Bat—09.11.2012
• The Spider-Men—09.04.2012
• The Dork Knight Rises—08.26.2012
• The Dark Knight Rises—07.25.2012
• The Nolanverse—07.16.2012
• Elevators: Chapter 1—06.29.2012
• The Dark Knight vs. The Avengers—06.19.2012
• A Super Future—06.11.2012
• Album Review: Welcome To The Masquerade by Thousand Foot Krutch—05.31.2012
• TDKR Expectations—05.21.2012
• The Avengers—05.08.2012
• Why So Serious?—04.10.2012
• 2012 Movie Predictions—03.12.2012
• Meet the Kiehns—02.14.2012
• Aw, Shoot!—01.08.2012
• Rayman—12.18.2011
• Greenhouse—12.16.2011
• Heroic Films of 2011—12.14.2011
• Heroes—09.21.2011
• Favorite Bands—07.25.2011
• Martyr—06.06.2011
• Favorite Authors—05.16.2011
• Autobiography of Maron Kiehn—05.13.2011
• Fairy Tale: Red Riding Hoodlum—05.02.2011
• William Slade, Shadow Slayer, Episode Six: The Shadow Spawn's Son—03.25.2011
• The Movies of Mr. Nolan—03.10.2011
• William Slade, Shadow Slayer, Episode Five: The Temple of Terrm—10.02.2010
• School (in the Words of a Werd)—08.08.2010
• William Slade, Shadow Slayer, Episode Four: Trials of the Tyrant—08.02.2010
• Werds—07.26.2010
• Six Hours One Friday—07.25.2010
• William Slade, Shadow Slayer, Episode Three: Maragoth the Murderer—07.24.2010
• William Slade, Shadow Slayer, Episode Two: The Perilous Plane—06.14.2010
• The Gauntlet—02.20.2010
• A Family To Love On Valentine's Day—02.14.2010
• William Slade, Shadow Slayer, Episode One: Captive Commander—01.30.2010
• 2009 in Rhyme—12.26.2009
• Civil War—12.13.2009
• Da Bears—11.25.2009
• The Lost Colony—10.30.2009
• Look, Up In The Sky... It's MOVIE MAN!—10.20.2009
• The Realm Beyond Reality—10.19.2009
• Wii Like Games—09.23.2009
• The Mystery Men—09.03.2009
• The Movies of Mr. M Night—08.19.2009
• The Summer of 2009—08.18.2009
• Ravenwood—07.16.2009
• Day 3 At Disney: Magic In The Air—07.11.2009
• Day 2 At Disney: Where The Wild Things Are—06.27.2009
• Day 1 At Disney: Going Downtown—06.22.2009
• Fashion Victims—05.17.2009
• Why Mom Is Special—05.10.2009
• Red Fever—05.01.2009
• Day 5 With Dad—04.23.2009
• Day 4 With Dad—04.21.2009
• Favorites—04.21.2009
• Day 3 With Dad—04.20.2009
• Spider-Man Can Do His Own Stunts—04.20.2009
• Day 2 With Dad—04.19.2009
• TV Time—04.19.2009
• Day 1 With Dad—04.18.2009
• X-Men—04.18.2009
• The Myths And The Monsters—04.17.2009
• Sacrifices—04.12.2009
• The Legend Of The Jackal—02.09.2009
• Twilight Princess Review—01.01.2009
• The Elf on the Shelf—12.25.2008
• What Happened To The Entwives—12.20.2008
• The New Batman—12.16.2008
• Troll Attack!—12.15.2008
• The History Of Slurry—10.17.2008
• A Job Well Done—10.12.2008
• Favorite School Subjects—10.11.2008
• Mom—10.09.2008
• The Movies Of Mr. Lucas—10.08.2008
• The Legend Of Spider-Man—10.05.2008
• Summary Of Book 1 Of The Fellowship Of The Ring—10.03.2008
• Scratch—09.20.2008
• The Wii Weight Plan—09.19.2008
• Creating A Comic—09.18.2008
• A Little Man, A Big Adventure—08.23.2008
• The Summer Of 2008—08.20.2008
• Six Ways On How To Quickly Get Cash In Your Pocket—07.10.2008
• The World Of Wii—07.08.2008
• The Real Reason 4 Celebration—07.07.2008
• It's The (Fire)Pits—06.30.2008
• The World Without The Word—06.11.2008
• The Acts of J.O.Y.—06.10.2008
• From One Writer To Another by Gator—06.09.2008
• The Ultimate Super Hero!—06.07.2008
• A Series I Have In As High Regard As Mount Olympus Is Tall—06.06.2008
• Vacation Bound—06.02.2008
• Year of Highlights—05.22.2008
• Moving The Set: How My Father Used Applied Science (And Me) To Get The Job Done—05.20.2008
• Perfect In Every Way—05.08.2008
• From Easy To Hard—05.07.2008
• I'm Against Evolution—05.05.2008
• A Lame Story: The Idiot Who Tried To Fly—03.31.2008