Spider-Man Reboot?

It seems strange to even discuss a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. I mean, Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN 3 was just released in 2007. This confuses me. Is Hollywood so out of ideas that three-year-old movies are game for being remade? It makes the FRIDAY THE 13TH and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET remakes seem understandable...

Which scares me.

Before tackling the logistics of this new Spider-Man, I want to take a minute to observe something. In 2003, HULK, starring Eric Bana was released. In 2008, Edward Norton starred in the franchise remake, THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Thomas Jane became Frank Castle in 2004's THE PUNISHER, which was incomparably better than PUNISHER: WAR ZONE, released in 2008. And now Spider-Man. Is it strange that comic book adaptations are seeing reboots in under 5 years? Is this okay? In each of these cases, I would argue that the first movie is far superior to the reboot...

And this brings me to Spider-Man.

The first of Raimi's movies was certainly acceptable. I actually really enjoyed it. But as A New Found Glory says, "it's all downhill from here."

The second movie was okay, but we lost the characterization that the first film did well----it more was based on action and the fan-hype over Doctor Octopus than anything else. I would have hoped that the fandom of Venom would have at least made the third movie bearable, but it wasn't. It really, really wasn't.

And I don't know if a reboot could save Spider-Man. Not while comic book adaptations like Nolan's Batman and the Iron Man series is critically and economically soaring. In fact, all Spider-Man hype will ultimately get lost in the Avengers film set to release the same year.

But we will have to see. Marc Webb will tackle the project's directing chair, and it seems like a large, ambitious, daunting project for a man with such a small list of accomplishments. But I'm not doubting him, yet----I am just skepticle of the project as a whole.

I mean, c'mon. After SPIDER-MAN 3, it's hard for me to get excited over anything web-related.

But Media Smarts wants to know, what do you think?

Comic book: Amory Wars: IKSSE3 #1

Coheed and Cambria has had an eventful last few months: the CD, DVD, and novel package of YEAR OF THE BLACK RAINBOW was released in April, the band just finished a national tour, and now the first of----I believe----twelve books in the third installment of the AMORY WARS comic book series is in stores, titled: IN KEEPING SECRETS OF THE SILENT EARTH: 3.

This volume picks up ten years after Claudio's exile in SECOND STAGE TURBINE BLADE, and the character carries a much heavier demeanor this time around. In fact, the situation is entirely depressing: he has no family, is unable to speak to his (ex-)girlfriend, and his own dog doesn't recognize him. Not to mention that the forces of good and evil are searching the Fence (the planets) high and low to find him. It's rough being Claudio.

On another note, the series has seen a makeover. Peter David (the co-author of BLACK RAINBOW and industry veteran) teams up with Claudio Sanchez, while Chris Burnham handles the interior artwork. Because of these changes, this volume is hard to compare to TURBINE BLADE. The cartoon feel of the earlier books has been revamped into a darker, more horrific style. In my opinion, either style fits the science fiction elements of Claudio's vision. I actually don't like one more than the other, really.

However, what is better is the story itself. It's easy to follow, the questions I had are meant to be intentional rather than holes, and the characters feel more believable. I truly liked this comic book. Furthermore, I think that the presence of an entertainment juggernaut like Coheed and Cambria in the comic book industry could do wonders for a slipping medium. Claudio has the opportunity to convert a lot of people into comic readers, and that's awesome.

This is not where a reader should start, though. This book would be hard for me to follow had I not the background knowledge of previous issues. Many sites emphasize that this is the best place to start reading AMORY WARS, but I disagree. There's a lot you need to know, I think, to fully appreciate the awesomeness of KEEPING SECRETS. That being said, you can spend $20 on Amazon.com and get both part one and two of TURBINE BLADE. And that's all you need----and they're great comics. The reviews I've read seem abrasive of the volumes, but I truly enjoyed them. More people are trying too hard to be critics instead of enjoying a work of high quality, fun storytelling.

Hey, at the end of the day, it's beats the s#$& out of Twilight.

In conclusion:

AMORY WARS: IKSSE3

4.5 out of 5