Don't mess with Aunt May: Sensational Spider-Man #31

Spider-Man fans who have been around long enough remember how useless Pete's beloved Aunt May used to be. She doddered about the house making wheat cakes for her nephew, totally overlooking the many, many clues that Pete was really Spider-Man. Spidey couldn't reveal his identity because Aunt May's feeble heart would give out with the shock. He was always running from battles because Aunt May needed her medicine, being only minutes away from death. May was so clueless that she thought Spidey was a terrible menace, but she was going to marry "that sweet Doctor Octavius" so he could get his tentacles on her nuclear power plant. (If you don't know the story behind that one, just count yourself lucky and never think of it again.)

However, May Parker has had a bit of a renaissance period over the last decade or so. Gone is the cliched, sickly, dim-witted old lady of the past. Today's Aunt May is a strong, smart, no-nonsense, fount of wisdom and support for Peter and Mary Jane. Nowhere is that transformation more evident than in Sensational Spider-Man #31 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Angel Medina. Part of the fallout from Spidey's Civil War unmasking, this issue focuses on two of the women in Peter's life, Liz Allan and Aunt May.

Now that all the villains Spidey has pounded over the years know his identity, they figure they can get a little payback by attacking those close to him. One bunch of second-rate villains uses Liz and her son to lure Peter into a trap, while the Chameleon goes after the weakest link in Peter's life-Aunt May. I don't want to give anything away here, but lets just say Chameleon made a serious miscalculation. May is not the helpless victim he believed her to be, and I bet he won't ever look at a bakesale the same way again.

It is great that Marvel hasn't shied away from dealing with the logical consequences of Spider-Man's identity being public knowledge. Aguirre-Sacasa has used this controversial Civil War plot point to tell some excellent Spidey stories that could never have been told before. As a Spidey fan for almost 30 years, it's great to have stories with a truly new take on the character. If you've been reading Civil War, but missing out on the great stories spinning out from those events, you're missing the best part of the year's biggest superhero event.

Pick up Sensational Spider-Man #31, pull up a comfy chair and a plate of homemade oatmeal cookies, and enjoy! It's guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies all week. Try it or we'll reveal your true identity!

Unexpectedly Seasonal: Tales of the Unexpected #1

It's the middle of October and Halloween is sneaking up on us like the skulking, terrifying, bad boy of a holiday it is. You know what it means when Halloween is just around the corner? (Aside from the increased likelihood of egging and TP-ing, that is.) It means spooky comics, of course! There is no better way to spend a creepy October evening than curled up in a comfy chair with an eerie comic or two.

DC is here to help keep you frightened with their October debuting Tales of the Unexpected limited series. This book is an anthology title, headlined by The Spectre and backed up by Dr. 13. The Spectre tale, by David Lapham and Eric Battle, is the star of the show and gets the lion's share of the page count. The story stars dead Detective Crispus Allen, the current Spectre, observing and uncovering some seriously creepy goings-on in a run-down slumland building called the Granville Towers. The tenants are weird, the landlord is dead, and something is going on that even a ghostly detective can't figure out.

The Dr. 13 backup story is an interesting take on the "investigator of the unknown" formula. Terry Thirteen is a paranormal investigator, but he is also the ultimate sceptic. He doesn't believe in ghosts, monsters, aliens, or any other unexplained phenomenon. He seems compelled to explore these subjects because he is desperate to prove that they simply don't exist. The story is written by Brian Azzarello, with art by Cliff Chiang. In a very small number of pages, this story manages to incorporate cavemen, dinosaurs, yeti, cannibalism, freaky Freudian dreams, and a vampire. You can't ask for much more out of your entertainment dollar!

Both stories are well-told and well-drawn. The subject matter is perfect for the season, and the first issue is topped off with an excellent cover from Mike "Hellboy" Mignola. Pick up this comic, dig in to that bag of cheap candy you bought for the trick-or-treaters, and have yourself an early Halloween party.

No need to be scared, because Tales of the Unexpected #1 is Four Color Fantasies guaranteed Book of the Week!

Escape into the CRIMINAL

People are fascinated by the darker corners of the world, those places that we all know should really be avoided at any cost. Even those of us who are smart, or lucky, enough to stay away from dirty alleys that smell like urine are tempted to peek inside once in awhile. That urge probably explains the recent resurgence of dark and gritty storytelling in comics (and other media) lately.

The newest down and dirty crime comic on the block is Criminal, from Marvel's creator-owned Icon imprint. Written by Ed Brubaker and drawn by Sean Phillips, this book comes with a pretty good pedigree for a dark crime comic. The story lives up to Brubaker's previous work, with believable, well-rounded characters, cracking dialogue, and a convoluted plot. Phillip's art is a little more realistic than his recent stint on Marvel Zombies, but it still has that same rough edge that makes it a perfect fit for a story like Criminal.

Our protagonist is Leo Patterson, the son of one of the greatest pickpockets ever to work a city. Leo's dad died in prison, and Leo is determined not to make the same mistakes his father did. Not that he decides to actually earn an honest living; he just works really hard not to get caught. Leo operates by a pretty strict set of rules. The rules have kept Leo out of prison so far, but he finds himself tempted to break the rules to make one huge score that could take care of all his problems and responsibilities. Of course, there is just no way that things are going to go as smoothly as Leo would like.

If you want to sneak down that stinky alley and experience life on the wrong side of the tracks, you can't go wrong by doing it from the relative safety of your favorite comfy chair. Stop by Four Color Fantasies and pick up this guaranteed Book of the Week. But no five-finger discount! Leo is a bad, bad example, kids!

No Comedy Magician: Doctor Strange: The Oath #1

There are quite a few folks in the super-community who call themselves "Doctor" something, but most of them aren't really doctors. Doctor Doom, for example, is certainly not the kind of doctor I would want to perform a major surgery on myself or a loved one. Doctor Stephen Strange (Sorceror Supreme, Master of the Mystic Arts), however, is an honest-to-goodness HMO-charging, medication-prescribing doctor.

The good Doctor's medical training comes to the fore once again in Doctor Strange: The Oath by Brian K. (Y the Last Man) Vaughan and Marcos Martin. When Doc's loyal and true manservant Wong comes down with a fatal medical condition, he swears to live up to his Hippocratic Oath and find a way to save Wong. Lucky for Wong, Doctor Strange has considerably more resources than the average General Practitioner. Of course, nothing is easy in the world of super hero comics and finding a cure is not going to be a walk in the park, even for the Sorceror Supreme.

In recent years, the trend in the Marvel Universe seems to be to treat Doctor Strange as a bit of a joke. Admittedly, someone as pompous as Stephen Strange is an easy target for a laugh. Vaughan seems set to return Strange to an appropriate place of prominence in the Marvel U. He may be a bit on the stuffy and arrogant side, but he IS the most powerful magician in the world and the sole protector of the entire dimension in which the Marvel heroes reside. Nothing to sneeze at, even if he does dress funny.

There is certainly a lighthearted side to this series. Any comic that opens with Iron Fist and Arana sitting in the Night Nurse's waiting room, tending their wounds and listening to elevator music, is not without a funny bone. Doctor Strange, for all his faults, is portrayed as a powerful yet compassionate man. He may be a bit oblivious to the mundane world around him, but he does mean well and he is willing to risk his life for the benefit of others.

With a compelling and clever story by Vaughan and great art by Martin, this limited series is too good to miss. Pay a visit to the Doctor today, and try Doctor Strange: The Oath #1, while it is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week.