Customer Reviews:
If I could give this 0 stars, I would........2007-02-16
What a disaster! This is probably the worst comic I've ever read. I have the non-trade paperback series of this and having read it very recently I can honestly say it's terrible. The fact that they even put this abortion into TBP format is laughable. Todd McFarlane is over-rated. Granted, his writing of the series did get better (Perceptions, Sub-City), but to start the series off with such a lackluster story is criminal. Todd is used to drawing Spider-Man, and I'll give him this, pretty well. But never buy into your own hype. As a previous reviewer said earlier, McFarlane's one-sided, egotistical thought that "people buy this book for the art" exemplifies why the industry almost tanked in the mid-90s. Comics are meant to be read, not eyeballed. The art is a vehicle for the story, not vice-versa. 2.5 million copies of this bird-cage liner were sold over something like 5 different covers (I'm still scratching my head over the "Platinum" cover and the "why would I waste my money?" price tag that goes with it). Comics increase in value because they are rare, and if you flood the market and charge the sky, sooner or later, those issues end up on the $.50 table (where I got mine). As far as the actual story goes, it's a train-wreck. WARNING SPOILERS: Spider-man gets scratched by Lizard who is awoken by Calypso and he gets buried under rubble. That's it! That's the whole story! This could have been done in a single issue, and be forgotten, but no. It's stretched over 5 DOOM filled issues of Spider-man pretending to be Batman, "rising above it all" to bore everyone unfortunate enough to have read and thought "this has to get better". Wrong! Please, to everyone reading this thinking "I'll give it a chance"; don't. Save your money, buy "Kraven's Last Hunt" or Frank Miller's Spider-Man TPB. Leave this forgotten.
Aptly Named.......2006-03-23
The book was aptly named as reading it was indeed a torment. What the heck kind of story was that? Todd McFarlane should just stick to drawing (although the art wasn't all that good in this book either) and not write the stories. It was boring boring and boring... not like Spidey at all. Don't waste your money on this...
Reading this book was "Torment"...........2005-07-31
When "Spider-Man #1" was first released in 1990, it sold 2.5 million copies. That number is a bit misleading, since there were about 5,000 different cover variations that collectors just had to snap up. Todd McFarlane, Marvel's Golden Boy, had just been given a plum assignment: Write, pencil and ink his own Spider-Man comic book, far away from the constraints of drawing his pretty pictures over someone else's plots and scripts. It was a match made seemingly in heaven: McFarlane, who had taken "The Amazing Spider-Man" out of the doldrums and turned it into the #1 selling comic, handling the character that had made him the hottest artist around.
To say that McFarlane failed in his first assignment as a writer is an understatement. "Torment", the five-part opening arc to the series, is a disaster of unparalleled magnitude. Gone are the witty musings of previous Spider-Man scribes, replaced by the repetitive rantings of an artist who was ill-equipped to handle the plotting and writing of so complex a character. The book opens with Spider-Man lurking in the shadows and stopping a robbery (in the process calling the robber a punk, like some third-rate Dirty Harry-ripoff). Unfortunately, that can pretty much be considered the highlight. The entire series goes downhill from there. I can describe the entire five-story arc in a few sentences: Calypso raises the Lizard from the bottom of the East River (don't ask what the Lizard was doing there; Todd never bothers to explain it) and conjures some voodoo spells to torment Spider-Man (hence the title). The Lizard scratches Spider-Man with his claws, which are poisoned courtesy of Calypso. A delirious Spider-Man spends the next four issues whining and complaining about Calypso attacking him for no reason. That's it. That's the story. Oh, I forgot, Mary Jane goes clubbing, too. Because that's just SO super-heroic.
Part of the problem is McFarlane's melodramatic, disjointed and overly redundant writing style. Instead of the happy-go-lucky Spider-Man that preceded, McFarlane's Spider-Man is some weird Batman wannabe, patrolling the melodramatically darkened streets of Gotham Ci.... err, New York. This is probably due to the fact that 90% of the story takes place at night in the shadows. McFarlane seems more content in drawing splash pages that serve no purpose except to show that, wow, Todd has mastered the art of drawing Spider-Man. As such, he seems to consider the story secondary, as he draws out page after page after page of non-action over five issues. The end result is a story that could have been wrappd up in two issues with a better writer. Instead, we get five issues of NOTHING. It gets so absurd that the final issue takes place over the span of five minutes, Marvel time. That's right. FIVE minutes. Todd just had no concept of how to pace and plot a story, and it shows.
The second problem is the choice of villain to kick off the series. Calypso? What happened to Doctor Octopus? The Green Goblin? The Sandman? The Rhino? Heck, I would have even taken Hydro-Man. Instead, we get a third-rate villain in the enigmatic Calypso, and the more fearsome of the villains, the Lizard, is reduced to a mindless lapdog for the scantily-clad voodoo priestess. Editor Jim Salicrup stated that when the time came to pick the villain(s) for the premiere issue, most of Spidey's usual rogue's gallery already had plots sketched out in upcoming issues. But STILL. I'm sure they could have come up with someone better than Calypso. It's obvious from Todd's handling of the character that he just didn't know what to do with her, save for casting a spell on Spidey and drawing it out for five issues. Lame.
Maybe we should have gotten the hint when, in the letter columns of the book, McFarlane admitted that he didn't really feel the story was as important as the artwork, that people picked up a book for the art and not for the story. Unfortunately, he decided to follow his inner muse and put this abomination on paper. To be fair, his writing would improve, and one need look no further than the "Perceptions" storyline to see that Todd finally "got it" and started understanding that, hey, maybe the plot and writing ARE important. And once he left Marvel and formed Image, his writing and artwork on Spawn was light years ahead of anything he did at Marvel.
Anyone who wants to see what the big fuss was about McFarlane's handling of Spider-Man would be wise to pick up the "Spider-Man vs. Venom" trade. David Michelinie does a great job scripting, and Todd's artwork just leaps off the pages, something that was sorely lacking in "Torment". "Torment" is a car-wreck, and is recommended only to those who like to watch the aftermath of such a thing.
Overrated, and that's overrating it!.......2005-02-25
Todd MacFarlane is not a bad artist. I have to disagree with the people who said that he is. His art works very well in the slightly more realistic style he used in Spawn (as opposed to the ultra-cartoony Spider-Man look) and he drew some Hulk stuff I loved when I was a kid.
The problem with Torment is the story. Or its total lack thereof. First, the general idea is clearly a poor attempt to capitalize on the dark, moody, conflicted, horror-not-superhero writing style of the excellent Fearful Symmetry: Kraven's Last Hunt. The trouble is, J.M. DeMatteis tells a complex story of an insane and yet sympathetic villain, a deranged, cannibalistic, and yet pitiable monster, and a flawed and troubled, yet ultimately heroic protagonist. He also brilliantly depicts Mary Jane and Joe Robertson, two key supporting characters of Spider Man canon. He also manages to explain the whole story as it unfolds. You know what is happening better than the characters do, you can sympathize with each of the three central characters. You can even root for the troubled, drug-addicted Kraven when he faces the psychotic, man-eating Vermin.
In Torment, none of this subtler style of storytelling exists. Instead, we are assaulted by images... and repetitive images at that. You can tell this was Todd's first writing job. It really shows. It's really like a Golden Age story. Fun to read when you're a kid, but it doesn't hold up when you grow up. The attempt to make things mysterious makes them confusing.
In short, MacFarlane is thinking like an artist in this book. Not a writer. He improves. The first dozen issues of Spawn are awesome. Torment, however, is painful to read.
Torment - I couldn't have said it better........2005-02-21
Todd McFarlane needed to have his head examined before he launched this series in 1991. In Spider-Man's first confrontation with a thug, McFarlane has Spidey calling him a punk. Spider-Man also hangs from his web in the shadows, like a mysterious creature of the night.
Later, Peter Parker recalls the incident with his wife. He doesn't see how the thug thought he had a chance of killing Spider-Man with a revolver. He points out he's had years of experience fighting crime against super villains.
Parker even tells Mary Jane, "Not to be cocky, but..." Too late. And get me a trash can. I think I'm going to be sick!
Please. This is not Spider-Man. Todd, leave the shadows to the Batman, the tough guy act to the Punisher and the trash-talking on the basketball court.
McFarlane, both the writer and artist during his 16-issue run, drew Spider-Man with huge, exaggerated white eyes in his mask. His Spidey also was slightly too muscular for my tastes. I think Parker's physique was certainly enhanced after he was bitten by a radioactive spider. The scientist and photographer is "cut" without being a body builder. Spider-Man is no Superman, Hulk or Thor.
It's no wonder McFarlane left Marvel to form McFarlane Comics. This is the same guy who told Marvel's editors he only wanted to return to the Spider-Man universe if he could do both the art and story. He said in his editorial he didn't want to seem too "cocky." Sure.
Stick to making KISS toys, Todd. Leave characters like Spider-Man to writers who can handle the legacy.
Product Description
Marvel Collector's Item! Issue #1. Spider-Man the Legend of the Arachknight. Torment part One of Five. Sealed inside of a special Poly Bag. Todd McFarlane issue. 1st All New Collector's Item Issue! 1990. This Special Edition 1st issue was produced in different cover colors.
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Spider-Man #1 : Torment Part One (Gold Variant Cover - Marvel Comics)
Todd McFarlane
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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ASIN: B000UWW50G |
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Spider-Man #1 : Torment Part One (Sealed and Bagged Regular Cover - Marvel Comics)
Todd McFarlane
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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ASIN: B000UWXLXG |
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Spider-Man #1 : Torment Part One (Silver Cover - Marvel Comics)
Todd McFarlane
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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ASIN: B000UWSFKK |
Product Description
Spider-Man issues #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5. This is the complete five part Torment series. Part one (The Legend of the Arachknight), Part two (Blood Lust of the Lizard), Part three (Something Strange is Going On Here), Part four (The Death of the Arachknight?!), and part five (The Arachknight Triumphant?!) Todd McFarlane story line by Marvel Comics in August, September, October, November and December of 1990. Volume 1. Highly sought after series by collectors!
Product Description
Marvel Comics
Book Description
From the exotic images of sexual Tantra to the simple precision of Zen, from the moral precepts of Confucianism to the rich array of Hindu ideas and lifestyles, Eastern philosophy provides a feast of ideas of universal relevance. Teach Yourself Eastern Philosophy examines those ideas as they developed within the ancient civilizations of Asia. It examines the ethical and social implications of each and points to parallels with Western thought, where appropriate.
Customer Reviews:
This bookBalances scholarship with a jargon- free approach.......2002-07-29
This book is ideal for anyone from A Level students upwards who want to know more about the philosophy of religion and certain themes in the study of Theology and is an excellent preparation and companion for anyone about to begin studying either philosophy or Theology.
As a Theology and religious study student, at degree level, there are so many books that are found in student reading lists that are hard going and which are full of complicated theories and arguments. But this book uses clear language and perfect analogies.
Mel Thompson explains everything from the topic of Religious language to arguments for the existence of God, the problems of evil and suffering, to problems which science place on religion, and does so in a manageable easy to understand way. Balancing scholarship with a jargon- free approach Thompson makes even the most profound arguments accessible to readers of all levels.
This book can be used as a textbook or as a revision book. Using clear paragraphs, bullet points and summary pages Thompson certainly succeeds in getting complicated theories across.
If you are a student on or about to take a Philosophy/Theology and religious studies course from A level upwards or anyone wanting to learn more about these topics this book is a must!!
What is Philosophy of Religion?.......2000-05-19
If you have asked that question then this is the book for you. It's accessible, easily understood and a good read! Explanations are just that explanations. I have lost my copy to a friend who just 'wanted a look'. So beware
A simple and straight-forward book.......1999-03-27
The content of this book is perfectly organized and you can surely understand what Philosophy of Religion is after reading it once!
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Teach Yourself 101 Key Ideas: Buddhism
Mel Thompson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
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Teach Yourself 101 Key Ideas: World Religions
ASIN: 0658013777 |
Book Description
Teach Yourself 101 Key Ideas: Buddhism presents readers with an accessible introduction to the religion and philosophy of Buddhism.
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This digital document is an article from Presbyterian Record, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2005. The length of the article is 525 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Stumped on hour one: Bible introduction leaves an appetite for more.(Alpha Teach Yourself The Bible in 24 Hours)(Book Review)
Author: Amy Cameron
Publication:
Presbyterian Record (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 129
Issue: 7
Page: 30(1)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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