Current Events with Spider-Man

The "Spider-verse" prelude began last Wednesday, in Superior Spider-Man 32.

Wait. Wasn't Superior Spider-Man finished, and Amazing Spider-Man (with the real Peter Parker returned) already started?

Yes, yes it was.

Superior Spider-Man takes place while Doc Ock (as Peter Parker and Spider-Man) was displaced in time at the Horizon Labs explosion (in Superior Spider-Man #19, I believe). Apparently it wasn't just a quick jaunt through time -- he wound up in the year 2099, and we're finally seeing what happened.

When he attempted to make his way back home, he kept encountering alternate universe... all of which featured recently murdered Spider-Men, all of which were killed by the same dual-forked weapon. It's not clear if these are all Spider-Men we've met in different dimensions (we see the Armored Spider-Man, which was an alternate costume to 616 Peter and ALSO an alternate dimension where Peter was wealthy instead of poor. It could have been another altogether, however...)

You know, this guy.

In this rather expansive issue, Doc Ock decides that the menace must be faced and that the best way to do so would be to recruit as big an army of Spider-Men as possible, from across all the dimensions. Not, you know, an army of Hulks or something. But whatever. The end of the issues shows him having already begun his army, which will prove to be interesting...

I'm excited for this event, though this one issues seems to have covered a ton of ground, and it's only a prelude! It was a good read, though, and I like the idea that Superior Spider-Man may meet the revived 616 Amazing Spider-Man due to this time/dimension hopping. It may even give more insight as to why Ock makes the sacrifice in the "last" issue of Superior.

Also, as a side note on why I love the issue, I've recently been getting into the Skottie Young Variant covers, which depict marvel characters as babies. I have a few already, though mostly by accident, but now that I have a little girl, it's a great way to bring nerd-dom into her room. I grabbed two copies of this variant, which is only half of the Skottie Young Spider-verse spread, the second of which will come with Amazing Spider-Man #9. I want one set for my daughter's wall and one for my basement!

Love this!

Now, back in the current Amazing Spider-Man issues, I'm not liking the story much at all. I dislike that Black Cat will be a villain (I've said this before), and I really don't enjoy the backstory they're giving Silk, the new female spider-character (this one having been bit at the same spider that bit Peter). It was a bit too easy and includes her actively being locked away for years and years, the secret of her location only being found due to a story element from the Original Sin event.

... Also, the... relationship between Silk and Spider-Man doesn't really have any background for where they immediately go with it, but I suppose this isn't the first time Spidey's run on instinct. The issue itself seemed poorly written, however, where elements were repeated so much that I pictured the writer speaking to a two year old when actually planning this issue. Meh. I've really not been impressed with the return of Amazing Spider-Man, yet managed to love the most recent issue of Superior. Wonder if they're purposefully trying to tank the main title and character.

Oh well.

Still looking forward to seeing "every Spider-Man ever" during the Spider-verse event! It's yet another opportunity where they could, possibly, bring back Ben Reilly! ...I've said this before, haven't I?

Bring Ben Back!

The Nerd's Top 5 Current Comic Series

A lot of my comic reviewing is for previously released or already finished runs of comics. I've tapered off with my Pull List Reviews due to a reduction in my Pull List and a general unhappiness with current offerings. For now, though, I'd like to touch base on five of my favorite comic series that are still running today. I've written about most (if not all) of these before, but they are still going strong (though I may not be current). I'll try and give these some semblance of order, which is unusual for me, but here goes:

5. The Superior Spider-Man

Alright, spot five is only taken by SSM because I haven't been reading too many current series. There are plenty I'd love to start reading (East of West, Lazarus, Wolverine and the X-Men, etc...), but I've been taking it slow. That being said, Superior Spider-Man has been surprisingly strong. I didn't enjoy the Superior-Venom stint, but Goblin Nation, which has been building up all year, has started interestingly and promises to send of Otto with a bang.

Arc was boring, but didn't hate the design.

And, while I hate the spoilers our media is saturated with today, I am happy to know that Peter Parker will be making a comeback. I'm not particularly enjoying his part in the comics right now, but I would LOVE to see some changes to Peter when The Amazing Spider-Man relaunches, or at least a shakeup with the cast.

Rating: 7.5/10 -- Saying "Superior Spider-Man" every issue wasn't that funny to begin with, and Otto losing it as much as he has lately seems to contrast to harshly with where he was going.

4. Thor: God of Thunder

Very much looking forward to this fight.

Another series where I didn't much care about the most recent run (which involved Malekith, in time for the film), overall this series has had some tremendous writing and I really do enjoy the shots we get of Thor from the past, present, and future. Each one is the same character and yet substantially different, and each one is interesting for their own reason. If it seemed forced, it wouldn't work as well (which we kind of see with Young Thor), but the recently started "Last Days of Midgard" promises to be another arc to solidly follow up the amazing "God Butcher" saga.

The art on this book, aside from one past-Thor issue I didn't care for, has been continuously phenomenal.

Rating: 8/10 -- Even with story lines I don't terribly care about, I find something to love.

3. Fables

Note: I am NOT caught up! I'm only on issue 84 or so.

Fables takes characters you recognize and puts them in the real world. They've been here for centuries, so have both history that can be pulled from their own homeworlds and from their time spent among us. At this point, they've made some pretty dramatic changes to their status as rogue outcasts from a crushing empire, yet are still finding Big-Bad trouble to overcome. I'm in the Fables Crossover trade, which crosses over Fables, Jack of Fables, and introduces The Literals. It's not my favorite trade so far, but everything before now has been solid and interesting and seen so many character changes that I really look forward to see what comes next.

Not the brightest moment, but no awful.

I feel the series must drop off eventually and miss a step in its stride -- it may have already happened. But I'm happy to get there with the classic characters that have been giving a new (and, above all, interesting) spin.

Rating: 9/10 -- I don't love some of the artists, and the trade I'm on currently is flagging a bit, and I truly have no idea where the series can go, but I've enjoyed it so far and actively look forward to catching up.

2. Hawkeye

Surprisingly loving Kate Bishop.

The art for this series alone makes it one of the best comics I'm reading. Add in the down-to-earth stories of a superhero who seems to actively be dealing with depression and a lack of understanding/accepting the world as it is, and you've got a really interesting set of stories about a character that has never interested me before. Add in Kate Bishop (a character I didn't even know of before), and we have a young woman trying to find her way (as a P.I., no less) across the country, yet having trouble shrugging the repercussions of her superhero-ing.

While it is set in the Marvel universe, and definitely pays homage to that with some visiting cast, this series is about two characters trying to live lives outside the masks, and it is such a poignant  contrast between their exciting, heroic lives to trying to make heroic ideals work in a world that, really, doesn't want or support them.

Also, the writing is strong and can range from touching to hilarious, sometimes at the same time.

Rating: 10/10 -- Love everything about this series. Still don't care for Hawkeye anywhere else, but as long as this team keeps up on this book, I'm a fan.

1. Saga

Screw everything I just said above. If there is one comic you really NEED to follow, it is Saga. It is published fairly slowly due to the desire to keep the creative team together, without needing to farm out for talent during time crunches, but it is completely worth it.

We are constantly introduced to vibrant characters in an unusual sci-fi world. Around every corner, there is something strange and new. Also, around every corner, there is some sort of heart break. It's almost Game of Thrones level of sex and death (though I would argue that it is better written, though that's opinion all over the place).

So what if my favorite character is a cat?

This book has the characters, the writing, and the art to make it a complete knockout. Will follow this book until the bitter end, may it never come.

Rating: 11/10 -- I don't call myself the Arbitrary Nerd for nothing!

Phase III: The New Pull List Review

It's been awhile since I've done a Pull List Review. Since moving to MA, my Pull List has reduced in size pretty dramatically. Most of the series I dropped were simply because I preferred something more and was trying to limit the amount of books I'm getting.

Now I hope to get to my local comic shop (back at Rubber Chicken Comics in MA, though I will miss Joker's Child in NJ) once every week or two, and I'll do Pull List Reviews quicker due to having less items to read.

For now, here is where I am with the issues that made the cut:

Saga #13

The Writer and our Narrator.

The writing/art break is over and the series has started up again! As much as I dislike having to wait so long for my favorite series currently on the shelves, I am very happy that they can keep the same artist and writer by giving them the necessary time.

Quote of the issue: "No one makes worse first impressions than writers." This issue picks up Marko depressed at the death of his father while on the hunt for the author of the book that brought him and Alana together. They eventually find him on a planet covered in death and, well, it's really not the greatest first impression. Elsewhere, The Will and his crew are trying to get back on track, though he seems to be a bit out of touch with reality, having visions of The Wisp. Two new characters, journalists of some kind, are shown early in the issue; no doubt we'll see more of them soon.

Nothing super exciting in this issue, but the writing and art are still top notch and I'm looking forward to what comes next. 8/10.

Superior Spider-Man #15 and #16
In these issues, Spidey-Ock has it out for the Hobgoblin, who has been able to avoid his Spider-Bots due to the programming edit the Green Goblin (who still hasn't been revealed) did several issues back. The Green Goblin doesn't want Spider-Man too suspicious of the Spider-Bot error, Spidey does manage to get enough tracers on  Hobby to learn that his identity is Phil Urich, which he then broadcasts to all of New York City in the hopes of apprehending him quickly. This culminates in a tense showdown at the Daily Bugle, which brings to a head Phil's status at the newspaper and his relationship with Nora Winters, as well as putting a small rift between Robbie and Spidey.

The issue ends with Phil arrested and then freed by Menace, who is working for the new Green Goblin (or the old one, I guess, though I don't expect it to actually be Norman). Gobby gives Phil his own Green Goblin attire, calling him the Goblin Knight, which will be interesting when the current trio of Goblins throw down with Spider-Man. Next issue, though will see the return of Spider-Man 2099, for which I'm super excited
about!

Yeah, this could work.

These issues were a 9/10. Still want Peter back, but as it stands, the story is interesting enough.

Scarlet Spider #21

Sigh.

If you listen to the most recent The Podcast is a Lie episode (whenever we actually publish it...), you'll here me rant a bit on this issue.

The cover shows the original Scarlet Spider fighting Kaine. The cover reads, "Because you demanded it, Ben Reilly the original...". Fairly early on the fight starts between the two Scarlet Spiders. The original says it's Ben, Kaine confirms this when the original is unmasked, and there's a quick-but-acceptable background given as to why he isn't dead (well, I would have bought it).

Then, at the end of the issue (and this is potentially a spoiler if you weren't expecting it), it is revealed to actually be Kraven the Hunter. Kaine is seeing Ben due to the poison injected into his system (which we see in the beginning of the issue in an airport.

BAH HUMBUG. Issue isn't bad in and of itself, but this playing with my heart results in a 1/10. Maybe, if I was being impartial, I could see it landing a 7/10, but I think this was a cruel move on Marvel's part. :(

Thor: God of Thunder #12
If you don't like the character of Thor, I strongly suggest picking up this issue. It is a downtime issue, where Thor simply visits with his friends and does good deeds around the planet, but it has some really wonderful character brush strokes and makes me feel very confidant that, even with the God Butcher arc closed, this title will still continue to be awesome.

Also, the final panel showing Future Thor standing on a future-wasteland Earth is pretty promising too.

Cover isn't that bad, sans Marvel graphics.

This issue is a solid 10/10 for me, I really connected with it. I'd love a better cover though, this one just didn't pop enough compared to how much I enjoyed the content.

Superior Carnage #2

The plan.

The Wizard is still at it, now having Cletus in his grasp. Alongside them is Klaw, whom we get more insight to in relation to his employer, the Wizard, and a new face, a wheelchair-bound  scientist named Dr. Malus. Malus quickly recognized that the Wizard is insane, which we are shown pretty clearly during this issue (at one point, Klaws points out that the Wizard has labeled and image of the Tarantula as "Agent Venom"). Klaw defends the Wizard as he considers him family due to their extended and colored history, which involves a few resurrections of Klaw by the Wizard.

Due to Cletus being lobotomized, the Wizard can't control his mind, though he tries multiple times while almost dying in the process. It also doesn't work on the Carnage symbiote. Then he gets the idea to transfer the symbiote to someone he can actually control, and settles on Dr. Malus, mostly due to the fact that his is crippled in a similar fashion to Flash Thompson, Agent Venom. We'll see how that goes next time.

I actually enjoyed the Wizard losing his mind and the dynamic between him and Klaw, but I find the Carnage aspect to be really minimal and I'm upset that we were promised a more lethal Carnage with its host lobotomized, but now we're going to get a new, randomly introduced guy as the host. Meh. I would have been more interested if they tried it on a face we knew.

Overall, issue is a 6/10, but I'm still holding out hope that they'll surprise me.

---

For the rest of the list, I still have to read Star Wars Legacy #6 and the last issue of Five Ghosts, but I'll add them to the next review.

The only series I actively dropped in disgust was Red Hood and the Outlaws. The art has changed dramatically and is inconsistent from panel to panel, much less issue to issue. The story is also boring and, for a title with his name in it, the Red Hood has been side-lined for months. Sad, because that was my last DC pull.

Keep an eye out for future PLRs and I'll be supplementing them with Trade Paperback Reviews as well.

Pull!

Alright, we're going to get quick and dirty with this Pull List Review -- I made the mistake of picking up another round of books before finishing my last one and I'm afraid, if I don't make a stand now, I'll never catch up.

The best of the best in this selection will get a small highlight section. The rest will be given their 'arbitrary' rating. If you'd like some more input on a given title, you have but to ask.

Highlight Reel

Hawkeye #1-10 - I spent my mini-pull list hiatus catching up on the current Hawkeye series. They were a bit difficult to find (even though they've been reprinted about 4 times), but I'm glad I did. The stories are all Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and usually Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) when they're not being super heroes/Avengers. That's not to say they don't get into trouble. Issues 9 and 10 are showing the same time span from each of the Hawkeye's perspectives and it culminates in some of Clint's recent adventures coming back to haunt him in a horrifying way.

I've never been a Hawkeye fan, but the art on this book could carry it alone. Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick up a few issues just to look at. The engaging stories are just a nice addition, at this point. 10/10

This totally happened.

Star Wars: Legacy #1-2 - This series is a highlight just for showing up! The original Legacy series ended with Cade Skywalker winning his final battle, supposedly ending the series forever. Fortunately, we've got this interesting revival which follows an as-of-yet unseen family name: Solo. Ania Solo is a young girl and apparent wiz kid with machines. She's also, like any good Solo, poor and living as a scavenger. There are bigger events picking up, though -- the new government is going to have a wrench thrown in its plans as we see a new Sith infiltrating a Republic mission and causing trouble. 7/10

Proof that reading is cool.

Five Ghosts #1-2 - A new series with a new setting. Fabian Gray has been possessed by five literary spirits and is trying to use them to find a way to save his sister. He's possessed by Robin Hood, Merlin, Musashi Miyamato, Sherlock Holmes, and Count Dracula. This means that Fabian, a treasure hunter, can tap into their (normally fictional) abilities to, in general, be freaking awesome.

The issues are a bit broad and unfocused at the moment, but the art is fresh and the quirks of Fabian's gifts keep me reading more than the overarching story, at this point. A highlight for being something new and done well. 9/10

Uncanny Avengers #4-7 - This series has a relatively interesting team coming together and dealing with the political and social issues plaguing human-mutant relations. Oh, and then they have to fight some pretty awesome villains in the meantime. First they went up against Red Skull, who had just happened to exhume Xavier and take his brain, somehow tapping into the dead mutant's psychic powers. Then we saw Thor go toe to toe with Apocalypse back in the day, and now we've seen the Apocalypse Twins kill a Celestial. You heard me -- they killed a goddamn Celestial.

I don't know that enough attention is paid to the characters on the team at the moment, but if they keep an interesting rogue's gallery going, I'm down! 8/10

Superior Spider-Man #6 AU - I'm highlighting this issue in particular because of the art. It's like manga drawn in an american style and I am loving the look. Unfortunately, it seems to be a one time thing with the Age of Ultron tie-in, but I strongly suggest you pick it up, even if you don't normally get behind these comic events. The change in art style is beyond refreshing.

I really can't...

... get enough of this art style!

Speed Rating 

Thor: God of Thunder #7 - Enjoying today's Thor with future Thor, but not too much motion here. 8/10
Superior Spider-Man # 5-9 - I'm not liking the current direction, but it's at least keeping me engaged. 7/10
Cable and X-Force #5-6 - These characters are a mess. Keep 'em coming. 7/10
Star Wars #3 - Spy vs Spy gets really old for me, but there's still hope. 7/10
All New X-Men #8-11 - Things might have just taken an interesting turn again, maybe. 7/10

AoU lacks substance.

Guardians of the Galaxy #.1-2 - Not super familiar with this cast. Nothing amazing, but I'll stick it for a bit. 6/10
Age of Ultron #1-7 - Not as good as Age of Apocalypse. Artist can't differentiate between people of color. 6/10
Scarlet Spider #15-16 - Kaine dies. Again. And comes back. Again. Uglier. Potential on the horizon, though. 6/10
Venom #32-33 - Venom meets a new, slightly interesting enemy. Eddie is wearing Toxin. Don't like Eddie's dialogue  though. Mixing him up with Carnage/Kletus too much. 6/10
Ultimate Spider-Man #21 - I think I just want more from this series, especially when they re-intro Venom. 6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #17-18 - I both kind of like seeing Doc Ock interacting with other characters and hate the way he's changing opinions. 6/10
Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 - Bruce and Jason tenderness, but this series is wallowing. 6/10
Age of Apocalypse #13-14 - A poorly done crossover with titles no one reads. Incoherent without other pieces, which is always a bad choice. 3/10
Constantine #1 - Didn't catch my fancy, but decided I'll be hunting down old Hellblazer stuff instead. 5/10
Nova #1-2 - Somewhat interesting, but I'm going to focus on Guardians for my space stuff. 8/10
A+X #5 - Dropping this, shorts are never really my thing, though these can be funny. 6/10


I've recently picked up some volume 1 trade paperbacks that you can expect me to drool over soon as well: Saga, Fables, and Y the Last Man. Also, I still have some left over Pull List to mull over and two exciting announcements coming right around the corner!

Superior Spider-Man Superior?

I've been remiss in my updates, sorry about that folks. Last semester of actual grad classes, though, so hopefully I can get back to posting more after.

For now, I've been reading a bunch of comics (thanks to my comics-and-capitol trip and a recent Pull List pick up), playing the Dead Space series, and watching Downton Abbey.

Is that seems a bit eclectic... Well, yeah.


I was not pleased with the ending of Amazing Spider-Man. I still do not care for the idea of Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man -- he was never an interesting villain for me. Now, however, I've seen him as Spider-Man and Peter Parker in Superior Spider-Man and in Avenging Spider-Man. And we're going to talk about it Wild West style.

The Good:

From the get go, the art is strong and relatively consistent with recent ASM, which I've enjoyed. The differences come in depictions of Spidey and Peter, and I think both of those are being done reasonably well: Spidey's suit is modified to be a bit more vicious as well as more capable, with claws and digital lenses. Peter, when working, wears a lab coat and goggles, very much in Ock style. That being said, it works and is never overstated. 
The writing is done well, though Peter's language is obviously modified by Doc Ock's lexicon. This... well, disliking Doc Ock, makes me a bit annoyed at times, but it is necessary. It does manage to keep things funny, though not with Peter-Peter's slapstick. And Ock-Peter has a lot to reflect on; things he's done in the past compared to his new memories of what Peter-Peter had done. The stories so far have been acceptable -- a new Sinister Six, the Vulture, and Massacre are who we've encountered before, and we're definitely seeing a new Spidey in how he handles them -- viciously and publicly, much more like a Batman than our normal, goofy, red and blue Spidey.
A final element that personally sells the series to me was introduced in the last panel of the very first issue: Ghost Peter! He's NOT gone, which means he will be returning in the future, eventually. Well, that's an assumption, but I'm sticking with it. Ock-Peter is either temporary or not the be-all, end-all I wasn't looking forward to. Ghost-Peter is in ever issue so far, getting his own inner thoughts and visualization while Ock-Peter goes through his day. It can sometimes be a bit annoying, really, but I'm just glad they didn't hold to eliminating Peter for long.

The Bad:

Yeah... that happened.

The Peter Parker moments with Ock in the driver's seat are generally annoying, if not borderline revolting to a long time fan. Fortunately, the writers are staying away from him doing anything wrong or potentially vulgar, but there are a few moments here and there (pretty sure Ock-Peter touches himself to Peter-Peter's memories of MJ...), and every time he interacts with someone, it feels like the annoying bits when someone is masquerading as a particular hero/character and ruining their reputation. Ock hasn't ruined anything per se, but his general dick-attitude is coming awful close to burning bridges with interesting characters Peter-Peter made friends with.
Ghost-Peter tends to nag. Yeah, I want him back, but it's almost enough for me to know he's around; I don't necessarily need him in every frame criticizing, complaining, or realizing that Ock does do some things better.
Ock-Peter is a lot more Batman than Spider-Man. It's not a huge issue, but I'm here to read Spider-Man, you know?

The Ugly:

MJ doesn't have a clue the pervy Ock is in Peter's body, but Carly Cooper does. Sure, Carly is a cop and was there when Peter-Ock was still trying to get his body back, but MJ has more than enough history that she should know when Peter isn't quite Peter.
In Avenging Spider-Man, Spidey fights Wolverine and more or less ruins my favorite team-up for the foreseeable future. This is a sad, sad day for Spidey/Wolverine fans.


Now, to answer the question, is Superior Spider-Man superior? Ock as Spidey is definitely being more effective than Peter ever was, however nothing will overwrite the fondness for the character I've built since my childhood. It's good, and you should definitely read it, but I'm looking forward to some sort of resolution with Ghost-Peter soon.
Note to Marvel: I WILL accept Ghost-Peter jumping into a clone body. While you're add it, let's get some Ben Reilly back too.
Alright, that's all. Next time we'll be talking about a certain Norse God of Thunder...

This Week and Tumblr

So. I started a Tumblr. I'm hoping it's another way to get the blog out there. For the most part, there won't be much that goes on there that isn't here or coming here, but I may choose to post some of my shorter, more errant thoughts over there... Meaning you should probably follow me for your Nerd fill:

http://arbitrarynerd.tumblr.com/

You'll notice that I've got two posts about upcoming content on here: expect to see reviews of/thoughts on Thor: God of Thunder and Superior Spider-Man this week, as well as the new and improved (well, expedited, at least) Pull List Review.

If my posting seems to be coming a bit slower than normal, bare with me! The MFA coursework has been picking up.

Breaking News! "Superior Spider-Man"

I'm interrupting my normal Wednesday routine with this nerd-emergency.

Amazing Spider-Man will be ending after issue 700 and will be replaced with Superior Spider-Man under the Marvel NOW initiative.

This Spider-Man is stated to no longer be our "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man." Instead he will be a much darker character.

My reaction is something close to Sheldon's in this clip from Big Bang Theory:

Just replace the "Morlocks" with "Superior Spider-Man."

Slott explained he'll be going into his reinforced bunker once issue 700 hits. I'm pretty sure this is the same phrase used when Brand New Day hit.

Oh no!

(Exception: If it turns out they are SOMEHOW bringing Ben Reilly back and he's finally taking the title, I'll accept it. Otherwise, see the video. And I still hate the title.).

Update: Just saw this second image and read some even worse news:

First, it's not Peter Parker anymore. They already did this with Ultimate and, while that's working for them, they need to cut that crap out (again, only ok if Ben, though the second cover seems to argue against that).

Second, that cover looks like a sexual assault to me. We already had a villain Spidey during the Dark Avengers. You can't replace one of the most famous super heroes with a villain/douche. Just don't do it.

Third, Brand New Day (their last big change) broke up MJ and Pete. This big change shows an interaction between MJ and New Guy -- are they trying to bury themselves?

Fourth, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? A black and red costume? COME ON! We just did this with Scarlet Spider and Miles Morales, try something new. Hate this so much.

I saw a theory that Doc Ock somehow managed to switch places with Peter, since he apparently knows Peter is Spidey. That'd be fine for an issue or two, but the onset of a new series doesn't seem like it's going to be a minor thing. I hope that theory is bunk.

Unless they REALLY pull something amazing (yes, I'm using that as a pun) with this transition, I fully expect to see a mass exodus away from Spidey again (which happened around the time of BND). I'll probably be joining them if it's as bad as I'm expecting. It will go to show that they don't learn from their mistakes and don't care about fans at all.

It's a bit sad. For a fan boy, anyway.

-----

In other news, I haven't played much of Dishonored. I'm halfway through my second, harder playthrough of XCOM and have a hard time pulling away. I did play the the opening and first assassination mission, and I have to say, I'm impressed:

I enjoy the Steampunk setting, and I'm also getting a touch of an unspoken Lovecraft feeling. It's not horror, per se, but it is dark and there are mysterious things beneath the water, apparently.

In the first mission, I saw three major ways to complete my mission -- brute force (barge in, kill everyone and my target), indirect (use poison), and non-lethal (the most difficult sounding, though probably the most rewarding). I went for indirect, because it allows me to be sneaky, but not to the exclusion of a couple good fight scenes during my escape (because I'm terrible at being sneaky).

The levels remind me of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, in that, while the missions are linear, there are other quests/objectives on your way to the target. I helped a creepy, crazy old lady poison a distillery belonging to a bunch of thugs, as an example.

I also saw plenty of paths to use for getting from A to B. I chose to take the high road, teleporting across rooftops and the like.

You have access to all of your powers from the beginning, it's up to you to choose how you level them up by spending runes you find during missions.

I'm not far at all, but at the very least my first impression is positive. I'll do a further review when I finish the game.