Marvel Comics 2017
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Illustrated by Adam Kubert
Coloured by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Travis Lanham
Well let’s be honest, does the world need another Spider-Man book? No not really but it’s here and it’s being done by some of today’s hottest talent so naturally it’s worth a look see. There’s a new movie out this year, a new cartoon and hopefully a new resurgence of interest in the character so why wouldn’t Marvel want to cash in? First and foremost this is a business right and you have to strike while the iron is hot or it’s going to get hot.
The opening here was kind of fun once you get past the repeat of the origin. Because why on Earth Peter’s telling Johnny his origin story is beyond him, and us. Still it’s nice to see he and Johnny having that friendship still where they go the movies and hang out like normal people. Also after making plans for going to the movies Peter talks to Aunt May, now when did she become so invested in his love life and using references like Tindor and the like? I mean sure it’s different and funny not to mention completely unexpected.
Alright so Chip is bringing his unique vision to this series. He’s trying to bring humour to this in ways that is sorely missing in comics these days. You see this in a number of ways, from his web shooter malfunctioning to the appearance of Ant-Man and a girl unexpectedly asking him out on a date. Also that Peter is a scientist seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle and it’s being downplayed and kind of dismissed. So when did he lose his job? Did he get de-aged again to be more relevant? Don’t get me wrong the introduction of a new character we’ve never seen or met before who has close ties to Spidey is an amazing thing to see happen. It’s new fresh and keeps his past close to the forefront.
Adam’s interiors are really very strong. His page layouts are utilised extremely well through the use of angles, perspective and even backgrounds or lack thereof. The attention to detail in the work is spectacular and I love that we’re seeing what appears to be several different styles in one setting. From Sam to Mason it’s like seeing a wider range than we’re used to. Also let’s face it Adam knows how to create a great comic book style and utilise that to it’s fullest.
We’ll see where this is going, I mean Peter’s flaky, forgetful and tends to leave people in the lurch, see Johnny and the movie date. I’m not sure when he got to be the absent minded type but life does tend to get in the way at times, more so when you are a superhero. Also forgetting to call someone and taking off for another city when did that become the norm and acceptable? I like the two part ending here, the one with Peter and the one with Johnny. So i’m wondering if Peter’s going to meet the newest version of Iron Man, the girl, while Johnny meets well you have to see that to believe it. But I will say this if there’s another Peter clone i’m done point blank period. I don’t care one way or the other if it’s different from ALL THE REST. there are too many clones of Peter to begin with. There’s also a startling lack of respect for himself and for what he’s capable of. It’s almost a caricature of who he is and is seen as.
It’s a first issue by some amazing creators but I can’t figure out if I even like it or not.