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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
Obviously has the silly super hero moments but the writing in second hand to Gwen and the way he expresses his feelings is so brilliantly done and heartfelt. That’s what made me give it 5 stars. I also like that its not the conventional way of depicting the love story between him and Gwen.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jeff Leob's writing for women is at an all time low here. Tim Sale's work is always interesting, but he can't save this book.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This is a great book to show the more human side of Spider-Man without missing out on the great action that all superhero books require.
I am in awe of the art.
I am in awe of the art.
emotional
sad
Re-read.
This is still the best of the color series.
What makes this story work so well is Peter Parker's narrative. We have the context of Gwen Stacy's death and this retells part of that iconic story but this would be an average book without Peter Parker's voice. He is funny, charismatic and typically full of charm. So, when you combine that with the weight of his grief over Gwen Stacy and the wistful tone of his good memories of her, it makes for a very compelling story.
Everyone knows how Gwen Stacy died and that Peter later ends up with MJ. Even without that context, this book leaves you with enough to gather that she dies and Peter was heartbroken. The way Loeb chose to tell this story, with Peter recording a message for her on Valentine's Day, was so effective because it allowed for clever ways to convey how he struggles to tell this story.
The book starts with Peter stumbling over his words as he tries to begin his story. Loeb tells us that it's been years but Peter still leaves flowers for her on Valentines Day every year and that he still remembers little things about her, even now. Peter intends to tell the story of how they almost didn't fall in love and we get into the plot outside of his relationship with Gwen.
This starts with Green Goblin attacking Spider-Man, finding out his secret identity and then losing his memory. In efforts to keep an eye on Norman Osborn, Peter drops by the hospital often and eventually befriends Harry Osborn. Peter sees Gwen for the first time when she comes with Flash to see Harry at the hospital. Sale's art really, really works for this book here. The first close up shot of Gwen is perfect. From here, Peter endeavors to get Gwen's attention and when it appears as though he may succeed, MJ shows up.
A huge part of this book is MJ and Gwen pursuing Peter at the same time. It does a pretty good job at conveying that, while he's flattered because hello, MJ is gorgeous, he never intended to choose her over Gwen. It does an even better job at emphasizing what MJ and Gwen see in Peter, as well. If these relationships aren't believable, then this book wouldn't work.
This book has a time line that's incredibly easy to follow but on a second read, I noticed the lead up to Green Goblin's attack in the conclusion of Gwen's story a lot more! There are several points throughout where Peter talks about "If I'd stopped Osborn then" or "If he'd died during this attack", then Gwen would still be alive. Of course, Peter isn't the Punisher of Black Widow and he would never be okay with something like that, but he thinks about it. It's an added layer to his grief because you know it's a hard thing for him to think about.
Several times throughout retelling this story, Peter struggles to continue. The click of the tape recorder was a clever way to convey that this is difficult for Peter to get through. The art and the colors in this book work extremely well when we get to see Peter recording the message. It's a dark blue, he's hunched over in the shadows and everything about this scene works for the story. MJ comes across Peter as he's leaving this message and however we expect her to react, she asks that Peter say "Hi" to Gwen for her. It's a simple way to say that Gwen's impact is acknowledged by people outside of Peter.
The only times we get darker books like this for Peter Parker are books that deal with the death of an important person in his life. Loeb explains the reasoning behind the title in the last lines of the book.
This is still the best of the color series.
What makes this story work so well is Peter Parker's narrative. We have the context of Gwen Stacy's death and this retells part of that iconic story but this would be an average book without Peter Parker's voice. He is funny, charismatic and typically full of charm. So, when you combine that with the weight of his grief over Gwen Stacy and the wistful tone of his good memories of her, it makes for a very compelling story.
Everyone knows how Gwen Stacy died and that Peter later ends up with MJ. Even without that context, this book leaves you with enough to gather that she dies and Peter was heartbroken. The way Loeb chose to tell this story, with Peter recording a message for her on Valentine's Day, was so effective because it allowed for clever ways to convey how he struggles to tell this story.
The book starts with Peter stumbling over his words as he tries to begin his story. Loeb tells us that it's been years but Peter still leaves flowers for her on Valentines Day every year and that he still remembers little things about her, even now. Peter intends to tell the story of how they almost didn't fall in love and we get into the plot outside of his relationship with Gwen.
This starts with Green Goblin attacking Spider-Man, finding out his secret identity and then losing his memory. In efforts to keep an eye on Norman Osborn, Peter drops by the hospital often and eventually befriends Harry Osborn. Peter sees Gwen for the first time when she comes with Flash to see Harry at the hospital. Sale's art really, really works for this book here. The first close up shot of Gwen is perfect. From here, Peter endeavors to get Gwen's attention and when it appears as though he may succeed, MJ shows up.
A huge part of this book is MJ and Gwen pursuing Peter at the same time. It does a pretty good job at conveying that, while he's flattered because hello, MJ is gorgeous, he never intended to choose her over Gwen. It does an even better job at emphasizing what MJ and Gwen see in Peter, as well. If these relationships aren't believable, then this book wouldn't work.
This book has a time line that's incredibly easy to follow but on a second read, I noticed the lead up to Green Goblin's attack in the conclusion of Gwen's story a lot more! There are several points throughout where Peter talks about "If I'd stopped Osborn then" or "If he'd died during this attack", then Gwen would still be alive. Of course, Peter isn't the Punisher of Black Widow and he would never be okay with something like that, but he thinks about it. It's an added layer to his grief because you know it's a hard thing for him to think about.
Several times throughout retelling this story, Peter struggles to continue. The click of the tape recorder was a clever way to convey that this is difficult for Peter to get through. The art and the colors in this book work extremely well when we get to see Peter recording the message. It's a dark blue, he's hunched over in the shadows and everything about this scene works for the story. MJ comes across Peter as he's leaving this message and however we expect her to react, she asks that Peter say "Hi" to Gwen for her. It's a simple way to say that Gwen's impact is acknowledged by people outside of Peter.
The only times we get darker books like this for Peter Parker are books that deal with the death of an important person in his life. Loeb explains the reasoning behind the title in the last lines of the book.
Sale's art gets a 5...and really it's a ten out of five. Loeb's story is good. I appreciate the lines lifted right out of the old comics. It's a really cool idea, but sometimes it comes off as forced or cheesey. The tape recorder element. Some of the unnatural dialogue...and in don't mean the cheese ball lines of '60s Spiderman, those are great. I can't take too many points off because Sale's artwork really is a thing of beauty, but the structure of the story really got on my nerves. Definitely worth a read if you like spiderman.