As Kevin Smith has pointed out, most storytelling in comic books is the middle part of a story. But damn, if this middle part of Spider-Man's story isAs Kevin Smith has pointed out, most storytelling in comic books is the middle part of a story. But damn, if this middle part of Spider-Man's story isn't an entertaining one.
I was aware of the final two issues of this one in which Spidey battles the Juggernaut from my time following The Amazing Spider-Man. I had the two issues following it and read them repeatedly, so I'd heard about the epic battle but never experienced it. So, when my local library's digital collection suggested this run of Amazing Spider-Man collection, I decided that after forty years, it was time to read the epic battle between Spidey and the Juggernaut finally.
It was worth the wait. While there may be other developments from this era that overshadow the issues collected here, I'd argue that Roger Stern's run as the head writer for one of Marvel's flagship titles is largely underrated. Outside of introducing the Hobgoblin (and boy howdy, is that an interesting little side tangent to explore when it comes to the original plans for who was behind that mask), Stern doesn't get enough credit for his tenure of the book. Stern wanted to introduce new rivals beyond the core foes he'd faced since Stan Lee was penning the adventures of Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. And this collection represents that well with a variety of villains facing off against Spidey. Some are more memorable than others and there are a few seeds sewn for longer term stories here. But overall, we get some solid, entertaining takes on the characters and Peter Parker.
Beyond the epic clash with the Juggernaut, there's a two-part story with the Black Cat in which she makes her early attempts to go straight so she can be romantically linked to Spidey. Yes, it doesn't quite work out here, but it will eventually become a long-running (or at least it felt that way when I was collecting and Spidey and Black Cat were an item) thread for the series. I feel like some of what Stern gives us about the Black Cat here could be fun to see in her eventual inclusion in a silver-screen version of Spider-Man. Well, assuming the rumors are true that she is going to be part of the next movie.
One thing I love about this era is John Romita, Jr's epic artwork that accompanies the Stern's stories. Romita establishes himself as one of the top tier Spider-Man artists with these issues from the early 80s. Indeed, a lot of the visuals he crafted are etched permanently into my brain. And the whole battle with the Juggernaut is just next level.
All in all, this is a fun collection. It's not quite as iconic as others like Spider-Man No More or the Death of Gwen Stacy. But if you want to see a creative team confidently telling good Spider-Man stories, look no further than this collection,
I've loved Spider-Man since I discovered him as part of the Electric Company during my formative years. While I haven't read every comic in which he'sI've loved Spider-Man since I discovered him as part of the Electric Company during my formative years. While I haven't read every comic in which he's appeared, I've read certain portions of various runs over the years, most of it dictated by what I could afford to collect at a young age and which comics I could find on my local spinner rack.
Part of me always enjoys getting in the ground floor of a new Spider-Man story or line. I vividly recall the rush to find a copy of Web of Spider-Man number one in my heavy collecting days.
Most new versions of the webslinger either pick up with Spidey in his current continuity or give us a new soft reset on the familiar story. In the early 2000's, I read and enjoyed the original Ultimate Spider-Man and its take on what Peter Parker's story would look like if updated to the new millennium. Twenty-five years later, Ultimate gets its own reboot with an interesting new take on the familiar Spider-Man story.
Jonathan Hickman asks an interesting question -- what if Peter Parker chose to become Spider-Man instead of just having the great power and great responsibility thrust upon him by random chance. Hickman's story begins with Peter a bit older than we usually meet, married to MJ and with two kids. Uncle Ben is still around, a contemporary of J.J. Jonah Jameson. Peter works as a photo journalist and while he's got a good life, the story starts with him feeling like he's missing his true calling.
Enter a ghost of Tony Stark who provides him with the radioactive spider and some resources. Stark tells Peter he's destined for bigger things and should have already been having an impact. Doesn't take Peter long to decide to let the spider bite him and see what happens.
The first six issues of Hickman's new take on Spider-Man are intriguing. The essence of Peter Parker is still in there, even if there are a few tweaks to his central origin story. I quickly figured out that I'd missed some lead-up to this new corner of the Marvel multiverse by missing a mini-series that sets up why certain heroes aren't on the stage just yet. I can say that while I knew I was missing a detail or two, the story recaps enough that I didn't feel left out or like I was missing too big a piece of the puzzle. Instead, it felt like the silver age when the story would incorporate the elements you needed to know to understand the current story and left you curious to find the older issues. Luckily, finding older issues is a bit easier today than it was back then and I've put the original miniseries in my pile of things to be read.
Hickman's use of time is intriguing here. Each issue takes place in the month it's supposed to be published, allowing for the reader to know how much time has passed in the lives of our characters. There's a lot of tweaks to the central Spider-Man story that many of us know- the biggest being Aunt May is gone and Uncle Ben is still here. The dynamic of Peter and Ben works well and is one of the bigger hooks to the story here. Also of interest is that Peter and Harry become friends first in their secret identities, trying to put a stop of the Kingpin, then slowly become acquainted in real life. Hickman's big and little tweaks to the Spider-Man story fascinated me enough that I have added this series to my reading list when the next collection of issues hits my library's digital comic book service.
At this point in my reading life, I can't make it to a comic store on a regular basis to pick up each new issue. But I can sit down and enjoy a collected set of issues every few months like this one and look forward to it. And that's exactly how I feel about this new take on Spider-Man.
There's an obvious temptation to view Scott Turow bringing Rusty Sabitch back to the printed page as an author striking while the iron is hot. Many ofThere's an obvious temptation to view Scott Turow bringing Rusty Sabitch back to the printed page as an author striking while the iron is hot. Many of us were hooked by the Apple Plus TV series last year and while we've had a second installment with Rusty in the interim, it feels like there was a bigger marketing push for this one, even down to the cover feeling in the same vein as Turow's debut legal thriller all those years ago.
But to simply chalk Presumed Guilty up as taking advantage of an opportunity would be to dismiss one of the better legal thrillers I've read in a long while.
Rusty has retired from his beloved Kindle County to a lakeside community in the upper midwest. He's found new love, in Bea, the local school principal with an adopted son, Aaron, who's faced legal issues of his own relating to addiction issues. When Aaron and his on-again, off-again girlfriend go camping to discuss their future, Aaron returns a few days later without the girlfriend. Before long, Aaron is the prime suspect and facing serious charges relating to the girlfriend's death and his possible involvement.
As Rusty attempts to find legal representation for Aaron, every avenue appears to close or threatens to drain the resources of Bea's family. Bea askes Rusty to step in and represent Aaron in a fight to prove his innocence and save Aaron from life in prison or possibly worse. All the while, Aaron insists he's innocent and refuses to accept anything less than total exoneration.
And so begins another courtroom battle for Rusty, this time with seemingly everything hanging in the balance. Beyond the twist and turns of the case itself, Turow delves into larger issues such as the cost the legal system takes on all sides of a case (at one point, Rusty must cut all ties with his new best friend who is the victim's grandfather because of the tactics Rusty will have to use to save Aaron) to the question of what happens when the authorities focus on a particular narrative or suspect and start to avoid looking at other relevant clues and threads.
Turow asks a lot of uneasy questions and doesn't always provide easy answers. It all makes for a riveting narrative as we journey with Rusty through the complicated issues -- both legal and personal -- this case takes on for him.
Seeing Rusty in the role that Sandy Stern once played for him makes for a compelling hook. Add in a prosecutor by the name of Jackdorp who has local ties and is potentially being pressured by the victims' family (they have connections to the local law enforcement community) and you've got some absolutely riveting courtroom drama moments.
Turow hasn't lost his touch, either. The first-person narration of Rusty once again draws you in. This time around, he's not the unreliable narrator he was all those years ago. But he's still compelling as he's fighting for his fiancee's life and to keep the life he's built in this small community.
This is one of my favorite books I've read this year and one that has stayed with me after the verdict and the final page was turned. Definitely recommended. ...more
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