Dave Harris
Oct 26, 2003, 01:00 am
<a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500t.JPG" align=left alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500"></a>Reviewer: Dave Harris, HeroComplex00@hotmail.com
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Happy Birthday, Part Three
Happy birthday, buddy. You've done good.
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciled by: John Romita, Jr. & John Romita, Sr.
Inked by: Scott Hanna
Colored by: Avalon
Lettered by: Randy Gentile
Assistant Editor: Warren Simons & John Miesgaes
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Warning: This review may contain spoilers.
It’s been a long trip, hasn’t it? 40 years, 500 stories.
And though the end is nowhere in sight, Straczynski has given us a glimpse. In one issue, we can see how it all began, and how it all might have to end. Some day in the distant future, to be sure, a day I am not only afraid of, but captivated by. That is the power of Straczynski’s opening scene, and why it deserves to be seen as the centerpiece, the masterpiece, of this milestone.
The middle can be debated until the end of time, every moment in the history of Spider-Man, good and bad, may somehow find it’s way between the covers of Amazing Spider-Man #500. Even if we can’t see it on the page, I think everything that makes up the Spider-Man of today is in this issue, both the best and the worst of 40 years. But despite it all, these are not likely to be the times that a reader remembers, not by a longshot. What the reader remembers is the beginning, and then the end. No matter how often we talk about the journey, it is the start and finish that we elevate to supreme importance---the alpha and the omega.
And after the briefest of recaps, we begin with the end of it all. Five hundred issues of Amazing Spider-Man more than anyone ever expected there to be, and we are still covering uncharted ground, still exploring. But something has changed, here. Straczynski didn’t fall back on the age-old ploy of leaving us with a Spider-less Peter; costume burning in the background. We’ve seen that far too much, especially in these milestone issues, for it to even resemble an ending anymore. No, Straczynski gave us a true ending, and for some strange reason, it’s place in the hazy future makes it that much truer. At least for now, it can’t be proved now. It can’t be retconned. It can’t be reversed. Right now, it’s the truth, and it’s the future, and it’s something incredible.
The story behind our future Peter alone could keep me involved, and even after the minute amount of time we were allowed with him I am already abuzz with questions. More than that, though, with theories, and guesses, and hunches, and ideas. In all of my years as a comic-book reader, I’m not sure if I ever gave a thought to how Spider-Man would end; it’s just not something that I could imagine happening. Just as yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and just as the sun will always rise, there will always be a Spider-Man. It’s the only way I can make sense of the world. But after one scene, I’ve not only seen the end of Spider-Man, but I’ve found myself hungering for more of it; after so many years of refusing to acknowledge it, now I can’t help but look forward to it.
I’m sure I’ve gotten the point across, but permit me an indulgence---the snippet we’ve seen is clearly part of some giant story, and I would be absolutely floored if Straczynski didn’t have grand plan for the ultimate finale to Spider-Man locked away in a vault somewhere, or stored in his head where no one can see it just yet. And I want ‘em. I want ‘em bad. How did May die? Manslaughter charge? Lamont? Stormtroopers? What’s happened!? The theories I’ve come up with, alone, are giving me goosebumps, and I know that whatever Straczynski’s done is bound to be…amazing.
<table border=0 align=center><tr><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-1.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-1t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 1"></a></td><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-2.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-2t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 2"></a></td><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-3.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-3t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 3"></a></td><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-4.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-4t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 4"></a></td></tr></table>
And you know, if I could write this review on only those first seven pages, that would be a darn nice ending. But with all that gushing, I’ve only touched upon a fraction of the issue. The greatest piece, but no more than a piece.
The rolling retrospective that dominates much of the issue could have been handled, and often has been handled, amateurishly. And double-sizing an issue to retell stories that we’ve already seen doesn’t really seem like a part of the innovation for which I’ve credited Straczynski on so many occasions. But the idea of a retrospective is so often dull because it is a retrospective for the Peter, too, and so has as little new effect on him as it does on us---it’s a rehash, plain and simple. But there actually is a twist to be twisted, and something which tries to make the tour through memory lane a bit more dangerous. For not only is Spider-Man remembering his past, he’s reliving it. We can be fairly sure that the world isn’t going to end based on what he does; it’s a fairly safe bet. But for him, there’s no guarantee that a misstep can’t really hurt him, or the ones he loves; his retrospective isn’t of memory, but of experience, and so he can’t trust that things will work out the way they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, the effect isn’t perfect. I can see why Peter would worry, but I’m still not convinced that there’s any danger, and so I don’t really find myself worrying---Spider-Man has to put in real effort, but I can take it pretty much on faith that he’s going to beat back every villain, that Aunt May will get her medicine, and that the world won’t end. So I appreciate the memories, and I appreciate what Straczynski’s doing, and I appreciate the story, honestly, but it doesn’t grab me.
I do have to give credit for the clever way that the retrospective was set up, however. I was more than impressed with last issue’s ending, and as you can see above, this issue’s introduction certainly didn’t disappoint. And the moment of indecision Peter experienced upon seeing his younger self---there, I did feel the tension. As much as I have no idea how it would have resolved itself, I truly did believe he might do it---Straczynski or Peter, either one. That was an extremely real moment, and Peter’s thoughts were incredibly emotional---with everything else to worry about, there was a moment when he only cared about helping Ben. In light of all that has happened over the past four decades, we sometimes forget how much Spider-Man, and Peter, were defined by Ben’s death. Everything that has happened has been in some way a result of that one tragedy, and so when he has a moment to reverse it all, he thinks of Ben. He is a hero, and he couldn’t bear to condemn so many people out of a selfish love for his uncle---we know this. But at the same time, there was a moment when I really think he could have, and that’s a very powerful thought.
And speaking of power, Dr. Strange continues to impress. (I know, the segue is horrible. It doesn’t even really make sense. But if you complain, I’ll…I don’t know, I’ll edit your sig or something.) He begins with dialogue that continues to be laugh-out-loud funny, but without the jarring edge of the last issue; this time around, he is funny while not seeming un-Strange, which is definitely a good thing. His comments to Peter in the middle of the issue are not only uplifting, but a very nice segue (better than my own, for sure) into the finale of the issue. And the event which demanded Strange’s intervention was truly well-handled on the part of JMS, as quite a few readers predicted that Gwen would appear in the issue, but I don’t know how many expected it to be so helpless a scene; of all the memories Peter had to relive, I’m not at all surprised that this one nearly broke him, and my heart reaches out to him On a less depressing, note, though, I feel the need to mention that Strange’s comment that Spider-Man has received very many gifts was not lost on me. Now, I know I said two months ago that the birthday idea would probably come back as a cheap gimmick in the arc’s final issue, though at the same time I also predicted that Straczynski might prove me wrong, since that’s his nature in these kinds of things. But this was a subtle way to tie into and remind us that all of this occurs on Peter’s birthday, and Strange’s final appearance had a very…kind…use of the birthday, warmly setting up Peter’s promised reunion. And the introduction of Dr. Strange’s mini-series in the later pages of the issue was, as the caption said, quite a surprise, and certainly more rushed than would have been perfect, but it was also a fun little easter egg in such a rich issue.
I’ve talked about Romita, Jr. quite a bit in the past few months, so let it suffice for me to say that he keeps up the incredibly high quality that we have come to expect from him. The issue is beautifully illustrated…by both Romitas. As John Romita, Sr. takes over for his son, it is nearly impossible not to feel a warm nostalgia for the artwork, even if you’re like me, and not a product of the style. Even if you’ve never seen Romita’s work before, his Peter just feels so…right. It is certainly the character we’ve already been reading about, but it also carries an innocence with it. Or maybe just a younger energy. And maybe the youth and the innocence are even related, the way it’s always so comforting to think. In any case, the choice to call in John Romita, Sr. for this event was certainly an inspired one, and he doesn’t disappoint.
But you all know what I haven’t talked about yet. Uncle Ben. This is actually the scene that I’m most ambivalent about, to tell you the truth, because I think you have to either love what’s done or hate it…and for some reason I can’t decide between the two. The scene is sappy---this should not be a shock. But instead of shying away from the sappy, Straczynski seems to have jumped into whole hog…which is not the normal approach in the days of dark comics. I have to appreciate someone who is willing to be against the grain and be truly light-hearted these days, especially while not being anything near vacuous. My main complaint, however, is that it just seems to pat. Ben asks the one right question. Ben knows time has passed. Ben questions the present, though from the past. Is this Ben’s ghost, or Ben before dying? It’s just vague, and I don’t quite know how to read it, with all that in mind. I’m almost cynical enough to say that it was all in Peter’s head. But either way, we’ve come full circle. We began with the ending. Now we’ve ended back at the start, with the catalyst for 40 years of history. We’ve found the beginning, but we’ve also finally found an ending, as our favorite hero is given 40 years of closure.
And for anyone who things that Peter’s final reunion should have been with Gwen Stacy---did the elder Peter teach you nothing? Of course it was Ben. “But it would pretty much have to be, wouldn’t it?” It will always be Ben. The beginning, the end, the journey. It will always be Ben.
STORY:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spihalf.jpg
ART:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spihalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=8388[/url)
Quick Rating: Great!
Story Title: Happy Birthday, Part Three
Happy birthday, buddy. You've done good.
Written by: J. Michael Straczynski
Penciled by: John Romita, Jr. & John Romita, Sr.
Inked by: Scott Hanna
Colored by: Avalon
Lettered by: Randy Gentile
Assistant Editor: Warren Simons & John Miesgaes
Editor: Axel Alonso
Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada
President: Bill Jemas
Warning: This review may contain spoilers.
It’s been a long trip, hasn’t it? 40 years, 500 stories.
And though the end is nowhere in sight, Straczynski has given us a glimpse. In one issue, we can see how it all began, and how it all might have to end. Some day in the distant future, to be sure, a day I am not only afraid of, but captivated by. That is the power of Straczynski’s opening scene, and why it deserves to be seen as the centerpiece, the masterpiece, of this milestone.
The middle can be debated until the end of time, every moment in the history of Spider-Man, good and bad, may somehow find it’s way between the covers of Amazing Spider-Man #500. Even if we can’t see it on the page, I think everything that makes up the Spider-Man of today is in this issue, both the best and the worst of 40 years. But despite it all, these are not likely to be the times that a reader remembers, not by a longshot. What the reader remembers is the beginning, and then the end. No matter how often we talk about the journey, it is the start and finish that we elevate to supreme importance---the alpha and the omega.
And after the briefest of recaps, we begin with the end of it all. Five hundred issues of Amazing Spider-Man more than anyone ever expected there to be, and we are still covering uncharted ground, still exploring. But something has changed, here. Straczynski didn’t fall back on the age-old ploy of leaving us with a Spider-less Peter; costume burning in the background. We’ve seen that far too much, especially in these milestone issues, for it to even resemble an ending anymore. No, Straczynski gave us a true ending, and for some strange reason, it’s place in the hazy future makes it that much truer. At least for now, it can’t be proved now. It can’t be retconned. It can’t be reversed. Right now, it’s the truth, and it’s the future, and it’s something incredible.
The story behind our future Peter alone could keep me involved, and even after the minute amount of time we were allowed with him I am already abuzz with questions. More than that, though, with theories, and guesses, and hunches, and ideas. In all of my years as a comic-book reader, I’m not sure if I ever gave a thought to how Spider-Man would end; it’s just not something that I could imagine happening. Just as yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and just as the sun will always rise, there will always be a Spider-Man. It’s the only way I can make sense of the world. But after one scene, I’ve not only seen the end of Spider-Man, but I’ve found myself hungering for more of it; after so many years of refusing to acknowledge it, now I can’t help but look forward to it.
I’m sure I’ve gotten the point across, but permit me an indulgence---the snippet we’ve seen is clearly part of some giant story, and I would be absolutely floored if Straczynski didn’t have grand plan for the ultimate finale to Spider-Man locked away in a vault somewhere, or stored in his head where no one can see it just yet. And I want ‘em. I want ‘em bad. How did May die? Manslaughter charge? Lamont? Stormtroopers? What’s happened!? The theories I’ve come up with, alone, are giving me goosebumps, and I know that whatever Straczynski’s done is bound to be…amazing.
<table border=0 align=center><tr><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-1.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-1t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 1"></a></td><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-2.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-2t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 2"></a></td><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-3.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-3t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 3"></a></td><td align=middle><a href="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-4.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/firstlooks/031022/asmv2-500-4t.JPG" alt="Amazing Spider-Man #500 Page 4"></a></td></tr></table>
And you know, if I could write this review on only those first seven pages, that would be a darn nice ending. But with all that gushing, I’ve only touched upon a fraction of the issue. The greatest piece, but no more than a piece.
The rolling retrospective that dominates much of the issue could have been handled, and often has been handled, amateurishly. And double-sizing an issue to retell stories that we’ve already seen doesn’t really seem like a part of the innovation for which I’ve credited Straczynski on so many occasions. But the idea of a retrospective is so often dull because it is a retrospective for the Peter, too, and so has as little new effect on him as it does on us---it’s a rehash, plain and simple. But there actually is a twist to be twisted, and something which tries to make the tour through memory lane a bit more dangerous. For not only is Spider-Man remembering his past, he’s reliving it. We can be fairly sure that the world isn’t going to end based on what he does; it’s a fairly safe bet. But for him, there’s no guarantee that a misstep can’t really hurt him, or the ones he loves; his retrospective isn’t of memory, but of experience, and so he can’t trust that things will work out the way they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, the effect isn’t perfect. I can see why Peter would worry, but I’m still not convinced that there’s any danger, and so I don’t really find myself worrying---Spider-Man has to put in real effort, but I can take it pretty much on faith that he’s going to beat back every villain, that Aunt May will get her medicine, and that the world won’t end. So I appreciate the memories, and I appreciate what Straczynski’s doing, and I appreciate the story, honestly, but it doesn’t grab me.
I do have to give credit for the clever way that the retrospective was set up, however. I was more than impressed with last issue’s ending, and as you can see above, this issue’s introduction certainly didn’t disappoint. And the moment of indecision Peter experienced upon seeing his younger self---there, I did feel the tension. As much as I have no idea how it would have resolved itself, I truly did believe he might do it---Straczynski or Peter, either one. That was an extremely real moment, and Peter’s thoughts were incredibly emotional---with everything else to worry about, there was a moment when he only cared about helping Ben. In light of all that has happened over the past four decades, we sometimes forget how much Spider-Man, and Peter, were defined by Ben’s death. Everything that has happened has been in some way a result of that one tragedy, and so when he has a moment to reverse it all, he thinks of Ben. He is a hero, and he couldn’t bear to condemn so many people out of a selfish love for his uncle---we know this. But at the same time, there was a moment when I really think he could have, and that’s a very powerful thought.
And speaking of power, Dr. Strange continues to impress. (I know, the segue is horrible. It doesn’t even really make sense. But if you complain, I’ll…I don’t know, I’ll edit your sig or something.) He begins with dialogue that continues to be laugh-out-loud funny, but without the jarring edge of the last issue; this time around, he is funny while not seeming un-Strange, which is definitely a good thing. His comments to Peter in the middle of the issue are not only uplifting, but a very nice segue (better than my own, for sure) into the finale of the issue. And the event which demanded Strange’s intervention was truly well-handled on the part of JMS, as quite a few readers predicted that Gwen would appear in the issue, but I don’t know how many expected it to be so helpless a scene; of all the memories Peter had to relive, I’m not at all surprised that this one nearly broke him, and my heart reaches out to him On a less depressing, note, though, I feel the need to mention that Strange’s comment that Spider-Man has received very many gifts was not lost on me. Now, I know I said two months ago that the birthday idea would probably come back as a cheap gimmick in the arc’s final issue, though at the same time I also predicted that Straczynski might prove me wrong, since that’s his nature in these kinds of things. But this was a subtle way to tie into and remind us that all of this occurs on Peter’s birthday, and Strange’s final appearance had a very…kind…use of the birthday, warmly setting up Peter’s promised reunion. And the introduction of Dr. Strange’s mini-series in the later pages of the issue was, as the caption said, quite a surprise, and certainly more rushed than would have been perfect, but it was also a fun little easter egg in such a rich issue.
I’ve talked about Romita, Jr. quite a bit in the past few months, so let it suffice for me to say that he keeps up the incredibly high quality that we have come to expect from him. The issue is beautifully illustrated…by both Romitas. As John Romita, Sr. takes over for his son, it is nearly impossible not to feel a warm nostalgia for the artwork, even if you’re like me, and not a product of the style. Even if you’ve never seen Romita’s work before, his Peter just feels so…right. It is certainly the character we’ve already been reading about, but it also carries an innocence with it. Or maybe just a younger energy. And maybe the youth and the innocence are even related, the way it’s always so comforting to think. In any case, the choice to call in John Romita, Sr. for this event was certainly an inspired one, and he doesn’t disappoint.
But you all know what I haven’t talked about yet. Uncle Ben. This is actually the scene that I’m most ambivalent about, to tell you the truth, because I think you have to either love what’s done or hate it…and for some reason I can’t decide between the two. The scene is sappy---this should not be a shock. But instead of shying away from the sappy, Straczynski seems to have jumped into whole hog…which is not the normal approach in the days of dark comics. I have to appreciate someone who is willing to be against the grain and be truly light-hearted these days, especially while not being anything near vacuous. My main complaint, however, is that it just seems to pat. Ben asks the one right question. Ben knows time has passed. Ben questions the present, though from the past. Is this Ben’s ghost, or Ben before dying? It’s just vague, and I don’t quite know how to read it, with all that in mind. I’m almost cynical enough to say that it was all in Peter’s head. But either way, we’ve come full circle. We began with the ending. Now we’ve ended back at the start, with the catalyst for 40 years of history. We’ve found the beginning, but we’ve also finally found an ending, as our favorite hero is given 40 years of closure.
And for anyone who things that Peter’s final reunion should have been with Gwen Stacy---did the elder Peter teach you nothing? Of course it was Ben. “But it would pretty much have to be, wouldn’t it?” It will always be Ben. The beginning, the end, the journey. It will always be Ben.
STORY:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spihalf.jpg
ART:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpg
OVERALL:
http://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spifull.jpghttp://www.x-mencomics.com/xfan/images/reviews/spihalf.jpg
Buy this issue online now from X-World Comics and save! (http://x-worldcomics.com/yourvirtualstore/shopexd.asp?id=8388[/url)