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Spider-Man: Life Story #1-6
Spider-Man: Life Story (Spider-Man: Life Story
Collects Spider-Man: Life Story (2019) #1-6, Spider-Man: Life Story Annual (2021) #1.
Spider-Man makes history! In 1962's AMAZING FANTASY #15, teenage Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the amazing Spider-Man! Nearly sixty years have passed in the real world since that event - so what would have happened if the same amount of time passed for Peter? In celebration of an icon, Chip Zdarsky and legendary artist Mark Bagley spin a unique Spidey tale - telling the entire life story of Spider-Man from beginning to end, set against the key events of the decades through which he lived! From the Vietnam War to Secret Wars and Civil War, all the way through to what just might be a 72-year-old Spider-Man's final mission, prepare to watch Peter Parker age by the issue - now including a brand new Annual tale!
Spider-Man makes history! In 1962's AMAZING FANTASY #15, teenage Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the amazing Spider-Man! Nearly sixty years have passed in the real world since that event - so what would have happened if the same amount of time passed for Peter? In celebration of an icon, Chip Zdarsky and legendary artist Mark Bagley spin a unique Spidey tale - telling the entire life story of Spider-Man from beginning to end, set against the key events of the decades through which he lived! From the Vietnam War to Secret Wars and Civil War, all the way through to what just might be a 72-year-old Spider-Man's final mission, prepare to watch Peter Parker age by the issue - now including a brand new Annual tale!
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2019
About the author
Chip Zdarsky
764 books732 followersChip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and journalist. He was born Steve Murray but is known by his fan base as Chip Zdarsky, and occasionally Todd Diamond. He writes and illustrates an advice column called Extremely Bad Advice for the Canadian national newspaper National Post's The Ampersand, their pop culture section's online edition. He is also the creator of Prison Funnies and Monster Cops.
Source: Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 834 reviews
October 18, 2022
Wow. I'm seriously torn.
Ok, so on the one hand this is really depressing and angsty. Kind of awful.
I don't know if I'd read this again.
BUT.
On the other hand, there were some flat-out incredible moments where Zdarsky blew my mind. The way he twisted so many of the iconic storylines into something new and amazing was crazy in the best way.
So the thing is, this played out in a 'realistic' way. If the major real-world events (like Vietnam) and the major comic book events (like the Superhero Registration Act) were to blend together in a somewhat darker tone, with all of the Marvel characters aging in real time?
That's the story this comic is telling.
Cap would be a rebel fighter in 'Nam and Tony would be a warmonger. <--that sort of thing.
And in real life, there wouldn't be a resolution where everyone just shook hands.
It is legitimately brilliant, but with such a gloomy tone it just wasn't my cuppa.
It is a love letter to Spider-Man? I didn't think so. I felt like it was more of an incredibly detailed and well-planned twist on the iconic storylines of Spider-Man.
Zdarsky pulled off something pretty special with this, and it is definitely worth checking out.
Ok, so on the one hand this is really depressing and angsty. Kind of awful.
I don't know if I'd read this again.
BUT.
On the other hand, there were some flat-out incredible moments where Zdarsky blew my mind. The way he twisted so many of the iconic storylines into something new and amazing was crazy in the best way.
So the thing is, this played out in a 'realistic' way. If the major real-world events (like Vietnam) and the major comic book events (like the Superhero Registration Act) were to blend together in a somewhat darker tone, with all of the Marvel characters aging in real time?
That's the story this comic is telling.
Cap would be a rebel fighter in 'Nam and Tony would be a warmonger. <--that sort of thing.
And in real life, there wouldn't be a resolution where everyone just shook hands.
It is legitimately brilliant, but with such a gloomy tone it just wasn't my cuppa.
It is a love letter to Spider-Man? I didn't think so. I felt like it was more of an incredibly detailed and well-planned twist on the iconic storylines of Spider-Man.
Zdarsky pulled off something pretty special with this, and it is definitely worth checking out.
June 30, 2023
I loved the concept of this book, but did it really have to be so much more bitter than sweet? I have probobly been one of the biggest campaigners for having the more mature and married Spider-man, and I know cliffhanger ending keep people coming back in the series, but are the really as necessary in a mini series?
The concept imagine Peter Parker was Spider-man in the 60s and continued his adventures all the way to the present day. He gets older, so do the supporting cast. For all the lives he is saving in front of him, what about the big picture? This story takes Peter and his family, friends, loved ones, and enemies through the biggest Spider-man story arcs. All this I love. Though I do wish for a different outcome.
It is a very good book just a little too sour for me personally, though I do like that the characters step up and evolve rather than being stuck in a time warp. Though you follow Spider-man's history their really was only one way this could end, a good ending, just not my personal favourite but truly Parkeresk.
The concept imagine Peter Parker was Spider-man in the 60s and continued his adventures all the way to the present day. He gets older, so do the supporting cast. For all the lives he is saving in front of him, what about the big picture? This story takes Peter and his family, friends, loved ones, and enemies through the biggest Spider-man story arcs. All this I love. Though I do wish for a different outcome.
It is a very good book just a little too sour for me personally, though I do like that the characters step up and evolve rather than being stuck in a time warp. Though you follow Spider-man's history their really was only one way this could end, a good ending, just not my personal favourite but truly Parkeresk.
December 27, 2019
Zdarsky and Bagley take on some ambitious storytelling, telling Spider-Man's story if he had aged naturally from his first appearance in the 1960's. Each issue takes place a decade layer but still covers the biggest Spider-Man stories of each decade. The 60's has Spider-Man's big showdown with the Green Goblin after he discovers Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The 70's deal with the original Clone Saga while the 80's is about Kraven's Last Hunt. The 90's is a return to the clone madness of that decade while the 20o0's sees the addition of Morlun and Civil War. Finally we end this decade with the Superior Spider-Man.
Mark Bagley was a great choice for this series. He's drawn Spider-Man more than anyone else with huge runs on Amazing Spider-Man in the 90's and Ultimate Spider-Man in the 2000's. Bagley's always paid a lot of attention to the fashion of the characters on his pages. That plays well here, with each decade looking period authentic.
Mark Bagley was a great choice for this series. He's drawn Spider-Man more than anyone else with huge runs on Amazing Spider-Man in the 90's and Ultimate Spider-Man in the 2000's. Bagley's always paid a lot of attention to the fashion of the characters on his pages. That plays well here, with each decade looking period authentic.
September 5, 2019
This is, without a doubt, the best thing Chip Zdarsky has ever written. A beautiful, heartfelt love letter to Spider-Man, a meticulously crafted labour of love from a devoted lifetime fan of the character, a wonderful tribute to one of comics' most iconic heroes. In Life Story, Chip takes the base starting point of Peter Parker in the 60's and imagines his life as he would grow, age and evolve as a person and as a hero throughout the decades right up until the 2010's. Peter goes through all the major Spider-Man milestone moments such as Clone Saga, Kraven's Last Hunt, Civil War, even Superior Spider-Man and many others, all seen through the lens of one finite lifetime. It's fantastic. The story humanises every character in a way that I don't think has been done before, and Zdarsky pulls some incredible twists that feel organic and genuine instead of feeling like regular superhero comics nonsense. Mark Bagley's art looks timeless, it was a brilliant move on Marvel's part to put one of the definitive Spider-Man artists on a book that is bound to go down as one of the all time greatest must-reads for the character. Overall, Spider-Man: Life Story is a triumph and one of the best things Marvel has published in years, and anybody who loves Spidey or wants to get into the character should read it.
February 13, 2020
It’s Spider-Man from the cradle to the grave.
The Spider-saga told in real time, charting the Web-Head’s life from the radioactive bite to, well, Deadsville - taking into account and juking some real world events.
Zdarsky adds some new twists and tweeks to familiar Spider-tropes to try to make it interesting, and it’s certainly better than his current run, but somehow it still comes up a little stiff.
Face it tiger, instead of a jackpot you have a pair of jacks.
Bottom Line : Three and a half Webbing balls.
The Spider-saga told in real time, charting the Web-Head’s life from the radioactive bite to, well, Deadsville - taking into account and juking some real world events.
Zdarsky adds some new twists and tweeks to familiar Spider-tropes to try to make it interesting, and it’s certainly better than his current run, but somehow it still comes up a little stiff.
Face it tiger, instead of a jackpot you have a pair of jacks.
Bottom Line : Three and a half Webbing balls.
August 26, 2020
What if Peter Parker lived in a world like ours, so when he got bitten by a spider in 1962, he would be over 60 years old in 2019. Chip Zdarsky and Spider-Man artist legend Mark Bagley do a magnificent job of depicting the Spider-Man saga from the first coming of Norman Osborn to the final days of Doc Ock and so many key moments in between. Not sure if this would particularly appeal so much to non Spider-Man saga readers, as a lot of the appeal is how key stories have been re-imagined for this reality. FA thrilling read for me though. 8 out of 12.
March 4, 2020
The basic premise here is 'What if Marvel had allowed Spider-Man (and his supporting cast) to age in real time?' and reading this book has made me wish they had. My only criticism of this book is that there's not enough of it. Even with six over-sized issues (each issue is over thirty pages long) I was desperate for more. I didn't want this to be six issues long; I wanted it to be six hundred issues long! I want to read Pete's story unfolding in real time every month.
With this book, Chip Zdarsky has written Spider-Man's The Dark Knight Returns. It's just that good. If you're a Spidey fan, you must read this.
With this book, Chip Zdarsky has written Spider-Man's The Dark Knight Returns. It's just that good. If you're a Spidey fan, you must read this.
February 8, 2020
"In 1962, a 15 year-old boy named Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider . . . " - from the intro
Of course we all know that part - but what would've happened if Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man, had realistically aged throughout the ensuing decades (like we readers have *cough cough*) yet still maintained the burden of the "with great power comes great responsibility" angle?
Zdarsky's Life Story is a nifty (wow, a word older than Spidey) and loving tribute to Marvel's long-running, groundbreaking and signature superhero character. I mean, after 50+ years - and even the zillions earned by The Avengers movie franchise - this webslinger is STILL the face or the icon of the company, which is pretty impressive. This graphic novel has each chapter set in the subsequent decade (60's, 70's, 80's etc.) - and also wisely skips over another retelling of his origin story, which is so well-known by now - and presents a sort-of 'what if?' version of his life, from his days as a well-meaning teenager up to a grizzled senior citizen. I'll admit my attention began to wane slightly around the 90's / 00's segments, but then the author and artists really drives it home with the powerful concluding chapter, which features a both passing of the baton moment and a character finally at peace with his lot in life. To (mis)quote co-creator Stan Lee - check it out, true believers!
Of course we all know that part - but what would've happened if Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man, had realistically aged throughout the ensuing decades (like we readers have *cough cough*) yet still maintained the burden of the "with great power comes great responsibility" angle?
Zdarsky's Life Story is a nifty (wow, a word older than Spidey) and loving tribute to Marvel's long-running, groundbreaking and signature superhero character. I mean, after 50+ years - and even the zillions earned by The Avengers movie franchise - this webslinger is STILL the face or the icon of the company, which is pretty impressive. This graphic novel has each chapter set in the subsequent decade (60's, 70's, 80's etc.) - and also wisely skips over another retelling of his origin story, which is so well-known by now - and presents a sort-of 'what if?' version of his life, from his days as a well-meaning teenager up to a grizzled senior citizen. I'll admit my attention began to wane slightly around the 90's / 00's segments, but then the author and artists really drives it home with the powerful concluding chapter, which features a both passing of the baton moment and a character finally at peace with his lot in life. To (mis)quote co-creator Stan Lee - check it out, true believers!
January 18, 2020
Not as good as I was expecting from so many five stars reviews here and , but the idea of re-telling Spider-Man saga with decades aging him normally, with historical references like the ones to Vietnam in classic Lee-Romita issues (not mentioning about the awesome Spidey's team up with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and the whole Saturday Night Live cast in epic classic Marvel Team-Up Vol 1 #74), was a real good one and Mark Bagley just the perfect artist for this excellent what-if tale.
Being a Spider-Man's fan since I learned to read, the retelling of various main events in Peter's life here was a real hit or miss for me, but in the end I loved most of this volume.
And that final page was so good that gave me goosebumps.
December 1, 2023
Spider-Man: Life Story is a beautifully illustrated 6-issue miniseries by Chip Zdarsky. I read this in the library in the summer of 2022 and loved it, it was very conveniently in one book! It's essentially Spiderman growing older in accordance to when the character was first created, and it gives a whole perspective and how the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be if it was written with the characters growing older as the years pass by. We see Peter Parker first as a university student at Empire State and then finally him passing the torch to Miles Morales. I would recommend this book to people that are and aren't Marvel fans regardless of whether they know all of the lore! ( I don't.) The art and lettering are exquisite and it's a love letter to the comic and graphic novel genre. We can even see how the art style progresses as the years pass by. -Kovida P., SPL Teen Volunteer
August 8, 2020
What If Spider-Man aged in real time after his debut in 1962? is the core concept for this. Each of the six issues is a point in a different decade in Spider-Man's life, taking him from being a teenager in the 1960s to an old man in the 2010s.
The creative team on this is top notch. Mark Bagley is a Spider-Man all-timer, starting with his debut issue, Amazing Spider-Man #351. I'm not super familiar with Chip Zdarsky's work other than Marvel Two-In-One and Howard The Duck but this makes me want to read more of it.
As Peter ages, the book hits a lot of the bigger Spider-Man beats, like his feud with the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus marrying Aunt May, the alien costume, Kraven's Last Hunt, Civil War, and even the dreaded Clone Saga. Some of the events turn out much differently than they did in the main Marvel Universe.
For the most part, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Zdarsky and Bagley take Spider-Man and the Marvel Universe into some interesting directions. The first four issues were gold. I thought the last two could have been better, though. Seeing some of the older storylines play out in this new timeline was great, as was Peter actually growing up and growing old.
I'm not sure what my specific problems with the final issues were. Maybe because they're rooted in modern event comics that are already being forgotten, like Spider-Man being a totem of spiders or Doctor Octopus taking over Peter's body. Or maybe I just didn't want Spider-Man to die.
It wasn't Spider-Man's Dark Knight Returns like I thought it might be but Spider-Man: Life Story is the best Spider-Man book I've read in quite some time. Four out of five stars.
The creative team on this is top notch. Mark Bagley is a Spider-Man all-timer, starting with his debut issue, Amazing Spider-Man #351. I'm not super familiar with Chip Zdarsky's work other than Marvel Two-In-One and Howard The Duck but this makes me want to read more of it.
As Peter ages, the book hits a lot of the bigger Spider-Man beats, like his feud with the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus marrying Aunt May, the alien costume, Kraven's Last Hunt, Civil War, and even the dreaded Clone Saga. Some of the events turn out much differently than they did in the main Marvel Universe.
For the most part, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Zdarsky and Bagley take Spider-Man and the Marvel Universe into some interesting directions. The first four issues were gold. I thought the last two could have been better, though. Seeing some of the older storylines play out in this new timeline was great, as was Peter actually growing up and growing old.
I'm not sure what my specific problems with the final issues were. Maybe because they're rooted in modern event comics that are already being forgotten, like Spider-Man being a totem of spiders or Doctor Octopus taking over Peter's body. Or maybe I just didn't want Spider-Man to die.
It wasn't Spider-Man's Dark Knight Returns like I thought it might be but Spider-Man: Life Story is the best Spider-Man book I've read in quite some time. Four out of five stars.
November 2, 2019
You know that big thing some people complain about comic characters, that they never really age, and nothing really evolves much cause of timeline restraints. Well Chip is given the opportunity to start Peter's life in the 60's and through the decades age him and have the world around him change. In other words, we grow with Peter through his teen years to an old man.
The events that occur through this series might seem familiar. They tackle the green goblin rise, Harry's fall, Gwen's death, Clone Saga, and so much more. In the end it's all done with a interesting twist, one that will actually alter Peter's life, and it's done nearly perfect for every storyline. On top of the storytelling of subject matter we know (and sometimes done better here than the originals) we have great art with fantastic feel of old school to modern day.
The only thing that didn't really work for me was the overall civil war storyline that is present since issue 1. It makes sense, it's not bad, it just was the least interesting part for me. Could also be because I don't like Civil War event much. This has much more weight behind it though as Peter is a BIG character in it.
Overall, if you like Spider-man, you'll most likely either like or love this story. This is hands down going to be a classic for a ton of people (look at the reviews on here alone) and while I wouldn't say it's perfect because of the civil war plotline it remains one of the best Spider-man stories of our time. A 4.5 out of 5.
The events that occur through this series might seem familiar. They tackle the green goblin rise, Harry's fall, Gwen's death, Clone Saga, and so much more. In the end it's all done with a interesting twist, one that will actually alter Peter's life, and it's done nearly perfect for every storyline. On top of the storytelling of subject matter we know (and sometimes done better here than the originals) we have great art with fantastic feel of old school to modern day.
The only thing that didn't really work for me was the overall civil war storyline that is present since issue 1. It makes sense, it's not bad, it just was the least interesting part for me. Could also be because I don't like Civil War event much. This has much more weight behind it though as Peter is a BIG character in it.
Overall, if you like Spider-man, you'll most likely either like or love this story. This is hands down going to be a classic for a ton of people (look at the reviews on here alone) and while I wouldn't say it's perfect because of the civil war plotline it remains one of the best Spider-man stories of our time. A 4.5 out of 5.
September 5, 2019
When I need to recommend someone a single volume Spider-man story, along with Spider-man Blue, this is going to be one I’ll point to in the future. It’s pretty fantastic. Zdarsky takes decades of spider-man stories and weaves them into a 6 issue novel, covering some very familiar story beats while telling a story that feels new. Peter ages as he goes through the decades, along with everyone around him, which creates different takes on some classic stuff. And it’s really good!
You could say that this is ANOTHER version of spider-man in a time when we seem to be getting a new one every week, but I think this one deserves its place. Zdarsky and Bagley do something really good here and every Spider-man fan should read it.
You could say that this is ANOTHER version of spider-man in a time when we seem to be getting a new one every week, but I think this one deserves its place. Zdarsky and Bagley do something really good here and every Spider-man fan should read it.
August 11, 2021
This is without a doubt one of the best Spider-man stories ever.
Its a love letter by Chip to one of the best fictional characters ever. And you can see with every page he writes its so good. Zdarksy takes his original appearance in 60s and imagines him how he would be like in the new world. You see him in the 60s and the Vietnam war tensions, going against Norman and then the 70s where he is with Gwen and working with Reed and the drama there and his personal life and whatever is going on with Jackal, in the 80s when the Black Goblin arises and he gets older and has Parker industries and the whole clone drama there and the 90s when things come to a head and Venom Symbiote and Kraven right up to the 2000s with the intro of Morlun and the whole Civil war thing and its so well done, I love how Chip brings out the relation between Tony and Steve and Pete's stance here was perfect.
And then finally in 2019 when its the superior spider-man with a final confrontation with all of his major enemies, and Peter going out with a bang a great thing with Miles. Its a lot to take in but its the stories of this decade I know and I love how he does it and he fulfills his promise to his uncle and aunt and even redeems the villains and like legacy and everything. Its so well done and emotional and made me tear up a bit. But its just ugh so good.
I love this book and remember it as one of my fondest experiences reading and I just like everything about it and Marvel keeping Bagley here was awesome and I think it will be like one of those books that will age so well with time. Like the dark knight returns but better and its so well done. Its no doubt Chip's best work and his love for Spidey is shown there. He honors everything that happened to Spidey over these 6 decades from Secret wars to Venom to clone saga to Morlun to Civil war and including Avengers and Reed was just brilliant. The MJ story with him is so good. Overall I am just gushing at this point and you can see my love for this book, its one of the best and a high-high recommendation!!
Its a love letter by Chip to one of the best fictional characters ever. And you can see with every page he writes its so good. Zdarksy takes his original appearance in 60s and imagines him how he would be like in the new world. You see him in the 60s and the Vietnam war tensions, going against Norman and then the 70s where he is with Gwen and working with Reed and the drama there and his personal life and whatever is going on with Jackal, in the 80s when the Black Goblin arises and he gets older and has Parker industries and the whole clone drama there and the 90s when things come to a head and Venom Symbiote and Kraven right up to the 2000s with the intro of Morlun and the whole Civil war thing and its so well done, I love how Chip brings out the relation between Tony and Steve and Pete's stance here was perfect.
And then finally in 2019 when its the superior spider-man with a final confrontation with all of his major enemies, and Peter going out with a bang a great thing with Miles. Its a lot to take in but its the stories of this decade I know and I love how he does it and he fulfills his promise to his uncle and aunt and even redeems the villains and like legacy and everything. Its so well done and emotional and made me tear up a bit. But its just ugh so good.
I love this book and remember it as one of my fondest experiences reading and I just like everything about it and Marvel keeping Bagley here was awesome and I think it will be like one of those books that will age so well with time. Like the dark knight returns but better and its so well done. Its no doubt Chip's best work and his love for Spidey is shown there. He honors everything that happened to Spidey over these 6 decades from Secret wars to Venom to clone saga to Morlun to Civil war and including Avengers and Reed was just brilliant. The MJ story with him is so good. Overall I am just gushing at this point and you can see my love for this book, its one of the best and a high-high recommendation!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2020
WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND BRIEF POLITICS, IF THE LATTER UPSETS YOU DON’T READ THE BOOK EITHER.
I tried, okay? I wanted to love this... but no... I really should have known better than to try another Chip Zdarsky book...
What’s it about?
This tells the story of Spider-Man except he keeps aging like a real person since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. It’s sort of a “what if” story as it shows how things changed for Spidey and those around him if he were to keep getting older.
Pros:
The artwork is pretty good.
This book is pretty unpredictable as it shows a different take on Spider-Man and really the Marvel universe as a whole.
Cons:
The story is pretty bad. So I thought it really had potential to be cool but Zdarsky is simply a bad writer IMO. The main problem with this plot might be that Zdarsky changes things that honestly have NOTHING to do with Spider-Man aging so it’s even stupid in a “what if” scenario.
There are quite a few scenes with wasted potential. Most notably is in issue 3 or 4 where it does the symbiote suit thing and it even looks like it could potentially go into a horror direction but after 1 scene it goes “nope, fuck it, back to stupid shit.”
The characters annoyed the fuck out of me. Peter just mopes around. The villains are fairly meh renditions. I didn’t give a shit about Peter’s kids or Gwen. MJ is the best character but that’s only because she’s hot (seriously, Marvel’s hottest character right there... well okay in a tie with Jean Grey... and maybe Black Widow... damn, Marvel has some cute redheads!) but her personality is slightly out of character and bitchy so... yeah, still didn’t like her.
This book is surprisingly boring. I mean I get that it’s a more serious story but can’t you still make it exciting? I shouldn’t feel like a superhero comic is dragging at a slow pace.
The humor attempts and quips aren’t very funny this time around.
The dialogue is a bit iffy. Mostly shit with Peter pointing out his age and being all “look at me I’m old” in the last 2 issues.
This book is kinda sad but not in a way that makes me go “oh shit, that was an emotional scene”. More like “well fuck, that was just mildly depressing.”
So there’s some more-or-less subtle political stuff which on one hand I’m happy it’s not in your face but on the other hand it’s poorly done. Most notably are Tony Stark being depicted as a businessman turned president who is of course evil (gee, wonder who that’s meant to be) or at the end of the first issue where Captain America is and soldiers are depicted as assholes (which normally I note something as anti-military in a book but acknowledge I sometimes misinterpret shit but this is the 2nd time I’ve read likely anti-military bullshit in a Zdarsky book and I’ve only read 3 full trades by the guy so I think it’s a fairly safe bet that it’s intentional).
The ending is painfully bad. So many terrible ideas and lines of bad dialogue crammed into that last issue with a slightly stupid in general way of wrapping it up.
Overall:
I wanted to love this. I have several friends who enjoyed it and a lot of people say it’s a must-read for Spider-Man fans and to those friends, as always, I’m glad others enjoyed it even if I hated it but I honestly can’t see why they liked it.
Well actually, this one I can see why a bit more as the idea is really cool. Unfortunately the execution is terrible. I think if given a better writer (Lemire and Brubaker particularly come to mind) this could have been pretty good but Zdarsky fucked it up.
I think after 3 trades and a single issue it’s safe to say I ain’t a fan. Only things I remember liking by him are a short thing he did in an X-Men anthology issue a couple of years back and the art in Sex Criminals. He’ll probably be in the same category I put Brian Azzarello in, someone that has interesting ideas that get me reading their work but then feeling like an idiot because I should have known better. While this is not nearly as bad as Kaptara (which isn’t saying much as it’s in my 5 least favorite books at the time I am writing this review) or Howard The Duck (which just barely dodged a 1-star rating from me) it is pretty terrible and as a huge fan of Spider-Man it’s really disappointing seeing such a cool idea with the character wasted.
Wouldn’t recommend unless you (for some reason I honestly can’t figure out) are a Zdarsky fan.
2/5
I tried, okay? I wanted to love this... but no... I really should have known better than to try another Chip Zdarsky book...
What’s it about?
This tells the story of Spider-Man except he keeps aging like a real person since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. It’s sort of a “what if” story as it shows how things changed for Spidey and those around him if he were to keep getting older.
Pros:
The artwork is pretty good.
This book is pretty unpredictable as it shows a different take on Spider-Man and really the Marvel universe as a whole.
Cons:
The story is pretty bad. So I thought it really had potential to be cool but Zdarsky is simply a bad writer IMO. The main problem with this plot might be that Zdarsky changes things that honestly have NOTHING to do with Spider-Man aging so it’s even stupid in a “what if” scenario.
There are quite a few scenes with wasted potential. Most notably is in issue 3 or 4 where it does the symbiote suit thing and it even looks like it could potentially go into a horror direction but after 1 scene it goes “nope, fuck it, back to stupid shit.”
The characters annoyed the fuck out of me. Peter just mopes around. The villains are fairly meh renditions. I didn’t give a shit about Peter’s kids or Gwen. MJ is the best character but that’s only because she’s hot (seriously, Marvel’s hottest character right there... well okay in a tie with Jean Grey... and maybe Black Widow... damn, Marvel has some cute redheads!) but her personality is slightly out of character and bitchy so... yeah, still didn’t like her.
This book is surprisingly boring. I mean I get that it’s a more serious story but can’t you still make it exciting? I shouldn’t feel like a superhero comic is dragging at a slow pace.
The humor attempts and quips aren’t very funny this time around.
The dialogue is a bit iffy. Mostly shit with Peter pointing out his age and being all “look at me I’m old” in the last 2 issues.
This book is kinda sad but not in a way that makes me go “oh shit, that was an emotional scene”. More like “well fuck, that was just mildly depressing.”
So there’s some more-or-less subtle political stuff which on one hand I’m happy it’s not in your face but on the other hand it’s poorly done. Most notably are Tony Stark being depicted as a businessman turned president who is of course evil (gee, wonder who that’s meant to be) or at the end of the first issue where Captain America is and soldiers are depicted as assholes (which normally I note something as anti-military in a book but acknowledge I sometimes misinterpret shit but this is the 2nd time I’ve read likely anti-military bullshit in a Zdarsky book and I’ve only read 3 full trades by the guy so I think it’s a fairly safe bet that it’s intentional).
The ending is painfully bad. So many terrible ideas and lines of bad dialogue crammed into that last issue with a slightly stupid in general way of wrapping it up.
Overall:
I wanted to love this. I have several friends who enjoyed it and a lot of people say it’s a must-read for Spider-Man fans and to those friends, as always, I’m glad others enjoyed it even if I hated it but I honestly can’t see why they liked it.
Well actually, this one I can see why a bit more as the idea is really cool. Unfortunately the execution is terrible. I think if given a better writer (Lemire and Brubaker particularly come to mind) this could have been pretty good but Zdarsky fucked it up.
I think after 3 trades and a single issue it’s safe to say I ain’t a fan. Only things I remember liking by him are a short thing he did in an X-Men anthology issue a couple of years back and the art in Sex Criminals. He’ll probably be in the same category I put Brian Azzarello in, someone that has interesting ideas that get me reading their work but then feeling like an idiot because I should have known better. While this is not nearly as bad as Kaptara (which isn’t saying much as it’s in my 5 least favorite books at the time I am writing this review) or Howard The Duck (which just barely dodged a 1-star rating from me) it is pretty terrible and as a huge fan of Spider-Man it’s really disappointing seeing such a cool idea with the character wasted.
Wouldn’t recommend unless you (for some reason I honestly can’t figure out) are a Zdarsky fan.
2/5
June 30, 2022
"Spider-Man: Life Story" was not bad. Written by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated by Mark Bagley, it's a decent concept.
It traces the life of Spider-Man, starting in the 1960s, and follows his career throughout the decades. But the twist is that Parker is aging along with the timeline. Thus near the end of the story, he is in his 60's. The condensed version of Parker's life seems to be crammed into one volume and, for the most part, it's good. Nothing great, though it is a clever idea. Running into Spidey's enemies, as they too age, is an interesting idea. While none of this blew me away, it was an entertaining read. The artwork is quite good though.
This is certainly for Spider-Man fans, though there is a small possibility that others may enjoy this as well.
It traces the life of Spider-Man, starting in the 1960s, and follows his career throughout the decades. But the twist is that Parker is aging along with the timeline. Thus near the end of the story, he is in his 60's. The condensed version of Parker's life seems to be crammed into one volume and, for the most part, it's good. Nothing great, though it is a clever idea. Running into Spidey's enemies, as they too age, is an interesting idea. While none of this blew me away, it was an entertaining read. The artwork is quite good though.
This is certainly for Spider-Man fans, though there is a small possibility that others may enjoy this as well.
February 9, 2022
Having just finished Fantastic Four Life Story, I thought it would be nice to reread the first Life Story book, especially since the new Hardcover I picked up had a new Annual issue in it that follows JJJ through the decades in this timeline. This Spider-Man story by Chip Zdarsky & Mark Bagley is him aging in real time, as real world events take place alongside slightly changed events from 616 , showing us the entire life of Peter Parker as Spider-Man. The main story itself is a reread/rereview, while the annual is brand new to me.
Life Story is such a fun idea for an imprint, and I already love how different the two stories are to come out of it. Zdarsky crafts a beautiful and touching story that is just one giant love letter to anything and everything related to Spider-Man, with events like The Clone Saga, Kraven’s Last Hunt, and Superior Spider-Man all showing up throughout Peter’s life. The six issues with Spider-Man are just fantastic and one of the best Spidey minis ever. Now the annual is a little different, with it showing the life of JJJ behind bars after he funded the Scorpion to kill Spider-Man. It’s a really interesting character study that has an amazing ending, rounding this collection out to be one of the best Spider-Man stories anyone can buy.
The art is also great, with legendary Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley showing exactly why he has been the go-to Spidey artist for years. The dude is consistent and on time, which are two of the most important aspects for a comic artist to have. The variant covers by Zdarsky are also great in how well they set the mood for each issue.
I loved this story even more the second time around, with the JJJ annual adding another perspective of the character we rarely see, which ends up making it one of the best companion pieces this story could have gotten. Chip Zdarsky & Mark Bagley have created a modern Spider-Man classic.
Life Story is such a fun idea for an imprint, and I already love how different the two stories are to come out of it. Zdarsky crafts a beautiful and touching story that is just one giant love letter to anything and everything related to Spider-Man, with events like The Clone Saga, Kraven’s Last Hunt, and Superior Spider-Man all showing up throughout Peter’s life. The six issues with Spider-Man are just fantastic and one of the best Spidey minis ever. Now the annual is a little different, with it showing the life of JJJ behind bars after he funded the Scorpion to kill Spider-Man. It’s a really interesting character study that has an amazing ending, rounding this collection out to be one of the best Spider-Man stories anyone can buy.
The art is also great, with legendary Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley showing exactly why he has been the go-to Spidey artist for years. The dude is consistent and on time, which are two of the most important aspects for a comic artist to have. The variant covers by Zdarsky are also great in how well they set the mood for each issue.
I loved this story even more the second time around, with the JJJ annual adding another perspective of the character we rarely see, which ends up making it one of the best companion pieces this story could have gotten. Chip Zdarsky & Mark Bagley have created a modern Spider-Man classic.
November 21, 2020
In 2017, Sex Criminals artist Chip Zdarsky, who had been writing for Marvel for a couple of years, took over the newly published Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, which for years was very much the secondary Spidey title after The Amazing Spider-Man. Along with Adam Kubert, who primarily did the art throughout the run, Spectacular was a fun but flawed spin on the web-slinger that may go off in crazy directions, but had a healthy balance of heart and humour. After a pitch-perfect final issue with #310, it felt like Zdarsky had his final say towards Peter Parker, until two years later with a more ambitious Spidey story.
When it comes to superhero comics that have been in publication for decades, these characters rarely age, even if the status quo would change every few years. Peter Parker is an interesting case as by the time he got bitten by a radioactive spider, he was still in high school and although he would grow up and went through many things from college, to marriage, to having his body being taken over by Doc Ock, Peter will return to the status quo that has defined him since 1962. To quote the late Stan Lee, it's just "the illusion of change". With Life Story, Zdarsky and artist Mark Bagley tell a graphic autobiography through six issues, with each one focusing on a decade showing how Peter has grown over the course of 57 years.
In the first issue, which takes place four years after the origin story, Peter is getting better at being Spider-Man, even if he still struggles at attending his college classes, much to the annoyance of his lab partner Gwen Stacy. With the Vietnam War going on and the recent surge of American superheroes, Peter wonders if his alter-ego has a responsibility to fight overseas. Meanwhile, his best friend's father, Norman Osborn AKA the Green Goblin, who just happens to be Spidey's greatest enemy, knows about Peter's secret identity. From this issue alone, Zdarsky is setting up a number of things, by using the history of the comics from not only Peter's adventures, but as well as the Marvel Universe, and mixing it with real world politics. This obviously isn't groundbreaking as Zdarsky seems to be taking cues from the likes of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, especially during the third issue that takes place during the 1980s, evoking the Dark Age of Comic Books.
Another thing about decades-long superhero comics is that with many writers and artists doing their own spin on one title, continuity can get really messy and Spider-Man is no exception. However, similar to how Grant Morrison approached Batman during his seven year run, Zdarsky uses the extensive history of the comics to his advantage by evoking many iconic Spidey stories that although makes each of the six issues densely packed, the whole thing is strung together by its central character. Very much the Everyman hero of the Marvel Universe, it makes sense to apply such real world implications to Peter Parker and no matter how fantastical his adventures can be, he still has to endure the things that all of us go through from relationships to jobs to even our discussion on politics.
In this continuity where we see Peter age throughout this miniseries, it adds new wrinkles towards known stories from the original Clone Saga, Kraven's Last Hunt, to Civil War, and these deviations work because they inform the various life directions that our hero goes through. Many of Peter's relationships are still there from his romances with both Gwen and Mary Jane, to his rogues gallery, all of which evolve throughout the issues. What is most interesting is the dynamics that we wouldn't expect, such as his friendship with Reed Richards and his dislike towards Tony Stark who becomes a recurring antagonist.
Because each issue focuses on one decade, the common approach would be to get one artist per issue, similar to Superman: American Alien. Instead, in artistic duties for all six is Mark Bagley, someone who is no stranger to Spider-Man from doing The Amazing Spider-Man in the 90s, to Ultimate Spider-Man in the 2000s. Although there are divisive opinions towards Bagley's art style, he does his best work towards Spidey with Life Story, with the artwork being more polished with the assistance of inkers John Dell and Andrew Hennessy. Bagley may delight the more nostalgic Spider-fans, but he knows how to change things up as we see multiple versions of the Spider-suit, as well as different depictions of iconic villains; the Black Goblin being an absolute highlight.
In aging up our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man makes Life Story a refreshing spin on the character, whilst honouring what came before. No matter how old he can be, Peter is always learning about not just being Spider-Man, but life in general and so he may be super, he's just like the rest of us.
When it comes to superhero comics that have been in publication for decades, these characters rarely age, even if the status quo would change every few years. Peter Parker is an interesting case as by the time he got bitten by a radioactive spider, he was still in high school and although he would grow up and went through many things from college, to marriage, to having his body being taken over by Doc Ock, Peter will return to the status quo that has defined him since 1962. To quote the late Stan Lee, it's just "the illusion of change". With Life Story, Zdarsky and artist Mark Bagley tell a graphic autobiography through six issues, with each one focusing on a decade showing how Peter has grown over the course of 57 years.
In the first issue, which takes place four years after the origin story, Peter is getting better at being Spider-Man, even if he still struggles at attending his college classes, much to the annoyance of his lab partner Gwen Stacy. With the Vietnam War going on and the recent surge of American superheroes, Peter wonders if his alter-ego has a responsibility to fight overseas. Meanwhile, his best friend's father, Norman Osborn AKA the Green Goblin, who just happens to be Spidey's greatest enemy, knows about Peter's secret identity. From this issue alone, Zdarsky is setting up a number of things, by using the history of the comics from not only Peter's adventures, but as well as the Marvel Universe, and mixing it with real world politics. This obviously isn't groundbreaking as Zdarsky seems to be taking cues from the likes of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, especially during the third issue that takes place during the 1980s, evoking the Dark Age of Comic Books.
Another thing about decades-long superhero comics is that with many writers and artists doing their own spin on one title, continuity can get really messy and Spider-Man is no exception. However, similar to how Grant Morrison approached Batman during his seven year run, Zdarsky uses the extensive history of the comics to his advantage by evoking many iconic Spidey stories that although makes each of the six issues densely packed, the whole thing is strung together by its central character. Very much the Everyman hero of the Marvel Universe, it makes sense to apply such real world implications to Peter Parker and no matter how fantastical his adventures can be, he still has to endure the things that all of us go through from relationships to jobs to even our discussion on politics.
In this continuity where we see Peter age throughout this miniseries, it adds new wrinkles towards known stories from the original Clone Saga, Kraven's Last Hunt, to Civil War, and these deviations work because they inform the various life directions that our hero goes through. Many of Peter's relationships are still there from his romances with both Gwen and Mary Jane, to his rogues gallery, all of which evolve throughout the issues. What is most interesting is the dynamics that we wouldn't expect, such as his friendship with Reed Richards and his dislike towards Tony Stark who becomes a recurring antagonist.
Because each issue focuses on one decade, the common approach would be to get one artist per issue, similar to Superman: American Alien. Instead, in artistic duties for all six is Mark Bagley, someone who is no stranger to Spider-Man from doing The Amazing Spider-Man in the 90s, to Ultimate Spider-Man in the 2000s. Although there are divisive opinions towards Bagley's art style, he does his best work towards Spidey with Life Story, with the artwork being more polished with the assistance of inkers John Dell and Andrew Hennessy. Bagley may delight the more nostalgic Spider-fans, but he knows how to change things up as we see multiple versions of the Spider-suit, as well as different depictions of iconic villains; the Black Goblin being an absolute highlight.
In aging up our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man makes Life Story a refreshing spin on the character, whilst honouring what came before. No matter how old he can be, Peter is always learning about not just being Spider-Man, but life in general and so he may be super, he's just like the rest of us.
December 15, 2019
An extended What If? story that imagines Spider-Man aging in real time while still facing many of the same big events of the last six decades, including Green Goblin and Professor Warren, the death of Gwen Stacy, Secret Wars, the alien costume saga, Kraven's Last Hunt, the clone saga, The Other, Civil War, and Superior Spider-Man.
While it was interesting it suffered from being too short. It requires a lot of knowledge of the Spider-Man canon to fully understand, as there just isn't enough room to explain what is going on in any given chapter. It also skimps on explanations for what has happened between ten year jumps and does little to justify the changes it makes from regular Marvel continuity. There are nice moments, but it just doesn't come together as a coherent take on all it tries to cover.
Frankly, Don Rosa did much the same thing a hell of a lot better in The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.
While it was interesting it suffered from being too short. It requires a lot of knowledge of the Spider-Man canon to fully understand, as there just isn't enough room to explain what is going on in any given chapter. It also skimps on explanations for what has happened between ten year jumps and does little to justify the changes it makes from regular Marvel continuity. There are nice moments, but it just doesn't come together as a coherent take on all it tries to cover.
Frankly, Don Rosa did much the same thing a hell of a lot better in The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck.
June 28, 2024
This was an absolutely brilliant read. I've read part of Fantastic Four Life Story (I will be going back to read the rest of it), but I do know if I was expecting the amount of emotion that was woven into Zdarsky's Spider-Man: Life Story. The intricacy of the storytelling, the artwork, all of it worked so well together. Not only did Zdarsky make sure we understand the cultural events occurring in America during each decade, but he seamlessly wove in significant Marvel events that are extremely rewarding for those that know or are invested in Spider-Man lore. As someone who originally wasn't a huge fan of Spider-Man fan, I have grown to appreciate his complexity as a character over time. Zdarsky illustrated every nook and cranny of this man's character over the course of 200+ pages. Even if you're not a huge Spider-Man fan or you don't know much about him as a character, this is one that I would recommend broadly for the storytelling. This is one of my favorite Spider-Man books to date!
June 5, 2020
Review originally posted here:
https://sammythecritic.blogspot.com/2...
Rating: 4.8/5
Synopsis: Spider-Man: Life Story is a six-issue miniseries by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley set in an alternate universe where we see Peter Parker grow and age in real-time starting from his adolescent years during the 60s when he first gained his superpowers to 2019.
My Thoughts: While I definitely would not consider myself a scholar in the Spider-Man lore (or Marvel in general), I am familiar enough with the character through movie/TV adaptations and a handful of random comics here and there to have a sufficiently good idea of the universe. As a result, I was easily able to get into this comic along with the fact that it was a stand-alone series and a bloody bodacious one at that.
The plot here differs from most alternative universe tales such The Dark Knight Returns and What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow which generally star an older, usually more cynical version of the hero austerely deconstructing common tropes within their respective universes. Instead, Life Story offers a larger, more complete outline of Parker's life as he grows older throughout the decades and faces several challenges and obstacles along with humane imperfection, cementing his character in an intricate web of profound plausibility and realism without being too dejecting about it. It is true some of the heroes in this comic are morally gray and corrupt; however, the turpitude doesn't permeate every personality so readers are able to root for our favorite arachnid-costumed protagonist.
Another strength is Mark Bagley's art which is smooth and polished without being too bright. It also captured the cultural zeitgeist of each decade well, especially the 70s. It truly felt like I too was living during this period. My only nitpick was that I had some trouble at times distinguishing between Peter Parker and his clone Ben Reilly.
Final Thoughts: Life Story was a great addition to the Marvel alternate universe worth picking up whether you're a regular or sporadic Marvel reader or a fan of the cinematic universe who finds the large library of other Spider-Man series too daunting to catch up with.
https://sammythecritic.blogspot.com/2...
Rating: 4.8/5
Synopsis: Spider-Man: Life Story is a six-issue miniseries by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley set in an alternate universe where we see Peter Parker grow and age in real-time starting from his adolescent years during the 60s when he first gained his superpowers to 2019.
My Thoughts: While I definitely would not consider myself a scholar in the Spider-Man lore (or Marvel in general), I am familiar enough with the character through movie/TV adaptations and a handful of random comics here and there to have a sufficiently good idea of the universe. As a result, I was easily able to get into this comic along with the fact that it was a stand-alone series and a bloody bodacious one at that.
The plot here differs from most alternative universe tales such The Dark Knight Returns and What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow which generally star an older, usually more cynical version of the hero austerely deconstructing common tropes within their respective universes. Instead, Life Story offers a larger, more complete outline of Parker's life as he grows older throughout the decades and faces several challenges and obstacles along with humane imperfection, cementing his character in an intricate web of profound plausibility and realism without being too dejecting about it. It is true some of the heroes in this comic are morally gray and corrupt; however, the turpitude doesn't permeate every personality so readers are able to root for our favorite arachnid-costumed protagonist.
Another strength is Mark Bagley's art which is smooth and polished without being too bright. It also captured the cultural zeitgeist of each decade well, especially the 70s. It truly felt like I too was living during this period. My only nitpick was that I had some trouble at times distinguishing between Peter Parker and his clone Ben Reilly.
Final Thoughts: Life Story was a great addition to the Marvel alternate universe worth picking up whether you're a regular or sporadic Marvel reader or a fan of the cinematic universe who finds the large library of other Spider-Man series too daunting to catch up with.
December 25, 2020
2,75 / 5
La premisa aquí es potente: ¿y si pudiéramos leer la vida de Peter Parker de forma lineal y en tiempo real? ¿y si joven Spiderman envejeciera con el paso de las décadas? Chip Zdarsky guioniza esta experimental miniserie de seis números que comienza con nuestro querido y vecino Spiderman en 1968 para llevarlo, década a década repasando y ligando algunos de sus acontecimientos más importantes, hasta 2019, donde Peter Parker es ya casi un sexagenario.
Sin embargo, me ha decepcionado. Probablemente el mayor hándicap, haya sido el dibujo. Se que Bagley es un clásico de los 90´s, un dibujante veterano de Spiderman de largo recorrido, pero el dibujo me sacaba de la historia una y otra vez. Los rostros se me hacían demasiado toscos, y las expresiones, exacerbadas hasta lo infinito. No lo sé, es un tipo de dibujo, deudor del pasado, en el que me cuesta muchísimo entrar.
Pero, quedémonos con cosas positivas. Primero, con como Spiderman: Toda una vida es un resumen de lujo -y a la vez un hibrido- de muchos acontecimientos en la vida de Peter Parker a lo largo de su andadura editorial, apto para novatos en materia como para seguidores del arácnido. Segundo, con ese legado presentado, repleto de guiños y referencias, que nos quiere dejar Peter Parker. Y tercero, que un experimento como este, aunque no sea perfecto, haya podido ver la luz en una editorial como Marvel.
La premisa aquí es potente: ¿y si pudiéramos leer la vida de Peter Parker de forma lineal y en tiempo real? ¿y si joven Spiderman envejeciera con el paso de las décadas? Chip Zdarsky guioniza esta experimental miniserie de seis números que comienza con nuestro querido y vecino Spiderman en 1968 para llevarlo, década a década repasando y ligando algunos de sus acontecimientos más importantes, hasta 2019, donde Peter Parker es ya casi un sexagenario.
Sin embargo, me ha decepcionado. Probablemente el mayor hándicap, haya sido el dibujo. Se que Bagley es un clásico de los 90´s, un dibujante veterano de Spiderman de largo recorrido, pero el dibujo me sacaba de la historia una y otra vez. Los rostros se me hacían demasiado toscos, y las expresiones, exacerbadas hasta lo infinito. No lo sé, es un tipo de dibujo, deudor del pasado, en el que me cuesta muchísimo entrar.
Pero, quedémonos con cosas positivas. Primero, con como Spiderman: Toda una vida es un resumen de lujo -y a la vez un hibrido- de muchos acontecimientos en la vida de Peter Parker a lo largo de su andadura editorial, apto para novatos en materia como para seguidores del arácnido. Segundo, con ese legado presentado, repleto de guiños y referencias, que nos quiere dejar Peter Parker. Y tercero, que un experimento como este, aunque no sea perfecto, haya podido ver la luz en una editorial como Marvel.
October 3, 2020
Puramente maravilloso. El final me puso to tierno... y mira que no es pa tanto.
Todos los acontecimientos mayores de los cómics (la muerte de Gwen Stacy, el duende verde y su hijo, las guerras secretas, los clones, la guerra civil) reinterpretados en el mundo real. Brutal, de verdad.
Todos los acontecimientos mayores de los cómics (la muerte de Gwen Stacy, el duende verde y su hijo, las guerras secretas, los clones, la guerra civil) reinterpretados en el mundo real. Brutal, de verdad.
December 20, 2019
A beautiful ballad that celebrates the spirit of everything Spider-man. This book is without a doubt the best story Zdarsky has ever told. It is also one of the best Spider-man tales I have ever read. Spider-man: Life Story reads like an else world tale that takes the reader through a journey and life of a Peter Parker that became Spider-man in the 1960s and ends with his career as a very old Spider-man. This was a well executed concept because you get to experience the Spider-man adventure from the era of his creation to the possibilities of what an aged Spidey would mean to our current time. There are some truly powerful character moments in the book. I really loved all the bits of Peter's conflict over participating in the Vietnam war to the family drama of Peter trying to balance his family life around being Spider-man. Bagley's pencils & Frank D' Armanta's colors give the book a timeless quality and really exciting panels. This is not a bad looking Marvel book and the pacing was really well done. I never thought that I would want to see an elderly Spider-man but Zdarsky writes every era of Parker flawlessly. Zdarsky really drives home the theme that no matter what life throws at Pete he will always save the day. He will always be that same young boy who lost his Uncle Ben and lives with the guilt of not using his power to prevent his Uncle's untimely death. This story gives us a more complex in that Pete's problems become larger because despite every victory against his super foes he is a man who has had to bury friends, lived through divorce, and is often estranged from his family. Zdarksy does a great job of aging Spidey's supporting cast as well. Truthfully characters like Mary Jane, Captain America, Reed Richards and Gwen Stacy evolve as the years past but it is Peter Parker who fights against change every chance he gets. The story does a great job of highlighting Spider-man's importance and impact on the Marvel Universe. There a some great moments that touched me greatly and the ending was perfect. I can not recommend this book enough. It is probably one of the Best Marvel comic series I have read this year. For those looking for other great Zdarsky books I recommend: Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Vol. 1: Into the Twilight, Daredevil, Vol. 1: Know Fear, Marvel Two-In-One, Vol. 1: Fate of the Four & Marvel Two-In-One, Vol. 2: Next of Kin.
September 7, 2020
Ahh las expectativas... siempre son un problema.
Había oído y leído cosas muy buenas de este cómic desde que se publicó en EEUU pero cuando finalmente lo he leído me ha resultado una decepción. No me malinterpretéis, no es un mal cómic ni mucho menos, pero cuando hay tanta gente que le da un bombo desmesurado a un cómic mainstream como se le ha dado a este yo al menos espero algo que sorprenda, y en mi caso al menos sorpresas pocas.
Spiderman: toda una vida es un ejercicio similar al que hizo John Byrne con batman y superman en generaciones, la premisa principal es representar como sería la vida de los superhéroes si hubieran envejecido como personas normales. En este caso tenemos la historia dividida en seis números, en cada uno de los cuales se cuentan algunos de los principales acontecimientos que ocurrieron en la vida de spiderman durante una década, empezando por la década de los 60 y terminando por los 2010+. En el transcurso de las décadas spiderman (y los demás personajes de su entorno) va envejeciendo a un ritmo de mundo real y la gracia en mi opinión estaría en observar las diferencias que podría haber en los distintos puntos de inflexión y las aventuras si en lugar del peter parker en sus eternos veintisiempre los hubiera vivido dependiendo de la época un treintañero, un cuarenton, un cincuentón... es decir, alguien con algo más de experiencia al principio, y según va avanzando la cosa un Parker cada vez más cascado físicamente y cansado de problemas, con mujer e hijos, etc.
El problema es que la mayoría de los cambios respecto a la continuidad oficial me parecen bastante arbitrarios y la premisa principal, lo que le da gracia al cómic, termina siendo un mero artificio para añadir profundidad en lugar de algo plenamente necesario para contar la historia. Por otro lado Bagley no está precisamente en su mejor momento, al menos a mi me parece que su nivel actual está muy lejos de sus mejores tiempos.
Al final lo que salva al cómic es la conclusión, muy emotiva y que dejará muy buen sabor de boca tanto a los fans de spiderman de largo recorrido como a los lectores ocasionales, bueno, eso y que en realidad si no te pones a pensar mucho es un cómic bastante entretenido.
Había oído y leído cosas muy buenas de este cómic desde que se publicó en EEUU pero cuando finalmente lo he leído me ha resultado una decepción. No me malinterpretéis, no es un mal cómic ni mucho menos, pero cuando hay tanta gente que le da un bombo desmesurado a un cómic mainstream como se le ha dado a este yo al menos espero algo que sorprenda, y en mi caso al menos sorpresas pocas.
Spiderman: toda una vida es un ejercicio similar al que hizo John Byrne con batman y superman en generaciones, la premisa principal es representar como sería la vida de los superhéroes si hubieran envejecido como personas normales. En este caso tenemos la historia dividida en seis números, en cada uno de los cuales se cuentan algunos de los principales acontecimientos que ocurrieron en la vida de spiderman durante una década, empezando por la década de los 60 y terminando por los 2010+. En el transcurso de las décadas spiderman (y los demás personajes de su entorno) va envejeciendo a un ritmo de mundo real y la gracia en mi opinión estaría en observar las diferencias que podría haber en los distintos puntos de inflexión y las aventuras si en lugar del peter parker en sus eternos veintisiempre los hubiera vivido dependiendo de la época un treintañero, un cuarenton, un cincuentón... es decir, alguien con algo más de experiencia al principio, y según va avanzando la cosa un Parker cada vez más cascado físicamente y cansado de problemas, con mujer e hijos, etc.
El problema es que la mayoría de los cambios respecto a la continuidad oficial me parecen bastante arbitrarios y la premisa principal, lo que le da gracia al cómic, termina siendo un mero artificio para añadir profundidad en lugar de algo plenamente necesario para contar la historia. Por otro lado Bagley no está precisamente en su mejor momento, al menos a mi me parece que su nivel actual está muy lejos de sus mejores tiempos.
Al final lo que salva al cómic es la conclusión, muy emotiva y que dejará muy buen sabor de boca tanto a los fans de spiderman de largo recorrido como a los lectores ocasionales, bueno, eso y que en realidad si no te pones a pensar mucho es un cómic bastante entretenido.
January 2, 2020
Zdarského vyznání lásky ke Spideyho příběhům.
Spidey stárne a postupně prožívá zásadní eventy z dané dekády. I jako člověk, který pročetl jenom nějaké ty náhodné kousky jsem si tu skvělou jízdu užil a rozhodně bych se nezlobil, kdyby podobný treatment dostali i jiní hrdinové a klidně i ti konkurenční.
Mohlo by se vám líbit, pokud:
- jste fanoušek tohohle pavoučího hrdiny
- si chcete zavzpomínat na některé důležité okamžiky z Marvel historie
Spíš vás zklame, pokud:
- jde Marvel i Spidey kompletně mimo vás
- nechcete vidět své oblíbené hrdiny jako partu starých dědků, co si ani tak nedají pohova davájí si na budku
Spidey stárne a postupně prožívá zásadní eventy z dané dekády. I jako člověk, který pročetl jenom nějaké ty náhodné kousky jsem si tu skvělou jízdu užil a rozhodně bych se nezlobil, kdyby podobný treatment dostali i jiní hrdinové a klidně i ti konkurenční.
Mohlo by se vám líbit, pokud:
- jste fanoušek tohohle pavoučího hrdiny
- si chcete zavzpomínat na některé důležité okamžiky z Marvel historie
Spíš vás zklame, pokud:
- jde Marvel i Spidey kompletně mimo vás
- nechcete vidět své oblíbené hrdiny jako partu starých dědků, co si ani tak nedají pohova davájí si na budku
February 22, 2021
This was absolutely incredible. It’s a reimagined version of Spider-Man’s long history, told as if it took place within the real world with real life events mixed in. The characters also age in real time, and comic events are reimagined as well. It was an amazing journey to go on, and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Spidey or just wants a really solid comic story. This is easily a new favorite graphic novel of mine! 5/5 stars and a new favorite graphic novel.
January 2, 2022
یکی بهم گفت اینو بخون و بعد چند وقت خوندمش و خیلی خیلی خوب بود، درسته داستان یکم بهم ریخته بود ولی خیلی خفن بود برام به عنوان یک فن مردعنکبوتی.
داستان خیلی خوب و شروع میشه، پر هیجان میشه، آروم میشه و چند چپتر اخر خیلی هیجانی میشه و تموم میشه. خلاصه همش بالا پایین میبرتتون و خیلی این ویژگیش رو دوست داشتم. به هرکسی که کمیک خون هست یا طرفدار مردعنکبوتی هست پیشنهاد میکنمش.
داستان خیلی خوب و شروع میشه، پر هیجان میشه، آروم میشه و چند چپتر اخر خیلی هیجانی میشه و تموم میشه. خلاصه همش بالا پایین میبرتتون و خیلی این ویژگیش رو دوست داشتم. به هرکسی که کمیک خون هست یا طرفدار مردعنکبوتی هست پیشنهاد میکنمش.
December 24, 2023
Tres estrellas y media.
No acabo de entrar en el cómic, asumo porque me he perdido las últimas etapas del trepamuros; vamos, con las últimas etapas me refiero de los ochenta en adelante, pero así y todo la historia está bien pensada y se lee bastante bien.
Este Chip Zdarsky -del que ya leí el año pasado su Daredevil- al menos aporta ideas novedosas y no se limita a la enésima iteración/resurrección con el archienemigo de turno. Sobre el dibujo de Mark Bagley, estéticamente alguna cosa no me acaba de gustar pero cumple con creces su cometido en cada momento.
No acabo de entrar en el cómic, asumo porque me he perdido las últimas etapas del trepamuros; vamos, con las últimas etapas me refiero de los ochenta en adelante, pero así y todo la historia está bien pensada y se lee bastante bien.
Este Chip Zdarsky -del que ya leí el año pasado su Daredevil- al menos aporta ideas novedosas y no se limita a la enésima iteración/resurrección con el archienemigo de turno. Sobre el dibujo de Mark Bagley, estéticamente alguna cosa no me acaba de gustar pero cumple con creces su cometido en cada momento.
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