Trade Waiting: Spider-man One More Day

Spider-man: One More Day

Writers: J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada

Artist: Joe Quesada

Issues:  Amazing Spider-man #544-545, Sensational Spider-man #41, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man #24

Here it is, one of the most controversial comic arcs in the past year.  I had complained at great length about this story without having read it myself.  Shame on me.  Coverage of this story was so widespread, I knew everything that happened.  I went in with my preconceived notions of what was going to happen, and how much I was going to rant and rave about for many months to come.  I felt most sorry for my coworkers, who would invariable have to endure more of my complaining about Spider-man.

Now that I’ve read the story, and am a couple months away from the hype and all the opinions on the Internet, I’ve formulated a new opinion.  For those that don’t know, Aunt May is in mortal peril yet again, having been shot during an assassination attempt on Peter.  Peter is all kinds of depressed, and searches the Marvel Universe for some kind of cure, knowing that he would give anything to have just one more day with her.  This is emotional tripe at its finest.  Aunt May seems to be always at death’s door, so I cared little for the situation.  Peter’s reaction was what could be expected, he felt very guilty because the bullet was meant for him.  But help finally comes to Peter’s aid.

Trade Waiting: The Amazing Spider-man

The Amazing Spider-man Volume 8: Sins Past

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr.

Issues: The Amazing Spider-man #509-514

This is the trade that I wanted to read when I started reading Straczynski’s run on Amazing Spider-man.  I’d read about what happens in it, really wanted to read it, but got myself convinced that I should read the seven volumes before.  So for the past few months, I’ve been slowly getting caught up on Peter Parker’s adventures.  I’ve been satisfied with what’s gone on up to now, but not blown away.  Straczynski’s writing is great, his dialogue is dead on, but some of the villains were boring for my taste, and too much on the supernatural side.  But then came the Sins Past storyline, and I am in love with Spider-man once again.  I’m choosing to ignore Mephisto’s appearance in current issues, preventing him from ruining my reading past issues.

Sins Past revolves around a pair of villains confronting Spider-man, threatening his family, and trying to wipe him off the face of the earth.  Pretty standard villainry, actually.  They feel Spider-man has wronged them and are questing to make things right.  I tinkered with the idea of keeping this spoiler free, but since these were published years ago, I’m not going to worry about it.