MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
STORY: Dan Slott
PENCILS: Stuart Immonen
INKS: Wade von Grawbadger
COLORS: Marte Gracia
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Alex Ross
VARIANT COVERS: Alex Ross (based on art by John Romita); Steve Ditko with Michael Kelleher
32pp, Color, $9.99 U.S. (December 2017)
Rated “T”
Spider-Man created by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee
“Fall of Parker” Part 1 – “Top to Bottom”
In a previous review, I stated that there were were three comic book series to start with the title and issue number, The Amazing Spider-Man #1, beginning with the original in 1962. I wrote that as I began my review of the fourth regular comic book to have that title and issue number – the third in 16 years and the second in three years. Two years later, facing reportedly plummeting sales, Marvel Comics has launched its “Legacy” initiative, which would bring Marvel titles back to their original issue numbering.
So we come to The Amazing Spider-Man #789 (“Top to Bottom”) and the beginning of a “back to basics” story arc, entitled “Fall of Parker.” It is written by Dan Slott; drawn by Stuart Immonen (pencils) and Wade von Grawbadger (inks); colored by Marte Gracia; and lettered by Joe Caramagna; with cover art by Alex Ross. Before we move on with this review, I don't think The Amazing Spider-Man #789 is any different from what The Amazing Spider-Man #33 (2015) would have been.
The Amazing Spider-Man #789 opens in the aftermath of the fall of Spider-Man/Peter Parker's behemoth tech company, Parker Industries. Parker is basically living on a couch in the apartment of Bobbi Morse, who is the superhero, Mockingbird. Everyone, mainly the general public and customers of Parker Industries tech and software, hates Peter Parker. Then, Parker decides that being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will cure his ills, but nothing every really works out perfectly for puny Parker and Spidey.
The recent movie Spider-Man: Homecoming makes it clear that high school Peter Parker/Spider-Man is such an attracting and lovable character. After all, that is the original version of the character that creators Steve Ditko and Stan Lee gave us back in 1962. Post-high school Spider-Man is also immensely likable, but, over the decades, that Peter Parker has been such a mixed bag, entirely the fault of various writers.
Adult Peter Parker, as depicted by writer Dan Slott, has been interesting, mostly. However, the last two years, Slott has played Peter Parker as less the lovable loser, hard-luck guy and more like Tony Stark. That, in turn, has made Spider-Man a kind of tech-driven, Iron Man-like hero. Stark-ish Parker is cute as a novelty. Spider-Man as a jet-setting, international hero is also nice – as a novelty.
Spider-Man is a regular guy superhero. Yes, the character has extraordinary and weird powers, but the civilian Peter Parker is the guy who looks out for his family and protects and serves his family. While Parker has always been depicted as a scientific genius, playing hero-by-gadget isn't Spider-Man, who has always seemed to be about service and personal sacrifice.
So, what about The Amazing Spider-Man #789? It's just a run-of-the-mill story which suggests or hints at nothing but the status quo. More accurately, it is just another first chapter in an eventual trade paperback collection. While “Fall of Parker” could turn out to be an exceptional story arc (which I doubt), the first chapter in The Amazing Spider-Man #789 represents the mediocrity that has unfortunately also been part of the Marvel recent “Legacy.”
[This comic book includes a Spider-Man “Legacy” overview short story written by Robbie Thompson; drawn by Mark Bagley (pencils) and John Dell (inker); colored by Dan Brown; and lettered by VC's Joe Caramagna.]
C
4 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
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