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The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 1: The Parker Luck (2014)

by Dan Slott(Favorite Author)

3.7 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0785166769 (ISBN13: 9780785166764)

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

publisher

Marvel Comics

review 1: Collects Amazing Spider-Man (2014) issues #1-6This volume picks up right from where "Superior Spider-Man" left off. Plus, we still have the great creative team of Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. In the last couple issues of "Superior Spider-Man," Peter regained control of his body (which a villain had mind-swapped him for). As this book starts off, the only problem is that he doesn't have any memories of his life from the last year. Everything that the villain did while pretending to be Peter Parker (and Spider-Man) is a mystery to Peter, so there are a lot of things for him to catch up on. This volume sees Peter having to deal with the ramifications of the actions of his imposter. Luckily, characters like Anna Maria, who could have been dropped after "Superior Spider-... moreMan" concluded, were kept as an important part of the story. Electro and Black Cat appear as the main villains in this book.Probably the thing this collection will be most remembered for is that it features the first appearance of Silk. Silk's origin story is enclosed. I originally bought each of these issues as they came out month-by-month, so below I will include my reviews for each issue.SPOILERS BELOW:Issue #1: The issue opens with a prelude in which we find out that immediately after Peter was originally bit by the radioactive spider, another person (a female) was also bitten. After this 2-page prelude, the “previously in…” section reminds us of everything Otto did when he was the Superior Spider-Man. While Peter was away, Otto earned him his Phd, started dating Anna Maria, and started the company Parker Industries. Spidey gets back to action, but by the end of his adventure, Anna Maria realizes that Peter and Spider-Man are one in the same. There was a second story featuring Electro. I think he accidentally made himself go blind after using his powers while fully charged. This happens the night of the Goblin’s attack on Spider Island. The third story features Black Cat. She is mad at Spider-Man for putting her in jail, and of course she doesn’t know it was actually Otto instead of Peter. The fourth story is a mini, breaking-the-fourth-wall, explanation of who Spider-Man is and what his abilities are.The fifth story is a set-up for the upcoming Spider-Man 2099 series, however the series is set in present day. I believe this series will be an integral part of the upcoming Spider-Man Event, Spider-Verse.The sixth story was about Peter trying to track down Kaine in Houston. He runs into Meland, and learns that Kaine became a hero in Houston. Meanwhile, Kaine has left town and joined the New Warriors.The seventh story is about Clayton Cole, a character heavily featured in the “Learning to Crawl” Spider-Man mini-series. Issue #2: The second issue also opens with a prelude of the mysterious girl that was bitten by the spider on the same day as Peter. She is in a room with no windows, with years worth of food, and VHS tapes of Spider-Man fighting villains. She knows that Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. Also, she has a web power that comes out of her finger. Probably more powers than that too, but that’s all we’ve seen so far. After the prelude, this issue was used to let Peter tell some important people what happened with the mind-switch. He tells Anna Maria (who now knows his secret identity), Johnny Storm, and the Avengers. At the end of the issue, he decides that Parker Industries is going to work on building the best super villain prison ever. Before that, he tangled with Electro, as Black Cat looked on. Issue #3: The opening of this issue is so cool. We learn more about the mysterious woman in the windowless room. It turns out that she is in the bunker under the oversight of Ezekiel (a man from Spider-Man’s past). Also, we learn that her first name is Cindy. After that there is some set-ups for future storytelling involving Black Cat, Electro, Anna Maria, Peter Parker the CEO, and even Ollie the fireman. All of these stories are separate, yet semi-connected. The best set-up story is the one about J. Jonah Jameson being offered his own talk show. He hates the channel until they do this and justify the existence of television. Black Cat attacks Spider-Man because of what Otto did to her. He tries to explain that he had been mind-swapped, but she doesn’t care. She needs everyone to see her beat the Spider because of what was done to her. It is the only way to get her respect back. She decides to enlist Electro’s help. Issue #4: This issue was so good, and so full of important Spider-Verse tidbits. In the midst of the Marvel event, “Original Sin,” Peter finds out that another was bit by the spider that gave him powers. Her name is Cindy Moon, and Ezekiel Sims has kept her hidden away in a bunker so that Morlun couldn’t track her down. Peter doesn’t trust Ezekiel’s intentions and breaks Cindy out of the bunker. As soon as she is released, somewhere far, far away, Morlun senses Cindy (calling her the Spider-Bride). “There you are,” he says, “The spinner at the center of the web. It’s time. The Great Hunt begins. From this moment on let all hell break loose.” Cindy and Peter fight until she finds out that Morlun is dead. Then, she’s really happy and they go web-swinging in the city together. She makes a costume out of her webbing and calls herself Silk. Her powers are different. She shoots webbing from her fingers, and she is faster than Peter, but not as strong. Also, her spider-sense works faster than his. Peter’s spider-sense actually draws him towards her when he loses her. This is weird because it usually helps him avoid things. When he catches up with her, she gets mad again because she finds out that Morlun has been killed twice (which means he could possibly come back again). She seems really mad, and then out of nowhere the issue ends with them kissing. There is some sort of attraction between them, possibly because they shared a spider bite.Amazing Spider-Man #5: Spider-Man and Silk vs. Electro and Black Cat. Live on television! At the end of the fight, it looks like Spidey might get unmasked in front of everyone. In other news, Silk andPeter seem to acknowledge that they are being chemically drawn to each other. Possibly because of their shared spider bite. Amazing Spider Man Issues #6: Peter and Silk vs. Black Cat and Electro was a pretty good battle. Silk is very competent as a hero. I could see her getting her own book someday. I continue to enjoy Anna Maria as a cast member, but I’m not sure what to make of Sajani. Cindy got a new job…she is starting her life. Spider-Man saved Electro. He thinks everything is going to work out now, but Black Cat just became the new Queen of Crime.
review 2: I haven’t read many Spider-Man books compared to other superheroes, and reading All-New Marvel NOW! Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 made me realise why: I hate Peter Parker. Because I loved the Superior Spider-Man series when Doc Ock was running the show but now he’s gone and Peter’s back? It’s unbearable. So… (sigh)… he’s back. After the hasty demise of Doc Ock and Peter’s return to his own body, the first issue came out just in time for the latest (and worst) Spider-Man movie a few months ago - which also happened to have Electro as the villain. The loose ends of Superior Spider-Man are more-or-less dealt with quickly by Dan Slott so the book can focus on Electro and Black Cat teaming up to fight Spider-Man - because we had to return to the status quo immediately and what better way than a pair of classic Spidey villains going up against him? Electro’s motivation for hating Spider-Man is a mystery - he accidentally kills his punk girlfriend because his powers are out of control but other than that, he’s just after Spider-Man because that’s what he does. Which, to be fair, was more motivation than he got in the movie - I think Jamie Foxx was mad because Spidey didn’t remember his name or something? Has there been a worse motivation in film history? Meanwhile, Black Cat’s angry because he got her locked up in jail when he was Superior Spider-Man, which is fine but be honest: does a team-up between Electro and Black Cat against Spider-Man fill you with excitement? Me either, and it’s downright dull and laughable on the page too. The usual scrapes occur except I was painfully aware that Cat’s dialogue was full of cliched puns:“13. My lucky number. What’re the odds?”“This Black Cat’s crossing your path.”“If you’re a smart eel, you’ll slip away.”“I’m stealing your thunder. Actually (pointing to Electro), that’d be what my friend here’s doing.” “Oh Max, there’s nothing you could do that would shock me.”“Getting in here was so easy... it was downright criminal.”Cheesy AND corny - her lines are like a packet of Cheetos!There’s a side story featuring an obscure character called Cindy Moon, who also calls herself Silk. She got bitten with the same radioactive spider as Peter did so she’s got Spidey-powers herself except she’s been locked up for decades because of some creep called Morlun who will destroy the world or something if she gets loose. Like I said, I don’t read much Spider-Man so who the hell knows what that’s all about! But the rest of the book is Slott undoing what he did in Superior with Spidey rejoining the Avengers immediately, Peter deciding to rebuild a new supervillain prison like the Raft, and he gets into some shenanigans because, doh, he’s got that old Parker luck! It’s so totally boring and stale. Who’s interested in Jonah getting his own talk show? And why would an old man get his own TV show anyway? A disgraced former mayor no less? I guess it’s some Fox News deal or something, right? So, here you go, fanboys who were outraged at Superior Spider-Man - your boring old, incompetent, annoying (un)“Amazing” Spider-Man is back. Your dreary state of affairs is safely returned to you intact, as anyone with half a brain already knew would happen anyway. All the invention and freshness that defined Superior, at least for the first half of that run, is absent in Amazing Spider-Man, Volume 1, replaced with the red meat that traditional Spider-Man fans want - the same old, same old. And it couldn’t be a more tedious comic. Welcome back, I guess, Pete - I’m off to not read any more of your comics! less

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