Review: Marvel Action: Spider-Man a New Beginning #1

“When I’m Spider-Man, I know what to do. But when I’m Peter Parker it feels like I’m always forgetting something.” – Peter Parker

Synopsis:

It’s not easy to re-boot an iconic character that’s been around for over 55 years. You have to appeal to fans of the original yet bring in new fans as well. Sometimes it’s done right, sometimes, not so much. This issue begins with Spiderman (Peter Parker) saving a homeless man from a vicious dog, not hardly earth-shattering situation worthy of a superhero, hell, a street cop could have taken care of this. But what makes this opening special is how our hero handles it. He tries not to harm the dog and tells the victim to call animal control. This sets up that our hero has a heart and is a kind human being. An important introduction to this new title, which isn’t so new.

The Creative Team:

Delilah S. Johnson introduces the main characters in a fun way. Peter Parker is late for a seminar about journalism which features Tony Stark. The one who “wins” will get to meet their idol. Also in the room is Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. However, the seminar is interrupted by…more rabid dogs, only, they don’t appear to be dogs but giant rats, or some kind of hybrids. But they’re definitely not Lassie. This is a wild ride and makes our iconic characters seem fresh. I am enjoying the early High School hi-jinks of our characters and the IDW/Marvel fusion clearly works and brings the fun back to these characters in a way we haven’t seen in a long time. I enjoy Peter Parker stories at Marvel, but part of me wishes he’d never grown up and left High School and this title clearly brings back memories of my awesome youth and the comics I grew up with. Great stuff includes the banter between our three leads, who don’t know each other’s secrets yet and Petey’s lamenting about how being Spiderman can screw up his social life, since saving people from the “dog” threat may have hindered his chance at journalism.

Fico Ossio has a slightly cartoony style that fits this narrative well. The fight scenes are incredible and the energy level is high, which anyone drawing Spiderman has to have to create a successful comic book. I really enjoyed how Ossio integrates the three generations of Spider-verse smoothly into one title. It’s a lot of fun and helps me put this title near the top of my must-read list. Highlights include the splash where the two Spider-people are looking down on the mutant dog things and the splash where Gwen glides into the scene.

In Conclusion:

I don’t know how Marvel and IDW hooked up to bring us new versions of classic characters, but I’m so glad they did. This collection is a must-have for comic book fans, both old and new. Us old farts can remember the early days with fondness and it’s updated in a way that’s sure to be pleasing to a younger audience as well. The banter Peter has with his new friends is something that us original fans didn’t have growing up with the original title and it’s welcome because it’s fun. Peter as a loner was kind of interesting, but it kind of got old after awhile. I enjoy his new friends and hope this title lasts a long time. **** (9.2 rating)

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Writer – Delilah S. Johson
Art – Fico Ossio
Colors – Ronda Pattinson
Letters – Shawn Lee
Publisher – IDW/Marvel

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given