Back to the 90s – “Spider-Man” comic book review

When Egmont announced that he would be releasing a collective edition of Todd McFerlane’s Spider-Man comics as part of the Marvel Classic series , many comic book fans rubbed their hands and queued for him. However, is the series as good as we remember?

A sentimental journey

Before I go on to discuss the contents of the Spider-Man notebook , it is worth referring to the history of this title. Its creator is Todd McFarlane – a real legend when it comes to the world of comics. Unlike many of his industry colleagues, he is both a writer and cartoonist. He started his career at DC Comics, where he worked, for example, on the creation of Batman stories. However, he quickly moved to Marvel, where he first dealt with the Hulk, and then got the chance to be part of the group working on Amazing Spider-Man.. It was there that his talent was noticed and he was allowed to invent new adventures of Spider-Man. Todd took advantage of this opportunity one hundred percent and became one of the icons of the House of Ideas. His debut issue, about the adventures of Peter Parker, sold a record 2.5 million copies! Soon after, he also managed to publish the first comics about the hero he created when he was a teenager, Spawnie.

Todd McFarlane and his Spider-Man were popular not only in the USA. It was the story he told that also found its way to Poland. At that time, the TM-Semic group was responsible for its publication. The adventures of the Spider also spread very quickly in our country, and the copies can still be found at online auctions, where they reach a value ten times higher than initially. Many people brought up in the 1990s return to these comics with sentiment. No wonder that as soon as Egmont announced the release of the title in the Marvel Classic series , fans received the news so enthusiastically.

Five stories

In the compilation of Spider-Man, the reader is given five different stories. They are: Torment , Masks , Gazes , Sub-City, and the X-Force: Sabotage Fragment . Each of them tells a completely different adventure that connects the characters of Spider-Man and Mary Jane.

In the first of them, our Spider has to deal with the Lizard and the mysterious figure that controls him, and the poison in his veins. In the second, Hobgoblin stands in his way, and Ghost Rider will come to his aid. In the third, our Spider-Man will have to become an ecologist to save forest animals and a beast named Wendigo together with Wolverin. The fourth story is about the outcasts living outside the city and led by Morbius. The final story is only part of the X- Force series . Peter Parker makes a guest appearance and helps the group led by Cable deal with, inter alia, with Juggernaut.

Unique style

Spider-Man Todd McFarlane has a unique atmosphere. Each story is different and unique. The author often tries to surprise the viewer, which gives us fiction twists and non-obvious endings. Our Spider-Man does not always win and not everything goes according to his plan. Another time, he tries to surprise us with the hero’s behavior, and so we get Wolverine who cares about wildlife. There are also typical patterns known from the 90s. Characters love to talk in them. When a fight is about to take place, everyone must explain exactly what they are going to do to whom, threatening, joking and retorting. Before the clash takes place, the reader will have to flip through a few pages. However, unlike his colleagues, McFarlane also devotes a lot of space to building tension and creating action straight from crime fiction. Peter Parker has to sweat a lot each time and use his spider powers, but also journalistic contacts, to find out who he is hunting and who is behind the crimes committed. The recipient follows his actions in suspense, and at the same time tries to guess who this time the hero will face.

The comics created by McFarlane are of course not only a script, but also an unusual graphic design. The cartoonist has created his own distinctive style. Just take a look at the drawings and you know who is responsible for them. They are usually full of darkness, horror and mystery. As if straight out of horror movies. Not always clear, but full of vivid colors, where the red and blue Spider-Man suit contrasts strongly against the background of dark streets or canals. By the way, the author also likes to throw in a bit of eroticism. Usually, it manifests itself by showing us the scantily clad and extremely alluring Mary Jane, as well as a few spicy conversations between the red-haired heroine and Parker.

A controversial classic

People raised in the 90s will look at Spider-Man with sentiment and will probably just wave their hand at the comic-related comments indicated by the younger generation. What for some is extremely beautiful drawings and the style of an artist, some may call blurry paintings. Because in fact, more than once we see more colors and less clear action that would tell us what is happening in a given frame. Also, too long dialogues, which used to be comic-book everyday life, today seem to delay and slow down the whole action that the recipient is counting on. So there will be both fans and opponents of Todd McFarlane, and both sides will have their arguments to support their positions. For me personally, Spider-Manhowever, it is a classic that every comic fanatic should read and get acquainted with the work of a true icon not only from Marvel, but the whole world of comics.