I had planned to review this book for so long...
Lately, I've reviewed a bunch of alternate takes on the classic Spider-man tale.
The more reason to go back to the classic regular Spidey.
I postponed the review of this book not that long ago, for "reasons".
But let's finally have a look at this comic book for it's content and only what it is.
For more stories of AMAZING FANTASY check those out!!
Comic title: Spider-Man: With Great Power...
Art by Tony Harris with David Lapham
Story by David Lapham
Published by Marvel KnightsFrom 2008
Lineup Spider-man
Format: Trade paperback collecting the mini-series SPIDER-MAN: WITH GREAT POWER... #1-5.
With Great Power is a modern retelling of Spider-man's origin story - with a twist!
Unlike the usual reimaging or recaps of Spidey's classic origins, this one doesn't go back to the beginnings of Peter Parker, science geek nobody at Midtown High until that famous day a radioactive spider bit his hand.
No sir, no how!
Instead this entire tale is spun off the pages of the classic Amazing Fantasy #15 in which Spider-man was originally imagined.
Right after the spider bite but long before he learned all about "great responsibility...."
The story opens with an original page from Stan Lee's amazing hero.
The narration expands upon the alluded sequence we are left to imagine in-between two panels.
Some newspaper headlines read "Spider-Man Wins Showbiz Award", "Spider-Man Plays to Packed House", and "Who Is Spider-Man?"...
With great power introduces us to a young Peter who's just been gifted with these amazing abilities, but still aimless about what to do of these.
He's living his happiest memories at home with his Uncle Ben and Aunt May...but he's still plagued by bullies at school!
Now he's got all these incredible powers, surely he can make something out of those?
"With great power…comes great responsibility."
To become the hero he will be, Pete has to learn this the hard way..
But not before having some fun with this situation.
Fame? Money? Fast cars? Girls? Now he can have all of this!
After facing Crusher Hogan in a ring, he is offered a wrestling career... and so dons the mask!
Slowly the rise to fame goes way in over his head, Peter start losing interest in school and all the geek non-sense, now that he's slowly becoming more and more famous...
The story offers us a look into Peter Parker's life after the radioactive spider.. while he's slowly making some decisions that would lead him to be Spider-man!
It's a very early days Spider-man still quite cocky, a hothead.
The story has some little allusions/cameos of future characters/storylines.
The Daily Bugle and J.J. Jameson are introduced.
Flash Thompson and Liz Allen are supporting cast like in the good old days too.
The story was originally published at Marvel Knights, which was for a long time Marvel's more mature in-print.
Stories meant to work as standalone rather than on-going series.
Lapham did a fantastic job. The story really focuses on a young Peter acting like a teenage for once.
Making mistakes, doing the most of the circumstances, trying to become a celebrity.
And it seems Tony Harris also had fun with the mini-series.
He tried to keep the looks and the nerdy wardrobe from ~40 years back yet still modernizing and making things "his".
Harris is a great artist that uses similar photographic references-techniques as Dave Stevens, it gives the story a very "real" angle, like it's actually set in real life and his characters are quite lively.
Overall, it's fantastic read!
Really recommended to long-time Spider-man fans and new readers searching for an easy access into the franchise.
The story goes into long details about the whereabouts of Spider-man before he actually become the hero he was destined to be.
Art-wise, it looks great!
I like how Tony Harris sorta blurred the era by using a mix of old cars of the time and more recent ones alike in the background, it gives the tale a sort of unspecified timeless tone.
My only real nitpick with With Great Power is that for a story that wants itself "classic Spider-man", I'm kinda sad Spidey's only really missing the old school "webbed underarms".
And Uncle Ben's moustache....
What's up with that?!
I give it:
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