章 162: Spotlight #170: Spider-Man Life Story
Have you ever just wanted to see the true beauty of life? If so, you'll get a high-flying kick from Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley's Spider-man life story.
Summary
Through sheer popularity and constant reinvention, many of the superheroes we love have stayed young and vibrant against the rivers of time. But what if they weren't so lucky? What if these marvels had to age and grapple with the world outside your window?
Our resident Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man seeks to answer this question through Life Story, a miniseries celebrating the Wall crawler's 60-year-long history. From the Vietnam-torn '60s to modern-day 2019, please sit back, true believers, as we see both the beginning and end of one of Marvel's greatest heroes.
Characters
Peter Parker/Spider-man: Our ever-faithful hero, Peter Parker, especially in this tale, is a man constantly seeking to be better amidst his more selfish tendencies. When it isn't his signature Parker luck or responsibilities as Spider-man, the guy always seems to be kicked around. However, it's through this same responsibility that he always bounces back.
Summary
I'm still kicking myself that it took me till 2022 to get into this story because the premise alone is excellent. While there have already been plenty of Elseworlds stories that feature an older Spider-man (Reign) or a more realistic Marvel Universe (The Marvels) in the past, we've never gotten something that meshes the two well, quite like a Life story.
Using Spidey as a backdrop for a universe like this, a character with such a rich history despite also getting loads of criticism for his stagnating development, allows Life Story to give Peter a unique and complete arc. In no hands is it safer to explore these ideas than in Mark Bagley and Chip Zdarsky.
The former has been a well-known Spider-man artist for years, making his mark on the Ultimate Spider-man books of the early 2000s. More recently, Chip Zdarsky has also been showing a lot of love and respect to the character through his run on Spectacular Spider-Man, Spider's Shadow, etc, which means both have a strong history tied to the character.
Structure-wise, each issue focuses on a different era for the Wall Crawler, starting in the 60s and incorporating famous stories from each era. It can be disorienting, especially in the later runs, but it does mean we get a whole host worth of references.
Amazing Spider-man #39-40 (60s), the Clone Saga (70s), Secret Wars, Kraven's Last Hunt and the Black Suit Saga (80s), the second Clone Saga (90s), J.M. Demattis Morlun arc and Civil War for the 2000s and Superior Spider-Man. Fusing these iconic stories with the tasteful inclusion of real-life events like the Vietnam War, 9/11, and the Cold War helps create a fresh new coat of paint.
This is the super Spidey fan's book, but that doesn't inherently mean it's all sunshine and rainbows. Peter goes through hell in these issues, constantly at odds with what battles he should be fighting and how much good he could be doing, how his priorities shift from passionately trying to do the right thing to focusing more on his life with Mary Jane and his kids.
Jam is packed with an ending where, despite said trials, Peter walks away satisfied. Not for having a perfect life or an all-time happy one, but knowing he at least made the earth better than when he found it. Which is all we can hope for in life, you know? To live a messy existence with our limited time but still find peace through our mistakes. At least I know that's what I want.
Epilogue
Overall, I can't recommend Life Story enough if you want a great Spider-Man story. I know most of the spotlight was spent discussing background details, but it's easy to see in an anniversary-style book like this. While its sister entry, Fantastic Four, doesn't hit nearly the same, another go-around within this universe with other characters would be plenty interesting to explore.
Either way, it's an important miniseries to check out, especially with a new Ultimate Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Men coming incredibly soon. Who knows, we'll shine a light on both when the spotlight shines on the sensational Spider-Man once again.
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