Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #4
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Penciler : Adam Kubert
Colorist : Jordie Bellaire
Letterer : VC’s Travis Lanham
Release Date : 9/20/17
Price : $3.99
Plot: The Spectacular Spider-Man has Peter on the run as everyone thinks he’s a traitor. Not only is he struggling to handle The Tinkerer, but now the media is fresh on his heels, forcing Peter to think quickly and try to lay low.
Story: In The Spectacular Spider-Man #4 really dials into what Peter Parker is all about as a character, delivering an iteration of the man fans know and love. The book is a ton of fun and all of the credit for that goes to writer Chip Zdarsky, who seems to have a great grasp on the character’s personality and establishes it really well. This issue continues to dive into the story of The Tinkerer and Kingpin working together but begins to show off why Peter is such an admirable person.
Zdarsky makes Spectacular Spider-Man such an attractive book because he seems to get the balance of humor and care that Peter utilizes as a hero. There are tons of great one-liners but it’s nice to see the immediate reactions from Peter when people are put into danger. The writing highlights how saving lives is truly what matters most to Peter, going back to his roots of great power and great responsibility.
On top of this, Zdarsky really has fun with Peter and inserts as much on-the-nose humor as possible. Whether it’s clever taunts while Spider-Man is in a fight or blatant cheesy one-liners like at the comedy club, it feels like vintage Peter Parker. It keeps the book light and, again, has Spectacular Spider-Man feeling grounded and classic. The book has a light feel right now, but it is really nice to see how the story and writing is shaping the character and his personality, which will hopefully continue to grow and develop uniquely as the story begins to get more complicated.
Art: The art in The Spectacular Spider-Man has a nice tone to it, that can feel a little too simple at times, but seems to have the general sense of how a Spider-Man book should look. The major positive to the artwork but Adam Kubert is that the action sequences really nail the flexibility of classic Spidey poses. Many of the action sequences and mid-air shots are wonderfully drawn, giving Peter a gracefulness while swinging through the air or pulling off a last second save. On the other hand, the art can feel a little bleak and simple when it is focusing on the characters out of costume. Some more detail would definitely elevate those scenes to another level and make the story portions that include Jonah and other characters nicer with more emotion for the events that are taking place.
Verdict: The Spectacular Spider-Man is a really fun book so far that seems to be taking Peter Parker back to his roots. Chip Zdarsky seems to have a great grasp on how he wants to portray the character, giving the book as a whole a fun style to it with plenty of humor. The artwork definitely looks awesome, and although a little more facial detail would be nice, there is a good tone to the line work that offers a consistent style.
Rating: 4/5