“Yesterday’s” Comic> Amazing Spider-Man Family #3

At least somebody’s buying Spider-Man comics lately.

Spider-Man Family #3

Marvel Comics (February, 2009)

“The Punch”

WRITER: J.M. DeMatteis

PENCILER: Val Semeiks

INKERS: Lanning/Olazaba/Justice

COLORISTS: Mossa & Crossley

LETTERER: Dave Sharpe

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Tom Brennan

EDITOR: Stephen Wacker

Mr. & Mrs. Spider-Man: “Common Ground”

WRITER: Tom DeFalco

ARTIST: Todd Nauck

COLORIST: Rain Beredo

LETTERER: Dave Sharpe

EDITOR: Tom Brennan

SUPERVISING: Wacker & Brevoort

“The Amazing Spider-Ma’Am”

WRITER: Abby Denson

ARTIST: Colleen Coover

“Bridge And Tunnel”

BUNCH OF CREDITS: Moore, Semise, Irwin, Mossa, & Sharpe

EDITORS: Wacker & Brennan

Grab a seat, folks. This is going to be a long one, and I’m leaving off a reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man #200 that I’ll save for next week given how long this thing is. This is apparently a full series instead of the specials I’ve been reviewing under the Spider-Man Family title.

The first story is set back in the “untold tales” days. Peter is still learning his powers and accidentally injures a young thief, a thief with a host of personal life problems. Knowing he hospitalized the kid makes Peter feel terrible and it doesn’t help that Flash is on his case again. However, Aunt May finds some action movies Peter and Uncle Ben used to watch together and remembering what Ben told him about fighting and doing the right thing sends Spider-Man to attempt to make piece with the man, not knowing he’s about to go full-burn into crime. That is until he sees Spider-Man save a bunch of people from a falling crane and starts to rethink his life, while Peter realizes that punching isn’t always the solution when he stands up to Flash.

I loved this story. Contrasting Peter and the thief’s life worked well, seeing the events in both their heads. While I would have liked to have seen Spidey and ex-thief finally get to talk the ending is otherwise satisfying. Even the alcoholic mom seems ready to change her ways, another positive. Overall this was a great story.

The second story takes place in the MC2 universe (Earth-982) but in a more present day period. Peter and Mary Jane are still married and the future May “Mayday” Parker is too busy being a baby to be Spider-Girl. She’s also sick so the Parkers and MJ’s aunt Anna take her to the emergency room. Also there is the Rhino, having been freed from his costume, who is bringing his sick aunt to the ER as well. MJ manages to help calm Aleskei down and Peter goes with him for coffee. They actually some common ground between their shared life experiences. There’s no fighting in this story outside of some flashbacks but it’s a very good story. I don’t know why it had to be in the MC2 universe, considering how often Aunt May ends up in the hospital but I’m just happy to see a married Spider-Man story with Daddy Peter. It’s all set-up for Peter and Aleskei to talk and overall it was a good story.

With Peter out for the evening our third story finds us in a world where Aunt May knows Peter is Spider-Man. (That happens on occasion.) Too bad some crooks break into the house, but Aunt May uses a few Home Alone style tricks and a spare Spidey costume to scare them off. This is just a comedic story and a fun one. We even have Spidey tangling with Rhino at the end, which is only interesting given the previous story.

In our final story (minus next week’s reprint review) Spider-Man is on his way back home in the post-One More Day world and freezing trying to get home from Brooklyn when he comes across a crook from his usual part of New York City and they have a chase on top of the train. Even with frozen web-shooters Spidey manages to catch him, but is nice enough to offer to buy them both coffee before he webs him up for the cops. This feels like filler but decent enough.

Going by the original stories along there are some good and fun Spidey tales in this issue and is alone worth a recommendation.