Spider-Man: Blue

(Marvel, 2002–2004, 2009, 2011)
™ and © Marvel Characters, Inc.

Despite the plot of a certain feature film, redhead Mary Jane was not Peter Parker’s first true love. That honor belongs to blonde Gwen Stacy, whose heartbreaking death at the hands of The Green Goblin brought tears to legions of comic-book fans back in the 1970s. Now, the dynamic duo of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (Daredevil: Yellow, Batman: The Long Halloween) revisit this era in Spidey’s life with Spider-Man: Blue, a six-issue mini-series loaded with potential.

In the first issue, Loeb doesn’t offer any major revelations about the events leading up to Gwen’s death nor does he stray much from typical Spidey lore. (JJJ is a hothead, Aunt May is sweet, Flash is a jerk, etc.) However, the story does let readers share in Peter’s grieving, as he touchingly pays tribute to Gwen each Valentine’s Day. Also effective is Tim Sale’s art, which is stylishly dramatic and evocative of some of the best artists of Spider-Man’s past, such as Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr. On a less positive note, the art is a little too Sal Buscema-ish in a couple of panels.

— Brett Weiss

Jump to issue: