Amazing Spider-Man #1.5 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Slott brings "Learning to Crawl" to an end in this issue, despite the fact that I felt like he was telling a much bigger story than the one that we ultimately get.  Overall, I thought this look (even if shorter than expected) at Peter's early days was great, though this issue itself is a mixed bag.

On the plus side, I thought Slott did a great job of bringing us full circle.  For a while, it looked like Peter was going to develop lasting friendships with the A.V. club, raising the obvious question of why those people aren't in his life now.  But, the revelation that he stole from the A.V. club (to fight Clash) and consequently ruined those friendships turns them into a brief interlude of happiness in Peter's otherwise miserable high-school experience.  Similarly, Dr. Cobbwell refuses to allow him to return to work for him; although they end of friendlier terms than Peter does with the A.V. club, it explains why Peter was never seen working for him after issue #2.  In other words, Slott doesn't change canon here.  The Peter than ends this mini-series is the Peter that we recognize, just one living in a more modern world than he did.

Although Slott manages to tie up these loose ends in a way that feels organic, other aspects of the story in this issue feel forced.  For example, I thought Jonah fired Peter last issue?  I mean, I get that Jonah is mercurial, so he could've easily changed his mind once Peter produced some decent photos, but it would've been nice for Slott to show us that.  Moreover, I find it hard to believe that Peter's guidance counselor -- a man allegedly dedicated to troubled kids -- would so easily dismiss him as "untrustworthy," a "chronic liar," and a "lost cause."  Judgmental much?  It's clear that Slott needed him to be this dismissive to explain why we never saw him again but also to set up Aunt May's joke.

In terms of the joke -- where Aunt May sneezes and sends a set of wind-up chattering teeth flying onto Peter's lap --  I have to say that I appreciate what Slott was trying to do.  I've liked everything that he's done with May throughout this mini-series.  In the original stories, she hardly gives a thought to the impact that Ben's death had on Peter.  I've loved Slott showing her as much more engaged; in addition to updating the time period of the story, it's the best thing about this mini-series.  However, just like with the guidance counselor, the problem is that it's forced.  It would be OK if it felt organic, but it doesn't.  May isn't just funny to be funny; she's funny to get Peter to realize the importance of having fun while being Spider-Man.  She claims that a sense of humor is Ben's other gift, besides his heart.  I'll buy that, but I don't ultimately buy where it leads us, namely Peter deciding to use quips to honor Uncle Ben.  He's always been described as using them as a result of his nerves, and he eventually realizes (as he does here) how they successfully distract his opponent.  I totally don't buy that he does it as some sort of homage.  I just don't get why Slott felt the need to go down this road, since it really the only part that feels negatively ret-con-y.

My biggest grip, though, is one that I often have with Slott, namely that he tries to do too much and winds up failing to deliver on certain components of the story.  We're really supposed to believe that  Peter just rips off Clash's mask in front of everyone?  I'm assuming that we don't hear from Clash again because he goes to prison, and, I have to say, it just seems remarkably callous on Peter's part to set up that.  He's also a guy wearing a mask, and it's not like Clash has been using his power to rob liquor stores.  He's mostly been just a nuisance, if a dangerous one.  Peter doesn't try to have some sort of heart-to-heart talk to him?  He just rips off his mask and ruins his life?  Moreover, he then crows about it, as if it's some great honor to Uncle Ben?  It feels uncharacteristically tone-deaf on Slott's part to have Peter be this vindictive.

But, as I said, overall, I really enjoyed this mini-series.  I'd recommend it to anyone trying to get a quick insight into Peter's origins, rater than having to track down the TPBs of his early adventures.  You get a more modern story that improves upon the original in ways that surprises you.  I just wish Slott had stuck the landing a little better.

** (two of five stars)

Amazing Spider-Man #1.4 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Poor Peter.

Once again, Slott does a great job showing how vulnerable Peter was in his early days as Spider-Man.  One of the main complaints that people that aren't fans of the Web-Slinger have is that he's excessively whiny.  He's a little better now than he used to be, but it's definitely a valid point.  However, Slott reminds us why he actually used to be whiny in the first place.  Losing your friends, job, mentor, and reputation all in one fell swoop because you swiped some equipment to stop a madman is unfair.  It probably seems even more unfair as an adolescent, particularly one who also just lost his father figure.  Slott underscores that loss by having Peter narrate this issue from Uncle Ben's gravesite, since, after all, he can't tell anyone else why he stole the material.  If a 16-year-old talking to his dead uncle on his grave about losing everything to be a good guy doesn't remind you of how hard Peter had it, I don't know what will.

I'm finding myself hoping that we're going to encounter a grown-up Clash after this mini-series concludes.  Clash out-sciences Peter here, something, as Peter says, that's never happened to him previously.  It really opens up your imagination, leading you to wonder how Peter would fare against a grown-up Clash.  I had assumed Clash would wind up dead or incarcerated at the end of this series to explain why we haven't heard of him.  Now, I'm hoping that it's the latter and he finally gets released to seek his vengeance on Spidey.  That feeling just shows how well Slott has done in creating his character in such a short time.

(For those playing at home, Slott places this issue around the events of issue #2, where Peter combats the Vulture and the Tinkerer.  Man, I'm glad I read those issues a few years ago!)

***** (five of five stars)

Amazing-Spider-Man #1.3 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Man, this series of issues is turning into one of the best Spidey stories in years.

Slott really just does a spectacular job conveying the emotions that a fight between two teenage superheroes would entail.  Often, authors will simply use a hero's lack of experience to remind us that they're young, but Slott goes one better.  Both Clayton and Peter act recklessly, with little understanding of how their actions will affect the people around them.  Despite acknowledging last issue that he might've been too hard on Clash, Pete instantly attacks him here.  Infuriated that his idol ruined his plans, Clayton goes into full super-villain mode, launching a series of sonic blasts at Spidey that cause the roof to collapse.  Aunt May is almost injured in the process, and she tells Clash and Spider-Man that they're both menaces.  By having her come to this conclusion, Slott improves on the original story, since Aunt May's dislike of Spider-Man was always a little irrational when it was first (and, frankly, subsequently) portrayed.  She now has a pretty solid argument why she thinks that Spider-Man is a menace.  Beyond just a disregard for the consequences of their actions, each one of them is convinced that the universe is denying him his chance to shine; Slott lets you hear the adolescent whine in their voices.  As such, you're never not aware that we're not just dealing with a younger version of our Peter, but an entirely different Peter all together.

However, Aunt May is really the star of the show here.  Her conversation with Polly -- and Peter's ensuing embarrassment -- is hilarious, as she deftly handles Polly's revelation that she's a vegetarian by telling her that her beef stew is "mainly peas and carrots."  Moreover, Slott ties her renewed interest in Peter's life to her discovery of the money that Clash gave him under his bed.  Slott again updates Spidey's origin by having her come to the conclusion that the money means that Pete's a drug dealer cooking up meth in his room.  Although Aunt May almost discovering Pete's identity is a well-worn trope by this point, I have to say that I LOLed at Slott's fresh take on it.  In the end, May realizes that she should've trusted Peter, setting up her commitment to re-engage with him.  In other words, every event flows from the previous one, giving this story a nice feel to it.

I'd be remiss if I wrapped up this review without mentioning Pérez's art.  He really manages to evoke a 1960s feel in telling the story, incorporating the modern elements in a way that still feels true to the origin.  Together, Slott and Pérez really are refreshing Peter's origin in a way that doesn't at all change the emotional impact, established facts, or stylistic sensibilities.  It's still fun and funny and touching and tragic.  They're giving us a Spider-Man for modern readers that older readers would absolutely recognize.  (Amazingly, we're still just in issue #2.)  It's really almost unique among these sorts of re-tellings, and DC could learn a thing or two on how to reboot a character without rebooting them.

**** (four of five stars)

Amazing Spider-Man #1.2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

At first, I thought that Slott was clever for having Peter realize that he could talk to his counselor about his problems as Spider-Man if he spoke in code.  Under this approach, he could say that Flash gave him the black eye that the Thing actually gave him.  But, I realized that Slott was even more clever for having this approach backfire.  The counselor forces Flash to apologize to Peter for punching him, provoking his undying ire.  Talk about the Parker luck.  Moreover, even when Peter takes responsibility for the lie, he winds up worse than he was before he confessed:  Flash now has a blanket excuse to call him a liar anytime that he does actually punch him, and his counselor no longer trusts him.  Poor Pete.

It's not that I like this development, per se.  But, I like it in the sense that Slott really manages to capture the tone of those first few issues of Peter's time as Spider-Man.  Having read some of the stories that Slott uses as a backdrop here, I'm really impressed by how he conveys the anger and angst that Peter felt at this time in the same way that Lee did, particularly the sense that nothing can go his way.  In those first few issues of "Amazing Spider-Man," Peter is a morose pain in the ass.  Slott doesn't try to soften his attitude, but he does do a good job of reminding us why Peter feels this way, since almost every interaction with people goes badly.  He feels guilt for blowing off Clash and lying to his counselor, he feels anxiety over providing for Aunt May, and he feels outrage over the fact that he's trying to help but people like JJJ, Jr. see him as a menace.  Seriously, it's a lot for a 15-year-old kid to handle.

But, Slott tries to do what he can for Peter.  I liked the idea of Peter getting introduced to the other nerds at Midtown High.  I'm guessing that Lee couldn't imagine a world in 1962 where nerds would openly embrace their nerdom, resulting in him portraying Peter as a loner.  But, with the updating of the story, Peter can associate himself with other nerds, given their higher visibility.  As one of them tells him, he never really had to eat alone in the cafeteria.  But, Slott doesn't go too far here.  He makes it clear that Peter doesn't exactly have a lot of time for friends or extracurricular activities given his responsibilities as Spider-Man and his need to pay the bills.  But, it's nice to see that he wasn't just crying over his microscope every night.

This issue really capitalizes on the potential of this exercise, and, if Slott keeps more like it coming, I'm going to be a really happy camper.  DC has pretty much cornered the market on these "Year One" stories, but Slott's staking out territory that even Miller could envy.

**** (four of five stars)

Amazing Spider-Man #1.1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

As I mentioned in my review of "Amazing Spider-Man" #1, Slott really seizes the opportunity that this "Year One" story presents him.  One of the best moments of this issue is when Peter's agent wants to capitalize on his arrest of the thief who killed Uncle Ben, and Peter angrily refuses, saying that he's no hero and that he won't profit from his actions.  Slott uses this interlude to show us that Peter just views himself as a performer at this point, not a hero.  As Peter departs his agent's office, he contemplates a lifetime of acting like a dancing bear in the live Spider-Man performances to pay his family's bills.  We often think of Peter immediately becoming a hero after capturing Uncle Ben's killer, but Slott actually shows that it wasn't that simple.  At this point, Peter is just trying to cover the debts that Uncle Ben left.  The original stories also stressed Peter's need for cash, but Slott fleshes out the emotional impact that this desperation has on Peter, particularly as he's already grappling with his guilt over Uncle Ben's death.  In that way, Slott makes it clear that he really doesn't intend on re-telling Spidey's origin; he's just filling in some details.

For example, Slott doesn't just use Peter's money troubles as a way to show his focus on performing in those first few days, but also to clarify Peter's relationship with Aunt May.  At Ben's wake, Peter feels frustrated when he learned how generous his uncle had been to other people, particularly given his discovery that the Parkers were actually in dire financial straights.  Reading the original stories, I was always surprised by how quickly May let a 15-year-old Peter become the man of the house.  However, Slott makes May a little less helpless here.  First, we learn that May thought that anonymous donors were helping them (after Peter pays for the funeral as one), explaining why she was less worried about money than Peter was.  But, also, she sent Peter to counseling.  This latest revelation is a nice touch on Slott's part.  If his first goal is to flesh out Peter's origin story, then his second one is to modernize it, as we saw in "Amazing Spider-Man" #1 with the smartphones and YouTube.  Whereas grief counseling wasn't something that Stan Lee was going to have Peter attend in 1962, it is something that Aunt May would have him attend in 2001.

Finally, Slott uses the counselor to underline the pressure that Peter feels, with the counselor asking him what he could've done to save Uncle Ben as a 15-year-old boy.  Peter and we know the answer to that question, and it reminds us of the guilt that Peter carries to this day about his failure to save Ben, something that he can't share with anyone.  It's why he doesn't feel like a hero, keeping him focused on racking up as many live performances as he can.  Again, Slott doesn't change anything here.  He simply adds some color to these first few days after Ben's death, helping us understand how dark Peter's life was at the time.  It's going to make his heroic turn all the more powerful, since it reminds us just how much guilt, pressure, and stress that he had to overcome.

Moreover, we get some more information on Clayton here.  Not only is he clearly pushed by his parents into a lifetime of achieving, but he's also a loner.  He calls a friend from computer camp who advertised on a message board that he can get tickets to sold-out shows, and we learn that they called him "creepy" Clayton all summer, since he kept to himself.  In this way, Slott seems to be setting up Clayton as a "through the glass, darkly" version of Peter.  He's inspired to build his sonic blasters (I'm assuming, based on his science project) after discovering on Ed Sullivan that Spidey invented his own Web-Shooters.  He's clearly going to be a reminder, again, of how special Peter is by rising to the challenge, since people with similar gifts, like Clayton, do not.

All in all, it's a strong start to an update that, with it now happening, I'm stunned hadn't happened earlier.

*** (three of five stars)