Paul Jenkins' Spider-Man

[Revolutionary_Jack]

The Kingpin Poker story (Spectacular Spider-Man Vol.2 #21) alone justifies Jenkins' SPECTACULAR run. I also love his version of Doctor Octopus where Otto gets one of his all-time darkest moments from Jenkins (who, rightly in my view, saw him as Ted Bundy).

Aside from that let me add in to what everyone else has said/written here and say that Jenkins is an excellent Spider-Man writer.

His biggest enduring contribution is to make Norman Osborn Post-Resurrection work as a villain again. Norman was resurrected at the end of the Clone Saga for rather heavy-handed editorial reasons and while there were writers after that who explored a returned Norman and what that meant, it was Jenkins who really established a new characterization for Norman that explained his obsession with Peter even after he seemingly scored a big victory of killing Gwen and escaping justice. He made Norman's mission to break Peter's spirit and his hope which has endured, you saw this in Slott's Go Down Swinging where Red Goblin's final action is to murder innocent bystanders across Times Square simply to pile up a body count because he notes that Peter really cares about every life lost. This started with Roger Stern's Revenge of the Green Goblin (whose final issues though plotted by Stern were scripted by Jenkins) and went in big time with his "A Death in the Family" story that is a pantheon-level Spider-Man story and a pantheon-level Spider-Man/Goblin story.

[WebSlingWonder]

The Kingpin Poker story (Spectacular Spider-Man Vol.2 #21) alone justifies Jenkins' SPECTACULAR run. I also love his version of Doctor Octopus where Otto gets one of his all-time darkest moments from Jenkins (who, rightly in my view, saw him as Ted Bundy).

Aside from that let me add in to what everyone else has said/written here and say that Jenkins is an excellent Spider-Man writer.

His biggest enduring contribution is to make Norman Osborn Post-Resurrection work as a villain again. Norman was resurrected at the end of the Clone Saga for rather heavy-handed editorial reasons and while there were writers after that who explored a returned Norman and what that meant, it was Jenkins who really established a new characterization for Norman that explained his obsession with Peter even after he seemingly scored a big victory of killing Gwen and escaping justice. He made Norman's mission to break Peter's spirit and his hope which has endured, you saw this in Slott's Go Down Swinging where Red Goblin's final action is to murder innocent bystanders across Times Square simply to pile up a body count because he notes that Peter really cares about every life lost. This started with Roger Stern's Revenge of the Green Goblin (whose final issues though plotted by Stern were scripted by Jenkins) and went in big time with his "A Death in the Family" story that is a pantheon-level Spider-Man story and a pantheon-level Spider-Man/Goblin story.

I agree with you, Jack! He really did well developing Norman and Otto as the true Spider-Man archenemies - one for the personal obsessive element and the other for the larger global scale/reversed mirror scale. But you're right: the way he extrapolated on Norman and built that rivalry/dynamic was masterful. I didn't notice the connection in "Go Down Swinging" to "A Death in the Family"!

And also, SPEC #21 is one of my all-time favorite Spider-Man stories! It's so hilarious!

[Matt Parker]

I agree with everything Revolutionary Jack said about Jenkins handling of the Green Goblin. Death in the Family is a top 3 Green Goblin story.
As for my previously mentioned re read...

PPSM 33: A great story about Peter remembering his time spent at ball games with Uncle Ben. If PPSM 20 wasn't a more effective version of the same story, this would rank higher, but it's still an excellent issue.

PPSM 34: A kooky little story about a mutant named William who's powers implode on him. This story is strange and kind of out of nowhere, but I really enjoy it and I think the subplot with Peter and Caryn (who is such a fun foil for Peter) is good fun. Nothing to set the world on fire but an entertaining one and done.

PPSM 35: A huge tearjerker that nails the idea of what Spider-Man means to different people over a decade before Into the Spider Verse was praised for that same thing. The only thing keeping me from naming this one of the all time greats is that Peter isn't in it. Maybe that's me being an OCD fanboy. Still, this issue proves that comics can have just as much artistic merit as films and television shows.

PPSM 36: A fun story about a guy who is trying to piece together Spider-Man's secret identity. This does a good job at showing the Marvel Universe from an everyman's perspective and the ending is clever. However, like the Uncle Ben baseball story, this is somewhat cheapened by it being a lesser version of a previous story that Paul Jenkins wrote.

PPSM 37: This hilarious issue feels like a parody of the the cliched ongoing feud that most comic book heroes have with their rogues. Since this theme comes up several times over the run, you can tell that Jenkins finds these feuds somewhat trite and likes commenting on them. This issue gets so much done in 22 pages and it is an absolute riot, from the Vulture referencing Austin Powers to a fun little team up with Human Torch.

PPSM 38: One of my favorite single issue stories and maybe the funniest issue of any Spider-Man book, up there with the legendary "When Commeth The Commuter". I love the mime gang and I wish they didn't vanish into obscurity after this. They are so damn silly and they make such fun foils for Spider-Man. This also demonstrated Buckingham's variety as an artist, as he adapts his style to be more lose and cartoony to fit the goofy nature of the story.

PPSM 39-41: This three parter was probably the weakest story in Jenkins' run so far for me. I liked a lot about it, particularly the way he wrote Doc Ock (Jenkins writes a very Bill Mantlo-esque Octavius), but the plot was overly convoluted and kinda boring and I was really disappointed in how Fusion was so quickly tossed aside. This guy was so interesting and could have been a major Spider-Man villain, but he again faded into complete obscurity. However, the final battle with Ock is really good and it contains some excellent dialogue.

A Death in the Family: As I said above, one of the best Green Goblin stories. Jenkins writes Osborn as a pathetic man who is so crazy and miserable that he's got nothing left in his life save for proving that Peter is just as nasty as he is deep down. Osborn is both complex and pretty simple at the same time, and I loved that Peter just walked away and refused to play the game. Powerfull stuff. While "One Small Break" is still probably my favorite from the run, I think this is the best written story so far.

PPSM 48-49: A decent enough story that ends just as it gets interesting. The goddess Tara is an interesting enough character, but Jenkins doesn't do much with her. Her whole plot is resolved so fast. I think the Virus could have made for a really cool villain, but he just spouts a few menacing lines and then literally vanishes. This story feels like setup to a more involved story that Jenkins wanted to tell but never got to.

PPSM 50: Another favorite of mine from this run. I love how Jenkins deftly balanced some fast paced, fun action sequences with such a small and slowly paced story where Peter and Aunt May discuss the ins and outs of his Spider-Man secrets. This change in tone really highlights how different Peter's two worlds really are. Jenkins is consistent with JMS' Aunt May characterization and this makes for an excellent follow up to "The Conversation". I also like how Jenkins parodies the Gang War trope here, with the situation becoming more and more complicated until it's basically unintelligible. It ultimately doesn't matter, because the gang war is just there to give Spidey something to punch in costume. Overall, this is probably my fourth favorite story in the run so far, after "One Small Break", "Death in the Family", and "The Best Medicine".

So, I have to say, the Jenkins and Buckingham team is pretty darn reliable. The more Jenkins focuses on Peter's personal life, the more compelling the story is, and I find it to be no coincidence that the two stories I wasn't hugely fond of were the ones that featured a Spider-Man adventure that had no consequences for Peter and didn't spend as much time with him out of the suit. Sure, "One Small Break" is very Spider-Man heavy, but it focuses a lot on the personal struggle that Peter goes through because of Fusion's actions.

Jenkins is like Gerry Conway in that he absolutely nails Peter Parker, but stumbles a bit when dealing with Spider-Man. However, this is a common trend with Spidey, as many writers tend to excel with one or the other. Dan Slott, for example, never really knew how to write the personal drama (in my humble opinion, of course), but he brought a ton of cool ideas to the table for Spider-Man, revamping villains and emphasizing gadgets and tech in exciting ways.

Now that I'm moving on to Jenkins' Spectacular run, I am interested to see if I observe the same drop in quality that I've seen many here mention. I remember enjoying "The Hunger", "Countdown", and "Here There Be Monsters" a lot when I read them back in High School, but my tastes in comics have evolved a lot since then (I thought Batman Year One was boring back then, and now it's my favorite Batman story bar none). However, since I've criticized Jenkins' "superhero" stories so far, I could see a series that focuses more on flashy battles with the established villains maybe not being in his comfort zone as much. I'll probably make another post here once I've finished Jenkins' Spec stuff, or at least what I own of it.

[WebSlingWonder]

I agree with everything Revolutionary Jack said about Jenkins handling of the Green Goblin. Death in the Family is a top 3 Green Goblin story.
As for my previously mentioned re read...

PPSM 33: A great story about Peter remembering his time spent at ball games with Uncle Ben. If PPSM 20 wasn't a more effective version of the same story, this would rank higher, but it's still an excellent issue.

PPSM 34: A kooky little story about a mutant named William who's powers implode on him. This story is strange and kind of out of nowhere, but I really enjoy it and I think the subplot with Peter and Caryn (who is such a fun foil for Peter) is good fun. Nothing to set the world on fire but an entertaining one and done.

PPSM 35: A huge tearjerker that nails the idea of what Spider-Man means to different people over a decade before Into the Spider Verse was praised for that same thing. The only thing keeping me from naming this one of the all time greats is that Peter isn't in it. Maybe that's me being an OCD fanboy. Still, this issue proves that comics can have just as much artistic merit as films and television shows.

PPSM 36: A fun story about a guy who is trying to piece together Spider-Man's secret identity. This does a good job at showing the Marvel Universe from an everyman's perspective and the ending is clever. However, like the Uncle Ben baseball story, this is somewhat cheapened by it being a lesser version of a previous story that Paul Jenkins wrote.

PPSM 37: This hilarious issue feels like a parody of the the cliched ongoing feud that most comic book heroes have with their rogues. Since this theme comes up several times over the run, you can tell that Jenkins finds these feuds somewhat trite and likes commenting on them. This issue gets so much done in 22 pages and it is an absolute riot, from the Vulture referencing Austin Powers to a fun little team up with Human Torch.

PPSM 38: One of my favorite single issue stories and maybe the funniest issue of any Spider-Man book, up there with the legendary "When Commeth The Commuter". I love the mime gang and I wish they didn't vanish into obscurity after this. They are so damn silly and they make such fun foils for Spider-Man. This also demonstrated Buckingham's variety as an artist, as he adapts his style to be more lose and cartoony to fit the goofy nature of the story.

PPSM 39-41: This three parter was probably the weakest story in Jenkins' run so far for me. I liked a lot about it, particularly the way he wrote Doc Ock (Jenkins writes a very Bill Mantlo-esque Octavius), but the plot was overly convoluted and kinda boring and I was really disappointed in how Fusion was so quickly tossed aside. This guy was so interesting and could have been a major Spider-Man villain, but he again faded into complete obscurity. However, the final battle with Ock is really good and it contains some excellent dialogue.

A Death in the Family: As I said above, one of the best Green Goblin stories. Jenkins writes Osborn as a pathetic man who is so crazy and miserable that he's got nothing left in his life save for proving that Peter is just as nasty as he is deep down. Osborn is both complex and pretty simple at the same time, and I loved that Peter just walked away and refused to play the game. Powerfull stuff. While "One Small Break" is still probably my favorite from the run, I think this is the best written story so far.

PPSM 48-49: A decent enough story that ends just as it gets interesting. The goddess Tara is an interesting enough character, but Jenkins doesn't do much with her. Her whole plot is resolved so fast. I think the Virus could have made for a really cool villain, but he just spouts a few menacing lines and then literally vanishes. This story feels like setup to a more involved story that Jenkins wanted to tell but never got to.

PPSM 50: Another favorite of mine from this run. I love how Jenkins deftly balanced some fast paced, fun action sequences with such a small and slowly paced story where Peter and Aunt May discuss the ins and outs of his Spider-Man secrets. This change in tone really highlights how different Peter's two worlds really are. Jenkins is consistent with JMS' Aunt May characterization and this makes for an excellent follow up to "The Conversation". I also like how Jenkins parodies the Gang War trope here, with the situation becoming more and more complicated until it's basically unintelligible. It ultimately doesn't matter, because the gang war is just there to give Spidey something to punch in costume. Overall, this is probably my fourth favorite story in the run so far, after "One Small Break", "Death in the Family", and "The Best Medicine".

So, I have to say, the Jenkins and Buckingham team is pretty darn reliable. The more Jenkins focuses on Peter's personal life, the more compelling the story is, and I find it to be no coincidence that the two stories I wasn't hugely fond of were the ones that featured a Spider-Man adventure that had no consequences for Peter and didn't spend as much time with him out of the suit. Sure, "One Small Break" is very Spider-Man heavy, but it focuses a lot on the personal struggle that Peter goes through because of Fusion's actions.

Jenkins is like Gerry Conway in that he absolutely nails Peter Parker, but stumbles a bit when dealing with Spider-Man. However, this is a common trend with Spidey, as many writers tend to excel with one or the other. Dan Slott, for example, never really knew how to write the personal drama )in my humble opinion, of course), but he brought a ton of really fun and cool ideas to the table as far as the super hero side of things, revamping villains and emphasizing gadgets and tech in exciting ways.

Now that I'm moving on to Jenkins' Spectacular run, I am interested to see if I observe the same drop in quality that I've seen many here mention. I remember enjoying "The Hunger", "Countdown", and
"Here There Be Monsters" a lot when I read them back in High School, but my tastes in comics have evolved a lot since then (I thought Batman Year One was boring back then, and now it's my favorite Batman story bar none). However, since I've criticized Jenkins' "superhero" stories so far, I could see a series that focuses more on flashy battles with the established villains maybe not being in his comfort zone as much. I'll probably make another post here once I've finished Jenkins' Spec stuff, or at least what I own of it.

Well said, Mr. Parker! Well said indeed! And I agree with your analysis!

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I agree with everything Revolutionary Jack said about Jenkins handling of the Green Goblin. Death in the Family is a top 3 Green Goblin story.

Aw shucks. Thanks.

Your analysis and write-up, to chime in with WebSlingWonder is also great.

The more Jenkins focuses on Peter's personal life, the more compelling the story is, and I find it to be no coincidence that the two stories I wasn't hugely fond of were the ones that featured a Spider-Man adventure that had no consequences for Peter and didn't spend as much time with him out of the suit. Sure, "One Small Break" is very Spider-Man heavy, but it focuses a lot on the personal struggle that Peter goes through because of Fusion's actions.

Jenkins is like Gerry Conway in that he absolutely nails Peter Parker, but stumbles a bit when dealing with Spider-Man. However, this is a common trend with Spidey, as many writers tend to excel with one or the other. Dan Slott, for example, never really knew how to write the personal drama )in my humble opinion, of course), but he brought a ton of really fun and cool ideas to the table as far as the super hero side of things, revamping villains and emphasizing gadgets and tech in exciting ways.

Bear in mind that Paul Jenkins as a writer of a second series/satellite title had an editorial mandate to write about the personal and more interior character stories of Peter Parker. So with Jenkins, him doing better with Peter than Spider-Man is a feature and not a bug.

And even then, Jenkins does do great Spider-Man stories. "Read 'em and Weep" (Spec#21) is an all-time great Spider-Man story and among the single issues that nails down "The Spider-Man-ness of Spider-Man's essence" or what-have-you, that is there. I mean if you want someone to know Spider-Man and get what makes him work and fall in love with him instantly, that issue does it.

[David Walton]

As far as I'm concerned, Jenkins is the guy who saved the Spider-Man books post-relaunch.

[WebSlingWonder]

As far as I'm concerned, Jenkins is the guy who saved the Spider-Man books post-relaunch.

I would argue he and J. Michael Stracynski saved the books. If JMS had the star power (and solid writing to boot), Jenkins had the characterization down to a science.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Jenkins' run was a bit of a secret at the time, and certainly he was one of the few writers who tried to work in an impossible situation which he disliked (the MJ death/separation era which is now completely forgotten about and glossed over) and made the best of a bad situation.

But saleswise it didn't make a dent. Ultimate Spider-Man which came out before JMS arrived outsold the main title, the first time an AU ongoing outsold the main books. Marvel likes to believe Ultimate Spider-Man worked because of teenage Spider-Man but that's not the reality. Teenage Spider-Man was attempted twice before (Untold Tales, Byrne's Chapter One) and it didn't achieve more than cult success (Untold Tales) and weak critical reception and sales (Chapter One). The reason USM worked was a mix of Bendis/Bagley, a new hook (a continuity that starts ground-up from the 21st Century), but it also had to do that compared to the main Spider-Man books (which was generally dour and frustrating) it was a blast of fresh air. Reading a continuity where Peter's not a sad sack, where MJ is alive and well next to one where that's not the case (at the time) is a no-brainer as to which appeals to readers more.

Sales for ASM and 616 picked up when JMS arrived and started the most acclaimed run on the title since Michelinie/Macfarlane/Larsen. Because that was a long low era (from the Clone Saga to the Post-Clone Saga) that JMS had to dig out of.

[esskay]

Some solid stories with a classic feel. I agree with the poster who said his humor often felt forced. The cheese in the fridge is a perfect example. This was the first time I felt a regular writer was just flat out writing a different character from the Peter we'd had before. He'd taken what on paper was an identifiable characteristic of Spider-Man – kind of zany humor – and transplanted it onto to Pete's personality while getting the tone all wrong. It was just blatantly not recognizable as the same character, while appearing to tick all the boxes. I think this was the first step towards the Dan Slott era and beyond, where the character's individual voice and motivations are distorted and travestied to the point where it was just ridiculous.

[Hypestyle]

I wish that all the expanded powers were kept. Too bad that they were all retconned. Superman has had "expanded" powers since Action #1, so, I don't care.

[WebSlingWonder]

Some solid stories with a classic feel. I agree with the poster who said his humor often felt forced. The cheese in the fridge is a perfect example. This was the first time I felt a regular writer was just flat out writing a different character from the Peter we'd had before. He'd taken what on paper was an identifiable characteristic of Spider-Man – kind of zany humor – and transplanted it onto to Pete's personality while getting the tone all wrong. It was just blatantly not recognizable as the same character, while appearing to tick all the boxes. I think this was the first step towards the Dan Slott era and beyond, where the character's individual voice and motivations are distorted and travestied to the point where it was just ridiculous.

Really? I don't see the humor as forced - in fact, it was quite funny and unique. But why do you think it's different from the Peter we've seen prior?

[Spidey_62]

Kevin the moldy piece of cheese is one of the GOATs for supporting characters. I mean, why the hell not?

[Matt Parker]

I finished the Hunger. I really dug it. While it certainly isn't the best story in Jenkins' run by any stretch, I think it might be the most well rounded. There's a solid Spider-man plot with the Venom stuff and a solid Peter Parker plot with regards to Pete moving Flash out of the hospital and vowing to be his caretaker. Sure, the Venom plot is a tad confusing (I was lost on why the symbiotic left Brock at the beginning and how Peter successfully merged them made little sense to me) but I liked Jenkins' voice for Venom and the plot had a great horror movie vibe to it. Plus, I LOVED Ramos' artwork. This is where he truly became a great Spider-Man artist, and several of the panels with Venom could be posters. I actually feel like the way Venom was shown in Spider-Man 3 (which, love or hate that movie, but he sure looked cool there) was specifically inspired by this story, but maybe that's a stretch.

I'm about one issue into Countdown right now, I'll post more later (not that anyone is waiting with baited breath or anything ).

[Spidey_62]

I finished the Hunger. I really dug it. While it certainly isn't the best story in Jenkins' run by any stretch, I think it might be the most well rounded. There's a solid Spider-man plot with the Venom stuff and a solid Peter Parker plot with regards to Pete moving Flash out of the hospital and vowing to be his caretaker. Sure, the Venom plot is a tad confusing (I was lost on why the symbiotic left Brock at the beginning and how Peter successfully merged them made little sense to me) but I liked Jenkins' voice for Venom and the plot had a great horror movie vibe to it. Plus, I LOVED Ramos' artwork. This is where he truly became a great Spider-Man artist, and several of the panels with Venom could be posters. I actually feel like the way Venom was shown in Spider-Man 3 (which, love or hate that movie, but he sure looked cool there) was specifically inspired by this story, but maybe that's a stretch.

I'm about one issue into Countdown right now, I'll post more later (not that anyone is waiting with baited breath or anything ).

The early idea for Venom in SM3 was that the symbiote was going to literally eat away at Brock and his hatred. The reveal at the end when they die is that all that's left of Brock would have been his bones, which were mishapen and morphed to look more like Venom's face. There exists a prop of the Venom skull, and I think the early Venom animatronics that were on the final battle set were of that iteration where it was the symbiote consuming Brock, the fingernails on the Venom animatronic were even kind of red around the fingernails looking like it was morphed with Brock's hand fully. That animatronic was in the leaked SDCC 2006 trailer, also.

If I'm not mistaken the novelization of SM3 written by PAD also uses this early version where Brock is long-dead and already a skeleton. Cool way to really highlight the danger of how that could have easily been Peter if he gave into the hate and didn't have the powers or the fortitude to give it up like Brock didn't. I think that works better for the story they were trying to tell about forgiveness and all that. It does make sense that would have appealed to Sam Raimi with his love of horror, I think it would have been a better choice, not what the fanboys would have liked probably but oh well. There was even the What If? issue where Peter kept the symbiote and was just a skeleton, lots of precedent to that idea.

There's a big Spider-Man 3 history lesson all to say that I think you're right that they were inspired by this story, or at least were at some point.

[Matt Parker]

The early idea for Venom in SM3 was that the symbiote was going to literally eat away at Brock and his hatred. The reveal at the end when they die is that all that's left of Brock would have been his bones, which were mishapen and morphed to look more like Venom's face. There exists a prop of the Venom skull, and I think the early Venom animatronics that were on the final battle set were of that iteration where it was the symbiote consuming Brock, the fingernails on the Venom animatronic were even kind of red around the fingernails looking like it was morphed with Brock's hand fully. That animatronic was in the leaked SDCC 2006 trailer, also.

If I'm not mistaken the novelization of SM3 written by PAD also uses this early version where Brock is long-dead and already a skeleton. Cool way to really highlight the danger of how that could have easily been Peter if he gave into the hate and didn't have the powers or the fortitude to give it up like Brock didn't. I think that works better for the story they were trying to tell about forgiveness and all that. It does make sense that would have appealed to Sam Raimi with his love of horror, I think it would have been a better choice, not what the fanboys would have liked probably but oh well. There was even the What If? issue where Peter kept the symbiote and was just a skeleton, lots of precedent to that idea.

There's a big Spider-Man 3 history lesson all to say that I think you're right that they were inspired by this story, or at least were at some point.

I remember that. This is gonna sound funny now, but PAD's novelizations of the Raimi trilogy were very influential on me as a kid. I read those things probably at least 3-4 times each.

Anyways, I finished (what I own of) the Jenkins run.

Countdown was a really cool story. I LOVE Jenkins' Doc Ock. I liked him in the Fusion 3 parter but he gave Otto more of a POV this time around and I really enjoyed just how twisted he was. Jenkins' Otto is a monster, plain and simple. He just wants everyone to feel as small and powerless as he was when he was a kid. I also enjoyed the political subtext of the story and I thought it was interesting that it seemed to touch on so many of the same themes that Bendis' Avengers run and Civil War would just a few years later. Is that intentional?

Unfortunately, the Lizard story wasn't very good at all. Jenkins' take on the Lizard is certainly original but it makes him just another mad scientist and he ends the story so abruptly I wondered if I had skipped a few pages while reading. I think Jenkins' attempt to change the status quo for the Lizard is smart because the Lizard is a villain that only really has one type of story that works (which is basically ASM #6 repeated over and over again) and he was in need of an update. This one just didn't cut it. Later, Shed would achieve a more effective reboot of the Lizard, at least in my opinion.

The Morbius one off was excellent. I'm sure Morbius fans will wonder why he acts so much more villainous here than normal (and why does he look like Nosferatu all of the sudden?) but the character work with Joey is wonderful and it again shows us how empathetic and just admirable Peter is. Also, the painted art is wonderful.

The Poker and Mindworm one offs are excellent. I love how the poker story gives Peter a subtle win over Fisk (I get tired of Fisk being so unbeatable all the time in Marvel stories) and the Mindworm one shows a different dimension to Peter's battles with some of his lamer villains, even if it completely ignores Mindworm's pre-established history.

The Final Curtain is another wonderful Uncle Ben centric story. Jenkins might be the best writer in Spider-History, bar none, at fleshing out Peter's relationship with Ben. It goes beyond a fetishized angst over how this man died and instead focused on how his parenting shaped the man Peter (and Spider-Man) is. A great end to the most underrated run in Spider-Man history.

Yes, I skipped the Disassembled and Sins Past tie ins. I don't own those and I've heard bad things. Maybe they would sour my opinion on Jenkins but I think he's an all time great.