Originally Posted by
bat39
Please note there will be some SPOILERS
I thought it was a good issue. A bit of a step-down from the last two, but still pretty good. And yes, weaving together at least three major 80's stories from different parts of the decade, not to mention developments from decades later, was always bound to be a challenge - but by and large, I think Chip stuck the landing.
I think this series has continued to do a great job exploring how a superhero story changes in a setting where 'Status Quo isn't God'. Last issue touched on the idea of Peter living with the long-term consequences of his actions. This issue subtly touches on the idea that being a superhero for decades will take not only a physical, but also a psychological toll on you.
I mean, if you think about it, most superheroes are fighting a 'never-ending battle for justice'. Now, 90% of superhero stories show an 'experienced' hero to be roughly around a decade into his/her career at most, give or take a few years. So we rarely get to see what being a hero, potentially for the rest of their lives, can do to them.
And that's what we get here with Peter. He swore, after Uncle Ben died, to never deviate from the path of responsibility. In 616, he made that vow around 10-12 years ago. In Life Story, he made that vow twenty-two years ago! He's been Spider-Man for more than half his life and it looks like he'll never feel like he can ever really stop. Leaving aside the physical impact, just imagine what kind of a toll that would take on any person. Leading a double life. Putting yourself in life-threatening danger day after day, night after night, while trying to also lead some semblance of a normal life. Never really being able to stop because you can't live with the guilt of not acting.
When you throw in all the other tragedies Peter has faced on top of that...its no surprise that he's mentally a bit of a mess here.
I kinda wished they dived deeper into the subtext of Peter being a little psychologically damaged - 'obsessed' with the idea of being Spider-Man, with the overwhelming responsibility he feels to honor Uncle Ben and atone for that one mistake. Not to mention, still reeling from the loss of Gwen Stacy and letting that spill into his marriage with MJ. Because I really feel it would have made Peter a somewhat more sympathetic character.
That said, they don't really give us the most favorable portrayal of the Peter-MJ relationship here. Its pretty clear from last issue that Peter basically turned to MJ in his grief because he felt he had lost everything. And even this issue, it is hinted at that the marriage hasn't exactly always been a happy one - with MJ resenting the fact that she has to compete with 'the ghost of Gwen Stacy'. So yeah, as far as this relationship goes, Peter has been a jerk and you feel that MJ is more than justified in leaving him.
As far as the actual plot goes - I think they did a great job blending in the Alien Costume Saga, Secret Wars and Kraven's Last Hunt. The plot about the nuke attack is something that seems to be a little off-sync with the rest of the story - I guess its a set-up for next issue. I wonder if the Soviet paranoia against American superheroes stems from the involvement of superheroes in the Vietnam War. If so, then you could argue that Peter was right not to go to 'Nam.
I loved that Peter became Venom for a bit. In fact, it kinda makes me wonder...the symbiote here isn't really depicted as making Peter aggressive the way it does in most adaptations of the story. It makes sense for an already battle-scarred and damaged Peter, who's just had a near-death experience, to want to aggressively lash out against Kraven. So the idea that Peter became Venom of his own volition, with the symbiote amplifying his own darkness is...compelling, to say the least! And really fits in with the darkness of this particular chapter.
Was also kinda psyched about the fact that my theory of Kraven bonding with the symbiote came true in the last panel...