I think compared to a lot of what we've seen over the last 15 years, this seems to be a great combination of top tier artwork, innovation in plot, thematic and tonal maturity, and likable characterization that feels authentic and true to form despite existing in another continuity. I agree with coop's statement that it somehow manages to feel both nostalgic and fresh.
Spencer's work leaned heavily into nostalgia and while his characterization was solid, I think he ultimately faltered in terms of plot. It seemed like he was doing too much to go back and "fix" 616 continuity instead of driving the story forward into new territory. (And I personally lost interest.) I know a lot of people love Zdarsky's Life Story, but it was a bit of a dissapointment for me and amounted to a rather meaningless nostalgic hodge podge of Spidey's greatest hits without clear themes or character arcs. And though Slott did create some innovative and intriguing plots, his sense of tone came across as rather juvenile and his character work seemed haphazard and internally inconsistent. His focus seemed to be on high concept and his approach was far too plot-driven at the expense of character (at least for my taste.) I haven't read the Miles Morales stuff so I can't comment on that.
It's like here the characters feel right AND the concept is new and intriguing enough to hook you in.
That being said, I'm reluctant to call this the BEST of the last 15 years just yet. But I think it's certainly on the right track.Completely agreed across the board. I'm all too aware that this first issue starts things off with some very notable and immediately apparent differences from the traditional status quo over in 616 and that the history is completely different. But there's something in the character writing and general vibe of the comic that just feels like coming home to me. And it isn't just that Peter's married with MJ again or that they have kids; that was the case with the Renew Your Vows books too and while I quite enjoyed them, this hits differently for me.Beauty in the eye of the beholder. I both think this is an exceptional comic and don't think much of the examples you listed except the current Miles book, which is fun but not something I find terribly exciting.
For me this is simply a better written and better drawn comic than the spider-man line has had in a long time. With the exception of Gleason I like the art here more than any Spider-Man book happening now by a long shot.
Writing wise as well I feel this book is simply something I find massively more enjoyable than most of what we get in Spider-Man. I think the characters and dialog feel very alive and interesting. I can't remember the last time I was interested in supporting characters in a Spider-Man comic like I am with Uncle Ben and JJJ. I think Hickman didn't extremely good job of making this universe and these characters feel lived in. Even though they do deliver exposition and establish the themes of the comic they feel like more than that. The dialog which has been criricised as too clever for me makes the characters feel much more alive and three dimensional.
Then there's Peter and MJ. I for one will always maintain that Peter as a perpetual 20 something loser who can't get it together isn't very interesting. Even though I'm sure there's drama to come I'm much more interested in this version of Peter Parker than I am the one we typically get these days. This feels fresh and nostalgic at the same time. And back to the writing and the art I feel they bring these characters alive and get the ease in nature of their relationship across to the reader very well with the dialogue and how they're drawn. We don't see much of MJ, But the in my opinion exceptional dialogue and art really make her come across strongly and I feel like I can get a sense for who her character is and what a relationship with Peter is like even with the small taste we get now. And while it's not a full picture it was enough that I'm excited to learn more and see how they function especially when we introduce Spider-Man into the mix
I think the setup for this comic is much more interesting than what's going on elsewhere. I like the theme of this multi-generational rebellion against the establishment and making a decision to change what you feel isn't right with your life. I'm excited to see how this version of Spider-Man inspires the people of this universe.
And once again because the art and the writing is in my opinion so very good the emotional moments land much harder and much stronger than elsewhere. The moments talking about grief and loss between Peter and Uncle Ben really land here. The comradrie of JJJ and Ben and their mentorship of Peter comes across well.
Especially the speech Peter gets from Tony and how it's woven together with the encouragement of MJ and Ben. That felt powerful and emotional in a way that I don't personally get from those other comics. When Peter accepted being Spider-Man I was grinning like an idiot.
And yeah. Peter and MJ are married. That's important to me. Full stop. End of story. I don't think erasing the marriage was good for character, the comic, or the industry and frankly I think it's one of the most embarrassing things in comics besides how creators are treated and paid. It's not the only thing I want (I wasn't a big fan of Renew your Vows either) but it is important to me and for me it does add another layer to this comic that with it's other strengths elevates it far beyond the first issues of other runs listed here.
We won't know how it is til years from now, and better writers than Hickman have fumbled things. But with one issue compared to issues that set up or begin books like Superior Spider-Man or the current run which introduced us to Paul Mary Jane and their kids like this one introduced us to Peter, Mary Jane their kids and Uncle Ben and JJJ and even Harry Osborn?
It's no contest for this reader. And if this was simply a trap post to explain "why it's not that good actually" or how the other comics are just as good. Look, like I said. Beauty in the eye of the beholder. I'm not here to debate it