Paul Jenkins' Spider-Man

[WebSlingWonder]

Hi guys!

I was scouring the internet and found out about custom binding. One YouTuber made a video about how he created an "omnibus" made up of "Captain Marvel" issues by Kelly Sue DeConnick because Marvel didn't make one yet. I thought about that and realized that there was one run that didn't have an Omnibus: Paul Jenkins' run across "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" V2 and "Spectacular Spider-Man" V3. I think that's a crying shame, considering that some of those stories are wonderful, and the art by Humberto Ramos and Mark Buckingham was awesome.

I'm making my own and buying my own single issues, but I wanted to know: are there any fans of Jenkins' run? He had five years which is very impressive!

And I'll be sure to show you guys what the finished product looks like of course!

[Mister Mets]

I'm not sending you my Jenkins comics, so you'l have to scour back issues sections at comics stores. It shouldn't be too expensive, except for Peter Parker Spider-Man #29, as the cover is in high demand.

I was a big fan of Jenkins's run on Peter Parker Spider-Man. I didn't care as much for Spec.

One thing that has been weird to me as a fan is how much it's disappeared from reader discussions. Some of it is among the best Spider-Man comics ever.

I did recently organize a list of the best Spider-Man stories with other contributors, and one odd thing about Jenkins was that there was no one story that got multiple votes, but several contributors suggested different stories. I really liked "One Small Break" with the introduction of Fusion, while someone else backed Jenkins' last issue, and someone else liked the Morbius single issue story, and someone else liked the one about Uncle Ben and the New York Mets. That shows the guy's range, as different readers have different favorites.

[HypnoHustler]

Hi guys!

I was scouring the internet and found out about custom binding. One YouTuber made a video about how he created an "omnibus" made up of "Captain Marvel" issues by Kelly Sue DeConnick because Marvel didn't make one yet. I thought about that and realized that there was one run that didn't have an Omnibus: Paul Jenkins' run across "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" V2 and "Spectacular Spider-Man" V3. I think that's a crying shame, considering that some of those stories are wonderful, and the art by Humberto Ramos and Mark Buckingham was awesome.

So, I wanted to ask if anyone has any issues of "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" by Paul Jenkins that they have lying around. I want make a custom bound omnibus for Paul Jenkins' run on PPSM. His initial run in PPSM was #20-41, #44-50 and for SPEC, he did #1-22, #27. I'm only focusing on the PPSM issues for now, but I want to try to make an "omnibus" for the SPEC issues too!

Also, let me know what you guys think! Do you love Jenkins' run? Do you hate it? Were there stories that you'd love to see highlighted more?

I think Jenkins is a mixed bag. He writes masterpieces at his best, but he had some pretty bad clunkers like Type-Face in between. Also, his humor sometimes seemed forced. But he wrote one of my favorite Chameleon stories ever (Webspinners #10-12) and his first PP:SM issue was very emotional as well. Plus, that story he did with Mackie where Norman comes back and tries to make Peter his heir (ASM#25-PP:SM#25 vol 2.) I'm sure Jenkins did most of the heavy-lifting in that 2 parter. And his Fusion 3-parter was another great story. But the less said about his other stories like Type-Face, and the monk with psychic powers, and some other clunkers I'm forgetting, the better.

[HypnoHustler]

I'm not sending you my Jenkins comics, so you'l have to scour back issues sections at comics stores. It shouldn't be too expensive, except for Peter Parker Spider-Man #29, as the cover is in high demand.

I was a big fan of Jenkins's run on Peter Parker Spider-Man. I didn't care as much for Spec.

One thing that has been weird to me as a fan is how much it's disappeared from reader discussions. Some of it is among the best Spider-Man comics ever.

I did recently organize a list of the best Spider-Man stories with other contributors, and one odd thing about Jenkins was that there was no one story that got multiple votes, but several contributors suggested different stories. I really liked "One Small Break" with the introduction of Fusion, while someone else backed Jenkins' last issue, and someone else liked the Morbius single issue story, and someone else liked the one about Uncle Ben and the New York Mets. That shows the guy's range, as different readers have different favorites.

His Spec run was a huge step down from his PP:SM run. I don't know what happened.

And yeah, like some other great writers at the time (such as Todd Dezago, who I felt had a similar vibe to Jenkins) he's completely disappeared from the conversation except for us hardcore fans here. Maybe there just weren't a lot of readers on board when he was doing his really great stuff, because that was still during the Mackie relaunch period.

[Mister Mets]

His Spec run was a huge step down from his PP:SM run. I don't know what happened.

And yeah, like some other great writers at the time (such as Todd Dezago, who I felt had a similar vibe to Jenkins) he's completely disappeared from the conversation except for us hardcore fans here. Maybe there just weren't a lot of readers on board when he was doing his really great stuff, because that was still during the Mackie relaunch period.

Jenkins started during the Mackie period, but most of his work was during the JMS era. I suspect that one problem is that it's been overshadowed by other Spider-Man comics from the time, mainly Amazing Spider-Man and Millar's Marvel Knights Spider-Man.

The problem with Spec was that Marvel liked the success of Jenkins/ Ramos' Green Goblin story, and wanted to replicate it with other top-tier Spider-Man villains, but these weren't the more personal stories that Jenkins excelled at. It also led to him writing for the trade.

The first two stories weren't that bad (not great, either). The Lizard follow-up had a fatally flawed twist (Connors was always in control) while the Spider-Queen was sold as a tie-in to Avengers Disassembled, and used as a way to introduce organic webbing to the series.

[WebSlingWonder]

I LOVE "One Small Break". I've read it and re-read it so many times, and I still find something new.

"A Death in the Family" is also one of my new favorites! I've got the "Best of Spider-Man" oversized hardcovers and have enjoyed reading that story.

I think the problem with "Spectacular Spider-Man" was that it wasn't nearly as personal. I understand that Jenkins wanted to replicate "A Death in the Family"'s success, but it was never going to work. The Goblin is Spider-Man's personal foe; very few match that.

On that note, I love "Countdown". It's one of the stories I'm including here.

Also, Mister Mets, how do I change the thread title?

[frizb]

I'm not sending you my Jenkins comics, so you'l have to scour back issues sections at comics stores. It shouldn't be too expensive, except for Peter Parker Spider-Man #29, as the cover is in high demand.

I was a big fan of Jenkins's run on Peter Parker Spider-Man. I didn't care as much for Spec.

One thing that has been weird to me as a fan is how much it's disappeared from reader discussions. Some of it is among the best Spider-Man comics ever.

I did recently organize a list of the best Spider-Man stories with other contributors, and one odd thing about Jenkins was that there was no one story that got multiple votes, but several contributors suggested different stories. I really liked "One Small Break" with the introduction of Fusion, while someone else backed Jenkins' last issue, and someone else liked the Morbius single issue story, and someone else liked the one about Uncle Ben and the New York Mets. That shows the guy's range, as different readers have different favorites.

It was a great run, but #29 is still a $3-4 bin book. Plenty of cheap copies on FeeBay.

[comicscollector]

I have seen that a upcoming Spider-Man TPB by Paul Jenkins apeared in the hachette page for the upcomings Collected Editions.
It´s called Spider-Man: Light in the Darkness TPB.

[WebSlingWonder]

I have seen that a upcoming Spider-Man TPB by Paul Jenkins apeared in the hachette page for the upcomings Collected Editions.
It´s called Spider-Man: Light in the Darkness TPB.

You are my hero! I just saw it online!

Here's the listing guys: https://www.amazon.es/Spider-man-Lig.../dp/130291863X

It collects PPSM (1999) #20-33, Annual 2000, and ADM (1999) #25.

[Matt Parker]

I started re reading Jenkins' Spider-Man work recently after finishing Gerry Conway's run earlier in the week. I don't have all of his run, but I own the bulk of it, including all the really notable stories.

So far Paul is just as great a Spider-Man writer as I remember. I think he's better than more famous guys like Michilinie, JMS or Dan Slott (not to throw shade at those guys, who wrote some great stuff, but Jenkins is just that good). I'd say he's a major contender for top 5 favorite spider-writers for me.

Below are my thoughts on the stories I've read so far.

Webspinners 10-12: This is a really interesting story, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it. The Chameleon isn't given much of an explanation for being so depressed all of a sudden, and I think he's disposed of too quickly. That said, Peter's dream is wonderfully sad and intense. Not the best story and fairly rough around the edges, but it shows that Paul has major promise.

PPSM 20: One of the best single issues of any Spider-Man I've ever read. Jenkins is second to none in fleshing out Peter's relationship to Ben, and this story nails the balance between intense darkness and a silver lining. This should be in every discussion of best Spider-Man stories ever and it's a crime that it's forgotten.

PPSM 21: Not quite as good as the above, but an excellent story nonetheless. These slice of life type stories are something that appeal to me immensely and I think this issue pulls it off well. I love the mimes, I love Peter dancing with May, and I love the idea that Peter's attempt at standup comedy falls so flat, which is even funnier when considering that Jenkins might be second only to Bendis in terms of the writer who writes the funniest Spider-Man quips.

PPSM 22: A very solid sort of death for Sandman. It's genuinely heartbreaking and the characterization of Sandman (a villain I've never been particularly fond of) is something I wish he always had. The best part of this issue is Peter dancing naked to Bohemian Rhapsody though.

PPSM 26: Another trope that I love is getting the perspective of the main superhero through the eyes of a regular person. This issue presents several "interviews" with various people, including cops and scientists, about Spider-Man and it is done so well. Nothing groundbreaking here, but this is a really cool issue and a favorite of mine from this run.

PPSM 27-28: A pretty interesting moral quandary for Peter Parker that really delves into his no kill rule. I enjoyed the way Jenkins handles Peter's turmoil about whether or not killing Robot Master is acceptable even if it will save thousands of lives, but I found the resolution to be anticlimactic and to reek slightly of BS. I agree with Peter's "take a third option" resolution, but it happened so quick and without much fanfare or difficulty. A solid story but not one of the best from the run.

PPSM 30-32: This is an other underrated classic that should be in the discussion of excellent Spider-Man stories from the 21st century. Fusion is an awesome character. His powerset is so cool and his battles with Spider-Man are beautifully rendered by Mark Buckingham. Plus, I love how real he feels. We can empathize with. the grief he's feeling, but he takes it too far and uses it to justify horrible atrocities. I also love how far Jenkins lets this story go. Fusion murders 300 people. That's heavy stuff for a Spider-Man book, and I like that he lets the weight of that make Peter question himself. Maybe I'm being hyperbolic because of how blown away I was reading this today, but I think this could be a contender for a place on my top 20 personal favorite Spider-Man stories.

So, so far Jenkins is proving his keep as a wonderful Spider-Man scribe. I hope to keep posting my thoughts on the rest of his stories as I read through them.

[WebSlingWonder]

I started re reading Jenkins' Spider-Man work recently after finishing Gerry Conway's run earlier in the week. I don't have all of his run, but I own the bulk of it, including all the really notable stories.

So far Paul is just as great a Spider-Man writer as I remember. I think he's better than more famous guys like Michilinie, JMS or Dan Slott (not to throw shade at those guys, who wrote some great stuff, but Jenkins is just that good). I'd say he's a major contender for top 5 favorite spider-writers for me.

Below are my thoughts on the stories I've read so far.

Webspinners 10-12: This is a really interesting story, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it. The Chameleon isn't given much of an explanation for being so depressed all of a sudden, and I think he's disposed of too quickly. That said, Peter's dream is wonderfully sad and intense. Not the best story and fairly rough around the edges, but it shows that Paul has major promise.

PPSM 20: One of the best single issues of any Spider-Man I've ever read. Jenkins is second to none in fleshing out Peter's relationship to Ben, and this story nails the balance between intense darkness and a silver lining. This should be in every discussion of best Spider-Man stories ever and it's a crime that it's forgotten.

PPSM 21: Not quite as good as the above, but an excellent story nonetheless. These slice of life type stories are something that appeal to me immensely and I think this issue pulls it off well. I love the mimes, I love Peter dancing with May, and I love the idea that Peter's attempt at standup comedy falls so flat, which is even funnier when considering that Jenkins might be second only to Bendis in terms of the writer who writes the funniest Spider-Man quips.

PPSM 22: A very solid sort of death for Sandman. It's genuinely heartbreaking and the characterization of Sandman (a villain I've never been particularly fond of) is something I wish he always had. The best part of this issue is Peter dancing naked to Bohemian Rhapsody though.

PPSM 26: Another trope that I love is getting the perspective of the main superhero through the eyes of a regular person. This issue presents several "interviews" with various people, including cops and scientists, about Spider-Man and it is done so well. Nothing groundbreaking here, but this is a really cool issue and a favorite of mine from this run.

PPSM 27-28: A pretty interesting moral quandary for Peter Parker that really delves into his no kill rule. I enjoyed the way Jenkins handles Peter's turmoil about whether or not killing Robot Master is acceptable even if it will save thousands of lives, but I found the resolution to be anticlimactic and to reek slightly of BS. I agree with Peter's "take a third option" resolution, but it happened so quick and without much fanfare or difficulty. A solid story but not one of the best from the run.

PPSM 30-32: This is an other underrated classic that should be in the discussion of excellent Spider-Man stories from the 21st century. Fusion is an awesome character. His powerset is so cool and his battles with Spider-Man are beautifully rendered by Mark Buckingham. Plus, I love how real he feels. We can empathize with. the grief he's feeling, but he takes it too far and uses it to justify horrible atrocities. I also love how far Jenkins lets this story go. Fusion murders 300 people. That's heavy stuff for a Spider-Man book, and I like that he lets the weight of that make Peter question himself. Maybe I'm being hyperbolic because of how blown away I was reading this today, but I think this could be a contender for a place on my top 20 personal favorite Spider-Man stories.

So, so far Jenkins is proving his keep as a wonderful Spider-Man scribe. I hope to keep posting my thoughts on the rest of his stories as I read through them.

Hey there! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm also a huge fan of Jenkins' run on Spider-Man and have even made two custom omnis from it! The way he makes each character feel human and also balance the humor with heart is a big reason why I love his run. And like you said: he goes there. Wait till you read "A Death in the Family"!

[Pav]

I may have to invest in that upcoming TPB. I remember reading the beginning of Jenkins' work on PP:SM, but it wasn't enough to keep me reading after Byrne's work left such a bad taste in my mouth. Nevertheless, I can remember liking Jenkins' style.

Webspinners 10-12: This is a really interesting story, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it. The Chameleon isn't given much of an explanation for being so depressed all of a sudden, and I think he's disposed of too quickly. That said, Peter's dream is wonderfully sad and intense. Not the best story and fairly rough around the edges, but it shows that Paul has major promise.

I really, really liked these issues; for me, they served as the next logical step in the Chameleon's story after the work that J.M. DeMatteis had done with the character, and yet as logical as it seems in hindsight, there was intrigue and surprise, and the characterization and motivation of Dmitri was meaningful and emotional and somehow realistic and believable.

It does seem, though, that other writers weren't really sure what to do with him after this story. He hasn't been portrayed the same way since, even though there have been excellent stories since then, utilizing different takes on the character.

-Pav, who loves the whole Kraven family dynamic...

[Matt Parker]

I really, really liked these issues; for me, they served as the next logical step in the Chameleon's story after the work that J.M. DeMatteis had done with the character, and yet as logical as it seems in hindsight, there was intrigue and surprise, and the characterization and motivation of Dmitri was meaningful and emotional and somehow realistic and believable.

It does seem, though, that other writers weren't really sure what to do with him after this story. He hasn't been portrayed the same way since, even though there have been excellent stories since then, utilizing different takes on the character.

-Pav, who loves the whole Kraven family dynamic...

Interesting. I haven't read the J.M. Chameleon stuff in forever so maybe if I had read it that Chameleon story in web spinners would make more sense to me.

[Spidey_62]

Paul Jenkins talking about the first issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43z-zx2MtlY


Paul Jenkins' Spider-Man is one of my favorite runs with the character, especially Peter Parker: Spider-Man with him and Mark Buckingham- a great British combo for Spidey. I do dismay at how little this stuff gets brought up by people in most discussions of great Spider-Man stories or runs to read. I think their handle on Peter Parker's character was exceptional throughout and for the most part being done-in-one stories with heart and humor or short arcs was always refreshing.

The stories with the Green Goblin are some of the best with that character as well that somehow make their conflict even more personal. I think Death in The Family acts as a great natural climax to the Spidey/Goblin rivalry. The fact that Jenkins almost ended the story with Norman killing himself (and that it still ends ambiguously) only cements that to me. It felt like a big deal when I was reading it monthly, I don't think any other Spidey/Goblin confrontations come close after this (maybe Red Goblin!). Little did we know that Ramos' first sequential story would lead to so much more time with the character years later with Dan Slott, his art really evolves from where he starts in this run. His art may be divisive here but I think it really suited that story well, very moody, meticulously drenched in rain constantly, yet full of vibrancy you'd expect with Spider-Man.

I loved the first story with Fusion, that is one of my all-time favs as well. That was one of the first Spidey stories I read, I remember seeing it with the comics at a book store in a mall (Marvel comics used to be at the book stores). It was the second part of the story with the cliffhanger where Spidey thinks he broke his neck. Then I had to get the previous issue and the following issue to get the whole picture, but all that action with a villain mimicking everybody's powers and the cliffhanger was a big hook for me as a 6 year old. But that finale where Peter's trademark willpower saves the day is great.

Doc Ock had a great showing in the PPSM arc with Fusion, as well. The whole run was gold to me. The Zeb Wells fill-in and two arcs after Jenkins/Buckingham leave are pretty entertaining and interesting as well with some fun artistic pairings like Mahfood and Sam Kieth.

I don't think Paul Jenkins on Spectacular was quite as consistently good, but it still started out strong with the first two arcs with Venom and Doc Ock. I don't think they needed to be as big of arcs. The Lizard arc wasn't good, the Avengers Disassembled tie-in wasn't good, there was a few fun done-in-ones after and the one final issue by Jenkins/Buckingham was a return to form.

[WebSlingWonder]

Paul Jenkins talking about the first issue:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43z-zx2MtlY


Paul Jenkins' Spider-Man is one of my favorite runs with the character, especially Peter Parker: Spider-Man with him and Mark Buckingham- a great British combo for Spidey. I do dismay at how little this stuff gets brought up by people in most discussions of great Spider-Man stories or runs to read. I think their handle on Peter Parker's character was exceptional throughout and for the most part being done-in-one stories with heart and humor or short arcs was always refreshing.

The stories with the Green Goblin are some of the best with that character as well that somehow make their conflict even more personal. I think Death in The Family acts as a great natural climax to the Spidey/Goblin rivalry. The fact that Jenkins almost ended the story with Norman killing himself (and that it still ends ambiguously) only cements that to me. It felt like a big deal when I was reading it monthly, I don't think any other Spidey/Goblin confrontations come close after this (maybe Red Goblin!). Little did we know that Ramos' first sequential story would lead to so much more time with the character years later with Dan Slott, his art really evolves from where he starts in this run. His art may be divisive here but I think it really suited that story well, very moody, meticulously drenched in rain constantly, yet full of vibrancy you'd expect with Spider-Man.

I loved the first story with Fusion, that is one of my all-time favs as well. That was one of the first Spidey stories I read, I remember seeing it with the comics at a book store in a mall (Marvel comics used to be at the book stores). It was the second part of the story with the cliffhanger where Spidey thinks he broke his neck. Then I had to get the previous issue and the following issue to get the whole picture, but all that action with a villain mimicking everybody's powers and the cliffhanger was a big hook for me as a 6 year old. But that finale where Peter's trademark willpower saves the day is great.

Doc Ock had a great showing in the PPSM arc with Fusion, as well. The whole run was gold to me. The Zeb Wells fill-in and two arcs after Jenkins/Buckingham leave are pretty entertaining and interesting as well with some fun artistic pairings like Mahfood and Sam Kieth.

I don't think Paul Jenkins on Spectacular was quite as consistently good, but it still started out strong with the first two arcs with Venom and Doc Ock. I don't think they needed to be as big of arcs. The Lizard arc wasn't good, the Avengers Disassembled tie-in wasn't good, there was a few fun done-in-ones after and the one final issue by Jenkins/Buckingham was a return to form.

All good points and much agreed! Peter Parker: Spider-Man had consistent hits issue after issue. While Spectacular didn't, "Countdown" is one of my all-time favorite Spider-Man stories.