Spider-Man: Life Story By Chip Zdarsky & Mark Bagley

[RD155]

So question....

I’ve heard a few reviews talk about how dark this title was. They feel the atmosphere was almost too depressing and uncomfortable to read at times so it took away their enjoyment. I guess I could understand in some ways but honestly I feel this title had that “happy” ending kind of feel to it. This was the happy ending that Peter/MJ deserved and earned after years of struggle. What is everyone else’s thoughts ? Do you feel the title was too depressing and dark to enjoy?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

So would you guys say that the Lee/Ditko run could actually fit into Life Story’s universe.

Zdarsky in that Panel X Panel interview says as much. He said that since the Lee/Ditko run had aging and progression that meant there was no reason for him to cover it in his series. Basically in the AU timelines, 616 and Life Story Spider-man would be identical until ASM #38. Then things diverge.

You can say that Life Story Gwen is different compared to Lee-Ditko Gwen, but then that's true of Lee-Romita Gwen as well, who is a jarringly different (and inferior) version of that character. On the other hand, I think Life Story Osborn is more consistent to Lee-Ditko Osborn than Lee-Romita's lame dad version.

So question....

I’ve heard a few reviews talk about how dark this title was. They feel the atmosphere was almost too depressing and uncomfortable to read at times so it took away their enjoyment. I guess I could understand in some ways but honestly I feel this title had that “happy” ending kind of feel to it. This was the happy ending that Peter/MJ deserved and earned after years of struggle. What is everyone else’s thoughts ? Do you feel the title was too depressing and dark to enjoy?

It was a mix of dark and light, high and lows. That's what Spider-Man should be. There are parts that are depressing like the end of #2, #3 and #5, but some issues like #4 are on the happier side.

[Batman Begins 2005]

Add my voice to the others that Chip Zdarsky nailed the landing. Issue would make for a fitting farewell to Spider-Man's story.

[Scott Taylor]

Did anyone see the Superior Spider-Man twist coming? That one floored me when it happened, I wasn't even considering it might show up.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Did anyone see the Superior Spider-Man twist coming? That one floored me when it happened, I wasn't even considering it might show up.

Zdarsky said that he was a fan of Superior Spider-Man so I expected some reference to it. I did think that Otto hijacking Peter wouldn't make sense if he aged and he would have to turn to Miles...but the specific way it unfurled was still a surprise and shock.

By making it Miles, the entire script changes, and Otto comes across as one of those creeps in GET OUT and the story becomes a commentary on a white ******* trying to parasitically feed on the next generation. So it's also a pretty contemporary and political spin on that.

That's kind of how Life Story has worked, it's taken something familiar and expected but reframed it so it feels as shocking as the original stories did in the first run. Sure going in to LF#2 we might have thought that Gwen died, but the way it happened here was a huge surprise and twist.

[AlexCampy89]

It's mentioned right there in issue 5. Claire managed to scratch Morlun while he was feeding. Not to be rude but how much more did it need to be spelled out?

Attachment 86358

Attachment 86359

So why is Benjamin the one who discovers Morlun's weakness rather than Claire, considering that she is the one that scratched him?

Also, the whole "vulnerable while feeding" thing seems pretty stupid to me.

[AlexCampy89]

So question....

I’ve heard a few reviews talk about how dark this title was. They feel the atmosphere was almost too depressing and uncomfortable to read at times so it took away their enjoyment. I guess I could understand in some ways but honestly I feel this title had that “happy” ending kind of feel to it. This was the happy ending that Peter/MJ deserved and earned after years of struggle. What is everyone else’s thoughts ? Do you feel the title was too depressing and dark to enjoy?

Depressing is one thing. And this story definitely is.

Dark, not so much, as "dark" to me is something more atmospheric and visual than narrative.

Yeah, this story is definitely depressing, maybe a bit too much.

Reign, while overall a worse and less enjoyable story, was darker in both atmosphere and art, imo.

[WebSlingWonder]

So why is Benjamin the one who discovers Morlun's weakness rather than Claire, considering that she is the one that scratched him?

Also, the whole "vulnerable while feeding" thing seems pretty stupid to me.

Depressing is one thing. And this story definitely is.

Dark, not so much, as "dark" to me is something more atmospheric and visual than narrative.

Yeah, this story is definitely depressing, maybe a bit too much.

Reign, while overall a worse and less enjoyable story, was darker in both atmosphere and art, imo.

Sounds to me like you just didn't like this story to begin with.

[SpideyClone]

[QUOTE=

I personally would love an expanded version where we see a 72 issue series, one issue per year of Peter's life.

Anyway,

Peter Benjamin Parker
1948-2019
Beloved Husband and Father
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

R. I. P.[/QUOTE]


Wouldn't that be a 57 issue series since he was bitten at 15 years old in 1962 (making him born in 1947, not 1948). I think we can skip the first 14 years, or do one "0" issue LOL

[AlexCampy89]

As I already wrote about it, I liked the beginning and the first 3-4 parts. Part 5 and 6 were bad, imo.

No, I am not a big fan of this mini, and generally I am not of alternative universes/rewritten storylines (Chapter One, Ultimate, etc).

I'd rather go with stories that ADD something to the already existing lore (Untold Tales of Spider-Man, Amazing Fantasy, etc) rather than the ones that change it.

Also, the "depressing and dark" comment you quoted has nothing to do with the quality of the story, I'm just saying that not necessarily a depressing story is dark.

[Digifiend]

Now here's a thought. Peter said all the old guard heroes were dead. Seems a bit odd then, that the one new hero Peter mentioned was Kamala. Who shouldn't even have her powers if the terrigen mist incident never happened (Black Bolt won't have been around to blow up the bomb that created the cloud).

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Now here's a thought. Peter said all the old guard heroes were dead. Seems a bit odd then, that the one new hero Peter mentioned was Kamala. Who shouldn't even have her powers if the terrigen mist incident never happened (Black Bolt won't have been around to blow up the bomb that created the cloud).

Maybe Kamala Khan got her powers in some other way in the LF-verse? There are a lot of ways terrigen mists can explore on earth, and a lot of other ways to get superpowers than Terrigenesis. Maybe Kamala Khan is a mutant? I mean if not for the rights situation with Fox, it's very likely that Kamala Khan would have gotten her powers by means of mutation.

Life Story generally broadstokes the Marvel universe. Aside from a splash panel at the start of #3, we don't see the X-Men and the role and influence mutants had there either. I guess Zdarsky felt that was stepping on Ed Piskor's toes since he dealt with that in Grand Design.

[Wall-Crawler]

Just finished Life Story.

Man, that was so freaking amazing, a love letter to Spider-Man and his fans, I absolutely love the book, it has its problems, like MJ being a jerk with Peter at the beginning, the divorce, Peter not taking care of his children as he should have when they were little, but it all got solved in the end.

Everything else was absolutely beautiful, and issue 6 was one of the best single issues I have read, it hit all the right spots, it warmed my heart and made me shed a tear.

So many great and memorable moments, "MJ, you're my jackpot", or when May told Peter she knows what Peter has always wanted is to save Ben, but since he can't, he saves everyone else, or the very end "it's a good dream".

Zdarsky is a genius and clearly loves Spider-Man and knows his stuff, he implemented important story beats from each decade into his book.

This entire book was a love letter to Spider-Man, well done.

[Ursalink]

Did anyone see the Superior Spider-Man twist coming? That one floored me when it happened, I wasn't even considering it might show up.

Each issue used elements from Spider-Man's arcs in those decades, so yeah, I considered the reference to "Superior Spider-Man" to appear; although I should be ashamed of myself for not thinking Otto would do it on Miles instead of Peter.

[boots]

* annoyed benjy survived
* enjoyed the integration of superior
* symbiote helping peter was great
* glad that “reign” wasn’t the influential story here
* this issue maintained the quality of the series