So often, Marvel Comics will tell these impossibly huge stories that involve alien races, time-travel, a multiverse and so many other unfathomable elements. That’s why it’s nice every once in a while to get back to the basics and explore what a single superhero is going through.
Over the years, Peter Parker has been through a lot. So naturally, he’s going to be overwhelmed with everything he is feeling from time to time. “The Amazing Spider-Man #60” takes a look at the psychology of a superhero who blames himself for the death of his best friend.
After everything Peter Parker and his friends have been through at the hands of Kindred, the villainous new monicker for Peter’s former best friend Harry Osborn, he’s naturally feeling a bit stressed out. Nightmares keep him up at night as his guilt continues to drown him.
Luckily for Spidey, Mary Jane is by his side and has just the way to fix his problem. She urges Peter to try a therapy technique that worked for her in the past, playing out his apology on stage. Peter may not be one for acting, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to clear his conscience.
With his longtime love at his side, there is nothing Peter Parker can’t overcome. But, as is always the case with Peter and his uncanny Parker luck, things aren’t exactly what they seem. Not one, but two reveals prove that there is much more to what is going on with Peter than what meets the eye.
This is a unique comic in that it doesn’t involve any web-slinging, wall-crawling or bad guy-punching action like you would typically find in a Spider-Man comic. Instead, it really is just a look inside the head of a superhero who has been through a tremendous amount of trauma.
It’s very easy to look at comics and think “well, the superhero just has to kill the bad guy” and forget that these characters are still human underneath their masks. What happens to those humans after they end the fight? They still have to deal with everything they’ve done and everything that’s been done to them. This issue looks at the effect those kinds of events have on a person.
And yet – while this is such a grounded, emotional journey – it still manages to deliver that great comic book ending. We know better as readers than to ever think Peter Parker can be safe and happy, and boy does this comic deliver on that in a big way. Two big surprises will have you ready to see Spidey swing back into action.
Of course, if you are someone who just wants to see that web-swinging action right from the beginning, this is not going to be your favorite issue. It’s understandable that some fans come to comics as an escape and just want to see superheroes doing superhero stuff. If you fall under that category, maybe wait to check out the next issue. Otherwise, this was a very interesting read.
