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Spider-Man: Life Story
(Spider-Man: Life Story #1-6)
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In 1962's Amazing Fantasy #15, fifteen-year-old Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the Amazing Spider-Man! 57 years have passed in the real world since that event - so what would have happened if the same amount of time passed for Peter as well? To celebrate Marvel's 80th anniversary, Chip Zdarsky and Spider-Man legend Mark Bagley unite to spin a un
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I loved the concept of this book, but did it really have to be so much more bitter then sweet? I have probobly been one of the biggest campaigners for having the more mature and married Spider-man, and I know cliffhanger ending keep people coming back in the series, but are the really as necessary in a mini series?
The concept imagine Peter Parker was Spider-man in the 60s and continued his adventures all the way to present day. He get older, so do the supporting cast. For all the lives he is sav ...more
The concept imagine Peter Parker was Spider-man in the 60s and continued his adventures all the way to present day. He get older, so do the supporting cast. For all the lives he is sav ...more
Wow. I'm seriously torn.
Ok, so on the one hand this is really depressing and angsty. Kind of awful.
I don't know if I'd read this again.
BUT.
On the other hand, there were some flat-out incredible moments where Zdarsky blew my mind. The way he twisted so many of the iconic storylines into something new and amazing was crazy in the best way.
So the thing is, this played out in a 'realistic' way. If the major real-world events (like Vietnam) and the major comic book events (like the Superhero Regis ...more
Ok, so on the one hand this is really depressing and angsty. Kind of awful.
I don't know if I'd read this again.
BUT.
On the other hand, there were some flat-out incredible moments where Zdarsky blew my mind. The way he twisted so many of the iconic storylines into something new and amazing was crazy in the best way.
So the thing is, this played out in a 'realistic' way. If the major real-world events (like Vietnam) and the major comic book events (like the Superhero Regis ...more
It’s Spider-Man from the cradle to the grave.
The Spider-saga told in real time, charting the Web-Head’s life from the radioactive bite to, well, Deadsville - taking into account and juking some real world events.
Zdarsky adds some new twists and tweeks to familiar Spider-tropes to try to make it interesting, and it’s certainly better than his current run, but somehow it still comes up a little stiff.
Face it tiger, instead of a jackpot you have a pair of jacks.
Bottom Line : Three and a half Web ...more
The Spider-saga told in real time, charting the Web-Head’s life from the radioactive bite to, well, Deadsville - taking into account and juking some real world events.
Zdarsky adds some new twists and tweeks to familiar Spider-tropes to try to make it interesting, and it’s certainly better than his current run, but somehow it still comes up a little stiff.
Face it tiger, instead of a jackpot you have a pair of jacks.
Bottom Line : Three and a half Web ...more
Zdarsky and Bagley take on some ambitious storytelling, telling Spider-Man's story if he had aged naturally from his first appearance in the 1960's. Each issue takes place a decade layer but still covers the biggest Spider-Man stories of each decade. The 60's has Spider-Man's big showdown with the Green Goblin after he discovers Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The 70's deal with the original Clone Saga while the 80's is about Kraven's Last Hunt. The 90's is a return to the clone madness of that deca
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"In 1962, a 15 year-old boy named Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider . . . " - from the intro
Of course we all know that part - but what would've happened if Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man, had realistically aged throughout the ensuing decades (like we readers have *cough cough*) yet still maintained the burden of the "with great power comes great responsibility" angle?
Zdarsky's Life Story is a nifty (wow, a word older than Spidey) and loving tribute to Marvel's long-ru ...more
Of course we all know that part - but what would've happened if Peter Parker, a.k.a. The Amazing Spider-Man, had realistically aged throughout the ensuing decades (like we readers have *cough cough*) yet still maintained the burden of the "with great power comes great responsibility" angle?
Zdarsky's Life Story is a nifty (wow, a word older than Spidey) and loving tribute to Marvel's long-ru ...more
This is, without a doubt, the best thing Chip Zdarsky has ever written. A beautiful, heartfelt love letter to Spider-Man, a meticulously crafted labour of love from a devoted lifetime fan of the character, a wonderful tribute to one of comics' most iconic heroes. In Life Story, Chip takes the base starting point of Peter Parker in the 60's and imagines his life as he would grow, age and evolve as a person and as a hero throughout the decades right up until the 2010's. Peter goes through all the
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Not as good as I was expecting from so many five stars reviews here and , but the idea of re-telling Spider-Man saga with decades aging him normally, with historical references like the ones to Vietnam in classic Lee-Romita issues (not mentioning about the awesome Spidey's team up with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and the whole Saturday Night Live cast in epic classic Marvel Team-Up Vol 1 #74), was a real good one and Mark Bagley just the perfect artist for this excellent what-if tale.
Being a Spide ...more
The basic premise here is 'What if Marvel had allowed Spider-Man (and his supporting cast) to age in real time?' and reading this book has made me wish they had. My only criticism of this book is that there's not enough of it. Even with six over-sized issues (each issue is over thirty pages long) I was desperate for more. I didn't want this to be six issues long; I wanted it to be six hundred issues long! I want to read Pete's story unfolding in real time every month.
With this book, Chip Zdarsky ...more
With this book, Chip Zdarsky ...more
When I need to recommend someone a single volume Spider-man story, along with Spider-man Blue, this is going to be one I’ll point to in the future. It’s pretty fantastic. Zdarsky takes decades of spider-man stories and weaves them into a 6 issue novel, covering some very familiar story beats while telling a story that feels new. Peter ages as he goes through the decades, along with everyone around him, which creates different takes on some classic stuff. And it’s really good!
You could say that ...more
You could say that ...more
You know that big thing some people complain about comic characters, that they never really age, and nothing really evolves much cause of timeline restraints. Well Chip is given the opportunity to start Peter's life in the 60's and through the decades age him and have the world around him change. In other words, we grow with Peter through his teen years to an old man.
The events that occur through this series might seem familiar. They tackle the green goblin rise, Harry's fall, Gwen's death, Clo ...more
The events that occur through this series might seem familiar. They tackle the green goblin rise, Harry's fall, Gwen's death, Clo ...more
An extended What If? story that imagines Spider-Man aging in real time while still facing many of the same big events of the last six decades, including Green Goblin and Professor Warren, the death of Gwen Stacy, Secret Wars, the alien costume saga, Kraven's Last Hunt, the clone saga, The Other, Civil War, and Superior Spider-Man.
While it was interesting it suffered from being too short. It requires a lot of knowledge of the Spider-Man canon to fully understand, as there just isn't enough room ...more
While it was interesting it suffered from being too short. It requires a lot of knowledge of the Spider-Man canon to fully understand, as there just isn't enough room ...more
In 2017, Sex Criminals artist Chip Zdarsky, who had been writing for Marvel for a couple of years, took over the newly published Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, which for years was very much the secondary Spidey title after The Amazing Spider-Man. Along with Adam Kubert, who primarily did the art throughout the run, Spectacular was a fun but flawed spin on the web-slinger that may go off in crazy directions, but had a healthy balance of heart and humour. After a pitch-perfect final iss
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WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND BRIEF POLITICS, IF THE LATTER UPSETS YOU DON’T READ THE BOOK EITHER.
I tried, okay? I wanted to love this... but no... I really should have known better than to try another Chip Zdarsky book...
What’s it about?
This tells the story of Spider-Man except he keeps aging like a real person since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. It’s sort of a “what if” story as it shows how things changed for Spidey and those around him if he were to keep ge ...more
I tried, okay? I wanted to love this... but no... I really should have known better than to try another Chip Zdarsky book...
What’s it about?
This tells the story of Spider-Man except he keeps aging like a real person since his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. It’s sort of a “what if” story as it shows how things changed for Spidey and those around him if he were to keep ge ...more
A beautiful ballad that celebrates the spirit of everything Spider-man. This book is without a doubt the best story Zdarsky has ever told. It is also one of the best Spider-man tales I have ever read. Spider-man: Life Story reads like an else world tale that takes the reader through a journey and life of a Peter Parker that became Spider-man in the 1960s and ends with his career as a very old Spider-man. This was a well executed concept because you get to experience the Spider-man adventure from
...more
Great Spidey book that spans Peter Parker's Spider-Man origin until his twilight years. Spider-Man: Life Story covers all of Spidey's greatest hits, but each has a slight twist due to Peter aging realistically along the way. Chip Zdarsky deserves a pat on the back for this comic. Not only does Chip write a great Peter, he also makes the decade-an-issue format work without it feeling like a gimmick.
While the story slows towards the final issue, the majority of this comic flies by. Furthermore, t ...more
While the story slows towards the final issue, the majority of this comic flies by. Furthermore, t ...more
Gun to my head favourite superhero? Spidey, easy. There was a time when I followed just about all of his exploits, but these days I'm a bit more selective in my comic reads. I tend towards the big-buzz and critically-acclaimed comics regardless of who the hero in tights might be. So I was pretty excited when Chip Zdarsky's middle finger to continuity Spider-Man tale started to pop up again and again on 2019 best-of lists.
Luckily, this ends up being a fun elseworlds-y/What If? story that imagine ...more
Luckily, this ends up being a fun elseworlds-y/What If? story that imagine ...more
4.5 stars
Spider-man has been my favorite super hero for almost 20 years, but I feel like they can't seem to do anything new with him. This was a fresh take with Peter Parker aging through the decades and it definitely added what I was looking for. Plus, this may be the first time a Spider-man comic has gotten me to cry. I couldn't quite give it 5 stars because it's a bit choppy since each issue takes place in a different decade and I have a hard time believing someone with little Spider-man/Pete ...more
Spider-man has been my favorite super hero for almost 20 years, but I feel like they can't seem to do anything new with him. This was a fresh take with Peter Parker aging through the decades and it definitely added what I was looking for. Plus, this may be the first time a Spider-man comic has gotten me to cry. I couldn't quite give it 5 stars because it's a bit choppy since each issue takes place in a different decade and I have a hard time believing someone with little Spider-man/Pete ...more
Chip Zdarsky’s cover is worth the price of admission.
I don’t know what it is about that monochrome cover that is just scratching some itch I never knew I had.
Maybe I need to see a doctor.
Full disclosure, I may be on the wrong side of my 30s, but this is the first, exclusively Spider-Man comic I ever read. Weird, huh?
Ok, I lied.
As a kid I got a copy of that issue where Spider-Man comes to Toronto and has to deal with the Ghost Rider and there’s like bike safety stuff in it. REMEMBER THAT?! They ...more
I don’t know what it is about that monochrome cover that is just scratching some itch I never knew I had.
Maybe I need to see a doctor.
Full disclosure, I may be on the wrong side of my 30s, but this is the first, exclusively Spider-Man comic I ever read. Weird, huh?
Ok, I lied.
As a kid I got a copy of that issue where Spider-Man comes to Toronto and has to deal with the Ghost Rider and there’s like bike safety stuff in it. REMEMBER THAT?! They ...more
What if Spider-Man, and the rest of the Marvel Universe, aged in real time? That's the hook for Spider-Man: Life Story, in which Chip Zdarsky follows Peter from 15 year old teenager to 70 year old man, on a whistlestop tour of his greatest storylines, all remixed with the passing of the ages. You want Clone Saga? You got it. Civil War? That's here. Superior Spider-Man? Yep, and that. And it's all done with so much heart and reverence for the character that I don't even know where to start, wrapp
...more
A great Spiderman story, possibly the best one I've read for a long while. The book is basically the whole story of Peter Parker to his first appearance in 1960's to the current real timeline in 2019 with the addition of he and the rest or the Marvel characters actually age in the right order, with the addition of real life events like Vietnam wars and so on. We gets to see the life story of Peter throughout the ages not just as a superhero but as a person.
SPOILER:
Captain America helping Vietnam ...more
SPOILER:
Captain America helping Vietnam ...more
Pretty entertaining, mostly satisfying. The art style is just OK for me. I mean, it's well done, but I prefer more indie style art. This all sounds like a mediocre review, but I really LOVE the idea and overall execution of the story.
A great solid story from Zdarsky that pretty much rounds up Spidey's life in comics from the start till now.
Great artwork too!
Highly recommended for Spidey fans!
Great artwork too!
Highly recommended for Spidey fans!
Some interesting ideas, but the decade structure and the time jumps made the story choppy and underdeveloped. Lacked cohesion.
Oh, wow, this was exceptional. I've said this before on here, but I've had trouble getting into Spider-Man's comics, despite loving the character a lot. I know of his major comic plotlines but haven't read many of them. But "Spider-Man: Life Story" makes me feel like I did. It's a lovingly crafted story of Spider-Man from his college years through to old age. Chip Zdarsky starts the story in the 1960s and ends in 2019, and this strategy worked *far* better than I expected it to. Zdarsky covers m
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A great re-telling of the spider man story, weaving a half century into a cohesive web. Absolutely engaging. Even makes Civil War and the awkward 9/11 issue tolerable.
Read this. You’ll love it.
Read this. You’ll love it.
This is a spectacular ode to Spider-Man that I got utterly absorbed into. I didn't even realize the train was pulling into the station level absorbed.
A great idea that ultimately feels compromised by its ambivalence around chronology and continuity. The Vietnam war and the idea of an aging Peter Parker deliver fascinating insights I’m not used to getting about this character, but for every moment that uses a conceit like this to deliver something new, the reader is afforded an opportunity to delve back into the clone saga or crossover events like Secret War. It ends up feeling like the series is half written by Zdarksy and half by an overzeal
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A great timeline of Spider-Man's life. The eras, events and stories he lived through. Very well done and it all tied together nicely.
Aug 30, 2019
James Hynes
added it
I didn’t cry but I didn’t not cry
Dramatic to a fault, poorly illustrated, an epic like nothing I've seen before and nothing I'll ever want to see again.
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Chip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and journalist. He was born Steve Murray but is known by his fan base as Chip Zdarsky, and occasionally Todd Diamond. He writes and illustrates an advice column called Extremely Bad Advice for the Canadian national newspaper National Post's The Ampersand, their pop culture section's online edition. He is also the creator of Prison Funnies and Monster Co
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Spider-Man: Life Story
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