Chi-Town’s Breakdown: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Volume 2) #12

Marvel Staff                           Crawlspace Staff
(W) Tom Taylor                     Reviewer: Chi-Town Spidey
(A) Pere Perez                        EIC: Brad Douglas
Story:  Peter is with Aunt May to see the good Dr. Sebbens and he has some good news!  The tumor has reduced in size and May is scheduled for surgery in a month’s time.  A boat gets caught on fire and Spidey is there for the rescue, but finds out that this “incident”  is the third attempt to lure Spider-Man out of hiding to help in order to kill him when he shows up at the scene.  Still not understanding the word “Ironic” he lays low and the world thinks Spider-Man in dead.  With the help of Detective Sebbens he finds the shooter and corners a confession out of him and learns that the hit was called by the bosses in Under York.  Spidey heads over to get some help from The Fantastic Four.  

Thoughts:  Let’s start by saying this issue just makes you feel good and still brings the characterization of these characters hold true.  I like how Taylor wrote Peter and Aunt May together, he is there for her, 110%.  Doing what he needs to do and Taylor writes that there is glimmer of hope in Aunt May’s case.  A story to build off of a more potential stories for the future.  No matter what “win” Peter can gain that “ol’ Parker Luck” will appear and I like how Peter acknowledges that.  “Hey I won the lottery! There’s a catch!  OF COURSE, there is.”  type of scenario.  It reminds me of when Captain America came to Peter to ask him to join the New Avengers during Bendis’s run.  

Peter: “Sure why not, I could always use the extra money.”
Cap: “Yeah, we don’t get paid anymore.”
Peter: “OH that is so me, it’s not even funny.”

It’s that kind of characterization in Peter that Taylor seems to thrive on and I am really digging his pen on that.

You guys know me, I love a good Peter and Mary Jane moment and this issue shines with that.  Another reminder that Taylor knows how to write these two together .  I won’t indulge too much into it, but the concern that they show one another is pitch perfect.  I like to add that Peter has been targeted like this before in the last few days and Mary Jane questions “You are just bringing this up, now?”  I really need to see Peter step up on his responsibility to Mary Jane in this series, not saying that he hasn’t, he raced home to Mary Jane once the news broke that Spider-Man was “dead”, but compared to Spencer’s run over there in Amazing, it’s low par over here.  The love is still there and great, but a little more wouldn’t hurt.

The whole Spider-Cop theme seems to be working out in this series and Peter got himself a new Detective buddy.  He knows he’s got a friend with Detective Sebbens and can rely on her to find information out that he needs.  When he goes after the shooter, it’s classic.  Spidey just enjoying things he thought he never do like driving a limo, hat and all!  How it all ends up an in a interrogation method that he used once before in the Marvel Knights series.  That’s two call backs to Spider-Man mythos in this issue.  Kudos to Taylor for doing his homework.    What does bother me just a tad, is the team up with other superheroes.  I say “just a tad” because it’s not a random teacup with some group that he doesn’t have history with, we are talking about the Fantastic Four.  Johnny is one of best friends and he has been apart of that “family” is some cases.  Usually I like Spider-Man to handle his own fights by himself, but a team up isn’t bad AS LONG as the people or group share a history with him.  Not a “MCU forced” history with him, a comic book one.  .

The writing is great and good addition seeing Perez’s art.  Welcoming and warm.  Worth your money and time in my opinion.