Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #2 (2017)

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #2 (with review’s thoughts)

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artists: Adam Kubert

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

C.Artist: Adam Kubert and Richard Isanove

Editor-in-Chief: Alex Alonso

The issues starts off…

With Peter visiting Ironheart’s neighborhood to obtain information on a Stark phone that has been hacked.  So instead of doing that, he acts like a fanboy trying to get autographs from Ironheart.   Riri has had enough, and for good reason, flies at Spider-Man to fly him out of her neighborhood.  Spider-Man continues on with jokes and evidently gets Ironheart to land (crash) back down to the ground.  Peter FINALLY get to the real reason why he decided to visit.  

Thoughts:  Okay.  This is what I don’t like straight out of the issue.  Peter is all about being funny when in the middle of a fight or about to go toe to toe with a baddie.  Ironheart?  She has done nothing.  Spider-Man showed up to her neighborhood and approached her house.  That’s ignoring “secret identity” rule #1.  Neighbors are around, someone is bound to look out of the window and wonder why two superheros are in the street on their block.  Riri has sound reason to be upset about this and Peter (being that he’s done this for awhile) should have know better.  He could start off with a bad pun or quip and then get straight to the point.  Or at least go to Stark Industries and talk to Mary Jane about speaking to Riri to get this hacked phone corrected.  I would take a playful banter between MJ and Peter walking the halls into Stark Tower over this any day. That’s keeping a low key and not exposing anyone’s alter ego.  Spidey here looks like he’s trying too hard to make a funny impression on the newbie Iron Man.

After they land, IA Tony shows up and they discuss on what investigation needs to be done on this phone in order to obtain it’s information.  Riri says she’ll get back to Peter on that.  Peter gets text from Johnny Storm, realizes he blew off their man-date and heads on back to his place via riding on Ironheart…yep…that just happened.

TIMEOUT:  This panel just looks SUPER creepy to me.  Again I see Deadpool doing something like this and amping up by 10 or more, but Spider-Man?!  Riri is basically saying what every die-hard Spidey fan is thinking.  It looks like Chip is trying to make Spider-Man as goofy on purpose.  Why is Peter trying to impress this 15 year old kid? 

Peter shows up and to see his “sister” and starts to explain brief history on who Teresa Durand/Parker is to Johnny Storm.

Thoughts:  THIS I actually like!  Within this brief history on why Teresa is there you see the banter brought on by the friend relationship of Peter Parker and Johnny Storm.  It fits, it’s funny, it’s harmless, it works within the continuity of these characters and their history with each other.  Johnny: *toilet flush sound* “Hmm? Oh you were boring me.”  Classic!

Teresa informs the two of the secret data from the Gray Blades file is in her bloodstream.

Thoughts: It’s comics folks…don’t think too hard on the “How did that..huh?”‘s on that.  …. You really want to know don’t you?  *sigh* FINE!  There’s this new process that turns the data in to nanofluids and you inject them in your body.  It’s the latest rage.  Happy?!  Yeah, didn’t think so.  It’s comics!  Moving on…

Peter says that Teresa can stay at his place and rest.  Asks Johnny to watch her sister while he goes on that date with Rebeca, the new girl he ran into in the first issue.  Here’s the thing though, he arrives at the coffee shop as Spider-Man.  Full costume and blazer jacket on.  Has a very amusing conversation with Rebeca, gets into a tussle with customer, and realizes that Johnny Storm followed him to the coffee shop and started giving him “the sweats” for fun and giggles.  Riri contacts Spider-Man, informs him that she broke the code and says there is one man that may be selling these phones out to baddies that are causing some trouble.  That man, Wilson Fisk.  Issue ends with Teresa looking at picture of Richard and Mary Parker.

Thoughts:  This scene is a hit and miss.  If you are going on a date as a superhero, especially one that DOES wear a mask, don’t go to a public coffee shop.  A blazer over your costume?!  REALLY??  Again, I’m seeing more Deadpool humor in this than anything else.  I do understand that Spider-Man needs to be funny and have that Ol’ Parker luck, but you can find a better more “realistic” way of writing that.  He just look ridiculous in this issue.  It’s funny sure, but not Spider-Man funny.  I don’t like how Rebeca is there.  I still feels off to me.  We don’t need another potential love interest for Peter.  The Kingpin angle in this…now that is interesting and fits in with the Teresa plot. 

Pros:

• The Peter/Johnny Storm relationship.  It fits.
• I like Kubert’s art.

Cons:

• Meeting with Ironheart.  It was too forced fed funny and ended with a creep factor moment
• Superhero date in a public coffee house.  Things you shouldn’t see Spider-Man do
• Forgetting about hanging out with his loyal friend, but remembering about a date with a stranger

Grade: C-

The art and friendship with Human Torch kept is from going to a D.