Chi-Town’s Breakdown: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Volume 2) #1

Writer:
Tom Taylor

Artists:
Juann Cabal

Editors:
Nick Lowe

E.I.C: 
C.B. Cebulski

Crawlspace Reviewer:
Chi-Town Spidey

Crawlspace E.I.C:
Brad Douglas

where Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man followed Slott’s run, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Volume 2) will follow Nick Spencer’s run.  The last remnants of the “Brand New Day” status quo have been swept away to make way for this “Fresh Start” era and I for one could not be happier.  2019 looks like a good year for Spider-Man fans!  Let’s see who the creative minds are behind this satellite title. 

The Pen is Mighter…We have Tom Taylor as the writer.  He’s best know at DC Comics as the writer for Injustice: Gods Among Men and over at Marvel he brought us All-New Wolverine and X-Men Red.  At CBR Tom talked about how this book “is largely about the world and the people around Peter. I’m not saying we won’t be visiting other worlds, but for the most part it’s about the neighborhood, and the people in close proximity to Peter.”  Keeping root into the title of this book, that’s a good thing to hear.  One of things over at Amazing that Spencer has been doing is having fun Peter’s room mates Randy Roberson and  Fred Myers, aka: the super villain Boomerang.  FNSM also follows suite as Taylor has pointed out “I’m having a lot of fun with Fred, he’s ridiculous.”  Another important factor that Amazing has cemented in stone is the Peter re-kindled relationship with Mary Jane Watson.  Taylor had a few things to say about that relationship which made this Crawlspacer VERY HAPPY to hear “Writing Pete and MJ for the first time was pure joy. I love these two together. They’re one of my two favorite couples in comics and they play so well together. There’s so much love and optimism and humor between them. MJ is Spider-Man’s equal in every way.” 

Something to look at…Artwork is a HUGE factor in any Spider-Man book and FNSM tapped Juann Cabal to illustrate.  Don’t expect him to show you any kind of spoiler-ish kind of artwork before the book comes out.  That man WANTS you to be surprised once you start reading.  His Marvel credit includes X-23 and All-New Wolverine.  His artwork reminds me of Terry Dodson a bit which I’m good with. 

Don’t be surprised if you see other talent walking into this book.  It’s pretty common for other writers and artists to come and go.  For now, if you are enjoying Amazing, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll enjoy Friendly Neighborhood.  Okay, enough of me rambling on and on like Aunt May does when she tells stories to her nephew.  Here’s the review of issue one! 

Story #1: Spider-Man is dealing with a real problem that all of us can relate too….traffic.  Nope, he’s not driving, but there is a truck that’s about about to flip over the bridge with a father and his daughter inside.  Spidey saves the day of course (WITH NO HELP FROM ANYONE, THANK GOD!) and manages to get the family out.  Family is so grateful they were going to pay him a tip for his services.  Spidey declines and asks the father to “pay it forward” to someone who really needs the cash.  Peter returns home to find his neighbor Marine (Aunt May look-a-like that really hates elevators) waiting for him.  Peter helps Marine with her groceries up the stairs and asks for another favor from Peter.  Marine informs Peter that another neighbor named Leilani hasn’t come out of her apartment because she’s scared and would like to see a superhero.  Knowing that Peter has a connection to Spider-Man, Marine asks Peter to investigate.  Peter does so and take a few blows to his ego when Leilani is looking for a more powerful superhero, but takes Peter up on his offer to help.  She can’t leave the apartment so Peter heads out to grab lunch and will bring it back.  After meeting some other people in his neighborhood to treat Peter to lunch, Peter heads back to find that the people that Leilani have been scared of, have come to collect.  When Peter confronts them, he rolls with a punch and finds outs these aren’t normal day goons as they knock him out.  When Peter comes to, he finds Marine and Randy looking over him.  Peter rushes to his apartment to find Fred playing video games, as Fred wants to do, informing Peter that Leilani dropped by earlier, with her laundry stating that Peter would do if for her.  As Peter is suiting up as Spider-Man he finds the the laundry basket is holding two kids with superpower abilities. To be continued…

Thoughts:  Tom wasn’t kidding when he said that this story keeps within the neighborhood on where Peter lives.  It’s a nice change of pace to see Spider-Man doing super heroic good deeds.  Usually you see one of Spidey’s villains coming in the story revolves around that particular story arc.  This series seems to focus on quite the opposite.  The baddies revolve around the neighborhood!  Tom does a good job on Spidey’s humor.  It’s spot on when Peter is socializing with people in his neighborhood or when he’s Spider-Man.  Tom even shows how people should react with they meet the webslinger. 

Yup, my kid did that plenty of times to me when I was in costume.  Squish the spider.  The writing on Peter interacting with his neighborhood fits really well.  From the people in his neighborhood, to the people in his apartment complex, to his actual roommates and yes, Fred makes an appearance in his book.  Taylor is writing Fred in character and I hysterically laughed out loud when I saw this panel!  Typical Fred!  Dark Mark fan of “Bad Villains” would love this!

Juan Cabal art is very fluid and smooth and of course Nolan Woodard’s colors help with that.  Not sure where Taylor is going with the superhuman kids that Peter sees hiding in the laundry basket but I’m sure it’ll be an enjoyable read.  Pretty sure that Peter’s neighbor Marine knew about these “Wonder Twins” all along.  Otherwise…why so persistent in giving Peter the apples to eat?

Story #2: Aunt May is hiding something from Peter.  Story starts off with May’s narration to writing Peter a letter.  Within the lettered narration we see Peter and Mary Jane having a romantic outing on top of the Chrysler Building, which made this Crawlspacer smile from ear to ear.  Later on Spider-Man being suspicious of Aunt May and following her only to be detoured in stopping a “Bullied Kid” incident.  Then we see Aunt May going into a hospital, walking up the stairs and telling the Kingpin off, before entering the door to get checked out because she found a lump!  Tom Taylor wrote this issue and Marcelo Ferreira helmed the pencils while Jim Campbell provided the colors.

Thoughts: Walloping Websnappers!!!!  What a bombshell!  Okay let’s start off with how Tom deals with the Peter and MJ relationship.  Perfect!  Tom understands these characters and how they should be told and written.  We all know how much of a Mary Jane/Peter fan I am.  Taylor is right along with Spencer on Amazing when it comes to this couple.  This is set in stone and really we should just sit back and enjoy this ride.  I like how Tom is playing with the secret identity thing.  Very clever.  Spider-Man’s ID must be kept a secret so having MJ wear a spare Spidey costume commits to two major important factors.  1)  Keeps Peter and MJ ID’s secret when web-slinging in public.  2)  Cements in stone that Spidey has a romantic interest (Mary Jane) if seen in public.  Mrs. Spider-Man per say…  Clever writing on this part.

Then we come to the real focus of this part.  Aunt May discovered a lump and she may have Cancer.  Heavy topic and if played right could lead to some good story telling.  Taylor writes Aunt May as a concerned Mother, as she should be written as when it comes to Peter.  She doesn’t want Peter to worry.  My only nitpick is that she was harsh on Peter in ASM #1, would the tables turn in this case?  What is going to happen when Peter finds out? Aunt May wrote this whole letter but then tore up the letter that she was writing.  Look I HONESTLY get it.  Cancer is a big topic to talk about and when it effects loved ones it’s hard to think of who should know and who shouldn’t.  How to tell them and how to get them not to worry or should they be worried.  I know this all too well.  The best thing about this is to come clean about it and May will do that, she just has to figure out how and when. 

On our Podcast we have talked about how Peter should tell May that he’s Spider-Man.  This Cancer Card may lead into that.  In Amazing Spider-Man #400 we saw a powerful, emotional “Death” of Aunt May.  In JMS’s run on Amazing we saw Aunt May finding out that Peter is Spider-Man, before OMD messed that all up.  JMS wrote the “Reveal” PERFECTLY!  With this “Fresh Start”, I think Taylor is trying to recreate this, but this time, making is cement in stone and not change in a reboot.  Aunt May death will be a huge impact on Peter and even Mary Jane, if that is indeed the route they are going with.  It’s quite possible that both Taylor and Spencer over at ASM are talking about this.  Aunt May telling the Kingpin off!!!  DAMN!  Yes to that in so many ways!!  He just stood there like a chump!

Overall, it’s a good issue.  First story was fun and friendly and the second story was emotional and powerful.  I’m excited to see how this plays on.  Not as exciting as in what Spencer is doing over in ASM, but damn near close to it.  Betting issue number two will be great!  Till then, keep it real, Crawlspacer’s!