Spider-Man: Life Story #3 The ’80s Review

“Nine months pregnant, with twins, and taking care of your 90-year-old aunt, Peter. If I’d known this would be married life…”

Welcome to the not-so-radical ’80s, with wars both Cold and Secret. Can Spidey survive all the conflict around him, with even his home life not providing sanctuary? Plus, who’s stalking the streets of New York and shooting people while in a Spidey suit?

WRITER: Chip Zdarsky

PENCILER: Mark Bagley

INKER: John Dell

COLOR ARTIST: Frank D’Armata

LETTERER: VC’s Travis Lanham

COVER: Chip Zdarsky

VARIANT COVER: ACO

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Shannon Andrews

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Alanna Smith

EDITOR: Tom Brevoort

SPIDER-MAN created by STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO

STORY: 1984. Mary Jane is married to Peter and going into labor expecting twins while Peter has been whisked away to Battle World for three weeks, obtaining a symbiotic costume. While America’s heroes have been fighting a Secret War, Russia has bombed the US. Reed tells Peter the suit is trying to attach itself to him, but Peter already knows. A senile Aunt May wanders off with Peter and MJ’s twins, Claire and Benjy, causing Peter to erupt at MJ when she mentions a senior’s home for May. Wearing a replica of Spidey’s black suit, Kraven the Hunter has been shooting criminals. He drugs and buries Spider-Man, to give him a “warrior’s exit”. The symbiote goes to rescue Peter, turning him into something monstrous. This venomized Spider-Man is on the verge of murdering Kraven in a rage, but Mary Jane defeats him with a fail-safe weapon Peter devised for her. MJ takes the kids and moves out, leaving Peter with Aunt May. Kraven is about to commit suicide as a black tendril wraps itself around the rifle…

THOUGHTS: Alright, I gotta be honest. I read this weeks ago. Several times. This story gets dark and I’ve been taking my time processing my thoughts. The cover lets you in on just how dire things get, featuring Spidey in a coffin as nuclear Armageddon approaches. Anyone else notice how ominous the covers for this series have been? They’re all marvelous to look at and convey the idea of struggle that Peter must endure decade by decade. I’m a pretty big fan of the variant cover by ACO, too, especially with that McFarlane style hairdo on MJ.

In true Spidey fashion, the story picks up with Peter’s personal life at odds with the heroic responsibilities of Spider-Man. I gotta admit I was a little bummed not to see Peter and MJ’s wedding in this universe, but with only an issue per decade, there’s a lot of moments we’re missing out on. It was a sad shock to see Aunt May’s mind going and that MJ was having to deal with so much on her own. Zdarsky does a good job setting up Mary Jane’s disillusionment with how married life is turning out.

Bagley throws us into a magnificent two page spread of a Secret Wars battle. Some looks are accurate to those from the era and some are brand new, highlighting the differences in the time line. Once again, not particularly thrilled with the choice made for Spidey’s 1984 costume. The belt and neck areas just strike me as too weird, but it’s not a decision that we have to endure all issue.

I appreciated how Zdarsky gives Secret Wars all of four pages and just moves his story on. Its impact affects the rest of the story in a major way, so it’s not for nothing, but so many big developments come out of this event. It seems that the change in the Vietnam War has led Russia to strike against the US while its heroes are away, which has a devastating impact. It also allows Peter and Reed to reunite when they are back on Earth to deal with the literal fallout.

Peter has gone out on his own since we last saw him and formed Parker Industries. There’s something about the way he is written that makes him feel more mature than when his 616 counterpart (well, Ock, and then him) did the same. You believe this Peter is that smart, that he belongs in a room working alongside Reed Richards as an equal. With Peter staying behind to help with the nuclear clean up while other heroes go to fight back, it showcases how his mind is even more vital than his powers.

Zdarsky takes it one step further when Reed reveals to Peter that the new costume he brought back from Battle World is alive. This Peter is all too aware of that fact, having done the research himself. In this timeline, he didn’t need Reed to tell him these things and he already has a contingency in place if the symbiote gets out of hand. Peter’s age gets brought up, too. Now that he’s 37, he feels the costume gives him that extra edge to stay in the crime-fighting game. I don’t necessarily think he’s too old to be out doing what he’s doing, but I like that he realizes it’s going to get more challenging and that he’ll take help when it’s needed to get home safe to his family.

Family life is very rough for Peter and MJ. Bagley sells the desperation on Peter’s face when he comes to her and announces he’s back, then takes it a step further with an anguished expression when he sees their twins for the first time and realizes he wasn’t there for them or Mary Jane, in what was a difficult delivery.

Mary Jane really suffers in this story. She may be married, but she seems completely alone. May is of little company and needs as much looking after as Claire and Benjamin. This Mary Jane isn’t the party-girl who would go out dancing while her husband is fighting crime. She’s taking on the responsibilities of the home while Peter bounces between Spider-Man and Parker Industries. She’s kind of a single parent, one who feels forever in the shadow of the ghost of a perfect first wife. The fact that she feels like an ignored runner-up was not what I was expecting from this story at all and it kind of broke my fan heart as I wanted her and Peter to be happy together in some world.

Age has hit Kraven hard in this reality and he’s dying of cancer to boot. This gives him his last hunt motivation, along with the fact that both countries he considers home are at war. In a departure from Fearful Symmetry, Kraven is already suited up in the black costume and taking people out with a rifle before burying the Web-Slinger alive. Zdarsky does a phenomenal job tying in some of the major storylines of the era well, by organically blending in Secret Wars, Kraven’s Last Hunt, and Venom in a way that makes perfect sense for this timeline.

This issue highlights just how strong a character Mary Jane is. Not only for having to deal with a missing husband, an aging aunt who can no longer care for herself, and newborn twins, but that she ultimately is the one who comes to Peter’s rescue as he is about to lose himself to his bond with the symbiote. Of course Peter entrusts her with the means to his defeat and although she’s full of trepidation to use it, she steps up to save the day. Sadly, this winds up being the last straw for her.

I can’t say I blame her for walking out on Peter. As a gigantic fan of the Spider-Marriage, I was sorry to see the story take this turn, but given what she’s had to endure, I buy it. It’s also a far more relateable end to a marriage than trading it away to a devil. One of the key factors to Spidey’s popularity is the ability and ease with which a reader can identify with him. Sadly, separation and divorce are a way of life for many and given the strains this relationship has had to endure, it can be common for it to buckle. It was a bitter pill to swallow to see their marriage end yet again, but it was very well told and plausible.

The last page brings a conclusion that isn’t unexpected to Kraven fans…until those last two panels! Bagley perfectly recaptures the sorrow of Fearful Symmetry and then offers a wave of excitement as the symbiote tendrils swirl around the rifle as Kraven is about to end his own life. Once again, the symbiote has stopped someone from suicide and apparently a new Venom will be born. What does this mean for Eddie Brock? What does this mean for Spidey? A Venom trained in the hunt has to be far more deadly than one bonded to Brock, Flash Thompson, or Mac Gargan. I can’t wait to see where this thread goes!

Despite my not caring for Spidey’s 1984 costume, Bagley’s art is stunning. The man has been drawing Spidey over the span of at least three decades and all that practice has led to perfection. Once Spidey is in the black suit and later the red and blues, it’s sure to bring joy to longtime Spider-Fans! His Venom is monstrous and scary and the aging Kraven carries a cloud of tragedy over his head. Every issue so far has been an artistic masterpiece and I have a feeling it’s only going to get more impressive!

Zdarsky has been killing it on this story. Yes, he’s got a lot of the work done for him, but he is tying so many different elements together in a fresh way that gives me a rush finishing every issue. This series continues to lean in on the tragic, but it’s so thrilling, so visceral, that I can forgive it for not having more of a balance between light and dark. It’s a tough balance to strike when you focus on just one small portion of a decade and this issue felt the most bleak so far. I don’t know where Zdarsky is taking us next, but I can’t wait to find out!

MY GRADE: A

JAVI’S HUH?: So, after being on opposite sides of the Vietnam War, Cap and Iron Man are buddies again? I guess what happens on Battle World stays on Battle World…