AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36

By: Arnold T. Blumberg
Date: Wednesday, November 14, 2001

As most readers know by now, this particular issue of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN is not the original installment planned for this week. Following the tragic events of September 11, writer J. Michael Straczynski was charged with a seemingly impossible task sum up everyone's feelings about this horrible but historic day and basically write the definitive comic book commentary on the topic via Marvel's own native New Yorker, Peter Parker, otherwise known as the Amazing Spider-Man. This was a daunting task even for the acclaimed wordsmith, but let's face it, we knew he would come up with something special. And indeed he did.

Opening with the aftermath of the collapse of the Twin Towers, Straczynski shows us a Spider-Man bowed and beaten by the sight before him. He quickly regains his composure and sets about being a hero once more, aiding others in the rescue and recovery efforts. He couldn't stop the terrorist attacks, but he can definitely help to heal his city. Along the way, he sees the true face of heroism and resolves to go on despite his grief, as we all knew he would. For a character who has always been noted for his inestimable endurance in the face of great hardship, Spidey was a perfect choice to reflect these feelings and reiterate our determination to survive.

It would be too easy to repeat the same simple cliches, and even easier to slip into dangerous, almost satirical territory. After all, how seriously can you take a story that attempts to deal with these real world events within a universe filled with superheroes? Despite the obstacles, Straczynski somehow manages to keep the tone somber and respectable while incorporating the brightly garbed adventurers working shoulder to shoulder with the policemen and firefighters who really proved their heroism that day. He does so by telling the entire story through an internal monologue, with very little external dialogue to break the mood. This is Peter's story a story about one New Yorker's reaction to the events. He may be a superhero, but on this day he's just another human being overwhelmed by the evil that was done to his city and his fellow citizens. It's a moving tribute, enhanced immeasurably by John Romita Jr.'s incredible artwork.

Yes, it does get a bit preachy from time to time, and yes the sentiments all of which have already been heard on television and seen in print countless times over the last two months are wearing thin even now. But for most Americans, they're well worth reading or hearing again, to remind us of the importance of what we have lost, what we have gained, and what we stand for as a nation and a people. As the Marvel Universe's definitive statement on the tragedy, there could be no better single issue than AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36, and no better character to make that statement than Peter Parker.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Grade: B+

Issue: No. 36

Author(s): J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: $2.25