JMS is one of the writers who officiated the longest of the series (2001 to 2008!), But especially one who, more than any other, changed many things in the life of Spiderman. Alas, in February 2008, Marvel will erase all these stories with the arc One more day in which the world forgets everything that happened in the Spidey universe since he married Mary Jane! The opportunity for home ideas to offer its audience the most cautious and most reactionary, a Spiderman "as before", as could be seen in the days of Stan Lee ...
Straczynski and Romita jr. we deliver here a very good series of episodes. It all starts with a bow very "JMS" in which an ugly "totemic" named "Shatrah", related to pompile (kind of wasp, the worst predators arachnids in nature, which lays its eggs in the body of the spider, who is so consumed from within by larvae!) continues until the poor Spidey Africa. We find this breathless narrative that nailed us on our chair during the first run of episodes with the coming of "Morlun". And "Shatrah" really scary! Follows a story arc a bit feeble, in which Peter Parker goes in search of Mary-Jane to save his marriage. He crosses paths with Doom and Captain America in a series of fairly fetched adventures. The following arc still opposes the weaver canvas a new enemy. This one, named "Digger" is a kind of "Hulk" whose personality is composed of a dozen mafia murdered in a settling of accounts, revenue from the dead and drunken revenge! Friendly but not memorable.
The collection culminates with the three episodes birthdays forming the arc logically named "Happy Birthday", which leads the series in his # 500 at which it regains its original numbering. And it promises a lot: Appearance of the "Avengers" giant fight in New York against the forces of "Dormammu" time travel in the company of "Dr. Strange" and meet Spiderman with his own past. Our hero finds himself faced with a cruel dilemma: Save the world or reverse the course of time ... I'm not convinced of that event out debauchery. Personally, I saw the beginning of the end for the writer, that is to say the start of its submission to the editorial policy of Marvel (here in the sense that the writer sacrifices his run to the Editorial event is to celebrate a symbolic number in the series!). This submission, perhaps forced, take more and more space in the future and will culminate with the status quo of "One More Day" ...
This compilation also place a few episodes intimate touching, still good dialogued, and ends with the episode "You Want Pants With That?", A particularly refreshing narrative that sees our hero discover the "couturier" superheroes and villains of New York, which leads us to understand that among its regulars, a Thor love delicates ...
Looking back, the JMS run remains one of the greatest moments of the editorial history of the character. But all is uneven. When the writer writes freely, it's fantastic. But when he must bend to the dictates of the publisher, is much lower. Nevertheless, this series of episodes remains essential today for the most demanding readers, even in adulthood, are still in love with "the Spiderman!"
In a completely incoherently and probably because it is fashionable, Panini Comics publishes this collection on matte paper. An inconceivable idea, since these episodes were published in 2002 and 2003, with a coloring suitable for publication on glossy paper. Anything!
