Can we get one introspective Spider-Man story without the burglar or Gwen Stacy? How’s this comic an all-ages book if you’ve got Gwen falling in it? It doesn’t seem like something a six year-old would really engage with.

Anyway, more expanding and updating from Tobin here–Spidey talks text messaging, which they didn’t have in Secret Wars–and something about Galactus affecting the mind. The whole issue is Spider-Man and the Enchantress talking while the good guys fight Galactus. Spider-Man’s lost in his head because of Galactus’s reality-altering powers.

I wasn’t aware fighting Galactus altered the mind, but I don’t really know. It’s a good idea, I suppose, because otherwise he looks sort of goofy. I’ve never read a Kirby-illustrated Galactus comic, so I don’t know if Kirby managed not to make him look goofy.

It’s a well-executed issue, but not useful.

CREDITS

Writer, Paul Tobin; penciller, Patrick Scherberger; inker, Terry Pallot; colorist, Brad Anderson; letterer, Dave Sharpe; editors, Michael Horwitz and Nathan Cosby; publisher, Marvel Comics.

Tobin switches gears here (and breaks continuity with his first issue, no less) with an untold Secret Wars story. It’s the kind of aside I’m not sure ever would have occurred to Jim Shooter as he was writing the originals (or whatever his scripting is called… not sure writing is an appropriate term). It’s about Ben Grimm (having lost the Thing powers) and Spider-Man teaming up with Dr. Doom to save Denver. Denver being on the Beyonder planet. Except in the origin, I think it was a part of Denver, not the whole city. But whatever.

It’s an effective story. Doom is calculating, Grimm is experienced, Spider-Man is funny. Ben and Spidey meet a bunch of regular people (Tobin’s Denver is a lot more racially integrated than the actual Denver, but maybe the Marvel Universe is a nicer place to live); bonding and humor ensue.

It’s decent stuff.

CREDITS

Writer, Paul Tobin; penciller, Patrick Scherberger; inker, Terry Pallot; colorist, Brad Anderson; letterer, Dave Sharpe; editors, Michael Horwitz and Nathan Cosby; publisher, Marvel Comics.

I wish I remembered Secret Wars a little bit better, not enough to go read it again, of course. What Tobin’s doing with this series–it’s a retro book masquerading as an all-ages book; if it really were an all-ages book, I don’t think Patrick Scherberger would be going so far to show how eye holes in masks really do show off a lot of face around the eyes.

Anyway, what Tobin seems to be doing is retelling Secret Wars with a more immature Spider-Man. Maybe it’s a post-“One More Day” or whatever it’s called now story, because he seems young and… maybe a bit Ultimate influenced.

Tobin does a decent job with it, showing how Spider-Man’s take on things doesn’t really compare to Captain America’s or even the Hulk’s, he’s just not enough of a grown-up.

So–not faithful to continuity, but okay.

CREDITS

Writer, Paul Tobin; penciller, Patrick Scherberger; inker, Terry Pallot; colorist, Brad Anderson; letterer, Dave Sharpe; editors, Michael Horwitz and Nathan Cosby; publisher, Marvel Comics.