Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2: Revelations [Paperback]

J. Michael Straczynski (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (September 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785108777
• ISBN-13: 978-0785108771
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #402,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Spidey, November 29, 2004

By 

jancola (Encino, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2: Revelations (Paperback)

I was in New York in 9/11. I was in the WTC on September 8th; I was buying a book from the book store that used to be in the mall. I, like millions of other Americans, feel very close to the events that took place that day. I tear up whenever I hear Tori Amos' "I Can't See New York." And I cried when I read this piece.

I am a big fan of Straczynski. I love Babylon 5, I think "Rising Stars" is brilliant, and I think his work on Spiderman is breathing fresh life into an old book about a teenager who in the wrong hands would have aged without grace. I think the "Happy Birthday" TPB is very, very good. But this is better. The single word, "God..." over a stunning rendering wide shot of the tragedy by John Romita, Jr. catches in your throat, and the rest of Peter's interior monologue is equally appropriate. Captain America's sadness, Magneto's willingness to help, and the respect paid to the firefighters are among the many highpoints of this unique issue.

Now, everyone has talked about how good this issue is, and I've just echoed that, but I would also like to point out how note-perfect the rest of the TPB is. The actual arc of this book is about how Aunt May finally finds out that her Peter is the reviled Spiderman, and how she comes to terms with that.

There are some comically beautiful moments, like when Peter is trying to figure out why Aunt May sounds so upset (he thinks maybe she's dying), and when Aunt May says she is relieved to find out that Peter isn't gay.

JMS also needs some props for writing Aunt May so well. There's a very touching scene, where Peter admits that he could have saved Uncle Ben, and Aunt May forgives him. This scene was sort of in the movie (#2), but it works so much better in this book. In the movie, Aunt May gets mad, but you get the feeling that she's wrong -- she shouldn't be mad at him because scrawny Peter, as she knows him, couldn't conceivably stop a full grown man (a criminal!). In the book, she knows he is a superhero and she knows he could have, SHOULD have, done something, but because she is a wise and loving person, a traditional grand dame from the greatest generation, she gives him the forgiveness he has always wanted but has never been able to ask for.

In short, any self-respecting Spidey fan should own this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aunt May knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, April 20, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2: Revelations (Paperback)

I do not buy into the notion that "Revelations" was published so that Marvel could exploit their 9/11 issue of "The Amazing Spider-Man." This trade papaerback collection of issues #36-39 follows up on "Coming Home," so there is continuity at work. Besides, given that the current cost of #36 is rougthly the equivalent of what you would have to pay to pick up the previous 35 issues of the comic, there is little to complain about for those who somehow neglected to pick up the issue in the first place.

As it says at the beginning of #36, "We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you the following Special Bulletin." The reaction of Spider-Man, Captain America, and the other Marvel superheroes to the attack on the World Trade Center is out of time and space for the Marvel Universe. The event has to be acknowledged on one level, and it is the emotional response to these events that the comic is about, but on another level it cannot be dealt with. J. Michael Straczysnki and John Romita, Jr. touch upon the issue of where were these superheroes and why did they not do something about this horrible event, but there is not much they can really do about it. Spider-Man is not going to go across the ocean and beat up terrorists the way Superman took on the Axis during World War II. This is not going to happen. For one reason Marvel has no more interest in overshadowing the troops in the field than they do the NYC firefighters and police honored for their sacrifices in this issue. Beyond that such real events expose the Achilles heel of all superheroes: every time Superman is Clark Kent, there are people dying that he could have saved. Issue #36 is thoughtful, extremely so by comic book standards, but the comic book moves on.

Even without the 9/11 tribute, "Revelations" remains a great collection because of the other three issues. At the end of issue #35, Aunt May came into Peter Parker's apartment and found him bruised, beaten, and bandaged, in a deep sleep, his tattered Spider-Man costume at his meet. Issue #37, "Interlude," finds Aunt May wandering the streets, trying to absorb the shock of the revelation, while Peter Parker becomes involved in the life of one of his students, offering a telling counterpoint to the relationship he has with his Aunt. Issue #38, "The Conversation," has Aunt May confronting Peter about his big secret, and there is little time wasted denying the truth. They actually talk about the things these characters should be talking about. This is not a deat bed declaration like it was in Volume 1, much as I liked the way Aunt May finally confronted Peter with the truth atop the Empire State Building on the day she died. This is a key part of an ongoing attempt by this writer and artist to rework the elements of the Spider-Man mythos that have become overworked commonplaces. Now, instead of worrying about hiding his secret identity from Aunt May, Peter gets to worry about her knowing the truth.

Issue #39, "Meanwhile," combines Aunt May dealing with her new perspective on Spider-Man (she cancels her subscription to the "Daily Bugle") with Peter's other major interpersonal headache, being separated from Mary Jane. This is also "The Amazing Spider-Man" entry for the 'Nuff Said sweepstakes, where all of the monthly Marvel titles can up with issues using no dialogue or caption boxes to communicate information. The result is a series of cute and poignant moments that show Straczynski and Romita rose to the challenge and avoiding descending into gimmickry. "Meanwhile" fits quite nicely as an interlude in the storyline, although the bits with Aunt May are a lot better than the unnecessary reminders that Mary Jane and Peter miss each other. This just underscores how these comics are part of the continuity of "The Amazing Spider-Man," and you have to been following the story from at least the point when Straczynski took over as writer to fully appreciate what is happening in these stories. But within that context, they are four of the more memorable issues from Volume 2.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive, read them all, June 11, 2006

By 

Kevin Diesel Decent - See all my reviews

This review is from: Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 2: Revelations (Paperback)

Through reading these and other recent Spider-Man books (25 issues worth) one thing comes to mind: even through bad stories, Spider-Man is still the man. It may be controversial but I like the idea of Ezekiel, Morlun, the Spider totem, all of it. Spider-Man has to be changed up every once in awhile and this is a much better way to do it then killing people off, or a new costume. As Straczynski's run goes on he shows a new side to Spider-Man/Peter Parker, MJ, Aunt May, even Uncle Ben. Spider-Man is firmly in the Marvel Universe in this series, with random comings and goings from other heroes. On the other hand, Peter Parker is firmly in the real world during this run. Peter Parker in college has been tried before, but Peter Parker (as an adult of course) in high school? Well, that's different and incredibly entertaining. The new villains are memorable and the older cast reminds you why you loved them to begin with.