Spider-Man (Mass Market Paperback)

by Peter David (Author)
Key Phrases: spider sense, web line, Mary Jane, Aunt May, Norman Osborn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-David has taken the screenplay and turned it into an entertaining, exciting novel. The famous character has been updated for the 21st century with high-tech weapons and gadgets, and genetically altered spiders. The story traces Peter Parker from his origins as a wimpy high school nerd to a New York City photographer by day and crime-fighting superhero by night. The usual characters are all well portrayed: Peter's longtime love Mary Jane, the gruff newspaper editor J. Jonah Jamesson, Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and, of course, Spidey's nemesis, the Green Goblin. Much of the book centers on the rivals and how they came to be what they are: one seeking redemption and the other revenge. With its snappy dialogue, fast pace, and jam-packed action sequences, the novel has the feel of a comic book, and it should be a hot item with teens.
James O. Cahill, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
The explosive tale of Marvel Comics’ crime-fighting superhero

SPIDER-MAN

It begins with an orphan named Peter Parker, raised by his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben in Queens, New York. A quiet student, he works diligently at his studies and pines for the beautiful Mary Jane Watson. But this ordinary teenage boy is about to have his life turned upside down, when he is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Suddenly, he finds himself possessed of spectacular powers. He is now and forever Spider-Man!

Follow Spider-Man’s action-packed journey, from his struggle to harness the extraordinary gifts that will prove to be both blessing and curse, to his fight to save innocent lives while the media tears him to pieces. It all leads up to his ultimate battle high above New York streets, against the death-dealing madman known as the Green Goblin. While the city watches helplessly and countless lives hang in the balance, Spider-Man confronts his archnemesis, and the Goblin puts Spider-Man’s vow to fight crime to the ultimate test . . .

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 1st edition (March 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345450051
• ISBN-13: 978-0345450050
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #854,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Peter David RULES!, March 23, 2002

By A Customer

For comic book nerds like me (or for literate Trekkies) then the name Peter David puts an instant smile on your face. I've only read one Peter David Star Trek novel, but it was the most entertaining Star Trek story I had ever read. His run on the Incredible Hulk was the best ever written. But I digress.

Die hards who even have interest in this novel already know the story behind Spider-man. So are there any real spoilers? Not really. We all know about his relationship with Uncle Ben and Aunt (ug) May. We all know about his pining for Mary Jane Watson (sorry, no Gwen Stacy this time around). We all know about Norman Osbourne and son Harry and their developement into Green Goblins.

What might not be translated on screen is the motivations and the incredibly well-written and fleshed out thoughts provided by the clever Mr. Peter David in this novel. I found myself once again thoroughly entertained by this man's writing style. Unless Sam Raimi is a genius (okay, so he's close) he won't be able to fully communicate the "radioactive" spider's motivation behind wanting to bite Peter as Mr. David does so well in the novel. Peter David knows comics and Spider-man so well that this movie will most definitely be more entertaining after reading the novel.

After reading this novel, I believe that you'll feel like a well-educated art lover who will get to go to the Louvre for his first time this May. You'll know the ins and outs and thoughts behind scenes...but seeing the real thing will be just that, "the real thing".

There's nothing to spoil essentially although there are a few "surprises". But one real surprise I believe will be seeing if the acting abilities of Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, and company can portray these characters faithfully as I've made them out to be in my head over all these years. Sam Raimi's action sequences will be the true star and the films greatest surprise.

Fear not, reading this novel before seeing the movie should not spoil more than you will gain. It's a great read and it'll just get you prepared for appreciating this movie as it should be viewed. I bought the book today and finished it tonight, and darn it all, I wish that opening day were tomorrow.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars But then, I'm biased, May 20, 2002

By	Peter David (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

Having actually *written* the book in question, this is more by way of an FYI than an actual review. I just wanted to give a heads up to the reviewer who listed all the scenes which he believed were deleted from the script and would have better served the film if they'd been in there. Of all the scenes he listed, the *only* one that was originally in the script was the Curt Connors scene. I conceived and wrote all the other scenes, all on my own. It's a common practice; scripts are only 120 pages long and simply much too short to be novel length. So novelizers always develop their own material to interweave it.

I have no idea if that changes anyone's opinion of the book one way or the other, but I just thought I'd make it clear that the "deleted scenes" were for the most part nothing of the sort.

PAD

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Web-Slingin' Wonderful!, April 16, 2002

By	Bruce Rux (Aurora, CO) - See all my reviews

If the movie's even half as good as the novelization - and with Sam Raimi directing, it oughta be terrific - we're in for a treat. And even if it isn't, it won't diminish this wonderfully written Spider-Man novel. Spidey's never really had a good incarnation outside of Marvel Comics - until now.

Purists may cry foul at the few changes made to the original character(s), but those changes only help to tell a more epic story in a more reasonable amount of time. Without stating any spoilers, the story of Spider-Man presented here covers the origins of Peter Parker's transformation into the friendly neighborhood webslinger, that of his arch-nemesis the Green Goblin, and of course his romance with Mary Jane.

Structurally, it resembles the dramatization of the first Batman movie, though stylistically it has a great deal more humor. Comic book fans will be delighted by the numerous in-joke references to other superhero characters, as well as phrases and lesser villains from Stan Lee, and the astute reader may catch some subtly placed jokes referring to the actors playing the roles in the movie.

But the most pleasant surprise about this version of Spider-Man is its maturity level. The character as originally written always suffered somewhat from too juvenile a mindset, which this Spider-Man does not. Peter Parker is a credibly modern young man of post-high school/pre-college age. Mary Jane, similarly, is a more realistically fleshed-out character, with recognizably real home problems and issues. The Green Goblin is not a mere sneering carnival spook-house caricature, but an inwardly tormented and unwisely desperate man who sets the wheels of his own destruction in motion. The very questions of heroism and villainy are dealt with not as clear-cut issues of black and white, but more as psychologically complex developments occurring largely by accident and partly by design, stemming from innate character strengths or flaws inherent in the individual. Responsibility for one's own actions, all random accidents of life notwithstanding, is at the story's core.

Even readers completely unfamiliar with Spider-Man will enjoy this book. I'm only sorry it's over. Hey - maybe they'll write some more! (Hint, hint.)