Spider-Man: Reign [Hardcover]

Kaare Andrews (Author), Jose Villarrubia (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2007

A searing vision of Spider-Man's future, brought to you by superstar Kaare Andrews (Incredible Hulk). They finally did it. Kicked them to the curb. The "capes and tights" crowd - there's no place for them in the Big Apple anymore. Peter Parker? He can't even remember what it was like to don the red and blue and swing through the night sky. Doesn't want to, anyway. After all, there's nothing left to fight for, is there? That is until an old "friend" appears on Peter's doorstep, bearing a package and a message - and everything changes. If it's not Peter's responsibility, then whose is it? Collects Spider-Man: Reign #1-4.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (April 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785117172
• ISBN-13: 978-0785117179
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #378,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget 'The Dark Knight' Comparison, June 5, 2007

By 

GREG NELSON (BILLINGS, MT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spider-Man: Reign (Hardcover)

Spoiler Free: Okay enough already with those comparisons, they're absolutely correct comparing the two. Once you get past that, does this work stand on its own two feet and deliver an excellent story, memorable portrayals of the characters, fitting and great art, a tone that works well for the story, and superb writing all within the Spider-man universe? Yes, on all accounts it does. For fans of Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Returns, Blade Runner, The Lorax, and Unforgiven alike - Reign offers us a look into individuals denying the truths, haunted by their past and actions that can't be undone, with brief and rare moments of hope in a world of a society and government gone awry. Many of the actions parallel sentiments you can feel in the moment, past and future. Everything about this story bleeds feelings and emotions you can sink your teeth into and relate to from the pit of your stomach. We see chances at redemption, chances to look forward and leave the past behind, and chances to do the right thing even if it's the hard thing to do. That is what I got out of reading it anyways, I'm a big fan of these types of stories and the ability of people to make tough choices and get over ghosts of the past with actions that speak louder than words. To go aginst the judgments of others, to find the truth or inner strength and accomplish more that they thought possible. Reign delivered all this, powerful stuff from an unexpected source.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-breaking Tragedy, August 3, 2007

By 

Andrew Shaffer "Author, Blogger" (Iowa) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spider-Man: Reign (Hardcover)

A four-issue prestige format mini-series about a flagship character's "final days" in a dystopian future? While Kaare Andrews may have intended this as a "Dark Knight Returns" homage (witness the reporters' names..."Miller Janson"?), the story rises above mere tribute and takes on a life of its own as the series progresses. It's no surprise that Mary Jane is gone--Spidey's clinging to her tombstone on the cover. Although I've never been a fan of the airheaded model, Andrews crafts a tragic love story here that will bring a tear to the eyes of even the most hardcore MJ-haters.

All of Spidey's major villains are here (except for one noticeable exception, Mr. Norman Osborne). Without spoiling any of the surprises, one villain makes his creepiest appearance ever. Needless to say, if you are a Spider-Man fan (especially of the ol' blacksuit-era), you need to read this collection.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actually this "last" Spider-Man story works better as the last Venom story, May 6, 2007

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Spider-Man: Reign (Hardcover)

The parallels between "Spider-Man: Reign" and "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns" are fairly obvious, but I was actually thinking more of a Superman story rather than a Batman one as I read this four-part comic book limited series. Before Marvel really existed D.C. was always doing "imaginary stories," where they could play around with their characters. Eventually in 1989 DC started publishing "Elseworld" publications, that had stories that took place outside the continuity of a character's canon. There was an annual for one of the Superman titles where Clark Kent and Lois Lane are not only married, they are going to have a baby. But when the baby starts kicking in its mother's womb with just a fraction of the powers of his Kryptonian father, Lois is killed. The story is about the effect this tragedy had on Superman and I have to admit that I remember the set-up but not the payoff.

A similar fate might be in store for "Spider-Man: Reign," written and drawn by Kaare Andrews, which has a strong parallel to that Superman story in that Peter Parker being Spider-Man is responsible for the death of Mary Jane because they are a married couple. To put things delicately, it turns out that Spider-Man's blood is not the only thing about him that is radioactive (yes, we are back to taking the radioactive spider story of Spider-Man's creation at face value). Consequently we have the tragic irony that Peter's love for Mary Jane is literally what killed her. That idea has resonance and it serves as the justification in this particular tale for Peter to quit being Spider-Man. Now it is thirty-five years down the road and what is happening to New York City is going to force Spider-Man to come out of retirement (something that inevitable is not a spoiler).

This futuristic New York City is a world devoid of super criminals and super heroes, and it is "The Reign," the fascist city police, who keep the order. Peter Parker is now a bearded and decrepit old man who gets fired from the flower shop at which he works and goes home to a shabby apartment where he imagines conversations with his dead wife. Meanwhile, Mayor Waters is working on a laser barrier, ironically called the WEBB system, that will protect NYC from terrorists and you just know this is a bad, bad idea. Things get really interesting when J. Jonah Jameson, a very bitter old man, shows up at Peter's apartment, railing against a world full of liars and oppressors, and trying to give Peter a package. It is in defending JJJ from the Reign that Peter starts to get back into the swing of things.

That first issue sets up the dynamic of this one as Peter is put on a collision track with the Mayor's plans for the city. In the second issue Waters finds out that Spider-Man is back he sends the Sinner Six (The Sandman, Electro, Scorpion, Mysterio, Hydro-Man and Kraven the Hunter) after the web head, while JJJ starts "publishing" again to get the word out. The third issue features the mechanical arms of Doctor Octopus and (as all Spider-Man titles do this summer) that black costume, and you know what THAT means. I have already said I like the premise of Mary Jane's death, and I certainly appreciate the idea that there are things in this world that J. Jonah Jameson really does hate more than Spider-Man. However when you are fostering comparisons between your story and "The Dark Knight Returns," you are going to come out on the short end because we are talking about A+ comic book stories like "Watchmen" and the arrival of the Silver Surfer and Galactus in "The Fantastic Four."

So, if that comparison is fatal, then the question becomes whether or not there is a better basis for judging "Spider-Man: Reign"? The answer is that while this is at face value the "last" Spider-Man story (they are never going to do one where he "officially" dies so this is probably as close as it gets), it really works much better as the last Venom story. I say this never having really liked the character of Venom, mainly because of the level of violence he represents. But the last Venom story-arc I read, dealing with the idea that Eddie Brock was dying and that the symbiot always liked Peter best, appealed to me and "Spider-Man: Reign" follows the same approach in coming up with a nice twist on the fundamental relationship between the symbiot and Peter. This also puts the Spider-man mantra of how "with great power comes great responsibility" in a fairly interesting new context. The net result is certainly interesting and while not great, because there is nothing inherent in the best part of the situations that require Peter to be a senior citizen, it is still pretty good.