Customer Reviews

Spider-Man: Requiem (Spider-Man (Pocket Star))

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I picked up this book for two reasons. First, i am a Spider-Man fanatic and try to collect all the Spider-Man novels. Second, because i love to read. Whenever i start a spider-man book, i never know what i'm going to get, and thankfully, this book didn't leave me disappointed. I enjoyed the lengths that Mariotte went into to give this book a good background. He has clearly researched his Marvel history very well. I loved the cheesy one-liners(i mean, this is Spider-Man, one-liners are what he's all about) and the serial killer subplot. I only have two complaints. First, i noticed an obvious error where peter goes to visit a former villian to make sure he hasn't taken up the role again, then 200 pages later he's talking about him being dead. Second, the left-wingedness of the author shone through a couple times, most obviously in global warming. I have always hated it when writers use fiction novels as tools to promote their beliefs, and this is no different. all in all though, this is a very good book, and i would recommend it to anyone who enjoys comic books.

This reminds me of the previous Spider-Man novel, DROWNED IN THUNDER. Both reach back far into the rich history of Spider-Man and Marvel Comics for their inspirations, drawing often on rather obscure elements.

The difference, however, is that DROWNED IN THUNDER made everything feel smooth and organic and natural. REQUIEM, however, feels like an ill-fitting jigsaw puzzle, or perhaps a Frankenstein like monster. It almost seems as if the author simply chose several of his favorite bits of Marvel lore and stitched them together with the first plot he could think of.

The actual writing is serviceable, if not spectacular, with a couple of effective moments. Unfortunately, it's hard to get past several of the deus ex machina and contrived coincidence moments. A subplot involving a "retired serial killer" is by far the most interesting part of the book.

One part superhero novel, one part supernatural horror novel is the best way to sum up Spider-Man: Requiem. Written by Jeff Mariotte, Requiem tells the story of The Darkhold(an ancient grimoire) that's been unearthed by archaeologists in South America and translated. Little do they know it has far-reaching effects. Across the globe, the Cabal of Scrier is relentlessly pursuing it to achieve ultimate power through whatever means necessary. It is because of their actions that a darkness from beyond the grave will return to haunt Spider-Man in the form of one of the most frightening and dangerous foes he's ever encountered.

Seeing as this is the first Spider-Man novel I've ever read, it was actually a pretty good book. I liked how the story was told from Spidey's point of view as if you were him. In a first-person narrative, I should say. Jeff Mariotte writes his books in a very expressive but realistic style and I like that.

The only fault I found was that the book isn't all that long. These days I like reading books more in the "Batman: Gotham Knight" & "The Dark Knight" style. Rather, books are kinda long with lots of plots and twists. That's not to say this book doesn't have it's share of them as it does. It's just it isn't a long book. Your 'everyday' reader(avid reader) could finish this book off in a day or so. It's a minor complaint, mind you. This book is actually pretty good.

Definitely worth checking out if you are a Spider-Man fan.

Having collected a large library of Marvel novella, I ordered this book expecting at least a tithe of the entertainment and quality found in my other Spider-Man novels. Much to my disgust, this abominable book failed in every aspect. The story is horribly-contrived and cobbled together much like one of George Clooney's Batman movies, complete with cliché one-liners and horribly cheesy dialogue. Events happen in the story without cause or explanation and crucial plot points are glossed-over to make room for pitiful first-person narratives of Peter Parker in which he sounds like a prepubescent elementary school student. The writing style of this author lacks competence, coherence, and style, and its clumsiness makes it torturous to read. This book is an unending litany of boorish, poorly-composed sentences and paragraphs the likes of which I would sooner have expected to come from a high schooler's creative writing class than a publishing house. The author also seemed to think it was necessary to insert his own political opinions into the book, which felt entirely out of place and done in a tactless, incompetent manner. Even considering that the common writer for Marvel is traditionally somewhat left-leaning, the crudeness and inelegance of this author's passages were very painful and disconcerting to read.

This book seems to have been written for a much younger audience, but the addition of suggestive themes in the book (mostly Peter Parker's pining for his wife, Mary Jane) would suggest otherwise. Considering the other Marvel books released in the "Pocket Star" line of novella (all of which successfully pick a target audience and stick to it), it is very out-of-place and seems laughably childish.

In the end, I would not recommend this book to any but the completist, and even to such people I would advise not to read it. If you're a politically liberal person and you want a book for an elementary schooler or middle schooler of like-mind, then this intellectually-dishonest drivel is right up your alley.