Amazing Spider-Man #1.1 Review

Do we really need to revisit ancient history? Read on to find out.

The official description from Marvel:

YEAR ONE: LEARNING TO CRAWL!

• He sought revenge… and found responsibility. From that night on, a new life began.

• Join Peter Parker as he takes his first steps towards finding his way in the world as Spider-Man.

• The chapter you never knew about the story you know by heart.

• Dan Slott (SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH) and Ramón Perez (the Eisner winning TALE OF SAND & WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN) bring you a new & reverent spin on the first 60 days of Spider-Man.

Everyone is familiar with the origins of this webhead. But now we have a creative team that wants to explore the moments that were skipped in the original narrative. It’s an effort to give us more detail about a teenage superhero that would one day be an Avenger.

Dan Slott pens the script and the seasoned Spider-Man scribe knows how to deliver a compelling yarn. On face value I honestly thought it sounded like an interesting if not slightly exploitative excuse to travel to the past. And after closing this comic book I can say that’s what it turned out to be. The author spun a simple tale that covered familiar but new territory without feeling too heavy handed. My one issue is that the narrative upgrade in regards to technology just feels off to the plot, but not enough to derail it.

The illustrations by Ramón Pérez offer a classic feel that fits the original era and style of Steve Ditko while maintaining its own unique touch. Renditions of all the primary players look top notch and never miss a beat which goes a long way in selling the authenticity of this journey. In addition colors handed in by Ian Herring complete the look and feel that suits the overall saga. To sum up: the visuals are impressive from beginning to end.

Amazing Spider-Man #1.1 on face value doesn’t feel like a necessary blast from the past. But even so there’s enough done right to earn a recommendation.