This is a well crafted and beautifully illustrated book. While I will admit that the emotional high points are in issues 1 and 6 that was probably by design and can't be considered a bad thing. This is an important in depth look into the women that shaped the most unlucky characters in comics how he deals with a seminal moment in comic book history. Jeph Loeb does an amazing job shifting the focus and narrative away from Peter and towards Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy as they psuedo compete for the affections of Pete. Several scenes stick out when it comes to emotional staying power such as the first few panels when Spider-Man goes to the Brooklyn Bridge to visit the scene of Gwen's death on Valentines Day or the scene when Peter is laying in bed sick and gets a visit from both Mary Jane and Gwen (this scene shows the differences in the personalities of MJ and Gwen when it comes to their view of Pete and makes the differences not only subtle but character progression tools in the process) or the opening panels of the 6th issue when Peter is describing the dream he had about Gwen in such sweet and disappointing detail or even the last panels before the flashbacks end and you are brought back to present day (the words "That's when you had me Gwen Stacy." "All of me." could very well be the most romantic and heartbreaking words ever penned in comics.). Overall the art work is very Tim Sale and the covers are sensational but to me the writing is what makes this book not only a must read but a must own.
Bottom line this book is probably the most well written Spider-Man story in the 60 year history of the character and deserves a spot on your bookshelf today. Just make sure you have room on that shelf for a box of tissues because this one will have you in tears early and often.
Thank you Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale for writing such a welll crafted and complete dedication to one of comics most under appreciated characters.
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With Great Power comes Great Art and Story
This is a review of the paperback, 2017 printing of Spider-Man: Blue by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.This is it! This is THE definitive Spider-Man story. It’s beautifully drawn, written, and crafted, and the final two pages have never once failed to make me cry. It’s a Spider-Man volume that features the Green Goblin, the Lizard, the Rhino, new and old Vultures, along with another (plot sensitive) villain, while still being deeply focused on exploring the love dynamic between Peter, MJ, and Gwen before and after Gwen’s death.Loeb and Sale are a phenomenal team [further reading: their work together on Batman: Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and Catwoman: When In Rome, and Jeph Loeb’s writing on Batman: Hush] and they bring a familiarity and ease to Spider-Man that harkens back to the good ole days of the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita era of the 1960s. That is to say, classic Spider-Man stories.This is intentional! In the afterword section of this volume, Sale describes the process of trying to replicate the allure and magic of how Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy were drawn by Romita, while Loeb discusses the writing process of reintroducing us to the first meeting of these characters. The story unfolds as Peter sitting in his attic, addressing Gwen into a tape recorder as he reflects about their time together before her death. This is the framing device that allows Loeb and Sale to go back in time and explore these old dynamics that have been baked into pop culture history.Spider-Man: Blue is an exploration of love, loss, and the innocence of an era of comics we don’t see much of anymore. I can’t recommend it enough.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2013
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2020
This is it! This is THE definitive Spider-Man story. It’s beautifully drawn, written, and crafted, and the final two pages have never once failed to make me cry. It’s a Spider-Man volume that features the Green Goblin, the Lizard, the Rhino, new and old Vultures, along with another (plot sensitive) villain, while still being deeply focused on exploring the love dynamic between Peter, MJ, and Gwen before and after Gwen’s death.
Loeb and Sale are a phenomenal team [further reading: their work together on Batman: Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and Catwoman: When In Rome, and Jeph Loeb’s writing on Batman: Hush] and they bring a familiarity and ease to Spider-Man that harkens back to the good ole days of the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita era of the 1960s. That is to say, classic Spider-Man stories.
This is intentional! In the afterword section of this volume, Sale describes the process of trying to replicate the allure and magic of how Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy were drawn by Romita, while Loeb discusses the writing process of reintroducing us to the first meeting of these characters. The story unfolds as Peter sitting in his attic, addressing Gwen into a tape recorder as he reflects about their time together before her death. This is the framing device that allows Loeb and Sale to go back in time and explore these old dynamics that have been baked into pop culture history.
Spider-Man: Blue is an exploration of love, loss, and the innocence of an era of comics we don’t see much of anymore. I can’t recommend it enough.
With Great Power comes Great Art and Story
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2020
This is a review of the paperback, 2017 printing of Spider-Man: Blue by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2020
This is it! This is THE definitive Spider-Man story. It’s beautifully drawn, written, and crafted, and the final two pages have never once failed to make me cry. It’s a Spider-Man volume that features the Green Goblin, the Lizard, the Rhino, new and old Vultures, along with another (plot sensitive) villain, while still being deeply focused on exploring the love dynamic between Peter, MJ, and Gwen before and after Gwen’s death.
Loeb and Sale are a phenomenal team [further reading: their work together on Batman: Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and Catwoman: When In Rome, and Jeph Loeb’s writing on Batman: Hush] and they bring a familiarity and ease to Spider-Man that harkens back to the good ole days of the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko/John Romita era of the 1960s. That is to say, classic Spider-Man stories.
This is intentional! In the afterword section of this volume, Sale describes the process of trying to replicate the allure and magic of how Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy were drawn by Romita, while Loeb discusses the writing process of reintroducing us to the first meeting of these characters. The story unfolds as Peter sitting in his attic, addressing Gwen into a tape recorder as he reflects about their time together before her death. This is the framing device that allows Loeb and Sale to go back in time and explore these old dynamics that have been baked into pop culture history.
Spider-Man: Blue is an exploration of love, loss, and the innocence of an era of comics we don’t see much of anymore. I can’t recommend it enough.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2022
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2016
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Richard
The perfect Spider-Man story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2023