Jeff English

Review Credits

Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Vol. 2): #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, #36, #37, #38, #39, #40, #41, #42, #43, #44, #45, #46, #47, #48, #49, #50, #51, #52, #53, #54, #55, #56, #57

Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Vol. 2) Annual: 2000 [Pt 1], 2000 [Pt 2], 2001

Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 2): #1, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #2, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9

Introduction

I've been at reviewer at spiderfan.org for about four years now, ever since Peter Parker: Spider-Man #14. I reviewed every issue of PP:SM after that, and after it was canceled I moved on to Spectacular.

Collects

All Spider-Man, Daredevil, Punisher, Ultimate Marvel, most Batman, Nightwing, Powers. Last time I counted, I had something like 1,700 comics.

Why Spider-Man

I remember watching Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends when I was little, and when I was 8 or 9, my Mom would take me grocery shopping with her and buy me a comic book, and that's where I got my first Spidey comic. It was Spectacular #155, and it had Spidey fighting Tombstone in prison with Joe Robertson there. I had no idea who Tombstone or Joe Robertson were, or why they were in jail or anything, but it didn't matter... I was hooked.

Favourites

Probably my favourite single Spidey comic is Spider-Man vs. Wolverine. My favourite time for Spidey was probably around Erik Larsen's run on Amazing. That was about when I first started collecting, so it has always stuck in my mind.

I hate to admit it, but what is probably the most memorable Spidey era for me was the Clone Saga. As much as it angered and frustrated me at times, I don't think I've ever waited in anticipation each week for comics like I did then. I waited in anxiety for ASM #400 for months because I knew that somebody was going to be killed off, but I had no idea who. Those comics were exciting because it really seemed like anything could happen then. As good as the Spidey comics are right now, nothing with any lasting consequences ever seems to happen anymore.

My favourite comic of all, I'm a little ashamed to admit, isn't Spider-Man. Or even Marvel. It's Preacher. I jumped on that bandwagon late when I read the Ennis/Dillon Punisher limited series and had to find out what Preacher was all about. I didn't start buying any Preacher until near the end of the title, but I managed to get the first eight trades and then issues #59-65 and read them all before the final issue (#66). Like ASM #400, I waited anxiously for Preacher #66, and it didn't disappoint. If anyone hasn't read Preacher, I strongly recommend it. Not just the best comic I've read, but one of the best anythings I've ever read.