Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane 1-15

For a comic that’s mostly dialogue and narration, with very little action, this story flies.  It’s taking me three to four minutes to read each issue, while the average time per issue for this project is almost seven.  (Yes, I’m keeping track…)

It’s entirely a credit to the creative skills of Sean McKeever and his art partner Takeshi Miyazawa that Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is such a compelling page turner.  I originally meant to stop reading with issue ten today, but had no choice but to read the next collection with the cliffhanger they left me with.  (God, I used 'but' and 'with' twice in the same phrase. Write much?)

It’s not like there’s anything revolutionary that they’re adding to the high school romance genre, just that their execution is practically perfect.  I care about MJ and Peter, and even though Liz, Flash, and Harry are more annoying than entertaining, they play their required roles well.  

And then there’s Gwen Stacy.  There’s just something about her and MJ.  Whenever the second one to be introduced in a new Spider-Man story shows up, it’s almost always to provide a conflict with the first.  It’s a testament to these wonderful characters that Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and John Romita Sr have created, that I love them both and want both to “win,” however that’s defined.  They’re Betty and Veronica, but with a lot more character.  (The Mark Waid run excepted.)  

And with that, the series really gets started.

Perfect expression on MJ's face.

She can be annoying, but she's also the funniest part of this series.

It's Summer, Anna, and Seth Cohen all over again.  (Actually, just a year later.)

Ooch.  Funny not funny.

Anyway, this has been a blast, but it’s about time for MJ and Peter to get together now.  This is still MJ’s book, and I don’t know how many more obstacles McKeever can throw between them before it starts to feel contrived.  I think there are 10 issues to go, let’s see what he does…

Regret buying: No

Would buy again: Yes

Would read again: Yes

Rating: Good