SPIDER-MAN: REIGN

written and art by Kaare Andrews

additional art by José Villarrubia

published by Marvel Comics

ISBN-10: 0785126651

ISBN-13: 978-0785126652

reviewed by Adam Armstrong

4.14.09

Twisting every last bit of pain out of us.

Peter Parker is in his sixties and Spider-Man is no more. Mary Jane Watson-Parker died of cancer thirty years earlier due to her exposure to Parker’s radioactive bodily fluids. The Reign rules the city with a bloody iron fist and Mayor Waters is about to close off New York City under a laser system called the WEBB to prevent future terrorist attacks. J. Jonah Jameson shows up at Parker’s apartment with an old camera that has a mask in it. Spider-Man is seen as a threat by The Reign, so they release Spider-Man’s old enemies (and I do mean old these guys all get a discount at the movies). Spider-man sets off to face them all and, if need be, join Mary Jane.

Just the cover art alone is worth the price of the book. Similar to The Dark Knight Returns, Reign is the story of a superhero being drawn out of retirement against their will and pitted in a battle to the death with long running enemies. Unlike TDKR, Reign runs much more off of suffering and pain. The art is perfect for the pain that we watch Peter Parker go through page after page. There was not a thing about this I did not like. Underneath all the pain there is a message we all too often forget.

Add it to your collection, now: 5 out of 5