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Stillanerd Reviews: Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man and Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1 Review

By Mike McNulty

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Although light on action, this latest team-up between Peter Parker and Miles Morales examines what being Spider-Man really means.

Generations: The Spiders #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

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Artist: Ramón Pérez

Colorist: Msassyk

Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit

Covers: Ramón Pérez and Msassyk; Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, and Justin Ponsor; and Olivier Coipel and Laura Martin

For seventeen years, Brian Michael Bendis has been Spider-Man’s most prolific writer. This includes a younger, modernistic take on Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man, and the original 616 Spider-Man during Bendis’ tenure on Avengers and New Avengers. He was also the creative consultant on Disney XD’s Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon, and, of course, the co-creator of Miles Morales.

Strange then that, despite such deep associations with the wall-crawler, Bendis never wrote for Amazing Spider-Man. Neither has he written any story about Peter Parker set during the days of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and John Romita Sr. Moreover, while Miles has teamed up with Peter before, it’s usually been with an older 616 Peter. Until now, that is. Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1 makes this comic the first time Bendis has ever tackled a 616 Peter fresh out of high school.

Granted, when Marvel first announced this comic, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. After all, we’ve seen both Peter and Miles fighting side-by-side in costume plenty of times before. What I didn’t expect a story with no fights, supervillains, or even Peter and Miles dressed as Spider-Man. Granted, Miles does wear his suit underneath some very dated street clothes, but Peter never dons his costume once the entire issue.

Credit: Ramón Pérez and Msassyk (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1

Through Miles’s eyes, Bendis show us why all of us can identify with Peter Parker no matter who we are. His story reaffirms why Peter is, and always will be, Spider-Man.

Instead, Bendis tells a story where Miles, having gone back in time, not only meets a much younger version of his mentor, but sees what that mentor’s life out of costume is really like. He doesn’t see a wisecracking, optimistic, seasoned hero. This is a Peter Parker from the classic “If This Be My Destiny” (a.k.a. The Master Planner Saga), a despondent, lonely, neurotic youth distraught over a possibly dying Aunt May while his classmates ridicule him.

Miles also witnesses the moment he and Ganke Lee met for the first time and became best friends. Miles and Ganke fans may find it cute how these two bonded over jellybeans and Legos. Others may find it touching how Miles, upon seeing his mom, can’t explain who he really is. The more continuity-obsessed readers may question the logic of this scene what with Miles and his cast originating from a different universe.

In the end, Peter and Miles, as in most Bendis penned comics, sit down and talk. Only unlike Bendis’ Generations: The Iron, their conversations carry more weight. That Iron Man and Ironheart book failed in proving why Tony Stark was so special. Not so with Generations: The Spiders. Through Miles’s eyes, Bendis shows us why all of us can identify with Peter Parker no matter who we are. His story reaffirms why Peter is, and always will be, Spider-Man. “You’re amazing to share [Spider-Man] with me,” Miles tells him. “But even that is how amazing you are. Not how much I deserve it.”

Credit: Ramón Pérez and Msassyk (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1

Even with this comic’s flaws, Bendis still gives Peter and Miles equal respect, showing why Spider-Man continues to endure as he has for almost six decades. Maybe that’s all the web-head’s fans truly need.

What’s ironic is the reason Bendis must reaffirm Peter Parker as Spider-Man at all is because there’s so many Spider-Men and Spider-Women now. Even the comic can’t help but point out the absurdity of this. After all, making a case for why Peter Parker is so special becomes difficult when there’s more than half-a-dozen ersatz versions of his alter ego swinging alongside him.

Likewise, for as much as Peter and Miles talk about being Spider-Man, they don’t actually do anything as Spider-Man. It’s clear Bendis, by never showing Peter in costume, is emphasizing the “Man” under the “Spider.” The downside is, to fully understand why being Spider-Man is so “personal” for Peter, we also need to see him as Spider-Man. Using an iconic image swiped from Amazing Spider-Man #33 and Peter recapping a classic story via a super-sized word balloon doesn’t count.

The comic is also a very self-aware, too. It embraces the nostalgia of Lee and Ditko’s Amazing Spider-Man while also lampooning it. Almost everyone dresses as if it’s the early 1960’s despite talking like it’s the first decade of 21st century. Miles tells off Flash Thompson, Harry Osborn, and Gwen Stacy over treating Peter like dirt despite being his friends. Peter and Miles talk out loud to themselves when thought balloons or narration captions would do.

This self-awareness is also why the art stylistically inmates Ditko’s. Artist Ramón Pérez did so with great aplomb during Amazing Spider-Man: Learning to Crawl. With this comic though, Pérez is far more hit-and-miss. His use of perspective and foreshortening are excellent, creating a variety of unique angles and views. It also definitely has the look of a comic book from the 1960s, even as we see people on their laptops and mobile devices.

Credit: Ramón Pérez and Msassyk (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1

Unfortunately, when it comes to his figures, almost all of them look proportionally the same, with lanky, rectangular bodies. Their eyes are either always too wide or too narrow. Also, anytime Peter opens his mouth in surprise or anger, he seems to have lost several teeth.

As for Pérez’s panel composition, it’s woefully inadequate. While his sequencing is still comprehensible, Pérez wastes too much space or never uses the space he has, especially during double-page spreads. He frequently copies, pastes, and resizes the same panels. There are also times where, instead of illustrating backgrounds, Pérez uses photographic prints which distract from his subjects. The colorization by Msassyk doesn’t help either.  While her technique in highlighting figures who are the focus of the scene is creative, a drab, tan-to-gray tint dominates every scene.

Overall though, Generations: The Spiders #1 is one of Bendis’ better Spider-Man comics in recent years, and certainly more engaging than his current Spider-Men II. It also does what these Generations books should’ve been doing all along: acknowledge the original superhero’s importance without diminishing their stature to make their successors look good. Even with this comic’s flaws, Bendis still gives Peter and Miles equal respect, showing why Spider-Man continues to endure as he has for almost six decades. Maybe that’s all the web-head’s fans truly need.

Stillanerd’s Score: 3.5 out of 5

Next: Stillanerd Reviews: Generations: The Marvels (Ms. Marvel & Ms. Marvel) #1 review

Stillanerd’s Nerdy Nitpicks (possible spoilers)

Credit: Ramón Pérez and Msassyk (Marvel Comics); from Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1

  • “Looks like I should be golfing.” Well, golfing attire doesn’t typically include vests and cravats, Miles. Still, I get your point.
  • Yes, folks, Gwen Stacy didn’t always wear a black headband. Though I don’t think her hair was ever that curvy.
  • “Like a–a “four-eyed nerd?'” Pete, I know you used to wear glasses. But why would you think Miles is thinking that when you’re not wearing glasses anymore?
  • Actually, Gwen, there are probably far better comebacks Miles could’ve used against Flash.
  • Miles, I know you’re in the past, but why web-sling around the city in street clothes? You still have your Spider-Man costume, including your mask.
  • Miles and Ganke’s favorite movie when they were kids was Step Brothers? Why would any parent let their seven-to-eight-year-old see that movie?
  • Wait? Miles thinks the Jane Foster Thor is a he?!
  • “Are you from another country?” Seriously, Pete? Just what “country” did you think Miles is from?
  • “You have a uniform, too?” Yes, Pete. You already saw and acknowledge Miles has a costume. Why does everyone in a Bendis comic have to repeat themselves?
  • “I found out I was almost the leader of a race of spider-people…” Did you not hear Miles say you wouldn’t become that, Pete? There’s no “almost” about it.
  • Oh, so we’re back operating on the “spider-sense doesn’t work if the person isn’t a threat” rules, eh?
  • “Am I married?” Must…resist…rage…against…One More Day!
  • Since when did Peter have three hands? Oh wait, that isn’t his hand.

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What’s your opinion on Generations: The Spiders (Miles Morales Spider-Man & Peter Parker Spider-Man) #1? Do you think it was a respectable tribute? And what do you think are its greatest strengths and weakness as a comic?

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