8. The Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home

Coming Home by J. Michael Straczynski
The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1


Pages: unnumbered
Finished: Jan. 14, 2009
First Published: 2002 (contains previously published comic books)
Genre: graphic novel, fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Reason for Reading: I hadn't intended to read this but my son brought home an armload of superhero graphic novels to look at and I saw that this one was Volume 1 of a series. It has been a long time since I've read good old Marvel or DC superheroes and Spidey just called my name and I had to read it. I used to be a big fan of superhero comics when I was about 11 to 17.

First sentence:

Hi, this is Peter.

Comments: Spider-Man has just moved back to his home town and is drawn to his old high school. There he remembers what it felt like to be picked on and teased all the time but while there he realizes that bullying is on a completely different level than when he was a kid. The school is virtually unsafe. When the science teacher quits Peter Parker takes over the job. One night while laying about on the side of a building he meets a man who has the same powers as he does and he meets Ezekiel for the first time. Ezekiel has come to warn him of the enemy who is coming for him, a vampire like creature who sucks the life energy from superheroes to keep alive.

The beginning chapter inserts bits here and there to briefly bring the reader up to par on how Peter became Spider-man enabling a newcomer or someone who hasn't read the comics for a long time to dig right in with this book. I love the bold reds, blues and purples that pop out at you on every page and the illustrations are intricate making one look deeply into the pictures. The story is typical Spider-man, comedy alongside superhero fighting with an added dash of morality. A gripping story with a cliff-hanger ending which will send me off to find Volume 2.