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Description
Would like to thank D-Fender42 for Commissioning this review.

SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY.
Written by: Chip Zdarsky.

Art by: Mark Bagley, John Dell, Frank D'Armata, and Travis Lanham.
Edited by: Tom Brevoort and Alanna Smith.

Based on the long-running Spider-Man comic series created by: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko.
Genre: American Superhero Comic.
Rated: 12 (may contain mild themes).

One of the silliest things about American Superhero comics (and trust me that's saying a lot) is the idea these characters never truly age. I can buy the idea that characters such as Thor, Superman, and Wolverine never necessarily age (as they're basically immortal) yet the idea that Peter Parker was 15 years old when he was bitten by a radioactive spider is somehow just "25ish" by the year 2005 and not 58 is kinda ridiculous. I get the reasoning as to why because neither DC nor Marvel wants to lose their highly marketable characters, such as Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark. This is why I like the idea of certain characters passing on the mantle to younger heroes; such as Hal Jordan and Barry Allen giving rise to Jon Stewart (no not that one) and Wally West.

But have you ever wanted to see what would happen if a character like Spider-Man actually aged in real-time? From 1962, all the way to our Current Year times? Then may I turn your attention to a comic book entitled Spider-Man: Life Story. A comic that pretty much does what it says on the tin. I have to say it's a pretty ambitious little read for it tries to cram in everything from Venom, to Morlun, and even the Clone Saga story-arcs into one overpacked story.

For this review, I'll break each decade down into a separate segment, and then we'll conclude my thoughts with a final summary. Since I was born in 1985, my cultural knowledge of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s will be very limited. But I'll try to comment on references or slang if I pick up on them.

Part 1: The Swinging 60s.
The story didn't begin exactly where I thought it would, for I'm surprised Marvel didn't take another opportunity to cram Uncle Ben's death down our throats for the umpteenth time. We pick up with Spidey in the year 1966, and he's been web-swinging for roughly 4 years. This is just a personal thing for me, but I cannot help but hear the voice cast from Spider-Man: The Animated Series when reading Spidey comics as Christopher Daniel Barnes will always be my ideal Peter Parker.

But I digress. One interesting detail about Life Story is the use of real-world events as the emotional backdrop for certain conversations. Instead of a Peter Parker monologuing about the Green Goblin or his love life, he's asking himself if he should join the war effort in Vietnam. This leads to a heated moment with former bully Flash Thompson which has one of the more emotional payoffs in the next chapter. I personally love how Chip Zdarksy writes Peter in these exchanges, for this isn't the obnoxious wise-cracking, meme-spewing dickhead I've had the displeasure of reading during Dan Slott's abysmal run. Here, Peter is highly emotional but never whiney and self-deprecating. A lot of his dialogue is peppered with 60's slang like "bread" (in reference to money) which might be lost on younger readers.

Side characters like Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn give him a hard time for his absence and behaviour that feels very reminiscent of the Sam Raimi trilogy. This trend continues with Norman Osborn's introduction and trying to recruit Peter as his heir (or son if you read between the lines) as it feels similar to Willem Dafoe's initial character arc in Spider-Man (2002). This is where the story excels as the tension between Norman and Peter near the conclusion of Chapter 1 had me engaged by clever writing and minor horror elements.

Now, if I have any real complaints or nitpicks with the book it's the limited size of the series. I'll cover this in more detail later on, but for now, I'll say the Green Goblin fight is the weak element of this chapter. The battle just comes out of nowhere with no payoff or build-up. I personally felt this fight could have been saved for the 70s and the pages could have gone to fleshing out Peter and Norman's relationship. Without the extra time to develope it, Norman's fight at the end is basically "I'm here, oof, I'm defeated now!" in the manner of 3 and a half pages.

And speaking of conflict, the last thing to mention before wrapping up the 60s is the Vietnam War in the background. Given the use of Iron Man and Captain America as figureheads in the conflict, I'm guessing this is setting up the eventual Civil War reference. This feeling was cemented with the reveal that Cap has turned against the United States and Iron Man is using any means necessary to win the war. The brief exchange between Cap and Spidey on the rooftops about "responsibility" mirrors their conversation in Civil War (even if they didn't include the famous quote from that scene).

Overall, the 60s is a good introduction to this universe, but I wish they focused more on the character interactions and saved the Goblin fight for the next chapter.

Part 2: The Funky 70s.
We jump forward to the year 1977, and this is where the time-hopping gimmick starts to lose me. In the 11 years since Spider-Man defeated the Green Goblin, Peter and Gwen Stacy got married, Harry Osborn now runs Oscorp, Peter forms the Future Foundation with Reed Richards and Otto Octavius, Flash Thompson died in Vietnam, and Mary Jane became a bitter bitch. These are all important character events and details that I would have liked to have seen in the pages. What is this shit, Avengers: Endgame?

I may as well address this now, my biggest complaint with the book is the 6 issue format. This could have easily been 12 parts long, with 2 issues dedicated to each decade to allow these segments to breathe. I'm not saying this story is bad, far from it, but the brief window into each decade leaves the stories either half-finished or barely explained. Learning Doc Ock changed his ways after suffering a near-fatal heart attack is a fascinating change of pace that I would have liked to have seen in the pages themselves. "Show, don't tell" comes to mind when I think of these minor details. To find a positive in here, when I'm left wanting MORE from a story, that's usually a good sign!

I singled out Goblin's clumsy reveal in the 60s because this chapter is where the conflict should have gone down, as it would have tied “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” perfectly into the decade it came out in, instead of making it an ill-fitting allegory for one of the Clone Sagas, but I'm sure "the other one" will be the focus of the 90s. Also, Harry Osborn as the “Black Goblin?" I see Spider-Gwen isn't the only DeviantArt OC Marvel has these days (shots fired).

Grumbles aside, the writing continues to be as sharp as ever, with Peter snapping at Reed Richards being my favourite segment of this chapter. The raw emotion in their exchange was fantastic, as Peter pretty much says how I feel about that obviously pretentious twat. No wonder nobody can make a decent Fantastic Four movie when your lead hero is so unlikeable and up his own arse... Once again, I digress.

The real-world elements take something of a backseat in this decade, with the only real noticeable ones being Nixon's resignation and the aftermath of the Vietnam conflict. I did notice a possible error with this segment; mainly the Vietnam War ended in 1975, but Reed tells Peter "I guess that's probably why it's still going" in 1977. My buddy KaijuNoir suggested this is a result of Cap's actions extending the war past the original date. That's a pretty solid explanation, to be honest.

Lastly, what's the deal with Spidey's new suit in this decade? The costume features weird metallic shoulder pads, a belt, wrist gauntlets, and other extra doo-dads. Is he Spider-Man, or a Kamen Rider? If he hasn't got tiny feet, shoulder pads, and pouches by the time we reach the 90s I'm going to be severely disappointed.

Overall, the 70s left me with questions on reveals that had no real payoff, and a Goblin fight that should have been Peter Vs Norman. Hopefully, it'll get better from this point on.

Part 3: The Neon 80s.
Fast forward to the year 1984. Mary Jane is now pregnant with twins, Cold War tensions run high, and Peter is off fighting in the Secret War. While I understand why it was dropped, I'm kinda bummed out that the Vietnam War angle of Captain America Vs Iron Man is suddenly forgotten as they're now fighting side by side in said Secret War. No payoff or resolution to that plot thread at all, Chip? Again, not to repeat myself, this is why the 6 issue format doesn't work with a title as ambitious as this. You introduce all these intriguing and fascinating plot threads that ultimately go nowhere or get proper closure. Maybe if there were Life Story editions for Iron Man and Captain America, then this could make for a great franchise. But yet again, I digress.

Because we're in the 80s, and it's a Secret War tie-in, it's time for the introduction of everyone's favourite alternate Spidey costume: The Symbiote. Thankfully, this version was NOT tainted by a Deadpool retcon (fuck you very much for that Marvel). Even if its contribution was brief, I like how the Symbiote functions in this chapter; almost acting like a concerned girlfriend or partner that only wants Peter to do better, even at the risk of becoming a literal monster.

Another big change is Peter's attitude which has become less quippy and upbeat as he's coming to the grim realisation he's getting older and more cynical. His continued arguments with Mary Jane feel like the ones real couples engage in when the marriage is starting to break down. Also, I'm not a fan of this insecure MJ who feels like a runner-up to the “PERFECT ghost of Gwen Stacy!" Save that shit for Kirsten Dunst's rendition of the character.

What fuels this emotionally charged argument is the decaying mental state of Aunt May. I was almost worried they'd work One More Day into this comic when they mentioned she's dying. This is where aspects of Peter Parker's modern personality (that I despise) come out, as he's incapable of doing what's best for others and only worries about himself. MJ feels May needs to be in a care home, whereas Peter (under the Symbiote's influence) stubbornly believes he can look after May AND his wife and kids.

So much drama and tension, and Venom's not even here yet.

The main antagonist of this era is Kraven, as we get a "blink and you'll miss it" recap of the excellent 'Kraven's Last Hunt' which is peppered with Kraven's commentary on the Cold War. He proceeds to bury Peter alive as he did in that comic, but the twist is the Symbiote comes to Peter's rescue. This is where my boy, Venom, makes his introduction into this comic... And he only gets 4 panels. If you want to be technical, he's in 3 pages of this chapter, but the iconic look is only in 4 panels. Plus, no Eddie Brock either. You cut deep, Zdarsky. You cut deep.

That doesn't take away from the fact this is the best decade so far, with the moody rain landscapes, angry dialogue, and the presence of more dramatic storylines capturing the decade perfectly. The comic ending on a sour note seems par for the course when it comes to Spider-Man stories, as Mary Jane leaves Peter and takes the kids to the other side of the country. At least Peter and Reed were able to kiss and make up for their argument in the 70s. This is my favourite arc so far (largely because it's the era I grew up in), with the 60s in a strong second place.

However... You know what's next.

Part 4: The Radical 90s.
I knew this was coming. I was hoping for a Maximum Carnage recap instead. But sadly... It's the Clone Saga. THAT Clone Saga.

This felt like the smallest chapter so far; largely because it was dominated by one major storyline. Maybe it’s this way because some people at Marvel didn't like the 90s since it nearly killed the entire superhero comic industry, and they wanted it over with as quickly as possible; That and it was the era that gave us the Spice Girls and the TV show Friends for Christ's sake.

It's 1995. Aunt May has tragically passed away (off-screen), Tony Stark tries to buy out Parker-Industries, and Peter hooks up with Jessica Jones, which might be the strangest thing in this book so far. This is an odd thing to mention now that we're past the halfway point, but where is Felicia Hardy? I can understand overlooking Carly Cooper or that Mary Sue, Silk, but no Black Cat? You're telling me Peter doesn't hook up with his partner in crime… fighting crime together when both Gwen and MJ are no longer a factor? Beyond a brief exchange in Secret Avengers, I can't recall what Peter has in common with the Alias Private Investigator.

Now I'm really digressing -- largely because I DON'T want to talk about the Clone Saga.

Chip did his best to keep this segment as BRIEF as possible, but even this tangled mess of stupidity is awful no matter how much you compress it. We do get a few dramatic payoffs and closure to previous events; mainly the deaths of Norman and Harry Osborn. Norman dies in predictable and selfish fashion, while Harry's death once again mirrors the Sam Raimi trilogy's demise of the character. I think we know which film series Mr. Zdarsky prefers.

I do like the allusion to 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died' with Norman trying to pierce Peter with his glider. However "Based-Peter',” officially done with Norman's shit, grabs the glider with his bare hands, crushes it effortlessly, and throws it to the ground like a boss. Can we have THIS Peter Parker in the comics? It's actually refreshing to see a Peter that isn't feeling guilty or making excuses and doesn't take anyone's crap anymore. This is punctuated by his outright dismissal of Tony Stark near the beginning of this chapter. His offer to Tony buying out his company being "stops selling weapons” was such a brilliant put-down and watching Tony get pissy was priceless.

On a side note: I know I mentioned the Spider-Man TAS voice cast in the 60s, but all I hear when I read Iron Man's dialogue is the voice of Eric Loomis from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Finally, the comic shows Peter can still be Spider-Man, but the years have not been kind to the old webhead. He can still lift a car over his head, but you can see he's slowing down and not as agile as before. This is also reflected with the now haggard Doctor Octopus, who has to rely on his tentacles more than ever, yet I felt he's a villain here because the chapter needed to give Peter someone to fight. I would have personally used Norman to drop the clone bombshell on Ben, but that's just me. Otto really didn't need to be here since he was established to be a reformed villain.

While I personally despise the Clone Saga, I did smile when I saw the Scarlet Spider mask near the end. The 90s was a good read overall, but not in the same league as the 80s and 60s.

Part 5: The Epic 00s.
It is the year 2005. The treacherous Decepticons have conquered the Autobots' home planet of Cybertron. But from secret staging grounds on two of ... Oh. Sorry, wrong script. Let me start over.

It is the year 2006, and it’s time for a Civil War! The 2000s chapter did a good job reminding me of when I truly despised Tony Stark, as he became this tyrannical despot that was downright irredeemable. You could say this heel turn was building all the way from Tony's introduction back in the 60s, but I partially don't see it. Yes, he was the driving force for keeping the Vietnam War going long past the original timeline, but he didn't become a villainous figure to Peter until the 90s. Also, it's a shame there wasn't a resolution to Cap and Tony's involvement in the Vietnam War that I could see. Yes, I'm saying I want a Marvel comic set in the Vietnam War, what of it?

I'm actually surprised it's just Senator Stark and not President Stark because everything Tony says to Peter made me despise him even more. He talks like a typical politician who feels "we can keep the peace by policing the world and hide behind the flag as justification!" If that doesn't make you want to stop voting, then nothing will. Based-Peter continues to run wild, as he proceeds to rip open Tony's mouth and shit down his neck. It's actually kinda hilarious to see Peter tell Tony to basically "go fuck himself,” after 3 AGONISING years of Tom Holland's rendition being Tony's little simp.

Beyond my Iron-Hateboner, this felt like Marvel's take on The Dark Knight Returns (if you pretend Reign never happened), as an ageing Peter is forced out of retirement to confront the demons of his past. The brief exchange between Peter and his daughter, Claire, was brilliant but I am sad yet another character of Peter's past died off-screen in a throwaway comment. I can only assume J.Jonah Jameson is hassling Saint Peter at the pearly gates for "pictures of Spider-Man!"

Besides Civil War, the 9/11 tribute comic is beautifully homaged, while Morlun is here to hassle Peter's family and kill Ben Reily. On one hand, this inclusion helped set up Claire to be intelligent and skilled enough to end the energy vampire by herself. It's a decent bit of character growth for a character we're probably not going to see in any future comics. On the other hand, I felt this was a distraction from the conflict between Peter and Tony as that should have been the main focus. This again goes back to the 6 issue format with 30 pages each, but we'll save that for the closing thoughts.

To close on a positive, the conversation between Cap and Peter felt like a nice bookend to their conversation in the 60s. The overall difference here is Peter isn't so naive and unsure of himself as he was back then, yet is far more worn down and cynical from what the decades have unloaded onto him.

Overall, the 2000s is about on par with the 90s. Decent read, but some minor things about it bugged me.

Part 6: The Trending 10s.
Before we wrap this up, can we just applaud Marvel for this segment of the story containing zero references to Donald Trump? That must have taken weapons-grade levels of restraint, or what happens when someone besides Dan Slott writes for this character.

Our journey comes to a dramatic end in the year 2019. A 72-year-old Peter Parker and a young Miles Morales journey into space to shut down a Doomsday Device created by Doctor Doom. Just throwing this question out there: Is this referencing a storyline from the 2010s? I stopped reading Marvel Comics around 2016-2017 and I have no idea what this storyline about Doctor Doom yeeting everyone is about.

This comic truly hits a depressing note when you notice nearly everyone close to Peter is dead, and his world has been progressively getting smaller and smaller; a subtle commentary that delivers an existential message to the reader: getting old sucks. Old Man Peter's still laughing and joking to ease the tension, but something about Miles doesn't feel right and you quickly figure out the twist with one line of dialogue.

Before we continue, I do wanna quickly acknowledge two nice nods: Kamala Khan is name-dropped, and we see Claire decked out in a costume similar to Ultimate Spider-Woman.

Back to the plot. We get two final showdowns for Peter in this chapter, and sadly one of them was over in a heartbeat. Kraven returns, now fully bonded to the Symbiote to become this universe's Venom (more on this later), but is quickly taken out by a sonic pulse blast from Peter and reduced to nothing but a skeleton. Twice you've reduced mah boi to a quick defeat before he had a chance to do anything.

One more time: You cut deep, Zdarsky. You cut deep.

And what feels like salt in the wound is that instead of a Spider-Man/Venom finale, we get the not-so-subtle twist that Miles was really Doc Ock controlling his body. That's right, we got a reference to 'The Inferior Spider-Man' to round off this title. Talk about ending on a wet fart. Having said that, I do appreciate the final battle taking place within Peter's mind as we see the six Spider-Men throughout the decades taking on the Sinister Six... including Venom.

Mini rant time: Why is Venom here when Eddie Brock hasn't appeared once in the book? I can accept Green Goblin, Electro, Rhino, and Vulture being here since they were either referenced or name-dropped in previous arcs, but why showcase the classic depiction of Venom when this comic clearly shows he never came to be? I get that I'm nitpicking about a sweet cameo, but it just comes off as a convoluted retcon.

With the help of projecting Aunt May (as a sort of voice of reason), Otto is defeated and Peter gets him to the only escape pod aboard the space station. I had a feeling the comic was going to end with Peter's death, but at least he goes out in a blaze of glory. Otto/Miles is ejected, the space station is crumbling all around him, and Peter is barely able to complete his mission in time. Then the Symbiote returns, one last time, to help save its first true love. I'll always ship VemBrock, but seeing the Symbiote aiding Peter in their final moments is truly sweet from a sinister alien puddle.

With a smile on his face and one final FUCK YOU to the Clone Saga, Peter dies as the space station detonates. It's actually a sour note to end his journey on, but the comic concludes with Miles becoming the main Spider-Man, and the suggestion Peter's still alive with a dream sequence of him stopping Uncle Ben's killer. It's a nice symbolic gesture of what his life could have been, but seeing him go from an unsure 19-year-old to a 72-year-old war hero has been a fascinating journey to behold.

Perfect ending to this amazing, if bloated, story... Still no Black Cat mind you.

General thoughts.
You should know what my main complaint with the book is. I feel it's a real shame a concept this good is limited to 30 pages per each of the 6 issues. I could forgive this if it was 6 issues covering one decade. However, when you're cramming 6 DECADES into such a small space it doesn't do any of it justice. It means a lot of key moments, characters, or events go missing or never get a proper resolution. Another minor change I would have made is having one major storyline homaged per decade. Some of them do fit together nicely, such as combining Kraven's Last Hunt with the Black Suit/Venom saga, but putting Morlun with Civil War really didn't work for me as neither have anything in common with each other. Again, this would have worked if the book had more elbow room, but let's stop beating that dead horse.

I've already sung Chip Zdarsky's praises on the brilliant dialogue, so I wanna take a moment to highlight the pencil work of Mark Bagley. At the time, I couldn't recall where I'd seen his work before, but it felt very familiar to me. One quick Google search later, and it turns out he's the artist on one of the earliest Spider-Man comics I ever bought - Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #393: 'Mother Love... Mother Hate!' KaijuNoir quickly reminded me he also worked on Ultimate Spider-Man as well.

The characters are very expressive, three-dimensional, and highly detailed. There are a few times the characters engage in “dull surprise,” (if you'll forgive a Transformers reference) but it's a minor blemish on a well-polished frame. I still don't understand why Spidey had so many costume changes when most of the other heroes didn't, but my best guess is that they were meant to help differentiate each decade.

The colouring by Frank D'Armata really sells this world to the reader as he applies the right shades and textures to help set the decades apart. The 60s has this almost honeycomb orange mixed with browns, the 80s are drenched in moodier colours like black and neon green, while the 2010s dominant colour is black; largely because they're in space, but it helps send the message to the reader that this story is coming to an end.

Minus Fascist-Stark and the Clone Saga, I cannot say I had a bad time reading this for Life Story is a fascinating experiment I'm surprised hasn't really been done by Marvel before. I'd easily read an Iron Man or Captain America Life Story; though Wolverine: Life Story might be the longest and most ambitious venture, considering you'd have to cover 1832 to 2022.

For a comic series published in 2019, it feels like this was written around the 70s and 80s. It truly captures an aspect of Spider-Man comics I haven't seen in a long time. No tedious pop-culture references, no forced jokes, and none of Dan Slott's politics. Sadly, his influence can be seen throughout the book with the inclusion of Parker-Industries and a brief retelling of the Inferior Spider-Man arc.

I'd have to say the 80s is the best decade in the book, for the gothic colouring, moody atmosphere, and my obvious bias for Venom outshines the other decades by miles. If I had to pick out a favourite panel, it would be Peter rising out of his own grave as Venom begins to take shape around him. Meanwhile, if I had to pick a low moment in the entire book, it would be Tony Stark's fascist ramblings during the 2000s chapter. You're lucky that film came out to save your ass, Stark!

Conclusion.
I can highly recommend Spider-Man: Life Story if you're either familiar with the character, a huge Spider-Man fan, or you just watched the MCU movies and want to know more about the character. It's a book you can finish in an afternoon, but you’ll really get pulled into this world as you experience literal decades’ worth of engaging storylines. If you do another one of these, Marvel, please make it more than 6 issues long. That's all that I ask.

Description
Would like to thank D-Fender42 for Commissioning this review.

SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY.
Written by: Chip Zdarsky.

Art by: Mark Bagley, John Dell, Frank D'Armata, and Travis Lanham.
Edited by: Tom Brevoort and Alanna Smith.

Based on the long-running Spider-Man comic series created by: Stan Lee & Steve Ditko.
Genre: American Superhero Comic.
Rated: 12 (may contain mild themes).

One of the silliest things about American Superhero comics (and trust me that's saying a lot) is the idea these characters never truly age. I can buy the idea that characters such as Thor, Superman, and Wolverine never necessarily age (as they're basically immortal) yet the idea that Peter Parker was 15 years old when he was bitten by a radioactive spider is somehow just "25ish" by the year 2005 and not 58 is kinda ridiculous. I get the reasoning as to why because neither DC nor Marvel wants to lose their highly marketable characters, such as Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark. This is why I like the idea of certain characters passing on the mantle to younger heroes; such as Hal Jordan and Barry Allen giving rise to Jon Stewart (no not that one) and Wally West.

But have you ever wanted to see what would happen if a character like Spider-Man actually aged in real-time? From 1962, all the way to our Current Year times? Then may I turn your attention to a comic book entitled Spider-Man: Life Story. A comic that pretty much does what it says on the tin. I have to say it's a pretty ambitious little read for it tries to cram in everything from Venom, to Morlun, and even the Clone Saga story-arcs into one overpacked story.

For this review, I'll break each decade down into a separate segment, and then we'll conclude my thoughts with a final summary. Since I was born in 1985, my cultural knowledge of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s will be very limited. But I'll try to comment on references or slang if I pick up on them.

Part 1: The Swinging 60s.
The story didn't begin exactly where I thought it would, for I'm surprised Marvel didn't take another opportunity to cram Uncle Ben's death down our throats for the umpteenth time. We pick up with Spidey in the year 1966, and he's been web-swinging for roughly 4 years. This is just a personal thing for me, but I cannot help but hear the voice cast from Spider-Man: The Animated Series when reading Spidey comics as Christopher Daniel Barnes will always be my ideal Peter Parker.

But I digress. One interesting detail about Life Story is the use of real-world events as the emotional backdrop for certain conversations. Instead of a Peter Parker monologuing about the Green Goblin or his love life, he's asking himself if he should join the war effort in Vietnam. This leads to a heated moment with former bully Flash Thompson which has one of the more emotional payoffs in the next chapter. I personally love how Chip Zdarksy writes Peter in these exchanges, for this isn't the obnoxious wise-cracking, meme-spewing dickhead I've had the displeasure of reading during Dan Slott's abysmal run. Here, Peter is highly emotional but never whiney and self-deprecating. A lot of his dialogue is peppered with 60's slang like "bread" (in reference to money) which might be lost on younger readers.

Side characters like Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn give him a hard time for his absence and behaviour that feels very reminiscent of the Sam Raimi trilogy. This trend continues with Norman Osborn's introduction and trying to recruit Peter as his heir (or son if you read between the lines) as it feels similar to Willem Dafoe's initial character arc in Spider-Man (2002). This is where the story excels as the tension between Norman and Peter near the conclusion of Chapter 1 had me engaged by clever writing and minor horror elements.

Now, if I have any real complaints or nitpicks with the book it's the limited size of the series. I'll cover this in more detail later on, but for now, I'll say the Green Goblin fight is the weak element of this chapter. The battle just comes out of nowhere with no payoff or build-up. I personally felt this fight could have been saved for the 70s and the pages could have gone to fleshing out Peter and Norman's relationship. Without the extra time to develope it, Norman's fight at the end is basically "I'm here, oof, I'm defeated now!" in the manner of 3 and a half pages.

And speaking of conflict, the last thing to mention before wrapping up the 60s is the Vietnam War in the background. Given the use of Iron Man and Captain America as figureheads in the conflict, I'm guessing this is setting up the eventual Civil War reference. This feeling was cemented with the reveal that Cap has turned against the United States and Iron Man is using any means necessary to win the war. The brief exchange between Cap and Spidey on the rooftops about "responsibility" mirrors their conversation in Civil War (even if they didn't include the famous quote from that scene).

Overall, the 60s is a good introduction to this universe, but I wish they focused more on the character interactions and saved the Goblin fight for the next chapter.

Part 2: The Funky 70s.
We jump forward to the year 1977, and this is where the time-hopping gimmick starts to lose me. In the 11 years since Spider-Man defeated the Green Goblin, Peter and Gwen Stacy got married, Harry Osborn now runs Oscorp, Peter forms the Future Foundation with Reed Richards and Otto Octavius, Flash Thompson died in Vietnam, and Mary Jane became a bitter bitch. These are all important character events and details that I would have liked to have seen in the pages. What is this shit, Avengers: Endgame?

I may as well address this now, my biggest complaint with the book is the 6 issue format. This could have easily been 12 parts long, with 2 issues dedicated to each decade to allow these segments to breathe. I'm not saying this story is bad, far from it, but the brief window into each decade leaves the stories either half-finished or barely explained. Learning Doc Ock changed his ways after suffering a near-fatal heart attack is a fascinating change of pace that I would have liked to have seen in the pages themselves. "Show, don't tell" comes to mind when I think of these minor details. To find a positive in here, when I'm left wanting MORE from a story, that's usually a good sign!

I singled out Goblin's clumsy reveal in the 60s because this chapter is where the conflict should have gone down, as it would have tied “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” perfectly into the decade it came out in, instead of making it an ill-fitting allegory for one of the Clone Sagas, but I'm sure "the other one" will be the focus of the 90s. Also, Harry Osborn as the “Black Goblin?" I see Spider-Gwen isn't the only DeviantArt OC Marvel has these days (shots fired).

Grumbles aside, the writing continues to be as sharp as ever, with Peter snapping at Reed Richards being my favourite segment of this chapter. The raw emotion in their exchange was fantastic, as Peter pretty much says how I feel about that obviously pretentious twat. No wonder nobody can make a decent Fantastic Four movie when your lead hero is so unlikeable and up his own arse... Once again, I digress.

The real-world elements take something of a backseat in this decade, with the only real noticeable ones being Nixon's resignation and the aftermath of the Vietnam conflict. I did notice a possible error with this segment; mainly the Vietnam War ended in 1975, but Reed tells Peter "I guess that's probably why it's still going" in 1977. My buddy KaijuNoir suggested this is a result of Cap's actions extending the war past the original date. That's a pretty solid explanation, to be honest.

Lastly, what's the deal with Spidey's new suit in this decade? The costume features weird metallic shoulder pads, a belt, wrist gauntlets, and other extra doo-dads. Is he Spider-Man, or a Kamen Rider? If he hasn't got tiny feet, shoulder pads, and pouches by the time we reach the 90s I'm going to be severely disappointed.

Overall, the 70s left me with questions on reveals that had no real payoff, and a Goblin fight that should have been Peter Vs Norman. Hopefully, it'll get better from this point on.

Part 3: The Neon 80s.
Fast forward to the year 1984. Mary Jane is now pregnant with twins, Cold War tensions run high, and Peter is off fighting in the Secret War. While I understand why it was dropped, I'm kinda bummed out that the Vietnam War angle of Captain America Vs Iron Man is suddenly forgotten as they're now fighting side by side in said Secret War. No payoff or resolution to that plot thread at all, Chip? Again, not to repeat myself, this is why the 6 issue format doesn't work with a title as ambitious as this. You introduce all these intriguing and fascinating plot threads that ultimately go nowhere or get proper closure. Maybe if there were Life Story editions for Iron Man and Captain America, then this could make for a great franchise. But yet again, I digress.

Because we're in the 80s, and it's a Secret War tie-in, it's time for the introduction of everyone's favourite alternate Spidey costume: The Symbiote. Thankfully, this version was NOT tainted by a Deadpool retcon (fuck you very much for that Marvel). Even if its contribution was brief, I like how the Symbiote functions in this chapter; almost acting like a concerned girlfriend or partner that only wants Peter to do better, even at the risk of becoming a literal monster.

Another big change is Peter's attitude which has become less quippy and upbeat as he's coming to the grim realisation he's getting older and more cynical. His continued arguments with Mary Jane feel like the ones real couples engage in when the marriage is starting to break down. Also, I'm not a fan of this insecure MJ who feels like a runner-up to the “PERFECT ghost of Gwen Stacy!" Save that shit for Kirsten Dunst's rendition of the character.

What fuels this emotionally charged argument is the decaying mental state of Aunt May. I was almost worried they'd work One More Day into this comic when they mentioned she's dying. This is where aspects of Peter Parker's modern personality (that I despise) come out, as he's incapable of doing what's best for others and only worries about himself. MJ feels May needs to be in a care home, whereas Peter (under the Symbiote's influence) stubbornly believes he can look after May AND his wife and kids.

So much drama and tension, and Venom's not even here yet.

The main antagonist of this era is Kraven, as we get a "blink and you'll miss it" recap of the excellent 'Kraven's Last Hunt' which is peppered with Kraven's commentary on the Cold War. He proceeds to bury Peter alive as he did in that comic, but the twist is the Symbiote comes to Peter's rescue. This is where my boy, Venom, makes his introduction into this comic... And he only gets 4 panels. If you want to be technical, he's in 3 pages of this chapter, but the iconic look is only in 4 panels. Plus, no Eddie Brock either. You cut deep, Zdarsky. You cut deep.

That doesn't take away from the fact this is the best decade so far, with the moody rain landscapes, angry dialogue, and the presence of more dramatic storylines capturing the decade perfectly. The comic ending on a sour note seems par for the course when it comes to Spider-Man stories, as Mary Jane leaves Peter and takes the kids to the other side of the country. At least Peter and Reed were able to kiss and make up for their argument in the 70s. This is my favourite arc so far (largely because it's the era I grew up in), with the 60s in a strong second place.

However... You know what's next.

Part 4: The Radical 90s.
I knew this was coming. I was hoping for a Maximum Carnage recap instead. But sadly... It's the Clone Saga. THAT Clone Saga.

This felt like the smallest chapter so far; largely because it was dominated by one major storyline. Maybe it’s this way because some people at Marvel didn't like the 90s since it nearly killed the entire superhero comic industry, and they wanted it over with as quickly as possible; That and it was the era that gave us the Spice Girls and the TV show Friends for Christ's sake.

It's 1995. Aunt May has tragically passed away (off-screen), Tony Stark tries to buy out Parker-Industries, and Peter hooks up with Jessica Jones, which might be the strangest thing in this book so far. This is an odd thing to mention now that we're past the halfway point, but where is Felicia Hardy? I can understand overlooking Carly Cooper or that Mary Sue, Silk, but no Black Cat? You're telling me Peter doesn't hook up with his partner in crime… fighting crime together when both Gwen and MJ are no longer a factor? Beyond a brief exchange in Secret Avengers, I can't recall what Peter has in common with the Alias Private Investigator.

Now I'm really digressing -- largely because I DON'T want to talk about the Clone Saga.

Chip did his best to keep this segment as BRIEF as possible, but even this tangled mess of stupidity is awful no matter how much you compress it. We do get a few dramatic payoffs and closure to previous events; mainly the deaths of Norman and Harry Osborn. Norman dies in predictable and selfish fashion, while Harry's death once again mirrors the Sam Raimi trilogy's demise of the character. I think we know which film series Mr. Zdarsky prefers.

I do like the allusion to 'The Night Gwen Stacy Died' with Norman trying to pierce Peter with his glider. However "Based-Peter',” officially done with Norman's shit, grabs the glider with his bare hands, crushes it effortlessly, and throws it to the ground like a boss. Can we have THIS Peter Parker in the comics? It's actually refreshing to see a Peter that isn't feeling guilty or making excuses and doesn't take anyone's crap anymore. This is punctuated by his outright dismissal of Tony Stark near the beginning of this chapter. His offer to Tony buying out his company being "stops selling weapons” was such a brilliant put-down and watching Tony get pissy was priceless.

On a side note: I know I mentioned the Spider-Man TAS voice cast in the 60s, but all I hear when I read Iron Man's dialogue is the voice of Eric Loomis from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Finally, the comic shows Peter can still be Spider-Man, but the years have not been kind to the old webhead. He can still lift a car over his head, but you can see he's slowing down and not as agile as before. This is also reflected with the now haggard Doctor Octopus, who has to rely on his tentacles more than ever, yet I felt he's a villain here because the chapter needed to give Peter someone to fight. I would have personally used Norman to drop the clone bombshell on Ben, but that's just me. Otto really didn't need to be here since he was established to be a reformed villain.

While I personally despise the Clone Saga, I did smile when I saw the Scarlet Spider mask near the end. The 90s was a good read overall, but not in the same league as the 80s and 60s.

Part 5: The Epic 00s.
It is the year 2005. The treacherous Decepticons have conquered the Autobots' home planet of Cybertron. But from secret staging grounds on two of ... Oh. Sorry, wrong script. Let me start over.

It is the year 2006, and it’s time for a Civil War! The 2000s chapter did a good job reminding me of when I truly despised Tony Stark, as he became this tyrannical despot that was downright irredeemable. You could say this heel turn was building all the way from Tony's introduction back in the 60s, but I partially don't see it. Yes, he was the driving force for keeping the Vietnam War going long past the original timeline, but he didn't become a villainous figure to Peter until the 90s. Also, it's a shame there wasn't a resolution to Cap and Tony's involvement in the Vietnam War that I could see. Yes, I'm saying I want a Marvel comic set in the Vietnam War, what of it?

I'm actually surprised it's just Senator Stark and not President Stark because everything Tony says to Peter made me despise him even more. He talks like a typical politician who feels "we can keep the peace by policing the world and hide behind the flag as justification!" If that doesn't make you want to stop voting, then nothing will. Based-Peter continues to run wild, as he proceeds to rip open Tony's mouth and shit down his neck. It's actually kinda hilarious to see Peter tell Tony to basically "go fuck himself,” after 3 AGONISING years of Tom Holland's rendition being Tony's little simp.

Beyond my Iron-Hateboner, this felt like Marvel's take on The Dark Knight Returns (if you pretend Reign never happened), as an ageing Peter is forced out of retirement to confront the demons of his past. The brief exchange between Peter and his daughter, Claire, was brilliant but I am sad yet another character of Peter's past died off-screen in a throwaway comment. I can only assume J.Jonah Jameson is hassling Saint Peter at the pearly gates for "pictures of Spider-Man!"

Besides Civil War, the 9/11 tribute comic is beautifully homaged, while Morlun is here to hassle Peter's family and kill Ben Reily. On one hand, this inclusion helped set up Claire to be intelligent and skilled enough to end the energy vampire by herself. It's a decent bit of character growth for a character we're probably not going to see in any future comics. On the other hand, I felt this was a distraction from the conflict between Peter and Tony as that should have been the main focus. This again goes back to the 6 issue format with 30 pages each, but we'll save that for the closing thoughts.

To close on a positive, the conversation between Cap and Peter felt like a nice bookend to their conversation in the 60s. The overall difference here is Peter isn't so naive and unsure of himself as he was back then, yet is far more worn down and cynical from what the decades have unloaded onto him.

Overall, the 2000s is about on par with the 90s. Decent read, but some minor things about it bugged me.

Part 6: The Trending 10s.
Before we wrap this up, can we just applaud Marvel for this segment of the story containing zero references to Donald Trump? That must have taken weapons-grade levels of restraint, or what happens when someone besides Dan Slott writes for this character.

Our journey comes to a dramatic end in the year 2019. A 72-year-old Peter Parker and a young Miles Morales journey into space to shut down a Doomsday Device created by Doctor Doom. Just throwing this question out there: Is this referencing a storyline from the 2010s? I stopped reading Marvel Comics around 2016-2017 and I have no idea what this storyline about Doctor Doom yeeting everyone is about.

This comic truly hits a depressing note when you notice nearly everyone close to Peter is dead, and his world has been progressively getting smaller and smaller; a subtle commentary that delivers an existential message to the reader: getting old sucks. Old Man Peter's still laughing and joking to ease the tension, but something about Miles doesn't feel right and you quickly figure out the twist with one line of dialogue.

Before we continue, I do wanna quickly acknowledge two nice nods: Kamala Khan is name-dropped, and we see Claire decked out in a costume similar to Ultimate Spider-Woman.

Back to the plot. We get two final showdowns for Peter in this chapter, and sadly one of them was over in a heartbeat. Kraven returns, now fully bonded to the Symbiote to become this universe's Venom (more on this later), but is quickly taken out by a sonic pulse blast from Peter and reduced to nothing but a skeleton. Twice you've reduced mah boi to a quick defeat before he had a chance to do anything.

One more time: You cut deep, Zdarsky. You cut deep.

And what feels like salt in the wound is that instead of a Spider-Man/Venom finale, we get the not-so-subtle twist that Miles was really Doc Ock controlling his body. That's right, we got a reference to 'The Inferior Spider-Man' to round off this title. Talk about ending on a wet fart. Having said that, I do appreciate the final battle taking place within Peter's mind as we see the six Spider-Men throughout the decades taking on the Sinister Six... including Venom.

Mini rant time: Why is Venom here when Eddie Brock hasn't appeared once in the book? I can accept Green Goblin, Electro, Rhino, and Vulture being here since they were either referenced or name-dropped in previous arcs, but why showcase the classic depiction of Venom when this comic clearly shows he never came to be? I get that I'm nitpicking about a sweet cameo, but it just comes off as a convoluted retcon.

With the help of projecting Aunt May (as a sort of voice of reason), Otto is defeated and Peter gets him to the only escape pod aboard the space station. I had a feeling the comic was going to end with Peter's death, but at least he goes out in a blaze of glory. Otto/Miles is ejected, the space station is crumbling all around him, and Peter is barely able to complete his mission in time. Then the Symbiote returns, one last time, to help save its first true love. I'll always ship VemBrock, but seeing the Symbiote aiding Peter in their final moments is truly sweet from a sinister alien puddle.

With a smile on his face and one final FUCK YOU to the Clone Saga, Peter dies as the space station detonates. It's actually a sour note to end his journey on, but the comic concludes with Miles becoming the main Spider-Man, and the suggestion Peter's still alive with a dream sequence of him stopping Uncle Ben's killer. It's a nice symbolic gesture of what his life could have been, but seeing him go from an unsure 19-year-old to a 72-year-old war hero has been a fascinating journey to behold.

Perfect ending to this amazing, if bloated, story... Still no Black Cat mind you.

General thoughts.
You should know what my main complaint with the book is. I feel it's a real shame a concept this good is limited to 30 pages per each of the 6 issues. I could forgive this if it was 6 issues covering one decade. However, when you're cramming 6 DECADES into such a small space it doesn't do any of it justice. It means a lot of key moments, characters, or events go missing or never get a proper resolution. Another minor change I would have made is having one major storyline homaged per decade. Some of them do fit together nicely, such as combining Kraven's Last Hunt with the Black Suit/Venom saga, but putting Morlun with Civil War really didn't work for me as neither have anything in common with each other. Again, this would have worked if the book had more elbow room, but let's stop beating that dead horse.

I've already sung Chip Zdarsky's praises on the brilliant dialogue, so I wanna take a moment to highlight the pencil work of Mark Bagley. At the time, I couldn't recall where I'd seen his work before, but it felt very familiar to me. One quick Google search later, and it turns out he's the artist on one of the earliest Spider-Man comics I ever bought - Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #393: 'Mother Love... Mother Hate!' KaijuNoir quickly reminded me he also worked on Ultimate Spider-Man as well.

The characters are very expressive, three-dimensional, and highly detailed. There are a few times the characters engage in “dull surprise,” (if you'll forgive a Transformers reference) but it's a minor blemish on a well-polished frame. I still don't understand why Spidey had so many costume changes when most of the other heroes didn't, but my best guess is that they were meant to help differentiate each decade.

The colouring by Frank D'Armata really sells this world to the reader as he applies the right shades and textures to help set the decades apart. The 60s has this almost honeycomb orange mixed with browns, the 80s are drenched in moodier colours like black and neon green, while the 2010s dominant colour is black; largely because they're in space, but it helps send the message to the reader that this story is coming to an end.

Minus Fascist-Stark and the Clone Saga, I cannot say I had a bad time reading this for Life Story is a fascinating experiment I'm surprised hasn't really been done by Marvel before. I'd easily read an Iron Man or Captain America Life Story; though Wolverine: Life Story might be the longest and most ambitious venture, considering you'd have to cover 1832 to 2022.

For a comic series published in 2019, it feels like this was written around the 70s and 80s. It truly captures an aspect of Spider-Man comics I haven't seen in a long time. No tedious pop-culture references, no forced jokes, and none of Dan Slott's politics. Sadly, his influence can be seen throughout the book with the inclusion of Parker-Industries and a brief retelling of the Inferior Spider-Man arc.

I'd have to say the 80s is the best decade in the book, for the gothic colouring, moody atmosphere, and my obvious bias for Venom outshines the other decades by miles. If I had to pick out a favourite panel, it would be Peter rising out of his own grave as Venom begins to take shape around him. Meanwhile, if I had to pick a low moment in the entire book, it would be Tony Stark's fascist ramblings during the 2000s chapter. You're lucky that film came out to save your ass, Stark!

Conclusion.
I can highly recommend Spider-Man: Life Story if you're either familiar with the character, a huge Spider-Man fan, or you just watched the MCU movies and want to know more about the character. It's a book you can finish in an afternoon, but you’ll really get pulled into this world as you experience literal decades’ worth of engaging storylines. If you do another one of these, Marvel, please make it more than 6 issues long. That's all that I ask.