Spider-Man: Origin of the Species TPB

It seems this is the palate-cleanser before the Spider-books got their re-direction under Dan Slott. I like the greatest hits approach that Mark Waid uses in tossing all the “gauntleted” villains against Spidey, but in the end, this story is just OK.

Lilly Hollister and the Green Goblin are having a baby, and Doc Ock wants it. When he puts out a bounty, pretty much every villain used during the Brand New Day run shows up to try and claim the prize. The story is fun, it’s great seeing Peter Parker put through his paces as he takes on so many villains, but the book feels crowded. Too many villains and not enough pages means that every villain used in this thing (with only a few exceptions) feels neglected. The Rhino and the Shocker feel like nobodies when the Lizard and Doc Ock are looming on the next page. Folks like the new Vulture don’t even rate that much. I do like seeing Tombstone getting so much use these days, he’s a great villain and Waid really utilizes his power and menace well.

There’s a lot of page time setting Harry Osborn out into the world and lining up Carlie Cooper to be Peter Parker’s new main squeeze. Carlie hasn’t won me over yet, because darn it, I still think MJ is the best match for Spider-Man. It’s going to take more than this to get me to change my mind.

Paul Azaceta’s art has a loose quality that works well on the chaotic pages. He’s not the best at faces, so sometimes the civilian scenes are a bit off, but he’s great at gritty takes on super-characters. He’s a good fit for the Marvel U.

Fair