The final twist of the issue in which Peter Parker reveals his identity to Jameson has the effect of feeling inevitable while still stunning, marking it as the sort of twist that can only come from great storytelling. In a dinner where the two talk through their history, the series reshaped and contextualized decades of stories before altering their relationship forever. Zdarsky addressed that history, Spider-Slayers and all, and used it to take an amazing leap forward.

These two foes have been at one another's throats for years and have caused one another genuine harm in a variety of manners. However, the best case is made by Spider-Man's evolving relationship with J. There are lots of great examples of this approach, including a story that literally took Peter Parker into his past and allowed him to mentor and assist himself during the Ditko and Lee years of the series. While there were callbacks and new takes on classic ideas, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man regularly managed to embrace its history and use that to continue telling a story in the mode of a grand tapestry. Zdarsky's approach to Spider-Man was none of these things. Some choose to aim for a version of the character that feels definitive, while others strive to reinvent the wheel, and far too many simply imitate the past. When a creator encounters Spider-Man or another similarly iconic superhero, they have to grapple with that history.

That's a long time filled with a lot of truly great stories as well as plenty of others. Spider-Man has been around for more than 55 years. (Photo: Marvel Entertainment) Spider-Man Has a Spectacular History This not only made for a regularly engaging read, but one that played to Spidey's strengths as an adaptable everyman. Zdarsky never slowed the pace of change within his run and made sure that each new chapter in Spider-Man's ongoing adventures took the hero to new locales and new types of stories. Spider-Man is capable of finding a home anywhere and at his best will thrive in a constantly fluctuating environment. It was true of the first few decades in which some adventures centered around school while others went to nuclear power plants or outer space, and it remains true today. Spider-Man can thrive in that location, but he's also capable of telling wild science-fiction tales featuring robotic alien invaders and everything in between. Daredevil, often noted to bear a close resemblance to Spider-Man at his conception, consistently functions best in street-level stories. Many heroes have a sweet spot in which they are best suited. That is a mark of a skilled and flexible writer, but it is also something notable about the character of Spider-Man.

Spectacular spider man chip zdarsky