Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Ramon Perez
Colors: Msassyk
Letters: VC’s Cory Petit
The powers that be at Marvel may have named the comic Generations: the Spiders but in actuality it should have been called Generations: Miles meets Young Peter Parker since this is not a Spider Men team up (for that see Spider-Men II). This is a comic of Miles meeting a young Peter and reassuring him that all the sacrifices that Peter makes are worthwhile and that his legacy is strong. Generations: the Spiders is set squarely in the Golden Age of Spider-Man when Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were at their creative zenith. It is the first day of classes at Empire State University, Peter Parker is down in the dumps due to Aunt May being near death due to a blood transfusion from Peter and he literally had a building collapse on top of him. It is during this time period (the Amazing Spider-Man #31-#33) that Miles gets dropped into. It is a classic fish out of water time travel story but done so beautifully that it is well worth the read. The interaction between Miles and a Peter only a few years older then him is touching and gives an incredible insight into the stress and pressure of being Spider-Man. Their conversation was touching and reinforces the importance Peter plays in Miles life and future as a Spider-Man.
I’ve enjoyed the majority of the Generations books, some more then others, but Generations: The Spiders is near the top of the group. Brian Michael Bendis has a wonderful grasp for the Spider-Man corner of the Marvel Universe and is an obvious master when it comes to Miles Morales since he co-created the character and that grasp is apparent with this issue. Ramon Perez’s artwork is top notch on this issue as it has a retro feel to the 1966 time period the original tale was set in but with enough modern sensibilities it feels more like the late ‘90s or early ‘00s. Perez’s Peter looks like he just stepped out of a Ditko issue and the artwork lends itself perfectly to the tale Bendis is telling. These two together was a great teaming and I hoe we get more Spider-Men from them in the future.
Verdict: All in all Generations: the Spiders is a beautiful and touching issue that has a sense of the history it is set in but with a modern spin. It is exactly what I wanted from the entirety of the Generations line of comics and a must Buy for any fan of the Spider-Men.
