Why is Spider-Man melancholy and blue in this heartfelt, very personal, miniseries? The story is familiar (Not just to Spider-Man fans, but also to fans of romance stories), but the execution of it is not what the reader will expect from this amazing marriage of story and art by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. This is the saga of a young Peter Parker dealing with loss and his journey into adulthood. It’s a coming of age tale told in an ingenious way, letting the reader immerse themselves in the mind of a young man who retains his sense of humor even through days of darkness. Peter reminisces on his past, with the reader not knowing the time period that this tale resides within. It’s a timeless tale of a timeless character, with relationships taking center stage over plot. Peter interacts with his paramours Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson, has a deep relationship with his Aunt May, and fights villains such as Green Goblin, the Lizard, Rhino and the Vulture. Through interpersonal relationships and superhero battles, every moment is personal in this tale about “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Jeph Loeb has written a very personal story and, through Peter Parker’s own words, conveys what it’s like for a young man to go through many intense emotions that every human being encounters throughout their lives. The reader will empathize with him because of Loeb’s plot and words. Even though he’s a larger than life character, Spider-Man still goes through the same life experiences everyone navigates through. When “faced with a personal problem”, Parker says he does what he does best: “I go webslinging.” He tells himself that he’s always wary after something great happens in his life because something good always leads to something bad. The Spider-Man humor that is evident throughout the book makes sense, then, as a coping mechanism to keep his spirits raised, with the “webslinging” being his break from the more scary experiences of the usual machinations of personal relationships.
Guilt and regret are the primary emotions that Loeb has Peter work through over the course of his journey. When Gwen comes by with “Huckleberry Finn” to read to a sick Peter, he remembers how his Uncle Ben would read the same book to him when he was a child. That book, according to Peter, has always reminded him of the guilt he still feels over the death of Uncle Ben. The look of guilt in his face, while lying in bed, is evident through Tim Sale’s art. Peter also feels regret over being Spider-Man, believing that time was lost before Gwen died because he was out webslinging. Toward the end of the story, he tells himself, “How many dates – how many kisses did I miss because I was doing this instead of being by your side?” Writer and artistic talent on this book convey that the role of Spider-Man entails much sacrifice. With that sacrifice comes a cost.
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale weave a story where every word and image has a reason, whether it be related to plot or character. During a college science class, Peter and Gwen are working on an experiment when Gwen says something that aids him later on during his fight with Rhino. Peter loves this young woman and demonstrates that by how intently he listens to her. Not only does the scene add resonance to their budding friendship, but also shows how Loeb is tightly weaving a story with meaning that can be read multiple times on multiple levels.
In the same classroom scene, the art is just as important as the words. Tim Sale adds to the storytelling by using foreshadowing, with the reader already knowing that Gwen will die in the future. In the panel where Peter and Gwen are interacting, the intense yellow of Gwen’s hair contrasts beautifully with the lighter yellow of the sun shining through the window. A few panels later during the same scene, there is a panel almost identical to that same panel with Peter and the sunshine, except this time the only bright color in the second panel is Gwen’s hair with a dark haunting gray coming through the window. Also, Peter is standing near Gwen in the first panel, while Gwen is farther away and much smaller than Peter in the second panel. He is standing with a worried look on his face. The loss of Gwen Stacy will be part of Peter’s loss of innocence. Colorist Steve Buccellato must be given credit for this scene and the overall artistry of “Spider-Man: Blue.” As evidenced by this scene with Gwen and Peter, Buccellato’s colors are just as integral to the story as the contributions of Loeb and Sale, aiding in the expression of emotion and story on every page.
I could go on explaining more about the scenes and journey of Peter Parker, but I really think everyone should read this book. The amazing thing about "Spider-Man: Blue" (and all the other three color books by this team) is that the story requires zero prior knowledge to enjoy the story. It's also one of the few stories that is popular among the casual comic readers, and one that even my mother enjoys. So if you're at your local Barnes and Nobles and want to read a great story, then "Spider-Man: Blue" might be just for you.
