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Spider-Man: Life Story (Spider-Man: Life Story (2019)) by [Chip Zdarsky, Mark Bagley]

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Chip Zdarsky

Spider-Man: Life Story (Spider-Man: Life Story (2019)) Kindle & comiXology

by Chip Zdarsky (Author, Cover Art), Mark Bagley (Artist) Format: Kindle Edition

1,380 ratings

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Collects Spider-Man: Life Story (2019) #1-6, Spider-Man: Life Story Annual (2021) #1.

Spider-Man makes history! In 1962's AMAZING FANTASY #15, teenage Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the amazing Spider-Man! Nearly sixty years have passed in the real world since that event - so what would have happened if the same amount of time passed for Peter? In celebration of an icon, Chip Zdarsky and legendary artist Mark Bagley spin a unique Spidey tale - telling the entire life story of Spider-Man from beginning to end, set against the key events of the decades through which he lived! From the Vietnam War to Secret Wars and Civil War, all the way through to what just might be a 72-year-old Spider-Man's final mission, prepare to watch Peter Parker age by the issue - now including a brand new Annual tale!

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11+ years, from customers
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235 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Marvel
Publication date

December 29, 2021
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ISBN-13

978-1302931919
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09CRQH232
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Marvel (December 29, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 29, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 835767 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 235 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #184,319 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,429 in Superhero Graphic Novels
- #2,578 in Superhero Comics & Graphic Novels

Customer Reviews:
1,380 ratings

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Chip Zdarsky

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Straight up? I've never been scared of spiders. You come at me with a rubber spider and I'll just be, like, "so what."

Customer reviews

5 star		85%
4 star		10%
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2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Kindle Customer

Must read noncanon Spidey

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019

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Spideys entire history told as if he aged over the last 58 years. It has every important moment in spideys history tied to the decades that defined him and his family over his journey. One of the best noncanon stories Marvel has ever published.

39 people found this helpful

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Jonnie Sparko

Good. Not bad. Not great.

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2019

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A story that actually allows Peter to age, that puts him in the middle of some of the events that the time periods featured where known for. At the end of issue three, I thought this was an insane story, and I couldn’t wait for more. Spidey had been put through the wringer and wow. Fantastic. Please. Continue the masterpiece that this is.
By the end of the book, I was happy it was over, happy I read it, but wishing I would of just borrowed it instead. I’m a collector of Spidey and I love having his books on my shelf, and I’m sure at some point I’ll reread it, but it doesn’t need to be anytime soon. None at all.
Each issue can almost be read as a stand-alone, a what if moment, but one that has built up from the previous issue or issues. I think Zdarsky and Bagley do a commendable job throughout. At the end though, it doesn’t live up to the hype for me. And it all makes sense, how he ages, the events that transpire, how they tie in to official Spidey canon. But by the end of the book, it really felt to me that the writer was just trying to put Spidey through all the worst possible scenarios he could encounter. I could imagine a wheel of misfortune spun over and over for our hero and things only getting worse as he completed all the doom and gloom on one wheel only for another to be brought out with even worse scenarios to start on.
The story led me to an unsatisfying conclusion. This is my review though. In the same way some people loved the Joaquin Phoenix Joker movie and I didn’t quite care for it, I see this book getting great reviews, but I’ll mostly be indifferent. Read it though, your mileage will vary.

24 people found this helpful

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Sam Laughlin

So disappointing...

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2020

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What a great idea- following Spider-Man in real time, from the 60’s through the present. But- do you like the cloning saga from the 90’s, what many consider one of the biggest comic book mistakes ever? Well, Spider-Man Life Story doubles down on it. Triples down on it. In fact, this should just be called “Spider-Man: a Clone’s Story.”

Which would be fine if it was paced well. Except, instead, by trying to tell Peter Parker’s entire life story, it zips through things way too fast. You never get a sense of who these people are, or how they feel. And often, that melodrama feels like a soap opera.

I wanted to love this book, hoping it would be all the best of Spider-Man (like the movie Into the Spider-Verse was). Instead, this is like the greatest-hits of the worst parts of Spider-Man. So- hard pass on this.

Also- the art is boring. Every time period looks exactly the same. It would have been interesting for each time period to better reflect the art of the times- but it all feels rushed. Ugh.

15 people found this helpful

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Michael A. Lake

To Coin a Phrase It's an "Amazing Spider-Man" (with one caveat)

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2020

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A newcomer will enjoy it, but miss a chunk of nuance in the story. A long-time fan will find a concerto of the life and times of Peter Parker.

Whatever you are expecting, this story both is and isn't it. And I mean that in the best possible way. We have seen the trope of "what if the hero aged normally from when they were introduced" done before -- most notably in Byrne's Generations saga -- but Zdarsky and Bagley give it new weight in this tale. Not only is this a solid tale of what Peter as he accumulates experience and wisdom (because those two are not mutually exclusive) it is also a solid commentary on what was happening to comics and comics readers during those same decades.

There are too many places where a story told like this could have come off the rails -- but the creators never let that happen. This is clearly done with love, affection, and a deep-seated desire to remind us all of who Spider-Man is and what his two greatest powers truly are: Peter Parker's spectacular brain and his amazing heart. This last one takes center stage in subtle, but compellingly effective ways as Peter is forced to dance between the dictates of reacting in the immediate (stopping muggers, defeating a rampaging villain) and taking a step back to see what impact he can have on the greater picture.

The one caveat in all this is that while this is a gorgeous piece of storytelling it will not resonate as well with those unfamiliar with the major beats of Peter's life. Don't get me wrong, you can pick it up as a gateway book and enjoy the Hell out of it. But if you don't understand the significance of the identity swaps from the Clone Saga in the 90's, Kraven's Last Hunt in the 80's, or Peter's palpable fear when he tackled Morlun and the Inheritors in the 2000's then you will miss some key emotional beats.

In sum -- still enjoyable for a newcomer, but for a long-time fan this concerto is "must read."

13 people found this helpful

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JW Appel

Fantastic!

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2019

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A great take on Spider-man's decades-long history. It managed to weave the most most important elements of each decade together into an interesting narrative and even took the time to deal with some of the issues of the time periods it covered. The original ideas presented, such as there being a Black Goblin to succeed Norman Osborn instead of other Green Goblins and the Hobgoblin, as well as Kraven the Hunter becoming Venom, were also well done. The Black Goblin is actually a concept that could work quite well in the main continuity. My one real complaint is that Venom/Kraven is saved for the book's closing moments. He is enjoyable in that brief time, but could have been used before then as well, in the 90s' segment where Venom's popularity was at it's peak. In conclusion, I will also say I wouldn't mind seeing more of this continuity and how the Marvel Universe as a whole was effected by real-world time and events.

10 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

K. G. A. Alavi

Save everyone

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2019

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I loved the concept of this book, but did it really have to be so much more bitter then sweet? I have probobly been one of the biggest campaigners for having the more mature and married Spider-man, and I know cliffhanger ending keep people coming back in the series, but are the really as necessary in a mini series?

The concept imagine Peter Parker was Spider-man in the 60s and continued his adventures all the way to present day. He get older, so do the supporting cast. For all the lives he is saving in front of him, what about the big picture? This story takes Peter and his family, friends, loved ones and enemies through the biggest Spider-man story arcs. All this I love. Though I do wish for a different outcome.

A very good book just a little too sour for me personally though I ho like that the characters step up and evolve rather than being stuck in a time warp. Though is you follow Spider-man's history their really was only one way this could end, a good ending just not my personal favourite but truly Parkeresk.

11 people found this helpful

Mr. J. James

Not good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2020

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The premise behind this is a good idea, what if Peter Parker (Spiderman) aged with the world around him, however the way is has been executed is terrible, elements of Civil War (comic not film) are carried over poorly, important aspects of history are left out which is a shame as so much more could of been achieved with this concept, However where this falls flat on it's face from the very start is to portray Captain America as a traitor during the Vietnam war.
There are some things you don't mess with, The Hulk is Green, Wolverine has claws, Aquaman and Namor the Sub-Mariner live under the sea and Captain America is a true blue Patriot, change them and you are on to a losing wicket from the start

8 people found this helpful

R P Bradshaw

Peter Parker This Is Your Life

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2021

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If Peter Parker was really a teenager when he was bitten by a radioactive spider and aged in real time he would be in his mid seventies in 2020. This story separated in chapters by each decade shows us what it would have been like if he had aged like this. Obviously being based over six decades a lot goes on we don't see and is merely mentioned but this is done so we can imagine the storylines missed here. There is the odd cameo from other Marvel Universe characters also in real time aging from the sixties such as Reed Richards. What is great though, each chapter is mainly based from the lead story of the time, so Chapter 1 you get the Green Goblin, followed by the Clone Saga, Kraven and Venom, Clone Saga (again), Morlun and Civil War and finally up to date with Superior Spider-Man. But these are not done in the form of retells, but imagined into new and original stories. If you are familar with these classic stories and the history of Spider-man this is brillant. If you are not, it will still be good, and would be how a movie would encompass all that has happened to Spidey in a real time lifetime. One of the best Spidey tales since Blue in my opinion.

3 people found this helpful

CrimsonSapphire99

A Spider(man)'s Life for Me

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2020

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When I first heard about Life Story I was curious, a version of Spider-Man's life where unlike the one we know so well he's allowed to age like a normal human? And not just him but the Marvel World in general? So when I saw I could read it all in one book on my Kindle I thought 'sounds like fun'
And I won't lie it is a curious, fun, interesting and in places dramatic tale. But that's pretty obvious when it starts with Spidey wondering if like many of his fellow heroes and Flash Thompson he should use his powers to aid America in the Vietnam War, but then also deal with The Green Goblin too.
Starting in 1966 and finishing in 2019 we see Peter Parker as his life takes twists and turns both good and bad and classic tales such as Death of Gwen Stacey, Secret Wars, Kraven's Last Hunt, The Black Suit, Clone Saga and even Civil War are given altered takes as the Marvel Universe ages as time goes on. We also see more out of costume drama too as real world events (Vietnam and The Cold War) brought into the mix and even watch Peter face hard choices in his life, hell he even goes through 2 marriages in this story and become a bit of a workaholic.
That been said whilst the alternate takes are fun it still are stories we know all too well so only a few moments in the story caught me by surprised but that being said the Final Chapter is a great send off to the story and this is a must read for Spidey Fans of most ages.

2 people found this helpful

Gordon Stubbs

Grim, Grim and Grim

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2022

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I was aged 7 when the original Spider-Man came out and loved and collected his early issues along with the other early Marvels I could get my hands on!
The concept of this book sounded great but oh dear what a grim, miserable tale it tells.
There is nothing enjoyable or uplifting in this book and it definitely does not have the magic of the early Ditko/Lee comics which made me come back to them time and time again.
Great disappointment , Spidey deserves better than this! Shame!

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