Any time a novel is written about a comic book character there is the potential for much cheesy-ness.
In the hands of an author of Jim Butcher’s caliber, that potential is never reached. Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours is thoughtful and insightful while still containing plenty of action and mayhem.
To start, this version of Spider-Man has Peter and MJ married, Aunt May in on the alter-ego, and Peter teaching high school science part time. I start there because there are so many iterations of the characters and their timelines that knowing that helps place it. If you have never read Spider-Man before, this caveat isn’t necessary. You will be able to jump right in.
As there always is with any good Spider-Man story there is a subplot that has Peter having trouble in his civilian identity. He is substitute coaching the basketball team for a week and the star player knows that he is really, really good. So good that he doesn’t see the need to play as part of a team. The coach asks Peter to work on this as the kid is good at heart. Oh, and then Peter finds out after school on Friday that if that kid’s immunizations aren’t up to date by Monday morning, he will be suspended and off the team.
At home, MJ has gotten a part in The Scottish Play. The hitch is that the theatre is in New Jersey. To make the commute, she buys a car and tries to get her license. With no luck. So Peter tells her he will help her study for the test.
Then the super-hero crisis hits: Rhino is on a rampage in Times Square. As he is about to swing into action former girlfriend and sort-of good guy The Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) tells him he is headed into a trap. He goes anyway, of course. After defeating the Rhino, he is attacked by a trio of “Ancients” who are siblings of Morlun, a villain Peter barely beat. They feed on the life energy of people with power derived from totemic sources. Animals. Like Spider-Man, Black Cat, and yes, Rhino.
The stories intertwine and seeing Peter work his way through these problems is what I read about Spider-Man for. There is a lot of soul searching, deducing, and cattiness in the finding a solution. And the not-help of Doctor Strange drives Peter to distraction.
I heartily recommend this book. It is by turns, funny and serious, fun and thoughtful. Butcher’s take on these iconic characters was a joy to read. In fact, I read most of it in one day—it was hard to put down.
