Avenging Spider-Man: The Good, the Green and the Ugly

Avenging Spider-Man (Collected Editions) #2

by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Stuart Immonen (Illustrator)

Spider-Man continues to rub shoulders with the Marvel Universe's best and brightest! First, it's a night out on the town with Spider-Man and She-Hulk! All the thwipping and quipping...and none of the calories! Then, Spidey plummets into action with the all new Captain Marvel! Unfortunately, they're 50,000 feet up - and only one of them can fly! And when a Boston-based brawl breaks out between a 50-foot madwoman and an army of privatized mecha-police, guess who's caught in between? Plus, the team-up you've all been waiting for: Spider-Man and Deadpool take on...high school?! The devilishly dangerous Deadpool helps Spidey dodge bullets and bullies - but is there more to the mayhem than meets the eye? It's a Spider-Man story that will thrill and chill - and make you laugh!

COLLECTING: Avenging Spider -Man 7, 9-10, 12-13

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Spider Man, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published March 5, 2013

About the author

Kelly Sue DeConnick’s work spans stage, comics, film and television. Ms. DeConnick first came to prominence as a comics writer, where she is best known for reinventing the Carol Danvers as “Captain Marvel” at Marvel and for the Black Label standard-setting Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons at DC. Her independent comics Bitch Planet and Pretty Deadly (both from Image Comics) have ranked as New York Times best-sellers and been honored with Eisner Awards, British Fantasy Awards and Hugo nominations.

Ms. DeConnick’s screen work includes stints on Captain Marvel, a film that earned $1B for Disney worldwide, and 2023’s forthcoming The Marvels with Marvel Studios; in addition to having consulted on features for Skydance and ARRAY, and developed television for NBCUniversal, Legendary Entertainment and HBOMax. Her most recent stage work is the mythic spectacle AWAKENING, which opened at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas in November 2022.

Mission-driven, Ms. DeConnick is also a founding partner at Good Trouble Productions, where she has helped to produce non-fiction and educational comics including the “Hidden Voices” and “Recognized” series for NY Public Schools and Congressman John Lewis’ Run, in partnership with Abrams Comics.

In 2015, Ms. DeConnick founded the #VisibleWomen Project, whose mission is to help women and other marginalized genders find paid work in comics and its related industries. The project continues to this day and recently expanded in partnership with Dani Hedlund of Brink Literacy.

Ms. DeConnick lives in Portland, OR with her husband, writer Matt Fraction, and their two children.

Reviews

[Katherine (Kat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars
Individual issues rated below -

Avenging Spider-Man #7: 3/5
Avenging Spider-Man #9: 3/5
Avenging Spider-Man #10: 4/5
Avenging Spider-Man #12: 2/5
Avenging Spider-Man #13: 4.5/5

[Just a Girl Fighting Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spiderman teams up with She Hulk! What!



Spiderman teams up with Ms. Mavel (now Captain Marvel)...



Spiderman teams up with Deadpool...



Spiderman has a run in with....Hypno-Hustler?!



Ugh, this comic was pretty disappointing. She Hulk was a total bitch and not at all her quippy self. Captain Marvel was reduced to a nothing character in one of the most boring stories I have ever read. The one and only saving grace was Deadpool but it was quickly ruined by the appearance of Hypno-Hustler. These comics are trying really hard to be funny but it feels forced, you can have humor without resorting to absurd story lines.

[Sophie (BlameChocolate) *on hiatus* · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cool to revisit Spider-Man, Deadpool, Carol Danvers and the lot. Deadpool's issues were particularly entertaining, as expected, and I always love Spider-Man teaming up with other people. He's hands down one of the most chill and fun superheroes to read about. However, it still felt like I was parachuting in the middle of something and not getting the whole picture. The stories were all pretty random and failed to deliver a more substantial response, which was disappointing. I love the art style, though, and once again DeConnick revealed to be, way more than a competent writer.

[Jdetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Captain Marvel and She-Hulk stories are easily 5/5 stories, fun and exciting while also doing a great job with the personalities of the characters. The final two issues, a Deadpool team-up, isn't bad, but it's trying just a little too hard.

[☽ Nanna Brochdorff ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy read that reminds me of the Spider-Man comics I read as a child. I loved Carol so much, which I've always done, but I feel like this issue really showcases her well. The story with Deadpool was also really fun to read.

[Mouse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Giant cat Goddess....waste of time....Nuff said!

[Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I got my hands on this trade mistakenly believing I needed to read this book to launch into Kelly Sue Deconnick's Captain Marvel run, where the previous Ms. Marvel takes the helm of Captain Marvel. This assumption is incorrect, as while this story was published chronologically before Captain Marvel #1, the story itself takes place after that issue. In addition, Captain Marvel isn't the only guest in Avenging Spider-Man as this volume contains a She-Hulk team-up as well as a Deadpool story as well (and I loathe Deadpool.) So effectively this volume represents the collecting of the spritual successor to Marvel Team-Up which featured Spider-Man along with whatever special guest of the month happened to show up.

Since my initial exposure to comics was contemporaneous with the end of Marvel Team-Up, my view of a Spider-Man based team up book for the new millennium is that such things are superfluous. I'm certain that the impetus behind cancelling Marvel Team-Up was because Marvel wanted to focus on the sister titles being published alongside the flagship Amazing Spider-Man--Web of Spider-Man and Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man. Since the comics in this Avenging Spider-Man collection come close to overlapping with Dan Slott's Spider-Man sea change in Superior Spider-Man, I feel like these "Marvel Team-Up" type stories just might not be worth the effort. I'm certain that the Captain Marvel story that drew me to this collection isn't necessary--the meat is in Deconnick's Captain Marvel. Did Marvel editorial think that maybe putting the new Captain in a story with Spider-Man would legitimize the change somehow? If that is the motivation behind this story, that's kind of condescending to both the character and to the readers themselves. Can we finally get over this view that comic book readers are overweight white males who can't get laid? My friend Carri likes to read trashy romance novels along with the highbrow stuff. I'm in my mid-forties and love comic adventures. As such, a chance to read these stories is always welcome--but are they necessary? I guess if someone bought them in the first place, they were.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just a weird hodge-podge of stories collected for next to no reason. Kelly Sue DeConnick is a good writer but these tales all felt like fill-in stories. Captain Marvel and Spider-Man teaming up would normally excite me but due to the less than stellar plot and lackluster "villains" this didn't amount to much. The Deadpool story was even worse as the art was also a big miss. Overall, these were bland and forgettable stories that definitely don't have anything to do with Spider-Man "avenging" anything.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Avenging Spider-Man: The Good, The Green and the Ugly
Author: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Series: Avenging Spider-Man, 2
Format: ebook
Length: N/A
Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis: First, it's a night out on the town with Spider-Man and She-Hulk! Then, Spidey plummets into action with the all new Captain Marvel! Unfortunately, they're 50,000 feet up - and only one of them can fly! Plus, the team-up you've all been waiting for: Spider-Man and Deadpool take on...high school?!

Favourite character: Wade
Least favourite character: hypno-dude

Mini-review: The best part of this book is 100% Deadpool's cheerleading uniform.
I enjoyed seeing Peter interact with Captain Marvel and She-Hulk. I didn't like the villain at the end, the hypno-dude. He was ridiculous, honestly, like a rip-off Mysterio.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art in these comics has been excellent. The stories are kind of all over the place, I think they're using it as a tool to get people interested in other series. The writing is decent though so it's still fun.

[Nicolas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Deadpool team-up issues were the standout for me. The humor blends well and made for a fun story. Interesting to see the different sides of Spider-Man when teamed up with She-Hulk vs. Captain Marvel.

Fore more on this run tune in to Comic Book Coffee Break:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QucL7...

[Júlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

so much fun! also, spideypool rocks my world everytime.

[Iconic Greatness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four quick Action stories. One with She-hulk, One with Captain Marvel, and one with Deadpool. Deadpool was unexpected and worth reading.

[Arda · Rating 3 out of 5]

12th and 13th issues were drawn by Aaron Kuder. His style in these issues were really similar to Doug Mahnke’s art on The Mask. Those issues are the highlights of this book!

[Ann DVine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Avenging Spider-Man is a series highlighting Spider-Man's team-ups with various other Marvel characters. This volume collects stories featuring She-Hulk, Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), and Deadpool.

All three stories are perfectly serviceable, but they are only that - serviceable. None really come across as anything particularly special, but they are enjoyable in their own right. It's not a book worth reading or owning in any specific capacity, but Spider-Man or Marvel fans will find the adequately-written crossover tales at least passably entertaining.

She-Hulk's story is the shortest, and perhaps, weakest, of the entries. She-Hulk herself comes off as particularly grumpy, which annoyed me because I was under the impression she was quite friendly with Spider-Man. The focus on cats results in a lot of somewhat cringe-worthy jokes about the internet, because, as you well know, cats are found on the internet almost exclusively. It's a decent gag, but it's a bit one-note, and the rest of the preceding falls into a comfy, if unspectacular, groove.

Captain Marvel, formerly Ms. Marvel, enjoys perhaps the best of the crossovers. The two-issue arc focuses on her hometown of Boston and a freedom fighter named Robyn Hood, a sort of stand-in for the Occupy movement that was a craze. Her motivations are good, but her actions are undeniably flawed, and this is explored in depth as Spider-Man and Captain Marvel try to defuse the situation, with her volatile temper (and size) becoming a sticking point in issue two. There are revelations, there's some action, there's a lot of hit-or-miss satire, but with art by the always-brilliant Terry and Rachel Dodson, and a fairly refreshing solution that sees Spider-Man talking his way out of trouble rather than outright punching everything, it's an ambitious exploration of grey-area morals that merely falls a but flat in its limited execution.

Finally, Deadpool gets a shot in the sun. I love Deadpool on a good day, but this is arguably not a good day. A frenetic plot that parodies a popular movie of the time, it has a lot of dumb goofiness, but it doesn't hit hard enough to be truly funny. The reveal of who the villain is seems almost desperately wacky, but it draws to a decent conclusion. Spider-Man and Deadpool work well together, it's a pairing I like seeing, but this particular story isn't their finest hour. Neither it is a low point - it's just kind of there. I did appreciate a few jokes, in particular mentions of Ryan Reynolds.

The collection of stories isn't in any way bad. They're just sort of "there"; almost placeholder. They're stories you'll read between the "real" Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Captain Marvel and Deadpool adventures - perhaps they'd make better back-up material in other books, than being collected as a whole. But the art is universally brilliant, and it's an entertaining distraction. It's just that it never quite elevates above being a mere distraction, and considering the distinct mix of fan-favourite characters, that's a shame.

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first volume of this series well enough, but this was pretty poor and will be the last volume of Avenging Spider-Man I read. The reasons that I disliked this volume may not necessarily apply to everyone though so read on and see if this book might be for you. The issues collected here are a bit odd and seemingly random. I read these issues on Marvel Unlimited and am disappointed that the issue I did enjoy (which is about Uncle Ben's death and how it affected Peter) is not collected here. I would have raised my review by a star if it was.

Regardless, the shorter stories focused on Spider-Man's allies continue here. One of the characters in the spotlight is Captain Marvel as written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. I really did not enjoy what I read of that book and DeConnick's stiff and unengaging writing style is present in these two issues too. Unfortunately, she can't write a funny Spider-Man and the plot is incredibly boring in these couple of issues too. Deadpool also appears here and I don't have much fondness for the character so that didn't make me feel much better about Avenging Spider-Man. At some point while reading this, I started to think this book feels like an advertisement for other series. The episodic stories aren't especially good and they all seem to tie into the launch of a new book or character. Once I realized that, I knew I couldn't keep reading Avenging Spider-Man. If you like Captain Marvel and Deadpool then you might enjoy this more than I did, but I think overall, this is an average at best collection of issues and the format just doesn't work well enough for this to ever be a memorable series. If you don't mind a pretty average book or want some light, one-off stories then this could be for you, but to everyone else I would recommend trying something else.

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up a few graphic novels this week and one of them was Avenging Spider-man: The Good, The Green and The Ugly written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and art by Stuart Immonen

I really enjoyed this book! To me it portrayed Spider-man exactly how he should be, sarcastic, funny and annoying (to the other characters at least). The book was split into three stories in which Spidey teamed up with a different character for one reason or another.

The first story Spidey teamed up with She Hulk. I have never read anything with the She Hulk in and know very little about her, so this was a really nice way to be introduced to her. I really liked the character during this and I will probably go off and find more books to read about her, so that is definitely a good sign about how well this book is written.

The second story follows Spidey and Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) and again this is another character that I have never read before and know little about. This story I feel was the weakest out of the three in the book, though I did still enjoy it and it was good to meet another character I haven't met before.

The third and final story involves Deadpool. I am a huge fan of Deadpool and him and Spider-man teaming up is always good for a good laugh! The story itself is really interesting and well written and the villain is hilarious. Overall I think this was my favourite story in the book.

Other good things I can say about this book include the artwork being great and all the little references to real life things (check out the DB Cooper reference) which are a really nice touch and it makes you feel good when you catch them.

I started this book on the 14th of January 2015 and finished it the same day

[Arthur Cravan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of stories is nothing special, but they're all pretty enjoyable. I don't get why anyone would particularly dislike any of them. They're all kinda on par with each other, though in different ways. She-Hulk annoyed me in the first story, but Spidey had some nice quips & it was a genuinely weird little tale. The second two-parter with Captain Marvel was also quite out-of-the-box, though as with the first, there's not much sense of wonder to the enjoyment. The third two-parter with Deadpool was probably my favourite of the bunch. I've never heard of Hypno-Hustler, & sure it's kinda corny (If you think about it as if it was realistic, it's almost as if the God of the Marvel universe is a comic-book writer himself... just sitting there thinking 'what powers HAVEN'T I used yet... what can I give THIS guy?'), but it's enjoyable. I like his vibe, I like the dreamscape, I like Deadpool. I like Spidey. It is, again, inconsequential & light, but it is also enjoyable. What are people expecting?

Also, I have to say that the art in all the stories were great. Covers were great, art within great... I love the colour & playfulness of a lot of Marvel's stuff.
I would totally recommend this for light comic-reading.

[Anchorpete · Rating 3 out of 5]

She-Hulk

Captain Marvel

Deadpool

These were the three characters Spidey teamed up with. Did this book make me want to read any of their own stand alone books? Not really. The Captain Marvel story was even written by Kelly Sue Deconnick, and I still didn't really care.

I think it is an issue of the format. We comic book dorks really love ongoing stories, that reward you for reading every issue. Having stories that take place in a single issue, or over the course of two issues doesn't have that hook.

No real character development can happen in this book, since it is just a team up book and not part of the ongoing spidey story, not to mention that it is also written by a different writer for each story arc.

Also, all of the actual interesting or intimidating Spider-Man villains are saved for his main title, so you won't get a chance to read about them in this book. It was fun, but as far as comic book trades go, it was like leaving on a channel, when you are bored one night and you went channel surfing.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is getting a bad rep but I really enjoyed these stories. Sometimes it's nice to have a stand alone story which doesn't pay too much mind to the ongoing continuity. Here were get a lot of humour, some great action and a real sense of how annoying Pete can be to the other heroes.

I'm not sure if that was an accurate representation of She Hulk (I suspect not) but I really didn't like her. The actually story was pretty bizarre and entertaining though and Pete's Egyptian geekery wins the day.

I quite enjoyed the Captain Marvel story though to my mind she comes across like a less enjoyable Power Girl. Still, it's a little different and again has some nice character moments.

The Deadpool team up is a clear highlight - mental, funny, full of great art and a surprise (lame) baddie.

All told, if you want to just enjoy some Spider-Man and not have to worry too much then's there's a lot to like right here.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very varied volume, which doesn't quite hit all the right notes.

The first story by Kathryn Immonen is good for a few laughs, but has some very clunky dialogue that drags it down. Kelly Sue DeConnick's Captain Marvel two parter is probably the most enjoyable, but has a quite confusing plot that relies on characters being pigheaded in order for the story to advance. Finally, Kevin Shinick's Deadpool two parter is decent, but tries a little too hard and is quite forgetable.

The art is remarkably consistent however, with contributions from the always excellent Dodsons, and Stuart Immonen, plus some fun work from newcomer Aaron Kuder.

So overall not bad, but could have been much better.

[Holden Attradies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is incredibly good. Humor, awesome team ups, great one off villains. the art is varied but constantly good.

I admit that I initially grabbed this solely by the cover, being Captain Marvel is my favorite Super Hero. I was in now way disappointed by the story arc featuring her, and I have to say that those two issues may be my current favorite comic stories ever. There is a perfect mix of action, character driven story, humor, and the art is perfect. the "villain" in that story ended up being amazingly captivating, a perfect example of an antagonist that isn't really a villain, that was complex and interesting. I found her also be incredibly tragic and super captivating and I hope she (or they as the case may be) return soon.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

My decision to read this book came at a good time. I had enjoyed the first volume of the title, I needed some Spider-Man in my life, and I'd find a sale on these issues.

I'm not really going to say anything that you probably haven't already read about this book. It's a Spider-Man team-up book (in this book, with She-Hulk, Captain Marvel, & Deadpool), it's designed more for laughs than deep stories (which it certainly provides, hilarious), and the artwork, though by various artists, is phenomenal.

Simply put, this is a no-back-issue-reading-required, loads of fun, awesome-looking Spider-Man book. A read that's REALLY fun.

*- I read this book as digitally downloaded single issues of Avenging Spider-Man #'s 7, 9, 10, 12, & 13

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of the Avenging Spider-Man: The Good, the Green and the Ugly was very entertaining. This was a collection of all the funny issues, #7, #9-10 and #12-13. We get to see the She-Hulk with a cats tale fight with Bastet the cat goddess. Then Spider-Man teams up with Captain Marvel to fight an evil bank and giant friendly robot. With the final showdown being a team up with Deadpool. The dialog for all these issues was excellent. The stories while maybe not smart were at least entertaining.

This collection also makes me sad considering how Marvel has destroyed the Spider-Man character and comic the last year.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly awesome. First Spider-Man comic I've ever liked (grabbed it cuz o' DeConnick's Captain America).

The one-on-one team-ups are the perfect format for Spidey; still full o' puns, but the effect is mellowed (and sometimes even mocked) by his partners. And because the focus is on action, there's no time for the usual angsty Peter Parker-ness. The Captain America story is solid, the She-Hulk one made me want to read more of the character, and the Deadpool team-up... well, that's just a case of more is more.

All in all, snappy and funny. Consider me hooked.

[Nico Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the Captain Marvel and She Hulk stories (by Kelly Sue DeConnik and Kathryn Immonen, respectively) were really fun. DeConnik doing Carol is always great, and the only reason I bought this.If you like Captain Marvel, read this. It's like an extra two issues of that book. Plus Cap and Spidey are always good foils. The last story, the Deadpool one, it was just weird. It wasn't my bag and I thought the art was wonky.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume started off as mediocre. First a team up with She-Hulk, then Captain Marvel....I wasn't really looking forward to the rest of the book. Then DEADPOOL!!! Hilarious! Spidey and Deadpool should team up way more often. I haven't laughed that hard in quite some time. Full of irony and off-the-wall nerd references, I highly recommend!

[sixthreezy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of lackluster in comparison to the previous volume, but the Spidey-Pool bit at the end saved this book. After reading this, I'm interested to hunt down some more Spidey-Pool comics because this was hilarious. So, it may not have had the story or action of the first volume, but it could definitely be crowned the king of laughter because of Deadpool alone.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this one for no other reason than I saw the last page. Haven't read the previous issues but I will pick them up if I get the chance! It was really funny, especially the Deadpool issues. Let's do the time warp again! ;]

[Jordan Lahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much read this for the Captain Marvel story. Love the friendship between those characters. Is there anyone Carol Danvers isn't great with? The rest of the stories were good too, but wildly different in tone!