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Spider-Man by Tom Taylor (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Collects Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2019) #1-14, Free Comic Book Day 2019 (Spider-Man/Venom) #1 (Spider-Man story). Spider-Man is the worst neighbor ever! There are always crazy villains and property damage and drama and…he catches those villains. And he tries to fix the damage. And he helps carry your groceries. You know what? Spider-Man is the best neighbor ever! And Tom Taylor shows you why in the acclaimed writer's complete run on Spidey's friendliest title! Aunt May has a shocking secret that could change everything for Peter and his family! And one of Spider-Man's closest allies may have returned to his criminal beginnings! But why? Peter Parker has many skills, but he's no Sherlock Holmes. So the world's worst detective calls on his new ally - but can the Rumor help him uncover the truth? Guest-starring the Fantastic Four and Miles Morales!
345 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2023
5 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Tom Taylor
1,299 books1,037 followersOnce a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 23, 2025
my goat sam gave this to me as a gift cause he alr know i was so ready to read tom taylor’s spiderman run cause i love his nightwing stuff 😮💨
this is what spider-man is all about honestly, it gets repetitive reading books that are too complex, or have sadist authors that js wanna fuck him up but this was so refreshing. taylor really understands the character, and took him back to the streets where he belongs 🙏 (he for the streets)
i thought the under york issues were abit goofy and not very neighbourhoody, same w helminth as a villain but ig it kinda made sense in the context of that arc?
otherwise, my favs were definitely when he was helping out the hospital, the aunt may story, spidey giving ppl actual systemic change thru working w law enforcement and offering job opps to ppl that needed a 2nd chance, everyone in the city kinda “owing” him one and helping out, getting help from a bunch of his superhero friends and the war of realms tie-in
“captain america is captain america, thor is thor but spider-man is peter parker” and he’s the ppl’s champion. sometimes being a hero js means standing up for the ppl that need it (that’s why he my og ☝️)
my favourite spiderman comic to date —call me mac miller at the start of congratulations cause love, love, love, love, love 🥰
4.5/5.
this is what spider-man is all about honestly, it gets repetitive reading books that are too complex, or have sadist authors that js wanna fuck him up but this was so refreshing. taylor really understands the character, and took him back to the streets where he belongs 🙏 (he for the streets)
i thought the under york issues were abit goofy and not very neighbourhoody, same w helminth as a villain but ig it kinda made sense in the context of that arc?
otherwise, my favs were definitely when he was helping out the hospital, the aunt may story, spidey giving ppl actual systemic change thru working w law enforcement and offering job opps to ppl that needed a 2nd chance, everyone in the city kinda “owing” him one and helping out, getting help from a bunch of his superhero friends and the war of realms tie-in
“captain america is captain america, thor is thor but spider-man is peter parker” and he’s the ppl’s champion. sometimes being a hero js means standing up for the ppl that need it (that’s why he my og ☝️)
my favourite spiderman comic to date —call me mac miller at the start of congratulations cause love, love, love, love, love 🥰
4.5/5.
October 8, 2024
It's so refreshing to see a Spider-man comic focused on him helping out the community rather than fighting villains set on world domination. This is a fun book which I really thoroughly enjoyed (despite having some negatives to say about it), and which showcases Spidey's heart more than his web-slinging abilities, or his proportional strength of a spider. He's quippy enough but not annoying, and his interactions with his neighbours, MJ, Johnny Storm & the rest of the FF are delightful to read. The art varies across the book to the point where it feels a bit all over the place - Cinar is the only one I loved despite only drawing one issue, the rest was a mix of both "good" and "just ok" for me.
What I liked: The main theme of Spider-man helping out his neighbours. The backup of issue #1, where Peter & MJ are going for an early morning picnic on top of the Chrysler building, watching the sunrise. Yildiray Cinar's art in issue in #5. Spidey getting a helmet that allows him to talk to horses, in the War of the Realms tie-in. The issue where Spidey is exhausted and MJ steps up to the plate to save the neighbourhood from the menace of the day (with some help from Miles). The way Peter/Spidey deals with Aunt May's sickness.
What I didn't like: This book seems to be filled with the author's views on current social and political issues. That's not necessarily a thing when it helps the story, but it feels too preachy when it doesn't. The Helminth arc in particular was a bit on the nose about this. Also, didn't really like the return to Under York to hep a revolution, it didn't feel like a friendly neighborhood story (not to mention that it was rushed and squeezed in one issue).
What I liked: The main theme of Spider-man helping out his neighbours. The backup of issue #1, where Peter & MJ are going for an early morning picnic on top of the Chrysler building, watching the sunrise. Yildiray Cinar's art in issue in #5. Spidey getting a helmet that allows him to talk to horses, in the War of the Realms tie-in. The issue where Spidey is exhausted and MJ steps up to the plate to save the neighbourhood from the menace of the day (with some help from Miles). The way Peter/Spidey deals with Aunt May's sickness.
What I didn't like: This book seems to be filled with the author's views on current social and political issues. That's not necessarily a thing when it helps the story, but it feels too preachy when it doesn't. The Helminth arc in particular was a bit on the nose about this. Also, didn't really like the return to Under York to hep a revolution, it didn't feel like a friendly neighborhood story (not to mention that it was rushed and squeezed in one issue).
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January 4, 2024Nightwing Vol. 0!
February 17, 2024
This hefty graphic novel collects Tom Taylor's run as writer on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, as well as a few other places. Plotwise, we have Spider-Man rescuing children from a place called Under York, a new elderly superheroine named The Rumour, Spider-Man playing with a kid who has cancer, a Thor-centric crossover, an arc with Prowler and a villain who... feeds off people's despair, in some way, Mary Jane vs a Troll, and it wraps up with a return to the Under York and a Spiders-Men team up.
On the positive side: Taylor has a good handle on Spider-Man and his supporting cast, which is not a surprise. The Mary-Jane centric issue is a real highlight. And there's some great art, though in general, there's no real consistent artist here--in particular, I really liked some of the work in the child wish-for-a-day issue, and one of the Undercity scenes, where he takes out a large number of munitions in one go. And the new or unusual characters are good too: he makes good use of Rumour, and Prowler, Boomerang offers some comic relief, and the guest stars are all very clearly themselves, from Iron Man to Dr. Strange to the Fantastic Four.
On the negative side: it all feels pretty inconsequential. The imagined versions of the villains showing up in the child issue really drive home how few of Spidey's classic foes make this run. And while the child issue is fine, it's clearly a retread of the famous issue where Spider-Man pretty much did this with another terminally ill kid, and the Aunt May cancer scare is pretty familiar as well. The villains are essentially two forgettable old men, and neither of their aims particularly resonates with the themes Spider-Man as a series typically explores. Under York is kind of a cool idea, with some cool visuals on getting there, but its difference from NY proper is never explored to any satisfaction.
FNSM is usually the B-tier or C-tier title, which means it generally doesn't get to do anything that changes the status quo. If I had to guess, that's what's keeping Taylor from engaging more deeply with some of the Spider-toys. I get it, and he makes some really neat things out of what's here, but at the end, I feel like it's an OK story, and a slightly below average Spider-Man story in particular.
On the positive side: Taylor has a good handle on Spider-Man and his supporting cast, which is not a surprise. The Mary-Jane centric issue is a real highlight. And there's some great art, though in general, there's no real consistent artist here--in particular, I really liked some of the work in the child wish-for-a-day issue, and one of the Undercity scenes, where he takes out a large number of munitions in one go. And the new or unusual characters are good too: he makes good use of Rumour, and Prowler, Boomerang offers some comic relief, and the guest stars are all very clearly themselves, from Iron Man to Dr. Strange to the Fantastic Four.
On the negative side: it all feels pretty inconsequential. The imagined versions of the villains showing up in the child issue really drive home how few of Spidey's classic foes make this run. And while the child issue is fine, it's clearly a retread of the famous issue where Spider-Man pretty much did this with another terminally ill kid, and the Aunt May cancer scare is pretty familiar as well. The villains are essentially two forgettable old men, and neither of their aims particularly resonates with the themes Spider-Man as a series typically explores. Under York is kind of a cool idea, with some cool visuals on getting there, but its difference from NY proper is never explored to any satisfaction.
FNSM is usually the B-tier or C-tier title, which means it generally doesn't get to do anything that changes the status quo. If I had to guess, that's what's keeping Taylor from engaging more deeply with some of the Spider-toys. I get it, and he makes some really neat things out of what's here, but at the end, I feel like it's an OK story, and a slightly below average Spider-Man story in particular.
December 16, 2025
"TAKING THE TUNNEL IS ALSO A BETTER OPTION THAN CRASHING THROUGH A CONCRETE BARRIER, FALLING 100 FEET, AND LANDING IN A TWISTED PILE OF METAL, RUBBLE, AND FIRE... UNLESS IT'S RUSH HOUR, IN WHICH CASE IT'S A PRETTY COMPARABLE EXPERIENCE."
- Spider-Man, taking time to give directions after rescuing a family from a near-fatality.
So much good stuff here. After reading twenty-some issues of Spencer's run, I almost forgot that Spider-Man could tell a joke that didn't fall flat. A compassionate AND funny Spider-Man. It's been a while.
As a testament to Taylor's writing, the War of the Realms tie-in was strangely enjoyable despite my having not read the main event.
I think I like this idea of Tom Taylor rescuing titles bogged down by writer's block and hallucinatory insomnia
Five stars!
- Spider-Man, taking time to give directions after rescuing a family from a near-fatality.
So much good stuff here. After reading twenty-some issues of Spencer's run, I almost forgot that Spider-Man could tell a joke that didn't fall flat. A compassionate AND funny Spider-Man. It's been a while.
As a testament to Taylor's writing, the War of the Realms tie-in was strangely enjoyable despite my having not read the main event.
I think I like this idea of Tom Taylor rescuing titles bogged down by writer's block and hallucinatory insomnia
Five stars!
February 3, 2024
I did not totally understand all of the continuity stuff that I was jumping into, but they did a good job of keeping me along for the ride anyway with some standalone small time adventures that were just pleasant.
February 27, 2024
Wonderful and weird, reminded me of the stories from the past. Under York?
March 28, 2024
Fun story. Just a neighborhood spider-man without the intergalactic and world ending stakes, taking spider-man back to the streets
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews