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Spider-Man: Reign #1-4
Spider-Man: Reign
One of the darkest and most talked about Spider-Man stories of all time, set in a dystopian future with no hope left... until the return of Spider-Man!
Spider-Man’s darkest night! The time? The future. The place? A cold, hostile Manhattan that long ago traded freedom for security, imposed by the brutal soldiers of the Reign. The opposition? Publisher turned rabble-rousing street prophet J. Jonah Jameson, who promises Spider-Man will return to save them all.
But the long-vanished hero is a tired old man now—no job, no family, no hope. Can Peter Parker rediscover his once-great power and the great responsibility that comes with it? Or is the Spider’s mask too heavy a burden to bear in this harsh new reality?
Collects Spider-Man: Reign (2006) #1-4.
Spider-Man’s darkest night! The time? The future. The place? A cold, hostile Manhattan that long ago traded freedom for security, imposed by the brutal soldiers of the Reign. The opposition? Publisher turned rabble-rousing street prophet J. Jonah Jameson, who promises Spider-Man will return to save them all.
But the long-vanished hero is a tired old man now—no job, no family, no hope. Can Peter Parker rediscover his once-great power and the great responsibility that comes with it? Or is the Spider’s mask too heavy a burden to bear in this harsh new reality?
Collects Spider-Man: Reign (2006) #1-4.
160 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2007
751 people are currently reading
1216 people want to read
About the author
Kaare Andrews
359 books33 followersKaare Kyle Andrews is a comic book writer, artist and filmmaker
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
February 28, 2020
If you ever thought, "I wish I could read a Spider-Man story stripped of any of the characters whimsy and joy and set in an ultra grim, authoritarian future where Mary Jane has died from long term exposure to Peter Parker's radioactive sperm. Oh, and it would be really great if every page was actively unpleasant to look at," then brother do I have the graphic novel for you!
June 20, 2025
Starts out interesting - Spidey as a codger, shuffling around, getting pushed around, and staying off the radar. Hallucinating about his dead wife, trying to make her happy.
Then it just gets silly, hard to believe. The old man with a broken arm jumps some armoured cops and beats them senseless? Then later his arm is healed for no reason? And we get kids, raised from birth in a police state, all of a sudden talking like Ayn Rand and rising up for the first time against the oppressors? Nice fantasy kids, doesn't even come close to a believable emotional moment.
The art is pretty interesting, and even though it portrays some impossible moves by various folks, it's at least captivatingly weird. Not easy to follow the action, but vivid in exaggeration nonetheless.
I wanted so bad for this story to have deep emotional resonance - or even just the level of focused anger we saw in the Dark Knight Returns. Instead we find a half-baked love note to MJ and JJJ, and a sad tribute to what strength Parker always had.
Then it just gets silly, hard to believe. The old man with a broken arm jumps some armoured cops and beats them senseless? Then later his arm is healed for no reason? And we get kids, raised from birth in a police state, all of a sudden talking like Ayn Rand and rising up for the first time against the oppressors? Nice fantasy kids, doesn't even come close to a believable emotional moment.
The art is pretty interesting, and even though it portrays some impossible moves by various folks, it's at least captivatingly weird. Not easy to follow the action, but vivid in exaggeration nonetheless.
I wanted so bad for this story to have deep emotional resonance - or even just the level of focused anger we saw in the Dark Knight Returns. Instead we find a half-baked love note to MJ and JJJ, and a sad tribute to what strength Parker always had.
February 17, 2015
There are so many things I love about this book! The references to nursery rhymes that fit the story perfectly, the totally different take on Spider-Man and Peter Parker.
The first pages are great. Those first ten pages paint a very gloomy Manhattan and a very old and beaten Spider-Man. I also love Jameson in this as some kind of crazy street prophet.
That first splash page where we see Spider-Man slowly but surely returning, is pure magic. How great is it to see Spider-Man as an old man in his boxers after a fight in his crouching Spider-Man pose.
The panels and pages are very cinematic. The colors and art are very fitting for the story.
We have the Sinner Six (in stead of the Sinister Six) who are sent after Spider-Man when he returns in his black costume. This story gets you emotionally invested, especially if you're a Spider-Man fan to begin with.
One of my favorite moments in this, has to be the real return of Spider-Man. Where he fully emerges from the grave in his red and blue suit, screaming: Wherever there's a hang-up ... wherever there's a bang-up ..
Here comes the SPIDER-MAAAAAAAANNNNN (words from the Spider-Man theme). I mean when you're reading this, you can hear him scream. From that moment on the gloomy feel and look of the story and art remain. But are now accompanied with the wisecracking fun of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Spider-Man faces off against Electro, Hydro-Man, the Scorpion, Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter and he defeats every single one of them with ease because he fights without restraint, without hesitating. Beacause he has nothing left to live for, all he wants is to be reunited with Mary-Jane.
The last page with a total of 6 panels is the perfect ending to a greatly written and drawn Spider-Man story. This one really is for the fans. I own it in hardcover and I’ll be hunting down the single issues (which means that I love it).
The writer has written this story with his heart and soul. For all of the Spidey fans out there, read this! You won’t be disappointed.
The first pages are great. Those first ten pages paint a very gloomy Manhattan and a very old and beaten Spider-Man. I also love Jameson in this as some kind of crazy street prophet.
That first splash page where we see Spider-Man slowly but surely returning, is pure magic. How great is it to see Spider-Man as an old man in his boxers after a fight in his crouching Spider-Man pose.
The panels and pages are very cinematic. The colors and art are very fitting for the story.
We have the Sinner Six (in stead of the Sinister Six) who are sent after Spider-Man when he returns in his black costume. This story gets you emotionally invested, especially if you're a Spider-Man fan to begin with.
One of my favorite moments in this, has to be the real return of Spider-Man. Where he fully emerges from the grave in his red and blue suit, screaming: Wherever there's a hang-up ... wherever there's a bang-up ..
Here comes the SPIDER-MAAAAAAAANNNNN (words from the Spider-Man theme). I mean when you're reading this, you can hear him scream. From that moment on the gloomy feel and look of the story and art remain. But are now accompanied with the wisecracking fun of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Spider-Man faces off against Electro, Hydro-Man, the Scorpion, Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter and he defeats every single one of them with ease because he fights without restraint, without hesitating. Beacause he has nothing left to live for, all he wants is to be reunited with Mary-Jane.
The last page with a total of 6 panels is the perfect ending to a greatly written and drawn Spider-Man story. This one really is for the fans. I own it in hardcover and I’ll be hunting down the single issues (which means that I love it).
The writer has written this story with his heart and soul. For all of the Spidey fans out there, read this! You won’t be disappointed.
March 11, 2015
This attempt to do a "Dark Knight Returns" for Spidey has some germs of good ideas but nothing gels very well. Interesting and somewhat touching at first, but becomes muddled and boring.
May 10, 2025
very sombre story of an older Spider-Man fighting virtually impossible odds..to get back in the game.
it's mostly exactly the opposite you would expect from a Spider-Man story..but a very solid read.
it's mostly exactly the opposite you would expect from a Spider-Man story..but a very solid read.
April 11, 2018
I picked this up because it was listed on a few websites as one of the worst Spidey stories ever. I wouldn't say that, but I was definitely underwhelmed. The most fuss was made over Peter's radioactive semen--definitely an ill-advised plot point, but barely any time was spent on it. Otherwise, like everyone else says, it had a real Dark Knight Returns vibe, but not nearly as good. That's not necessarily a slight on Andrews (though he's a much better artist than writer), it's just that Peter Parker has a hard time being a dark anything. The most intense I've ever seen him was when he beat the pudding out of the Kingpin during Back in Black, and that had to do with his Aunt May. He's pretty much in denial about his anger (and a lot of other things). Bruce Wayne knows exactly what he's doing and what it's costing him psychologically, but he does it anyway.
August 20, 2023
Як на мене "Spider-Man: Reign" має незаслужено погану репутацію, його часто називають другорядним "DKR", а з радіоактивної сперми Паркера не ржав тільки лінивий (все ще вважаю, що плотпоїнт з "Spider Island" це своєрідна відповідь на це). Недавно Marvel анонсували сиквел до цієї серії і як на мене це ідеальний момент щоб перечитати цю історію.
Сюжет відбувається у майбутньому Нью-Йорку в якому більше немає супергероїв та суперлиходіїв, більше того, людям заборонено носити любі маски, якщо вони не хочуть бути заарештовані місцевою поліцією яку називають Влада, ця організація знаходиться під контролем місцевого мера Вотерса та його помічника Едварда Сакса. Ці двоє планують запустити систему Webb яка відгородить місто від усього світу. Паралельно нам показують, постарілого Пітер Паркер який продовжує жити в Нью-Йорку, але уже не є супергероєм, але все змінюється коли на його порозі з'являється Джона Джеймсон.
Взагалі серія починається дуже слабо, нудно і дещо специфічно. Особливо мене спантеличив Джеймсон який тут має щось типу церкви в якій він проповідує дітям і готує їх до повстання. За ким на початку справді цікаво (і сумно) спостерігати так це за Пітером, життя якого проходить максимально жахливо.
На щастя серія під кінець другого номеру набирає обертів, а оскільки у неї їх всього 4 то останній номер так взагалі мчить без тормозів і кожна крута сцена стає змінюється на круту або ще крутішу. Під кінець у мене взагалі серце кров'ю обливалося від того що відбувається з Павуком і, неочікувано, Сендменом та його донькою. Також я просто обожнюю мотивацію місцевого антагоніста, вона максимально просто, але тим не менш ідеальна. Взагалі це напевно одна з найкращих історій, якщо не найкраща, в якій цей персонаж є лиходієм.
А тепер про те, що може відлякати від цієї серії. Малюнок Кааре Ендрювса дуже специфічний, місцями деякі обличчя виглядають дещо криво і смішно. Тим не менш тут є класні сцени, як наприклад момент коли в квартиру Пітера стріляють представники влади чи сцена на кладовищі.
"Spider-Man: Reign" є дуже крутим коміксом. Тут є дофіга пам'ятних моментів які роблять цю історію однієї з найкращих про Павука. Я дуже сильно усім раджу прочитати цей комікс він справді вартий уваги. Щодо сиквелу то на нього я дуже чекаю, але враховуючи як Марвел його подає то є в мене деякі побоювання.
Сюжет відбувається у майбутньому Нью-Йорку в якому більше немає супергероїв та суперлиходіїв, більше того, людям заборонено носити любі маски, якщо вони не хочуть бути заарештовані місцевою поліцією яку називають Влада, ця організація знаходиться під контролем місцевого мера Вотерса та його помічника Едварда Сакса. Ці двоє планують запустити систему Webb яка відгородить місто від усього світу. Паралельно нам показують, постарілого Пітер Паркер який продовжує жити в Нью-Йорку, але уже не є супергероєм, але все змінюється коли на його порозі з'являється Джона Джеймсон.
Взагалі серія починається дуже слабо, нудно і дещо специфічно. Особливо мене спантеличив Джеймсон який тут має щось типу церкви в якій він проповідує дітям і готує їх до повстання. За ким на початку справді цікаво (і сумно) спостерігати так це за Пітером, життя якого проходить максимально жахливо.
На щастя серія під кінець другого номеру набирає обертів, а оскільки у неї їх всього 4 то останній номер так взагалі мчить без тормозів і кожна крута сцена стає змінюється на круту або ще крутішу. Під кінець у мене взагалі серце кров'ю обливалося від того що відбувається з Павуком і, неочікувано, Сендменом та його донькою. Також я просто обожнюю мотивацію місцевого антагоніста, вона максимально просто, але тим не менш ідеальна. Взагалі це напевно одна з найкращих історій, якщо не найкраща, в якій цей персонаж є лиходієм.
А тепер про те, що може відлякати від цієї серії. Малюнок Кааре Ендрювса дуже специфічний, місцями деякі обличчя виглядають дещо криво і смішно. Тим не менш тут є класні сцени, як наприклад момент коли в квартиру Пітера стріляють представники влади чи сцена на кладовищі.
"Spider-Man: Reign" є дуже крутим коміксом. Тут є дофіга пам'ятних моментів які роблять цю історію однієї з найкращих про Павука. Я дуже сильно усім раджу прочитати цей комікс він справді вартий уваги. Щодо сиквелу то на нього я дуже чекаю, але враховуючи як Марвел його подає то є в мене деякі побоювання.
December 24, 2019
Spiderman: Reign is a strange story. Written by Kaare Andrews, it takes place in an alternate reality that has nothing to do with the "normal" continuity.
NYC has become an independent authoritarian police state known as the "Reign". As the Reign has cracked down on crime and outlawed superheroes, there is ostensibly peace. There isn't. The laws are brutally oppressive and the media/political complex feed you propaganda.
Spiderman, in this world, is in his 70's or 80s. Mary Jane had died from cancer caused by his radioactive blood and Peter lives alone, poor and miserable as he talks to the ghost of his dead wife. One day, out of the blue, he is visited by the wreck of J. Jonah Jameson, who motivates Spiderman to come back.
Spiderman then suits back up and inspires a whole new generation of people to fight the Reign. That's pretty much it. There are some great ideas here:
The dark and oppressive theme of Spiderman's world is an interesting take and I thought it was rather unique and original.
The execution falls a bit short- the idea of a geriatric Spiderman, who had his arm easily broken in the first few pages, then all of a sudden becomes...well....uh...young Spiderman and kicking ass is bizarre. As is the whole "little bratty kids standing up to armed police state thugs", for if things were truly that way-then how did the Reign take over to begin with?
The artwork is pretty good, the story original but nothing great and the writing of the dialogue is actually quite good. All of this makes for a three star comic. A good read, though hardly "fun". It is a dark and grim look, with shades of bright thoughts for the future. I'll give it some credit for being different and unique.
The idea behind the mastermind of this whole thing is a bit strange indeed. I didn't realize the symbiote had such long range strategic thinking. As I said it is an interesting idea, but perhaps lacking in the execution.
Looking for something different? Try Spiderman Reign.
NYC has become an independent authoritarian police state known as the "Reign". As the Reign has cracked down on crime and outlawed superheroes, there is ostensibly peace. There isn't. The laws are brutally oppressive and the media/political complex feed you propaganda.
Spiderman, in this world, is in his 70's or 80s. Mary Jane had died from cancer caused by his radioactive blood and Peter lives alone, poor and miserable as he talks to the ghost of his dead wife. One day, out of the blue, he is visited by the wreck of J. Jonah Jameson, who motivates Spiderman to come back.
Spiderman then suits back up and inspires a whole new generation of people to fight the Reign. That's pretty much it. There are some great ideas here:
The dark and oppressive theme of Spiderman's world is an interesting take and I thought it was rather unique and original.
The execution falls a bit short- the idea of a geriatric Spiderman, who had his arm easily broken in the first few pages, then all of a sudden becomes...well....uh...young Spiderman and kicking ass is bizarre. As is the whole "little bratty kids standing up to armed police state thugs", for if things were truly that way-then how did the Reign take over to begin with?
The artwork is pretty good, the story original but nothing great and the writing of the dialogue is actually quite good. All of this makes for a three star comic. A good read, though hardly "fun". It is a dark and grim look, with shades of bright thoughts for the future. I'll give it some credit for being different and unique.
The idea behind the mastermind of this whole thing is a bit strange indeed. I didn't realize the symbiote had such long range strategic thinking. As I said it is an interesting idea, but perhaps lacking in the execution.
Looking for something different? Try Spiderman Reign.
August 14, 2023
Kaare Andrews’ version of the "Dark Knight Returns" but with Spider Man.
It’s very grim and depressing and violent, quite the opposite of Spidey’s more light-hearted usual stories. Think DKR or Daredevil’s "Born again" for reference.
Andrew handles the plot quite well. The dialogues are good, he makes good uses of the nursery rhymes trope and nails the main characters well.
My main complain would be the deus-ex-machina from issue 2. Andrews goes as far as actually endorsing it as a deus-ex-machina but that doesn’t absolve him from using this easy- and not very coherent- backdoor.
Oh, what the heck, I spent a good time reading this book and that’s that.
Art is very good and well suited for the plot. Andrews reminds me of Kyle Baker at times and like Kyle Baker his style may not be to everyone’s taste.
It’s very grim and depressing and violent, quite the opposite of Spidey’s more light-hearted usual stories. Think DKR or Daredevil’s "Born again" for reference.
Andrew handles the plot quite well. The dialogues are good, he makes good uses of the nursery rhymes trope and nails the main characters well.
My main complain would be the deus-ex-machina from issue 2. Andrews goes as far as actually endorsing it as a deus-ex-machina but that doesn’t absolve him from using this easy- and not very coherent- backdoor.
Oh, what the heck, I spent a good time reading this book and that’s that.
Art is very good and well suited for the plot. Andrews reminds me of Kyle Baker at times and like Kyle Baker his style may not be to everyone’s taste.
August 1, 2021
Inizialmente pensavo di aver fatto confusione, ma poi ho capito... In questo fumetto troviamo Spider-man invecchiato e senza Mary Jane perché è morta. Troviamo anche Venom ed una parte in cui troviamo il Dottor Octopus da bambino ed adolescente, vediamo gli atti di bullismo subiti nella sua vita ed anche come veniva trattato dal padre.
Questo ci fa capire che, dietro ad un cattivo si nasconde sempre un passato di violenze.
Finisco col dire che mi è piaciuto molto... Come sempre... Leggetelo.
Questo ci fa capire che, dietro ad un cattivo si nasconde sempre un passato di violenze.
Finisco col dire che mi è piaciuto molto... Come sempre... Leggetelo.
September 1, 2019
Капець, це неймовірний трешак. Навіть буде куди гірше, ніж Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. Жахливі ілюстрації та поганий сюжет, а єдине, що приваблює, так це обкладинка. Тут таки не варто судити по ній.
Сюжет це такий-собі мікс Повернення Темного Лицаря Міллера та Старого Лоґана Марка Міллара. Кепсько продемонстрований сам альтернативний всесвіт, у якому типу нема супергероїв і нам невідомо зовсім, яка їх доля, та що сталось із супезлодіями. Коли у Лоґані ми отримуємо всесвіт, у якому автор пояснює події і їх ми приймаємо, то тут просто одним реченням вирішили нам представити.
Пітер Паркер, старий дідуган, котрий вже давно не супергерой і не дізнаємось чому. У нього слабке тіло, кістки не витримують та й здоров'я вже не те. У двері йому стукає...Джона Джеймсон...ЖИВИЙ. При тому, що різниця у віці у них була колосальна на моменти оригінальних коміксів, тому він вже давно мав відкинути копита.
Потім демонструють нам якихось дітей-хакерів, котрі уміють взломати цілу систему міста, щоб транслювати сигнал Джеймсона і заклики до бунту. Ці ж самі, погано промальовані діти йдуть на бунт, в них стріляють якісь мужики (місцева охорона яка начебто повалила супергероїв) і - о диво! - вбивають. Людина-Павук береться за маску, стрибає, як хлопчак, розкидує громил. Проти нього скликають його даніх ворогів. Серед них є Скорпіон, Сендмен, Крейвен, котрий тут взагалі не старів.
Як на мене, то це жахливо зреалізований комікс, зовсім не вартує уваги, навіть не дивлячись, що це історія, про дружелюбного сусіда Людину- Павука.
Сюжет це такий-собі мікс Повернення Темного Лицаря Міллера та Старого Лоґана Марка Міллара. Кепсько продемонстрований сам альтернативний всесвіт, у якому типу нема супергероїв і нам невідомо зовсім, яка їх доля, та що сталось із супезлодіями. Коли у Лоґані ми отримуємо всесвіт, у якому автор пояснює події і їх ми приймаємо, то тут просто одним реченням вирішили нам представити.
Пітер Паркер, старий дідуган, котрий вже давно не супергерой і не дізнаємось чому. У нього слабке тіло, кістки не витримують та й здоров'я вже не те. У двері йому стукає...Джона Джеймсон...ЖИВИЙ. При тому, що різниця у віці у них була колосальна на моменти оригінальних коміксів, тому він вже давно мав відкинути копита.
Потім демонструють нам якихось дітей-хакерів, котрі уміють взломати цілу систему міста, щоб транслювати сигнал Джеймсона і заклики до бунту. Ці ж самі, погано промальовані діти йдуть на бунт, в них стріляють якісь мужики (місцева охорона яка начебто повалила супергероїв) і - о диво! - вбивають. Людина-Павук береться за маску, стрибає, як хлопчак, розкидує громил. Проти нього скликають його даніх ворогів. Серед них є Скорпіон, Сендмен, Крейвен, котрий тут взагалі не старів.
Як на мене, то це жахливо зреалізований комікс, зовсім не вартує уваги, навіть не дивлячись, що це історія, про дружелюбного сусіда Людину- Павука.
May 17, 2022
I knew I shouldn't have read this haha. This was a failed attempt to try and give our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man the good ol' 'Dark Knight Returns' treatment. And not in a way where it's like a respectful nod towards the story with its own unique plot. Just a straight up copy that falls 20 feet flat on its face. Okay so there are some slight differences but it's really only because Spider-Man himself is a whole different character.
So, you have an old Spidey living in a corrupted New York where supers are outlawed, the law is brutal and a new plan to "protect" the city is actually trapping people in with the baddies. Yea yea people overcome stuff, Spidey comes back to save the day again, BLEH! It's boring and redundant. Kaare Andrews (writer and artist, sadly) tries to be poetic in a way that just seems corny and annoying. I don't care about the side characters, the "twists" are silly and not that surprising, the pacing is confusing, and worst of all he doesn't give Spider-Man a good voice. It doesn't feel important.
The artwork was personally not for me. There are SOME panels that look okay however most of it looks like it's trying too hard to be a combination of its own and Frank Millers. It ends up just being unpleasant (again, not in the good way).
Seriously don't read this if you're a Spidey fan. It's not worth your time.
So, you have an old Spidey living in a corrupted New York where supers are outlawed, the law is brutal and a new plan to "protect" the city is actually trapping people in with the baddies. Yea yea people overcome stuff, Spidey comes back to save the day again, BLEH! It's boring and redundant. Kaare Andrews (writer and artist, sadly) tries to be poetic in a way that just seems corny and annoying. I don't care about the side characters, the "twists" are silly and not that surprising, the pacing is confusing, and worst of all he doesn't give Spider-Man a good voice. It doesn't feel important.
The artwork was personally not for me. There are SOME panels that look okay however most of it looks like it's trying too hard to be a combination of its own and Frank Millers. It ends up just being unpleasant (again, not in the good way).
Seriously don't read this if you're a Spidey fan. It's not worth your time.
May 2, 2013
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
This is so terrible.
This is so terrible.
February 25, 2025
3.25 stars
July 24, 2025
This isn’t what I was expecting jumping into my first Spider Man graphic novel. I think the “What If?” Concept of an older Spider Man was an interesting idea but I wasn’t a fan of the overall dark tone personally. The tone does make sense for the state of the world in this book though. Also, I wasn’t a fan of the art style which is what draws me to graphic novels to begin with.
April 24, 2022
Dark Night of Spider-Man's Soul
This was a controversial run, both praised and blasted. It takes place in a dark future in which Peter Parker has given up his Spiderman day and is wating away as a lonely, ineffectual old man in a world of no more supers. It drills into the pathos of aging and loss that Parker (and many elderly) suffer.
Admittedly inspired by Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns series, it was blasted for being unoriginal. It was also accused of some *adult* content, mentioning Peter & MJ's sex life and at one point showing the aged and broken Parker in full frontal nudity (in the anthology reprint, this imaged is blurred, so I can't speak for what the original actually showed). This image was Parker at his most dejected, lost, and vulnerable.
The story content is definitely adult. The world is dark and bleak. Parker is old and broken. But then the old men rise up to save their world as they can no longer watch the young die. This is not a story for children. It is a story for the aged.
The art was beautiful, capturing the odd angles and broken feelings of aging, while still coveying the freedom and heroism of being spiderman. Power, responsibility, and hope contrasted with sacrifice are all strong themes for Spidey and this certainly hits all those notes (with a sledgehammer).
This was a controversial run, both praised and blasted. It takes place in a dark future in which Peter Parker has given up his Spiderman day and is wating away as a lonely, ineffectual old man in a world of no more supers. It drills into the pathos of aging and loss that Parker (and many elderly) suffer.
Admittedly inspired by Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns series, it was blasted for being unoriginal. It was also accused of some *adult* content, mentioning Peter & MJ's sex life and at one point showing the aged and broken Parker in full frontal nudity (in the anthology reprint, this imaged is blurred, so I can't speak for what the original actually showed). This image was Parker at his most dejected, lost, and vulnerable.
The story content is definitely adult. The world is dark and bleak. Parker is old and broken. But then the old men rise up to save their world as they can no longer watch the young die. This is not a story for children. It is a story for the aged.
The art was beautiful, capturing the odd angles and broken feelings of aging, while still coveying the freedom and heroism of being spiderman. Power, responsibility, and hope contrasted with sacrifice are all strong themes for Spidey and this certainly hits all those notes (with a sledgehammer).
August 24, 2022
Rarely have I been so excited about a premise and in just an issue and a half it ended up disappointing me a lot. The premise is promising but it ends up being a bad copy of many works of the genre, some of them cult, but all pasted and very badly directed. I don't recommend it except for the art, which is very dynamic.
October 17, 2010
Amazing. So good I gave away copies as Christmas Presents.
August 7, 2021
A weird misguided attempt at making a The Dark Knight Returns type of story for Spidey. Art is nearly as bad as the writing
February 16, 2020
Nothing I've never read before.
In the beginning it felt like this story was supposed to be "The Friendly Neighborhood Spider Returns" (without the grey morality or more than superficial social commentary of "The Dark Knight Returns"). Later on it turns into a generic execution of the "You can't simply stop being a hero just because you're on a guilt-trip"-trope.
In the beginning it felt like this story was supposed to be "The Friendly Neighborhood Spider Returns" (without the grey morality or more than superficial social commentary of "The Dark Knight Returns"). Later on it turns into a generic execution of the "You can't simply stop being a hero just because you're on a guilt-trip"-trope.
July 21, 2018
Boy, was this all over the place...and to think people can sleep soundly at night having panned Spider-Man 3 for that same reason while going on to praise this mess! The story could barely keep up with all the different things going on – what with all the characters who proved to be mostly unimportant and the onslaught of subplots that made little to no sense whatsoever. Too much was going on, and not enough of it panned out well enough to have justified their inclusion. Spider-Man: Reign should have told a more concise and coherent story considering what its story was supposed to be. Speaking of story...
Granted, this is a "what-if" storyline that doesn't connect back to the established continuity of the Marvel comics, but I still hold that a lot of what transpired in these pages simply does not fly in the Spider-Man universe. I don't believe that Spider-Man would have left the Venom symbiote alone after all these years, forgetting about its existence entirely. I mean, Spider-Man is not THAT irresponsible – he may be inexperienced at times and even immature, but never did he shirk his superhero responsibilities so heinously. He knows what kind of threat the symbiotes pose to the world, so he surely would have done something about it before things came to a boil in this story.
More importantly, I don't think he would have dwelt on Mary Jane's death as much as he did, even if he was technically responsible for it. He's not that imperceptive as to give up the mantle of Spider-Man because of heartache. There have been times before when Spider-Man took his duty to serve justice so seriously as to save others before saving his friends and family because he knew that nobody else could be there for them except him. So why give up being a superhero when so many people are still in need of one? Mary Jane would not have wanted Spidey to sulk like a bitch about something he had no power over; she would have wanted him to man up and keep on protecting innocent lives like he had always pledged to do.
I can honestly say that this wasn't a Spider-Man story, since, in essence, I didn't really feel like he was in it at all (physically he was present, but not in spirit). The way he was written and depicted was so far off base and totally inaccurate to his well-established character that it became difficult to come to terms with this being a Spider-Man comic – it felt like something else entirely. The whole story felt like it was written by somebody who didn't know the character well enough to make a fitting "what-if" story for Spider-Man's legacy.
Here's an obvious tidbit: Spider-Man: Reign was basically written to be Marvel's answer to The Dark Knight Returns, for both stories follow an aged superhero who gave up somewhere along the way but is forced to come out of retirement and reclaim their mantle once again. Here's another fun fact about Spider-Man: Reign: it failed miserably to rival DC's take on this kind of story. This graphic novel, by comparison, felt wholly unoriginal and utterly pointless. Why was this even made?
As for the main villain, if Kaare Andrews was going to ignore continuity for the sake of a good "what-if" story, then why not make the mastermind of this ultimate attack on Spidey none other than the Green Goblin, a far more important and capable villain who had the means to pull off such a dastardly endeavor? Instead, Venom was revealed to be the big baddie behind everything, which also didn't fit his character from the well-established comics either. How did Venom manage to do all these things over such a long period of time? I'd have liked to see that process play out in its entirety instead of having to subject myself to this underwhelming and insulting story instead.
I wanted to like Spider-Man: Reign – I really wanted it to be Marvel's answer to The Dark Knight Returns – but all it ended up being was a crappy story that's full of cliches, plot holes, and inaccuracies in character. I won't give it 1 star only because it was ambitious, if misguided, and has the potential to be returned to if done with considerably more grace the next time around. Marvel isn't usually one to experiment with their big names in such a drastic manner, so at least they tried doing something risky with as big a name as Spider-Man, which is well appreciated. But other than being ambitious, there isn't much else to say about this graphic novel that it too positive.
Granted, this is a "what-if" storyline that doesn't connect back to the established continuity of the Marvel comics, but I still hold that a lot of what transpired in these pages simply does not fly in the Spider-Man universe. I don't believe that Spider-Man would have left the Venom symbiote alone after all these years, forgetting about its existence entirely. I mean, Spider-Man is not THAT irresponsible – he may be inexperienced at times and even immature, but never did he shirk his superhero responsibilities so heinously. He knows what kind of threat the symbiotes pose to the world, so he surely would have done something about it before things came to a boil in this story.
More importantly, I don't think he would have dwelt on Mary Jane's death as much as he did, even if he was technically responsible for it. He's not that imperceptive as to give up the mantle of Spider-Man because of heartache. There have been times before when Spider-Man took his duty to serve justice so seriously as to save others before saving his friends and family because he knew that nobody else could be there for them except him. So why give up being a superhero when so many people are still in need of one? Mary Jane would not have wanted Spidey to sulk like a bitch about something he had no power over; she would have wanted him to man up and keep on protecting innocent lives like he had always pledged to do.
I can honestly say that this wasn't a Spider-Man story, since, in essence, I didn't really feel like he was in it at all (physically he was present, but not in spirit). The way he was written and depicted was so far off base and totally inaccurate to his well-established character that it became difficult to come to terms with this being a Spider-Man comic – it felt like something else entirely. The whole story felt like it was written by somebody who didn't know the character well enough to make a fitting "what-if" story for Spider-Man's legacy.
Here's an obvious tidbit: Spider-Man: Reign was basically written to be Marvel's answer to The Dark Knight Returns, for both stories follow an aged superhero who gave up somewhere along the way but is forced to come out of retirement and reclaim their mantle once again. Here's another fun fact about Spider-Man: Reign: it failed miserably to rival DC's take on this kind of story. This graphic novel, by comparison, felt wholly unoriginal and utterly pointless. Why was this even made?
As for the main villain, if Kaare Andrews was going to ignore continuity for the sake of a good "what-if" story, then why not make the mastermind of this ultimate attack on Spidey none other than the Green Goblin, a far more important and capable villain who had the means to pull off such a dastardly endeavor? Instead, Venom was revealed to be the big baddie behind everything, which also didn't fit his character from the well-established comics either. How did Venom manage to do all these things over such a long period of time? I'd have liked to see that process play out in its entirety instead of having to subject myself to this underwhelming and insulting story instead.
I wanted to like Spider-Man: Reign – I really wanted it to be Marvel's answer to The Dark Knight Returns – but all it ended up being was a crappy story that's full of cliches, plot holes, and inaccuracies in character. I won't give it 1 star only because it was ambitious, if misguided, and has the potential to be returned to if done with considerably more grace the next time around. Marvel isn't usually one to experiment with their big names in such a drastic manner, so at least they tried doing something risky with as big a name as Spider-Man, which is well appreciated. But other than being ambitious, there isn't much else to say about this graphic novel that it too positive.
October 12, 2024
I did not care for this comic.
You may not recognize the title; Spider-Man: Reign
But if you are familiar with Spider-Man comics even just a little bit, you may know about the comic where Spider-Man killed MJ with his radioactive semen. Yup, that's this story. That is supposed to be a third act reveal but I don't feel bad spoiling it. If you read this comic or want to read it, it's probably only because of that scene. Hell, that's why I read it!
I didn't like much of anything in this comic. It's a really short 4 issue series and yet it took me 4 nonconsecutive days to finish because, quite frankly, it was just dull.
I don't understand why this comic got made. Its sole purpose is to try and replicate the success of The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. From the fact that It's about an old Spider-Man coming out of retirement to the gang of gun wielding psychopaths policing the streets to the art style which is ripped off directly from TDKR. It's insane how little this comic wants to have an identity of it's own. No part of this story is original or even interesting.
Spider-Man and Batman are not the same. Not in tone nor style. Why does Spider-Man have to be Batman? Because of money, I assume.
Marvel thought: TDRK is a popular comic. Spider-Man is a popular character. Can we make TDRK with Spider-Man? The short answer is "No".
I hope Kaare Andrews has made better stuff than this because this was abysmal.
I just saw there was a sequel to this comic. I don't know if I should but I might read it for the Hell of it. I would still try to give it a fair shot. Hopefully it's more original and less of an absolute aping of TDRK. And if it dares to rip off TDRK 2 then my goodness, I am in for a terrible time.
You may not recognize the title; Spider-Man: Reign
But if you are familiar with Spider-Man comics even just a little bit, you may know about the comic where Spider-Man killed MJ with his radioactive semen. Yup, that's this story. That is supposed to be a third act reveal but I don't feel bad spoiling it. If you read this comic or want to read it, it's probably only because of that scene. Hell, that's why I read it!
I didn't like much of anything in this comic. It's a really short 4 issue series and yet it took me 4 nonconsecutive days to finish because, quite frankly, it was just dull.
I don't understand why this comic got made. Its sole purpose is to try and replicate the success of The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. From the fact that It's about an old Spider-Man coming out of retirement to the gang of gun wielding psychopaths policing the streets to the art style which is ripped off directly from TDKR. It's insane how little this comic wants to have an identity of it's own. No part of this story is original or even interesting.
Spider-Man and Batman are not the same. Not in tone nor style. Why does Spider-Man have to be Batman? Because of money, I assume.
Marvel thought: TDRK is a popular comic. Spider-Man is a popular character. Can we make TDRK with Spider-Man? The short answer is "No".
I hope Kaare Andrews has made better stuff than this because this was abysmal.
I just saw there was a sequel to this comic. I don't know if I should but I might read it for the Hell of it. I would still try to give it a fair shot. Hopefully it's more original and less of an absolute aping of TDRK. And if it dares to rip off TDRK 2 then my goodness, I am in for a terrible time.
August 4, 2019
What the hell was that?
I'm not a big Spider-Man reader, but this is some Elseworlds style story, I guess, taking place in the distant future where Spider-Man has retired and Reign soldiers are running the town now, as the mayor tries to build a 'protective' web over the city. Then there's something about evil soldiers, a Spider-Man villain who is taking everything over, and using lots of other Sinister Six characters as underlings.
The whole geriatric Spider-Man thing is unpleasant, and the story spends more time on his mental state than anything else. The art is gloomy and dark and unpleasant, which puts it in line with the story. Bells are used as weapons, and a group of kids are serving as some sort of resistance in a cult led by J. Jonah Jameson? I don't know, there are a lot of ideas thrown around here, but none of them really gel with each other or make much sense.
This has the Marvel Knights Imprint on it, which makes me think it's a standalone series. I kind of hope so, because I can't imagine anything else matching this tone and basic insanity. Not recommended at all.
I'm not a big Spider-Man reader, but this is some Elseworlds style story, I guess, taking place in the distant future where Spider-Man has retired and Reign soldiers are running the town now, as the mayor tries to build a 'protective' web over the city. Then there's something about evil soldiers, a Spider-Man villain who is taking everything over, and using lots of other Sinister Six characters as underlings.
The whole geriatric Spider-Man thing is unpleasant, and the story spends more time on his mental state than anything else. The art is gloomy and dark and unpleasant, which puts it in line with the story. Bells are used as weapons, and a group of kids are serving as some sort of resistance in a cult led by J. Jonah Jameson? I don't know, there are a lot of ideas thrown around here, but none of them really gel with each other or make much sense.
This has the Marvel Knights Imprint on it, which makes me think it's a standalone series. I kind of hope so, because I can't imagine anything else matching this tone and basic insanity. Not recommended at all.
June 5, 2020
One of the best Spidey story.
Why? Because it does what Marvel does best, bring out the humanity in the characters. Peter is now an old man, beaten down by life and the death of Mary Jane (takes a while to realize that). New York is ruled by a narcissistic power grabbing control freak who suspends basic rights for the "protection of the people". Crap like it always is.
Spidey has to fight the ghosts of his past, and then literally fight his old foes Electro,Mysterio, and Sandman.we even get to see the human side of Sandman. Who knew?
The protective web touted by the mayor is an excuse to hold in the populace so the big bad behind him can have his minions kill them.
A very worthy read,I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. Try it, on Prime reading too.
Why? Because it does what Marvel does best, bring out the humanity in the characters. Peter is now an old man, beaten down by life and the death of Mary Jane (takes a while to realize that). New York is ruled by a narcissistic power grabbing control freak who suspends basic rights for the "protection of the people". Crap like it always is.
Spidey has to fight the ghosts of his past, and then literally fight his old foes Electro,Mysterio, and Sandman.we even get to see the human side of Sandman. Who knew?
The protective web touted by the mayor is an excuse to hold in the populace so the big bad behind him can have his minions kill them.
A very worthy read,I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. Try it, on Prime reading too.
July 4, 2024
While Andrews is a decent artist, his storytelling needs improvement. He delivers a pretentious comic whose visuals make no sense. I'm a little confused by the lack of any real indication of where this book was going, and I think that Andrews' opening was too long-winded and emotionally detached from its central character to really have Spider-Man fans interested. However, it's quite late in the day for Reign to have only just started to assert its own identity, and there's a real danger that the book has left itself too little time to make good on the promise of the concept.
September 18, 2024
A dark Spider-man tale. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The art was good. The story was well paced. I don't wanna spoil to much, as Spidey fans should check this one out.
As a fascist group takes control of Manhattan, a tired, aged Spider-man must re-learn what it means to be a hero.
High recommend.
As a fascist group takes control of Manhattan, a tired, aged Spider-man must re-learn what it means to be a hero.
High recommend.
November 23, 2019
Spider-Man killed Mary Jane with his jizz. That’s it. That’s the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2024
The Dark Knight Returns but Good
July 2, 2024
Picture the scene: it's around 2013. I'm a sophomore or Junior in high school. It's early afternoon, right after school gets out. I'm at Taco Bell eating cheese roll ups. Laughing with friends. Suddenly, my friend Christian, without warning or reason, loudly asks "Do you guys know that Spider-Man killed Mary Jane with his radioactive semen?"
Anyway I read Spider-Man Reign. And I think the most surprising thing is I didn't hate it. Well, I kind of mostly did. I can't stand the art in it, I really don't think the images flow panel to panel at all. I can't stand the dialogue. Pseudo profoundness found solely in the self help books at the bottom of the value bin of your local Walmart.
But on the flip side I like pretty much all the ideas in this book, I just kind of hate everything about the execution. Jameson still hating masks but seeing it as a safe hatred as opposed to the scary new threat. Peter hallucinating the ones he failed to save. The villain doing this because of that same loneliness Peter feels. Genuinely could have potential to be a great story. It just is not here.
Anyway I read Spider-Man Reign. And I think the most surprising thing is I didn't hate it. Well, I kind of mostly did. I can't stand the art in it, I really don't think the images flow panel to panel at all. I can't stand the dialogue. Pseudo profoundness found solely in the self help books at the bottom of the value bin of your local Walmart.
But on the flip side I like pretty much all the ideas in this book, I just kind of hate everything about the execution. Jameson still hating masks but seeing it as a safe hatred as opposed to the scary new threat. Peter hallucinating the ones he failed to save. The villain doing this because of that same loneliness Peter feels. Genuinely could have potential to be a great story. It just is not here.
July 11, 2024
I have odd feelings about this one. Doing DKR (Dark Knight Returns) for Spidey isn’t necessarily a horrible idea. It starts out pretty promising, honestly. Then it does the unforgivable thing of having Spider-man murder someone (a thing I could never see pretty much an iteration of the character doing) and the whole “radioactive semen killed MJ” thing which is so disgusting its funny. Everything else is kinda entertaining, I’m a sucker for a tale about a sad old man and this definitely is that, but there’s no weight to it like DKR or Kingdom Come, it has nothing to say about anything other than “Spider-man never gives up!” I would be a little more forgiving if the book didn’t go out of its way to remind you of DKR every chance it gets.
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