Spider-Man: Daily Bugle

by Paul Grist, Bill Rosemann, Zeb Wells

Read all about it! New York's number one newspaper steals the headlines in gripping tales spotlighting the Daily Bugle , its fearless staff and its frightening head honcho, J. Jonah Jameson! Join Bugle stalwarts Betty Brant, Joe Robertson, Ben Urich and more, on the hunt for all the best scoops - from kidnapping to arson to murder! Speaking of which, Kat Farrell grapples with life as a reporter in a city full of superhumans...while working a story that gives new meaning to the word "deadline"! Head behind the moustache of jolly Jonah himself, and gain incredible insight into the Bugle 's irascible editor-in-chief - especially when the notoriously Scrooge-like boss endures his own Christmas carol!

DAILY BUGLE 1-3, DEADLINE 1-4, SPIDER-MAN'S TANGLED WEB 20; MATERIAL FROM SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN (1976) 205-207, MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2004

Genres: Spider Man, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Comics

264 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1997

About the author

Paul Grist is a British comic book creator, noted for his hard-boiled police series Kane and his unorthodox superhero series Jack Staff.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really solid collection that highlighted characters that are usually on the peripheral of most Spidey stories: Betty Branch, Ben Urich, and, of coure... J. Jonah Jameson. The last few stories were particularly interesting as they gave us a look into JJJ's past and mind, giving us an idea of what makes the loudmouth tick. This is a collection that's worth reading for any Spidey fan, and especially one looking for something a little different.

[Adam Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collects a bunch of Daily Bugle-related comics.

First up is the three issue Daily Bugle mini-series, which is done in Black and White art. Honestly, this is my favorite part of the book. We follow Daily Bugle regulars like Betty Brant and Phil Ulrich, and a drunk down on his luck journalist named Charlie, while they investigate stories. In one story, with the paper stretched then, Jonah volunteers to investigate a case. It's a lot of fun, with good writing, nice characterization, and the black and white nature is really appropriate for the newspaper feel.

Then we get the Deadline Mini-series. A reporter is on the superhero beat but wants to get off of it and onto crime and she investigates a case where a judge is becoming an avenging vigilante...after apparently dying. This isn't bad, although I'd be lying if I said I liked the character. The biggest problem is that this isn't a story that needs told in the MCU. The MCU elements feel shoehorned in. Betty and Phil play roles in the story but could be placed by any generic characters. And the fact that a story like this happens in the MCU actually makes it less believable that something like this is going on near where Doctor Strange lives and it's up to a reporter to suss it out.

There's a back-up story from three issues of Spectacular Spider-man where Jonah is thrown into an existential crisis when he learns some randos think his newspaper is tabloid trash...mainly because it is. The end of this crisis is...not really satisfying.

Spider-man's Tangled Web #20 sees Jonah on the couch due to some anger issues and forced to confront and examine his past. While some of the interactions with the psychiatrist seem silly and over the top and most of the revelations of Jonah's past (i.e. overbearing/abusive father. Shocker!), I do think its mostly well-executed and its a decent read.

Next up we have Jonah's appear in Holiday Special 2004 where he experiences his own version of the Christmas Carol. It's kind of meh. Most of the jokes don't work and there's little emotional resonance. Plus the Marvel Universe being what it is, Jonah's not going to transform his character because of something that happened in a Holiday special.

Overall, nothing in the collection is bad, but only the three-issue mini-series is actually good, making for an overall mediocre reading experience.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are interesting, but inconsistent. Also, they're not all strong. Jameson is really more of a plot device than a person.

Also, they have to decide whether he's dramatic or comic. It's usually comic and the dramatic stuff feels inconsistent.

[Timothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars out of 5 rounded up.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of stories about reporters working at the Daily Bugle. Yeah, it's pretty much just as boring as you'd expect that to be. All of the good stories on those topics are already in their own collections: Marvels, The Pulse, Daredevil, etc.

Daily Bugle by Paul Grist & Karl Kerschl - 2 Stars
This is not very good. Focuses on the daily jobs of the reporters at the Daily Bugle. The art is black and white and very poor for Karl Kerschl. Maybe it was Greg Adams inks. It uses an incredible amount of blacks, some places almost looking like it was spilled, it's so bad looking.


Deadline by Bill Rosemann & Guy Davis - 3 Stars
Kat Ferrell covers the superhero beat for the Daily bugle. She gets drug into a case of a murdered judge and a specter like character. Not a bad story, but not super compelling. Guy Davis's art works well with the ethereal scenes.

Taps - Backup story in Spectacular Spider-Man #205-207 by Steven Grant & Walter McDaniel - 2 Stars
Bad art, bad story. J. Jonah Jameson goes on a bender when he finds out people think the Bugle is a joke.

Behind the Mustache - Spider-Man's Tangled Web #20 by Zeb Wells & Dean Haspiel - 2 Stars
J. Jonah Jameson is required to go to a psychiatrist for his anger issues. Gives insight into Jonah's daddy issues that were all wiped out when Dan Slott brought Jonah's dad into the current run on Amazing Spider-Man.

Jonah's Holiday Carol - Marvel Holiday Special 2004 by Tom DeFalco & Takeshi Miyazawa - 3 Stars
A J. Jonah Jameson spin on the classic holiday tale.