Spider-Man by Todd McFarlane: The Complete Collection

Spider-Man Omnibus Collection

by Todd McFarlane

Todd McFarlane became a superstar illustrating AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, but he changed the industry forever with his next project: the "adjectiveless" SPIDER-MAN! Taking on both writing and art duties, McFarlane ushered Peter Parker into a gritty new era - and it began with "Torment"! When the Big Apple's streets run red with blood, the web-slinger heads into the sewers to stop the Lizard's homicidal rampage. But what is driving his old friend and foe? Plus: Ghost Rider lends a bony hand when the deranged Hobgoblin returns, the wall-crawler finds himself at the center of a clash of claws between Wolverine and Wendigo, and Pete goes back in black to face Morbius the Living Vampire! And in the ultimate nineties team-up, Spidey joins X-Force to battle the unstoppable Juggernaut! Spider-Man (1990) 1-14, 16; X-Force (1991) 4

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

440 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2016

About the author

Todd McFarlane is a Canadian comic book artist, writer, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of the epic occult fantasy series Spawn.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, McFarlane became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise. In 1992, he helped form Image Comics, pulling the occult anti-hero character Spawn from his high school portfolio and updating him for the 1990s. Spawn was one of America's most popular heroes in the 1990's and encouraged a trend in creator-owned comic book properties.

In recent years, McFarlane has illustrated comic books less often, focusing on entrepreneurial efforts, such as McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment, a film and animation studio.

In September, 2006, it was announced that McFarlane will be the Art Director of the newly formed 38 Studios, formerly Green Monster Games, founded by Curt Schilling.

McFarlane used to be co-owner of National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers but sold his shares to Daryl Katz. He's also a high-profile collector of history-making baseballs.

Reviews

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Spider-Man run I’ve ever read (I know!), it’s dark and full of ruthless villains, while Spidey, married and upbeat as ever, burns like a beacon of hope in McFarlane’s stylish hellscape.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was younger I found the comics and for a wee lad Spiderman aka Peter Parker is perhaps the most relatable superhero for young men. After a while I lost sight until being an older lad somebody told me to to look into the title again because it got a new artist who was totally amazing. The artist in question was Todd McFarlane and he did blow my mind and a fan, buying the Spiderman title once again.
This collection does contain a series created for and by McFarlane and up to instalment 14 it was being pencilled by Todd and then he left to create his own legendary creature. The art and the stories are quite brilliant and it is sad that the McFarlane period ends in a crossover with X-Force in a story that is poor and makes no sense whatsoever for the reader of this Spiderman series, it pulls the high quality down and the editor in his wisdom decided to add the second part of the story by another artist. With the exception of the crossover the rest of the stories often in more than one part are vintage McFarlane and are quite beautiful and very original drawn.

I loved this collection in Hardcover and will reread it many times in years to come. I am one happy fan boy I honestly admit.

[Adam Spanos · Rating 3 out of 5]

McFarlane is one really messed up dude. Many dark and disturbing themes used in Spawn were first featured in McFarlane's Spider-Man title. Kidnapping, torture, abuse and murder of children is repeated again and again across McFarlane's work. It's shown in the Hobgoblin 2-part story, immediately thereafter in the Perceptions arc (rather graphically in some cases where the characters actually dig up bodies) and again in Spawn. That's not something I think anyone finds enjoyable to read or think about yet McFarlane showcases it again and again.

I think this Omnibus best serves as a proto-Image/Spawn book. Check out the characters in the Sub City arc. One looks like a dead ringer for the Violator Clown which later showed up in Spawn. Also there are several analogues through the series that could easily have been Sam & Twitch and various garbage dwelling bums from Spawn. You can really tell that McFarlane was trying hard and the book sold a bazillion copies, so it was obviously a success but it's easier now to see the series' faults when revisited thru a modern lens.

[Tiag⊗ the Mutant · Rating 2 out of 5]

McFarlane's art has his merits, he was undoubtedly one of the faces of the 90s, he draws a mean Spidey in costume, but everything else looks a bit off, specially the faces, and he's also a pretty crappy writer.

[James DeSantis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Todd McFarlane is no doubt a talented artist. If you don't like his style, that is fine. I admit, sometimes it's a bit hard to understand what's happening on the page, but overall his art is unique and stylish. His writing? Not so much.

Back in the late 80's Todd made a name for himself, and Marvel wanted that name all over their books so in the 90s they gave Todd his own Spider-Man book. This was huge, and it became one of the best, if not best, selling issue for Marvel at the time. With Todd's over the top but stylish art, Marvel couldn't lose on this move.

Reading it over 30 years later the art is still flashly and alive, which is nice, but the stories? Ouch.

The first is probably one of the better in the collection, Torment, but it's basically about a voodoo like woman trying to torment Spidy. She's using the Lizard as a weapon against him, forcing Spider-Man to eventually clash with the Lizard. The fights are brutal, and this is a darker take for the web-head. I will say it starts off interesting enough, and some great looking panels, but the story simmers down quick.

Then we get a Hobgoblin that's a two parter and it's not bad either. Actually pretty fun, and Hobgoblin is as cool looking as ever. Add in a little boy who's been basically brainwashed by the Goblin and Spider-Man and Ghost Rider working together but also at odds with each other and you have a entertaining story.

Then we take a dip down into Wendigo as our main villain or plot point for the next story. This one is extremely drawn out with a terrible subplot for Peter Parker as a reporter to deal with. Wolverine is entertaining enough coming into this story but even he can't save this sad as hell and boring team up by the end. Boring would best describe this one.

Which is more than I can say for the terrible Moribus closing storyline that was not only confusing but hard to following. Mcfarlane was leaving Marvel soon and you can see it. Then a single issue with Juggy fails to live up to other issues of Spider-man vs Juggernaunt, and this one is a sleepy story with the terribly bland x-force to boot.

Overall this is a art book. If wanna see some great poses, fights, and designs, this is worth going through and enjoying it for the art alone. I certainly did. And first half is decent enough with the stories. But the second half is pretty bad and not really worth reading at all if I'm being 100% honest here.

A 2 out of 5.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember, when I was young, the moment when Todd McFarlane joined the Spiderman comics series. His art style was something fresh and unique. It really appealed to me. Thus this collection of McFarlane's Spiderman work was really cool.

Collecting Spiderman 1-14, and 16. and X-Force #4. The best story is the "Torment" story arc. A witch has cast a spell on Spiderman and the Lizard causing deep conflict. A cool and creepy story.

Then the story covers Spiderman and Morbius, the Living Vampire, and it's an interesting story about Morbius living in the sewers and his influence over the Morlocks.

The weakest story was the X-Force crossover where Spiderman and the X-Force must face the Juggernaut in combat.

The volume ended with some cool interviews, alternate cover art and some cool artwork. If you're a McFarlane fan, or a Spiderman fan, then you will really enjoy this collection.

[Morten Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvel: So, Todd, how much kidnapping, torture, child abuse and disturbing artwork will there be in this new series of our friendely neighborhood Spider-Man?

Todd McFarlane: Yes.

[Mark Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to choose one word to summarize how I feel about this book, it is “conflicted”

On the one hand, you have the first two stories (Torment, Issues 1-5. And Hobgoblin, Issues 6 and 7) and all it is, is genuine fantastic art with terrible writing that is so concerned with being dark that sounds like Linkin Park lyrics. And i found enjoyment in that. It’s not for everyone, but it is doing exactly what it is trying to do. And I liked those stories for what they were. Beautiful illustrations with not much substance behind it all. Side note, I think this is the greatest Spider-Man art of all time. John Romita SR is second place but I think this is perfect art and a pleasure to look at. And I was content with reading the remaining 7 issues assuming this was all the book had to offer. Perfect art and the lyrics to In The End.

I was wrong

Perceptions, Issues 8-12 were fantastically written on top of having that same old 10/10 art. A great action packed and wonderfully paced story about animal cruelty involving the Wendigo and Wolverine.
And then Sub City came along and was a dip in writing quality again, but definitely still better than the first two stories, but still a dip.

I’m just left asking what the hell happened? All of these stories have something for someone.
1. Torment. Great Art.
2. Hobgoblin. Great Art and an interesting interpretation of the Hobgoblin.
3. Perceptions. Great Art, Great Writing
4. Sub-City. Great Art, Black Suited Spidey

All good in their own right, but Perceptions seems like it was written by a different person. It may seem like I’m complaining. I don’t mean to, I still had a great time reading this book even in the lesser storylines.

So if you are to take anything away from my unorganized and incoherent rambling, it is this, go into this book expecting great Art, and mid, to good, to great writing, and you’ll have a good time with it.

8/10. Will read again.

[Neon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so refreshing to see everyone's favourite web-head tackle such dark subject matter for a change in this extremely adult take on Spider-man. Gripping and fast paced with some genuinely unsettling moments Todd McFarlane proves why he is a comic book master yet again

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just about the worst Spider-man book I've ever attempted to read. I gave it a good try with an open mind but... I really just hated everything about it.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was impossible to get all the McFarlane Spider-Man comics when they were printed in the 90s--collectors and speculators bought them up as fast as they could. So this is actually the first time I've read them all in order.

McFarlane was quite the sensation at the time, and while some of his stuff is pretty cheesy now (Mary Jane's hair and outfits in particular) his take on Spider-Man was innovative and definitely changed the way the character was drawn for decades (lots of webs, huge eyes, thinner body, and humanly impossible spider-like poses).

The stories are kind of meh in retrospect. The villains are cool (he complained about having to use ones not in use in the four other Spider-Man comics of the time) but who doesn't like the Lizard, Ghost Rider, Hobgoblin, Morbius (It was Morbin' time way back when!) and Juggernaut?

Spider-Man was the first comic McFarlane actually wrote--he was known more for his art--and while his stories aren't bad (except the confusing X-Force crossover thing) they aren't anything groundbreaking, though they are certainly darker and more adult than other Spidey comics (though in line with Batman, Judge Dredd, and a lot of other comics at the time).

The themes, insofar as there are any, are also in line with the times--Spidey looks askance at the vengeance dealing "heroes" and anti-heroes of the era, like Wolverine and Ghost Rider. Why can't they be more like your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Ironic because McFarlane's stories veered more into their territory, with bits of horror and darkness all about.

Anyway, it's silly to over-analyze comics from 30 or 40 years ago, and these are a fun (if slightly dark) read. It's a shame the voodoo villain never really gets fleshed out or a good final battle.

Worth it to see McFarlane's skinny Spidey again, plus the wicked, overflowing teeth of the Lizard, Hobgoblin, Wendigo and more. Excelsior! (Yeah, McFarlane didn't really do the Marvel massive adjective thing either.)

And maybe also for the sheer ridiculousness of the X-men/Force/Factor bonanza, when Marvel cranked out multitudes of overdrawn 90s X-team characters with impossible costumes, "edgy" attitudes, and not much else.

[Javier Lárraga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues estuvo bien. ¿Como olvidar aquellos años cuando los superhéroes estaban super ponchados y hacían poses imposibles para cualquier contorsionista en los posters y portadas? Los 90´s fueron una época extraña y fue cuando los antihéroes, los personajes rudos y por supuesto los personajes grotescos estaban de moda y todos los medios como el cine, la televisión y los cómics querían reflejar una sociedad problemática con historias que involucraban el sexo, las drogas y las armas. En esos tiempos a pesar de que no había tanta libertad creativa como los fans quisiéramos creer, lo cierto es que la gente que vivió en ese entonces normalizaba más ciertos temas de los que hoy en día sería imposible escribir incluso si solo se insinúan.

Tormento y Mascaras de Todd McFarlane es precisamente eso; un producto de su época y una recopilación del trabajo de este guionista/artista con Spiderman. Para ponerlos en contexto, la época dorada de los cómics había finalizado y después de una caída en picada, la cosa poco a poco se fue recuperando, aunque jamás al mismo nivel de las glorias pasadas. Fue entonces que Marvel con la idea de renovar a sus personajes y de volver a vender con lo que en ese entonces era una novedad y para atraer lectores más adultos, trajo a Todd McFarlane para que trabajara con el personaje que más lectores tenía: Spiderman. Aunque este al igual que otros personajes del medio como Batman ya tenían varias series regulares, por lo cual a Todd se le dio su propia serie llamada “Spider Man” a secas donde el sería el guionista principal y el artista encargado de dibujar aunque para ser honesto, muchos fans (incluyéndome) pensamos que se le da mucho mejor el dibujo que la escritura, pues fue su estilo tan llamativo lo que en ese entonces atrajo de nuevo la atención a Spidey, tanto así que por lo que tengo entendido, Todd logró que se vendieran 3 millones de ejemplares de su primer número convirtiéndose en el cómic más vendido de la historia y si le sumamos a eso que fue el creador de Venom con ese diseño tan letal de sus primeros números y que posteriormente dejó Marvel por la falta de libertad creativa para fundar Image Comics y crear a Spawn (uno de los personajes más memorables de la época) pues creo que no podemos dudar de su talento y de que el hombre vende historietas.

Entonces ¿Qué me pareció Tormento y Mascaras? Regular sería la forma más simple de resumirlo pero creo que es una respuesta muy insípida para una introducción a la reseña tan larga, así que voy a ser claro y les diré que disfrute mucho esta edición y que en general las historias me gustaron pero como ya lo dije antes, lo de Todd McFarlane es el arte no la escritura y en estas historias podemos encontrar un dibujo espectacular, Spidey se ve intimidante para los criminales y sus villanos se ven grotescos como si fueran versiones de pesadilla de los mismos.

Hablando más en concreto del contenido de esta edición se nos presentan 4 arcos argumentales:

Tormento: Contiene 5 números donde se nos narra una batalla sanguinaria entre El lagarto y Spiderman y que sirve como secuela a La última cacería de Kraven, mientras que en los primeros 2 números se nos da un preámbulo para la batalla, los últimos 3 solo serán eso, una brutal pelea por sobrevivir donde incluso podemos ver a Spidey usando fuerza letal, al lagarto devorando gente y criminales que se ponen de lo más violentos con sus víctimas…

Mascaras: De solo 2 números, Spidey y Ghost Rider deberán hacer equipo para detener a una versión psicótica y asesina de Hobgoblin que ha sido enloquecido por un demonio a cambio de obtener poderes satánicos (muy en la onda de Spawn), el problema es que después de aniquilar a un montón de personas, un niño sobreviviente se ha encariñado con el…tema turbio y como dije antes, al día de hoy ya no se podrían escribir de estas cosas, vamos que incluso vemos a Spidey torturando a un cocainómano para obtener información…

Sub-ciudad: También de solo 2 cómics, unos seres humanos deformes que practican la endogamia y que viven en las antiguas estaciones del metro abandonadas de New York están secuestrando vagabundos para alimentar a Morbius con su sangre, de todas las historias aquí es donde más se puede ver el arte grotesco que después sería algo regular en Spawn, lo que más me gustó es que podemos ver de regreso al traje negro, lo raro es que aquí se observa que Peter y Mary Jane tienen una vida sexual curiosa por lo menos y creo que es donde más se nota que estos cómics estaban enfocados para adultos.

SABOTAGE: Se compone de 2 cómics; Spiderman hace equipo con los X-Force para detener a Juggernaut y Black Tom que acaban de volar el techo de las torres gemelas….ya se ya se, se que es redundante pero al día de hoy si Marvel se atreviera a volver a hacer esto seguro los cancelarían en redes porque esta fue una gran tragedia que cambió al mundo, pero dejando del lado eso esta fue la historia que menos me gustó porque aunque el resto no son para nada profundas y solo son una excusa para ver a Todd dibujando monstruos teniendo batallas encarnizadas contra Spiderman, al menos las 3 anteriores tienen un preámbulo y un contexto del porque suceden estas batallas, tenemos los conflictos de Peter con Mary Jane y a los ciudadanos de una New York indiferente opinar sobre lo que pasa en la ciudad, acá en SABOTAGE Spiderman se mete a una pelea ya empezada y aunque todas las historias tienen finales que se sienten abruptos o como que les faltó algo, en estos cómics literal la lucha no llega a nada, sin mencionar que las frases de los X-Force y sus personajes si son bastante infantiles al menos en este cómic y como que desentona con el resto de historias.

A pesar de todo yo tengo varias cosas muy claras, la primera es que no estoy arrepentido de haber comprado esta edición pues fue como abrir una ventana al pasado antes de “lo políticamente correcto” y ver con mis propios ojos los inicios del hombre que revitalizó a Spiderman y que con su estilo tan llamativo terminó siendo imitado por el resto de artistas hasta convertirse en un estándar para la época, lo segundo es que el arte me encantó DEMASIADO, es algo tan único que yo creo que solo por eso ya vale la pena adquirir este tomo y la tercera razón fue que no se que le pasa a los cómics de hoy en día que las batallas cada vez son más cortas en los paneles dejando a los fans con ganas de ver adaptaciones cinematográficas de sus héroes para ver a detalle esas peleas, a Todd nada de eso le importa y te da peleas larguísimas de varias páginas sobre todo en Tormento que son los últimos 3 cómics de pura golpiza y castigo para Spiderman y el Lagarto, algo que hasta ahora no había experimentado en ningún cómic, sobre todo con Spiderman porque como ya sabemos el drama también es un elemento que ocupa muchas páginas en sus historias y pues me gustó verlo relegado para variar y darle paso a la acción, así que si, recomiendo Tormento y Máscaras para los nostálgicos y los que tengan ganas de ver esta etapa tan extraña de Spiderman y ¿Por qué no? disfrutar de un dibujo increíble…

[Gerry Sacco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. What I would consider classic spiderman from my childhood. Unmatched art, and a nice collection from back then.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
A pretty good collection of Spider-Man comics. The XForce and Morbius stories were not great but the others were mostly good.

[Szymon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom zawiera 3 historie napisane i narysowane przez Todda McFarlane'a i jedną, gdzie obowiązkami dzieli się z Robem Liefeldem.
Tam gdzie twórca m.in. Spawna działał sam, jego mroczne rysunki i scenariusze tworzą świetną, duszną i niepokojącą atmosferę. Zło jest wstrętne, a dobro pełne wątpliwości. Bardzo mi się ten klimat i strona wizualna podobają. Niestety, McFarlane pisze znacznie gorzej niż rysuje. Każdej z trzech historii brakowało porządnego finału, który rozładowywałby napięcie towarzyszące czytelnikowi od pierwszych kadrów. Mimo tego, czytało się całkiem przyjemnie, a kolejne strony cieszyły oczy.
Niestety, ostatnia opowieść (fragment opowieści?), gdzie Spidey sprzymierza się z X-Force by pokonać Juggernauta, jest totalną porażką. Historia jest irytująco chaotyczna i też nie ma sensownego zakończenia. Ale to i tak pikuś przy stronie wizualnej. Pierwszą część niby też stworzył McFarlane, ale gdyby nie jego podpis, to miałbym spore wątpliwości. Mroczna atmosfera zniknęła, a dodatkowo wszystkie postaci wyglądają, jakby ktoś chciał sparodiować jego styl. To i tak nie jest najgorsze, bo w części drugiej i ostatniej stery przejmuje Rob Liefeld i o mój borze! Wszystkie listy i artykuły przedstawiające go jako najgorszego rysownika Marvela znajdują tu uzasadnienie. Anatomia, perspektywa? Jebać. Pistolet ma być duży, mięśnie i piersi jeszcze większe, a talie jak u osy. I tak mało stóp jak się da. Tak w skrócie można przedstawić motto Liefelda. Ciągle nie mogę dojść do siebie po obejrzenie jego groteskowych dzieł.
Podsumowując: 3/4 przyzwoite, 1/4 tragiczna. więc jeśli nie jesteś psychofanem Todda McF, możesz spokojnie sobie podarować zakup tego tomu.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much a product of its time. Huge 90s nostalgia hit and has a very McFarlane vibe when at times I thought am I reading Spawn?

There were some solid, funny moments here with the wolverine team up being my favourite story. But also some pretty forgettable issues and storylines where not a lot happens.

Throughout reading it I just didn't feel like I was reading a typical Spider-Man story even though there were some of the classic characters here. It's still Spidey though so it was a fun enough time.

Art was decent, like I said McFarlane has a very distinct style and there were some pretty striking pages. That cover and under slip case cover is just beautiful.

Quick easy read though and worth it for any Spiderman fan.

PS. If you don't know how long it takes for Spidey's webs to dissolve you will by the end of this book.

[Don Weiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-reading these stories, for the first time chronologically. The years have been both cruel and kind. There's no denying that Todd McFarlane's art was innovative. He was one of the giants of the industry (still is), and he redefined the look of Spider-Man for a new generation. That's the art.

Now the writing... well, McFarlane refers to himself as more of a storyteller than a writer. Basically, he's letting the art tell the story. Sometimes that's enough, sometimes it isn't. In concept, the stories are thrilling. But when it comes to the dialogue scenes, the weaknesses start to show. Many of Spider-Man's jokes here are particularly cringeworthy. I personally love some of the darker-themed Spider-Man stories, so I appreciate what McFarlane was trying to do, but the execution left something to be desired.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art is (mostly) pretty, but his writing is blah, and by the end the whole thing just feels rushed and phoned-in

[Travis Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darker than any Spiderman stories I remember, not that im a guru. Maybe it’s the McFarlane effect. Excellent art, good story.

[Ronald Esporlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the art of Todd McFarlane but the story is not that good. I can see that the dark themes from Spawn first started here.

[Thomas Marsili · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite Spider-Man runs of all time and the art is just perfect. My favourite storyline was torment. It reminded me a lot of Kravens Last Hunt.

[mattyG · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

mcfarlane’s art was revolutionary. and right from the jump he had a particular vision and tone which he carried throughout his future work (sometimes this feels like Spawn lite…not a bad thing though). the first story, Torment, however, was not good. it picked up slowly after that and he delivered some pretty darkly atmospheric stories that are among the most brutal in Spidey’s history. and most are great!

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ojć, zestarzał nam się Spidey, zestarzał. I nie byłoby w tym nic złego, ale omnibus McFarlane'a fabułą niestety nie stoi.

Zasiadając do lektury zdawałem sobie sprawę, że zajmie mi ona trochę czasu, gdy�� omawiany Spider-man, to poza tomami z Daredevilem, stanowi najobszerniejszą pozycję w mojej bibliteczce. Lektura nie trwała jednak aż tak długo, bo Spidey akcją stoi.

Autor nieco pogłębia relacje pomiędzy Peterem a Mary Jane, ale wiele więcej z tych stron nie wyciągniemy. Scenarzysta nie dba o zawiła fabułę, a stawia raczej na efektowne walki, szybkie akcje i wizualnie dopieszczone rysunki.

Zaczyna się od historii z Lizardem, który poluje na ludzi, przy czym jest bardziej krwiożerczy niż dotychczas. Okazuje się, że ktoś na niego magicznie wpływa. W mrokach kryje się jakaś tajemnicza osoba, która ma najwyraźniej osobisty uraz do Spider-mana. Giną kolejni ludzie. Konfrontacja jest nieuchronna.

Potem McFarlane na warsztat bierze Hobgoblina, ale akurat jego wątek był chyba najsłabszy z wszystkich czterech tu zapodanych opowieści. Sytuację ratuje tutaj udział Ghost Ridera. Nieco dalej przyjdzie Pająkowi wyjechać poza miasto i zapoznać się ze sprawą morderstw, w które zamieszany wydaje się być Wendigo.

Jest to najlepszy kawałek tomiszcza, choćby ze względu na współpracę Petera z Wolverinem, no i w sumie zaskoczyło mnie odkrycie, kto stał za całą intrygą. Na końcu czeka nasz jeszcze przeprawa z Morbiusem, żyjącym wampirem. Też w sumie niezła. I ci jego karykaturalni pomocnicy...

W ramach finalnego bonusu dostajemy jeszcze historię, w której Pajęczak łączy siły z X-Force, ale sama historia była miałka oraz nudnawa, nie mówiąc już o archaicznej kresce.

To co rzuciło mi się w oczy podczas lektury omnibusa to fakt, iż zebrane historie są bardzo mroczne. Ludzi giną tu częściej, rysunki są dość jednoznaczne, a przeciwnicy trochę za bardzo karykaturalni czy wręcz odpychający, choć zdaje się, że tak miało być. Dobór antagonistów i ich wygląd nie jest przypadkowy(bardzo niepokojący). Jednakże jako, że McFarlane kończył już współpracę z Marvelem to mógł sobie na to pozwolić. Przez to tomik rekomenduje raczej starszym odbiorcom. Klimat ma. No i zapewni taką nieco bezstresową rozrywkę.

[Burton Olivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good time. McFarlane makes some fun composition and design choices. And the stories aren't bad but they aren't great either. Spidey is like weirdly right wing but this is old so you can't be too surprised

[Drew Waldman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Todd McFarlane is an amazing artist, too bad he can’t write

[Liam Donahue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the atmosphere that McFarlane creates with his dark and gritty artwork, it helps Spider-Man stand out in this run in ways that I see DC characters usually contrasted in.
Fire artwork

[Ben Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve already reviewed Torment and Perceptions, so I’ll be brief with those, but my thoughts overall are consistent among all the stories.

This book, is just stunning to look at, Todd McFarlane is a spectacular artist who can draw rich and vibrant environments that immediately suck you into its world, from the glorious Canadian forests to a sewer, it’s all great. The character designs are all the peak versions of these characters, this is the best looking Spider-Man, Wolverine, Lizard, Morbius, Hobgoblin, and Ghost Rider, all in one omnibus. These characters all looked great before, but by simply adding his unique style, he elevates every design to make them memorable and awesome. The villains, like Hobgoblin, Lizard and Morbius, each have a very monstrous quality to them, they look pretty damn scary and impose themselves as genuine threats by simply being on the page with creepy shading and poses. Spider-Man feels very vibrant and lively, he’s drawn in a way that makes you think he could leap off the page at a moments notice, with his striking movements. Now that I have Todd McFarlane’s cum all over my face, I’ll wipe it off and insult his writing ability.

The stories all felt incomplete, and in some cases they genuinely were. I’ve already spoke at length about the problems with Torment and Perceptions, so to sum it up, they each have fantastic premises that start off compelling, and have outstanding action sequences, but are let down by a bad ending. The Hobgoblin one is probably the most complete narrative, it’s just very short, and it’s so good, I wish it was developed more. Hobgoblin is a very intimidating villain, not just because of his visuals, but the scheme as well, the stuff with the kid and his family who were kidnapped, was interesting, but he’s then killed by Ghost Rider in a Dragon Ball Z fight and that’s it. Also the Morbius one, which was my favourite for a bit, had a phenomenal momentum going on, with the mystery of the homeless sewer people, the black Venom suit, and the revelation that Morbius accidentally killed hundreds of innocent people, it was so compelling, and turned the Jared Leto meme character who’s movie grossed one morbillion dollars at the box office, into a sympathetic and interesting antagonist. But for whatever reason, this omnibus doesn’t include the resolution to this story, probably because it’s not written and drawn by Todd McFarlane, which is super annoying! I got blue balls! I’m tired of comic books constantly giving me blue balls! Instead of the conclusion to this emotional and compelling story, we get a boring X-Force story about Spider-Man helping the discount X-Men defeat Juggernaut with a pervert face (it’s funny to look at, but it’s nothing compared to the other villains in this omnibus). This is a very underwhelming way to end the book, I barely even read this last arc, it was so dull I just skimmed it, because I do not care about X-Force.

The stories aren’t all bad though. For what they are, they are classic Spider-Man stories for any fan to get sucked into, with a mature edge. The portrayal of Peter and his hoe ass wife’s relationship was a lot more sexy than I was expecting, with them even getting kinky in one scene, not to mention the fact of Peter having to consider how being Spider-Man is straining his marriage, although he doesn’t consider it for long, he just mentions it, then moves on. Also the inclusion of child molesters, excessive blood, child death, and horrifying images, helps make this feel like a more adult outing for the character, without the edge feeling like a cringe gimmick, it fits in with its narrative, and McFarlane implants it effectively. Each of the stories is entertaining, none of them are bad (except for X-Force), they all have flaws, but overall there’s plenty to love about them aside from the art. But if I were to rank them, I’d say obviously X-Force is last, 4th place is Perceptions, 3rd is probably Masques, then 2nd is Torment, and even though it’s not finished, from what I saw, Sub-City was really fantastic and deserves the number 1 spot, and it’s only flaw is that I didn’t get to see its disappointing ending.

Overall, would I recommend this omnibus? Sure! It’s got it’s annoyances, but the art is genuinely so great that it carries it more than you’d think, and the stories are Spider-Man fun, with added edge to keep it fresh.

[Kris Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Todd McFarlane's adjective-less Spider-Man series, released during the summer of 1990, was, for all intents and purposes, the opening bell for the speculator bubble of the 1990s. We all know what happened, we all know why it happened, and we all see aspects of it being repeated by the industry today.

McFarlane was a breath of fresh air when he exploded on the scene in Amazing Spider-Man back in November of 1987*. I was a first day buyer back then and was immediately taken aback by this bold new take on the character. His version was like a creepier version of Steve Ditko's Spider-Man. He had been in the business for a few years already but he was new to me .

*Comic cover dates were four months ahead when purchased in Direct Market, or comic specialty shops as we called them back then. Cover dates were three months ahead on newsstands like 7-11. By the time that this adjective-less series hit the stands cover dates had been adjusted to being two months ahead for the DM, three for newsstands.

This was among the first Marvel series to be structured in arcs, with each issue being Part _ of _ of said story title. This was done so that it could be repackaged into books for the emerging trade paperback market for mainstream bookstores. As strange as it may sound here in 2017, there was a time when Marvel did not think of the collected edition when making their comic books. The full bleed artwork was also a new thing at the time.

This dark take on the character was fascinating because it simply hadn't been done before. The Horror elements are brought to the fore in this series. While McFarlane would like to make this out to be a more adult take on the character, his sexual double entendres are adolescent and embarrassing to read as an adult. This being the dawn of the '90s, !!!totally extreme!!! thinking was the order of the day. To be fair, the action sequences are a blast. McFarlane's exaggerated anatomy and almost cartoony depictions of people give his art a unique look which would be aped by numerous artists and become a cliché. Credit where credit is due, he did this stuff first and he did it the best. Motion lines, excessive detail, and unrealistic anatomy would dominate most of the 1990s because of him.

The first arc of five issues has been repackaged numerous times as Torment. This is the Lizard as his most brutal. The endless DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM DOOM sound effect jungle drum beats got old fast, especially since this wasn't the first time that I've read this material. My son wanted to read this book with me but bailed after five issues. He seemed bored with this, which kind of surprised me. I figured that the fast pace of McFarlane's stories would be right up his alley but I was wrong.

The second arc, Masques, has also been repackaged multiple times. I had the old original UK trade years ago but dumped it because I predicted this book once Marvel rereleased these arcs in Premiere Classic hardcovers. It may have taken several years for this to become reality but I have nothing but time and no shortage of stuff to read. McFarlane's take on the Hobgoblin and Ghost Rider both leave me cold.

The cover to the first issue of the third arc (Perceptions, also repackaged like Masques) is one of those boring, 'iconic' type of covers that have little to do with the interior and would plague comics in the early 2000s. Awful and lazy. The arc itself is very good, with Spider-Man teaming up with Wolverine to take on the Wendigo. Subtlety is something completely lost on McFarlane, and he drills his opinion of the then-emerging 24/7 news cycle into you. I'm old enough to remember when news was about reporting a story instead of creating one. The sensationalism spotlighted here seems downright tame when compared to clickbait garbage reporting that passes as news today.

My beloved Morbius The Living Vampire was the surprise villain in the fourth arc of the series, Sub-City. The writing in this one is pretty weak but there's plenty of action and Morbius so who cares. The book closes out with the godawful sideways X-Force crossover, Sabotage. X-Force sucks and Rob Liefeld sucks. Both are the epitome of everything wrong with mainstream 1990s comics, and I cannot spit enough venom at either one.

This being Marvel, there is an exhaustively researched section of DVD-style extras in the back. All variants and industry magazine covers, as well introductions and covers from previous editions of the various collections are included. This run means a lot to fans 10 or more years younger than I am. It's not the best era as far as I'm concerned but it's a fun enough read and serves as an object lesson why dark and gritty Spider-Man doesn't really work. For the younger set this is one of the defining runs for the character.

[Harrison Delahunty · Rating 2 out of 5]

The really irksome thing about this omnibus is that every story in it sucks, it's just that each has a different reason for it.

The first five issues make up the "Torment" arc, and is the one that most readers probably know McFarlane's Spider-Man by. Though it's a lot more readable in the larger, clearer omnibus format, the art is still crunched together and at times incomprehensible. Combined with McFarlane's trademark off-putting human faces and rather weak first attempt at scripting, "Torment" still manages to fall flat even in relation to the rest of the stories here.

Issues 6 and 7 are the "Masques" story. This one manages to foreshadow the problems I'd go on to have with most of the stuff here, and it is that McFarlane manages to sideline Spider-Man in his own book for the sake of showcasing a flashier, grimdarkier 90's character. Here, we get Ghost Rider and an extremely religiously-themed two-parter that feels stretched to be more than one issue.

Issues 8-12 make up the "Perceptions" storyline. Again, Spider-Man gets tossed to the side much of the time so that Wolverine can take the spotlight; he even straight-up puts Spidey on the bench so that he can get the actual work done, dissing Peter in the process. It makes one wonder how much of a Spider-Man book this actually is supposed to be. The twist is muddled and unclear, yet still manages to be wildly cliché.

Issues 13 and 14 are another two-parter; this one is entitled "Sub-City." This may have been my favourite little storyline in the whole omnibus, simply because it's so weird. Despite really not feeling like a Spider-Man story, and despite clearly throwing the black suit into the narrative just to sell a couple more comics by featuring it on the front, its sheer goofiness makes it stand out to me.

Issue 16 was clearly very much phoned in. It also commits one of the ultimate sins as far as the trade paperback world is concerned: the sideways comic gimmick. It made this one a pain to read, and ended up giving it an even more unnecessary feel. Nothing much of note happens in it, it puts far too much focus on the X-Force at the expense of Spider-Man, and we get a I-am-not-joking-this-is-genuinely-true plot that features one of the Twin Towers being blown to pieces. The very, very horrible X-Force #4 concludes this story by barely featuring Spidey at all and giving the plot a non-resolution just for kicks. More than anything, the fact that it was included in the omnibus at all just weakens the overall book.

Frankly, the whole thing is just of subpar quality. The only redeeming factor is McFarlane's Spider-Man, which--regardless of everything else--is always a striking and iconic image. It's incredible how damn cool he makes the character look, any impracticality of spewing that much webbing everywhere be damned.