Spider-Man 2

by Peter David

The amazing adventures of one of the greatest superheroes of all time
continue in Spider-Man 2.

Two years have passed, and Peter Parker struggles to cope with the demands of life as a college student, a Daily Bugle photographer, and a crime-fighting superhero. But it hasn’t gotten any easier. Condemned by the press, tormented by secrets he can never reveal, forced to give up the girl of his dreams—at times the lonely burden of Spider-Man seems almost too great to bear . . . and the temptation to give up grows stronger by the hour.

Enter the archfiend Doc Ock, armed with a lethal invention powerful enough to destroy half the city. If Spider-Man tries to stop Doc Ock, he’ll be placing the lives of those closest to him in mortal danger. If he doesn’t, it could be the end of the Big Apple. With millions of lives hanging in the balance, high about Manhattan’s glittering skyline, Spider-Man confronts his destiny, his fiercest enemy, and himself.

Genres: Fiction, Spider Man, Marvel, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Fantasy, Media Tie In

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

aka David Peters

Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novelization of the second Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie, not an original Peter Parker adventure, so the primary duty of David was to novelize the Alvin Sargent script (screen story by David Koepp, Alfred Gough, & Miles Milar), not to change or improve it. I thought he did both of those things pretty well, however, adding quite a bit of character depth, to Mary Jane and Doc Ock particularly, and Peter's interior thoughts as well, of course. David had been a comics writer for a very long time, so he knew and understood the characters and the Marvel universe intimately. The FF has clobberin' time and Beast has stars and garters, but the sexiest line in the MCU has got to be "Go get 'em, tiger!" It's not a brilliant piece of fine literature, but it's not supposed to be. It's kind of a shame that so many fewer people have listed this book as the first one, because it's a good, worthwhile read. He did his job very well and then added a lot of depth and detail that enhanced the film. Excelsior, true believers!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked reading all that Spiderman had been thinking.

[danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the bible

[Josh Fipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter David’s finest work. Runner up for the Pulitzer but was pushed out of the lineup by “Gilead” - Marilyn Robinson.

Some favorite bits of prose:

“Would you like a piece of Chocolate cake?”
“Ok”
“And a glass of milk?”
“That’d be nice”

“Rent!!”

“Kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride”

“Pizza time!”

Read in conjunction with Michael Chabon’s Original Spider Man 2 script, available here in PDF form: https://assets.scriptslug.com/live/pd...

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiderman 2 is definitely an exciting book. You probably watched the movie if you're reading this and know that the book differs from the movie, but only very little. Starting out, I didn't know what to think because I was reading something I never would've expected. This giant robot starts threatening Peter's college campus and Otto Octavius and Dr. Connors are there as well. This is right away in the book and although it was nice to read and see something different, I'm glad it's not in the movie. I guess that's why people read the book because it is different, otherwise it wouldn't be very good.
Anyhow, what is nice about seeing the movie and then reading this book is that I got to see the extra details and thoughts that went through the characters minds. The movie kind of lets you put the pieces together on your own, but reading this really gave me a better understanding of everything. Not that it was hard to get the movie, the book just explains it better.
I didn't like how some of the main scenes seemed shorter than they should be, but that's just my opinion. I do like the talking that goes on in Harry's head when his dead father appears to him telling him to "Avenge me!". Harry is very conflicted in this book.
In Peter's life, everything seems to be going wrong. He finds the faults of his life being caused by being Spiderman. He wants a normal life away from the hero life, and does just that. When Uncle Ben's famous words "with great power, comes great responsibility" come to Peter, he realizes that it is his duty to be a hero. This happens when the city of New York needs him most. Peter also realizes at the end that he and Mary Jane can never be because he is Spidey.
I would recommend this book to the person who loves action and fighting sequences. It's a classic story of a hero fighting on the inside as well as the outside. The book is as good as the movie.

[Darren Caillier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The propose of writing the book Spider-man 2 is to entertainment, the book is also a thriller. The theme of the book Spider-man 2 is to never give up on yourself; this is displayed more than once in the book. One time that this is displayed is when Dr. Ocktavious (before he became the villain) was holding an open house showing his new invention. Everyone is questioning the invention and doubting it will work properly, but Doc Ock (the villain) believes in himself and the invention works until a chip in the system breaks and take over his mind. The second time this happens is when Spider-man doesn't believe in himself and has to over come his mind, and gaining the mental part of taking on the part of a super hero. He soon realizes that the girl he loves need his help from Doc Ock. And the another time this is displayed is when Doc Ocks arms take control of him and he thinks what they want and Doc Ock tries to take back over his brain and destroy his mechanical arms and kills himself. The style of this book is a narration, the book is telling a story though a series of events that describes what happened, usually in chronological order. This is a good way to write the book because it is the easiest way to understand what is going on and to keep up with what the author is saying. My opinion is that the book Spider-man 2 is a good read because it keeps the reader thinking and involved in whats going on, it keeps the reader (me) going back to read more of the book.

[Brandt · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I was a kid, my parents made me read this book before watching the movie. This book was a drag to get through. This book scarred me and made me HATE all fiction writing. If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t go kill hitler, I would stop this book from being made. I can’t even watch the second movie, which many acclaim to be the best Spider-Man ever, because every time I do, I get PTSD of trudging through this god forsaken book. I wish I read more growing up, and even now. I hold this book responsible for my disdain when picking up any fiction work and immediately loathing my time and recalling this terrible book.
Maybe if I read more growing up, my grammar wouldn’t be so bad. If you get a chance, buy this book just to burn it. You may just save a readers drive to read fiction.
I set up an account solely to leave this review because no one deserves to have to read this terrible book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, "Spider-Man 2" by Peter David, is a sequel to the first Spider-Man I read, and I actually enjoyed it more than the first one. It continues the story of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) as he struggles to establish himself and as a hero. In this book, Spider-Man faces Doc Ock, a man with eight limbs, who threatens to destroy the city. Peter is tempted to give up because his burden seems to be just getting heavier and he feels like he has lost his true self. I liked this book because Peter comes to better understand his role in the world and who he is. He also solves internal and external problems that help ease the reader, but also solidify the book. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in reading another Marvel masterpiece!

[Jerry Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling

I loved the action and incredible deatail by far this is my favourite book. I hope the author makes more like it.

[Xavier Brito · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good

[Kissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never considered reading a novelization of a film before, figuring it would just be a word for word replication of the script of the film. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see this wasn't the case with this book. While many scenes were similar to their film counterparts, some were expanded further allowing readers to see into the minds of certain characters, which didn't always come through on film. This was a strong point in seeing the transition of Otto Octavius into the villainous persona Doctor Octopus and his interactions with his mechanical arms. Perhaps the only expansion to the story I felt was out of place was the battle encounter with Jack All; while it may be suitable on a comic book page, it just felt awkward in this version of Spider-Man. Overall, I was quite pleased with this novel and look forward to checking out others in the future.

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is goddamn fantastic. From banger dialogue like "he was deported yesterday" and "[Oscar Wilde] ...was the fruit, right?" to shameless Yankee fan slander, it's got everything. There's also a random one-off villain named Jack All who I can't seem to find anywhere else in any other spider man media, including the actual movie. Most amusing to me is that fact that despite the writing's simplistic style due to the book being for children, the writer occasionally tosses in a Big Complicated word with no explanation whatsoever. Except for rebar. They make sure to explain EXACTLY what REBAR is for the reader.

Ok but seriously, if you liked spider man 2, I definitely recommend this book. It gives insight into what the characters are thinking, adds detail to many scenes, and as mentioned before you'll get to learn what rebar is.

[Rami · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved about this novelization was how “adult” it was. From its advanced vocabulary to mature themes, it felt like a typical adult novel rather than a book made for children (as the original film, bring a superhero movie, undoubtedly was). What I especially enjoy about this novelization trilogy is the fact that it reveals not only the internal monologue of Peter Parker, but the thoughts and rationale of a plethora of side-characters no matter how “insignificant” they may seem to be. This puts a lot into context for what was not explicitly stated in the film, and it also adds many details/events that were seemingly cut from the movie. Overall a great companion to the greatest superhero film ever made!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

(AUDIO BOOK) Though this is the abridged version of the story, I didn’t miss anything. If anything it told the story of the movie with better pacing. It also added a few scenes. I’m not sure if they ultimately added to the story, but they were good. Matt Walton did a commendable job of doing all the voices. If you like Spidey and if you like the second Raimi movie, you’ll like this book.

[Emily Foreman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one as much as the first one.

[Roger Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd say it's good but not as good as the first one tho!

[Nicholas Bradsher · Rating 1 out of 5]

Peter's characterization and the Uncle Ben ghost really took me out of it.

[TheGeeksAttic]

Spider-Man 2 Novelization Discussion
https://youtu.be/t7irQaI0nB8

[Bernd Mayer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Besser als Teil 1, aber immer noch schlecht....🙈

[Spencer Allender]

I read and reviewed the official novelization following the film, Spider-Man 2. The book was written by Peter David and based on the motion picture. I think the author's purpose of writing this book was to entertain as well as change our point of view of how we pictured Peter Parker's life in the movie. Peter David uses a very unique style of writing and the words he uses just flow from page to page. For example, Peter David writes, "He braced himself, hoping that his next words wouldn't cause a torrent of tears or angry words." David really shows each character's emotions whether it's troubled or happy simply using his own words and thoughts. Peter David makes you feel like you're really watching Spider-Man fight crime and bring justice to New York City with your own eyes.

I think the theme of this book is simply be yourself and you can't try to be something you really aren't. Throughout the story, Peter is going through a tough time in his life and really doesn't know who he is anymore. His best friend Harry is still pessimistic about losing his father and although he knows Spider-Man was involved, he doesn't know who is behind the mask. Mary Jane is at her peak of her acting career and while Peter is fighting on the streets, working at a pizza shop, and going to school, she is doubtful their friendship will last after Peter missed her show multiple times. After fighting himself to be the best person he can be, he finally puts away the suit and sees almost instant relief.

The story was told in first person, from the perspective of each character. Peter David used an awesome group of words and phrases to describe each character fully just like the movie. I feel the story would of not been the same if the book was written a different way. I feel if the book was written in third person, the reader wouldn't of received as much feedback and the smaller details that went along with the story. The reader also wouldn't of felt the pressure on Peter throughout the story and the struggles that went along with his problems.

In my opinion, I feel this book should receive 5 out of 5 stars because it really makes me think about the story in a whole new way even after I've seen the movie. The author does a great job of bringing each character to life. This book really relates to me and my life because I'm growing into a younger adult and I'll face challenges and decisions I have to make on my own. I enjoy all of Peter David's works, and I respect and look up to him a lot.

[Nolan Shrum]

the authors purpose to write this book is to bring this great movie to people who may prefer books. or to people who cant hear and would get a better experience by reading it. he also added much more to the experience by adding extra details. its easier to get a scense of whats going on because you can take it more slow

i think the theme of this book is be proud of who you are and not try to be better than you can. so you be you. like peter has been not spending time with mary jane but when he stops being spidy for a wile he is much happier. and with doc oc he insists that he builds arms for him self but he ends up less happy

the way the story was written in first person through all the characters was very fun to read like playing a video game through more than one character at once. it brings more emotion through reading this way i think because you can connect to the characters much easier.

i would give this book 5 outa 5 because it gives a lot better than the movie i think. i would recommend this book to anyone who likes just about anything because theres a thing for just about everyone in this book especially if you like spiderman.

['Nathan Burgoine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, first off, I admit how big a geek I am for not being able to wait to see the movie. We clear on that? Good.

As far as sequels go, there are some good points that I hope translate well to the screen - the further descent of Harry Osborne into madness, the ongoing frustration of Peter's attempts to balance Spiderman with Peter Parker, and a few "failures" in his Spiderman powers (a bit of a nod toward what might be happening in movie number three, mayhap?). Also, advancing things two years after the previous movie was a good touch - a lot has happened in the meanwhile.

That all said - Doc Ock is a bit, well, odd. His tentacles are apparently sentient, and he's busy cooking up a small sun (er, rather, fusion device). Mary Jane has some pretty forced lines (though I imagine as on-screen, they might seem less so). The climax is sort of anti-climactic (and a bit been there, done that in relation to the first movie). Still, I cross fingers that over all it will be fun to watch.

[Takaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 18
70 minutes
7 words summary
lover, scientist, arm, mechanic, control, rampage, power,
Discussion Questions
1 If you have a chance to get special power which
can destroy everything. What would you do?
A I want to refuse that. Because that is awful and dangerous for me and others.
2 If someone call you to help them.What would you do?
A I want to help them.

I really like this story. I read "Spiderman " last week. So I want to read "Spiderman 3" next week.

[John Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the film and the book. There are some differences between them, which is good, e.g. we get some more character depth. In particular, we see John Jameson's reaction to being stood up at his wedding.

[Old Man Aries · Rating 3 out of 5]

In genere mi tengo ben lontano da libri tratti da sceneggiature. Se per�� l'autore del libro �� Peter David allora gli d�� una possibilit��. Un libro che solo un nerd pu�� amare. Infatti mi �� piaciuto :)

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this novelization more than the movie, and that says a lot because I do love this movie the most out of the trilogy. Not only does it continue the story following the first movie, but it also includes other key details within the dialogue. You get further details about Doc Oc.

[Paxton Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this back in 2005 originally. Just re-read.

This is a really good adaptation. It adds lots of context to scenes and a bunch of extra dialogue.

[Victor Orozco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. I liked how the book has it where Octavius hears voices from the mechanical arms AI showing how necessary the chip was. Many wonderful things that made for a great story. B+

[Draven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way better than the movie, but in a strange way. At the beginning with the robot was just weird. But overall it was a great book.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this as I missed the film and wanted to keep up to the date with the plot; turned out a lot more happened in this than the movie! A great read.