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Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt #1-5

Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt

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The origin story of one of Spider-Man's most tenacious foes, Kraven the Hunter, is finally told, written by the visionary J.M DeMatteis that brought the world Kraven's Last Hunt!

In "Kraven's Last Hunt," writer J.M. DeMatteis delivered the definitive tale of one of Spider-Man's deadliest foes. Now the acclaimed writer returns to uncover the origins of Kraven the Hunter! Revealing secrets and answering mysteries Spidey fans have been waiting for, this is the story of what made Kraven the man he is -- in a tale set just after SPIDER-MAN: THE FINAL ADVENTURE, when Peter Parker was powerless! As Peter and Mary Jane prepare for their new civilian lives in Portland, a figure from Kraven's past stalks them. Who is this mystery man, and what does he want with Spider-Man?

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2023

6 people are currently reading
46 people want to read

About the author

J.M. DeMatteis

1,912 books233 followers
Also Credited As:
DeMatteis, John Marc
Ellis, Michael
Lombego, Wally

Bio:
J.M. DeMatteis was a professional musician/singer and rock music journalist before entering comics in the late 70's.

Credits include Spider-Man, Moonshadow, Brooklyn Dreams, Justice League, Abadazad, Hero Squared, the Life and Times of Savior 28.

Created I, Vampire , Creature Commandos, Moonshadow, Hero Squared (co-creator), Abadazad, Stardust Kid, Savior 28 and more.

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5 stars
18 (11%)
4 stars
43 (28%)
3 stars
68 (45%)
2 stars
19 (12%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Ray.
Author 19 books433 followers
March 7, 2024
Nostalgic Spider-Man story taking place in the 90s, MJ is there and you do have to know a little about the Clone Saga but honestly it's much easier to follow than today's Spidey stories.

Written by J.M. DeMatteis, author of the original classic Kraven's Last Hunt. He does get dark, and at the same time he's always know how to write Peter Parker well.

Good for Marvel publishing mini-series like this that aren't part of current continuity, giving a chance for more kinds of stories by talented creators.
Profile Image for Khurram.
2,382 reviews6,689 followers
August 20, 2023
This is not quite the book I was expecting. However, it was a lot better than the mainstream Spider-man books. Anyone who thinks Spider-man/Peter Parker is not married or that MJ is not a great supporting character needs to read this book.

The book takes place during the Clone Saga when a de-powered Peter and MJ have moved to Portland. Peter is having a difficult time coming to terms with his powerless state. His body and instinct are craving excitement and adrenaline. Then, darker emotions are starting to set in. Is Peter just having a tough time adjusting, or is someone else to blame. A dark legecy is coming for the Parkers us their family strong enough to withstand it?

The things I really liked about this book are the support and family unit of Peter and MJ. They never give up and fight for what he believes in (his family) and do the right thing, which has always been the hallmark of the character. The part I did not like was I would have prefered Peter to have his powers. I know in the time period of the story, this was not possible, but it was a bit of a letdown for me. Also, when did the villan gain Professor X style mental abilities, and why do they have to throw in Peter saying he loses more than wins? That is not true in the era I used to read Spider-man. Aside from that, it's a good book. The book finishes with a thumbnail variant cover gallery.
Profile Image for Adam Fisher.
3,613 reviews23 followers
September 13, 2023
This was fantastic! Really fast paced and well written especially in the balance between action and emotional turmoil. Peter has lost his powers and settled into a new life with Mary Jane and a baby on the way. He is still living with the guilt of all his choices as Spider-Man, and the son of Kraven is hunting him. Add in a Spider Totem, deep psychological trauma/therapy, and a Wakandan Priestess, and you have a story that will stick with you.
Not going to say more here. Seriously, just go read it.
Strong Recommend.
Profile Image for Chris Lemmerman.
Author 7 books124 followers
June 13, 2023
The flipside to last year's Ben Reilly mini-series, The Lost Hunt follows what Peter and MJ were doing in Portland while Ben Reilly was the one and only Spider-Man. It's also a neat bit of a continuity for the Grim Hunter, bridging the gap between his appearances here and in other books.

It does however get a little bogged down with the Grim Hunter over Peter and Mary Jane. There's a lot of focus on Gregor and his mother, to the point that issues 3 and 4 are mostly about them to the detriment of the momentum of the story. It's nice to get these bits of background, but I hardly think they were overly important to the story DeMatteis was trying to tell.

It's also hard to see Peter constantly on the back foot. He spends a lot of this series either hallucinating or acting super mean because of the mental drain on him. I know this period of his life was hard on him since he didn't have his Spider-Powers, but he almost feels like a supporting character in his own book.

On art, for the most part, is Eder Messias, who has a quite distinctive style. Unfortunately, from issue 2 onwards, Messias ends up needing assistance from the likes of Brent Peeples, Kyle Hotz (!), Travel Foreman, and Marguerite Sauvage. DeMatteis does use this to his advantage by giving the guest artists dream sequences and flashbacks to draw, but it's still annoying to have this many artists on a five issue mini-series.

Lost Hunt's not quite as successful as the Ben Reilly mini-series, but it does remind us why J.M. DeMatteis is one of the go-to Spider-Man writers even after all these years despite a few issues and some inconsistent art.
Profile Image for Subham.
3,078 reviews103 followers
March 23, 2023
This is probably one of my favorite Spider-man stories ever!

So we focus on Peter and MJ and like when they are in Portland away from Ben's clone saga and we see the return of Gregor and how he is haunting Peter and like his motivations and all for doing it, how its tearing Peter apart and focus on MJ as she is pregnant and how can she help her beloved, meanwhile another character "Aja Orisha" is here and who she is and how it all comes together for one of the best story arcs ever.

Its just 5 issues but even in that the writer JMD has shown how well he can handle Peter and his worls and showing this old/new foe and a true sequel to Kraven's last hunt as its a friend avenging his former friend and my god what an excellent origin and motivation and breaking Peter so much and such a great use of Orisha and Wakandan lore here which makes for such a great story and an arc for Peter, and its one of the classics easily.

The writer fleshes out GREGOR and Orisha and Peter and MJ and all and give each of them and showing why Pete/MJ is one of the greatest couple ever because together they can defeat anything and thats awesome and so rare to read about these days!

I love the use of flashbacks and multiple artists doing different panels as it gives a feel of different POV's and elevates the tension and all.

Just amazing stuff and one of my favorite things I have read this year!!
Profile Image for Rana Anant.
1 review
July 11, 2023
Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt is a five-issue miniseries that is a spiritual sequel to Kraven's Last Hunt, one of the most acclaimed Spider-Man stories ever told. The story follows Peter Parker as he travels to Africa to investigate the death of Kraven's son, Gregor. Along the way, he encounters Orisha, a mysterious woman who claims to be able to help him find Gregor's killer.

The Lost Hunt is a dark and atmospheric story that explores Peter's inner turmoil. He is struggling to come to terms with the death of Kraven, and he is also haunted by his own past mistakes. The story also features some truly disturbing imagery, as Peter is forced to confront his own fears and demons.

The art in The Lost Hunt is stunning. Messias and Brabo do a great job of capturing the dark and foreboding atmosphere of the story. The characters are well-drawn, and the action sequences are exciting.

DeMatteis's writing is top-notch. He does a great job of developing the characters and creating a sense of suspense. The story is well-paced, and the ending is both satisfying and thought-provoking.

Overall, Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt is a well-crafted and thought-provoking story. It is a must-read for any fan of Spider-Man or J.M. DeMatteis.
Profile Image for Jason Tanner.
479 reviews
March 19, 2024
Welp. This one straight up transported me thirty years backwards in time. This reads exactly like a J.M. DeMatteis book from the Clone Saga. It's uncanny how perfectly he recreated everyone's voices.

As for the story itself, it goes back to the Kraven's Last Hunt well once again, but it does it in a way that respects and expands the mythos. We learn who Gregor is (Those of us who remember the Grim Hunter's last days anyway. Everyone else is like "who?" The Lost Hunt leans hard into the mystical and psychological aspects that empowered Kraven: where he learned those techniques, and how he corrupted them, along with the boy who would become his surrogate son. I'll leave it to the book to explain.

This is a flashback to a bygone era of Spider-History, where Ben Reilly was Spider-Man and Peter was powerless and living in Portland with his very pregnant wife Mary Jane. (And I'm so glad that we got married Peter in continuity. It would have butchered the tale to try and plug the disgusting Mephisto retcon into this particular timeline. I can't believe Marvel let it fly, but I'm glad it did.)

So, yeah. This was J.M DeMatteis at his most J.M. DeMatteis. I'd give it a soft 4, but bringing back the Spider-Marriage, even for a retro tale, gives it some bonus points.
230 reviews2 followers
October 18, 2023
Kraven't Last Hunt is one of the best, and one of my favourite Spider-man stories ever, and this one looked like it was going to be more of the same...but not so much. I haven't been consistently reading Spider-man, and here he not only has no powers, but MJ is pregnant? So I felt lost immediately, and I didn't love the villain. Yes, his story was told and how he ties to Kraven, but it just didn't grab me or feel reasonable(his hatred of Peter). It made more sense near the end, but overall I just didn't love it. The art was very good throughout however.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Simone.
520 reviews31 followers
January 23, 2024
Qualche spunticino interessante, c'è. Come anche qualche prova artistica degna (sarà un mio feticcio, lo ammetto, ma quando ci sono scene oniriche e/o di flashback e si utilizza appositamente un altro disegnatore, io impazzisco: questo dà veramente l'impressione di qualcosa che succede altrove e in altri momenti). Tuttavia, mi chiedo: che bisogno c'è di scomodare ancora, nel 2024, la Caccia di Kraven? Come diceva un poeta: emmohbbastaveramenteperò
165 reviews
July 2, 2023
J.M. DeMatteis has written some of the absolute best Spider-Man stories ever, and this one did not disappoint. Set during the Clone Saga years, this book tells a follow-up story to Kraven's Last Hunt (a masterpiece). If you haven't read them, check out Last Hunt, Soul of the Hunter, and then this one!
Profile Image for Malcolm Cox.
Author 1 book4 followers
December 19, 2024
In this Spider-Man tale, Peter Parker has lost his abilities and is trying (and failing) to adjust to life as a normal human and expectant father. Of course, he's going to be under attack from some guy with a grudge. This was largely incoherent and a bit of a mess. The plot took too long to do what it did. It was well drawn though.
Profile Image for Jessica Willis.
457 reviews
March 15, 2025
Might be on me bc I've not read much Spider-man, but I was confused by the set up and why Peter didn't have powers? I was hoping this would be reminiscent of Kraven's Last Hunt but no dice. Never got invested in this villain and the overall story was ok. Liked the art tho!
Profile Image for John.
Author 35 books41 followers
July 2, 2023
A few great moments, but mostly in the weeds.
141 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2024
Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt

I was surprised at how well The Lost Hunt ties into Kraven’s Last Hunt.

The art was good and consistent. The story was decent.
Profile Image for Brett.
254 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2024
JM DeMatteis wrote a classic Spider-Man tale in Kraven’s Last Hunt and periodically he’s returned to add layers to it. The latest adds a lot of layers and never diminishes the original.
25 reviews
September 24, 2024
Feel like in this universe peter is a dad now. What happened to his child? 👋 😅 This story was depressing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ross.
1,549 reviews
August 17, 2023
Marvel has been reeeeeeeally big on letting writers of classic content go back and revisit the characters they wrote in the era they were writing them in.

Exhibit A? Spider-Man: The Lost Hunt is pretty much a continuation from Kraven's Last Hunt (and more Spider-Man from that era) We have a depowered Peter and a very pregnant MJ trying to adjust to life in Portland (can you imagine how boring Portland would be after superhero NY?)

Themes of grief, love, acceptance, all get touched on. Pretty good work. Makes me want to go back and revisit DeMatteis' other work
----
Bonus: We get almost a complete backstory of Kraven (who knows if it'll be ignored)
Profile Image for James.
4,349 reviews
August 21, 2023
Even without his powers Peter can't escape the challenge of villains coming to kill him. A hero is always a hero. Very high stakes in this game even though death seems to hold little sting.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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