Spider-Man: Down These Mean Streets

Marvel Pocket Books Novels

by Keith R.A. DeCandido

As Triple X, a brand-new designer drug with devastating side effects, sweeps through the streets of New York, high school science teacher Peter Parker--and his alter ego Spider-Man--begins to suspect the drug may have originated with one of his most diabolical enemies, intent on destroying the arachnid superhero for all time. Original.

Genres: Spider Man, Marvel, Superheroes, Comics, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic Book

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fine Spiderman adventure. One way in which novels work well with the superhero genre is that they're not limited to so few words as are comics, and they aren't forced to be non-stop action as the films usually are. In this story not only do we see Spidey fighting villians, but we also see Peter Parker portrayed as a good guy in his own right, trying to deal with his job and marriage and such "mundane" concerns.

[Jeremiah Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends in The New York City Police Department!

I like this version of Spider-Man, this is the third novel I’ve read where he’s a teacher and married. I’m assuming this version exists in the comics because the authors reference the comics a lot—but I’d like to think of this being in its own prose-verse.

I had fun reading this and liked all the different aspects from the police procedural to the drama in MJ’s play rehearsals. I did get a little disappointed when supervillains appeared. But it’s a Spider-Man book. I recommend this one!

And also, the audiobook was great. I loved all the choices the narrator made.

[PMoslice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spider-Man: Down These Mean Streets was a gritty tale of substance abuse, gang violence, betrayal, heartbreak and love. There is a new drug flooding the streets that give users a high like no other. There are fights, shoot outs, high drama and the kind of love that is deeper then any other.
I good Marvel tale about the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really good. It's about a new drug hitting the streets called Triple X. It gives users super powers through gamma radiation but also gives them radiation poisoning. I really like how Spider-Man is portrayed in this. He ends up working with the police and they actually have to track down who is behind it all. The big bad behind it all doesn't even appear until the last 30 pages. It's all about Spider-Man and the police following leads. I also really like how DeCandido captures Spider-Man's hyper-acrobatic nature. He's always walking upside down on the ceiling or in an impossible pose. It's not something that usually gets mentioned in the novels and one of the things that makes him unique.

[Ryan Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read. More of a police story than a superhero story, and not much in the way of big action scenes, but still has some fun moments.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is strange to read a comic book transformed into the medium of novel. The media are different, obviously, but DeCandido seems not to have given adequate thought to the differences. A comic book is similar to a short story, yet it has more characters. When writing a novel, fully explaining the background becomes more important. At times, DeCandido did this, but he was also being very careful to not break any new ground. He could not put anything in his story that was not already well established in the comic book series. Therefore, his story changed the character very little.

On the other hand, the new medium demands some differences. The differences DeCandido went with were not well selected in my opinion. Chief among those were exploring Spider-man's relationship to the police. There is no real parallel to this in the comic book world. It doesn't feel right in the novel either.

It sounds like I may be bashing the author for not making departures from the comics series and then bashing him for the one he does make. My problem is not that he makes the departure from the series though, just with the inconsequentiality of the one he ends up selecting. I am less interested in exploring Spider-man's relationship with the police than I am in exploring the nature of drug addiction and what a super-hero can really do about it in either identity.

Not only that, but the ending of the novel didn't work for me. No big fight or use of super-powers. Just a super-villain surrendering too easily because the page count was getting up there and so the novel needed to be wrapped up.

Despite the novel's flaws, I am giving it 3 stars because DeCandido has obvious writing talent, manages to portray the regular characters cast in a way that is consistent with the comic book and makes me care about the new characters he introduces, and does make some brave decisions in the book, such as to deal with gangs and drugs at all.

[Jeff Wait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but far from the quality I was looking for. Didn’t add anything to the Spider-Man experience, which is what I look for when comic book characters are explored in prose. There’s gangs in this one and surprise surprise, they talk like TV gangsters from the hood. That part really stunk. And I think this story would’ve been better in first person. The third person made it feel too detached. Perhaps Butcher set the bar too high for Spider-Man novels… This one is entirely missable, even for Spidey fans.

[Connor Stompanato · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Down These Mean Streets' was a fun story that started off very street-level with Spiderman mostly handling drug dealers, but becoming more and more superpowered as the book progressed. I enjoyed seeing the character have to deal with average, normal citizens and his cooperation with the police was really interesting to me as I haven't seen much of that in any of the Spiderman movies.

I did like DeCandido's writing for the most part but his characterisation is Mary-Jane just did not sit right with me. I've never read the comics so this might be more accurate to her portrayal there, but she just annoyed me in this story. Her banter with Peter felt petty, teasing him for stupid things, and he made her use the nickname 'Tiger' for Peter in almost every sentence. Once or twice is cute, but after a while it just became cringe to me.

This was an enjoyable read overall, and I think I did enjoy it more than 'The Darkest Hours' due to it involving everyday citizens and the police. Hopefully I see more Spiderman stories with these elements involved in the future.

[Lori S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Parker and Spider-Man race against time, and, unfortunately, this reader's patience, to stop a drug called Triple Ex(?) (a super charged version of the drug ecstasy) which turns people into green monsters. With each hit they take, the users risk radiation sickness and heart attacks.

Much as I liked the story, the villain of the piece was broadcast a little too early in the story, at least to the reader, yet it took Spider-Man a long time find the person responsible. People died, badly, in this story, so there were consequences for the drug use as well as a street war between gangs.

On the other hand, we get to see a rare instance of cooperation between Spidy and the police.

3.5 stars

[Ronnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this entirely on audio which isn't always conductive for me reviewing properly.

This book was fine. Generally entertaining, though the prose was nothing special and it seemed a little messy overall -- everything eventually tied up together, but not neatly and getting there was disjointed.

I've read better books based on comics (better books based on Spider-Man, even), but I've also read worse ones, and this overall did what it was supposed to: I was entertained.

[Dor. · Rating 2 out of 5]

When reading this comic, the atmosphere I was surrounded in was classic Spider-Man adventures swirled with a PG-13 season of The Wire if they moved to New York. The story/concept was great, but the execution went on a tedious hiatus after a few chapters; I read with as much enthusiasm as I could, but it just couldn't peek my attention--I got surprisingly bored.

[Donnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this novel a long time ago and I remember pushing through it to just to say I was done. Aside from a ~*coolio*~ scene or two, there wasn’t much to it. Another uninspired superhero romp in the age of uninspired superhero romps.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had the option to give this book 3.5 stars. It was pretty good, but it needed a little more in parts of the plot and less in other places. Overall, I’m glad I finally read it after having it all these years.

[Eddie Possehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun read. I love how much more of a detective thriller this was compared to other Spidey stories. I felt like there could have been a bit more and that the villain was a bit half-baked, but I enjoyed the read regardless. Teacher Peter for life!!

[Derrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different. It kept me engaged for sure as I was curious. Spider-Man did not have his normal comedy words though or beating up on himself. Seemed off for sure.

[Steve Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little read about everyone's favorite web slinger.

[Gerd]

Richtet sich an ein jüngeres Lesepublikum ist aber meist unterhaltsam geschrieben, nur das der Autor praktisch jeden Charakter willkürliche Betonungen einstreuen lässt nervt auf die Dauer sehr.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a lifelong Spider-Man fan, but this book just didn’t do it for me. This may be partially because of the audiobook narrator they chose — Tara Sands’s voice grates on me — but the book seemed strangely superficial. If I find a physical copy somewhere I might change my review, but for now this is only two stars … I added one because it’s a rating for the book and not for the audiobook readers voice.

I had to stop reading after several starts-and-stops.

[BookMarc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps it's just the shadowing but when I picked up my copy of 'Spider-Man: Down These Mean Streets' at the local bookstore I began to wonder whether Spidey had taken to carrying a weapon...albeit in his pants? Perhaps he was just overly pleased to be on the cover? I just don't know. What I do know, disturbing Spider-crotch aside, is that I thought it was a great piece of artwork and better portrayed the prose novel appeal to a more mature audience. Compare it, for instance, to Jim Butcher's 'Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours'which suffers from looking like a comic page drawn for kids but is actually another Spider-Man prose novel aimed at an older demographic. With such a cool cover and the story being penned by Keith R.A. DeCandido, known as Krad to his fans, I was eager to begin reading.
Unlike most Spider-Man novels where he has a set villain to thwart Krad takes this novel into the realms of mystery by not revealing who the bad guy is. What we have instead is a new, designer drug named 'Triple X' (no, the side effect isn't that it makes one as dumb sounding as Vin Diesel) which is a combination of ecstasy and gamma radiation (yep, the stuff that turned Bruce Banner into The Hulk) and turns people into rampaging monsters. Spider-Man, mostly in the form of Peter Parker, sets about trying to solve who is behind the manufacturing of this drug, while working with the police to contain the outbreak, and it's only in the final few chapters that we find out the Spider-Man villain responsible. Although I enjoyed this approach the final battle between Spider-Man and the main villain is all too short and felt more rushed than any ending to a novel I can recall reading.
It should be noted that Peter Parker no longer works for the Daily Bugle in this book but is a high school science teacher and, as such, some of the story plays out like an offshoot of the movie 'Dangerous Minds'. This isn't actually a bad thing as it grounds the story and adds a touch more realism to the proceedings and should make it more appealing to those who aren't huge superhero fans.
So, all in all, what we have is a crime story mixed with teenage rebellion and angst, sprinkled with a healthy dose of mystery and topped off with some superhero frosting...quite the recipe. It's also one that DeCandido almost cooks to perfection but the story ends up a tad underdone due to a rushed Spider-Man/villain climax. And, let me tell you, if there's one thing I don't like in life it's a rushed climax! Ooer!!

[Jodi Ralston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, though it had some proofing/formatting issues. For example, missing words, stretched letters, a few awkward sentences an editor should have caught. These errors distracted occasionally from the story, but for the most part I was immersed in this tale of Spider-Man/Peter Parker.

The plot synopsis is what attracted me originally: designer-drugs that briefly turn people into superheroes or supervillians, but usually at great cost once they come off them. For most of this novel, this drew me in, but it didn't quite add up to a good climax. We readers never really knew the real game plan behind the supervillian, and there wasn't too much of a fight between Spidey and him. This feels either like the novel was supposed to be longer or the author wanted to mostly keep it with small "bosses" and use the police more. I wish he would have just chosen one or the other.

Minor issues. The writing style also drew me in. Peter/Spidey has a bit of snark about him and geek, and I got this from this novel, in his interaction with his students. Except for a few awkward phrases I mentioned above, it read well.

Another minor craft thing. POV. Though this was a Spider-Man/Peter Parker focused story, which is what it should be, the use of different POVs was interesting. I liked seeing Spidey through others' eyes, especially the police's eyes. MJ's role also felt relevant to the story. So that all worked.

Overall, despite the ending and poor proofing, the story was well written, well-researched, and engaging. I'd read not only more Spidey tales by this author but other speculative fiction works as well.

[V. Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was weirdly moving and thoughtful for being a Spider-Man novel about gamma-irradiated ecstasy. I liked this alt Peter who's a high school science teacher; it fits him better than Parker Industries canon does. I also really liked Mary Jane in this. Doc Ock was a goofy plot device, but when is he not?

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spider-Man: Down These Mean Streets is decidedly different from previous web-slinger novels in multiple ways. Not only does the plot involve drug use by minors, but the profanity count is much higher than in the movies or other books. For that latter reason, I must give this book a lower score. Older Spidey fans will find plenty to enjoy about Down These Mean Streets, but young teens and children should definitely stay away.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a gang in New York City, giving out drugs laced with gamma rays to teenagers. After they take it, they get super powers with a time limit on it. When it reaches the limit, the kid would crash and his/her body would start to malfunction. It's up to Spiderman to stop the distribution of the harmful drugs and find who's behind it.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My introduction to Spiderman was also Electric Company, with only a few scattered ventures into the comic books. I got a much better sense of the main characters in the novelization. The plot moved well and wrapped things up nicely in the end.

[Drew Perron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that tries hard to faithfully show the lived experience of the people affected by the drug trade, but doesn't always quite hit it. As well, the plot kind of trails off in preparation for a sequel. Still, the attempt is appreciated.

[Major · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good and exciting read. Peter is faced with a extremely dangerous threat in this book, so big that he needs the help of both his enemy the Rhino and his friend Black Cat to deal it. Featuring a nice first person narrative from the web slinger and some very nice touching moments.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, simply awesome. So awesome, in fact, that it makes Ghost Rider look like Aunt May.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always a welcome novelization to the inner-workings of the Spider-man psyche. This book isn't spectacular, but it never leaves the reader feeling like the story drags its feet.

[Nathan Barnett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too great. I feel like nothing really even happened. He fought the villian like 1.5 times finally in the last like 75 pages..

[Aaron Dettmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

You average super-hero book. I wish they would've either left Spiderman's rival out all together, or made him more central to the story line. Felt kind of shoved in at the end.