Peter Parker gets the “Year One” treatment in ‘Learning to Crawl,’ a Point One emblazoned miniseries that both pays homage to and expands upon the hero’s earliest days as a webslinger.
Written by Dan Slott
Illustrated by Ramón PerezYEAR ONE: LEARNING TO CRAWL!
• He sought revenge… and found responsibility. From that night on, a new life began.
• Join Peter Parker as he takes his first steps towards finding his way in the world as Spider-Man.
• The chapter you never knew about the story you know by heart.
• Dan Slott (SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH) and Ramón Perez (the Eisner winning TALE OF SAND & WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN) bring you a new & reverent spin on the first 60 days of Spider-Man.
It makes sense that Marvel would return to Spidey’s origins at the particular moment. With “Superior Spider-Man” concluded and “Amazing Spider-Man” returning in its place, many new fans brought in by the former may be less familiar with Parker. Likewise, there’s a new Spider-Man film in theaters, which always seems to warrant some sort of accessible retrospective.
However, much like the re-imagining of Batman’s early days in ‘Zero Year,’ ‘Learning to Crawl’ is far more than a simple retelling of a story we’ve all read or seen dozens of times over. Dan Slott wisely skips over the more well-trodden plot points, i.e. the radioactive spider and murder of Uncle Ben, picking up in the aftermath of these events. This makes for a Spider-Man story that focuses on a unique point in Peter’s life; the point after he accepts his “great responsibility,” but before he becomes the hero renowned the world over.
Joining the reigning Spidey-scribe Dan Slott is artist extraordinaire Ramón Perez. Perez’s work here hearkens back to Steve Ditko’s earliest work on the character, while mixing in modern design sensibilities, making for a final product that feels delightfully timeless. Colorist Ian Herring contributes to this classic feel, with a somewhat muted colors highlighted by vibrant yellow and oranges. This art team also has a knack for capturing the lithe mobility of Spider-Man, from web-slinging contortions to nimbly gripping a wall with a couple fingers and toes.
Here we see a far different Peter Parker than the one Slott and Ramos are working with in “Amazing Spider-Man” proper. This bespectacled and sweater-vested teen struggles with anger, resentment and pride. Though his intentions are good, he isn’t the most likable of characters at this point in his career. This is seen most prominently in his career as a stage performer, where he will do most anything (within reason of course, he’s still the good guy) for a payday.
As you would expect from an origin tale, there are plenty of winks and nods to the character’s history as well as for things yet to come. For instance, Quenin Beck, a.k.a. Mysterio, makes a quick cameo as the special effects coordinator for the studio at which Peter performs. We also see a younger J. Jonah Jameson, whose hatred of costumed heroes is just beginning to burn.
‘Learning to Crawl’ doesn’t rely solely on recognizable names and faces. Clayton Cole, a new character who has some similarities to Peter, debuts as the costumed character Clash. Cole isn’t the first character to develop and obsession with Spider-Man, and like those before him, it doesn’t look like things will turn out well. Perez’s design of the Clash costume blends key elements of the iconic Spider-Man costume, but adds a unique flair for a character who will hopefully become a worthy foil for our hero.
Offering a unique point of view and character dynamics, ‘Learning to Crawl’ is a rather enjoyable return to Spider-Man’s early days. The issue concedes that most of us know the story of Spider-Man, but teases us a tag-line; “But you don’t know the whole story…”. Admittedly there’s nothing particularly noteworthy or revelatory about the story’s first segment, and one has to wonder just what untold secrets could lay in wait. The more cynical fan may feel their ret-con sense tingling, especially with “Original Sin” rocking the Marvel universe. However, Slott has proven his reverence for the character’s history time and again. ‘Learning to Crawl’ is just the beginning of his latest contribution to that growing story.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
