Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 has been my most anticipated Secret Wars tie-in comics. I always loved the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. And now that we are not only getting that relationship back but also how Peter and MJ act as parents my excitement has only been heightened. Will Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 live up to expectations? Find out in our review below.
Creative Team
Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Adam Kubert
Inker: John Dell
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
Review
Unlike other Secret Wars tie-in comics Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 spends its time building out the world that the remainder of this mini-series will take place in. By taking this approach Dan Slott is able to reacquaint us with a married Peter and Mary Jane. It’s through that key relationship and the introduction of their child that Slott is able to create an instant connection to the decisions that are made by everyone in this comic.
When it comes to knowledge of Spider-Man’s history Dan Slott has proven that there is probably no one better than himself. He takes that knowledge to revisit two controversial decisions that have been made in Spider-Man’s history: 1) Peter’s marriage to Mary Jane being wiped out during One More Day and; 2) Peter and Mary Jane’s lost child during Clone Saga. Taking these plot points from two different storylines gives us a chance to finally see how Peter would juggle married and parent life with his eternal professional struggles.
It’s that struggle of balance that Slott shines in as he shows us that Peter’s life as Spider-Man is not only taking its toll on his life but also Mary Jane. Though it would be ease to see this being something that cause great strife in their relationship I was glad that Slott didn’t go with this old tradition. Even though they have their disagreements Slott has Peter and MJ deal with their problems in an adult manner. There is no tease of some sort of break-up or ultimatum being made by one of the two. It’s a refreshing thing that made the personal story stand out even more.
The one thing I didn’t like about the Peter Parker segment was the fact that he was back to being a down on his luck photographer. It’s one of those old roles that we have seen Peter countless times that we didn’t have to get once again. Slott has done a good job exploring Peter’s science career that I was hoping that would’ve continued in some way in this series. With how the story ended I’m hoping that is something that is at least touched upon.
While the main focal point of Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 is on Peter’s marriage and life as a parent Slott never forgets that this mini-series is part of the greater Secret Wars storyline. By dedicating this first issue to paint a picture as to why Peter Parker is the last remaining hero on this part of Battleworld. Seeing Spider-Man take part in the final Avengers meeting gave us a good idea of what’s been going since Battleworld started. Having Spider-Man be pulled away to help his family was well executed as Slott already gave us a clear understanding that family is the most important thing to Peter.
The dual battles that we were shown gave us a good idea at what the stakes are going to be during the course of this series. Getting to see how the Avengers were taken out upped the threat level that Regent possesses as the ruler of this part of Battleworld. At the same time, the battle between Spider-Man and Venom also showed us that Spider-Man is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his family. It’s a side of Spider-Man we aren’t used to seeing but did not seem out of character thanks to the how Slott developed Peter earlier in this issue.
That dichotomy will be interesting to see play out since the final page showed us a Peter that has been retired for some time. How that retirement will affect the decisions Peter makes going forward, especially after seeing how far he will go during the Venom battle, will be very interesting to see.
Seeing Adam Kubert come back to draw Spider-Man once again was a welcome sight. With Slott taking a lot of time to develop the world around Peter it is Kubert’s art that makes you care even more about what is going on. The way Kubert draws the reactions on Peter and MJ’s faces during their opening parent talk gets across they’ve settled in on married life. Kubert’s art for the action sequence are just as strong with Spider-Man’s decision on how to finish off Venom given more weight with how it is drawn and colored.
Overall: Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #1 is one of the best Secret Wars tie-ins that is currently out. Dan Slott and Adam Kubert did a phenomenal job developing the status of Peter and MJ’s marriage while also showing us why Spider-Man is the last hero on this part of Battleworld. That status quo gave greater importance on how we saw Peter Parker in the final page of this issue. How Slott and Kubert will develop the conflict in this series moving forward will be interesting to see play out. If you are a Spider-Man fan this is one comic you must definitely go out and buy.