Spider-Man

Rating:
Summary: Peter David RULES!
Review: For comic book nerds like me (or for literate Trekkies) then the name Peter David puts an instant smile on your face. I've only read one Peter David Star Trek novel, but it was the most entertaining Star Trek story I had ever read. His run on the Incredible Hulk was the best ever written. But I digress.

Die hards who even have interest in this novel already know the story behind Spider-man. So are there any real spoilers? Not really. We all know about his relationship with Uncle Ben and Aunt (ug) May. We all know about his pining for Mary Jane Watson (sorry, no Gwen Stacy this time around). We all know about Norman Osbourne and son Harry and their developement into Green Goblins.

What might not be translated on screen is the motivations and the incredibly well-written and fleshed out thoughts provided by the clever Mr. Peter David in this novel. I found myself once again thoroughly entertained by this man's writing style. Unless Sam Raimi is a genius (okay, so he's close) he won't be able to fully communicate the "radioactive" spider's motivation behind wanting to bite Peter as Mr. David does so well in the novel. Peter David knows comics and Spider-man so well that this movie will most definitely be more entertaining after reading the novel.

After reading this novel, I believe that you'll feel like a well-educated art lover who will get to go to the Louvre for his first time this May. You'll know the ins and outs and thoughts behind scenes...but seeing the real thing will be just that, "the real thing".

There's nothing to spoil essentially although there are a few "surprises". But one real surprise I believe will be seeing if the acting abilities of Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, and company can portray these characters faithfully as I've made them out to be in my head over all these years. Sam Raimi's action sequences will be the true star and the films greatest surprise.

Fear not, reading this novel before seeing the movie should not spoil more than you will gain. It's a great read and it'll just get you prepared for appreciating this movie as it should be viewed. I bought the book today and finished it tonight, and darn it all, I wish that opening day were tomorrow.

Rating:
Summary: Spider-man a review by Ammon Rueckert
Review: I thought the auther put in really good details. I loved the way the auther, Peter David made it interesting so it felt like you were watching the movie. I mean he puts in lots of fasinating details. It's almost better then the movie. I say that because the movie just has the feeling like..... uhhh I don't know how to explain it. But then again the book makes it so you can kind of makeup your own thoughts of what the scenery looks like and the way they are talk and what the people look like. So I would give the auther 5 stars total and the book 5 stars total.

Rating:
Summary: SPIDER-MAN FANS MUST READ!!!
Review: I've been reading the newspaper comics of Spider-Man for a fews years (I've read somewhere that Stan Lee, Spider-Man creator still writes the newspaper comic). I went and saw the movie and loved it. For a movie like this, there's usually a novelization of it. I found Patrick David's novel and bought it without hestitation. I highly recommend it...even if you've already seen the movie, and even if you haven't seen the movie. I found the explanations helpful to fill in some blanks in the movie, but the book doesn't take away from the movie, nor does the movie take away from enjoying the book. The book is an extra something that a Spider-Man Fan/Spider-Man Movie Fan MUST have. So go ahead and buy it. It's worth it!

Rating:
Summary: Web-Slingin' Wonderful!
Review: If the movie's even half as good as the novelization - and with Sam Raimi directing, it oughta be terrific - we're in for a treat. And even if it isn't, it won't diminish this wonderfully written Spider-Man novel. Spidey's never really had a good incarnation outside of Marvel Comics - until now.

Purists may cry foul at the few changes made to the original character(s), but those changes only help to tell a more epic story in a more reasonable amount of time. Without stating any spoilers, the story of Spider-Man presented here covers the origins of Peter Parker's transformation into the friendly neighborhood webslinger, that of his arch-nemesis the Green Goblin, and of course his romance with Mary Jane.

Structurally, it resembles the dramatization of the first Batman movie, though stylistically it has a great deal more humor. Comic book fans will be delighted by the numerous in-joke references to other superhero characters, as well as phrases and lesser villains from Stan Lee, and the astute reader may catch some subtly placed jokes referring to the actors playing the roles in the movie.

But the most pleasant surprise about this version of Spider-Man is its maturity level. The character as originally written always suffered somewhat from too juvenile a mindset, which this Spider-Man does not. Peter Parker is a credibly modern young man of post-high school/pre-college age. Mary Jane, similarly, is a more realistically fleshed-out character, with recognizably real home problems and issues. The Green Goblin is not a mere sneering carnival spook-house caricature, but an inwardly tormented and unwisely desperate man who sets the wheels of his own destruction in motion. The very questions of heroism and villainy are dealt with not as clear-cut issues of black and white, but more as psychologically complex developments occurring largely by accident and partly by design, stemming from innate character strengths or flaws inherent in the individual. Responsibility for one's own actions, all random accidents of life notwithstanding, is at the story's core.

Even readers completely unfamiliar with Spider-Man will enjoy this book. I'm only sorry it's over. Hey - maybe they'll write some more! (Hint, hint.)

Rating:
Summary: "Probably the best book I've read yet...!"
Review: It takes a while for all the action!!!!! It's starts out wiht peter as a boy and he goes to live whith aunt May and Uncle Ben!!!!! I'm not actually done with it but it is awsome so far!!!! Defently one of the best Spider-Man Books ever!!!!

Rating:
Summary: The movie is better then the book.
Review: Personally, I think that many important issues were left behind during the making of Spider-Man the movie. Being direct, the personalities of the characters are a little lost. In the film the scenes go on to fast from the "puny" Parker getting on the buss until the appearance of Spiderman.
In this novelization, you can find that every character is utterly expressive. You will find another beginning. Peter writes a reflexive diary. A better detailed accident. There are conversations that never took place in the movie. Peter's agony after uncle Ben's lost and the utterances that make him decide to do something else with his great power. All these things could have been achieved in the film to get more excitement, but they weren't. In the other hand, this book perfectly gets the real essence of Spider-Man: Peter Parker. Going through Parker's life and understanding his well detailed thoughts, you will definitely enjoy more the wall crawler adventures.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST MOVIE-TIE IN!
Review: THE BEST MOVIE-TIE IN! Peter David captures all the great moments of the movie! READ THIS BOOK! They say the book is better than the movie, well, they are about the same because they are both GREAT!

Rating:
Summary: Ho-hum.....
Review: This book bears the distinct aroma of the rush to publication. It basically is a revision of the original script with very few added trappings. Very few.

I particularly disagreed with the way the author characterized Norman Osborn/the Green Goblin - he seemed way out of character to me here. His transformation into the Goblin via the lab-experiment-gone-wrong was just light-years off the mark. The Goblin's going to emerge from the vapor-chamber and caper about waving his hands over his head and hooting like a great ape on the rampage? Not the Norman Osborn I'm familiar with, folks.

The book goes into far more depth regarding Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, which is a plus because the author understands these characters much better.

If you want to read the script, allow me to suggest Mark Cotta Vaz' "Behind the Mask of Spider-Man", which contains the entire script with fewer annoyances such as the aforementioned Goblin transformation scene.

In short, it's safe to say this novelization is for Spider-Man completists only. If you just haaaaaave to have it, be my guest.

Rating:
Summary: Very Good Book.
Review: This book is very good. You'll want to read it more than once! I loved all of the cut scenes that were'nt in the movie. I'm reading the 2nd book now. Peter David is a good writer. So read this book!