You put the words Loeb, Sale and hardcover together, and you've almost always got my money. When Spider-Man: Blue came out in issues, I knew that it was probably going to run late (it did), that it was going to read well in single issues (it did) and that it would no doubt make for a terrific collection when all was said and done (it does). The formula by now is familiar, and the letter to a dead lover element of this book recalls the pair's previous effort for Marvel, Daredevil: Yellow, but the flavor of the book is absolutely Spider-Man, and it's not just any Spider-Man, but the classic Lee/Romita Jr. era that they evoke. Spider-Man: Blue is its own story, with the modern style of Loeb and Sale, but it's also clearly an echo of the style of the best-known Spider-Man stories, and it succeeds in being not only a tribute but an entertaining story in its own right.
One of the elements that has always defined Peter Parker is the "Parker luck." His entire life is based on a mistake he can never correct, and it sometimes seems as if his karma will never quite be clear, because catastrophes both minor and major follow him. At the same time, he's got incredible luck with women and is certainly a well-respected super-hero by some, even if the public at large doesn't get him. Loeb gets this dichotomy, puts it right into the narration, and then makes it a strong element of the rest of the story throughout. This is a romance story, the story of a guy who meets two girls he will eventually love, but it's a Spider-Man love story, and it wouldn't have worked for anyone else.
Loeb does one thing exceptionally well in all his work, and that is working with the big guns. He's got a facility for some of the less well-known names like the Owl in Daredevil: Yellow or any number of Batman's lesser rogues in The Long Halloween, but he also gets the power and longevity of the classic villains. In Spider-Man: Blue, we get Green Goblin, Kraven, Vulture, The Lizard and The Rhino, and they all come off with exactly as much fun and menace as they're supposed to. The framing sequence, that one mystery villain is helping the others, is a familiar one that Loeb has used in his Batman work a few too many times, but that's a small complaint compared to how well he handles these characters.
Overall, though, this book is about Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy, and despite the excellent work done on Spider-Man and his foes (not to mention supporting cast members like Harry Osborn and Flash Thompson), it's these two girls who get the lions' share of the attention. Loeb, with his gift for understanding the iconic nature of these long-lived characters, absolutely nails the Gwen Stacy/Mary Jane dynamic. Without making Mary Jane too shallow or Gwen Stacy too much the nice girl, he paints them as two sides of the same coin, and either one of them comes off as the dream girl of a lifetime, which is of course their role in the Spider-Man story. What really impressed me, though, was a brief look at an older, wiser Mary Jane, and we see that she's not just some prize for Peter to win, but someone as important to him as he is to her. I'm generally in the "Peter shouldn't have gotten married" camp, but I have to admit that moments like the one Loeb writes here give me pause in that opinion.
Everything I've said above goes double for Tim Sale, who honestly had the tougher job in this gig, as the sketchbook and notes section in the back confirms. Loeb had to handle Spider-Man and his legendary cast of friends and foes and craft a story that would run for six issues and give us a satisfying retro look while also providing something new enough for new readers. Piece of cake, compared to Tim Sale, who had to compete with John Romita Sr.'s work on Spider-Man. His work here is phenomenal, which is to be expected, and as always he has tweaked his style to fit in with the new project. You can clearly see the Romita look to these characters, even as they have a longer and more angular look that is more in keeping with Sale's general style.
The double-page splashes in this book are breathtaking, whether it's Spidey swinging over the bridge where Gwen died, the two Vultures in aerial combat with one another or the first shot of Harry and Peter's new pad, but it's in the design sense that the book really shines. Mary Jane and Gwen are both gorgeous, true to their Romita roots but with slight tweaks to update their looks and make them just pop off the page. The Goblin is both a little goofy and truly demented and dangerous. The Lizard is monstrous. And it all takes place in a setting as well-rendered as the lavishly designed New York set-pieces of the Spider-Man movies, brought to life with spectacular color by Steve Buccellato.
In serial format, this book came out embarrassingly late, and Loeb even makes a couple cute gags using the tape recorder gimmick to indicate that, but it hardly matters, because this is a story that was made for this format. While I have no doubt it read well in single issues (I gave up three issues in, wanting to save some surprises for when I picked up this hardcover edition), it's another home run for the team of Loeb and Sale in this oversized hardcover, and just as Daredevil: Yellow was what I would hand any new fan coming in off the Daredevil movie, I expect I'll be pushing Spider-Man: Blue on the new fans sure to hit the stores after Spider-Man 2 next year.
