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Publisher: Pan Macmillan |
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So, to celebrate the release of the best damn action flick in years (yes, we're biased) let's look at some of the book-related merchandise now on sale.
Spider-Man by Peter David
He is, in my opinion, the best of all the superheroes in the marvel world. There's is nothing better than his trademark sense of humor and easy going attitude. I read this shortly after the movie and was glad to see that it was along the same basic premise: Dramatic without taking itself too seriously.
Everything's here; Peter's transformation from nerdiness to outright coolness, his rivalry with the jock Flash Thompson, his love for the beautiful Mary Jane Watson, his adoration of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May, the snazzy one-liner's, and the eventual realization that in putting on the mask of Spider-man he has sacrificed the things that he could have as Peter Parker.
Peter David has managed to write a killer Peter Parker and has managed to write a pretty good Mary Jane and Norman Osbourne as well. I loved the surprise of actually reading from the point of view of the spider that bit Peter and gave him his powers (Oddly enough it shares many similarities to the pre-hero Peter Parker).
Those who loved the movie should also pick up this novelization.
Behind the Mask of Spider-Man: The Secrets of the Movie by Mark Cotta Vaz
This is a high quality glossy 200 page large souvenir book that tells the background to the making of the Spider-Man movie. Complete with an eloquent introduction by Spider-Man creator Stan "the Man" Lee, and nine chapters of interesting text and richly brilliant and colorful glossy photographs from the movie, including the final version as well as photos taken during its making, samples of old Spider-Man comic strips, storyboards (including three that were left out of the movie), artwork of the characters that shows the examples of what they started with, what was rejected for the film, and how the final characters evolved, and lots of little tidbits, like backgrounds of the cameos, and lots more. This is a great book for Spidey fans and the general public too. It is a great extension of the experience of the film, but doesn't give away the story.
