In Heroes Reborn, readers get to see what the Marvel Universe would look like without the Avengers. In this world, the absence of the Avengers has had huge ramifications for other heroes, including Peter Parker. Writer Marc Bernardin along with artists Ron Lim, Scott Hanna, and Rafael De Latorre use the epic landscape of Heroes Reborn to show a Peter Parker who never got to be Spider-Man, but instead found a different path towards becoming a hero. It's a fun, introspective story about what it means to be a hero and stands out as one of the strongest issues of Heroes Reborn to date.
Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker The Amazing Shutterbug #1 opens with the fateful day in which Peter Parker, high school student, has a close encounter with a super-charged spider. However, a brutish Flash Thompson slaps Peter on the back, throwing him to the ground and away from the spider. With this one simple change, Spider-Man will never come to be, and Peter goes on to graduate high school as valedictorian, making his Aunt May and Uncle Ben proud. Years later, Peter is a student at Empire University and creates a complex drone system that allows him to watch Hyperion of the Squadron Supreme of America in action. Unfortunately, when tragedy strikes, Peter is forced to repurpose his drones for photography in order to make ends meet working for the Daily Bugle. Even worse, after Hyperion saves Manhattan from supervillains, an attack on the Bugle will force Peter to become the hero he was always meant to be - or die trying!
Writer Marc Bernardin uses the unique tapestry of Heroes Reborn wisely to tell an intimate tale about Peter Parker beyond his role as Spider-Man. While on the surface this book is about the differences in Peter's life without his role as Spider-Man, Bernardin is able to shift the focus onto what qualities are a constant across universes. Becoming Spider-Man didn't suddenly make Peter a good person -- he always had the heart of a hero within him. Beyond that, this book offers a unique perspective on the landscape of Heroes Reborn, showing how the people within that universe don't necessarily like the broken system that they live in.
The art for this issue is split between two teams, with Ron Lim and Scott Hanna focusing on the first ten pages of flashback while Rafael De Latorre handles the main feature in the present day. Lim and Hanna are great together and create a vivid atmosphere for their story. Lim is one of the quintessential Marvel artists of the '90s and his work captures the spirit of the original Heroes Reborn. For his part, Rafael De Latorre is able to dive into some moodier material. His work is dynamic and at times can be outright brutal, like when Hyperion shows off his powerhouse strength. This is especially true for De Latorre's art in the horrifying sequence that closes the issue as Peter fights for his life.
Colorist Jim Campbell and letterer Ariana Maher unite the two stories into one comprehensive whole. Campbell's colors are bold and welcoming, really capturing the vibe of classic Marvel adventures. Even as the story transitions from Lim's sharp figures into De Latorre's more realistic forms, Campbell sticks to a captivating color palette, adding in a wider range of shades to flesh out the art. Maher's letters are also crucial to the story, as she is responsible for selling the emotional highs and lows of Peter's journey. The closing sequence stands out as particularly exciting, with Maher's sound effects capturing the horror of the final fight.
With so many characters bouncing around in the midst of Heroes Reborn, there is plenty of fun for readers who want to see alternative takes on their favorite heroes. By focusing on the elements that make Peter Parker a hero across universes, Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker The Amazing Shutterbug #1 is able to function as both a compelling addition to the saga of Heroes Reborn and the enduring legacy of Spider-Man. It is a rewarding one-shot adventure that captures the heart of everybody's famous wall-crawler and is a worthwhile read for fans new and old.
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