Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker The Amazing Shutterbug #1 Review -

Writer: Marc Bernardin

Art: Rafael de Latorre, Ron Lim, Scott Hanna, Jim Campbell, VC’s Ariana Maher, Erick Arciniega, and Mike McKone

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price:$4.99

Release Date: May 12th, 2021

Peter Parker is a gigantic Hyperion fan (sarcasm) – maybe even his number one fan (cough… cough… more sarcasm). Well, just like a certain DC COMIC parallel, Parker appears to be a photographer at the Daily Bugle who’s “buddy-buddy” with the resident alien super-being. Nothing could go wrong with Hyperion’s pal Petey, right? Let’s dive into HEROES REBORN: THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG #1 by Marc Bernardin to see the repercussions of not having the AVENGERS or a certain teenager once bitten (twice shy) by a radioactive spider.

If you’re interested in this comic, series, related trades, or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.

YOU DON’T NEED GREAT POWER TO DO GREAT THINGS

That Uncle Ben. He’s just chalked full of wisdom and timely sage advice. Marc Bernardin finds a clever way of still making Uncle Ben and his famous quote impactful yet with an ingenious spin. But that’s not all Bernardin cultivates throughout this issue of THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG. You see, he takes the premise of this “What If” story to its natural progression of what Peter’s life would have been like without the radioactive spider bite.

And truthfully, everything goes according to plan. It begins exactly like you would expect it to AND even after the lack of a spider bite, the story continues down its natural trajectory. It’s from the middle of the issue on that the narrative develops into some shocking twists. Bernardin makes THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG … realistic and painful. Fans of SPIDER-MAN won’t find him anywhere near this issue. Yet, they’ll find Peter Parker’s heart, determination, intelligence, and integrity mixed with contempt and anger.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

This may sound a bit corny but there is a page in this issue I absolutely loved. There is a conversation between Ben and Peter in which Ben says “I’ve seen what happens to people who are angry at the world for not giving them something they think they’re owed… They fall victim to those who nurture that anger into hate and they direct that hate towards others.” Bernardin uses Uncle Ben as a sounding board to the harsh reality that is our culture today. From two years old until the day we die, almost everyone searches life for fairness.

Whether it be sickness, death, finding love, or simply playing games, humanity has deemed that life is supposed to be fair. It’s this nagging pain in our side that screams out to the world when things don’t go our way. What you’ll find in this issue of THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG is that almost nothing goes Peter’s way even through to the sad, heroic ending to this story. And frankly, isn’t that true with all of us? Sure, we may have a good streak here or there. But ultimately life is not fair. However, Bernardin uses Uncle Ben as that reminder we all need – life is utterly unreasonable. Still, you can’t let it fuel your hatred. No one, not even God Himself, promised that life would be fair or without struggles and pain. So, why do we continue to demand it?

ART

As this HEROES REBORN tie-in unfolds, the art actually gets progressively better. This story shows Peter moving through his life and it seemed as though the art gradually evolved with more detail and thoroughness. Younger Peter seemed almost cartoony in nature. However, as the issue comes to a close, it’s almost as if he’s matured even in his appearance. Additionally, this art team’s panel progression made this issue of THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG flow extremely well creating a user-friendly story that was incredibly easy to read.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This issue of HEROES REBORN: THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG #1 is a raw, ruthless, gut-punch straight from life itself. And who better to handle what life throws at them than Peter Parker. Whether he has radioactive powers or not, by the end of this issue readers will learn what truly makes a hero. As Uncle Ben says in this issue, “ you don’t have to have great power to do great things. But first, you have to want to.” Truer words couldn’t be spoken.

Bernardin delivers an unexpected impactful issue that will really hit home. This issue of THE AMAZING SHUTTERBUG isn’t what you’d expect but it can be read as a standalone “What if” issue without any prior knowledge to HEROES REBORN. I highly recommend reading this one-shot even if you’re not interested in HEROES REBORN. It’s a powerful, thought-provoking story all on its own. Pick this up, let me know what you think, and God Bless!