REVIEW: ‘Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug,’ Issue #1

Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1 is written by Marc Bernardin, penciled by Ron Lim & inked by Scott Hanna (pages 1-10) and illustrated by Rafael de Latorre (pages 11-30), colored by Jim Campbell and lettered by VC’s Ariana Maher. It is published by Marvel Comics. In the alternate universe of Heroes Reborn, Peter Parker was never bitten by a radioactive spider and thus never became Spider-Man. However, tragedy eventually leads to him picking up a camera for the Daily Bugle and being in the thick of the action when the Squadron Supreme’s leader Hyperion battles his numerous enemies.

In the same way that Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow puts a spin on Spider-Man’s possession of the symbiote suit and the origins of Venom, Amazing Shutterbug puts a new twist on Peter Parker’s life. No superpowers means that his Uncle Ben is still a presence in his life, and he’s actually able to go into college and focus on his studies. Yet there are tradeoffs: he loses contact with Mary Jane Watson and tragedy still manages to find its way into his life. However, other constants such as his intellect and his history with the Bugle remain thanks to Bernardin’s stellar scripting.

In stripping away the layers of what makes Peter Parker Spider-Man, Bernardin showcases the fundamental truths of what has made Peter Parker endure. When one of the Annihilation Wave invades the Bugle, Peter uses his scientific know-how to smoke it out in a scene that calls back to a similar event at the beginning of the issue. And he cares deeply for his Uncle Ben, even when the two are suffering from a massive loss. Ben tells Peter in the issue, “You don’t have to have great power to do great things. But you have to want to.” That and other lines of dialogue shows that Bernardin understands what makes Peter tick-which isn’t surprising given his insightful breakdowns on Fatman Beyond and pieces for various publications.

Artwise, Lim and Latorre provide a solid break between past and present. Lim, who is best known for illustrating the Spider-Girl comics, provides artwork that bears a strong resemblance to Steve Ditko’s. Latorre draws Peter with a more world-weary look and often draws Hyperion either hovering or soaring through the air, making him feel like a god amongst men. Latorre also gets to draw Hyperion fighting the massive Ultron, which is a treat-more comics could use giant robots, if you ask me. Campbell’s colors are bright and eye-catching, especially with Peter’s clothing. Peter often wears red and blue, matching his Spider-Man colors, which provides a contrast to Hyperion’s red and yellow uniform.

The one thing I wish the issue would have delved more into is the relationship between Hyperion and Peter, which is a nice inversion on the one between Superman and Jimmy Olsen. While this issue acts as a great parallel to the events of Heroes Reborn #2, I feel like a conversation between the two was long due, especially since they’re unknowingly linked together by one of Hyperion’s battles. It’s not a deal-breaker, however.

Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1 breaks Spider-Man down to his fundamentals, showing that even without powers Peter Parker would still be a good person. I highly recommend reading this and Heroes Reborn #2 back to back, as this issue provides a great deal of context for the latter. Also if you’re a Spider-Man fan this comic is definitely worth the read.

Heroes Reborn: Peter Parker, The Amazing Shutterbug #1 is available wherever comics are sold.