Kaare Andrews dives into this futuristic look at the life of Peter Parker as an aged, war hardened old man living the tough life in New York City. Parker (formerly known as Spider-Man) lives a lonely life of desolation and this story aims to provide the reader with a possible future for an all-star super hero who has lost everything (including his wife and his powers).
For fans of Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns," (and who isn't?) this story should have readers excited to explore the remaining chapters of the series. The similarities are striking. Essentially, we have a much darker look at a super-hero who's future is in utter disarray. Also present is the witty commentary on the current state of the world by faceless, personality-deprived news reporters and their plastered-on smiles. Despite the similarities, there are a few fundamental differences between this story and Christopher Nolan's Batman that are worth mentioning. Kaare Andrews gets a few points of originality for having the future-society be a peaceful one and, if I remember correctly, I've never seen Batman's unmentionables.
Ultimately, this has potential to be an excellent mini-series. Where it lacks in originality, it makes up in other areas. Also, I'm a helpless sucker for awesome art and Kaare Andrews definitely delivers on this. I'd have to say that the target-audience for this book is one that can appreciate a good story, good art, and Spider-Man kicking ass in his underwear.
