decent little story. i think the main issue here is that it doesn't really make the reader understand why peter liked gwen so much or why this was a special relationship, unless they were already very familar with spider man comics.

It's a nice homage to the early Spider-man comics wrapped in color theme (feeling blue on Valentines' Day). It's an intriguing concept, so it's pity that the story doesn't really deliver its promise and feels kind of dull.

The Spidey part is very generic - we get a series of encounters with (almost) a random selection of villans building up to Kraven the Hunter. But there is no threat or sense of stakes anywhere, just "business as usual". Happy to see, tough, that Spiderman uses not only muscles but also his brain to defeat his opponents. The final fight with Kraven is underwhelming and doesn't live up to be the climax of the story... which makes it obvious that all of this didn't really matter in this comic book.

The Peter Parker part opens with him coming to terms with Gwen's death and flashbacks to how their relationship had started. I love this premise! However, the story doesn't show us their relationship or what Gwen meant to Peter and why. It was disappointing at all levels. The feeling of "blue" comes from the reader knowing what happens outside of this comic, there is nothing that could spark this on the pages of this book. Stripped of the context and read literally - Peter is attracted to 2 sexy girls just because they look good, no one knows or understands why they are attracted to him, for some reason he feels obliged to choose one of them "for life", finally he spends a night with Gwen on the Valentines' Day which makes her the one. But it doesn't really matter to the reader, because there is almost no difference between Gwen and MJ, so he could choose whatever and be happy :/

I enjoyed the style for most of the book. I really like the coloring - it plays great to the theme of this book and references old comics style with a bit of modern flair. Artists really put down some work on Gwen and MJ - both look amazing... which in contrast makes everyone else boring. I wish there was more meaningful content here to provide more impactful art. ( )

This is the thirty-third novel (Volume 25) to be released under the Marvel "Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection" banner. "Spider-Man: Blue" (alongside "Hulk: Grey" and "Daredevil: Yellow") is one of three graphic novels by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale that looks at pivotal events and defining moments in three of Marvel's most popular characters. This particular book collects the "Spider-Man: Blue" mini-series that ran for six issues between July 2002 and April 2003 and focuses on the classic period in the Spider-Man mythology when Peter Parker first met both Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson and how he gradually fell in love with Gwen. The soap opera elements (which were always the best part of the classic era Spider-Man) are off-set by plenty of action and adventure as Spider-Man finds himself in combat with a slew of classic villains including the Vulture, Green Goblin, the Rhino and Doctor Octopus. The story is made all the more poignant through Peter's telling the tale in the present in the full knowledge of the eventual fate of Gwen. The story that Loeb tells is enjoyable, if a touch revisionist and captures the essence of what made the Spider-Man of this period so great. That said neither the story nor the artwork truly capture the sense of absolute joy and wonder that resonated through the original Stan Lee / John Romita tales. The book is a beautifully produced hardback, with the artwork reproduced on high-quality glossy paper. Extras in this edition include thorough articles on both Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale and a Gallery outlining the various stages in the development of the story accompanied by commentary by Sale and Loeb. This is another excellent package from the "Ultimate Graphic Novel Collection" line. ( )

Recently picked up a bunch of Loeb and Sale collections that I found reasonably priced on eBay. As far as the comic book version of Peter Parker is concerned, I've always been Team M-J, coming to the Spider-verse long after Gwen Stacey was gone. This story takes Petey back to the early days where both these manic dream pixie girls were starting to express an interest. It's plenty of fun, but it's shot through with the kind of melancholy only a middle-aged reader of superhero comics can relate to. I don't mind admitting that I cried the first time M-J says, "Face it, tiger... "and Tim Sale's work here is gorgeously cartoony. It's a wonderful tribute to Gwen that honors Peter and Mary-Jane's relationship and a lovely addition to my library. ( )

A future Peter Parker is talking into a recorder and remembering the events that led up to Valentine's Day that he had with Gwen Stacy back when he was in college and had just met both her and Mary Jane Watson and his world changed. While fighting the Green Goblin an explosion causes Norman Osbourne to forget that he is the Green Goblin and that Peter Parker is Spider-Man so Spider-Man burns his costume and rescues him from the burning building to deliver him to the waiting fire department hoping he did the right thing in saving his life.

Peter goes to the Daily Bugle with pictures declaring that the Green Goblin is dead. Now J. Johah Jameson wants pictures of Norman Osbourne for the paper so Peter goes to the hospital and soon becomes friends with his son Harry which is where he meets Gwen Stacy. When classes start up Peter has a lab with Gwen and Flash who is determined to keep Peter down, while Gwen tries to flirt with him and makes a study date with him and the gang that he winds up bringing Mary Jane to, whom he has just met, and then leaves with her on his new motorcycle.

Meanwhile, the Rhino has escaped custody and Peter will need help from Dr. Connors, aka the Lizzard to figure out how to get past his tough hide. Unfortunately, the materials that Dr. Connor must work with to help defeat the Rhino cause him to become the Lizzard just when his family is coming up from Florida for a visit so Spidey must try to turn the Lizzard back into Dr. Connor. But these aren't the only creatures Spider-Man will face nor is this all a coincidence.

Gwen and Mary Jane spend time going after Peter full force and for once Peter has the trouble of too many women. But the girl he seems to really want to be with is Gwen Stacy, however, Mary Jane does seem to be a very pretty distraction. This comic is called Blue for a reason. Some of the pages are colored in Blue and his memories of this Valentine's Day make him blue. This is an excellent comic in tone and content and characters. Loeb and Sales are excellent writers and are known for writing the Batman comic The Long Halloween, Batman Hush comic (Loeb alone), the Daredevil Yellow comic, the Hulk Gray Comic, and the Captain America White comic. Loeb also wrote the movie Teen Wolf, the TV show The Ultimate Spiderman, Smallville, Heroes, and Gotham. He also executive produced such TV shows as Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Legion, Cloak and Dager, and The Gifted. The smart-ass humor is there but so is the dark emotionality of someone who misses a girl he loves, perhaps his first love. This is a must-read for all Spider-Man fans and I strongly recommend it for those who just love comics. I give it five out of five stars. ( )