Going a bit of a different route today; I’ve been posting so many book lists and reviews lately that I felt like I needed to break it up. Plus, I think I’m going to write some stuff to apply to be a Book Riot contributor! It’s a little daunting, but also something I’ve always wanted to do. I like writing and I like writing about books even more (clearly). Trying out some different things as I brainstorm pieces to submit for the application! This lead me to writing about my favorite comics character: Peter Parker.
Anyway, today is all about my favorite superhero: Peter Parker, A.K.A Spider-Man (cue my Spider-Man and Peter Parker playlists). He’s my favorite because he’s nerdy and awkward, and yet still does his best to save the world. Keeping his identity a secret gets him into all kinds of hilarious situations, but his character also tugs on your heartstrings. All the things you could ever want in a comic book character!
Peter Parker: A Brief History
First introduced by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962 in the anthology, Amazing Fantasy. In 1963, he got his own series due to the popularity of his personality and back story. And thus, Peter Parker took the Marvel world by storm. Instead of being born into his powers, Peter was a normal guy who just happened into his powers and tries his best to do something great with them (as we know, “with great power comes great responsibility”).
Stan Lee created Peter Parker because he wanted to create a superhero that was relatable. But with so many teenagers reading comics, he also wanted to create someone that they could relate to. He was Stan Lee’s favorite too, because he was the most like him:
He’s the one who’s most like me – nothing ever turns out 100 percent OK; he’s got a lot of problems, and he does things wrong, and I can relate to that.
And thus, Spider-Man took the world by storm. With many different storylines and spins on the classic character, it’s no wonder he’s one of the most popular Marvel characters.
Collision of YA and Comics
In all reality, one of the reasons I think I’m drawn toward Peter Parker because his comics read a lot like young adult stories. Since he’s a teenagers (at least in the beginning), his stories fit within the genre that I know and love. He’s juggling school and trying to hide his identity. He falls in love, tries dating, and is a bit of a loner. He’s relatable to teens, and honestly, to anyone who’s struggled with similar things.
The best example of this is the recent movies with Tom Holland, in my opinion. He has the best combination of Peter Parker’s awkwardness and intelligence with Spider-Man’s sass. Seriously, Marvel has done a fantastic job with this character once he got integrated into the MCU. Sure, he’s deviated a bit from the comics, but the core of the character is the same.
It’s these movies that fit the YA feel as well. Peter is kind of stumbling through high school while also having these amazing powers. The movies are about him finding balance between growing up a normal teen but also using his powers for good. The contrast between Homecoming and Far From Home is also an example of beautiful character development (new post for the future??).
My Connection to Peter Parker
Being that Spider-Man were some of the first comics that I started reading, Peter Parker will always have a special place in my heart. In all honesty, he’s a bit of a mess, but what human being isn’t? That’s the appeal of him, for me. He’s struggling to balance all these things in his life, much like many of us are. And quite often, he doesn’t really do it well. Such is life!
The introduction of Spider-Verse gave us a whole new spin on my favorite character, and the creativity is astounding. Miles Morales balances a lot in his life, much like Peter does, much like all the spider characters do. I just love seeing the different takes of this core Marvel character, one that will always hold a special place on my bookshelf.