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25 Years Ago, One of the Most Underrated Spider-Man Runs of All-Time Began

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In each instance, we delve into a comic book issue dated from 50/75 years back, or occasionally a wild card selection during an extra week. This time, with a slight delay, let’s journey back to June 2000, which marked the start of one of Spider-Man’s most underestimated runs in history.

In the realm of popular culture, timing can be crucial. A case in point is when DC Comics opted to provide opportunities for two budding writers on Batman following Larry Hama’s tenure. The first was Ed Brubaker, who delivered exceptional work and was swiftly appointed as the new writer. Interestingly, the SECOND writer was Brian K. Vaughan, and he also excelled in his trial run. If Vaughan had been given a chance before Brubaker, it’s hard to predict what might have transpired in their careers or how significantly that could have affected things.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but reflect on the remarkable timing in the saga of Paul Jenkins and Mark Buckingham’s remarkable run on everyone’s favorite web-slinger, Spider-Man. Their exceptional work garnered massive critical acclaim… only to be followed by another highly renowned Spider-Man series, which overshadowed their masterpiece, leaving them as still admired, but tragically underrated creators. Let’s delve into the pages of June 2000’s Peter Parker: Spider-Man #20, penned by Jenkins, illustrated by Buckingham, and inked by Dan Green, a trio that truly brought the comic to life.

How did Paul Jenkins and Mark Buckingham set up their runs on Peter Parker: Spider-Man?

In 1998, there came a point when Wizard or someone else revealed that Mark Buckingham was to be the new artist for Amazing Spider-Man, working alongside Tom DeFalco. Buckingham himself designed the character Ricochet, but unfortunately, the deal didn’t go through. As I had been eagerly anticipating seeing Buckingham draw Spider-Man since then, I was quite excited about the news at the time, thinking it would be a perfect match (and I wasn’t wrong). It seemed that Buckingham stayed on the mind of Spider-Man editor, Ralph Macchio.

Jenkins, in the meantime, had earned significant recognition following his stint on Hellblazer, a role that saw him taking over from Garth Ennis on the popular Vertigo series. However, it was only recently, in 1999, when Jenkins had completed an acclaimed storyline on Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man, often compared to DC Comics’ “Legends of Dark Knight” for its darker take on the Spider-Man character. Working with his collaborator from Hellblazer, Sean Phillips, …

For approximately two years, Howard Mackie wrote not just Amazing Spider-Man, but also Peter Parker: Spider-Man. However, Marvel chose to change course on Peter Parker: Spider-Man, introducing Jenkins and Buckingham to steer the series in a COMPLETELY new direction. This shift occurred when Peter believed his wife, Mary Jane, had perished in a plane crash.

How did Paul Jenkins and Mark Buckingham get off the ground running on Peter Parker: Spider-Man?

The story begins as Peter pays a visit to Uncle Ben’s gravesite, where he expresses his deep sorrow and despair following what seems to be the demise of Mary Jane.

Reflecting back, Peter’s mind wandered to the time when he moved in with Aunt May and Uncle Ben during a bleak period in his life, after losing his parents. Memories flooded in of how Uncle Ben became Peter’s closest friend, often making him chuckle to help him cope with his sorrow…

As I, Peter (Spidey himself), shared my adventures as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man up until that moment, Buckingham brilliantly brought my story to life with some mind-blowing splash pages. From the web-slinging hero to his infamous foes, he masterfully illustrated my superhero journey throughout my career. There’s no denying that a touch of Ditko shone through in his work, and it truly was a sight to behold.

Instead, Peter reveals that ever since Mary Jane passed away, he has lost his knack for joking, and this became evident during the bank robbery he foiled without uttering a single word – something completely out of character for Spider-Man.

Peter can’t seem to find joy in life like he used to. He implores Uncle Ben to demonstrate how to laugh once more. As if on command, a vehicle passes, causing a mud puddle to be splashed onto Peter, and he erupts into uncontrollable laughter…

He bursts into laughter, finding the ludicrousness of the situation overwhelmingly funny, which provided him with a much-needed moment to rediscover humor in his life again.

The initial part of this series was exceptional, featuring standout anecdotes that made it shine. Unfortunately, Mackie also departed from ‘Amazing Spider-Man’, and the subsequent writer on that title became extremely popular, causing the Jenkins’ run on ‘Peter Parker: Spider-Man’ to be somewhat overshadowed. As a consequence, while this run may not receive as much recognition now, 25 years later, those who remember it fondly still hold it in high regard.

If you happen to know about any comic books published in July or later months during the years 2015, 2000, 1975, and 1950 that you think would make great highlights, feel free to share your recommendations by emailing me at brianc@cbr.com!

Just a quick guide on how comic book cover dates work: Typically, the publication date of a comic book is two months after the cover date displayed on it (this was sometimes three months in the past, but not during the periods we’re considering here). So if you suggest a comic book with a cover date of October, it would have actually been released in August.

It’s easier to determine the release date of older comics since there were online resources covering them back then.

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2025-07-04 16:08

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