The senses-shattering four-part storyline, “ One More Day” begins in The Amazing Spider-Man #544.  A crossover event, “One More Day” will end with a bargain that reboots the Spider-Man comic book franchise.

Spider-Man’s dear Aunt May remains hospitalized as a result of the bullet of an unknown assassin.  Now, as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and his wife, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, stand vigil over her bed, the couple is told that Aunt May’s situation is practically hopeless.  Peter’s lack of resources will also likely land his aunt, and the only mother he has ever known, in the charity ward.  In desperation, Peter turns to the person he holds responsible for his situation, his friend-turned enemy Tony Stark/Iron Man, but will he find reconciliation and financial assistance or recrimination and more pain.

THE LOWDOWN:  With his hard-faced emphasis on Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s current run of bad luck, J. Michael Straczynski, the long-time writer of The Amazing Spider-Man, has inadvertently revealed the very reason that Spider-Man needs its upcoming revamp.  For more than three decades Marvel, in its various editorial and ownership incarnations, has taken a very special character with a genius simple premise and complicated it with adult soap opera hysterics.  Now, the flagship Spider-Man title is so dark that it basically needs to be destroyed to return to its roots.

Peter Parker is not married, practically hopeless, a fugitive and on the run.  He also gets to watch the rock upon which he built his life, Aunt May, dying because her connection to him was revealed.  Spider-Man is no longer “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man;” he’s just another HBO character in need of a therapist.  “One More Day,” Part 1 isn’t bad, but it’s like a bad dream of the grim Spider-Man that shouldn’t be.

Having Joe Quesada on pencils is a treat, but it would be even better if Quesada’s inker was someone other than Danny Miki (who is good) – say, Jimmy Palmiotti?

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  The people who’ve already been buying this title for the past seven years or so, but no one else.

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