Say Uncle: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #9

We all know that comic book reality is a bit warped. When people die in the real world, no one wonders "when will they be back?" But in comics, that's the first question that comes to mind when a character goes to the big super-hero lair in the sky. We've gotten used to the weird logic of comic's storytelling that tells us death is just a temporary setback. Of course, there is an unspoken law that at least two characters can NEVER come back. Captain America's little chum Bucky and Peter Parker's Uncle Ben.

Recently, and to much critical acclaim, Ed Brubaker actually found a way to bring back Bucky. Somehow, the world didn't end. Readers liked the story, and Bucky came back to the land of the living. Brubaker got away with that one, but nobody would be crazy enough to.....what? Peter David did what? Brought Uncle Ben back to life? Is he allowed to do that?

I guess if anyone can be trusted to handle such a delicate subject, it's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man writer Peter David. Mr. David has written tons of great comics over the years, including popular runs on Incredible Hulk, Supergirl, X-Factor, Spider-Man 2099, Aquaman, and many, many more. (He is a best-selling novelist too! Check out his Knight Life and Sir Apropos of Nothing series.) If anyone else even mentioned having Uncle Ben walking around, I'd be very afraid. Another writer might have made this a cheap stunt, instead of a great story. However; I think we can give Peter David the benefit of the doubt here.

So what exactly is going on in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #9? I don't want to give too much away, but it involves alternate realities jumbling together, the time-patrolling Spider-Man of the year 2211, and future Spidey's daughter, who also happens to be the Hobgoblin of 2211. Oh, and did I mention, Uncle Ben? I know that sounds complicated, but David's great storytelling makes it all make sense. The story is aided and abetted by great pencils from Mike Wieringo. Wieringo is equally good at drawing character moments, super-hero action, and futuristic fashions and city-scapes. All of which makes him a perfect fit for this title.

If you haven't been checking out what this great creative team has been doing with Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, you've been missing one of the best books on the stands right now. Poor Uncle Ben has had a pretty raw deal in Spider-Man history, he is a pivotal character whose importance lies in being dead. Peter David is giving Ben Parker a chance to show his stuff, at least for a while, in the land of the living. Have some respect for the dead, and read Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #9. It's Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week!