"Spider-Man: Life Story" Issue 3 Page 12 Writer Chip Zdarsky Pencils Mark Bagley Inker John Dell

"Spider-Man: Life Story" Issue 3 Page 12
Writer Chip Zdarsky
Pencils Mark Bagley
Inker John Dell


“Spider-Man Life Story” was a wonderfully novel concept. It looks at Peter Parker’s entire history and lets him age in real time. Growing up I was mostly a DC kid. It was not until I discovered the Scarlet Spider...that's right. Not his better-known genetic duplicate...okay clone, Spider-Man that I became interested in the Marvel universe. I remember seeing “Spider-Man” issue 55 on the spinner rack at the local 7-11 near my aunt’s house and really being taken in by the design for the Scarlet Spider. With the hoodie and all red suit, I loved how homemade was. I picked up the issue and was hooked I needed to know more. Although it is much maligned and criticized, I have an unabashed love for the Clone Saga. This got me reading Marvel Comics. “Spider-Man 3” was even the first (and only), big budget film I got to work on.
Back in 2006 I was privileged to work on “Spider-Man 3” for one week while they were filming in Cleveland. It was just a stunt sequence (when Spider-Man stops the Sandman from robbing an armored car). They filmed it on Euclid Ave., and it was mostly just telling people they could not cross the street while filming and getting yelled at for it. But the two highlights for me were when the second unit director was doing some blocking for a shot and he pointed at me and said, "you're the Sandman” and I had to climb up to the roof of a real Armored Car and pretend to punch another Production Assistant who was pretending to be Spider-Man. The other highlight of course is this photo which I snuck with the Spider-Man Stunt Double. Sorry the clarity is bad (cellphone camera in 2006) and the smile is goofy (I couldn't help myself). Hope you enjoy it.
Mark Bagley who is my definitive Spider-Man artist has never looked better.
This was my favorite page from one of my favorite Spider-Man Series. I had made several attempts to reach out to acquire this page and was unsuccessful. I was excited that John Dell was going to be at the show as I was hoping to get a great example of his and Mark Bagley's Spider-Man work having long thought my favorite page was long gone into another collector’s collection. When I flipped through his portfolios, I saw this page and my jaw hit the ground. I NEEDED to own this page.
It featured Spider-Man unmasked in both the red and blue costume (via symbiote camouflage) and the Black suit!!!!! John was such a delight to talk to. He showed me the page was inks over pencils and there was a patch on the page which I was able to see the pure Bagley Pencils underneath the patch which is amazing!!!! I can't believe this is in my collection.
Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley were the perfect team to create this love letter to Peter Parker. They construct an emotional story that beautifully demonstrates the price of the power and responsibility Peter is burdened with. I love that it breaks the perpetual second act that most big two characters must stay in. Mark Bagley who is my definitive Spider-Man artist has never looked better. The series serves as an amazing love letter to Lee, Ditko, Conway, Romita, Slott, Bendis and the many creators who made Spider-Man the hero he is.