Review by Ian Keogh
A Day in the Life collects the earliest Spider-Man stories written by Paul Jenkins, and boy are they a miserable bunch. However, It’s not every writer given their first and possibly only opportunity to write a Spider-Man story who would settle on the Chameleon as a villain. Sure, the master of disguise is the first villain Spider-Man faced, but plenty more exciting specimens followed. The choice speaks to Jenkins having interesting sensibilities.
While that’s the case and his primary idea of the Chameleon masquerading as Peter Parker is of value, and so is the idea of featuring panels from old comics, Jenkins isn’t yet the writer he’d become. It’s overworked, overwritten and lacks clarity and plausible motivation. Still, the three chapters all feature interesting moments, especially the second, and in Sean Phillips (sample art left) drawing the first two episodes and J. G. Jones tackling the third it’s a chance to see two virtuoso artists in their early days.
The downbeat mood continues into the material drawn by Mark Buckingham, then a little further into his career than the other artists, and a little more polished (sample spread right). He turns in some great villain montages. This time Jenkins starts by looking at Peter recalling his childhood with Ben and May Parker as he attempts to come to terms with what he believes is the death of Mary-Jane Watson.
It’s the title story that proves the best, providing what’s promised as Peter is followed for 24 hours as civilian and superhero, meeting friends and stopping crime. The choice of topic for a surprise ending is misguided, not least because, as we’ve seen, Peter has enough going on, but this is sentimental in a good way, and well drawn by Buckingham.
Not that the following two stories are poor. Jenkins is beginning to hit his stride, and an exploration of the Sandman’s woes and a tour of assorted people telling anecdotes about meeting Spider-Man both hit the target, the latter drawn by Joe Bennett. Strangely, though, other stories by Jenkins and Buckingham originally separating this pair are absent from One Small Break, and wouldn’t be seen in book form until Light in the Darkness in 2019.
