Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane written by Sean McKeever, art by Takeshi Miyazawa, and coloring by Christina Strain
Mary Jane Watson is a popular girl in Midtown High School. She's laid back, fun-loving, and easy to talk to. She hangs out at the coffee shop with her best friend Liz, Liz's boyfriend Flash Thompson (the quarterback of the school's team), and old friend Harry Osborn. They have a typical high school life, full of drama about relationships. Mary Jane is infatuated with Spider-Man with whom she has occasional run-ins. Liz wants MJ to date Harry, so they can go on double dates and she'll have someone to go to the Homecoming Dance. MJ agrees but is still smitten with another guy and she feels uncomfortable with Harry paying for everything. She tries out a bunch of jobs, though none quite work out. Neither does dating Harry, which introduces all sorts of complications.
This book isn't a superhero story; it's a high school melodrama. As such, it works quite well. Mary Jane is charming as the central character. Spider-Man and Peter Parker are mostly absent for the first half to two-thirds of the story, making the title misleading. The action is all in the shifting personal relationships of the main characters. They are refreshingly true to their original versions in earlier comics (where they were minor characters). The bad sides of Harry and Flash are present but not dominant. They are well-rounded characters. If anything, Peter Parker gets short shrift in the story, so if a reader is expecting a lot of Spider-Man and his fights with bad guys, this will be a disappointing read.
I was not disappointed. This was a fun and light read. Just don't expect action and a lot of Spider-Man.
Recommended.
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