City Of Heroes: Mary Jane Gets 4 Stars!!

Inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man title, the book takes literary license to keep things simple, and doesn't follow the continuity there to the letter. It didn't really affect my enjoyment of the book, as the focus was so obviously Mary Jane instead of Peter Parker and his point of view. The book starts with nine year old Mary Jane Watson and gives a fascinating back story to her first meeting with Peter, and how her parent's relationship affects her. The clock turns forward to her first day at a new high school, including a reunion with the nerdy but sweet Peter, and follows them through his first days as Spider-Man.

Judith O'Brien, who has a history as an editor and writer for various magazines, does a wonderful job capturing the essence of Mary Jane, making her much more then the pretty face that captivates the boys in Spider-Man comics. Mary Jane goes in-depth to how she feels as a young, troubled girl and her interaction with the world around her, in sometimes painful circumstances.

Even though I am way past my teen age years, I enjoyed the innocent fun of reading MARY JANE the novel. It reminded me of the books that touched me so greatly as I tried to survive the horrors of puberty. If I had a daughter or a niece in this age range, I would buy this book for her immediately. As is, I think I'll keep it for myself as a guilty pleasure for a middle aged woman who still likes to remember the girl she was.

-- Heidi

You can find this and other reviews at http://4colorreview.com/reviews/mary_jane/mary_jane.shtml" title="" target="target">Marvel Comics Online.