The final issue of Life Story. I have to wonder if Chip Zdarsky was partially inspired to write this series since we are at the end of the decade, the 10s, to which this issue is dedicated. A little bit of a spoiler, we are treated to the last adventure of Peter Parker as Spider-Man. There is a bit of a call back to a previous issue’s iteration of Kraven the Hunter here, though primarily we are given this alternate universe’s take on Miles Morales and the dying Doctor Octopus storyline from Dan Slott.

Perhaps since this was the final issue of the series, the artwork felt a lot stronger than the preceding issue. Nothing seemed rushed in pencils, inks, or colors. Everything felt more vibrant. The emotional detail captured in Miles and Peter’s faces was solid and convincing.

This was a special series. We have seen various “The End” or “Old Man [ insert character ]” stories from Marvel and, on rare exceptions, they have mainly felt gimmicky and hollow. Not the case here. What Zdarsky and Mark Bagley did was one of a kind even in the trope of “alternate universe timeline” stories. We were treated to issues that were brimming with an emotional depth that is a requisite to drive the best of Spider-Man stories. Seeing this unfold to give us glimpses of something that many comic readers have opined on for years, a superhero universe where characters were allowed to age, change, and die, was wonderful. I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It is absolutely worth your time reading.

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