Terry Moore of “Strangers in Paradise” fame crafts the all-ages tale of a young Mary Jane Watson in “Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.” The title, in its previous incarnation, was written by Sean McKeever, and closely associated with the writer. However, Moore makes strides in making the series his own in this first issue, drawn by Craig Rousseau (”Perhapanauts”).
Mary Jane is beginning her sophomore year at Midtown High, and we’re introduced to her circle of friends — best friend Liz Allen, jock Flash Thompson, nerd Peter Parker, rival Gwen Stacy, as well as Harry Osborn, who’s on the outs with MJ in this issue.
We also meet a few new characters, including teachers and a drama student who seems likely to factor in this five-issue miniseries.
Spidey barely appears in “Mary Jane.” He opens the book in a dream sequence, then bookends the story at the end. But it’s clearly Mary Jane’s story, and Moore’s doing a nice job of exploring a high school girl in transition.
– Matt Price