The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Vol. 1: Brawl in the Family by Gerry Conway

The Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, Vol. 1: Brawl in the Family Reviews

• 
  Chad

  Wow, a Spider-Man comic that actually has me liking Peter and MJ still being together. Peter has used Regent's tech to share his powers with MJ so know we have the whole family fighting crime. Veteran Spidey writer, Gerry Conway, gives a distinct voice to each member of the family. I love in the first two issues where in the thought balloons for Peter and MJ they are trying to juggle their family to-do lists in their head while they swing through buildings, just like the rest of us adults do while driving in the car. This book is Fun with a capital F.
• 
  Molly™☺

  Cute for the most part, but nothing to write home about. The focus on family is what sets this apart from other Spider-Man entries. Seeing MJ and their daughter, Annie, fighting alongside Peter offers a fresh spin on Spidey's heroic antics. Unfortunately, whilst fresh, it's not overly engaging. There are nice moments, especially when they're all together, but it's an overall bland package.
• 
  Mike

  So much fun.
  
  
  
  Pretty art.
  
  Gerry Conway surprised me as much as anyone that he could write in a modern voice. One of the writers I grew up on, I’m thrilled to see how he (a) gets the cadences and brevity of modern comics dialogue, (b) avoids the tics of old, (c) writes MJ in a way that sounds like an adult woman, and (d) writes a kid like he’s recently been one. Annie May is a perfect blend of sassy, deferential and impatient.
  
  And MJ is framed as a powerful, interdependent partner to Peter (who thankfully doesn’t dominate the action or the conversations, except as a doting father and husband). What a breath of fresh air for stodgy-responsibility-junkie Peter this is - we don’t have to slog through him dragging his many albatross’ around!
  
  I love that the parents’ arguing is just like a Peanuts cartoon:
  
  
  
  This comics is, in fact, pretty hilarious. I wish I had half the spunk Annie May has.
  
  And can someone please explain to me why Family Fun Night (issue 5) is the best comic in this whole collection? How does a completely non-superhero story take the cake like this (even with some supes action, this was clearly all about family)? I just couldn’t even...when I read the opening page. (Maybe it’s because I don’t have kids and always secretly wanted a daughter like Annie May.)
  
  
  As my friend
  Chad said, this book is fun with a Capital "F". Gerry Conway has impressed the hell out of me by breaking the "old comics writers can't escape the terribly rotten writing of their past" stereotype.
• 
  James DeSantis

  Wow talk about super freaking fun. This is Marvel's best idea for Spider-man in forever.
  
  I enjoyed Renew Your Vows by Dan Slott but didn't love it. The ending left me kind of meh on it (the start was great though) however this...this is where it's at. Gerry makes sure to note that FAMILY is the key factor here. Once you wrap your head around that you're really gonna enjoy this series. Much like Superman for DC Rebirth, Renew your vows makes sure to get the family dynamic right. With May being the key star here. Little Spider-girl living her daily life at school, getting use to her powers, and living with Peter Parker and MJ as mom and dad it works really well.
  
  When the MOLE man of all villains attacks the family must team up to take him down. Can the family of Spiders be the heroes of the day!?
  
  Good: I LOVE the family banter. All the back and forth was great with the family, and the little stories outside the main one were adorable. I also LOVE the artwork, so damn good! The little different types of artwork to fits the story. Also, how great is watching Moleman as the main enemy try his best to be some big bad? The family can't even take him serious.
  
  Bad: I dislike the direction they went with Harry's son. He seems too typical evil for me to really enjoy it. I guess he'll be a big player later but right now he comes across silly and not in a good way.
  
  Overall I had a ton of fun with this title. I think this is what SPider-man needs to be. Light hearted, all about family, and amazing art to boot. Besides the thing with Harry's son I had a blast reading this and can't wait for more! A 4 out of 5.
• 
  Deepu Singh

  It's nice to see a cute family working together, and it's got some funny other comic series in between the main story too.
  I really liked it
• 
  Chris Lemmerman

  [Read as single issues]
  Marvel are able to have their cake and eat it too with this spin-off mini-series set in the same universe as the Battleworld Renew Your Vows series, in which Peter and Mary Jane are happily married with their daughter, Annie May Parker.
  
  With the threat of Regent behind them, Peter and MJ set about starting their own crime fighting family, with an inventive use of past technology to enable MJ to fight alongside Peter. Of course, Annie isn't about to let them have all the fun, and soon the three are fighting the Mole Man together in these first five issues.
  
  Writer Gerry Conway captures the family dynamic between these characters perfectly, with Annie sounding exactly as a child should, while Peter and MJ's push-and-pull parental overbearing is fun to see unfold. Aiding him is Spider-Man artist extraordinaire Ryan Stegman, who has cut his teeth on Amazing Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, and more in his Marvel tenure so he's well at home here.
  
  If you're still sore about Pete and MJ not being together, this book will more than whet your palette for that status quo.
• 
  Adam Fisher

  Continuing out of the Secret Wars storyline, we find our Spider-Family still saving the day. Having seized the tech from Regent at the end of Vol. 0, MJ now has a suit that siphons off power from Peter, and fights crime right along side of him as Spinneret (love this name!). Annie May, their daughter, gets into her own set of trouble with her spider powers, and eventually get dubbed Spiderling.
  The main baddie of the book is Mole Man, coming up from underground to get some of Regent's left over tech, but both Norman Osborn (MJ calls him Normie because he's only 10 years old!) and Sandman (robbing the bank next door to Bouncy Bunny, a Chuck-E-Cheese rip off) make appearances and get taken down by the Parkers.
  I really appreciate this book for making it a family affair. Peter and MJ as parents feels very natural to me, and would have probably happened if not for the events of "One More Day". To see them all with powers and fighting together while still keeping the book lighthearted and funny is a great joy to me. Very excited for the next Volume as we were left with the teaser "Next: Meet the X-Men"! Perhaps we will see how this whole pre-cog power that Annie May seems to have pans out.
  
  High recommend.
• 
  Alex E

  During Secret Wars, one of the worlds we got to visit is the world where Spiderman is still married to MJ, they have a kid, and at the end of the volume, its revealed they will join up with him to fight crime as a family. Which is pretty out there, but kinda cool in a way. This book picks that story up to delve deeper into that world.
  
  I grew up with Peter and MJ being an item, so right away when I started reading this book and I started seeing Peter and MJ just interacting and being loving to each other, it really struck a chord with me. I don't know if this nostalgic feeling of goodness taints my overall review, but I have to be honest that it definitely played a part. And then the fact that their kid is a spider kid as well, and she keeps them on their toes... it's just very cool to see. I think the charm and fun of this book is really what sold me on it. The story itself is a bit lack luster, Mole Man antics usually are, but it's really Gerry Conway's way of just showing us the Parkers' world, and how they interact with each other.
  
  The Ryan Stegman art is another definite plus, as that guy can draw a very dynamic scene, especially with Spidey.
  
  I think this was a fun and strong start to the series. I'm definitely on board to see where we go from here.
• 
  Traumal

  Jako výkop je to dobrý, dynamika ve spider-rodince funguje, foreshadowing okolo pavoučího instinktu Annie je příjemný plus vzhledem k tomu jak tahle věc dovrší ve spider-geddonu, především ve spider-girls. Ale vzhledem k délce, těžko hodnotit. Zatím spíš oddychovka s přidanou hodnotou pro shippery, co byli dlouhou dobu frustrovaní z absence vztahu mezi Peterem a MJ. Uvidíme, co dál
• 
  Gary Butler

  37th book read in 2018.
  
  Number 474 out of 697 on my all time book list.
  
  More like 3.5 - Disappointing. This book is redeemed only by the two shorts that are amazing. The main story is dull and predictable.
• 
  Diz

  I enjoy stories about families in superhero comics, and this starts well with a bit of breakfast hijinks. However, it descends into bickering between Peter and MJ about her role as a hero. Peter is written as being a bit too old-fashioned and over-protective in this story for my tastes. It takes some of the fun out of Spider-man.
• 
  Ross

  Once upon a time MJ and Peter were married. Once upon a time Marvel messed up and retconned their relationship out of existence. Once upon a time, they even had a baby.
  
  Fast forward to this alternate universe take. In another miniseries, they defeated a bad guy (Regent) who had a tech suit that copied abilities. The Parkers are still married. Their child is in grade school. It's a side we don't normally see in the main Marvel universe.
  
  I can see why it did so well and was popular for awhile. I wonder if the Spiderverse crossovers mucked things up for them.
  
  Bonus: little Normie Osborn is creepier in this universe, compared to his Red Goblin stint.
• 
  Michael

  A decade ago, the controversial "One Day More" storyline saw the Spider-universe hit a ginormous reset button and remove the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson from the continuity. Years later, another huge crossover event would, the second (or is it the third) Secret Wars storyline saw the creation of a parallel universe where Peter and MJ are still married and raising a daughter.
  
  Their daughter, May, has similar powers to those of her father. In the wake of an evil overlord named Monarch who seems intent on collecting all the super powers he can get his mitts on, Peter is hopping to stay one step ahead of the latest detection devices for himself and his daughter. But when they get noticed and rumors of the Spider-Man's return begin to surface, Peter finds himself fighting to defend his family -- and now the family wants to join the fight.
  
  The resolution of that storyline encompasses volume 0 of this series and then things really get going on volumes 1 and 2. Written by long-time Spider-writer Gerry Conway, these collection of arcs is a lot more fun than they have any right to be. Having recently revisited Conway's tenure on Amazing Spider-Man, I wasn't sure what, if anything, I should expect from these issues. But after trying to read much of the current storylines taking place in the Spider-Man universe, I found these refreshingly easy to digest, straight-forward and welcoming to readers who haven't memorized every detail of comic book continuity for the past decade. Seeing Peter try to juggle his secret identity along with the demands of the two women in his life to be part of the crime-fighting team gives the story some much needed depth. The second collection even raises the stakes a bit by having MJ become motivated to contribute to the team (tech left over from Monarch lets her share Peter's powers) and turning to Liz Allen for a new version of the Venom symbiote.
  
  These three collections are some of the best recent Spider-Man stories I've read and they reminded me of what it was that I initially loved so much about my favorite wallcrawler.
  
  
• 
  Matt

  Collects Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (2016) issues #1-5
  
  My head wants to give this a 4-star rating, but my heart wants to give it a 5-star rating. Even though I'm not buying this series issue-by-issue, I really hope it continues. It is fun seeing a parallel universe world in which Peter Parker and MJ are married, and are raising their spider-powered daughter. Using Regent's technology from Volume #0, MJ is able to tap into Peter's powers giving this family trio a chance to fight crime all together. This book is good (not great) and fun, and I'm looking forward to reading more. Solid writing and solid artwork.
• 
  Ryan

  I wanted to love this. Peter and Mary Jane were one of the greatest love stories in comics - I went so far as to stop reading Marvel for years after their marriage was demonically annuled. So seeing them back together (with daughter Annie in tow) was great. The Parker family bits of this were great to read.
  
  However, there's a metaphor here that I'm deeply uncomfortable with. Mary Jane is given superpowers (because comics), and it's eventually revealed that when she uses those powers she's sapping Peter of his strength. The implication being that marriage weakens you, which is an unfortunate metaphor to have (whether it's intentional or not), and which undermines the whole point of having these characters together.
• 
  Matthew Velazquez

  A good read! (See what I did there?)
  
  Jokes aside, this was a fun adventure to read through. Seeing Peter wrestle with the concerns and fears of being a husband and father was relatable. Also, I thought it was cool how, while both Peter and M.J. we’re out crime fighting, their thoughts were on things like the grocery list.
  
  It felt as if the regular challenges of civilians was sometimes more challenging for them.
  
  M.J. and A.M. kicking butt was just badass. I’m surprised that I didn’t hear about this before. I’m definitely adding future volumes to my wishlist.
  
  🎶“Spider-Fam, Spider-Fam, does whatever Spider-Man can’t.”🎶
• 
  Terry Mcginnis

  This should be titled, "Renew your interest in Spider-Man." This is a great alternate universe story with Spider-Man, Mary Jane, and their daughter, Annie. If you miss old school Spidey, especially him being married to Mary Jane, look no further. The dialogue is witty, the story is equal parts fun, serious, and family-oriented (dynamic wise). This volume follows the miniseries and nicely sets up the second volume with a great cliffhanger from none other than a 10-year old Osborn (the 3rd). Good stuff, and highly recommended for Spider-Man fans. 4 stars.
• 
  Anna

  Not the best Spider-Man one could imagine or hope for but still a fun and adorable read. I especially liked the short story about MJ and Annie fighting Rhino --- well, perhaps not exactly fighting but very quickly kicking his butt ;)
• 
  Tomungo X

  It was cool a family that fights crime together stays together.
  Artwork is anazing story is quick and fast. Shows the value of a family with special abilities.
• 
  Gerry Sacco

  I really wanted to like this more, because the artwork is so awesome, and I almost did... but Anna May was possibly one of the most annoying characters I've ever read in a trade.
• 
  Daniel Butcher

  Fine little Spidey family drama.
• 
  Will Robinson Jr.

  Everything a Spider-man fan boy would want in a Spider-man comic series. After introducing us to the Spider Parker family clan in
  Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows for the Marvel Secret Wars event it was time to legitimately give this concept of Peter Parker family man a try. The truth is that this series exist only so Marvel can have its cake and eat it too. The heads at Marvel do not want to undo the events of
  Spider-Man: One More Day in which Peter's marriage to Mary Jane Watson was wiped away from the Marvel universe continuity. I am one of the many fans who felt that Peters marriage was the beginning of a new step in the adventures of Peter Parker. Lets be honest having Peter stay a teenager or just single guy living with his aunt May can get a bit old. Readers deserve to see a progression. I personally feel that now that Miles Morales exist he should be the teenage spider guy while Peter should move into a mentor position and we get to see an adult spider-man deal with the everyday struggles of work, a wife, kids and save his city. The Family man Peter Parker is something I have always wanted to see. Longtime Spider-man scribe Gerry Conway has made my dream come true. In the first volume of the Renew your volume series we get to see Peter balance his superhero career against his strong willed wife Mary Jane (Spinerette) and his equally strong willed daughter, Annie (Spiderling). What makes this book work is the family dynamic between the Parkers. The artwork by series regular Stegman is great as well. There are some great closeup panels in the book. Even the colorists are doing a fantastic job here. This is just a fun and amazing looking book . I can not wait to pick up the next volume. I am probably going to purchase this series for support that someday this version of Spider-man will become a part of the main continuity.
• 
  Alex Sarll

  A continuation of the miniseries following an alternate world Peter Parker whose marriage wasn't sold to Satan. And not only is he still with MJ, but she and their daughter both share his powers (and the daughter seems to have a little something extra too). If anything it's more enjoyable now the mini's rather dull new villain is out of the way - instead we get classic Marvel foes (including the second funniest Mole Man I've ever read), but they serve mainly as a backdrop for the family comedy A-plot. And it's just so refreshing to see a happy, albeit bickering, family allowed to form the heart of a superhero comic.
• 
  Marsha

  Spider-Man and Spinneret’s child is a handful. Make that Peter Parker and Mary Jane Parker’s child. She’s precocious, intelligent, energetic, demanding, pushy and at the age when anything that doesn’t go her way is called “unfair”. In short, she’s a riotous bundle of vitality who gets in more trouble than she’s worth.
  
  Having inherited her father’s powers, which he can share with Mary Jane via his suit’s tech, she insists on using her powers even when she’s forbidden to do so. So this graphic novel is filled with the kind of shenanigans that can occur when a precocious preteen decides to go into superhero battles. I rather liked the one where Spider-Man deposits her with Sandman while he goes on to a photographic mission. Amusing Spider-Man antics or reckless child abandonment? You decide!
  
  This comic compilation presents Annie as cute and amusing, if you like children (or obnoxious and aggravating, if you don’t). However, she’s not the only preternaturally smart kid on the block. Ten-year-old Norman Osborn II has taken up the mantle of CEO of Oscorp. and sports an adult affect that is unnerving in a child, to say the least.
  
  Annie may be annoying but she’s maddening in a way that we expect of young children with too much energy and not enough to do with it. Normie is simply creepy. He’s got wealth, intelligence, influence with people in power and wishes to destroy Spider-Man. This collection doesn’t explain why he hates Spider-Man; perhaps it doesn’t matter. Such vendettas often have very simple explanations so we needn’t dig too deep. He is just a kid, after all. How subtle can his rationalizations be?
  
  Speaking of rationalizations, this novel gives us reasons why Peter Parker doesn’t seek employment with a newspaper editor who would pay him more for his fantastic pictures, why someone of his obvious genius doesn’t work in a lab and why he gave up using a camera taped to a wall to get pictures. (Butt shots!) So “Brawl in the Family” entertains, amuses and informs. It’s a great combination of storytelling moxie and terrific illustrations and reaffirms why my first favorite superhero was Spider-Man.
  
• 
  Kevin

  I'm an old softy at heart, so when I heard there was going to be a mini-series about Peter Parker and Mary Jane where their marriage wasn't dissolved by one of the dumbest editorial decisions in comic book history, I was all in. And even more so when I saw it was going to become an ongoing series -- "Renew Your Vows" is something we just don't get to see very much these days, a story about a family trying to make a normal life work while they also happen to be superheroes on the side.
  
  I'm not going to get too deep into the details about how it is Mary Jane can be a webslinger alongside Peter, but it involves comicbook science and that is totally okay with me for this because the rest of the story works. When Peter and MJ's daughter is in danger, you feel their panic, fear, and rage through the great writing and art. And when that daughter is doing her best to convince her parents she can fight alongside them, you feel her eagerness and excitement, too.
  
  It's just a really well done book all around, and one I was more than eager to get into for the "Heppy Ever After" factor alone. Because I do like me a good happy ever after, even if it involves fighting the Mole Man, dinosaurs, and Harry Osborne's asshole kid.
  
  It's just good stuff.
• 
  Scott Lee

  This book continues in the alternate world established in the Warzones riffs on various characters, and it is at least as good as Slott's take, which is saying a lot for me as he's the only Spider-Man (Peter Parker) writer I've consistently enjoyed in years.
  
  As I said in my review of the Warzones limited series version of this story I loved it. Peter's convincing, he and MJ fit together as perfectly and believably as they ever did, and their daughter is handled well-enough to be both enjoyable and cute in the way little inevitably are when they're not annoying (or, sometimes when they are annoying.
  
  This volume has Peter and family facing the Mole-Man in the foreground while building to a show down with the newest/youngest Mad-Scientist of the Osborn clan (Norman II, the original Norman's grandson) in the background.
• 
  Brevin

  Tired of the Dan Slott Spider Man run? Tired of the constantly complicated and convoluted plot heavy stories going on in the main Spider Man continuity? Do u just need a breather to read something that stands alone?
  
  Well good news cause Gerry Conway has the Spider Man run for you. Taking place after the Secret Wars Renew Your Vows story we join Peter, Mary, and the daughter Annie as they go on some fun spider friendly adventures fighting Mole men, evil corruption, and the ongoing plot with Oscorp's new Harry Osborn jr. The book gives off the feeling of light hearted fun and is a Spider Man story we could all enjoy.
• 
  torin_kylara

  This was a truly promising comic. It had its flaws, yes. The main one being going back and retelling the same exact events but from a different person's perspective, which was cute the first time, but by the third the gimmick had worn a bit thin. But aside from that, the story was pretty cute and very cool and it managed to surprise me a couple times, which not many comics can do these days!
  
  All this leads me to believe that this series could definitely have serious potential. Will have to wait and see for the next volume to see if they can up the quality or if they squander the promise. Fingers crossed at this point.