OK. This is pure brilliance, it’s beloved by fans, and I really don’t have much to add to the pages and pages already written about it.
This series was one of several “color” minis. They’re all good, but this one is even better. Rather than retell something familiar–like Spider-Man’s origin–Loeb and Sale take the opportunity to tell a love story focused on the time in his life when Peter Parker moved in with Harry Osborn and began dating Gwen Stacy. As a tear-jerking narrative device, Peter is “speaking to” Gwen from atop the Brooklyn Bridge–where she died–on Valentine’s Day.
Peter’s love for Gwen says evidence, even when Mary Jane interrupts Peter’s narration…
Loeb and Sale make sure not to make the whole thing sad. Mary Jane and Peter’s romance gets enough play to remind us that redemption is possible.
In fact, there’s some nice interplay and crossover between the relationships.
There’s no retconning here. It’s just a love story. And it’s beautiful.