What is the best time to refresh your knowledge about Spider-Man? When a film featuring the ultimate web-slinger is screening in a cinema near you.

And what is the best way to refresh your knowledge about Spider-Man? Through a book that tackles everything about the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, from his friends to his foes, from his loved ones to those who hate him the most, from his superhero friends to the villainous bad guys who believe that Spider-Man is the only thing that stand between them and world domination.

Spider-Man: Inside the World of your Friendly Neighbourhood Hero is just that ultimate guide that isn’t just informative, but also gives you answers to your many Spider-Man queries that demand an answer.

What makes this book different from the many other books on the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man? First of all, it’s a one-stop trip into the world of Spider-Man where you can know everything about Spider-Man.

There is a full two-pager on his friends and family, another on his enemies and a few solo pages on his biggest adversaries. That’s not all, every character is described in detail from their origin to their powers and their notable encounters with Spider-Man, giving you access to nearly all the memorable fights Spider-Man has been through during his ‘illustrious’ career.

This book is not just a tell-all to Spider-Man, but also makes you understand that like all of us, he is also a human despite his superpowers. The chapter “Parker Problems” highlights the many issues of Peter Parker’s life as he blames himself for the death of his loved ones as well as his desire to lose his powers to lead a normal life.

That the book is written in chronological form makes it an easy read and helps you understand the timeline of our favourite Superhero’s evolution. You also get introduced to the staff of The Daily Bugle (there are others besides JJ and Peter), the tricky Spider-Verse that was so well-explained in the animated flick last year, villains who are important to Spider-Man’s development (such as Mysterio and Venom) and the Sinister Six whose main aim is to show Spider-Man that they are the boss.

Then the book traces Peter Parker and the important women in his life including Aunt May, Mary Jane and Captain Marvel. Also, don’t be surprised to find out that Aunty May actually came back from the dead because the person who died was an actress portraying Aunt May on Norman Osborn’s orders. There are some details on Parker Industries as well, regarding how it came into being, who was the brain behind its creation and how Peter ended as its main guy without investing anything.

The deeper you go into this book, the more you will learn about Spidey’s powers, his significant adventures, allies and some battles where he teamed with the good guys. All in all, it is books like these that keep you interested in Spider-Man’s career as a superhero and tell you what makes him one of the most popular superheroes of all time.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 20th, 2019