Spider-Man: The Darkest Hours

By: Jim Butcher, Marvel

Narrated by: Jack Meloche

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Peter Parker's life has hit a peaceful stretch. No evildoers have tried to flatten him in weeks, his marriage to Mary Jane is stronger than ever, and he's enjoying his job as a high-school science teacher. Life is good. Naturally, that doesn't last.

When Peter learns that his old enemy, the Rhino, is on a rampage in Times Square, he suits up as Spider-Man to stop the destructive villain in his tracks. But he's unexpectedly foiled in his attempts by the Black Cat, a former ally and old flame. The Cat informs Peter that the Rhino is just a distraction - the real threat comes from a group of Ancients, members of the same race as the being called Morlun, who Spidey defeated in battle years earlier. The Ancients are now looking to exact revenge - and hope to steal Spider-Man's life force in the process.

To defeat such powerful beings, Spider-Man is going to need all the help he can get, especially from the Black Cat. But what will Mary Jane Parker have to say about that? Peter isn't sure which is worse - the Ancients trying to drain his life force or the wrath of a jealous wife....

©2019 Marvel (P)2019 Marvel

Good story. Feels like watching the 90s cartoon!

if you're a Spidey fan at all you'll enjoy this. The comics, movies, and especially the 90s cartoon come to life in this story (no emo dance scenes, I promise).
The wall-crawler's famous quips are all over every fight scene. We get a few references to Uncle Ben and Aunt May, but thankfully don't have to sit through a lengthy retelling of Peter's origins or how Uncle Ben dies. This tale takes place after Spider-Man is well established in the super hero game and his past experiences and shortcomings are well shown. Lots of references to other Marvel characters, but it's not overkill. A few well placed cameos are thrown in as (un)welcome plot devices, and another main character adds conflict and spice to wrap up the story nicely (esp. to fans of the cartoon series).
There is, however, a tie-in to a big event in his recent life, but it's explained enough so that you don't need to be too familiar with that part of the tale. I hadn't read those comics previously and it didn't cause me to skip a beat. Overall I'd say it's a nostalgic feel inside a fresh story. Good stuff.

Fun weekend with Spiderman

Jim Butcher is great at writing from the inside of character's heads. Anyone should be able to keep up with which version of Spidey this is. Good mix of known villains and allies along with a splash of Peter's job to round out a story that seemed like it was longer than it actually is.....in a good way.

Jim Butcher's infamous Spider-Man story

I really did enjoy it. I am generally a big fan of Jim's work, but I don't love everything he does. So I think I can be unbias in my judgments. This was really fun for me. I have never listed to any marvel audiobooks prior to this. I am really ready to try some other ones now. Thank for everyone's efforts in bring this out.

Jim Butcher does Spider-Man, narrator not so much

What can I say, the man knows how to write down to earth fantasy. With the marvel budget I was hoping for something a little higher production in line with what DC did with Sandman. Unfortunately where the book looses me is in exactly that. The narrator is fine, but unlike the single narrator of the Dresden Files, lacks the acting range to invest empathy or expression into the character. Action, drama, and quiet moments are all delivered in the same bright and spritely fashion which imo is counter to this iconic character who literally inhabits an alter-ego.

fresh medium for a good story

Mary Jane and Peter happily married is a plus, and I enjoyed the deeper dive into the characters

Stick to Dresden Mr Butcher.

The story didn't deliver at all. This seemed like an excuse to delay Dresden books.

It was good but lacks the visuals

While I enjoy a good Spider-Man story, one of its defining characteristics is the visuals given by the comic artists. An audio book, by necessity, lacks that. Even though it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, words can't truly replace one. The story itself is only okay. The plot was basic and the villains forgettable. The enter actions between Peter and M.J. seemed bland. While I'm sure the driver's test was thrown in as a little stress reliever to the life threatening big bad guy, I actually did teach my wife to drive and it was completely off base. Finally, do writers ever get tired of stating that women are worth more than their looks? It has been decades since women were treated like that, get with the times, there are bigger relational problems to deal with. The final basketball game, was the obvious direction the story was going from the start and it would never actually work. The real solution to that kind of problem is to kick him off the team unless he follows the rules. That solution works every time. The kid wants to play ball, so he will either play ball or he won't. The whole vaccination issue was just stupid.

For Fans of Jim Butcher

Like many people interested in this book, I read it because I'm a fan of Jim Butcher. I'm a comic book nerd as well, but I was mostly drawn by the author. Unsurprisingly the story is well written and manages to tell a story that stands on its own. The villain is one in the Spiderman Lore I'm not familiar with but does a good job feeling like a threat. That said, it definitely felt a little bit like Harry Dresden had become spiderman in this world. It's possible that knowing who the author was bled into how I interpreted the writing, but it's a complaint I'm not the first to make. If you're a Butcher fan then this is probably worth a try. If not, then I'd recommend any of Butcher's 3 series over this one off.

Good book,

Book was good, they needed 2 people. The reader did great as Spiderman. Not others

who does not love Spider-Man?

what could be better than the Spider-Man tail written by Jim Been utcher, one of my absolute favorite authors It does not fail to entertain