 | Spider-Man : Fake Red (Spider-Man: Fake Red) Author: Osawa, Yusuke | |
| Price: $12.29 | ||
Summary:
Yu's new high school is kind of awful. He's failing his classes and striking out socially. Everything changes when he finds one of Spider-Man's costumes abandoned in an alleyway. At first, it's fun to put on the costume and play hero, but when powerful enemies appear, Yu quickly realizes he's out of his element. Still, with the real Spider-Man nowhere to be found, the city needs someone to save it. In manga graphic novel format.
Reviews:
School Library Journal (01/12/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 01/12/2024 Gr 6 Up—Yu Onomae is struggling with his self-esteem. He attends an elite high school on his father's wishes and can't seem to keep his grades up or make any friends, but his life is about to change dramatically when he finds Spider-Man's suit in an alleyway and thus assumes his role. The only question is, what happened to the real Spider-Man!? Fake Red feels very much as a Spider-Man story should: in typical Spidey fashion, readers follow a teen who's fighting from behind the eight-ball in life as he becomes his city's superstar. It's a warm coming-of-age tale at its core that never gets heavy enough to turn younger readers away while still containing plot twists. The art is uplifting, pleasant, and fits the story and its characters well. While in the end, this feels like only a small blip in the real Spider-Man's life (he actually plays a smaller role throughout the manga), readers can still marvel (no pun intended) at Yu's character growth as he's forced into a major life upheaval that he had no reason to expect, and no way to prepare for. To see him take on Spider-Man's mantle while juggling his real-life problems is admirable, and though this title won't receive the fanfare other entries in the franchise might, there is value in recommending it to young adult readers who may find their lives a bit chaotic. VERDICT While perhaps not the most needle-moving Spider-Man title of all time, this is a solid entry for younger readers, and one that shows them they don't need to be an actual superhero to make a difference in everyday life.—Joe Pascullo - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
