Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder

Despite the immensity and deadliness of Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, his most vexing foil has always been J. Jonah Jameson, publisher of the Daily Bugle. Throughout Spidey’s career, Jameson has worked to paint the superhero as a menace to society and a dangerous criminal. After a robot attack in New York City injures one of Peter Parker’s students and Jameson’s blames Spider-Man, the webslinger begins to take the feud personally. And when his investigation into the robot attacks—which are increasing in intensity—suggests that Jameson might be behind them, Spider-Man becomes obsessed with tying the publisher to the crimes, putting himself (and his loved ones) at risk. As is appropriate for a production with the tagline “A Movie in Your Mind,” this audiobook is a full cinematic experience, without the actual cinema. The background music and sound effects—gunfire, thunder, the sound of Spider-Man’s body being bludgeoned—complement the narration. While the overuse of music and sound in some audiobooks can be a distraction, here it’s an asset. The effects and music keep the pace humming along, even when the narrative slows. And it’s clear the crew of around 25 contributing voice actors had a blast recording this audiobook, which is pure entertainment. (Aug.)