Amph SPIDER-MAN: The Amazing, Sensational, Friendly Neighborhood Discussion Thread (HTR Spoilers)

What was most depressing is hearing two things, from when last I posted:

1. That the "Ultimate" Spidey line might be shut down. Like many others, I regarded that series as a PERFECTLY acceptable "restart" point for new readers. Plus, it had such an honestly entertaining run.

2. Joe being a "Gwen-aholic". I'm sorry, but in retrospect, Gwen and Peter had a terrible relationship, and I much preferred reading about Mary Jane and Peter's married lives. Go ahead, and read some of the old collections; Gwen was a bland damsel in distress, "Flighty Blond"-type. About the only things she did that were worthy of notice were to get killed, and to screw Peter up for a while. Hmm... Wait, maybe the latter reason is why Joe loves Gwen so much!

 

I had just talked to a friend about that last night, regarding the Ultimate line. Looking at the November numbers, and comparing them to the Ultimate line's heyday, the line overall has fallen off drastically. While it still does well in the bookstore market supposedly (and frankly the direct market sales are still very respectable), it's clear that the Ultimate line has lost a lot of its luster. Whether that is less talented crews on the titles or a general loss of interest is up for debate, but one could see this move to make the 616 Spidey more accessible as a sign the Ultimate line is indeed ending. It doesn't really matter anymore anyway. Uncanny, adjectiveless and Astonishing all outsell Ultimate X-Men, Amazing outsells Ultimate Spider-Man, and once Millar and Hitch take over FF, that'll outsell Ultimate FF as well. There really is no need from Marvel's potential POV for the Ultimate line anymore.

 

See, that's the problem. Spider-Man was just as accessable married as he was single. Being single won't change things. He was very accessable when I was 10 and he was only married a year, in real time. And he was just as relatable, despite what Quesada and others think.

I don't think they're going to remember. Not until there is a change in editorial and a realization that being married isn't the death sentence for the character. See, Quesada is under the mistaken impression that fans wanted Peter and MJ to have kids, grow old together and shuffle off. That's not what we want. We're content with them being married and getting their lives in order. Not every couple in real life wants to have kids right away. Anyway, what little has been said about their relationship is that they were together, but didn't get married. Eventually they broke up. That's the gist in this new reality.

 

Just read OMD. I'm a diehard Spidey fan, but it looks like I'm taking a break from the books. The only interesting thing to come from OMD is the resurrection of Harry Osborn.

But with him resurrected how does that change all the past Green Goblin encounters and specifically how does that change things in regards to Norman Osborn?

They bascially rewound everything that had happened in Spider-Man for years. Makes me wonder why I even read the book if they are basically going to take a dump on everything that I liked. Screw Marvel, I'm done with reading their stuff for a while now. I really hope they realize how much they screwed up and fix things.

 

What I don't get about BND is that if Peter is unmarried, unemployed, homeless, and broke, why doesn't he register with SHIELD? All that just to protect Aunt May? If his identity is 100% secret he's got very little to worry about.

 

I actually kinda like Mary Jane as Jackpot. I'm hoping that she's the only one who remembers anything.


Beyond that, meh.

 

Essentially Marvel's story is that Harry did not die in Spectacular #200. He lived and went to rehab. His memories of Peter being Spider-Man are gone, as well as being the Goblin. He's been divorced and in and out of rehab. Marvel contends that everything happened, but they don't remember Peter being Spider-Man, none of them, and that he was only dating MJ. Not married to her.

It's still stupid.

 

I hated #546 because it's essentially a rewind now and a terrible one at that, like how rewinding a VHS tape too much destroys the quality.

It's almost as if they brought unpublished issues out of a vault and tweaked them slightly, like adding a very confusing blurb about everyone somehow forgetting who Spider-man unmasked himself to be during Civil War, a new villain named Mr. Negative ("Your actions have cast me in a bad light" lol puns, has the writers' strike affected comics too?), and a terrible new hairstyle for Harry Osborn...

Oh, and JJJ has now died of a heart attack.

[golfclap][/golfclap]

 

WHAT

 

Not to sound like an echo, but

WHAT?!?

 

I've jumped to a conclusion, but on the last page he did go "KERR...KEH...KAKK!!" while clutching his heart and then keeled over onto the ground after getting so pissed at Peter. And guess what? Parker is blaming himself for this!! Looks like we need to call in Mephisto again for another round of Deal or No Deal so we can rewind more of Parker's life... how about to when the spider first bit Peter?

 

Mmm... The taste of about 40 years of cigar smoking...

 

Characters don't smoke anymore in Marvel comics according to Quesada.

Anyway, as to why Peter doesn't just register now, he's still in trouble for betraying Tony the way he did. He still doesn't condone everything Tony did and how far it went. He just doesn't remember all of the minute details.

 

I finally sat down and read the final chapter of OMD. I hate how it ended.

It's terrible.

 

My understanding was that no one else remembers either...at all. Its not just his memory that's supposedly erased, his involved is as well. Apparently they will be covering how the rest of the Marvel U is affected after OMD in upcoming issues of New Avengers.

I can only speculate that he wouldn't register, because he is still Peter, the same guy who spent much of his career trying to remain hidden and keep his identity secret. Without being involved in the larger superhero community he no longer has Iron Man and co privy to his ID and thus wasn't manipulated by Stark to begin with.

 

What I don't get though is how can he still be on the New Avengers if they're all paranoid about Skrulls? "Sure man, you don't have to reveal your identity or anything, we're perfectly fine with you remaining completely masked at all times, not suspicious at all."

 

I've finally gotten to buying the first three issues of Brand New Day ($1.19, $0.75, and $1.25.) The stories themselves aren't bad, but the way that the whole thing was set up with the deal with Mephisto and the like. It's all horrendous to me, and I can't help but get this twinge of satisfaction when I see several copies of the very first BND issue on shelves.

 

You know the answer.

It's magic, we don't have to explain it.

 

Has anyone picked up "What-if:Spider-Man V.S Wolverine." It's a interesting read. It worked for me because, Spidey becomes a spy, like his parents, and does away with his "nice guy" image. The "new" costume looks good, and the story is plausible in a "elseworlds" sorta way. A much better executed story than the various takes on Spider-man....cloning, unmaskings, and mindwipes.

 

So how bad has this "Brand New Day" been so far, for those who still follow it? Do you really see the need yet why the marriage had to be erased from time for these stories to be told?

 

Most of the stories are not bad in and of themselves -- it was just a painful transition to an unnecessary status quo.

Slott's first arc was fun and looked good. Guggenheim's first arc was good. Gale's arc was dreadful, painful to read. Wells' arc was the best of the bunch so far -- it was a smaller story, Spidey was in character, it featured an unusual setting and some interesting compositions. Gale's follow-up one-shot persisted in being terrible. He needs to get out of comics fast. Slott's current arc is not so good at all. "Parkour luck"? Peter Parker, Paparazzi? The big reveal at the end of the latest issue? The idiocy with screwball?

I'll be okay with the book so long as, sooner or later, Parker has to pay the piper and actually deal with the consequences of his actions.

'nother problem is that with the thrice-monthly format, it's going to fall out of synch with the rest of the Marvel Universe very quickly.

 

All I can say is I will be happy when BND ends. Its been mediocre at best and as stated the dramatic change seemed unnecessary. I don't mind change as long as it goes somewhere. The entire Spider-Man franchise seems to have been pretty aimless (or the directions they do end up taking go no where) since Romita Jr. stepped off the book...I will be glad when he comes back.