Spider-Man's New Status Quo

[GrnMarvl14]

I'm not even sure how to sum up what brought on Spidey's new status quo. Simplest thing: To save Aunt May's life (she was shot by a random man under, I believe, the employ of the Kingpin during the whole Civil War thing), Mary Jane made a deal with the devil. The result saw the complete dissolution of the marriage. More than that, the marriage didn't just end. It never happened. Peter was also, willingly, in on the deal. In fact, it was both sides of the couple who made the deal. The marriage never happened. But more than that happened.

The new status quo for Marvel's icon.

A fairly good/detailed account of...events. Includes what happened IN the comic, and how the editorial/creative side dealt with things.

 

[Mega-Markario]

I just finished reading the "One More Day storyarc a couple days ago, i thought it was very powerful, but its far to obvious a plot device and i'm fairly sure that it will be retconed eventually. I think change is good. But magic totems, no radiactive spider? No MJ and Pete, too much is no good thing. And i was JUST stating to forgive them for cap too.....

 

[Lil Brother]

Spider-Man's what brought me into comics in the first place, so this particular "it'll never be the same again" event has been pretty important for me. It's been obvious for months and well before One More Day was ever announced that the retcon bomb was gonna drop. And it still pisses me off, although not as much as it once did.

I like how Marvel's been trying to pretend the Clone Saga never happened for several years now (and mock it whenever it is mentioned) yet this goes through and is just as bad- if not worse- for continuity. The entire point of Clone Saga was to make Spider-Man seem less old and this was done by erasing decades of stories from the "real" Spider-Man's history. The entire point of One More Day was to make Spider-Man seem less old and this was done by altering decades of stories from Spider-Man's history. And Clone Saga is considered one of the worst Spider-Man storylines of all time by several comic creators. Huh.

Note that I like Clone Saga, but that's only with having the knowledge of how it ended before looking into the details. The ending being "Oh, turned out those stories were of the real Spider-Man after all. Never mind then!". Since I'm too pathetic to simply stop buying Amazing Spider-Man, I'll just be picking it up in hopes that Brand New Day manages to have a decent quality before being retconned, which is more likely that not gonna happen.

 

[Zeta]

This is Joe Quesada living out his mid-life crisis through Spider-man. He can't go out and bang random chicks, so he wants Spider-Man to so he can relive his youth. And he says that a married hero isn't indentifiable with? What's identifiable about a 27-year old man with no job who lives in his 100-year old aunt's basement? Did we mention Harry was brought back to life and this somehow magically erased Peter's college degree and career? And absolutely nobody knows Peter's identity, even heroes who have known for half a century? And Mary Jane turned into a superhero with powers opposite to Black Cat?

Oh, and you have to really admire a hero who makes a pact with Satan. :banghead: Idiot. Not to mention the years of continuity this fucks up, since for the past 20 years Spider-Man's been motivated by his marriage to Mary Jane and Norman Osborne by Harry Osborne's death.

Basically, the whole Spider-Man universe has been rebooted to about issue 100 or so. Of course, since the rest of the Marvel universe hasn't, it's going to play hell whenever people want to use Spider-Man in other series or vice versa.

But hey, it's all worth it so Peter can sleep around and get into cuuurazy "how do I date hot womens and fight crimez at teh same time hijinks", right? I mean, those weren't old by the 1970s, were they?

In short, Joe Quesada should keep his dissatisfaction with his own life and marriage out of the damn Marvel unicerse and to him self. Deal with it your own time, Joe, don't write Spider-Man self-insert softcore porn fanfiction and call it a comic.

 

[Adamant]

I'm not even sure how to sum up what brought on Spidey's new status quo.

"A fucking mess". There. That was easy.

 

[Doctor Oak]

It's at times like this that i'm glad I generally only read Ultimate comics.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

This is Joe Quesada living out his mid-life crisis through Spider-man. He can't go out and bang random chicks, so he wants Spider-Man to so he can relive his youth.

Good, so I'm not the only one thinking that.

And he says that a married hero isn't indentifiable with? What's identifiable about a 27-year old man with no job who lives in his 100-year old aunt's basement?

Keep in mind who the stereotypical comic buyer is...

Did we mention Harry was brought back to life and this somehow magically erased Peter's college degree and career?

They haven't answered a fairly big question: Was Harry married? And, if not, is little Normie gone? And what about the years where Liz Allan was running OsCorp? Or WERE they married, and he just ran out on her and his son? And what the hell? Norman ends up being alive. Where was he? Europe. Stacy Twins. Where were they? Europe. Harry Osborn turns up alive. Where was he? Europe. Why don't more villains go to Europe? Seems as if you COMPLETELY disappear when you go there.

And absolutely nobody knows Peter's identity, even heroes who have known for half a century?

Exactly. And what about the ones who figured it out on their own? Daredevil, Wolverine, Nick Fury? Won't they just find it out again? So, then, what's the point of having it be a secret from them (since the page linked to above SPECIFICALLY mentions Daredevil not knowing)?

Oh, and you have to really admire a hero who makes a pact with Satan. :banghead: Idiot. Not to mention the years of continuity this fucks up, since for the past 20 years Spider-Man's been motivated by his marriage to Mary Jane and Norman Osborne by Harry Osborne's death.

Not just Spider-Man continuity. MARVEL continuity. The second link above goes into tremendous detail on that.

Basically, the whole Spider-Man universe has been rebooted to about issue 100 or so. Of course, since the rest of the Marvel universe hasn't, it's going to play hell whenever people want to use Spider-Man in other series or vice versa.

Eh, it's Spider-Man, not Wolverine. Spidey hasn't been that active outside his own book and New Avengers for a while (and Bendis was in on the One More Day thing, so...). I'm beginning to think Bendis is the Devil.

It's at times like this that i'm glad I generally only read Ultimate comics.

They're the same thing now, minus a few continuity differences.

 

[Mega-Markario]

I think the maker of whatever scales the marvel eds were using that tipped in the favour of this retcon-a-thon( (c) (tm) ) needs a sound cockney thrashing!

i mean, sure, it'll be interesting, and i imagine very well recieved as some kind of "What If" mini-series, but i just cant imagine ANY way to impliment this wholey aweful set of ideas in the regular 616 universe that could improve things. Okay, so instead of getting all steamed up over this, lets imagine what we think should/might/could happen when Joe Q and the gang come to their senses.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

I think that's best known as "post-Secret Invasion."

Also, apparently some people are going to start buying Spider-Girl now while dropping Amazing Spider-Man as a way to send a sign to Quesada that they prefer a married Peter Parker. I think I may start buying Spider-Girl just to help them out.

 

[Mega-Markario]

Now the debate as to whether this is just another "AoA" "House of M" style, temporary reality warping thing, or whether its a permanet change in direction for the wall crawler begins. Personally i hope for the former. Theres been to many changes in spideys life lately. Mystical totems you say. Pffft i say.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Yeah, with any luck this will just be used to retcon all the weird stuff from JMS's run. The Stacy Twins, the Other, the totem crap, etc.

 

[Zeta]

Quesada says the Stacy Twins have actually NOT been retconned. Wonderful, eh?

Oh, and GG doesn't know Peter's true identity? Isn't that the crux of their animosity?

They haven't answered a fairly big question: Was Harry married? And, if not, is little Normie gone? And what about the years where Liz Allan was running OsCorp? Or WERE they married, and he just ran out on her and his son? And what the hell? Norman ends up being alive. Where was he? Europe. Stacy Twins. Where were they? Europe. Harry Osborn turns up alive. Where was he? Europe. Why don't more villains go to Europe? Seems as if you COMPLETELY disappear when you go there.

Word of God says that Normie still exists, but Harry and Liz got a divorce and Harry ran off to Europe. AKA Comic Book Limbo/Deus Ex Machina land.

 

[Dogasu]

See, this is why I haven't followed mainstream American comics in almost ten years. I mean, really. What's the point of retconning series like this and basically making everything that we've been reading for the past few years suddenly worthless? All it seems to do is alienate the fans.

 

[Zeta]

Quesada thinks there are a bunch of 12-year olds who saw the movie just waiting to jump into Spider-Man comics, and the only thing stopping them is the Mary Jane marriage. And fuck all the older fans.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

See, this is why I haven't followed mainstream American comics in almost ten years. I mean, really. What's the point of retconning series like this and basically making everything that we've been reading for the past few years suddenly worthless? All it seems to do is alienate the fans.

This is actually rare. I mean, aside from saying that so-and-so met so-and-so years before, there's very little massive retconning in comics (outside of anything from DC with the word "Crisis" attached). This is, by far, the exception to the rule. The last REAL retcon I can think of was the whole Xorn/Magneto thing (which, while a FAIRLY minor change, is still regarded as a huge "wtf?" retcon). And the last attempt at completely rewriting history was the whole Heroes Reborn thing, but that didn't last long enough to matter. That's not to say they don't find ways to annoy the fans WITHOUT retconning things, but...those things are easier to make peace with.

In more humorous news, Keith Giffen has 25 ways to undo a comics marriage.

 

[Cferra]

Well, it's official. Spidey has reverted to how he was in the 1970s. Just waiting for the groovy slang of the day because apparantly that's what people want to hear. Well, I can't wait for the backlash. Anyone want to take bets as to when this'll be retconned?

Seriously, this was just terriblle. Was left with my intelligence insulted. I mean I thought the ish where Harry died was powerful. He died a hero that night. That's retconned. So...how long before Mephisto's deal turns bad and Spidey gets help from someone.

Still bugs me that he couldn't go to Reed to get help for May.

LX

 

[Mega-Markario]

This is actually rare. I mean, aside from saying that so-and-so met so-and-so years before, there's very little massive retconning in comics (outside of anything from DC with the word "Crisis" attached).[/URL].

lol.......aaaand

In more humorous news, Keith Giffen has 25 ways to undo a comics marriage.

Again!

Still bugs me that he couldn't go to Reed to get help for May.

LX

Well, not taking into account the fact that their on seperate sides in the superhuman registration act issue, and spidey is wanted, theres the fact that Reed has'nt exactly been at his most stable/sociable/helpful lately (just take a look at recent issues of the FF where the foursome are visited by Doctor D from the future)

 

[GrnMarvl14]

l
Well, not taking into account the fact that their on seperate sides in the superhuman registration act issue, and spidey is wanted, theres the fact that Reed has'nt exactly been at his most stable/sociable/helpful lately (just take a look at recent issues of the FF where the foursome are visited by Doctor D from the future)

But:

a. Reed's not a big enough dick to just let some old lady die.

b. Events in FF aren't taking place at EXACTLY the same time as events of Spider-Man, and there's been plenty of space where he's doing next to nothing. In fact, I seem to remember there being a gap in time between the New FF storyline and the current FF storyline.

 

[Mega-Markario]

But:

a. Reed's not a big enough dick to just let some old lady die.

b. Events in FF aren't taking place at EXACTLY the same time as events of Spider-Man, and there's been plenty of space where he's doing next to nothing. In fact, I seem to remember there being a gap in time between the New FF storyline and the current FF storyline.

Actually, i think your right, there is a slight difference in time frames, as there has been a slight inconsistancy with certain events bieng mentioned between the two books.

I really liked/respected Reed richards. Now, im worried about him, has his own ingained sense of humanitarianism coupled with his ability to actually DO something about what he sees as injustice, turned into some kind of messiah complex, slowly dragging him into the depths of insanity? Sorry </offtopic>

I know Reed would'nt have just let may die, but what wit hall the betrayal and animosity in the super hero community lately, not to mention Spideys very recent negative experiences with Pro registration Heros (Tony Stark anyone), i suppose he just does'nt know WHo he can trust and turn to anymore.

I cant blame him for not going to Reed, its a very difficult situation.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Erik Larsen (Editor-in-Chief of Image Comics, former Spider-Man artist/writer, along with plenty of other things) has chimed in on One More Day/Brand New Day. Pretty interesting take, including how he would have done it, and what Marvel could do to fix things while still sticking to the mandates for Spidey's current status quo.