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CURRENTLY READING

09-15-2009

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL #604

Annnnnd that's a wrap. I have read all 604 issues of Amazing Spider-Man plus the annuals. (Can I get a diploma for that?) I'll make lists and write articles about my observations in the future, but for now, let me just analyze the status quo assuming you don't read the current Spider-Man comics:

Peter is rooming with a dominant latina chick, and is forced to date her after The Chameleon had sex with her while he was impersonating Peter.

The New Avengers, Fantastic Four, and Mary Jane know Spider-Man's secret identity.

Peter uses a digital camera now and his co-workers upload articles via their Blackberries.

After reading over 600 issues, what are my general thoughts about Amazing Spider-Man? Well, Spidey is Marvel's flagship character and although editors like to screw with him, Spidey is one the best comic book characters of all time. ASM had its peaks and valleys. Things started to get bad when Peter Parker's parents came back from the dead but were revealed to be robots. This happened in 1992 (ASM #365)- the 30th anniversary issue.

With any ongoing serial adventure, you're going to get bad issues, crummy storylines, and bad editorial decisions, but you're also going to see memorable story-arc, major events, and excellent issues. One frustrating thing with Amazing Spider-Man is that new editors and writers try to undo the directions of previous administrations- kinda like the U.S. Presidency.

So although things nose-dived for ASM in 1992, there were still great issues and a great run by JMS and JRJR.

The Best Spider-Man Milestone Issues by the Hundreds

Amazing Spider-Man #200, 1980: Spidey ties up the biggest loose end that Stan Lee forgot about- the burglar. Double-sized and worth every penny- the first true anniversary issue of Spider-Man. One of the best comic books ever- this really is the final battle and a great tribute to Peter as a man, and Uncle Ben's death. Getting misty eyed just thinking about it!

Amazing Spider-Man #500, 2003: JMS's ultimate tale has Spidey relive different points of his career from beginning to end, while the entire world is resting on the balance of his decisions. The death of Spider-Man was so inspiring. Truly a blockbuster worthy of issue 500, the end has Peter speaking with the real Uncle Ben for 5 minutes as a gift from Dr. Strange. VERY deep! It could be argued that this should have been the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man #300, 1988: Todd McFarlane's visual masterpiece features the first full appearance of Venom. At this point, Peter's life is actually in danger and this ushers in a whole new era for ASM and the comic book industry. One of the most significant comics of an ongoing series, the artwork and inks are superior to anything from the time period, although the actually story doesn't quite hold up as it used to.

Amazing Spider-Man #400, 1995: If this was truly the death of Aunt May, this J.M. DeMatteis tale would be remembered fondly. Instead, not only was this story retconned to be May being an actress hired by the Green Goblin, but it takes place smack in the Clone Saga, so there is some doubt who the real Peter Parker is. Although marred by these two things, this was a very touching and emotional story, one of my favorites.

Amazing Spider-Man #100, 1971: Not double-sized; Peter drinks a serum to become normal so he can lead a regular life with Gwen Stacy. Dream sequence shows him that Spider-Man is necessary. Seems a bit cliched now. When he awakens, he has six-arms.

Amazing Spider-Man #600, 2009: Could have been so much more....but the post-JMS Spidey-verse is a bit underwhealming at times. This was "The Last Dr. Octopus Story"..until next time he appears, of course.

9-10-2009

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL #577

Hey it's the "first" meeting between the Punisher and Spidey. Well..not really, but it feels like it. I'm deep in BRAND NEW DAY (BND), the post-JMS Spider-Man universe where Peter Parker and Mary Jane's marriage was wiped from everyone's memories by Mephisto.

First, I gotta say that JMS's run was the best Spidey output in modern times. But I will cover that another day.

Let's talk about BND...in ASM, it started with #546 and Marvel started publishing ASM 3 times a month with different creative teams.

BND was Marvel's attempt to mainstream Spidey and make the comics accessible to youngsters and fans that didn't approve of Peter being married.

So although BND alienates longtime readers, it is a great jumping point for newbies who have no desire to understand Spider-Man's 40+years history. I guess.

Let me be blunt: I don't like this direction so far. It feels like a warped soft reboot. It feels like a mock Ultimate Spider-Man. It feels like a LaME version of 1986 post-CRISIS. It feels like a twisted version of the Universe-X Spider-Man special where Peter chooses to live in a fantasy world. It feels like it's not quite the right year-Peter looks and acts younger, but the world is full of iPhones. It feels like a step BACKWARDS in Peter Parker's character growth. All of the new stories from JMS- like Spidey's unmasking, The Other (the final Spider Totem story), and the final battle between Kingpin and Spidey have been effectively ERASED even though the Editor-in-Chief says it hasn't been.

Let me be clear: Peter Parker chose to save Aunt May who was in a coma over his marriage. BND starts off with Peter living in Queens with Aunt May, and he is same old happy and oblivious Pete. May herself lacks any wisdom that JMS gave her. Harry Osborn is alive, and a carbon copy of Lex Luthor from Smallville. There are a bunch of NEW background characters- a bunch of women, and police officers (wanna-be Gotham). A skewed Perry White boss buys the Daily Bugle and renames it The DB (like the CW). And then Pete gets fired and looks for work. Eddie Brock turns good (again), doesn't know that Peter is Spider-Man, and is now called Anti-Venom. The villains are NEW, and one of them streams live on the Youtube. Flash Thompson lost his legs in the war. It feels like Smallville-light. But it's NOT a reboot? Okay...

I literally had a sick feeling in my stomach when BND started. It's only getting slightly better so far...only because I've gotten used to the status quo. John Romita, Jr. was brought back for a Green Goblin storyline, which was OK at best, but at least the art was to my liking.

Perhaps the most offensive part of the post JMS Spider-Man universe is the way the editors and "Spider-Man brain trust" design the comic book layouts to look like online comics and the colors and inking look computer generated.The Page 1 recaps and 'discrete' caption boxes dumb everything down in a wanna-be Jim Shooter-style of assuming every comic is potentially the first comic for a kid. For the record, that is something I always campaigned for, but this particular execution seems forced. Although Spidey has a lighter tone and his dialog on paper should be as funny as Giffen's JLI- I didn't laugh once. I'm just so stunned that Marvel would stoop so low and pull a Patrick Duffy Dallas stunt like this just to get rid of Mary Jane and/or attract new fans. Didn't JMS attract new fans? Joe Quesada was the one who insisted on running editorial interference with JMS by forcing him to retcon Norman Osborn to getting Gwen Stacy pregnant. These current comics are not targeted to my age group and it makes me feel outdated even though I am very much in the Internet and new technology market.

8-31-2009

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL 2 #31 (#472)

After perhaps 150 issues of ...vintage 1990's BAD STUFF (Return of Peter Parker's Parents, Maximum Carnage, Maximum Clonage, more clones*, John Byrne's Soft Reboot, Aunt May's Death, Aunt May's Return, Mary Jane's Death, Mary Jane's Return, Norman Osborn's Return, and various crossovers) I have finally reached JMS and JRJR's run.

Number 31 is the 2nd issue of J. Michael Straczynski's much hyped run that began in 2001.

The Good: Back to basics, no more 1990's crapfest gimmicks, excellent art by John Romita, Jr., Peter's old school in Queens is now a ghetto. It makes sense of course- a nice twist by JMS.

Nitpicks: As I commented to Tony Vahl when we both read this back in '01 (my mind just blew all over my couch...has it been that long?): as much as I like and respect JMS as a writer, it's kinda tiring when he does the "everything you know is wrong" bit and the "it's so obvious, why haven't you ever thought of that before" routine.

In #30 Spidey muses "why didn't I design my costume with pockets?" which turns into a zipper vs. velcro debate. This is like a parody of JMS's technique right off the bat!

But the major plotline is the appearance of Ezekiel, who poses the question: what if the spider that bit Peter actually transferred its power via radiation (as opposed to the radiation giving it power).

Other JMS stamps: Aunt May is now a wise Yoda figure (totally out of character).

No Mary Jane, who somehow became an editorial debate over the last few years. In issue 29 (Howard Mackie's last issue) the editors finally allowed MJ to return, but she's a footnote in #30. Kind of annoying since I read 472 issues straight (plus annuals) only to have all previous plotlines ignored by JMS and the editors. This has really been a slight annoyance I have with "hot writers". At its worst, it's like when John Byrne takes over a title.

JMS's voice as a writer stays the same no matter which character is speaking...it's an Enneagram 3 voice that mimicks other personalities. It's amazing how JMS totally gets Peter's Enneagram Type 6 down pat, though ...almost mockingly.

Nitpick's aside, the quality of Amazing Spider-Man has improved by leaps and bounds just with the first 2 issues....trust me on that one. JMS brought a breath of fresh air to Spidey. Gawd, the 1990's were soooooooooooo bad.

 

*The irony is that Peter's clone Ben Reilly was a great character and a welcomed attempt to bring Spidey back to basics.

Previously.................

8-10-2009

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #377

After Todd McFarlane revolutionized the industry with his Amazing Spider-Man artwork (#298-#328), they substituted him with Erik Larsen until #350. Larsen was a McFarlane clone, but not as refined. Mark Bagley is the third generation duplicate, but still serviceable, if not more realistic than Larsen.

I don't have major problems with Bagley's run as a modern artist, although he clearly isn't as innovative as McFarlane; my frustrations are with writer Dave Michelinie and the editorial direction Marvel was going with Spidey in 1991 with Tom DeFalco as Editor-in-Chief and Danny Fingeroth as Spider-Man editor. As a kid, I just went along with it, although I knew that things were not as cool as #300. Re-reading my entire collection, I feel that Spidey had already jumped the shark before #377 because of the lame storylines, lack of characterization, gimmick covers, C-List guest-stars, and Venom overexposure.

Peter Parker's marriage and office relationships take a back-seat to parades of teams ups with the New Warriors, Moon Knight, and other wanna-be's vs. high tech spy organizations. Whereas this was charming in the 1970's, now it seems like "let's throw a bunch of crap out there and see what sticks".

And this is before the infamous Clone Saga...Fanboys simply ate up McFarlane's style and Venom in the late 1980's, so Marvel kept delivering McFarlane clones and Venom retreads, even introducing the "spawn of Venom", Carnage.

Carnage, whose human host is Cletus Cassidy- a Joker ripoff- kills indiscriminately, while Eddie Brock Venom is phased out to only kill the guilty. Since Venom became so popular the editors had to play loose with recent continuity and made Brock a "good guy". Kinda lame, since Brock is a cold-blooded murderer even up to this editorial mandate. What's worse is that Spidey is shown as being out of his league against these sick characters.

I guess I should mention Cardiac, since he's on the cover of ASM #377: he became an anti-hero after he was tragically screwed by a major corporation.

Welcome to the 1990's.