Happy Thanksgiving

It is that time of year again. There is the turkey. There is the canberries. There are the candy yams. There is the green bean. There are the mashed potatoes. Enough about family, time to eat.


There will be no new posts, unless something changes, until next week.

Why Spider-man Needs to Get a Life

Peter Parker, what has change with the character since he become Spider-man. Well here is the list of what has change about the character after Uncle Ben died:

1. ….he wore a black costume for a little while….

Yep, that is it. Nothing about the character direction has change since that fateful night. I am not downplaying the Death of Gwen Stacy, but it wasn’t exactly something new in Peter’s life. Comparative speaking Gwen’s Death just add more guilt. That’s about it. We have a character that hasn’t grown beyond being a teenager. Still have the same job, same problems, and same experiences. In other words, the character is in stasis. We have all experience the times when writer went outside of the box, and it was fun for the most part. The character must grow beyond that little box that Stan Lee and others wrote in because the character will die due to being reparative. Those that worked at DC need to remember what happen to Superman after there was no change. That character became a joke. The same can be said of Peter Parker. Make no mistake, Peter Parker and not Spider-man is the interesting focus that kept us reading the book.

Peter Parker life hasn’t change since getting his degree (unless that has been Mephisto out too). We feel that Peter Parker needs to move beyond that little box that Stan started with in the 60’s. Let the character grow (I don’t mean age so shut up about that) and be organic. Peter needs to move on with his life and not stay the same forever. That is what used to be Marvel’s promise to the readers. This character will not be the same old thing all the time. We need to be honest here; is keeping the character mired in the past ideas really the best thing to draw more readers in?

People over the years have changes. They are more informed and more knowledgeable about what is going on. If the Braintrust was honest with themselves, they would admit this about their readers. People that are interested in Spider-man are going to go on the Internet. They will see what is being said about Amazing Spider-man. They will also see how vocal the people are about this current direction in the book. Some may decide to pick up the book or they may not. They will be informed about the direction and all that has been done.
Back to the characters, Peter should be trying to better his future. Why you ask? That is the core of the character. He has a desire to be better every day of his life or he wouldn’t be Spider-man in the first place. The writer’s mistake is that we want the same old Peter until the book is cancelled forever. To put this basically we need this to happen in order for more readers to be drawn to the book:

1. Peter gets a job that uses his degree.
2. Peter gets a life beyond being Spider-man.
3. Peter really needs be on his own.
4. Peter needs to grow up.

: Now before One More Day, that is the direction we were moving. Most of it was done to undo the marriage, but they found something the draw readers to the book. We like seeing Peter happy for a while. We liked that this was covering new ground beyond the same old stories. While the marriage was used a lot, the marriage was used correctly in the book. Some may not like the Other, Sins of the Past, or other things that happen in JMS run; it had a lot more people taking positive about the book. We debated what happen with rancor about certain stories compare to what is currently being offered by the Braintrust. This is what I mean by they lack style and the touch to tell good Spider-man stories.

In the last 2 years, the writers flatly refused to explain the effects of the deal. Why? Seriously why? I really don’t get the concept of keeping the reading in the dark this long about the effects of the deal or what happen to all the characters. We just get this little things that make no sense or effects that hurt the character. Face facts, Norman Osborn is most powerful man in Marvel Universe right now and Spider-man’s world barely has been touched. I thought Norman was Spider-man villain. It would have been a better story if Norman knew Peter’s secret identity. Now, that is the Parker Luck.

We seen too many hit and miss with the writing of Amazing Spider-man to be called anything beyond failure. It is a failure to bring new reader. Hello, it has been 2 years and the numbers haven’t changed if you want to use the distbution numbers. I know for a fact where I live that Amazing Spider-man is going more in the 50 cent bin than out the door when it is released. We know there are some that like the book, which is good for them, but this current direction of the character, has damaged the character for those that have read the book for the characters and not to read stories that have been done before a long time ago. The execution of the character development has been nil. There has been absolutely zero character development since One More Day. We have seen little beyond a few snippets of this character reason for being the way they are and that is bad writing. Example; the drunken hook up would have made a better story if Michelle had more depth beyond just being a bitch. Why is she like that? Why didn’t she kick Peter out when they first met? What was her reasoning? What is her background beyond being a lawyer? If there was a little more depth to the character, it could have a different reaction than the current direction.

I do give the writers a hard time because I wanted better stories from them. I wanted to like Amazing Spider-man or I wouldn’t have given it 60 issues. The writers failed. To use the words of friend of mine, this is an epic fail. Oh sure, this will picked apart to just a negative post about Amazing Spider-man, but it isn’t really. It is a clue for those writers that come here to snicker and point at the Deltas. It is clue to how you can possibly bring some of the reader that left to the book. Stop hammering the Parker Luck to death. Start allowing Peter and all the character to grow beyond the sophomoric versions you have now. Stop sticking to the Deltas. Start listening to the complaints about what is happening in the book. You may find out that we are right about a lot of things if you are really honest about it.

Change, Lies, and Spider-man

There are those that have said that the people against Brand New Day Spider-man don’t like change. That isn’t the case because we welcome change when it makes sense to the characters and not for selfish editors. Face the fact that is what Brand New Day Spider-man is all about in the end. It was to make Joe Quesada happy and not the readers. Writers have chosen to embrace this mess and compare themselves to legends in this business. It is really hard to understand that concept due to fact they act like spoiled children being threaten that their favorite toy is being taken away.

It is fact Brand New Day Spider-man sales haven’t match JMS, Stern, or Delfaco’s run in any titles they have written for when they helm the flagship character. You can make the case for JMS being part of One More Day, but I think he understands trying to relive the past is always mistake. You honor it, you refer to it, and you use it to make the stories better and not try to think you can outshine it in people’s minds. The one thing these writers have in common is they respected the fans, even those fans that don’t like their work. Sure, some of them didn’t have deal with the Internet and just have deal with these people face to face. You tell me which is harder? Some words on a screen or a person facing you that didn’t like what you did in whatever issue of Spider-man? These men acted like professionals and talked to these people like they are adults and move on. Compare to the current crew who have chosen to act like fanboys with their panties in a bunch on the ‘Net.

I picked up 612 at my LCS and tried to Bryne Steal it, but I end up setting it down after Electro’s speech. Mark Waid has the subtly of a sledgehammer. That brings a major problem with current version of Spider-man writers. They lack style. The lack the ability to not hit things over the head of the readers like the Parker Luck, Sex, and their personal political stance in every issue of Amazing Spider-man. You want political opinions that are informed and have some basis on fact? Turn on FOX, MSNBC, CNN, or search the ‘Net because you get better view point then those writing Amazing Spider-man. Stan Lee, Ditko, and many others did a story about a current situation happening in America, but they did it with style. They had a light touch of a feather and not a sledgehammer hitting you right between the eyes.

Not being against change of a character, but what is up with Electro’s new look? Really, tattoo faced? Is that the best these guys could come up with to modernize this character? I bet they would try to modernize a classic piece of Americana literature like “Call of Wild” with Buck being a pug dog. While complaining the whole time people don’t get their vision of the character or story. That it is hip and fresh. The problem is that the readers look at them after they make their arsine comments thinking they don’t get them as readers. You don’t have to change a look of a character to make them more appealing to the readers. You can change their reasons for acting like psycho or go back to basics with the character. Back to basic, meaning, you don’t reboot them to making a deal with the devil. You got back to the driving force of their behavior of being a criminal and their hatred of Spider-man. You don’t have them as your mouth piece for a political rant. Get a blog if you want to do that, and you can contact me if you don’t know how to create a blog. Just make a decent, was going to say good but that is asking a lot out of this crew, Spider-man story.

These characters have a rich history that plot thread by the score dangling around them if people just do some research. That is asking a lot from these writers because they would be required to care about these character beyond the stupid version that Joe Quesada has created. Max could be seen as a villain that is trying to get his life in order and takes a job to take out Spider-man for the Karvens for money. You play the human card and keep the overall story going by getting the reader interested in all the characters. This is something the writers of Spider-man have failed to do time and time again. They are not bringing the A game to the title. Hell, they are not even bringing the B game to the title. They don’t have the balls to do a story that fans what to read because they would have to go head to head with their God, Joe Quesada.

Change is good when it is natural and makes sense to everyone that reads these characters. You just do not make false statements or go toe to toe with the readers. This is the real deal here. The readers pay for everything. The art, the writer, the EIC, the Inker, the Publisher, and even the paper which a book is printed on and to say they don’t is an insult to the readers. The Amazing Spider-man title for pervious 10 years was a main stay in the top ten in comic sales. Now, it is barely holding its own in top 20. What does that tell you about the writers of Amazing Spider-man? It should say they are the wrong people writing the book. It should also say that this experiment of changing writers every arc is a mistake. It time for some young blood to get at this character and do something to bring reader back to Spider-man. Spider-man is about responsibility and not youth. Spider-man is about trying to do the right thing even when you are wrong. It is about trying to find hope when there is no hope. It is about progression in Peter Parkers life and not repeating or acting like a teenager. It is not about writers living vacuously through Peter Parker and his sexual mistakes. It is not about writers trying to think they are better legends. Change the writers for Amazing Spider-man that really understand the character and the sales will go up because they will do what is best for the character, readers, and not the EIC.

Spider-man has become a joke. Marvel has become DC of the 80s trying to hip and fresh instead of printing stories that are worthy of the characters’ history. Marvel has become a platform for political rants and calling New Yorkers sheep. Marvel has become a place where writers and the EIC think the readers are stupid. The fact is those readers that have left are more intelligent then anyone at Marvel right now. Those readers know these characters far better than people working at Marvel because they understand the history. These readers have the ability to go to back issues and see what a great story that were written. These readers are not like the ones in 60s, 70s, or the 80s because they have access to more information now. It is time for writers and the EIC at Marvel to start wising up to that fact because they are insulting these readers’ intelligence.

The question was asked, “What can be done about this?” You can write letters to Marvel and Disney and not just one. Keep writing until the change happens because that is only way they will get the message. Flood their boxes with letters and e-mails telling them about your experiences with the writers via the ‘Net and their unprofessional behavior. You link to sites and message boards. You get your friends to help you and those that feel the same as you do about it. You start a blog and rant. You express yourself at your LCS about your view points. It does work over time because nothing is forever in comics especially arsine changes.