ASM 790 spoilers

[Kurolegacy]

So Peter Parker has once again regressed, going back to the same constantly-impoverished life that he's never allowed to escape or change. I liked the concept of Parker Industries, but I knew from the second it emerged that it would not last. Granted, it lasted longer than I thought, but it still fell apart in a way that just felt way too predictable. This is a big reason why I'm more fond of Silk, Spider-Gwen, and Miles Morales. These characters are allowed to grow, but Peter is only ever allowed to regress. That just gets old and there's only so many time I can see him whine about his poverty when he has so many ways to rise above it.

A while back, Cracked.com did this list of actual jobs that certain heroes should do if they want to maximize their efforts. They listed Peter as a professional gamer. Because of his reflexes, he would thrive in that world. And since no one would be able to tell that his reflexes are so advanced, he could make a very good living from that without having to work the endless hours of a CEO.

That's just one possibility. The fact that Marvel doesn't even allow for others is part of what is holding Peter back. This issue just acted as another frustrating reminder that every bit of progress or change in Peter's life is almost always going to be regressed.

Yea I agree that the endless regression gets seriously old, especially when you take a look around the MU and see so many other characters growing and moving while Peter is forever stuck in the Amber. After a while, it becomes questionable how he’s supposed to represent the everyman when he’s never actually allowed to keep growth and always ends up back to square one at some point.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

A while back, Cracked.com did this list of actual jobs that certain heroes should do if they want to maximize their efforts. They listed Peter as a professional gamer. Because of his reflexes, he would thrive in that world. And since no one would be able to tell that his reflexes are so advanced, he could make a very good living from that without having to work the endless hours of a CEO.

That's just one possibility. The fact that Marvel doesn't even allow for others is part of what is holding Peter back. This issue just acted as another frustrating reminder that every bit of progress or change in Peter's life is almost always going to be regressed.

It’s an interesting possibility, and while I love the idea that Peter’s a gamer, I’d see two problems with making that his career instead of a hobby:

1. Those very reflexes would feel like cheating if he was gaming competitively. (Admittedly, this wouldn’t be a problem if he’s only a Let’s Player.)

2. If he is a Let’s Player, it would make the stories very dated. It would be dated to the 2010’s like MJ’s lingo was in the 70’s.

As I said, I like him as a gamer, but only as a hobby. He should have a more science based career.

But I agree with you totally on the Illusion of Change problem.

[MarvelMaster616]

Yea I agree that the endless regression gets seriously old, especially when you take a look around the MU and see so many other characters growing and moving while Peter is forever stuck in the Amber. After a while, it becomes questionable how he’s supposed to represent the everyman when he’s never actually allowed to keep growth and always ends up back to square one at some point.

That's a good point I didn't mention. I think all this regression does the opposite of making him an everyman. If anything, it makes him too inept to be an everyman. The average person doesn't regress to this degree. They find a way to grow, evolving, and develop as a person. Peter never seems to grow out of high school or college. Most people like that in the real world aren't considered average. They're considered pathetic. A lot of upheaval happens with Spider-Gwen, Silk, and Miles Morales. I don't understand why Peter has to stay in this one particular situation that only makes him more pathetic with each passing year.

It’s an interesting possibility, and while I love the idea that Peter’s a gamer, I’d see two problems with making that his career instead of a hobby:

1. Those very reflexes would feel like cheating if he was gaming competitively. (Admittedly, this wouldn’t be a problem if he’s only a Let’s Player.)

2. If he is a Let’s Player, it would make the stories very dated. It would be dated to the 2010’s like MJ’s lingo was in the 70’s.

As I said, I like him as a gamer, but only as a hobby. He should have a more science based career.

But I agree with you totally on the Illusion of Change problem.

Him being a gamer is just a potential occupation. It's easy to forget that in Spider-Man's early years, it was possible for a freelance photographer to make somewhat of a living. It made sense at the time. It doesn't make much sense now. Same with publishing in general. These days, newspapers and print media is in decline. Yet he's going back to the Dailey Bugle? Is that really the only option for Peter? Does he HAVE to work for a newspaper in order to be who he is?

I say he doesn't. I think he had a great gig going at Horizon Labs. That was a good fit for him and showed genuine growth. The old Spider-Girl comics had him work in a crime lab. That worked too. Again, it showed growth and it didn't make him any less the Peter we know and love. I really wanted Parker Industries to have some kind of lasting change for Peter, even after it inevitably failed. This issue really undermined that hope, possibly to the point of no return.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

That's a good point I didn't mention. I think all this regression does the opposite of making him an everyman. If anything, it makes him too inept to be an everyman. The average person doesn't regress to this degree. They find a way to grow, evolving, and develop as a person. Peter never seems to grow out of high school or college. Most people like that in the real world aren't considered average. They're considered pathetic. A lot of upheaval happens with Spider-Gwen, Silk, and Miles Morales. I don't understand why Peter has to stay in this one particular situation that only makes him more pathetic with each passing year.



Him being a gamer is just a potential occupation. It's easy to forget that in Spider-Man's early years, it was possible for a freelance photographer to make somewhat of a living. It made sense at the time. It doesn't make much sense now. Same with publishing in general. These days, newspapers and print media is in decline. Yet he's going back to the Dailey Bugle? Is that really the only option for Peter? Does he HAVE to work for a newspaper in order to be who he is?

I say he doesn't. I think he had a great gig going at Horizon Labs. That was a good fit for him and showed genuine growth. The old Spider-Girl comics had him work in a crime lab. That worked too. Again, it showed growth and it didn't make him any less the Peter we know and love. I really wanted Parker Industries to have some kind of lasting change for Peter, even after it inevitably failed. This issue really undermined that hope, possibly to the point of no return.

I agree Horizon was probably the best fit to move on to (though it was a tad bit idealized.) I haven’t read the issues myself, but I’ve heard retellings of Big Time and I want more information about the characters and period (before Superior. Yuck) but there’s not much out there.

Too bad Slott burned that bridge during Superior Spider-Man. Like I said before, yuck.

[stillanerd]

Well, I thought this most recent issue was much better than the last one. Thought it was just okay, at any rate. But yes, Dan Slott and Christos Gage definitely rummaged around in the recycling bin on this one.

Stillanerd Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #790 review

[Celgress]

Anna should be CEO

Not a bad idea.

[Celgress]

So Peter Parker has once again regressed, going back to the same constantly-impoverished life that he's never allowed to escape or change. I liked the concept of Parker Industries, but I knew from the second it emerged that it would not last. Granted, it lasted longer than I thought, but it still fell apart in a way that just felt way too predictable. This is a big reason why I'm more fond of Silk, Spider-Gwen, and Miles Morales. These characters are allowed to grow, but Peter is only ever allowed to regress. That just gets old and there's only so many time I can see him whine about his poverty when he has so many ways to rise above it....

Bravo encore, encore, I couldn't have put it better myself. While I was no fan of PI, I to detest the fact Peter will never be allowed to progress or grow as a character.

[oldschool]

I really enjoyed this issue overall; and I wonder how much of that has to do with Christos’ involvement. This read much more like what I perceive to be Peter Parker and Spiderman to me more so than much of Dan’s recent work.

[SignorMiracolo]

So Peter Parker has once again regressed, going back to the same constantly-impoverished life that he's never allowed to escape or change.

Serialized super hero comics work these way. They are designed to be consumed by a public of a certain age (for comics like Spider Man I would say 10 to 16 years old) that cyclically changes. So for the majority of the readers stories and setting never really gets old. If one want to keep reading this sort of books, he has to accept how they work, or switch to something different.

[SignorMiracolo]

Him being a gamer is just a potential occupation. It's easy to forget that in Spider-Man's early years, it was possible for a freelance photographer to make somewhat of a living. It made sense at the time. It doesn't make much sense now. Same with publishing in general. These days, newspapers and print media is in decline. Yet he's going back to the Dailey Bugle? Is that really the only option for Peter? Does he HAVE to work for a newspaper in order to be who he is?

New people keep start working for newspapers, magazines and for publishing houses in general. There are still a lot of freelance photographers that live making photographs, journalists, proofreaders, editors and so on. Print had a crisis, but it's not a never ending crisis neither a death.

I say he doesn't. I think he had a great gig going at Horizon Labs. That was a good fit for him and showed genuine growth. The old Spider-Girl comics had him work in a crime lab. That worked too. Again, it showed growth and it didn't make him any less the Peter we know and love. I really wanted Parker Industries to have some kind of lasting change for Peter, even after it inevitably failed. This issue really undermined that hope, possibly to the point of no return.

It's how these comics work, Horizon Label was a phase and how all phases it ended. On Spider Girl Peter wasn't the protagonist, he was a secondary character so his status could remain the same (just like many character in Spider Man still work at the Bugle). Serialized narratives that run endlessly are not designed to make happy long term readers, but to engage the new ones. Most of the readers don't belong long term reader, they stop reading these books growing up.

[Prof. Warren]

So Peter Parker has once again regressed, going back to the same constantly-impoverished life that he's never allowed to escape or change. I liked the concept of Parker Industries, but I knew from the second it emerged that it would not last. Granted, it lasted longer than I thought, but it still fell apart in a way that just felt way too predictable. This is a big reason why I'm more fond of Silk, Spider-Gwen, and Miles Morales. These characters are allowed to grow, but Peter is only ever allowed to regress. That just gets old and there's only so many time I can see him whine about his poverty when he has so many ways to rise above it.

A while back, Cracked.com did this list of actual jobs that certain heroes should do if they want to maximize their efforts. They listed Peter as a professional gamer. Because of his reflexes, he would thrive in that world. And since no one would be able to tell that his reflexes are so advanced, he could make a very good living from that without having to work the endless hours of a CEO.

That's just one possibility. The fact that Marvel doesn't even allow for others is part of what is holding Peter back. This issue just acted as another frustrating reminder that every bit of progress or change in Peter's life is almost always going to be regressed.

We're two issues into the current arc. Don't you think it's too soon to say that Peter will be "constantly impoverished"? Especially as the issue ends with Robbie calling Peter about a job offer? And that this job will not be just the same old gig but something new at the Bugle? Just because things don't progress the way you think they should doesn't mean that progress isn't there.

And saying that the eventual end of PI was "predictable" is hilarious seeing as fans were "predicting" its downfall from very the beginning and yet it outlasted several points where fans were sure it was over. Of course PI was going to have an end to it. It doesn't mean it wasn't a chapter of Peter's life worth telling and that what happened during that time won't continue to have repercussions on future events.

As for this being a set back for Peter - of course it is. Peter is always going to have set backs. Struggling with everyday problems is key to the character. He's always going to have a new obstacle to overcome. What kind of book do you want to read with Peter - a book where adversity has been put behind him? That doesn't sound like a book worth reading to me. The goal of writers isn't to make life easier for the characters, it's to make it harder. It's not about wish fulfillment, it's about always putting challenges and roadblocks down.

[Dangerous]

I read the last three issues yesterday and as a guy who wants Dan Slott off the book, I gotta say......
I found the last three issues to be pretty damn good.

Vol4/#32 - Really great Norman Osborn story. enjoyed reading it.

#789 - This was the weakest of the three, and highlights the main problem with Dan Slott- he hates, and does not understand PP.

#790 - Christos N Gage on script went a long way to making Spider-Man actually sound a lot more like himself on this issue.

[Dangerous]

A while back, Cracked.com did this list of actual jobs that certain heroes should do if they want to maximize their efforts. They listed Peter as a professional gamer. Because of his reflexes, he would thrive in that world. And since no one would be able to tell that his reflexes are so advanced, he could make a very good living from that without having to work the endless hours of a CEO.

Kind of a dumb assessment....
How about Peter joins the Olympic squad and runs the 100m in 6 seconds or whatever it would be?

Would the governing body allow a superhuman to compete against regular humans? No.
And if they didn't know would Peter's conscience allow him to do that? No.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Kind of a dumb assessment....
How about Peter joins the Olympic squad and runs the 100m in 6 seconds or whatever it would be?

Would the governing body allow a superhuman to compete against regular humans? No.
And if they didn't know would Peter's conscience allow him to do that? No.

That’s why I thought being a Let’s Player would be better I that angle. He’s only playing against himself then. However, I do think it would cause a dating issue.

[MarvelMaster616]

Kind of a dumb assessment....
How about Peter joins the Olympic squad and runs the 100m in 6 seconds or whatever it would be?

Would the governing body allow a superhuman to compete against regular humans? No.
And if they didn't know would Peter's conscience allow him to do that? No.

That's exactly why professional gamer would work. Unlike the Olympics, it doesn't involve testing athletic prowess, which would certainly cause suspicion for someone like Peter. However, professional gaming doesn't require those same physical demands. It's not like the Olympics where you have to worry about steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. In gaming, the most you might have to worry about is players using stimulants. Peter could beat that easily. Because of his advanced reflexes, he would be uniquely equipped to handle the competition and those skills wouldn't show up on a drug test.

But like I said, professional gamer is just one suggestion. The idea that he always has to end up back at the Daily Bugle is just too predictable and frustrating. I would levy this same criticism against Clark Kent in the Superman comics. I don't see why Peter couldn't get another job like the one he had at Horizon Labs. I think that was good for him and showed progress. But going back to the Bugle and losing most of his money just feels like Marvel dragging him backwards. I know that's not on Dan Slott. That's more a Marvel policy in that Peter just isn't allowed to grow and progress. I don't think that's good for the character in the long run. Given the success they've had shaking things up with other characters like Black Panther, Wolverine, or Tony Stark, I feel as though Peter Parker is just falling farther and farther behind.