Amazing Spider-Man #1 (legacy 802) Discussion and Spoilers

[Inversed]

I honestly don't believe this big conspiracy over who left and who is involved is true. I think it's just as simple as, "Slott didn't want to write them as a couple." He didn't hate the character, he just didn't feel she was necessary, and so wrote her out whenever he didn't need her. Of course, most of those reasons he wrote did end up being really out of character, but that's not exclusive to her, that's a problem with most others.

[Jekyll]

Let's put some things in perspective.

Marvel is not a stagnate monolith.

When Spider-Man fans were being trolled over OMD or the Peter/MJ relationship it happened under Quesada and Alonso's regimes as EIC. Quesada hated the marriage obviously and Alonso was a right hand Yes man to him essentially his chosen successor. In many respects Alonso's regime was an extention of Quesada's. Hell he even did Civil War II!

Alonso didn't gracefully bow out and choose his successor. He was either given the boot or strongly suggested to leave. Cebulski was not one of his lieutenants to my knowledge and is a different animal to both Quesada or Alonso. Despite his controversial past with posing under a fake name, he is not a troller or an insulter of the readers like Alonso or Quesada were and his regime thus far has not revealed itself to be like that.

Unlike both men he is also a writer. Alonso was not a writer and Quesadas was an artist with pretensions of grandeur. His work also hinted at being sympathetic towards the Spider Marriage.

Lower down the totem pole you have Nick Lowe. Is Nick Lowe an antagonizer like Wacker was? No. The worst thing you can say about Lowe is that he didn't do ENOUGH editing, though that might have been due to being unable ot edit such a big name like Slott was. However it WAS under his tenure that we got Renew Your Vows and more direct references and pot shots taken at to OMD than under Wacker.

Finally the writers.

First of all Spencer is an objectively better writer than Slott. HYDRACap was a mistake for sure, but his overall bibliography reveals him as incredibly skilled. He re-read every Spider-Man story in preparation for this job. He loves Stern and DeMatteis two powerhouse Spider-Man writers. Slott's faovurite Spider-Man book growing up was the slightly more advanced crappy Saturday Morning Cartoon fest that was Marvel Team Up which wasn't even a proper Spider-Man book, it was a vehicle for guest stars.

Slott was also the single biggest perpertator of trolling the spider marriage fans. He did it in the stories, he did it in interviews, he did it on this messageboard. He did it literally on page 1 of the first post-OMD issue ASM #546. The. First. Page.

Slott is gone now.

MOST of the key architects that made the situation bad are gone.

Does that gurantee this isn't a trick?

No.

But it makes it the best chance that it isn't in over 10 years.

And I refuse to live without hope and give up because dammit Spider-Man himself wouldn't.

That was awesome! Well said!

[Mantis Dad]

Just read this book today. I enjoyed it overall, and it was my 2nd favorite comic I read this week (after Hulk #2). I really liked the handling of Mysterio in the court room, that guy makes me chuckle. I feel the early Peter Vibe with all of his problems this issue (Rent Money, getting fired, etc.); hope the new writer don't make it that bad every issue though, I like Peter to have some good luck as well. Happy with the art. It is good enough for me to keep buying this run for a while; Spidey is the Marvel flagship, and I don't mind supporting him.

[Pav]

First of all Spencer is an objectively better writer than Slott.

Let's think about what this implies, friends.

-Pav, who is happy so many are enjoying the newest issue...

[boots]

Let's think about what this implies, friends.

-Pav, who is happy so many are enjoying the newest issue...

knew you couldn't resist, pav

[millernumber1]

Question - it looks like they're running two issues per month for the next three months - is that going to be the normal schedule? Does anyone know this one?

[Jekyll]

Question - it looks like they're running two issues per month for the next three months - is that going to be the normal schedule? Does anyone know this one?

Yes, I do believe the book will be going back to twice monthly.

[DT Winslow]

knew you couldn't resist, pav

I was waiting, too.

[Naked Bat]

I haven't enjoyed Secret Empire, so I was in a wait and see approach, but I really loved this first issue. I like Peter's voice for starters. The art really compliments the writing most of the time too, except for that last panel of MJ, imo.

[Johnatellodi]

I’m honestly surprised by how attracted I am to Ryan Ottley’s style. It really gets me excited for the book.

I have to stop and question whether his work on Invincible is messing with me. Maybe seeing his style makes me think that the unpredictably of Invincible will carry over to ASM, which really isn’t a fair expectation. But it’s what I associate his art with. Hope I am not let down.

[millernumber1]

Yes, I do believe the book will be going back to twice monthly.

Exciting and also kinda frustrating, since that means artist switches.

[Prof. Warren]

Yes, I do believe the book will be going back to twice monthly.

It is. Nick Lowe confirms it in the editorial in the issue.

[Inversed]

Exciting and also kinda frustrating, since that means artist switches.

At the very least, I'm just hopeful they keep the artist consistent for each arc, so since Ramos is doing #6, the start of the arc right after Back To Basics, I hope he stays for that story, and then after that they either go back to Ottley or decide someone else. Especially now that Ottley's first issue has been so well received, I feel like this isn't a one-arc-and-done deal.

[phonogram12]

I've probably been reading a lot longer and one thing that fans who stick with comics - at least that corner of comics that deals with serialized characters in shared universes - for more than five or ten years have to understand is that "forward progression" is not the name of the game. Once you accept that truly moving characters forward as if they were real people is not the goal and not what these characters are built for, then you can either continue to enjoy these serialized adventures that take place in an eternal "now" for what they are, or walk away having had your fill.

Being upset with the lack of actual growth in characters like Spider-Man or Batman and so on and impatiently waiting for that to change is like being exasperated that Bart and Lisa are still in the same elementary school grades after close to thirty years.

Well, I've been reading since the early '80s, but I'm really not interested in any sort of measuring contest. Also, I'm not particularly upset, either. This first issue really left me more indifferent than anything, which I don't think a publisher would really want out of a reader. That said, it seems others have a different opinion on the matter.

And different opinions are actually okay when it comes to things as subjective as comic books.

[Prof. Warren]

Well, I've been reading since the early '80s, but I'm really not interested in any sort of measuring contest. Also, I'm not particularly upset, either. This first issue really left me more indifferent than anything, which I don't think a publisher would really want out of a reader. That said, it seems others have a different opinion on the matter.

And different opinions are actually okay when it comes to things as subjective as comic books.

I'm just saying that anyone who's been reading comics for any length of time - whether it's a few years or a few decades - has to eventually come to terms with the fact that the kind of "forward progression" that some readers want for these characters is just not what publishers are pushing. It never has been and it never will be.

Either readers understand that and are ok with it or they're not. Both reactions are valid.