Mary Jane Watson/Parker Appreciation Thread 2018

[Frontier]

I've made it past the first time we meet MJ, the first time we play as MJ, in Insomniac's PS4 Spider-Man game.

Characterization is top notch.

Insomniac MJ is basically grown-up Ultimate MJ.

I mean, "nurse MJ," reporter job, her down-to-Earth everywoman personality...basically what Ultimate MJ would be like as an adult.

She's also apparently the rarity among the many versions of Mary Jane in that her dad is not a horrible person, judging by her comments in the museum (although I guess there was that one MJ who's dad was Captain Stacy).

[Inversed]

I'm very much enjoying this portrayal of MJ. The execution of her reporter side I think is handled the best here than in any other version, Ultimate comic, Ultimate cartoon, etc. I really like that you get to play as her fairly frequently and her stealth missions are well done (gave me some Clank section vibes from Ratchet & Clank, but that may just my Insomniac fanboy-ness overanalyzing )

I'm especially loving her role in the story and her relationship with Peter. They have great chemistry and the relationship problems don't feel forced at all, you feel for it and it becomes genuinely engaging. I'm about halfway through so I'm very excited to see how it all plays out.

[Kevinroc]

I just finished the main campaign of Insomniac's Spider-Man. And I have a lot of thoughts about this game and its ending.

And there are DEFINITELY going to be some interesting takes on the ending. I'll grab the popcorn, lol.

[Miles To Go]

And there are DEFINITELY going to be some interesting takes on the ending. I'll grab the popcorn, lol.

All I can say about that ending is...about time someone went there.

[AngelJD]

Overall the writer did a wonderful job with the team of characters including MJ. Peter, Miles, MJ, Aunt May were all very well written and well voice acted and animated.

The ending plus with the Spider-Verse movie and the Spider event coming up (a tale also going to be written by this game's writer) makes me think a few DLC (outside of what is already told to us) might show up.
DLC involving: Miles, Harry, and the Symbiote

Being both a MJ and Gwen fan I figured that this Earth's Gwen would show up or be mentioned during the acid trip Peter was going through seeing Uncle Ben, Gwen and others that he wasn't able to save or felt guilty about. However outside of the mention about Uncle Ben I don't recall Gwen's name mentioned thus that leaves for the writer openings that Peter, MJ, and Gwen haven't met if not having the traditional (and personally hoping to now just avoid as now unnecessary) death from a bridge route for her.

Maybe taking inspirations with MJ being the reporter and taking a page from Earth 617 where that Gwen became a great forensic detective (amoung other things such as also being the host for a symbiote) possible for this game's Earth and characterization she could be a 'fresh from the academy eager to prove herself rookie' just as Miles is equally a rookie and hopeful of proving himself a hero at the same time. Both who lost fathers who were decorated NYPD officers who even today inspires them still and that they both can relate to.
Also no trope love triangle of two gals for one guy stick. I'm sick of that trope and usually I find with writers making them jealous, catty, or mean spirited in the end I find it just degrades or just hazardous writing for the characters MJ and Gwen when we live in a time period where two girls being nasty is just not fun or acceptable and better to be friends or partners.

Also hopefully MJ will be apart of a few DLCs also (and a squeal game as I figure this should make tons of money). Once Miles showcases his powers and MJ sees a few of then it shouldn't take to long for reporter MJ to put the pieces together as to the 'how'. I loved being able to play beyond Peter thus I don't know what the DLCs, spotlight focus, and characters introduced in them might be but I hope MJ(s) will still play a role and playable. Love the chemistry between the characters and agian the voice acting in this game was top notch.

[Digifiend]

You're saying Gwen should be a policewoman? I guess that would work like Darkhawk, who became a cop after his comic ended and then got his powers back recently. Also, it's similar to Batgirl, who in Batman Beyond has retired from superheroics and ends up doing her dad's old job as police commissioner, which obviously means at some point in between she was a regular policewoman.

[Frontier]

I'm very much enjoying this portrayal of MJ. The execution of her reporter side I think is handled the best here than in any other version, Ultimate comic, Ultimate cartoon, etc. I really like that you get to play as her fairly frequently and her stealth missions are well done (gave me some Clank section vibes from Ratchet & Clank, but that may just my Insomniac fanboy-ness overanalyzing )

I think it helps that they implement that element of her character from the get-go and as a major part of the story, whereas Ultimate comic MJ only started it pretty late and it sometimes came off like an afterthought and Ultimate cartoon MJ was too irrelevant for it to matter.

I think it was well utilized in the story even though I still think it makes Mary Jane too much like Lois Lane. But I get why they went with a job that would get her majorly involved with the plot.

I think Insomniac did a good job of diversifying the gameplay beyond the stuff you would expect in a Spider-Man game. And hey, we got a playable MJ without superpowers, which I think is a double win .

I'm especially loving her role in the story and her relationship with Peter. They have great chemistry and the relationship problems don't feel forced at all, you feel for it and it becomes genuinely engaging. I'm about halfway through so I'm very excited to see how it all plays out.

It's so refreshing seeing such a nuanced and involved depiction of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship.

[Miles To Go]

nsomniac did a good job of diversifying the gameplay beyond the stuff you would expect in a Spider-Man game. And hey, we got a playable MJ without superpowers, which I think is a double win .

And if you notice, in one of her final cutscenes

spoilers:

She may end up being Spinnerett in a sequel

end of spoilers

[Kevinroc]

And if you notice, in one of her final cutscenes

spoilers:

She may end up being Spinnerett in a sequel

end of spoilers

spoilers:

MJ wasn't bitten. The game is very unsubtle about this kind of thing.

end of spoilers

[Majesty]

So why is Mary Jane a reporter and not a model? is that job description too "insulting" or "degrading" a job description now?

I think it helps that they implement that element of her character from the get-go and as a major part of the story, whereas Ultimate comic MJ only started it pretty late and it sometimes came off like an afterthought and Ultimate cartoon MJ was too irrelevant for it to matter.

I think it was well utilized in the story even though I still think it makes Mary Jane too much like Lois Lane. But I get why they went with a job that would get her majorly involved with the plot.

I think Insomniac did a good job of diversifying the gameplay beyond the stuff you would expect in a Spider-Man game. And hey, we got a playable MJ without superpowers, which I think is a double win .

It's so refreshing seeing such a nuanced and involved depiction of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship.

I agree with that. Then again it really does push her in to the Lois Lane category now, whether or not people want to consider that a good thing or a hindrance is up to them. After the realization that she was a reporter one of my friends said "I guess now it's gonna make sense for Spider-Man to save her every other situation now, cause she'll be right in the thick of it" but that actually bothered me. And I can't figure out why, maybe it's because I don't want this reporter job to put her in the "lois lane" category in the vanilla sense that people think that she's only existing in that role so Spider-Man can eventually save her.

The game does an alright job about it, but, hearing that statement about what Mary Jane could be considered at a base level with the "reporter" gimmick did bother me a bit sadly.

Game was fine though. Not better than the 2001 PS1 game, but a solid Spider-Man game.

[Frontier]

So why is Mary Jane a reporter and not a model? is that job description too "insulting" or "degrading" a job description now?



I agree with that. Then again it really does push her in to the Lois Lane category now, whether or not people want to consider that a good thing or a hindrance is up to them. After the realization that she was a reporter one of my friends said "I guess now it's gonna make sense for Spider-Man to save her every other situation now, cause she'll be right in the thick of it" but that actually bothered me. And I can't figure out why, maybe it's because I don't want this reporter job to put her in the "lois lane" category in the vanilla sense that people think that she's only existing in that role so Spider-Man can eventually save her.

The game does an alright job about it, but, hearing that statement about what Mary Jane could be considered at a base level with the "reporter" gimmick did bother me a bit sadly.

Game was fine though. Not better than the 2001 PS1 game, but a solid Spider-Man game.

I mean, I don't think they meant having her in the game as a knock against classic MJ, just that it allowed her to be more active and involved with the main story and gameplay then she would probably have been in her comic professions.

That being said, I would really rather the reporter thing not become that consistent thing moving forward.

[Kevinroc]

MJ as reporter is taken directly from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. While I personally never cared for it, and think it's a little too Lois Lane, I will admit there is some logic to the idea.

And if you want a difference than Lois Lane's boyfriend/husband is bulletproof, Mary Jane's isn't.

[Frontier]

And if you want a difference than Lois Lane's boyfriend/husband is bulletproof, Mary Jane's isn't.

Although he can sure take some punishment, as demonstrated in the game .

[Inversed]

I think it helps that they implement that element of her character from the get-go and as a major part of the story, whereas Ultimate comic MJ only started it pretty late and it sometimes came off like an afterthought and Ultimate cartoon MJ was too irrelevant for it to matter.

I think it was well utilized in the story even though I still think it makes Mary Jane too much like Lois Lane. But I get why they went with a job that would get her majorly involved with the plot.

I think Insomniac did a good job of diversifying the gameplay beyond the stuff you would expect in a Spider-Man game. And hey, we got a playable MJ without superpowers, which I think is a double win .

It's so refreshing seeing such a nuanced and involved depiction of Peter and Mary Jane's relationship.

Yeah, in fact I would probably argue that this is the best MJ has been adapted into another media, with the Spectacular cartoon version being a close second. She's that enjoyable to watch and play as, and I think Laura Bailey's mo-cap and voice performance help in making her so appealing. It was also probably good in a story like this to have a character to be the unbiased news source, with Jonah already basically just being one big in-joke.

With this, Spider-Island, and Renew Your Vows, it shows how incredibly Gage & Slott can write them together when they actually care about writing her.

[Miles To Go]

http://www.thathashtagshow.com/2018/...ohn-semper-jr/