Ve’Nam opinions?

[Agent Z]

Well, the story as it is is pretty lame, relies on exposition and doesn't use or develop Brock's character in any meaningful way. Just sayin'

I like stories where the main character moves the plot instead of being swept up in it or simply being told it. I don't see how him doing actual investigation automatically makes him a great reporter, and him investigating would actually be a good way to explore his character.

Okay honest question but I've always been confused by this. How exactly do you tell a character who is "moving the plot" and one who is "swept up in it or told it". I mean, in those scenarios you proposed, one has the symbiote telling Brock about the conspiracy, the second is him learning about because some guy got killed and the third is a typical story about someone framed for a crime they didn't commit.

[The Cool Thatguy]

Okay honest question but I've always been confused by this. How exactly do you tell a character who is "moving the plot" and one who is "swept up in it or told it". I mean, in those scenarios you proposed, one has the symbiote telling Brock about the conspiracy, the second is him learning about because some guy got killed and the third is a typical story about someone framed for a crime they didn't commit.

Brock investigating is him moving the plot. He's using his own skills to move the plot forward after being prodded, instead of being told literally every element of the plot by some outside player. They instigate the plot, but Brock drives it, using his own skills/character to explore it further.

Brock being told every element of the plot, is him being swept in it.

[Cville]

Loved it. Cates knows how the throw together different corners of the MU and make it work. I'd like to see him headline a crossover event.

[J. D. Guy]

Is inconsistent, some time he was other times he wasn't, then you had to take into account than the guy narration of events is obviously not reliable and that he was defonetly insane before bonding with the symbiote.

Yeah, that seems about the gist of it.

And on a different note, I don't see the importance of sidetracking the story just to shoe-horn a part of the character that was never shown to be really that integral, particularly since he's never really shown to be that good a journalist or that morally sound a journalist, nor has his journalism been relevant in any way with his character outside his introduction (so he could have a[n arguably flimsy] reason to make Parker's life miserable some more). Among other things more pertinent, this is a story about adding to the Symbiote mythos. Distracting (non-appropriately so) from this just to dredge up something that's not even been apart of the character for so long just seems like missing the point.

[Prof. Warren]

Yeah, that seems about the gist of it.

And on a different note, I don't see the importance of sidetracking the story just to shoe-horn a part of the character that was never shown to be really that integral, particularly since he's never really shown to be that good a journalist or that morally sound a journalist, nor has his journalism been relevant in any way with his character outside his introduction (so he could have a[n arguably flimsy] reason to make Parker's life miserable some more). Among other things more pertinent, this is a story about adding to the Symbiote mythos. Distracting (non-appropriately so) from this just to dredge up something that's not even been apart of the character for so long just seems like missing the point.

Yes, exactly.

As far as we know, he was never much of a reporter to begin with.

It would be weird and forced to suddenly build a story around what a great investigative sleuth he is.

[Prof. Warren]

Loved it. Cates knows how the throw together different corners of the MU and make it work. I'd like to see him headline a crossover event.

I'm sure Marvel would be more than happy to have him do one, too!

Cates says that he's got a new thing with Geoff Shaw being announced this week. Wonder what it's gonna be?

[DurararaFTW]

Yes, exactly.

As far as we know, he was never much of a reporter to begin with.

It would be weird and forced to suddenly build a story around what a great investigative sleuth he is.

It's not neccesary that he was a good reporter, it is however integral to his genuine outrage with Peter that he cared and worked hard for his reporting. He might be a **** reporter, but it diminishes Brock if he doesn't see it as a meaningful part of his life.

[Prof. Warren]

It's not neccesary that he was a good reporter, it is however integral to his genuine outrage with Peter that he cared and worked hard for his reporting. He might be a **** reporter, but it diminishes Brock if he doesn't see it as a meaningful part of his life.

If he's a sh*t reporter, telling a story that suddenly hinges on him being a great reporter would be a weird story to tell.

At any rate, nothing about the current story diminishes any of his journalistic background. It just isn't applicable at the moment to what's going on.

[The Cool Thatguy]

If he's a sh*t reporter, telling a story that suddenly hinges on him being a great reporter would be a weird story to tell.

At any rate, nothing about the current story diminishes any of his journalistic background. It just isn't applicable at the moment to what's going on.

Ya know, if they don't build on Eddie being a report as part of his character...what else is there for him character wise, really?

His 'start of darkness' stems from him being a reporter. His current day job is being a reporter.

The current story may not diminish his character, no but it doesn't help it either. The gist seems built for Flash, and the framing is exposition dump. Eddie's character is basically in neutral for this story.

[Huntsman Spider]

Hmm, come to think of it, you do raise some good points about Eddie being the one to drive the story as opposed to the story driving him. Maybe it wouldn't have changed much about the actual story, as I think it's pretty fascinating in and of itself, but it could've been more compelling if Eddie was digging into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past experiments with the symbiotes and stumbled upon Rex and/or Knull, or was driven to investigate by his symbiote's unusual behavior. I can respect that point of view.