Spider-Man: Life Story By Chip Zdarsky & Mark Bagley

[Miles To Go]

The life story obviously has to cover a finite span for Peter and whoever his family are, so chances are it's final act will be entirely original and have little to do with adapting certain stories under the microscope of real world events. Civil War was ignored in Renew Your Vows and MC2, which retain much of the 616 backstory up to a point of divergence.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

You know the thing I am most curious about? How OMD factors into this. Does the marriage happen only to later be reversed by the Devil in this story? Does Chip just ignore that whole fiasco? What about the Clone Saga of the 1990s, which was really just another OMD?

So far the solicitations suggest that Zdarsky's approach is mix and match real history with Spider-Man history but not consistently. Like Book 1 is about Vietnam but Spider-Man in the L-D era didn't deal with Vietnam. The Spider-Man 616 moment would be the Master Planner arc for the '60s. For the 70s, he's alluding to Disco, Green Goblin and Gwen Stacy. Then in the 80s, he's going for nuclear weapons and KLH.

Th problem with the 90s is that you don't really have a major iconic story for that decade. I guess Venom and Carnage would be the ones. Both of them are the major villains of the 90s, even if Venom is late 80s. Maybe they'll choose Carnage since Mark Bagley who is Carnage's co-creator is drawing this series. The other problem with the 90s is that while there are major historical events to choose from to tie into a particular decade, or some theme to attach to earlier decades, the 90s is pretty hard egg to scramble. I guess you could do Giuliani and gentrification, or you can do the dotcom bubble. The big event would be the fall of the USSR but that's more a 80s hangover.

For 2000, obviously you have Morlun and 9/11 and Zdarsky has said that he admires JMS' run and loved Morlun. You also have the recession and Occupy.

For the 2010s the big event would be Trump's election which I guess you could substitute with a President Osborn or a Mayor Fisk and get the same effect and emotion across. And of course this decade would end with Peter's death, I am guessing, and Miles Morales taking over.

[LordUltimus]

Th problem with the 90s is that you don't really have a major iconic story for that decade.

Um... the Clone Saga ring any bells?

[Celgress]

I'm confused is this just a series which hits the highlights of Spidey's life (thus far) or is it a retelling in which certain things change to better fit the post-OMD narrative?

[WebSlingWonder]

I'm confused is this just a series which hits the highlights of Spidey's life (thus far) or is it a retelling in which certain things change to better fit the post-OMD narrative?

It's an out of continuity story where the entirety of Peter's history is told in real time. So all of the things that happened are now happening in its respective decade with all the real life craziness during that time. And Peter and his supporting cast age in real time we assume.

[Minerboh]

So far the solicitations suggest that Zdarsky's approach is mix and match real history with Spider-Man history but not consistently. Like Book 1 is about Vietnam but Spider-Man in the L-D era didn't deal with Vietnam. The Spider-Man 616 moment would be the Master Planner arc for the '60s. For the 70s, he's alluding to Disco, Green Goblin and Gwen Stacy. Then in the 80s, he's going for nuclear weapons and KLH.

Th problem with the 90s is that you don't really have a major iconic story for that decade. I guess Venom and Carnage would be the ones. Both of them are the major villains of the 90s, even if Venom is late 80s. Maybe they'll choose Carnage since Mark Bagley who is Carnage's co-creator is drawing this series. The other problem with the 90s is that while there are major historical events to choose from to tie into a particular decade, or some theme to attach to earlier decades, the 90s is pretty hard egg to scramble. I guess you could do Giuliani and gentrification, or you can do the dotcom bubble. The big event would be the fall of the USSR but that's more a 80s hangover.

For 2000, obviously you have Morlun and 9/11 and Zdarsky has said that he admires JMS' run and loved Morlun. You also have the recession and Occupy.

For the 2010s the big event would be Trump's election which I guess you could substitute with a President Osborn or a Mayor Fisk and get the same effect and emotion across. And of course this decade would end with Peter's death, I am guessing, and Miles Morales taking over.

You might want to add the Superior Spider-Man epic into the 2010's as well.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Um... the Clone Saga ring any bells?

Never been adapted into any medium. Not produced a single iconic character who has appeared in movies. And the most important and only lasting contribution it did was bring Norman Osborn back from the dead, which was absolutely not the intent of any of the people who wrote that when they set out.

The Clone Saga is a mess of a story and a proverbial joke but it's not an iconic story of the decade. It's this joke and a laughing stock and known only to 616 Comics readers. Venom and Carnage for instance were far more important. Carnage was the villain of Maximum Carnage, the biggest selling event in Marvel until Civil War, and he appeared as the bad guy in the video game Maximum Carnage and has consistently featured in games, and cartoons. Venom likewise headlined a $800mn worldwide hit in 2018 and is the biggest villain since Ditko.

Nothing the Clone Saga did came close to that.

[Minerboh]

Never been adapted into any medium. Not produced a single iconic character who has appeared in movies. And the most important and only lasting contribution it did was bring Norman Osborn back from the dead, which was absolutely not the intent of any of the people who wrote that when they set out.

The Clone Saga is a mess of a story and a proverbial joke but it's not an iconic story of the decade. It's this joke and a laughing stock and known only to 616 Comics readers. Venom and Carnage for instance were far more important. Carnage was the villain of Maximum Carnage, the biggest selling event in Marvel until Civil War, and he appeared as the bad guy in the video game Maximum Carnage and has consistently featured in games, and cartoons. Venom likewise headlined a $800mn worldwide hit in 2018 and is the biggest villain since Ditko.

Nothing the Clone Saga did came close to that.

The Clone Saga also produced fan favourites Ben Reilly and Kaine.

As for their silver screen adaptations, give it time. Miles just got his.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

The Clone Saga also produced fan favourites Ben Reilly and Kaine.

As for their silver screen adaptations, give it time. Miles just got his.

Actually the success of Miles diminishes Ben Reilly and Kaine.

Ben Reilly wasn't created to be Spider-Man's legacy character. He was intended to be the actual dormant Peter Parker. And once they said that Peter is the clone, the intent was to go all the way and have Reilly reclaim Peter Parker's identity. The reasons why people like Ben Reilly are absolutely not the reason and intent for which he was created. And now that Peter isn't married and isn't expected to be a father, there's no more reason for Ben Reilly, since he was created to be the young single swinging Spider-Man now that Peter, allegedly, got lame.

And between Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino who shares Spider-Man's underdog working-class teenage background but adapted for a new generation and Peter's white clone, Ben Reilly...there's not much to say who translates well and adapts better.

Miles Morales isn't even a decade old when he became adapted to cartoons, games and movies. Ben Reilly is two decades old and still a no-show.

As for Kaine, when you have Venom tearing the box-office on fire as an amoral anti-heroic Spider-Man (more or less), there's not much need for Kaine.

[Scott Taylor]

So far the solicitations suggest that Zdarsky's approach is mix and match real history with Spider-Man history but not consistently. Like Book 1 is about Vietnam but Spider-Man in the L-D era didn't deal with Vietnam. The Spider-Man 616 moment would be the Master Planner arc for the '60s. For the 70s, he's alluding to Disco, Green Goblin and Gwen Stacy. Then in the 80s, he's going for nuclear weapons and KLH.

Th problem with the 90s is that you don't really have a major iconic story for that decade. I guess Venom and Carnage would be the ones. Both of them are the major villains of the 90s, even if Venom is late 80s. Maybe they'll choose Carnage since Mark Bagley who is Carnage's co-creator is drawing this series. The other problem with the 90s is that while there are major historical events to choose from to tie into a particular decade, or some theme to attach to earlier decades, the 90s is pretty hard egg to scramble. I guess you could do Giuliani and gentrification, or you can do the dotcom bubble. The big event would be the fall of the USSR but that's more a 80s hangover.

For 2000, obviously you have Morlun and 9/11 and Zdarsky has said that he admires JMS' run and loved Morlun. You also have the recession and Occupy.

For the 2010s the big event would be Trump's election which I guess you could substitute with a President Osborn or a Mayor Fisk and get the same effect and emotion across. And of course this decade would end with Peter's death, I am guessing, and Miles Morales taking over.

The 1990s was the era when the internet became a thing. And cell phones. Plus you had political stuff like Waco and Don't Ask Don't Tell. Then the Oklahoma City bombing - the big onset/watershed moment for domestic terrorism. Rodney King, OJ trial. All of that could be mined in one way or another. Throw in some grunge skate punk music. But other than that - Y2K?

Chip likes JMS, huh? I bet its because of all the focus on Aunt May. Dude has a thing for geriatric comic characters.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

The 1990s was the era when the internet became a thing. And cell phones. Plus you had political stuff like Waco and Don't Ask Don't Tell. Then the Oklahoma City bombing - the big onset/watershed moment for domestic terrorism. Rodney King, OJ trial. All of that could be mined in one way or another. Throw in some grunge skate punk music. But other than that - Y2K?

Rodney King and OJ happened in LA. Not in New York. Same with Oklahoma City and Columbine and Waco. Grunge music was mostly Seattle.

The dotcom bubble and internet cafes did happen in New York at the time.

[Celgress]

It's an out of continuity story where the entirety of Peter's history is told in real time. So all of the things that happened are now happening in its respective decade with all the real life craziness during that time. And Peter and his supporting cast age in real time we assume.

Thanks for the explanation.

[Minerboh]

Actually the success of Miles diminishes Ben Reilly and Kaine.

Ben Reilly wasn't created to be Spider-Man's legacy character. He was intended to be the actual dormant Peter Parker. And once they said that Peter is the clone, the intent was to go all the way and have Reilly reclaim Peter Parker's identity. The reasons why people like Ben Reilly are absolutely not the reason and intent for which he was created. And now that Peter isn't married and isn't expected to be a father, there's no more reason for Ben Reilly, since he was created to be the young single swinging Spider-Man now that Peter, allegedly, got lame.

And between Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino who shares Spider-Man's underdog working-class teenage background but adapted for a new generation and Peter's white clone, Ben Reilly...there's not much to say who translates well and adapts better.

Miles Morales isn't even a decade old when he became adapted to cartoons, games and movies. Ben Reilly is two decades old and still a no-show.

As for Kaine, when you have Venom tearing the box-office on fire as an amoral anti-heroic Spider-Man (more or less), there's not much need for Kaine.

I completely disagree. They managed to make Guardians of the Galaxy relevant so it won't be a problem to tuggle with Kaine.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I completely disagree. They managed to make Guardians of the Galaxy relevant so it won't be a problem to tuggle with Kaine.

Which characters are the Guardians of the Galaxy clones and failed legacies for? And my understanding is that the Guardians, to the extent that they had a sizable number of stories, never had anything like the Clone Saga affect and complicate their later use.

TLDR, the Guardians do not have the baggage that the Clone Saga do, that Ben Reilly and Kaine do.

To do Ben Reilly you need to do Miles Warren/Jackal, and to do him you need to kill Gwen Stacy. Well the only time they adapted the Death of Gwen it was in TASM-2 and that led to the worst Spider-Man movie and it confirmed the opinions of many that Gwen Stacy doesn't need to die in any context other than 616. The most commercially successful version of Gwen, ITSV, makes no reference to 121-122 and isn't Peter's love interest. And the ultimate thing is that human cloning as a concept is too bizarre and arcane to work in Spider-Man, it takes away from the kitchen sink street-level focus of Spider-Man.

And let's not forget that the Clone Saga is a terrible story.

[Inversed]

The Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon did Ben Reilly and Kaine, and that story was surprisingly done well. Not to say they're both on the level of Miles and such, but there is at least an example of them in an adaptation.