Mary Jane Watson/Parker Appreciation 2019

[millernumber1]

It's a one page comic from Marvel Comics #1000. I like this one a lot, it's really cute and sort of J. Scott Campbell's way of poking fun at some of his own art. I also love the ending bit, "I'm in Love again!"

That is really cute. Thanks for sharing!

[Huntsman Spider]

Just read Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11. Won't spoil it, but it's one of the greatest Mary Jane-centric comics I've ever read.

MJ is of course in Life Story #6 too.
spoilers:

She outlives Peter and gives Miles the classic Spider-Man costume.

end of spoilers

Zdarsky's Life Story opens with a homage to one of the great Peter-MJ moments. Nothing quite gets the "we grew old together" charm like this.

Attachment 86271

Attachment 86272

Today is a great day for Mary Jane Watson(-Parker)!

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Today is a great day for Mary Jane Watson(-Parker)!

Yeah today more or less confirms MJ as the most important character in Spider-Man after Peter.

FNSM #11 (2019) is also great. Tom Taylor writes MJ in a very unique voice. And I don't know if it's a deliberate choice or not, but this story can easily be read as if the two are still married. I mean it makes more sense to read them as a married couple in that story. There doesn't seem to be any reference or acnowledgement of any baggage between them.

And MJ feels older here than before. So she's closer to the Pre-OMD Mary Jane than before.

[Digifiend]

It's a one page comic from Marvel Comics #1000. I like this one a lot, it's really cute and sort of J. Scott Campbell's way of poking fun at some of his own art. I also love the ending bit, "I'm in Love again!"

The only problem with that page is that she wasn't Iron Woman, she was Iron Spider (for only a single issue, of course).

[millernumber1]

Yeah today more or less confirms MJ as the most important character in Spider-Man after Peter.

FNSM #11 (2019) is also great. Tom Taylor writes MJ in a very unique voice. And I don't know if it's a deliberate choice or not, but this story can easily be read as if the two are still married. I mean it makes more sense to read them as a married couple in that story. There doesn't seem to be any reference or acnowledgement of any baggage between them.

And MJ feels older here than before. So she's closer to the Pre-OMD Mary Jane than before.

I did quite like FNSM11 today, but it didn't quite excite me as much as other stories have for MJ. It was a really good "day in the life," and I liked that, but the art wasn't really as polished as I'd hope, and the writing, while solid, wasn't quite at peak level.

That being said, I'm spoiled for amazing Mary Jane content these days. When I think back to just two years ago, this title would have likely made it on my "10 best MJ titles of all time" just because it's so much better than anything including her just that short time ago.

[AngelJD]

I liked Marvel #1000 and it had alot of things I enjoyed in it.

However there was some things I felt missing or off. I started reading comics in late 2014 thanks to Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman so seeing Spider-Gwen, Kamala, and even Squirrel Girl on the main cover I expect them to have at least a panel of representation somewhere but they weren't and for Kamala not to show up somewhere in the 2014-present area was a bit shocking to me.

Also interesting that Lacour Spider-Gwen's writer and debut issue maker when having a opportunity to do so didn't select Spider-Gwen and her series start in 2015 that he wrote but instead focused on Doom and Secret Wars event that happened in 2015. While shocked I can also respect that as he is not tooting his own horn in a way though as far as characters and impacts beyond 2015 goes Spider-Gwen and characters/series debuting to me has more impact to the Marvel universe then majority of events do including the 2015 Secret Wars that did have a impact from 2015-2018 but now has no impact presently on today's storylines.


Now getting back to just MJ and her appearances in this huge issue I enjoyed the Conway's page plus that key issue he wrote has left a impact to the comic series and characters thus has a place for representation in that year. Also as a MJ and Gwen fan I love reading pro MJ/Gwen stuff.

Now for Campbell page that one I found more insulting or missing a bit.
Insulting in that in this issue there might be non comic readers that might try and use this 'history' and comics and characters representing pages to help jump in and learn about the characters and monuments key to the Marvel Universes with hopefully mostly focusing on the comics divisions side.
Many characters I learned and existed in Marvel history thanks to this issue and I loved that and the visual and written representation they got. So getting to a area that's meant to showcase MJ and her importance in the Marvel history I got a different feeling in the end of it all. So many roles she been used for yet showing who she is as a character and highlighting her importance I didn't really feel the same vibes like past pages gave me. It felt a small bit of undermining her contributions and to prove to new readers that she left a crucial impact after 50+ years she has been around and worthy to be followed. I guess I wanted something beyond superficial and dive deeper. THe artist mocking that cover he made with the sitting pose was funny but the freckles I felt took up a bit of space that could of been used better. Reading MJ saying "Hee-Hee" and commenting on her freckles and ending with a "Get Ouuuuuttttt!" for that area made me cringe a bit.

The first half of it was great with humor yet accurity giving some representation to MJ's history which was good but that last 1/3 I felt was off. Now for the roles 616 MJ has done in the comics 616 MJ isn't Spinnert MJ just as 616 Gwen isn't Earth-65 Spider-Gwen. I adore Spinnert and she is one of my favorite versions of MJ but she still isn't 616 MJ also.
If he was including all versions of MJ and roles he could of included:
Mother MJ from Spider-Girl (a huge role and if we are going to have other versions of MJ in the Multiverse shown then as far as her various roles that is a huge one in her history)
This could of been dual sided ('I'm NOT and mother' (sadness of a lost child)/"I'm a mother!" (Joy and a embarrassed Mayday being hugged by MJ)

Other roles/versions also:
Still waiting to be saved MJ (1990's animated series MJ)
Movie MJ from the first trilogy films
Death by 'radioactive spider sperm' MJ (Ghost MJ joking about it that even death or abuscity of it all can't bring down her spirit)
Maybe poke some fun with MCU 'MJ' (have drawn MCU MJ trolling that she is also 'MJ' yet also not 'Mary Jane' and the forums go to war over that but overall she doesn't care what others think)
Old Woman MJ (Life Story MJ)
Reporter MJ (Ultimate 1610 and PS4 Video Game Series MJ)

[millernumber1]

I had the opposite reaction. The Conway piece didn't really add to the door closing moment for me, and fell really flat, while the Campbell piece was really fun. I didn't take it that seriously - I just took the gags, and enjoyed what I recognized. Obviously, jokes can't work for everyone, just as serious moments can't work for everyone, but I don't think it was insulting at all.

[AngelJD]

I had the opposite reaction. The Conway piece didn't really add to the door closing moment for me, and fell really flat, while the Campbell piece was really fun. I didn't take it that seriously - I just took the gags, and enjoyed what I recognized. Obviously, jokes can't work for everyone, just as serious moments can't work for everyone, but I don't think it was insulting at all.

I guess insulting is a bit of a overstatement. I did however felt disappointed that a area designed for MJ and her 50+ years in comics I felt compared to other characters felt lacking. That is If I gave this to a new reader or kid to be a quick introduction and see in history of the MArvel 80 years represented when it gets to the MJ representation of herself part the overall visual and message the new reader might get about her I feel falls into a territory that is a bit worrying. If this is your overall 'MJ' introduction is from this page then what would you assume of her just reading this page only and her characterization displayed?

[AngelJD]

As I wrote it's just that last 1/3 that I find the weak link to the page itself.
Going over it and what could of been cut to focus on other aspects of MJ as a character to a reader:

Celebration of 80 years well they can cut the OMD reference. OMD and celebrating don't go in the same sentence and I hope it's impact will be null soon.
The jab at the cover he made I liked alot as it felt like a response by 616 MJ the character would say and just logical sitting pose also.
The freckles part the way it was written with how MJ is commenting about it I found to be off putting and incorporating alot of space for something not that major.
Iron Woman? It was 'Iron Spider'. She could make a comment that she worked tempowery with Tony and thus could be found in that series for a time between 2015-2018 maybe but this presented and limited info wouldn't inform new readers of that part of her past.
616 MJ isn't Spinneret (however that is possibly my favorite and a very likeable version of MJ presented and if other MJ versions also had filled the page in some areas then it would of fit but being the only non 616 MJ on the page has her sticking out and feeling of a misreapeastion of 616 MJ's history. Interesting she wasn't drawn with the bun hairstyle but I like her hair tied during superheroics up yet not in that bun style better).

Overall for a 616 MJ 'memoir' that is meant to be a essay/biography on MJ by MJ herself to you the reader I don't feel this 'memoir' captured her. It showed her performing roles but I was hoping for a bit more substance and characterization displayed in turn.

[Spider-Tiger]

I had the opposite reaction. The Conway piece didn't really add to the door closing moment for me, and fell really flat, while the Campbell piece was really fun. I didn't take it that seriously - I just took the gags, and enjoyed what I recognized. Obviously, jokes can't work for everyone, just as serious moments can't work for everyone, but I don't think it was insulting at all.

Same. I think Campbell's page is adorable, but Conway's page...as much as I love Conway...had me rolling my eyes.

[KangMiRae]

I had the opposite reaction. The Conway piece didn't really add to the door closing moment for me, and fell really flat, while the Campbell piece was really fun. I didn't take it that seriously - I just took the gags, and enjoyed what I recognized. Obviously, jokes can't work for everyone, just as serious moments can't work for everyone, but I don't think it was insulting at all.

I thought I was the only one so I kept my mouth shut, but I didn't like that Conway piece at all. It just seemed to diminish how much MJ cared for Peter in an effort to show how much MJ and Gwen were friends. I don't know, I disliked it a lot. "I didn't stay for him" just seems wrong.

[Vortex85]

The Conway peice I actually really liked.

1) Mary Jane and Peter were not in a real relationship at the time. It makes much more sense to MJ to stay for Gwen because Gwen just died and it was her death that changed MJ (and inspired her to not run like she always did before that point) not anything Peter did up to that point.

2) if MJ stayed for Peter it implies she had a thing for Peter and now that Gwen was dead was making her move to get closer to him which puts MJ in a bad light. MJ was never trying to really steal Gwen’s man. It’s important to frame the scene that way.

I think Conway’s piece elevated the scene. It was an important reminder that Gwen and MJ were not in competition for Peter, but friends, and it showed how Gwen’s death had an impact on Mary Jane which puts her side by side with Peter as someone who lost something that day. They both felt the loss and MJ used that loss to improve not only herself, but to help Peter pull through as well.

[KangMiRae]

The Conway peice I actually really liked.

1) Mary Jane and Peter were not in a real relationship at the time. It makes much more sense to MJ to stay for Gwen because Gwen just died and it was her death that changed MJ (and inspired her to not run like she always did before that point) not anything Peter did up to that point.

2) if MJ stayed for Peter it implies she had a thing for Peter and now that Gwen was dead was making her move to get closer to him which puts MJ in a bad light. MJ was never trying to really steal Gwen’s man. It’s important to frame the scene that way.

I think Conway’s piece elevated the scene. It was an important reminder that Gwen and MJ were not in competition for Peter but friends and it showed how Gwen’s death had an impact and n Mary Jane which puts her side by side with Peter. They both felt the loss and MJ used that loss to improve not being not only herself, but to help Peter pull through as well.

Sorry, but I disagree to all these points, especially #2. Her staying for Peter doesn't mean she saw it as a way to make her move now that Gwen was dead. That in itself contradicts your first point, if it were even true. To me, she knew how much Gwen meant to Peter and her death left him hurt, so she stayed to comfort him because that's what friends do. Love or no love, she wanted to be there for someone who was hurt. And I'm sure her death was hurting her, too and being with the ones you care about helps.

This isn't even mentioning the dialogue they had in that very scene which tells the story of MJ learning to break out of her walls better than this piece Conway did now. Her closing the door and staying after Peter said she's only good for caring about herself told everything Conway just wrote in this piece, but better.

[Vortex85]

Sorry, but I disagree to all these points, especially #2. Her staying for Peter doesn't mean she saw it as a way to make her move now that Gwen was dead. That in itself contradicts your first point, if it were even true. To me, she knew how much Gwen meant to Peter and her death left him hurt, so she stayed to comfort him because that's what friends do. Love or no love, she wanted to be there for someone who was hurt. And I'm sure her death was hurting her, too and being with the ones you care about helps.

If that’s the case it makes MJ very cold and not human in being unaffected by Gwen’s death. She should be hurting from Gwen’s death because Gwen always hung out with her and was probably her closest friend at the time. If she only stayed because she saw Peter was hurting than it makes her look like she cares about Peter but not about Gwen. It’s important to note MJ was closer to Gwen than Peter back in those days.

[KangMiRae]

If that’s the case it makes MJ very cold and not human in being unaffected by Gwen’s death. She should be hurting from Gwen’s death because Gwen always hung out with her and was probably her closest friend at the time. If she only stayed because she saw Peter was hurting than it makes her look like she cares about Peter but not about Gwen. It’s important to note MJ was closer to Gwen than Peter back in those days.

Reread my edit. Obviously she'd be hurting, but instead of dealing with the grief herself she decided to share the grief with Peter.

I just fundamentally disagree with the notion this piece gave out. It's a weak attempt to retell what the original scene already did.