Slott v. Spencer: Year One

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

Spencer > Slott, no question. In the first year, at least.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Spencer > Slott, no question. In the first year, at least.

There's a tendency in Spider-Man's publication history, that the best and most consistent runs are the shorter ones rather than the longer ones. Lee-Ditko is considered more consistent and important than Lee-Romita on the whole. Lee-Romita never matched the all-time high that was #39-#51 (which overlapped with and contributed to the most important 14 months in Spider-Man's franchise history), even if there was classic stories and issues later on, and certainly the masterpiece of that era is the Death of George Stacy which came later. After that, Gerry Conway 39 issues, Roger Stern's run was #229-252 though he had done some three issues intermittently before that. Defalco/Frenz was a little longer but not by much. David Michelinie wrote 100 issues of Spider-Man, the longest after Stan Lee and the record holder until Slott...and his run is generally not ranked as high as others. Even with him people would say he peaked early. And you know JMS peaked around #500 or so. And his later issues even if they had good stuff didn't match that initial momentum.

In the case of Slott...he kept momentum alive by stunts and event titles and overall distractions. He found Peter Parker boring so he got rid of him and did Superior Spider-Man which led to Peter Parker disappearing from 616 for the longest gap ever, and certainly longer than the absence that Clark and Bruce had during Death of Superman and Knightfall. Then later he did Spider-Verse which was again this distraction.

Second series tends to be more consistent...The Spectacular Spider-Man which started with Conway and then had Bill Mantlo and then Peter David (The Death of Jean DeWolff was in Spectacular Spider-Man and not TASM), Conway again, J. M. DeMatteis again, Paul Jenkins later, Chip Zdarsky.

[blackspidey2099]

Slott's first 12/13 issues are some of my favorite Spider-Man issues ever; Spencer's first 13 have been really good/great (first arc, revealing identity to Felicia, current arc) to mediocre (Boomerang arc, overall Heist arc) IMO but overall Slott's run was off to a way better start IMO.

[WebSlingWonder]

It's so fascinating to read the difference in opinions. I honestly thought it would be in favor of Spencer. Hm.

[LordUltimus]

It's so fascinating to read the difference in opinions. I honestly thought it would be in favor of Spencer. Hm.

It may have shown it if a poll was included. Or they may have swung back and forth as more people voted to get their preference higher. Hard to say.

[Snoop Dogg]

Dan is my Joan Jameson and Nick is my Marla Madison. How can a Jonah choose?

[Mister Mets]

Dan is my Joan Jameson and Nick is my Marla Madison. How can a Jonah choose?

There is a worrying tendency to view Spencer's run in opposition to Slott's, so that enjoying Spencer means a rebuke to Slott, or vice versa. They are both excellent.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

You know I can't think of the last time a writer started with as little baggage as Spencer. Slott began with OMD, JMS with the horrid Mackie Byrne era and the whole depressive funk of the separation. And of course before you had the awful clone saga. Maybe Michelinie? He started without having to deal with the mess made to the hobgoblin mystery and owsley's ned Leeds fiasco. Spencer followed a very polarising run and people applauded him bringing Peter down to earth for plagiarism and I can't think of another time a writer got applauded for that.

[WebSlingWonder]

You know I can't think of the last time a writer started with as little baggage as Spencer. Slott began with OMD, JMS with the horrid Mackie Byrne era and the whole depressive funk of the separation. And of course before you had the awful clone saga. Maybe Michelinie? He started without having to deal with the mess made to the hobgoblin mystery and owsley's ned Leeds fiasco. Spencer followed a very polarising run and people applauded him bringing Peter down to earth for plagiarism and I can't think of another time a writer got applauded for that.

Oh, Jack. Can we go one round without bringing up the baggage?

[Mister Mets]

You know I can't think of the last time a writer started with as little baggage as Spencer. Slott began with OMD, JMS with the horrid Mackie Byrne era and the whole depressive funk of the separation. And of course before you had the awful clone saga. Maybe Michelinie? He started without having to deal with the mess made to the hobgoblin mystery and owsley's ned Leeds fiasco. Spencer followed a very polarising run and people applauded him bringing Peter down to earth for plagiarism and I can't think of another time a writer got applauded for that.

Spencer actually came to the book with a lot of baggage. It was his first project after a major event mini-series (Secret Empire) bombed. He had pissed off the right by his social media comments, and he had pissed off the left with moderate messages in his comics, and by the Hydra Cao story. That he got the reception he did on Spider-Man is to his credit.

[Snoop Dogg]

Spencer actually came to the book with a lot of baggage. It was his first project after a major event mini-series (Secret Empire) bombed. He had pissed off the right by his social media comments, and he had pissed off the left with moderate messages in his comics, and by the Hydra Cao story. That he got the reception he did on Spider-Man is to his credit.

Secret Empire was as successful as any other linewide event, tearing up sales charts (especially at the end). There was no real baggage, and he did do Doctor Stange in the Spring, but he just went on vacation after the event because he was tired, like Hickman after Secret Wars. The Twitter outrage cycle moved on to Heroes in Crisis, and most of the Hydra Cap backlash really came from non-readers anyway. So his status before Spider-Man was really "finished cashing in his new royalty checks," and Dan set up the book for the next guy really well.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Spencer actually came to the book with a lot of baggage.

I meant baggage in terms of Spider-Man itself. Controversies and so on. In so far as there were issues about Spider-Man when Spencer started none of that actually stuck to him. Defalco/Frenz were accused of ruining Roger Stern's masterpiece of the Hobgoblin mystery when the man who ruined that was Stern himself. And their run was handicapped with spinning wheels on what ultimately turned out to be a dead-end character and which ultimately led to the pointless death of Ned Leeds. Their best stories were the standalone or limited ones.

Slott's run was so annoying and irritating near the end...you know that clumsy "fall of parker" story, the unlikable nature of Peter and his supporting cast, his silly Uncle Ken story and so on, that all Spencer had to do was basically pull one thread...Peter walking past a graduate degree he did not earn by the sweat of his own brow, and having him own up to that, and suddenly the character feels legit in a way he hasn't since Pre-OMD...albeit that might be another illusion.

Secret Empire was as successful as any other linewide event, tearing up sales charts (especially at the end).

Secret Empire was retconned quickly and little of it has stuck and lasted. It was sold and promoted like the next Civil War (i.e. Millar's one) and it ended up being this embarrassing nothingburger, similar to Morrison's Xorn/Magneto which got retconned at lightspeed.

[Inversed]

Secret Empire was retconned quickly and little of it has stuck and lasted. It was sold and promoted like the next Civil War (i.e. Millar's one) and it ended up being this embarrassing nothingburger, similar to Morrison's Xorn/Magneto which got retconned at lightspeed.

I would argue Secret Empire has been still fairly relevant and not completely ignored, definitely wouldn't say retconned. Stevil Rogers is still around, popping up in Punisher and the Cap book, and its still occasionally referenced. Plus the book always seemed less like a "setting up new status quo, new direction" and moreso concluding a big storyline and resolving a direction the books were pushed in after Civil War II. Now THAT's the story that has been retconned a bunch and basically been completely forgotten about by everyone.

[oldschool]

As others have pointed out, it's probably best till we have an actual full year of stories before we compare but.....if we are going to do first 12 issues as a comparison, I have to give it to Slott, much as I like Spencer thus far. Slott, if we are using "Big Time" (the start of his solo run) had just a sensational run of stories, arguably the best ever collection of his lengthy run on the character (outside of Superior). Spencer has, IMO, laid a better foundation and may very well eclipse Slott as he gets further into his run but, for now, Slott owns the better record for first 12 issues (using "Big Time" as his launching point).

[Batman Begins 2005]

As others have pointed out, it's probably best till we have an actual full year of stories before we compare but.....if we are going to do first 12 issues as a comparison, I have to give it to Slott, much as I like Spencer thus far. Slott, if we are using "Big Time" (the start of his solo run) had just a sensational run of stories, arguably the best ever collection of his lengthy run on the character (outside of Superior). Spencer has, IMO, laid a better foundation and may very well eclipse Slott as he gets further into his run but, for now, Slott owns the better record for first 12 issues (using "Big Time" as his launching point).

I concur with the above. Big Time, Revenge of the Spider Slayer and No One Dies. That's a hot start and three of Slott's best Spidey stories.

Still love Spencer's start, said in another thread how he gets the voices of the characters. The supporting characters get their moments too.