Well here we go again.... Sort of Spoilers for Friendly Neighborhood SP #5....

[Cmbmool]

Well can someone Say deja vu all over again because I can.....spoilers:

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/04...an-5-spoilers/

end of spoilers

[Celgress]

Here is how I feel about OMD references. Take it alway Kylo -

[Prof. Warren]

I did NOT like this issue at all.

It sealed the deal for me dropping this title.

Aside from just not feeling another trip to Death's Door for May, there was a moment here that stuck in my craw so badly, I just can't continue reading the book.

After May tells Peter about her condition, she asks him to be with her the next day for her chemo treatment and Peter responds with "...I've got a lot going on." or words to that effect.

Yes, eventually he does the right thing and shows up for her but that he would be such a sh*t and not immediately agree to be there struck me as so un-Peter like that I knew that this would be my last issue. Had he agreed but then his ability to get there was put in jeopardy because he had to handle something as Spider-Man, I could go along with that - as utterly cliched as it would have been. But that he would hesitate even for a second to be there for May...no, I don't buy that. That's just bad writing on the part of Tom Taylor.

I was on the fence about this book anyway but this issue made up my mind for me.

I'll be interested in hearing where they go with this May storyline - and I hope it doesn't wind up being as exploitative as it seems - but I won't follow along.

[PCN24454]

I did NOT like this issue at all.

It sealed the deal for me dropping this title.

Aside from just not feeling another trip to Death's Door for May, there was a moment here that stuck in my craw so badly, I just can't continue reading the book.

After May tells Peter about her condition, she asks him to be with her the next day for her chemo treatment and Peter responds with "...I've got a lot going on." or words to that effect.

Yes, eventually he does the right thing and shows up for her but that he would be such a sh*t and not immediately agree to be there struck me as so un-Peter like that I knew that this would be my last issue. Had he agreed but then his ability to get there was put in jeopardy because he had to handle something as Spider-Man, I could go along with that - as utterly cliched as it would have been. But that he would hesitate even for a second to be there for May...no, I don't buy that. That's just bad writing on the part of Tom Taylor.

I was on the fence about this book anyway but this issue made up my mind for me.

I'll be interested in hearing where they go with this May storyline - and I hope it doesn't wind up being as exploitative as it seems - but I won't follow along.

But Peter always hesitates before doing the right thing. The entire series was founded on it.

[Prof. Warren]

But Peter always hesitates before doing the right thing. The entire series was founded on it.

Not like this.

Sure, Peter is still prone to screwing up but under no circumstances do I believe that, after hearing May tell him about her diagnosis and ask for him to be with her for support, that he'd mumble some lame excuse to get out of it.

In ASM, we just saw him ignore the Rhino's pleas for help in order to rush back into a collapsing restaurant in order to save May.

That's true to his character and that's exactly the response he would always have at the slightest hint that May was in trouble.

Sometimes his responsibilities as Spidey interfere with that and make him look uncaring but this is an instance where he actually flat out acts uncaring - or at least cowardly. It's a bad fumble on the part of Taylor.

[WebLurker]

Oh, boy. Kinda taking this as a good sign that I never got into post-OMD ASM. The waffling over OMD has gotten old and unfunny a long time ago.

[The Negative Zone]

I did NOT like this issue at all.

It sealed the deal for me dropping this title.

Aside from just not feeling another trip to Death's Door for May, there was a moment here that stuck in my craw so badly, I just can't continue reading the book.

After May tells Peter about her condition, she asks him to be with her the next day for her chemo treatment and Peter responds with "...I've got a lot going on." or words to that effect.

Yes, eventually he does the right thing and shows up for her but that he would be such a sh*t and not immediately agree to be there struck me as so un-Peter like that I knew that this would be my last issue. Had he agreed but then his ability to get there was put in jeopardy because he had to handle something as Spider-Man, I could go along with that - as utterly cliched as it would have been. But that he would hesitate even for a second to be there for May...no, I don't buy that. That's just bad writing on the part of Tom Taylor.

I was on the fence about this book anyway but this issue made up my mind for me.

I'll be interested in hearing where they go with this May storyline - and I hope it doesn't wind up being as exploitative as it seems - but I won't follow along.

Dang man if even you dislike it...

[Coco Loco]

Aside from just not feeling another trip to Death's Door for May, there was a moment here that stuck in my craw so badly, I just can't continue reading the book.

After May tells Peter about her condition, she asks him to be with her the next day for her chemo treatment and Peter responds with "...I've got a lot going on." or words to that effect.

Yes, eventually he does the right thing and shows up for her but that he would be such a sh*t and not immediately agree to be there struck me as so un-Peter like that I knew that this would be my last issue.

I thought the issue addressed that. Peter’s instinct was to run away from May because he couldn’t stand to see her in pain, so that’s what he did. The line about having a lot going on was totally cringe-worthy, but it was supposed to be. Pete was in shock and behaved out of character (which kept going throughout the issue). At the end he realized that he put his stuff aside and be strong for May, just like she was trying to be for him. Yea he didn’t get there immediately but that’s a very Spidey kind of story. The issue was about him realizing that May’s illness was about her, not him.

[PCN24454]

I thought the issue addressed that. Peter’s instinct was to run away from May because he couldn’t stand to see her in pain, so that’s what he did. The line about having a lot going on was totally cringe-worthy, but it was supposed to be. Pete was in shock and behaved out of character (which kept going throughout the issue). At the end he realized that he put his stuff aside and be strong for May, just like she was trying to be for him. Yea he didn’t get there immediately but that’s a very Spidey kind of story. The issue was about him realizing that May’s illness was about her, not him.

I understand what you’re saying, but people still haven’t forgiven Peter about OMD.

It’s similar to Anna’s behavior towards Otto in the new Superior Spider-Man. A lot of people found her a bit too condescending towards Otto. Otto has previously made mistakes before, so her condescension is more a manifestation of how little she trusts him. People who like her condescension do so because Otto has it coming.

People hold Peter to such a high standard because they’ve lost faith in him to do the right thing.

[Prof. Warren]

I understand what you’re saying, but people still haven’t forgiven Peter about OMD.

It’s similar to Anna’s behavior towards Otto in the new Superior Spider-Man. A lot of people found her a bit too condescending towards Otto. Otto has previously made mistakes before, so her condescension is more a manifestation of how little she trusts him. People who like her condescension do so because Otto has it coming.

People hold Peter to such a high standard because they’ve lost faith in him to do the right thing.

No, it's not that at all. This is all pretty simple and has nothing to do with any feelings about OMD.

People still understand that making mistakes and failing is still essential to Peter's character. He doesn't have to be - and should never be - flawless.

But when May tells him how dire her situation is and she asks for him to be there for her, for him not to immediately step up is a mistake. It's a bad look for anyone, much less Peter.

Especially when we've seen, throughout the whole history of his fictional existence, how intensely he reacts to May being in peril of any kind. It's established that he will do anything to protect her.

So having him give just a bullsh*t, cowardly response in this situation is grossly out of character. It's just a false note to strike. It's not about holding Peter to a "higher standard," per se, it's just reading something and knowing that, no, that's not true to how he would act.

[Prof. Warren]

I thought the issue addressed that. Peter’s instinct was to run away from May because he couldn’t stand to see her in pain, so that’s what he did. The line about having a lot going on was totally cringe-worthy, but it was supposed to be. Pete was in shock and behaved out of character (which kept going throughout the issue). At the end he realized that he put his stuff aside and be strong for May, just like she was trying to be for him. Yea he didn’t get there immediately but that’s a very Spidey kind of story. The issue was about him realizing that May’s illness was about her, not him.

I'm sure that was the thought behind the issue but the execution was so badly bungled as to make the intentions irrelevant.

"Cringe-worthy" doesn't even cover it. Imagine that your twice-widowed, elderly mother (as May is really Peter's mother figure, of course) tells you that she's been diagnosed with cancer that she wants you to be with her when she undergoes her first chemo treatment. Then imagine that your response to that is "I...have a lot going on right now." No, that's just not something any decent human being would do.

Peter makes a lot of mistakes. It's essential to his character. But making mistakes and being a total douche are two different things.

Like I said earlier, if they put some other obstacle in Peter's way that would have made it difficult to be there for May, I could buy it.

If there was some commitment he made as Spider-Man and he knew someone would be imperiled if he wasn't there when he said he would be - again, that's ok.

But if it's just "this is too difficult for me", then no.

There was probably a number of ways to write this issue in a way where it would have worked emotionally and been true to Peter's character. This did not take any of those better routes.

If I had been enjoying this title more previously, I might let this issue slide and hope it rebounds but it's been on the bubble for me from the start. Pretty easy to see this as a jumping off point.

[PCN24454]

I'm sure that was the thought behind the issue but the execution was so badly bungled as to make the intentions irrelevant.

"Cringe-worthy" doesn't even cover it. Imagine that your twice-widowed, elderly mother (as May is really Peter's mother figure, of course) tells you that she's been diagnosed with cancer that she wants you to be with her when she undergoes her first chemo treatment. Then imagine that your response to that is "I...have a lot going on right now." No, that's just not something any decent human being would do.

Peter makes a lot of mistakes. It's essential to his character. But making mistakes and being a total douche are two different things.

Like I said earlier, if they put some other obstacle in Peter's way that would have made it difficult to be there for May, I could buy it.

If there was some commitment he made as Spider-Man and he knew someone would be imperiled if he wasn't there when he said he would be - again, that's ok.

But if it's just "this is too difficult for me", then no.

There was probably a number of ways to write this issue in a way where it would have worked emotionally and been true to Peter's character. This did not take any of those better routes.

If I had been enjoying this title more previously, I might let this issue slide and hope it rebounds but it's been on the bubble for me from the start. Pretty easy to see this as a jumping off point.

I thought she was widowed 3 times.

[PCN24454]

Here is how I feel about OMD references. Take it always Kylo -

Yeah it’s really beating a dead horse by this point.

[HypnoHustler]

Well can someone Say deja vu all over again because I can.....spoilers:

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/04...an-5-spoilers/

end of spoilers

Boy... that.... looks ridiculously stupid. Spidey breaks a car thief's arm and THEN helps him to escape the police in a stolen car because he feels bad about it?

And that's not even getting into the lazy shock gimmick of giving May breast cancer, when we all know she's un-killable in modern Spidey books. If ASM#400, the perfect send-off for her didn't stick, then this ham-fisted storyline in a satellite book shouldn't. Plus, Peter saying he can't accompany her to chemo is just skeevy, and not like him at all. He'd go to hell and back for her. He has. Say what you will about OMD (which is also terrible), but that's exactly what he did in that story.

This is a bad book. It's poorly written with terrible characterization. Sorry, but it is. Trading 'Spec' and Chip for this was a raw deal.

[WebSlingWonder]

I will say it's going to be tough to balance both Taylor's take and Spencer's take on the Web-Slinger. Clearly they both reference each other based on recent ASM issues, but it'll be....intriguing to see how it all plays out.

Regardless, I'll still read and buy both books!