When Mary Jane First Turned Down Peter's Proposal

[Mister Mets]

As part of a series on MJ's first appearances, Brian Cronin looks at how the satellite books handled a pivotal moment in Peter and MJ's relationship, when she rejected his first proposal in Wolfman's run.

https://www.cbr.com/spider-man-mary-...amage-control/

It's funny how readers of Amazing Spider-Man get a different story than readers of Mantlo's Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man.

[WebSlingWonder]

Ah, don't you just love it when the secondary series expands where the main series didn't? I honestly freaking love it! Makes me want to read the first Mantlo run of PPSSM even more!

[WebLurker]

Wish the ASM Epic Collections included all the sub-series, not just the direct crossover ones.

[WebSlingWonder]

Wish the ASM Epic Collections included all the sub-series, not just the direct crossover ones.

THANK YOU!! I'm wondering for the same thing! Hopefully one day we can get a Spectacular Spider-Man Epic Collection series

[Mister Mets]

Ah, don't you just love it when the secondary series expands where the main series didn't? I honestly freaking love it! Makes me want to read the first Mantlo run of PPSSM even more!

Is this an expansion or an undercutting?

[WebSlingWonder]

Is this an expansion or an undercutting?

Expansion, because it provides a more well-rounded idea of the character rather than backtracking as Wolfman seemed (emphasis on seemed) to be doing.

[Lee]

Wish the ASM Epic Collections included all the sub-series, not just the direct crossover ones.

It wouldn't read comfortably, and would have meant planning out around 50 volumes. There wasn't a clear linear continuity between all of the titles - sometimes an entire issue of Spectacular Spider-Man would have to take place between pages of Amazing Spider-Man to fit. There was an element of this in the "Complete Alien Costume Saga vol 1" TPB - it opens up with Amazing Spider-Man #252, which picks up directly from Secret Wars, then the next issue in the book is Marvel Team-Up #141, where the beginning of the story takes place before ASM #252, the middle of the story overlaps with #252, then the end of the story takes place after #252.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Is this an expansion or an undercutting?

The Spectacular Spider-Man comics title was founded precisely to give more space and room for the supporting cast. So it was always founded with the spirit of expansion. But in this case, you can argue that Mantlo was true to the letter and not the spirit. This definitely feels like a writer is trying to course-correct and undermine the characterization put out in the main book in the same way the Civil War tie-ins especially JMS' run on ASM undermined Mark Millar's Civil War.

Mantlo always did write MJ well, both in Wolfman's time and later when Roger Stern brought her back to the cast, so he had a fondness for her. And we know that Mantlo was quite keen on Peter growing up and facing adult consequences.

It's a pity that, to my knowledge, Mantlo was never interviewed extensively on his run on Spectacular before his accident so we might not know what he was doing.

[WebLurker]

It wouldn't read comfortably, and would have meant planning out around 50 volumes. There wasn't a clear linear continuity between all of the titles - sometimes an entire issue of Spectacular Spider-Man would have to take place between pages of Amazing Spider-Man to fit. There was an element of this in the "Complete Alien Costume Saga vol 1" TPB - it opens up with Amazing Spider-Man #252, which picks up directly from Secret Wars, then the next issue in the book is Marvel Team-Up #141, where the beginning of the story takes place before ASM #252, the middle of the story overlaps with #252, then the end of the story takes place after #252.

Maybe the subseries can get their own Epic Collections?