What do you think Nick Spencer's impact will be on the brand?

[WebSlingWonder]

There’s a line from a movie The Bad and the Beautiful:
I could make this scene a climax. I could make every scene in this picture a climax. If I did, I would be a bad director. And I like to think of myself as one of the best. A picture with all climaxes is like a necklace without a string. It falls apart. You must build to the big moment and sometimes, you must build slowly.


That applies to a monthly superhero ongoing especially a twice a month comic.

I don't think you're really seeing my point here...

[your_name_here]

I see nothing wrong with the whole “event” argument. Hunted was the first big one, and 2099 is a smaller scale one...but it’s still a Spider-Man story that doesn’t have to be an event if you don’t see it as one.
So far, the run has been pretty solid for me. It’s fun with high stakes when needed. I think we’ll be getting into the real meat in a couple more months once Kindred makes his moves and we get that reveal.

[RD155]

Make no mistake: the book is still better than it was. But that's the problem with starting off high and setting expectations through the roof. I kind of want future issues to reflect the high quality of the first 15 issues. All I'm saying is that Spencer is in danger of that with so much going on in this book. I still like it, but I'm waiting to love it again.

Agreed..I enjoy Spencer. He managed to get me interested in the world of Spider-Man again. He needs to be careful though. His run is almost...covertly dropping in terms of quality. Right now I find it hard to say that this title isn’t dangerously close to mediocrity. Far from bad but nowhere near “amazing”. He can still right the ship and it’s no doubt better then what’s come before. Also to add is the fact that he’s been doing damage control since he came onboard so I have a lot of respect for him for that.

Bottom line though is that the title is just a bit bland right now. Everyone is waiting on the Kindred reveal. In some ways these current stories are also taking the steam out of that mystery as well.

[Frontier]

I think the all female Sinister Six he's developing might end up positively effecting the brand given the stigma of Spider-Man not having any, or good, female villains (thus necessitating villainizing Black Cat or Silver Sable).

[Lukmendes]

I think the all female Sinister Six he's developing might end up positively effecting the brand given the stigma of Spider-Man not having any, or good, female villains (thus necessitating villainizing Black Cat or Silver Sable).

I don't think so, since of the 6 members in there, 3 are lame rip-offs of his iconic villains, Lady Beetle could work, Trapstr is whatever and White Rabbit is a Z lister.

So while this can show he has female villains, wouldn't say it gives him good ones.

[Frontier]

I don't think so, since of the 6 members in there, 3 are lame rip-offs of his iconic villains, Lady Beetle could work, Trapstr is whatever and White Rabbit is a Z lister.

So while this can show he has female villains, wouldn't say it gives him good ones.

I don't think them being derivative is necessarily a knock against them, and I say this as someone who could take or leave Francine Frye as Electro.

Maybe they're not great or memorable but it's good to establish they exist and have potential to actually develop.

[Lukmendes]

I don't think them being derivative is necessarily a knock against them, and I say this as someone who could take or leave Francine Frye as Electro.

Maybe they're not great or memorable but it's good to establish they exist and have potential to actually develop.

Problem is that they're too similar, that Fem-Ock has mechanic arms and is a scientist too, Francine is a dumbass with electric powers, just like Max, and Scorpia has the suit, though maybe a different personality.

It just doesn't work well if you have two characters doing the same thing, Hobgoblin is very different from Green Goblin in personality, and he's a popular villain, but he struggled anyways.

And hell, if the rip-offs could get their own interesting thing, it could possibly be transfered to their more popular counterparts, making the rip-offs redundant, like it happened with Hobgoblin.

Basically, the female rip-offs are in a bad position by default, and they could get screwed over, maybe those bad things wouldn't happen, but it's a very real possibility.

But oh well, I guess reminding people that they exist could lead to something good in the future, but I'm very skeptical, specially when it's about the rip-offs...

[Frontier]

Problem is that they're too similar, that Fem-Ock has mechanic arms and is a scientist too, Francine is a dumbass with electric powers, just like Max, and Scorpia has the suit, though maybe a different personality.

I liked what little of Trainer we saw of from Spencer's pen, personally. I think she has potential (like they all do).

Basically, the female rip-offs are in a bad position by default, and they could get screwed over, maybe those bad things wouldn't happen, but it's a very real possibility.

To be honest I think their female status helps them in some regards, at least from a diversity standpoint.

But oh well, I guess reminding people that they exist could lead to something good in the future, but I'm very skeptical, specially when it's about the rip-offs...

Maybe don't think of them as rip-offs but...spinoffs ?

[Huntsman Spider]

I liked what little of Trainer we saw of from Spencer's pen, personally. I think she has potential (like they all do).

To be honest I think their female status helps them in some regards, at least from a diversity standpoint.

Maybe don't think of them as rip-offs but...spinoffs ?

Given that Carolyn Trainer's thing when she debuted in the 90s was being a high-tech crime boss specializing in virtual reality, it might have worked better if she leaned into that, in light of how VR tech is having a bit of a renaissance right now.

[Lukmendes]

I liked what little of Trainer we saw of from Spencer's pen, personally. I think she has potential (like they all do).

I mean, all she did was talk about replacing food in the fridge, and get punched lol.

To be honest I think their female status helps them in some regards, at least from a diversity standpoint.

I see little point of "X character, but a female/black/asian/whatever", and if they're supposed to be counterparts, well, they aren't good ones, they can become good, and hell, if Olivia in the Spider-Verse movie is any hint, they can be set apart just enough (And funnily enough, Trainer's tentacles are looking more flexible like Olivia's, even though she didn't do much with 'em), but so far, they're eh.

Maybe don't think of them as rip-offs but...spinoffs ?

If they start to work, maybe lol.

Given that Carolyn Trainer's thing when she debuted in the 90s was being a high-tech crime boss specializing in virtual reality, it might have worked better if she leaned into that, in light of how VR tech is having a bit of a renaissance right now.

What would that help in combat though?

Then again, she could use it for simulations to have good plans and theories for combat, that'd be helpful.

[Fan of Mystery]

-Getting Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson back together

-Putting Kraven the Hunter back in the ground

-Kindred

It's hard to say for sure at this point since his run is still going, but I would imagine these are the three big ones for now.

[NC_Yankee]

Problem is that they're too similar, that Fem-Ock has mechanic arms and is a scientist too, Francine is a dumbass with electric powers, just like Max, and Scorpia has the suit, though maybe a different personality.

It just doesn't work well if you have two characters doing the same thing, Hobgoblin is very different from Green Goblin in personality, and he's a popular villain, but he struggled anyways.

And hell, if the rip-offs could get their own interesting thing, it could possibly be transfered to their more popular counterparts, making the rip-offs redundant, like it happened with Hobgoblin.

Basically, the female rip-offs are in a bad position by default, and they could get screwed over, maybe those bad things wouldn't happen, but it's a very real possibility.

But oh well, I guess reminding people that they exist could lead to something good in the future, but I'm very skeptical, specially when it's about the rip-offs...

The biggest problem with female or for that matter minority versions of a character is when they are rip-offs and nothing more. See the black version of 'The Honeymooners' as Exhibit A: If however, the woman or minority brings something different to the table, beyond simply diversity it can work ( Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury or Miles Morales come to mind). But in the case of Lady Octopus, she is a "D-Lister" who will never compare ( in a good way) to Otto.

[DanMad1977]

Maybe the female Syndicate isn't memorable in the very long run, but right now I find them entertaining.

What I will always remember about Ryan Ottleys art is, his Peter Parker looks exactly like Mark Grayson and his MJ looks like Atom Eve

[Uncanny Mutie]

Not much, really. Spencer's run has been really average/"play it safe" to me.

[Mister Mets]

-Getting Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson back together

-Putting Kraven the Hunter back in the ground

-Kindred

It's hard to say for sure at this point since his run is still going, but I would imagine these are the three big ones for now.

So, at this point he'll be known for restoring an earlier status quo rather than adding something new?