Spider-Island - Post COVID-19

[Revolutionary_Jack]

So with COVID-19, everyone is digging up fictional work that dealt with pandemics before. Contagion is top of the rentals, Outbreak is not far behind. In Japan and Korea, Albert Camus' The Plague is on the best-seller lists.

So I thought it was a good time to revisit Spider-Island which is, to my mind, the only major Marvel event in the last 10 years to center around a city-wide epidemic. Now there have been comics stories that deal with viruses before. You have the Legacy Virus in X-Men which was a metaphor for AIDS. In Batman you had an event called Contagion that IIRC led up to No man's land. There have also been a number of Marvel stories and DC stories that deal with plagues like say Red Skull's gas, and Joker venom. But Slott's Spider-Island showed a city-wide epidemic, one which could have become a pandemic but was contained by the efforts of Spider-Man and of course Mayor J. Jonah Jameson.

Because on re-reading Spider-Island, it strikes me that Post-COVID, that Jameson is the real hero, acting in a way that real life government officials. Immediately closing schools, and public places, putting the city on lockdown, quarantining everyone and making sure nobody goes in and out.

Spider-Island - Mayor Jameson is Great.jpg

Spider-Island - Mayor Jameson is Great 2.jpg

Jameson also believes that the cure/vaccine for the disease should be free for all citizens and refuses attempts to monetize it.

Spider-Island - Mayor Jameson is Great 4.jpg

Of course, Slott's Spider-Island is not really serious. It's basically a high concept story of everyone getting Spider-Powers. So the disease is just an excuse for that. And of course the nature of the disease, puts the entire story outside the scope of the health system.

In that respects, the Spider-Man PS4 game is more useful/helpful. The developers said that they looked at Spider-Island as an inspiration for a city-wide epidemic when they used the "Devil's Snare" plot in the final section of the game. And that part of the game does bring the city's health system and other people in focus. And the PS4 game deals with a very broken and irresponsible mayor (Osborn) in charge as opposed to Jameson who is aces.

So yeah, Mayor J. Jonah Jameson...genuflect, show some respect, get down on your knees.

[HypnoHustler]

This is one of the worst times to be alive in decades. I read comics right now to escape what’s happening in the news, not to be reminded of it. I see no valid comparison between the two. Everyone getting spider powers sounds like a blast compared to the sobering reality of wondering if my parents will get sick and die. I’m not blaming you, but I’d rather keep covid talk off this board about Spider-Man as it triggers many of us who are just looking for a break from all that.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

This is one of the worst times to be alive in decades. I read comics right now to escape what’s happening in the news, not to be reminded of it. I see no valid comparison between the two. Everyone getting spider powers sounds like a blast compared to the sobering reality of wondering if my parents will get sick and die. I’m not blaming you, but I’d rather keep covid talk off this board about Spider-Man as it triggers many of us who are just looking for a break from all that.

I am sorry to have upset you, and I hope you take care and find comfort for your anxiety. I regret not being able to add to that.

I have people I am concerned and care about too who are also vulnerable to this outbreak, and they wanted to discuss stuff that reflects the anxiety they feel, so it came out of that. They wanted to know what movies to see, what songs to listen to, what comics to read and so on. I recommend Spider-Island to many people in this time. I remember when I was young and worried about the 9/11 attacks and what it meant, JMS-JRJR's 9/11 issue (with that all-black cover) meant a great deal to me.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I was hoping that starting a positive discourse on a story by Dan Slott, especially one started by someone who's not always the biggest fan of him, would bring this community together. It was my attempt to do my part.

Something like the pandemic has a way of drying up emotions, like all the stuff I used to feel about Slott's run, those feelings aren't as strong now, and I am kind of more appreciative of the good rather than the bad.

I hope we can all do that now, talk about the good in each other rather than the bad. I am trying to do my small part in that.

[Snoop Dogg]

A real Spider-Island would be horrific. I am putting so much effort into my debut as New York's greatest masked menace, but a real disease like this would let everyone kick my ass.

[Snoop Dogg]

Can Corona-chan also give us art by great Spanish gods?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

...

...

Guys, hugs to both of you. This thread's version of the MCU hero-v-hero fight doesn't need to continue any longer. You are both good guys here.

[Venomous Mask]

This is one of the worst times to be alive in decades. I read comics right now to escape what’s happening in the news, not to be reminded of it. I see no valid comparison between the two. Everyone getting spider powers sounds like a blast compared to the sobering reality of wondering if my parents will get sick and die. I’m not blaming you, but I’d rather keep covid talk off this board about Spider-Man as it triggers many of us who are just looking for a break from all that.

You do remember that those people who got spider-powers who were not cured soon ended up becoming giant spider monsters that probably would have devoured their friends and family, right? Not really a blast.

[Mister Mets]

8 posts were deleted. Let's not have arguments about whether people were right to be triggered by a comparison of a comic book to a real crisis. And even if some people don't like the idea of that discussion, it can still be worthwhile for others.

[WebSlingWonder]

8 posts were deleted. Let's not have arguments about whether people were right to be triggered by a comparison of a comic book to a real crisis. And even if some people don't like the idea of that discussion, it can still be worthwhile for others.

That's not really fair, to be honest. Hypno Hustler came in to this thread and claimed he was triggered by the talk of the virus (which doesn't make sense as it's in the title). No, I shouldn't have responded the way I did, but validating his statement just feels like a cop-out in my opinion. But whatever, I'm not a mod.

[Ursalink]

Honestly, people, it would be better to remove this thread to avoid conflicts. Real life is a situation of no laughing matter right now.