Spider-Man 52 Discussion

[mrswing]

When the 'fill-in' issues move the story forward far more than the main series, you're in a world of trouble. This way-too-long in the making 'epic' inches forward to its conclusion, endlessly repeating itself (Kindred is invincible, Pete gets beaten, Kindred spouts ominous warnings and predictions). All of this could have been condensed to 4 issues tops (including the .LHR extras). Spencer pulls this 'trick' time and again. Art is too Ramos-influenced, sometimes way too hard to follow. And since Peter is just a victim dragged along for the ride, he's not even very interesting anymore.
Man, when you compare this to the last time a Huge New Mystery Villain was introduced (Hobgoblin - who I actually once had a nightmare about), it just stands out how badly this entire storyline is handled. Maybe - a very slight possibility - this will stick to the landing better than the end of the Hobgoblin saga (the Ned Leeds gets killed offstage screw-up), but up to now tons of sound and fury signifying so very little.

[Vortex85]

When the 'fill-in' issues move the story forward far more than the main series, you're in a world of trouble. This way-too-long in the making 'epic' inches forward to its conclusion, endlessly repeating itself (Kindred is invincible, Pete gets beaten, Kindred spouts ominous warnings and predictions). All of this could have been condensed to 4 issues tops (including the .LHR extras). Spencer pulls this 'trick' time and again. Art is too Ramos-influenced, sometimes way too hard to follow. And since Peter is just a victim dragged along for the ride, he's not even very interesting anymore.
Man, when you compare this to the last time a Huge New Mystery Villain was introduced (Hobgoblin - who I actually once had a nightmare about), it just stands out how badly this entire storyline is handled. Maybe - a very slight possibility - this will stick to the landing better than the end of the Hobgoblin saga (the Ned Leeds gets killed offstage screw-up), but up to now tons of sound and fury signifying so very little.

I like the pacing Spencer is giving this story because
1) I like Kindred
2) I like the horror story atmosphere and vibe
3) It's focused on an aspect I've long wanted addressed in the book

The way I see it is, Spencer is giving us the same pacing as a monthly book, but with a bi-monthly release. So a normal comic would squeeze every 2 issues of Spencers run into a single issue. This works for me because it gives more character focus and reflection on the thoughts and emotions, more epic drawn out moments, and it gives the story more time to breathe and allows the reader to really digest and soak up what is happening, instead of just rushing from one plot point to another. As someone who is used to shows like Dragonball where a fight can be stretched out over 30 episodes, or a single episode is spent for a single epic transformation (Goku goes SSJ3) this a pacing is not foreign feeling to me at all.

[xpyred]

I like the pacing Spencer is giving this story because
1) I like Kindred
2) I like the horror story atmosphere and vibe
3) It's focused on an aspect I've long wanted addressed in the book

The way I see it is, Spencer is giving us the same pacing as a monthly book, but with a bi-monthly release. So a normal comic would squeeze every 2 issues of Spencers run into a single issue. This works for me because it gives more character focus and reflection on the thoughts and emotions, more epic drawn out moments, and it gives the story more time to breathe and allows the reader to really digest and soak up what is happening, instead of just rushing from one plot point to another. As someone who is used to shows like Dragonball where a fight can be stretched out over 30 episodes, or a single episode is spent for a single epic transformation (Goku goes SSJ3) this a pacing is not foreign feeling to me at all.

But you aren't paying to watch Dragonball, right? It's on TV or online to watch. We are paying 3.99 for an issue that can be read in under 10 minutes and that feels like it's not only going nowhere but adds no new info.

[Spidey5640]

Probably one of the better issues in the whole Kindred arc but I agree this is being dragged out way too long and am prepared to be disappointed in any far reaching impact Marvel claims it will have. History shows claims like that almost always fall short. I actually like the occasional splash page but thought the ones in this issue showed some weakness in Gleason artwork. Seemed very generic to me.

[Vortex85]

But you aren't paying to watch Dragonball, right? It's on TV or online to watch. We are paying 3.99 for an issue that can be read in under 10 minutes and that feels like it's not only going nowhere but adds no new info.

Yes you can pay for Dragonball if you buy the DVDs or purchase the epsiodes online. No one offers all the episodes free to stream legitimately so the price of on TV is waiting for it to air and then having commercials. It's not offered for free.

(You could also see each Spider-man issue stream on youtube so you can always read it that way if you don't want to pay to have a physical copy)


Also, as far as this issue is concerned... we have been waiting for this confrontation with Kindred forever. I am glad Spencer is not rushing through it and giving us a few issues to soak in the confrontation and more panels and splash pages of art to enjoy. It would be sad, in my opinion, to have skipped any pages in this book to rush on to whatever is going to happen in the next issue and miss out on any of the beautiful big pages/panels here by Gleason. Visually I thought this book was stunning and worth the price of admission alone.

[your_name_here]

While I appreciate this story may have just been an issue to get from A-B (the plotting may have been 51 - end with meeting Kindred, 52 - first meeting with Kindred, 53 - fight) it’s still not a bad issue. Clearly editorial might have thought it didn’t move things along too so chose to bundle this and the LR in the same week.

But the story is still damned good. If we had rushed past the “deal” mid-issue then there would also be complaints that the Order of the web stuff had no impact.

Kindred genuinely feels like a threat that I don’t know how Spidey will get out of.

Plus, if everyone literally took the 50 issues as build up to Kindred then they don’t quite get this run. There are loads of mini “seasons” inside the big “series”. Seasons Included Kraven, 2099 and Sin-Eater, while the series as a while is circling around Kindred.

[Kingkalamari]

This cover and 53 are probably some of my favorite Spidey covers of recent. Would love to get em as a poster.

[Frontier]

I can see why Jessica would say her name, Felicia has a public identity, but it's weird Jessica goes by a first name basis.

And honestly, I still find it surprising that Felicia being planned to be a Jessica villain was never used as a development gag to make them meet, or even fight each other, and the Queenpin era could make an excuse for that... Hell, were they ever in the same panel, or even the same comic, before #52.LR?

Not that I can recall. Maybe they were together in that Gwenpoole swimsuit issue?

I'm surprised the solo talked about it at all, when was that? Always fun to mock the whole Queenpin nonsense lol.

Edit: Oh and here's a fun fact, did you guys know it had been like, six months since the last time I remembered that Queenpin was a thing? Screw y'all for reminding me .

I'm sorry. Although I guess it at least shows their attempts to move on from it have been somewhat successful .

[Triniking1234]

Did I miss something but spoilers:

why was Gwen fighting Miles before Pete surrendered to Kindred?

end of spoilers

[Vortex85]

Did I miss something but spoilers:

why was Gwen fighting Miles before Pete surrendered to Kindred?

end of spoilers

In a few panels prior, Kindred stated not only would they attack the city, but they would attack each other and destroy themselves, and it looks like that started to happen.

[Lukmendes]

As for Strange, i'm sure that he is just mad that someone else had to do the magic exposition talk, that's his job dammit and he is very serious about it .

Oh yeah, I can see him preparing his ominous face for the magic exposition talk, damn Julia stealing that moment .

Not that I can recall. Maybe they were together in that Gwenpoole swimsuit issue?

Huh, don't know where I got the "first name thing" between Jessica and Felicia from, Jessica just says "Black Cat"

Anyways, checked here, and you're right, they were even in the same panel:

https://i.imgur.com/L8OVsPf.jpg

(Gwenpool Strikes back#3)

Urgh, having to check out her comic to confirm this sucks lol.

I'm sorry. Although I guess it at least shows their attempts to move on from it have been somewhat successful .

At least there's that, now all we need to do is shut up and never talk about it again :P.

In a few panels prior, Kindred stated not only would they attack the city, but they would attack each other and destroy themselves, and it looks like that started to happen.

I groaned out loud when Gwen bridged Miles, like, really? Had to reference that with her? Lol.

Anyways, forgot to point out earlier but, it's pretty dumb how in ASM#52.LR, Morlum just managed to escape after being defeated during Spectacular's tie-in to Spider-Geddon, the guy had a gallon of tranquilizers injected on him, and he was supposed to be brought to that machine to become a non-vampiric baby, and he just escaped before they could do that? Dumb. Even dumber that Peter doesn't know about it lol.

Also, that formula that turns people into Spider-Monsters from Spider-Island, I remember that in Spider-Island it was slower to transform people, was it deliberately made to be slower there for whatever reason? Or did it magically become instantaneous here? Or maybe it could be explained that having so much of it thrown near them could transform them faster... Another thing, while using it to transform people as a bait for Morlum is smart, it's weird Sin Eater knew what it was, what vague laboratory had it, and that the minions managed to find it and not know what it was, and while that can be explained that Sin Eater knows the name, they don't, and he just told them to grab this bio weapon, it's another example of Sin Eater knowing way more than he should to advance this plot, hell, he even knows Morlum's family circumstance, and knows that Morlum knows his family is pretty much dead, it's weird for Morlum to know that since it's unlikely if he left 616 to confirm that (Though maybe he can make a guess since none of them came to 616), but even weirder Sin Eater knows that Morlum knows, how the hell does he know so damn much? It's so dumb.