Has there been any word as to why Spencer is leaving?

[Somecrazyaussie]

We have to wait for the end of Spencer's run to see what it does. Let's not presume what the conclusion will be and judge the run based on those presumptions. That would not be fair.

In any case, since Quesada, Marvel has generally followed a 'toys back in the box' idea where essentially at the end of the run, the next writer has full say whether they can follow the set-up at the end or simply skirt it at go their own way. So comics runs these days tend to be disjunctive, feel discontinuous and set-ups from previous runs don't always carry on the way it did before where the idea was you to start with the setup given to you, work around it to one to your liking and go from there. It's a general tendency that comics runs across Marvel titles rarely follow "consequences" so much over the last two decades. That typifies Quesada's lackadaisical approach on the whole.

Daredevil being the only exemption to that rule. It has become a tradition for writers to come up with a ending/set up that the next writer has to address or fix. Bendis left Daredevil unmasked for Brubaker, Brubaker left Daredevil as the head of the Hand for Diggle, Waid left Daredevil unmasked/a celebrity for Soule and Soule left Daredevil literally broken physically for Zdarsky. Each writer has generally taken time to incorporate and address those plot threads in their own runs.

I think Spencer went in wanting to do his own stuff, so he pretty much did away with the things that were left by Slott in order to get his story into a position whereby it could hit the ground running. For me, his tenure has been running around putting the toys back into the box that Slott neglected to do himself.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Daredevil being the only exemption to that rule. It has become a tradition for writers to come up with a ending/set up that the next writer has to address or fix. Bendis left Daredevil unmasked for Brubaker, Brubaker left Daredevil as the head of the Hand for Diggle, Waid left Daredevil unmasked/a celebrity for Soule and Soule left Daredevil literally broken physically for Zdarsky. Each writer has generally taken time to incorporate and address those plot threads in their own runs.

Probably because Daredevil is one of the few major titles that's not tied to a major media franchise or merchandise and since Frank Miller, it's been pitched to an older reading audience than other Marvel titles. There's never been a Daredevil cartoon (and likely never will be) or a Daredevil video game (aside from some movie tie-in for the handhelds). There have been attempts but it's never happened. The one movie was a flop, and then you had a Netflix show that's in some petty corporate limbo.

Zdarsky himself said that the reason Daredevil is his favorite Marvel comic (with Spider-Man his favorite character to use his distinction) is that it's the only major title left that doesn't cross over often into events and other BS.

After a time you become a victim of your success, you get to be less of a character than a brand, and since BND, Quesada and others have been dedicated to making Spider-Man into Marvel's Mickey Mouse (apparent in the MCU which basically redoes the dynamic from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" with Spider-Man as Mickey and Stark as Yensid).

I think Spencer went in wanting to do his own stuff, so he pretty much did away with the things that were left by Slott in order to get his story into a position whereby it could hit the ground running. For me, his tenure has been running around putting the toys back into the box that Slott neglected to do himself.

That was mostly the first issue but generally Spencer's been going around doing a low-stakes grounded Spider-Man as much as possible after the high concept flotsam of the last decade.

[Uncanny Mutie]

Most boring, underwhelming ASM run in a LONG time. I don't care WHY he left, I'm just glad he did...

[Somecrazyaussie]

Probably because Daredevil is one of the few major titles that's not tied to a major media franchise or merchandise and since Frank Miller, it's been pitched to an older reading audience than other Marvel titles. There's never been a Daredevil cartoon (and likely never will be) or a Daredevil video game (aside from some movie tie-in for the handhelds). There have been attempts but it's never happened. The one movie was a flop, and then you had a Netflix show that's in some petty corporate limbo.

Zdarsky himself said that the reason Daredevil is his favorite Marvel comic (with Spider-Man his favorite character to use his distinction) is that it's the only major title left that doesn't cross over often into events and other BS.

After a time you become a victim of your success, you get to be less of a character than a brand, and since BND, Quesada and others have been dedicated to making Spider-Man into Marvel's Mickey Mouse (apparent in the MCU which basically redoes the dynamic from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" with Spider-Man as Mickey and Stark as Yensid).



That was mostly the first issue but generally Spencer's been going around doing a low-stakes grounded Spider-Man as much as possible after the high concept flotsam of the last decade.

It does at times feel like Daredevil occupies its own little corner. So it flies well under the radar. I feel Amazing was pretty much that under JMS for the first half of his run until Spidey joins the Avengers and suddenly he is thrust into the larger Marvel world where he was living under the same roof as Tony, Cap etc. JMS isn't the type of writer who enjoys having to coordinate with other titles and is probably why he doesn't seem as invested during the last year or two on the book.

Then he goes over to Thor and was promised it would be it's own thing. Until it was a hit and suddenly it was front and centre. Causing him to leave well before his time.

I've liked Spencer's run for that exact reason. As another poster put it, it has a palette cleanser of sorts. It has had to steer the franchise back to more familiar ground. Which, after the experimentation by Slott, I think was needed. It has had a few missteps and I have some apprehension about Sinister War because it seems like so many plates are spinning at the same time. Whether or not he pulls it off remains to be seen. We will know in a month or so.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

It does at times feel like Daredevil occupies its own little corner.

So it flies well under the radar. I feel Amazing was pretty much that under JMS for the first half of his run until Spidey joins the Avengers and suddenly he is thrust into the larger Marvel world where he was living under the same roof as Tony, Cap etc. JMS isn't the type of writer who enjoys having to coordinate with other titles and is probably why he doesn't seem as invested during the last year or two on the book.

Then he goes over to Thor and was promised it would be it's own thing. Until it was a hit and suddenly it was front and centre. Causing him to leave well before his time.

I've liked Spencer's run for that exact reason. As another poster put it, it has a palette cleanser of sorts. It has had to steer the franchise back to more familiar ground. Which, after the experimentation by Slott, I think was needed. It has had a few missteps and I have some apprehension about Sinister War because it seems like so many plates are spinning at the same time. Whether or not he pulls it off remains to be seen. We will know in a month or so.

Well said. I agree with this.