ASM 3 (#897) Discussion

[Jman27]

Another theory re: Paul and the kids from the land of the tweet

this feels so over the top just kill one of them if they are such a threat to your existence?

[rckstr1253]

Awful writing but still not as bad as what they did to Ben Riley. I’m “chasm”

[Batman Begins 2005]

So when are we going to get some actually good Spider-Man content in a Spider-Man comic?

It's a bad run, ditto for Beyond but worse still, this is Spider-Man's 60th Anniversary dammit.

[Refrax5]

Again, as I said, when you have kids involved, a cagey MJ, a history of violence, and a writer who already had The Lizard abuse and eat his own son a decade ago penning the book, I don't think it's a big stretch to assume something like this could happen at all.

Again, "history of violence" is pretty dramatic phrasing for how it was portrayed. I'm aware of what happened in Shed and I'm sure Paul is going to end up being villainous in some way, but there's a whole lot of speculation for us knowing basically nothing at this point besides there being some banter about an apparently isolated incident where Paul got rough with some guy. An incident that seemed so minor Paul had to be reminded of it.

Again, not saying there isn't going to be some dark twist with Paul. There probably will be, but it feels like everyone is jumping to a lot of conclusions.

[Matt Rat]

Again, "history of violence" is pretty dramatic phrasing for how it was portrayed. I'm aware of what happened in Shed and I'm sure Paul is going to end up being villainous in some way, but there's a whole lot of speculation for us knowing basically nothing at this point besides there being some banter about an apparently isolated incident where Paul got rough with some guy.

..Or kid...

[Lunala]

I know fans are focusing on easy ways to make Paul undateable so MJ can quickly return to Peter without outcries from infantile internet irritants but I worry this could be unwittingly encouraging Zeb Wells' fondness for pushing child harm as a plot device. An abuser using his helpless son as a percussion instrument to serenade Miss Watson into a stupor is unpleasant to visualize.

Moon Knight

How serious are you about Spoilers?

cuffs?!

I wonder where Tombstone bought those cuffs? If a mobster managed to acquire Adamantium, Adamantine, Vibranium, etc restraints, readers need villainous self-congratulation for owning something so valuable and "rare".

[xpyred]

..Or kid...

We don't know that at all and there is no way Mj would stand for that. Misinformation

[Matt Rat]

Misinformation

Theory/Interpretation based on what we have. And MJ's not acting in character at all right now anyway.

[Mercwmouth12]

Theory/Interpretation based on what we have. And MJ's not acting in character at all right now anyway.

That because it not our MJ it's a fake/ superior one lol

[xpyred]

Theory/Interpretation based on what we have. And MJ's not acting in character at all right now anyway.

And based on what we saw this issue, Paul paid Peter's medical bill. For all we know, Paul probably punched Peter in the face prior to this volume beginning and that's the "he" Paul is referring to. It's far too vague to assume it's a child that was brutally beaten by this guy. Can we assume he is shady? Possibly since this is a comic. But so far all we have is a guy with two kids paying a medical bill for someone he was about to chew the ear off and a vague reference to someone getting hit prior.

[Lee]

Peter begs him to stop. It can be read as stop the massacre, stop his plan to break Robbie, or stop the kill order on Peter, or all three. Peter says he’s learned his lesson, indicating he’s thinking of himself. Not my fault Wells isn’t precise with his dialogue.

In the first issue Tombstone tells Peter to let Spider-Man know that the upcoming gang war is all his fault and that he's going to show him how the world really works. In this issue he reiterates that. If you think that Peter's cry of "I've learned my lesson" was him simply begging for his own life, and not for the the Tombstone to stop the massacre, then you have misinterpreted the story.

Theory/Interpretation based on what we have. And MJ's not acting in character at all right now anyway.

It's a ridiculous leap. It was just a gag. There's nothing in the story to imply that he's a child beater. You could just as well argue that he was talking about the time he stabbed Thanos in the heart for spilling his beer.

[hoth82]

In regards to who Paul could possibly be talking about, are we really going to go with the possibility that he’s talking about Peter? Is

Is Peter really just going to stand there and let Paul beat him up? He’s not that much of a chump.

[TinkerSpider]

In the first issue Tombstone tells Peter to let Spider-Man know that the upcoming gang war is all his fault and that he's going to show him how the world really works. In this issue he reiterates that. If you think that Peter's cry of "I've learned my lesson" was him simply begging for his own life, and not for the the Tombstone to stop the massacre, then you have misinterpreted the story.

I didn't say it was just for his life - I said it could be read as all three - but if you don't think he's also begging for his life, then you don't understand the basic human instinct to survive.

And isn't Wells's Peter just oh so smart for falling exactly into Tombstone's trap without a second thought? And isn't it perfectly awesome and oh so heroic to watch Peter be beaten to a pulp, unable to do anything in his defense except to beg pitifully? Yeah, this is why I read Spider-Man. So inspirational. So not nerfed. So not graphic violence for violence's sake.

It's really nice of you to defend this issue. But you understand the criticism isn't personal....?

It was just a gag. There's nothing in the story to imply that he's a child beater.

It's just a gag? You seem awfully certain about Wells's intent. Interesting.

There's nothing in the story to imply he's a child beater, but there is plenty of child endangerment and death in Wells's comic book work (Shed, Hellions, Carnage USA, etc) so the speculation is not that entirely out of left field.

In regards to who Paul could possibly be talking about, are we really going to go with the possibility that he’s talking about Peter? Is

Is Peter really just going to stand there and let Paul beat him up? He’s not that much of a chump.

Why would MJ warn Paul not to be violent in the first place?! She knows Peter can more than take care of himself, and she would also trust Peter not to hurt Paul should Paul decide to take a swing. The entire conversation is really strange and wholly out of character for Mary Jane Watson - who doesn't need men to fight her battles for her in the first place and it's rather insulting to the character and to her history with Peter to imply she needs, or at the very least is cheerfully condoning, Paul's interference.

But maybe Paul wasn't talking to Mary Jane. He only calls the person "MJ." Maybe it was Michael Jordan...or Magic Johnson...or Milla Jovovich...or Mick Jagger...or Mike Judge...or Michelle Jones...or...

[Mercwmouth12]

It' something too when the cbr review says the issue wasn't great and this is run is begging to test readers patience to continue caring/reading this run

[HomoSuperior]

Kind of not clear: is MJ dead after Moira grabbed her in FCBD and is reportedly “wearing her”? And when did that FCBD moment happen, in relationship to current issue? Are those kids sentinels?