So what's the consensus on Spencer's Spider-Man run?

[Spiderfang]

Now that the series is complete (or at least Spencer's run of it), what's the consensus on it? I really liked the opening story with there being two Spider-Mans, but the Kindred stuff is kind of a turn off to me (I dislike overly supernatural/paranormal plots and think they belong in Ghost Rider/Dr. Strange). I'm considering picking up the trades now that the run is complete, but I want to get a good idea of what I'd be in for or if it's as good (or better) than Slott's Superior run.

[Matt Rat]

Spencer's run was the best in years.

The Kindred story drags on and is now well known for having been meddled with at an executive level, but a lot of the early issues are fun and build towards something huge with Hunted, the Peter and Mary Jane interactions are great, there's a decent use of Brand New Day era characters, it ties up many loose ends from prior eras and if you're a Spider-Man encyclopaedia, there's plenty of references, callbacks, and easter eggs to enjoy.

[exile001]

Spencer's run was a ton of fun, IMO hitting the excitement and irreverence of the David Michelinie era that he so frequently referenced. It had a ton going on and a lot of fresh interesting ideas.

Unfortunately, the pacing was very uneven with subplots disappearing for way too long and he was clearly trying to cram in too much. The ending is rushed as, for one reason or another, he left the book like a year before expected.

He touches on pretty much everything except Hobgoblin and The Jackal.

Kindred was probably the worst part, but I don't really like the supernatural in my Spidey, and way too much time is dedicated to it and its often infuriating twists that either lead to the obvious or later stuff there was no way of predicting (perhaps due to the rushed exit).

However, depending on your mileage, I'd say the rest far outweighs the Kindred stuff.

There are also some fans who can't divorce their expectations (some fanned by Spencer) from what we actually got by the end. That's valid, I guess, as Spencer certainly plays with it but it isn't ultimately what the run is about. spoilers:

He doesn't restore the marriage/undo OMD

end of spoilers.

But did Spencer's ending nail the landing?

Well, remember that time Spidey was on an exploding space station, managed to aim himself towards Earthward, survive re-entry and land safely on Earth?

Spencer's run landed on Sakaar. Lol.

But for all that I still think it's a very entertaining run and a wild ride.

[Mister Mets]

This question is about what we think other people thought of it, right?

My impression of other peoples' views is that it started well, changing some developments during the Slott era (especially with Black Cat and Mary Jane) that some fans didn't like without alienating Slott's fans. There may be a lack of consensus choice for really acclaimed story, something that would consistently pop up on "Best of" lists the way "No One Dies" or "Unscheduled Stop" or even "Spider Island" would.

And then it kinda collapsed with the Kindred story, which was overlong, emphasized the supernatural, featured quite a few no-name artists and then had a rushed ending with speculation that editorial made some last minute changes, which is never a good sign for a series' reputation.

I did a thread on my views on the whole run a few months back.

https://community.cbr.com/showthread...ing-Spider-Man

[Daibhidh]

With hindsight it had a lot of faults but it was a lot of fun. It had Mary Jane and Peter together. For me that can carry rather poor plotting on the superhero side. I think it's my favourite portrayal of MJ as a character.
It worked pretty well up to issue 25. After that, it lost its way for a bit over some business with a macguffin that can predict the future. (It's probably a coincidence that that was when Spencer had MJ go off to Los Angeles.) Still, it used Teresa Parker who I think is one of the best additions to the Spider-man supporting cast of the past twenty years. And I say that as someone who thinks Stan Lee should never have made Peter's parents into spies. The Sins Rising and Last Remains arcs work pretty well on their own terms, though I think Harry Osborn fans can feel legitimately displeased. Issue 60 is a standout if you like quiet relationship issues. The remainder of the run is something of a curate's egg. The story arc about a macguffin that predicts the future doesn't stick the landing. The Sinister War at the end has a decent beginning, two issues of extended fight scene with no real plot, and a semi-decent end, that pays off Boomerang's character arc. The ending is a mess that is more of an attempt to retcon one of the most hated Spider-man stories ever out of existence (not One More Day) than an attempt to create a satisfying story in its own right, but it's carried by the Mary Jane/ Peter relationship so it's a genuine pleasure over all.

[Jman27]

good beginning ok middle horrible ending. Doesnt help that the art was so inconsistent

[Batman Begins 2005]

I really miss it, even more now as The Amazing Spider-Man: Beyond and TASM (Vol. 6) really suck. Great voice for Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and somehow salvaging Black Cat from Slott. First half was the highlight.

[Matt Rat]

then had a rushed ending with speculation that editorial made some last minute changes

Cebulski confirmed at a convention this year there was meddling.

[Batman Begins 2005]

Editorial interference sucks.

[Kevinroc]

Better than the run that followed it.

[Alex_Of_X]

I, for one, welcome another 100-reply thread into the fold lmao

JK, the question is fair. The run started with a lot of momentum and good will. The first storyline is the agreed-upon "Best." After that the book flames out, with varying opinions on where exactly: Some say Hunted, some say Last Remains, some carry the torch for everything up until the last ~two arcs. You mileage may wary.

IMHO, the Ottley issues are a safe bet--grab those.

[Frontier]

I don't know if there's a consensus, but the general talking points are:

- Started strong, kind of went off the rails in the middle, and had a lukewarm ending. How much of that was on Spencer and how much of that was on Marvel Editorial is up to interpretation (but Marvel Editorial were definitely involved with the run).

- Kindred as a "mystery villain" Big Bad had a less than stellar finish/execution.

- Not great use of the other Spiders.

- Spencer was doing 90% cleanup for most of the run, for better or for worse depending on who you ask. But fixing Black Cats' character and role in the franchise lead to her well-received solo book.

- Peter was written fairly well for the most part, as was MJ and Jonah.

[Vegan]

It was a solid B+ most of the time. Which after years of Slott dreck was like stumbling onto an oasis in the middle of a desert. I don’t really blame him for the editorial interference. Hard to accurately rate a run that has a confederacy of dunces preventing you from telling the story you want to tell because they have a lack of creativity, but it definitely is massively hampered by having to shift gears in that way.

[Mister Mets]

Cebulski confirmed at a convention this year there was meddling.

The speculation here seemed to be that Nick Spencer was planning to reverse One More Day, and have a different reveal for Kindred, which doesn't seem to be the case. He suggested in the 60th anniversary panel that they adjusted some stories at the end.

https://www.thepopverse.com/marvel-s...-c2e2-liveblog

The Nick Spencer run gets a round of applause when a fan mentions it, but says that they felt a "sharp shift in direction" midway through the run. "I wouldn't say halfway through," Cebulski says, but towards the end, there were storylines that had to be adjusted. "There wasn't anything dramatic or anything we had to force down anyone's throats," he says.

This seemed to match a Bleeding Cool report that the ending was more truncated than Nick Spencer initially intended.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/did-...ncer-intended/

In the context of this thread, that question's besides the point. If we're talking about the consensus, and people are looking for excuses, it suggests they didn't care for it.

[Tapioca Blitzkrieg]

I really enjoyed it because i stopped reading it monthly and would come back every time an arc was done, it made my reading experience better for me than if i had read all the issues on release. As it relates to the writing, i thought the character work was great, MJ, Black Cat, Peter, Jonah etc. You could really feel them as real believeable fleshed out characters, not parodies or stereotypes of themselves, something i think Slott stumbled with at times. Plot wise, same old complaint, Kindered plot underwhelmed, even though i did enjoy the first battle a lot (should have concluded by that point).

Art wise was a big 50/50, i love the invincible guy, his art is great and really gave those first issues a feel of spidey being on the come-up, a sunny day after the storm. But many other artist just shouldn't be brought on the flagship book in the company, sorry, ASM should feature only the best, which is why im dreading JRJR so much now, i am absolutely not a fan of him in this, though i enjoy kick-ass.

I agree on B+, my favorite thing about it was he seemed passionate about Spider-Man as a whole, characters, mythos, classic moments etc. and i respect and enjoy that type of writing even if some key concepts didn't land, having something fun and exciting every issue and not treding water to me is nº1