View Poll Results: Cah Wells turn things around?

Voters
91. You may not vote on this poll
  • It's too late. Time for everyone to move on.

    65 71.43%
  • There's nothing wrong with this run.

    12 13.19%
  • They can still turn things around.

    14 15.38%
Page 2 of 61 FirstFirst 1234561252 ... LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 907
  1. #16
    "Emma is STILL right! Vegeta's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    2,326

    Default

    I dunno, I see the current Zeb Wells issues still make the Amazon best sellers list (even among old TPB classics, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, manga such as Chainsaw Man and the like) and usually gets a score of 4 out of 5 stars. And the last ICv2 top 50 comics list I could find (August 2022) issues 7 and 8 were still among the top 10 (books by units) and issue 6 was number 1 in the books by dollars list. Various critical reviews are also often tend to be favorable (a CBR article for the recent Hobgoblin arc for example).

    I mean I get why the marriage fans and Ben Reilly fans here are upset, but I don't think it's reflective of the majority of readers or at least the sales (and if you hate it and continue to buy it, that's on you). Maybe Wells IS on the way out (as many people here keep claiming Marvel is "unhappy with his performance.") But that also reminds me of all the Star Wars YouTubers claiming Kathleen Kennedy was going to be fired because Disney was soooo pissed at her, ("we know insiders! It's only a matter of days!") only for her to get her contract renewed. Honestly, if Wells leaves it is most likely to work on the MCU films full time.
    "The White Queen welcomes you, TO DIE!"

  2. #17
    BANNED
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Posts
    4,007

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Vegeta View Post
    I dunno, I see the current Zeb Wells issues still make the Amazon best sellers list (even among old TPB classics, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, manga such as Chainsaw Man and the like) and usually gets a score of 4 out of 5 stars. And the last ICv2 top 50 comics list I could find (August 2022) issues 7 and 8 were still among the top 10 (books by units) and issue 6 was number 1 in the books by dollars list. Various critical reviews are also often tend to be favorable (a CBR article for the recent Hobgoblin arc for example). .
    CBR doesn't count. They often have articles that repeatedly put the current comics on blast as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by Vegeta View Post
    I mean I get why the marriage fans and Ben Reilly fans here are upset, but I don't think it's reflective of the majority of readers or at least the sales
    Spider-Man always sells.

  3. #18
    Astonishing Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    2,149

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Vegeta View Post
    I dunno, I see the current Zeb Wells issues still make the Amazon best sellers list (even among old TPB classics, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, manga such as Chainsaw Man and the like) and usually gets a score of 4 out of 5 stars. And the last ICv2 top 50 comics list I could find (August 2022) issues 7 and 8 were still among the top 10 (books by units) and issue 6 was number 1 in the books by dollars list. Various critical reviews are also often tend to be favorable (a CBR article for the recent Hobgoblin arc for example).
    Amazon is a notoriously poor place to look for sale metrics. For one, the rankings are comparisons and depend on what else is selling at that exact time. Two, rankings change several times a day and can vastly swing from high to low, depending on when you look at them. Three, the bestseller lists can be manipulated depending on what subcategory you put the product in.

    ICv2 pulls its numbers from ComicHub system, which is in 125 stores out of the 3000+ stores that sell US comics. They outright say it is a non-random, small sample and thus while it's interesting information on an anecdotal level, statistically the numbers are irrelevant and really shouldn't be relied on as anything but an anecdote.

    Only Marvel and DC truly know how the books are selling, both digitally and print.

    Also, sales are not the only metric of success. There are internal targets Marvel needs to meet. Disney has no doubt set financial targets for the comic book division as a whole. ASM could be the bestselling comic, but if the comic book market as a whole is depressed, then it could still not meet its internal metric. Also, if ASM's writer and artists are paid higher rates than writers and artists on other titles, then the titles with the lower paid creative teams could sell fewer issues than ASM and yet be greater financial successes. Marvel could also need ASM to sell a multiple to meet its target because they depend on ASM's profits to offset potential losses from books they publish to, for example, give creators from underrepresented communities a voice and presence.

    So again, only Marvel knows if ASM is truly a financial success or not, and if it is meeting its internal targets or not.

    I'll also point out that reviews from sites that count on free product to review and who make their money by exploiting other companies' IP in order to generate clicks and engagement, might not be the most critically credible voices around. Just sayin'.


    I mean I get why the marriage fans and Ben Reilly fans here are upset, but I don't think it's reflective of the majority of readers or at least the sales (and if you hate it and continue to buy it, that's on you). Maybe Wells IS on the way out (as many people here keep claiming Marvel is "unhappy with his performance.") But that also reminds me of all the Star Wars YouTubers claiming Kathleen Kennedy was going to be fired because Disney was soooo pissed at her, ("we know insiders! It's only a matter of days!") only for her to get her contract renewed. Honestly, if Wells leaves it is most likely to work on the MCU films full time.
    Well, there is the anecdote from the Amazing Spider-Talk podcast guy who said on Twitter that their listening stats and Patreon numbers have fallen since Wells's run started, but again, an anecdote.

    I'm happy to stipulate that ASM will always have a healthy baseline of readers simply because there are just too many people out there invested in keeping their collection going. And since I've only seen fans talk about Wells leaving or Marvel being unhappy, agreeing that this chatter is probably just wishful thinking. Although he might leave for more MCU work - he certainly seems to be in their pipeline.
    Last edited by TinkerSpider; 01-06-2023 at 05:04 PM.

  4. #19
    Moderator Frontier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    115,047

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Kurolegacy View Post
    Well he could start by not having Peter look so outmatched by villains he’s beaten a thousand times. Maybe it would make sense if it was set right after he got out of the hospital or there was a plot point that it had some effect on his powers but this is six months later. It’s just sad how he’s had to be saved by external forces practically every arc and not a good look.
    Can't wait to see Norman bail Peter out again post-Dark Web!

  5. #20
    Amazing Member Tonga's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Posts
    53

    Default

    Can he? He certainly can. There's always the chance of him reading the online response from his run and doing a 180. Or maybe doing a 180 was always his plan. Or maybe he never intended to do a 180 and the run will end as bad as it started. Will he? I guess we have to wait. And with this run making me anxious with every issue that releases it's gonna be difficult to keep waiting.

    Quote Originally Posted by Darthfury78 View Post
    I heard that Zeb Wells wants to leave ASM once his contract is up.
    And you heard this where? From your uncle that works at Marvel?

  6. #21
    Ultimate Member Mister Mets's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    18,913

    Default

    I don't think the run is bad, and the sense of a negative fan reception may be based on non-representative online spaces, but even then most of the people complaining would be happy with a resolution that plays fair with what we know so far, and gets to their preferred outcome.
    Sincerely,
    Thomas Mets

  7. #22
    Really Feeling It! Kevinroc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    California
    Posts
    13,253

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mister Mets View Post
    I don't think the run is bad, and the sense of a negative fan reception may be based on non-representative online spaces, but even then most of the people complaining would be happy with a resolution that plays fair with what we know so far, and gets to their preferred outcome.
    I question if Wells can actually deliver on a satisfying resolution that plays fair considering how he resolved the debt collector in such a laughably disappointing manner.

  8. #23
    Fantastic Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2021
    Posts
    312

    Default

    The worst part about this run for me, apart from anything Paul/MJ related, is there is SO. LITTLE. PAYOFF. It's a notoriously common pitfall for spider-man stories, the hero who get knocked down and always gets back up. Bro, you can knock him down again and again, but if you spend months just drudging up all the ways this dude is completely jacked up in all aspects of his miserable life at what point it turns from a story about overcoming and rising above stacked odds to just some depressing torture porn, especially on the heels of trashing all the come-uppance we had in the Spencer run.

    Its still (bi)monthly comics, we wait a long time for the story to move forward, and at some points i get just so damn tired of Puny-Parker botching everything up and miss the part where Spider-man wises up and kicks some ass and gets the girl. As Tinker said, it borders on cynicism towards the concept of super-heroics, which is something i despise, if you resent classic heroism get the hell out of Marvel/DC ang go do your indie Image/Dark horse passion project and leave us alone. Anyway, just my two cents, I don't feel like Wells turns it around, his vision seem pretty clear to me, and i dont care much for it lol

  9. #24
    Welcome Back Spidey Kurolegacy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Posts
    8,090

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Frontier View Post
    Can't wait to see Norman bail Peter out again post-Dark Web!
    If he gets his card punched 10 times, the 11th one is free.

  10. #25
    see beauty in all things. charliehustle415's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    5,207

    Default

    I've only been reading the X-Men crossover issues, but what's so wrong with his run? Isn't it still only in the teens and still setting up the pieces?

  11. #26
    Extraordinary Member Jman27's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    5,747

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by charliehustle415 View Post
    I've only been reading the X-Men crossover issues, but what's so wrong with his run? Isn't it still only in the teens and still setting up the pieces?
    Peter and Mj aren’t together for unknown reasons
    "He's pure power and doesn't even know it. He's the best of us."-Matt Murdock

    "I need a reason to take the mask off."-Peter Parker

    "My heart half-breaks at how easy it is to lie to him. It breaks all the way when he believes me without question." Felicia Hardy

  12. #27
    see beauty in all things. charliehustle415's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    5,207

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jman27 View Post
    Peter and Mj aren’t together for unknown reasons
    but we know that will be answered soon.

    I mean Spencer took nearly 70 issues for the Kindred mystery

  13. #28
    Really Feeling It! Kevinroc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    California
    Posts
    13,253

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by charliehustle415 View Post
    but we know that will be answered soon.

    I mean Spencer took nearly 70 issues for the Kindred mystery
    The problem is we don't know anyone's motivations for anything, and it's made the issues incredibly frustrating to read. Kindred is a very different thing since they were a mysterious new villain, but we still understood what Peter's motivations were. what MJ's motivations were, etc.

    Here? Nope. Readers have been told very little since Wells was making it up as he went along.

    The issues have also been extremely mediocre in and of themselves as well. Peter is completely ineffectual throughout, needing to be rescued constantly, particularly by Norman Osborn. And then there's the concept of the "payoff" being worth it. How could it be worth it? Is Wells going to put Peter and MJ back together like he inherited? Then what was the point of breaking up in the first place?

    Is he going to have Peter x Felicia be a thing? Then what was the point of stringing Peter x MJ all throughout the run? And what makes anyone think the next writer isn't immediately going to look at this mess and say, "Let's just go back to Peter x MJ?"

    Or is he going to just have Peter being single and unattached at the end? Leave it up to the next writer to fix his mess?

    He's really kinda screwed himself on all of this. Because we know Peter isn't allowed to get married or have kids. There is no way to make this all "worth" it. It's just been a frustrating run that seems like it only exists to troll people who like Peter x MJ. (Which, you know, is most of the audience of Amazing Spider-Man.)
    Last edited by Kevinroc; 01-06-2023 at 09:52 PM.

  14. #29
    Extraordinary Member Jman27's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    5,747

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by charliehustle415 View Post
    but we know that will be answered soon.

    I mean Spencer took nearly 70 issues for the Kindred mystery
    Shippers are crazy what can I say
    "He's pure power and doesn't even know it. He's the best of us."-Matt Murdock

    "I need a reason to take the mask off."-Peter Parker

    "My heart half-breaks at how easy it is to lie to him. It breaks all the way when he believes me without question." Felicia Hardy

  15. #30
    see beauty in all things. charliehustle415's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    5,207

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jman27 View Post
    Shippers are crazy what can I say
    lmao, fair enough

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •