Poll: Would you rather re-read this ASM run:

[HypnoHustler]

Interesting that most voters would rather read Byrne/Mackie or Slott. That would suggest that (at least among CBR members) the Wells run is the most disliked run of all time.

There might be some recency bias. I bet if there’s another disliked run in 10 years (a pretty safe bet with Spidey) and you did this poll again it would be the most recent run that would come in last.

[TheKryptonMan]

There might be some recency bias. I bet if there’s another disliked run in 10 years (a pretty safe bet with Spidey) and you did this poll again it would be the most recent run that would come in last.

I actually thought that Slott did some very interesting stuff . Although what he did wasn't really using Peter so much . He did a lot for Otto and redeemed him , which was actually quite good in my opinion.

Actually I also enjoyed when Brand New Day started with the many writers and ASM coming out 3 times a month too.

[Kevinroc]

There might be some recency bias. I bet if there’s another disliked run in 10 years (a pretty safe bet with Spidey) and you did this poll again it would be the most recent run that would come in last.

Recency bias is absolutely a factor, but I don't think we can say that's the only issue with this run.

[HypnoHustler]

Recency bias is absolutely a factor, but I don't think we can say that's the only issue with this run.

No, it’s a bad run for sure. Worse than Mackie/Byrne? Now that’s subjective. I think their weaknesses are a bit different. Same with Slott’s run.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

In light of the previews for ASM #25 where MJ looks like Sarah Connor, I officially crown Wells' run as the worst ASM run of all time.

That panel proves that Wells' run is essentially a 90s Marvel run, but with the company politics of OMD/BND. Like someone mixed Mackie/Byrne's bad writing and 90's tropes with Slott's worst characterizations and the worst shenanigans from OMD/OMIT. Literally the worst aspects of both eras combined into one.

In other words, a Spider-Man reader's worst nightmare on paper. If it doesn't feel that way, it's only because we know no one is happy, that Marvel lost control of the narrative, and that there will be no long-term effects. And also, the adaptations are killing it right now and humiliating the book even more. All of this creates a sense of "winning" that wasn't there in the 90's or with Slott, even if the book is the worst it's been. But make no mistake, it's absolutely an amalgamation of the worst things from all of ASM's history, lol.

So I don't know if recency bias is much of a factor here. I think if there wasn't a sense that fans are "winning", the Wells run would get even more votes in the poll.

[Lee]

I thought people wanted Mary Jane beating up bad guys? They were upset when she didn't single-handedly defeat an evil cyborg.

[SavageJudgeDredd]

Always fun reading the Spider-Man takes. I salute you all for having read so much! I've gotta read more to build character.

[KC]

Slott's Volume 3 and 4 by a mile. They are not as good as Slott's Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 work or Superior, but these volumes of ASM are better than Wells and Byrne/Mackie

[Brian B]

I think the poll is missing J. Michael Straczynski’s and Joe Quesada’s run. From One More Day to Sins Past, it’s tough to think of a run with more lasting ill effects, even when retconned out of existence as with Sins Past. But you can’t make people really forget that kind of story, it’s just so awful. The weird thing is Straczynski’s run wasn’t bad at all other than those two storylines, which seemed to come with a lot of editorial input. Straczynski’s writing is pretty good, IMO. He just had two big stories that sit badly with readers, or at least with me. I don’t think Wells, Slott or Byrne-Mackie have done anything so crazy as those two stories from Straczynski and Quesada.

BTW, I’d rather read the Byrne-Mackie run given all the other choices. As someone else observed, the “voices” were right. The art is consistently decent.

[HypnoHustler]

I think the poll is missing J. Michael Straczynski’s and Joe Quesada’s run. From One More Day to Sins Past, it’s tough to think of a run with more lasting ill effects, even when retconned out of existence as with Sins Past. But you can’t make people really forget that kind of story, it’s just so awful. The weird thing is Straczynski’s run wasn’t bad at all other than those two storylines, which seemed to come with a lot of editorial input. Straczynski’s writing is pretty good, IMO. He just had two big stories that sit badly with readers, or at least with me. I don’t think Wells, Slott or Byrne-Mackie have done anything so crazy as those two stories from Straczynski and Quesada.

While I agree those are terrible, that’s not a “run.” That’s two stories (and separated by a few years between them). And only OMD had Quesada fully in the driver’s seat. Sins Past is still mostly on JMS.

[Brian B]

While I agree those are terrible, that’s not a “run.” That’s two stories (and separated by a few years between them). And only OMD had Quesada fully in the driver’s seat. Sins Past is still mostly on JMS.

Straczynski wrote something like 75 Spider-Man issues; that qualifies as a run to me.

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

I think the poll is missing J. Michael Straczynski’s and Joe Quesada’s run. From One More Day to Sins Past, it’s tough to think of a run with more lasting ill effects, even when retconned out of existence as with Sins Past. But you can’t make people really forget that kind of story, it’s just so awful. The weird thing is Straczynski’s run wasn’t bad at all other than those two storylines, which seemed to come with a lot of editorial input. Straczynski’s writing is pretty good, IMO. He just had two big stories that sit badly with readers, or at least with me. I don’t think Wells, Slott or Byrne-Mackie have done anything so crazy as those two stories from Straczynski and Quesada.

BTW, I’d rather read the Byrne-Mackie run given all the other choices. As someone else observed, the “voices” were right. The art is consistently decent.

Although "The Other" didn't offer any longer lasting impact than the other two stories you mentioned, I think it really makes the trilogy of worst JMS stories of the time. The fact it was quickly overturned with Brand New Day (with some offscreen "rejection of The Other" we remain to see to this very day) is proof of it, and also with how Straczynski always distanced himself from perceived failures quickly - all of the totemic story you'd think The Other would force full on in the world of Spider-Man was suddenly relegated to the satellite books while Stracyznski pursued Civil War. I even believe there would be full on acknowledgment of the effects from The Other by JMS only when we got to One More Day and Peter mentions "going organical".

[Kaitou D. Kid]

Straczynski wrote something like 75 Spider-Man issues; that qualifies as a run to me.

Sins Past and OMD (which isn't really a JMS story) don't constitute an entire run. They're only a fraction of his run.

[Brian B]

Sins Past and OMD (which isn't really a JMS story) don't constitute an entire run. They're only a fraction of his run.

You can say it’s a fraction of his run.

I say those two arcs pretty much define JMS’ run.

[Spider-Tiger]

I see a lot of people split Straczynski's run in two parts: the stories with JRJR and the stories with Deodato. I would say the first part is superior to the second, but I would still choose the second above the options listed here (Sins Past and all.) The characters were, for the most part, well written and the Civil War set-up was an intriguing one. Sins Past is bad but also pretty easy to skip over as it's a self-contained arc. I also don't consider OMD to be a Straczynski story. I'd lump that into the BND era of Spider-man as it was a story designed by Quesada to set up that status quo.