Is it time for Spider-Man to "grow up"?

[marhawkman]

Speaking of the DCAU, Batman Beyond was pitched by the network execs as "Batman in high school," thinking that would appeal more to kids, but Bruce Timm and Paul Dini realized that Batman didn't have to be Bruce Wayne, so they set it a few decades or so into the future, depicting a Gotham City that had gone very cyberpunk --- lots of technological advancements, unfortunately coinciding with rampant crime and corruption due to the decades-long absence/retirement of Batman --- and needed a new Batman to set things right. Hell, at least at first, Batman Beyond was even darker and harsher in tone and atmosphere than Batman: The Animated Series, even as it featured a teenaged protagonist trying to live up to the mantle and legacy passed down to him by Bruce Wayne while also struggling to maintain some semblance of a normal teenage life a la classic Spider-Man.

Yeah, a Batman: Beyond, but with teen Bruce.... would probably have sucked.

Sure, SHGs is a workable idea, but... it's not a single hero in regular high school. What SHG and BB had in common was the teen heroes having older characters to support them.

[Deacon Blues]

i would love for spider-man to grow up some, but pete's been in such a dismal place for the last few years that i just wouldn't be able to buy him growing up. that is, any attempt on marvel's part to make him grow up in comics would feel hollow to me. there would have to be some sort of huge event or something that would alter the course of peter's life... but i'm tired of events!

the best option (as i see it) would be for them to just take a break from putting out peter-centric spider-man books for a good while, and then bring him back with a new status quo (like what they did with the ff). or they could just radically change the direction of the title (take a page out of hawkeye's book and do a super low-stakes, down-to-earth drama that just so happens to focus on spider-man). but for peter to just suddenly begin acting mature, or to slowly fade back to his prior characterization... something about it wouldn't feel right to me.

[berserkerclaw]

Marvel shouldn't have ever gotten rid of the marriage. Peter and MJ forever. You can create drama in other ways. Have Peter mature have a job and go through problems with his wife IMO.

[Aura Blaize]

Good god yes. Peter should definitely be allowed to grow up.

He's supposed to be the experienced Spider-Man. It's extremely telling that Miles is more mature and has his life more together than Peter does. There's a kid going around there literally living up to his legacy and calling himself Spider-Man. If that's not a reason to grow the hell up then I don't know what is.

[Huntsman Spider]

Yeah, a Batman: Beyond, but with teen Bruce.... would probably have sucked.

Sure, SHGs is a workable idea, but... it's not a single hero in regular high school. What SHG and BB had in common was the teen heroes having older characters to support them.

DC Super Hero Girls?

Marvel shouldn't have ever gotten rid of the marriage. Peter and MJ forever. You can create drama in other ways. Have Peter mature have a job and go through problems with his wife IMO.

Yeah, or have her go through some problems and it's Peter who's torn between being there to support her and fighting crime and villainy as Spider-Man.

Good god yes. Peter should definitely be allowed to grow up.

He's supposed to be the experienced Spider-Man. It's extremely telling that Miles is more mature and has his life more together than Peter does. There's a kid going around there literally living up to his legacy and calling himself Spider-Man. If that's not a reason to grow the hell up then I don't know what is.

Indeed.

[marhawkman]

DC Super Hero Girls?

YES! Notable for having Teen WW and Teen Kara Zor-el... along with Bumblebee... and dozens of others at a Super-hero high school. It works because it goes all-in on the premise.

[Huntsman Spider]

YES! Notable for having Teen WW and Teen Kara Zor-el... along with Bumblebee... and dozens of others at a Super-hero high school. It works because it goes all-in on the premise.

Indeed, though in retrospect, it's a bit iffy that Wonder Woman is a high-schooler while Batman and Superman are still adults, from what I remember of when I saw it.

[marhawkman]

Indeed, though in retrospect, it's a bit iffy that Wonder Woman is a high-schooler while Batman and Superman are still adults, from what I remember of when I saw it.

Oh yeah. The DC setting is warped in ways that aren't immediately obvious too. Like... why is LASHINA like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R34...cMqCea&index=2
I mean, it's FUNNY. but definitely an alt-U :Þ

[Huntsman Spider]

Oh yeah. The DC setting is warped in ways that aren't immediately obvious too. Like... why is LASHINA like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R34...cMqCea&index=2
I mean, it's FUNNY. but definitely an alt-U :Þ

Uh-huh, point.

[WebLurker]

Oh yeah. The DC setting is warped in ways that aren't immediately obvious too. Like... why is LASHINA like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R34...cMqCea&index=2
I mean, it's FUNNY. but definitely an alt-U :Þ

Recall the rebooted version had an in-name only take on Jessica Cruz.

[Huntsman Spider]

Recall the rebooted version had an in-name only take on Jessica Cruz.

Oh, yes. I remember.

[Daibhidh]

Indeed, though in retrospect, it's a bit iffy that Wonder Woman is a high-schooler while Batman and Superman are still adults, from what I remember of when I saw it.

Since the core cast are high school teenage girls I think it's excusable. It's not as if Wonder Woman is now the only teenage superhero in a series where the other central characters are adult men. Being adults puts Batman and Superman out of the picture.

[witchboy]

Indeed, though in retrospect, it's a bit iffy that Wonder Woman is a high-schooler while Batman and Superman are still adults, from what I remember of when I saw it.

I totally understand the problems with this, but it's not so far off from the status quo Post Crisis, where Wonder Woman was probably 19 ish and a new hero just come to Man's World while Batman and Superman were mature adults and established heroes.

[marhawkman]

Since the core cast are high school teenage girls I think it's excusable. It's not as if Wonder Woman is now the only teenage superhero in a series where the other central characters are adult men. Being adults puts Batman and Superman out of the picture.

Yeah Lashina is acting like a teen villain. you have a bunch of actual teens, but also Harley, Ivy, Fire and Ice as teens. Oh and... Frost. can't call her KILLEr Frost 'cause hero, but she's a teen too. some of them make more sense than others. Adult heroes exist, but most of the characters you see are teens and not just girls. 'cause you mostly see the students. As for WW.... Heh, this could be the OG Wonder Girl, IE teen Diana.

Despite that you do have the feel of progression since the characters aren't quite the same after doing stuff.

[Daibhidh]

Despite that you do have the feel of progression since the characters aren't quite the same after doing stuff.

My memory of it - my daughter was into it for a while so I had to watch along, honest - is that it was better than it needed to be. (Side eyes the animation Marvel was putting out at the time.)