Amazing Spider-Man #35 Preview

[MisterTorgo]

I haven't regularly read comics in a long while, but I have been checking in lately to see about getting back into it and this book has made me realize that my interest, of lack thereof, in following comics has seems to be pretty closely tied to how Spider-Man is doing. And it's made me realize that my love for the medium has been closely tied to the fortunes of The Amazing Spider-Man.

I started reading in the 80s and picked up every issue of a book called The Marvel Saga, which was exactly that: a (very)shortened retelling of the stories from the 60s up to the 80s. One I always remembered, and one of the few dedicated to a single hero, was the history of Pete and MJ's meeting-turned-friendship-turned-romance-turned marriage:

Marvel_Saga_Vol_1_22.jpg

There were a lot of bumpy stories before and during the marriage, but it always felt like there was a decent balance between light and dark moments. Pete was a hard-luck hero but he wasn't always utterly alone, even if he forgot that sometimes.
One thing I never, EVER wondered was "Gee, what would it be like for these two soulmates to come to super-powered blows over MJ's romance to a man who chose to give her superpowers when they were trapped in an alternate dimension rather than to make a way to get her home."

I realized that every time I quit comics (during the clone saga when Pete backhanded a pregnant MJ across the room and then again after One More Day) that I always check to see how Spidey is doing before I decide to come back, but after checking in recently and seeing these previews, I honestly can't imagine this is still supposed to be the House of Ideas.

It sucks seeing some of my favorite fictional heroes like this, with no idea of a hopeful endgame.

This feels shameful.

[Moxxi517]

He stopped off somewhere to get/create the modified black suit evil Bug wing thing so it's not a stretch for the mask imo.

In the preview page MJ's Jackpot device is also consistently on her left hand. Been a lot of duds and mess ups in this run but Gleason has been consistent. MJ is shoving Paul with her right hand. The left wrist is off panel in that part.

I'm also just rolling my eyes. So few people hate this book in a way that actually has a material impact on them. It's a bunch of people who enjoyed the comic as a kid and haven't moved on and are disappointed to see the state of things. Like I think this run is awful but I'm only thinking about this run when I pop on this forum because I'm procrastinating at work.

Just to be clear here, you are wrong about the Jackpot gauntlet. It is consistently shown to be on her right hand. And so the fact that it is missing when MJ shoves Paul with her right hand is definitely a continuity issue.

[Kurus]

Out of interest, is this set before or after Bronfman's back up where MJ decides to become Jackpot? Is there any sign of MJ thinking that this might be a good time to suit up and adopt her superhero persona?
Or on the other hand, is there any sign of her and Paul being grief stricken over the loss of their children?

That would require Wells to right MJ as a character with interiority, which is something he actively refuses to do.

[Coop]

Just to be clear here, you are wrong about the Jackpot gauntlet. It is consistently shown to be on her right hand. And so the fact that it is missing when MJ shoves Paul with her right hand is definitely a continuity issue.

Yeah actually maybe I did give them too much credit haha. The watch does seem to be moving.

[CrimsonEchidna]

It's kind of funny in a sad way how much a character like Paul and his entire role has diverted this franchise. And he's barely even a character!

I find myself falling on the apathetic side at this point. He's clearly a character designed to be rage-bait but Wells has also done the bare minimum with him and the kids before they got Thanos'd.

[Moxxi517]

Out of interest, is this set before or after Bronfman's back up where MJ decides to become Jackpot? Is there any sign of MJ thinking that this might be a good time to suit up and adopt her superhero persona?
Or on the other hand, is there any sign of her and Paul being grief stricken over the loss of their children?

I'm also curious about when this takes place relative to the backup in the annual. Cause the Paul-Peter-MJ dynamic in that one seems weird if that story takes place before or after this one.

[Garlador]

It sucks seeing some of my favorite fictional heroes like this, with no idea of a hopeful endgame.

This feels shameful.

Echoing my thoughts.

I recall one reader saying the modern comic is “like the non-stop loss and downers of Infinity War’s ending, only we never get the triumph and joy of Endgame’s portal scene”. That the book breaks and tears down and destroys far more than it builds and grows these days.

“It’s easier and faster to demolish a house than to build one up.”

My wife summed up the book as “mean-spirited” and that seems like the most accurate description to me. It is. It’s a mean book that really seems to delight in making its characters suffer and making many fans angry, sad, and upset.

And that’s antithetical to what I and others view the character as. It’s not what it should be. That decades of reading showed characters building bonds, growing stronger in love and support, forging a future together through hellfire and tribulation, because life is ugly and hard, but Peter’s stories inspired him and others to work through them with love and dignity, to find meaning and family amidst the storms.

The creatives and leadership at Marvel have lost sight of this. But fans and readers won’t forget. It’ll be fixed, I’m sure.

But like you, I’m not investing in this misery porn until then. Life is too short to wallow in garbage.

[wleakr]

The Debbie Downers are in the house today!

downer2.jpg

[Bitterman]

I'm also curious about when this takes place relative to the backup in the annual. Cause the Paul-Peter-MJ dynamic in that one seems weird if that story takes place before or after this one.

The continuity is all over the place, because Technically Uncanny #1 comic takes place after this and before Gang Wars, only Kurt is speaking with peter because everyone else hates him again.
So in this case the Jackpot stuff possibly right into the beginning of the gang wars since she is showing up there.

What peter said in ASM35 about the kids will lead to that short.

[Mercwmouth12]

The continuity is all over the place, because Technically Uncanny #1 comic takes place after this and before Gang Wars, only Kurt is speaking with peter because everyone else hates him again.
So in this case the Jackpot stuff possibly right into the beginning of the gang wars since she is showing up there.

What peter said in ASM35 about the kids will lead to that short.

Does everyone hate him again? and we don't know what happens in ASM 35 yet

[Jman27]

The continuity is all over the place, because Technically Uncanny #1 comic takes place after this and before Gang Wars, only Kurt is speaking with peter because everyone else hates him again.
So in this case the Jackpot stuff possibly right into the beginning of the gang wars since she is showing up there.

What peter said in ASM35 about the kids will lead to that short.

not really he had an issue with the F4 and Cap

[Bitterman]

Does everyone hate him again? and we don't know what happens in ASM 35 yet

All we know is that #36 he will be dealing with the fallout of what happened here alongside rek-rap.

So there is obviously a Timeskip after it since Tombstone is healed by the time gang wars begins.

[Garlador]

All we know is that #36 he will be dealing with the fallout of what happened here alongside rek-rap.

So there is obviously a Timeskip after it since Tombstone is healed by the time gang wars begins.

If Wells keeps doing these timeskips, we’ll be 70 years into the future by the time his run ends and Peter will still look and act like he’s 17.

[Bitterman]

If Wells keeps doing these timeskips, we’ll be 70 years into the future by the time his run ends and Peter will still look and act like he’s 17.

If anything if i speculate, 2 months since #35, Rek-Rap Shows up, Gang Wars happens over the next "2 days" in comic with MJackpot showing up and the "talk", then Wolverine Comic and NY now completely taken by Orchis after Gang Wars, and then the next year Orchis endgame, then is back to spider-man alone.

[Sr. Bungle]

Now that Kafka is good again she should try and help Chasm. She knows what happened to him

Ben and Ned Leeds, I forgot to add.