Best, worst reveals in Spidey books

[Riv86672]

To include secret identities, who committed a particular crime, who was pulling strings, etc.

Which ones hit the mark for you?

Which ones fell short?

[Lee]

The reveal of Uncle Ben's murderer was great, especially for the young audience it was playing to.

Amazing Spider-Man #698 had the best sleight of hand and reveal in the series.

The original Ned Leeds Hobogblin reveal was a huge fumble.

Parallel Lives revealing exactly when MJ learned Spider-Man's secret identity took a previously pretty good reveal and ruined it.

[Vegan]

I think the reveal that “what Peter did” was fall out of a portal that exploded and then buried his costume in the hole (for no reason) is an all timer terrible one that’ll crack a lot of “worst of” lists for a long time.

Despite my dislike of Superior Spider-Man, the reveal in #698 is very well handled and effective.

[bob.schoonover]

*I didn't like any part of the robot parents arc, especially LifeTheft, and thought for the most part Pursuit was the worst part of "Angry Peter" between Maximum Carnage and the Clone Saga, but having said all of that, the Harry reveal at the end was just gutting.

*ASM 698 was an all-timer! It survives a critical test that most big reveals don't: you can look back at the issue and see exactly what's been going on and be gob-smacked that you didn't notice it the first time through

*Any reveal related to the Hobgoblin fell flat for me. At best, it fell flat

*The initial Kindred reveal in ASM 50 was amazing. Almost every twist and turn after that, especially the Stacy twins, Mysterio's god-like hypnotism powers, and the deal with Mephisto, were very bad (probably in part because they were all built in as part of a bigger story that never happened), although I'll say the AI Harry piece was pretty solid.

[NC_Yankee]

To include secret identities, who committed a particular crime, who was pulling strings, etc.

Which ones hit the mark for you?

Which ones fell short?

Best reveal? cover of ASM 121 and who ended up dying ( Gwen). Worst? Kamala dying and coming back immediately. Honorary mention:Stacy Twins ( being Kindred) at the end of the Spencer Run.

[Chubistian]

The best: The unmasking of the Green Goblin as Norman Osborn
The worst: The unmasking of the Hobgoblin as Ned Leeds, a character who was dead at the time

I also really like the twist in ASM 698, the identity of Sin-Eater and that the Alien Costume was actually a living, symbiote being

[Coop]

Worst for me is Kindred. Just so convoluted and nonsensical it made every appearance prior to that feel like a big waste of time.

[Mister Mets]

Some of my favorites (that haven't been mentioned yet)...
The End of Spider-Verse had two great reveals. The first was when it turned out that Peter Parker wasn't erased from history. And then there was the reveal about Spider-Boy.
The dying Captain Stacy saying that he always knew that Peter Parker was Spider-Man.
Both times Ludwig Rinehart turned out to be Mysterio.
Ezekiel making his debut, and changing everything with one question.
The secret of the boy who collects Spider-Man.

Some that I hated...
The BND Harry Osborn being a clone.
Peter Parker's a clone.
As a general trend, I don't like random connections between supporting cast members and the A-plot, like a Daily Bugle reporter having a cousin who is an assassin.
The existence of the Stacy twins
Any effort to reconcile mini-series Trouble with the standard version of Peter Parker.

[Mister Mets]

The reveal of Uncle Ben's murderer was great, especially for the young audience it was playing to.

Amazing Spider-Man #698 had the best sleight of hand and reveal in the series.

The original Ned Leeds Hobogblin reveal was a huge fumble.

Parallel Lives revealing exactly when MJ learned Spider-Man's secret identity took a previously pretty good reveal and ruined it.

I'm going to agree with all of these.

I also just appreciated ASM 698 as a stealth version of a legendary Fantastic Four story told from Doctor Doom's view.

I think the reveal that “what Peter did” was fall out of a portal that exploded and then buried his costume in the hole (for no reason) is an all timer terrible one that’ll crack a lot of “worst of” lists for a long time.

Despite my dislike of Superior Spider-Man, the reveal in #698 is very well handled and effective.

I though the what Peter did thing played fair with what we knew before.

The best: The unmasking of the Green Goblin as Norman Osborn
The worst: The unmasking of the Hobgoblin as Ned Leeds, a character who was dead at the time

I also really like the twist in ASM 698, the identity of Sin-Eater and that the Alien Costume was actually a living, symbiote being

The Sin-Eater twist might just be the best.

It doesn't seem like a mystery since the Sin-Eater seems to be a psycho whose face we see. Peter David and Rich Buckler were clever at making it obvious that Stan Carter was the Sin-Eater in retrospect, but he's likeable. And he's named Stan. And the reveal comes at the worst moment as it turns out that a member of the supporting cast is in danger.

Worst for me is Kindred. Just so convoluted and nonsensical it made every appearance prior to that feel like a big waste of time.

Yeah. I didn't care for the initial reveal which came rather later, and was so obvious.

But then the real answer was so convoluted. And it came way too late.

[HypnoHustler]

Spider-Man books usually drop the ball on twists and reveals (see Kindred), but the BEST reveal is probably the revelation that Stan Carter was Sin-Eater, since PAD planned it from the start.

Runner-up is probably controversial for many, but seeing Norman Osborn revealed as alive and the mastermind of the Clone Saga took my breath away as a kid. I get others feel very differently about it though.


The WORST reveal is still Baby May being swapped for Aunt May in ‘Gathering of Five/ The Final Chapter.’

Readers had been led to believe Baby May was alive and being held by Norman. So Peter stormed his compound but instead discovered Aunt May who had died in ASM#400. She had… heh… had her death faked by a genetically altered actress.

So stupid my head still hurts 25 years later.

Kindred’s ID reveal is probably runner-up. And almost as dumb.

[Vegan]

Spider-Man books usually drop the ball on twists and reveals (see Kindred), but the BEST reveal is probably the revelation that Stan Carter was Sin-Eater, since PAD planned it from the start.

Runner-up is probably controversial for many, but seeing Norman Osborn revealed as alive and the mastermind of the Clone Saga took my breath away as a kid. I get others feel very differently about it though.


The WORST reveal is still Baby May being swapped for Aunt May in ‘Gathering of Five/ The Final Chapter.’

Readers had been led to believe Baby May was alive and being held by Norman. So Peter stormed his compound but instead discovered Aunt May who had died in ASM#400. She had… heh… had her death faked by a genetically altered actress.

So stupid my head still hurts 25 years later.

Kindred’s ID reveal is probably runner-up. And almost as dumb.

Oh god the “Aunt May was replaced by an actress who died in her place and massively devalued JMD’s brilliant ASM #400 and then did absolutely nothing with the character is probably the actual worst

[Batman Begins 2005]

Best:

The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man. Feels odd putting it in the best with how sad it is.
The reveal of Uncle Ben's killer.
Aunt May finding out Peter Parker is Spider-Man by JMD and JMS.
Ultimate Spider-Man #13 when Mary Jane Watson finds out is perfect.
My Dinner with Jonah when J Jonah Jameson finds out.
The Night Gwen Stacy Died.
Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin.
TASM #698.
Kraven suicide was shocking.
Ezekiel's debut with THAT question.

Worst:

Peter Parker reveals his secret identity in Civil War and what that led to.
What Peter did in TASM (Vol. 6).
Cindy Moon/Silk.
Ned Leeds Hobgoblin.
Norman Osborn and Kraven the Hunter returns from the dead.
The Gathering of Five/The Final Chapter.
Robot parents.
Aunt May genetically altered actress.
Stacy twins.

[K7P5V]

Definitely, an All-Time Favorite would be the revelation that Venom was Eddie Brock the entire time...

[Rob London]

Good reveal: Lily Hollister is Menace! I thought this one was well-handled, and when you went back, it made a lot of sense.

Bad reveal: Mary Jane's stalker/kidnapper is...some psychic guy we've never met! Yeeg, what a mess that was.

[Jman27]

Definitely, an All-Time Favorite would be the revelation that Venom was Eddie Brock the entire time...

honestly I wished they introduced Eddie more earlier to build this up. Cause prior to this he never existed