Know what I hate about this? The city is going to hell. The gangs are being relentless. People are getting hurt. Peter should NOT be in his wisecracking mode. With things this bad, Peter should be in Serious Scary Spider mode. Also, with Tombstone and Fisk busy, he should have absolutely cleaned house, especially with Jen backing him up.
Once again we have a big crossover centered around the main Spider-Man book and every tie in is infinitely better than it.
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It seems like comics are falling into the same cycle as movie properties which just focus on sequels and reboots of superior original ideas from the 80s and 90s. We had an arc based around mythology from ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ (for the umpteenth time) and now almost immediately after we are getting a second ‘Gang Wars.’
Former CBR writer. See my old articles here.
You mean the Spencer arc? That was okay. I was thinking of the more recent arc by Wells (Spidey’s First Hunt?), which was a step up from dreck like “Dead Languages” but still pretty forgettable.
Anyway, this Gang War II is okay so far compared to Wells’ earlier arcs, so I’ll give it a chance. But like the Kraven stuff, it’s still just a remix of an earlier and more successful storyline.
Former CBR writer. See my old articles here.
Well, yeah. Miles' current status is the payoff to years of character development. He started as Spidey when he was thirteen and was pretty much a loser in his civilian and hero life. I'd even go so far as to say Miles has endured the most painfully awkward level up of any hero out there, so now seeing him finally unleashed as a badass who paid his dues who gets respect from a senior monsters like Hobgoblin and enmity from a prick like Carnage, feels pretty damn good. Like seeing a younger sibling finally find success.
Be nice if some of that glow-up finally clung to Peter.
Hasn't Miles always been successful as a hero? He was winning fights (Cough) Deus Ex Venom Blast (Cough) very early into his career and taking down big villains and getting the respect of his peers and older adult heroes from pretty much the get-go. The one time he tussled with 616 Spidey he took him down with a Venom Blast. Even his biggest losses (his uncle and mom) got undone post-Secret Wars.
I would agree though that his civilian life (or what little he has of one) isn't much. His current run has actually explored how he genuinely struggles at school and he doesn't have a big friend group in his civilian identity (it's really just Ganke and Judge when writers remember the latter even exists).
Im a few issues behind but I dont see an issue with Peter using gags in serious situations. I've always understood it as a coping mechanism and a way to face his fears and also to project to the villains that he's above their level.
No remember this run is literal hell on earth nothing from it can be right.
It builds character.
I couldn't get into Miles new run. I think the writer has a nice voice for Miles, but I found the villains uninteresting and silly, I found the upgraded powers to be ridiculous (I viscerally hate the sword). Miles already has awesome powers, he doesn't need more to make him seem cool. There's no real tension in his fights now. Feels like a writer trying to do cool moments and leave their mark but is not really advancing Miles.
And I really need some clarity on this "Peter doesn't ever win any fights". You guys act like he's Daredevil when it comes to the misery. And isn't losing a fight but finding a way to come back and win a classic Spidey trope? From as long I can remember reading its been that way. Most times he loses the "first confrontation" and them comes back right? Slott, Bendis, Spencer all did this. I can remember clearly during JMS's run that Peter got his butt kicked a ton of times. The thing is though he doesn't quit and finds a way to win. He gets This is in contrast to modern Miles who's solution is just to come up with a new random power. But thats just my personal preference.