Rate Gang War

[Kevinroc]

(Been awhile since I made one of these threads.)

Gang War is over. Rate the event.

(Please overlook that a tie-in comic isn't out yet.)

[CrimsonEchidna]

It was technically better written than the past couple of events but the more I sit on it the more grow to dislike it. So the Sinister Syndicate all fall in under Tombstone's thumb at the end even though the whole purpose of them joining together as a group was because they were tired of getting screwed over by the male crooks and they were ride or die with each other. And this is all despite the fact that Tombstone quite literally beat their friend, his daughter, into the ground before taking over.

Everything with Fisk crashing the brawl, not because Tombstone undermined his son's ascension to the throne, but because he was going through a lull in his marriage and he and Mary just needed some excitement.

Spider-Man, who's whole participation in this brawl is because Randy got caught in the crossfire, but then all urgency kind of gets cast to the side so that he can make jokes about how he feels like a side character in the story and doesn't really know what's going on because Tombstone is making all the big decisions for them. And then the final issue trying to speedrun his specific grudge against Madame Masque.

Peter just straight up losing every fight. Not even joke. The only victory he gets was webbing Masque's guantlet.

Like this is the first event in this run where it's not just bad, but it feels like Wells was making it up issue to issue.

[SturdyMike89]

Spider-Man is portrayed as a loser here. None of the other heroes have much impact and they don't fit well within the story or interact well with Spider-Man. The only reason that Spider-Woman is here at all is because she is getting an ongoing series and Marvel doesn't have faith that it will work without propping it up by involving it in a crossover and later using guest stars like Spider-Boy to keep it alive. The bad guys are allowed to do pretty much everything they want as Spider-Man keeps forgetting about that whole "taking responsibility no matter what" thing. I'm not saying this is the worst Spider-Man story ever or even the worst one Well's has done. He did write issues #21-26 after all. But it is a bad story.

[IamnotJudasTraveller]

It's a good thing I'm never going to write for any comics website, because if I did, the best blurb Marvel could get out of me would be "Marginally better than Dark Web!"

[Chris0013]

It seems like Marvel's motto is "make it a crossover...and make it suck."

[Alex_Of_X]

Weak! Mostly to do with a sagging middle, and a finale largely devoid of emotional stakes.

Dark Web clears

[Celgress]

I didn't read it, so no vote for me.

[MisterTorgo]

Though the preview scans and synopses I saw of it told me it was doodoo, I didn't really read it, so I won't vote but I at least want to put up a write-in candidate: it was doodoo.

[jsg2295]

My “favorite” part was Peter being a human smoke machine while MJ jokes around with Spiderboy. I feel bad that this title is at the upper echelon on marvel sales. Makes me think they will continue with this premise of Spider-Man being the side guy in his own book. I feel Wells likes his villains more than poor Pete.
Can’t wait to see what he does in the obligatory green goblin/Spiderman fight. I imagine GG will be beating the tar out of him and everyone’s favorite guy…Paul…comes in with MJ…and beats GG with some magic/technology b.s.

[Frontier]

It was a Spider-Man "event" where Spider-Man basically does nothing but be useless and crack jokes for pretty much the entire story while other characters carry the narrative weight and get to be the "adults" who drive the story.

Except Miles, he gets to be cool, kick butt, and drive his own book and even lead his own crew (while the "team" Peter comes up with pretty much immediately bails on him when the event starts).

Madame Masque as a "Big Bad" feels out of place in a Spider-Man book and doesn't even end up amounting to much in the end.

MJ's big debut as Jackpot is largely forgettable.

Some of the other heroes at least got decent tie-in's.

The original Gang War culminated in putting Wilson Fisk back on top while this comic puts Tombstone...back where he was at the beginning of the story, only he had to screw over his daughter in the process. So...basically nothing really mattered. And there's no emotional weight behind anything. But at least Randy is okay, I guess?

[HypnoHustler]

Definitely “mediocre.” I save the “terrible” option for the truly … well, terrible stories like “One More Day, “Sins Past,” “Clone Conspiracy”, “Maximum Clonage”, “Gathering of Five”, or Wells’ own “Dead Languages.”

[Thundershot]

All I can say is “Thank God for Superior Spider-Man”.

[exile001]

Didn't read it and probably never will. From what I've read on here I missed nothing of value.

[Triniking1234]

Last time I picked up the book, Re Krap was back and I was out.

[Tuck]

Weak! Mostly to do with a sagging middle, and a finale largely devoid of emotional stakes.

Dark Web clears

Damn.

Most positive reader of the run in these threads.