Dan Slott Interview with ComicVine for RYV

[Ursalink]

Honestly, I don't get what they want to say with Peter and MJ's relationship "can't go any further". As if being constantly in danger because of being a superhero's wife wasn't a constant proof to be worried all the time. MC2 already proved that Peter and MJ's marriage has pretty much to show with every crazy adventure they have.

After erasing the marriage from continuity, they didn't get anything right with Peter's love story. Carlie Cooper, Black Cat, Mary Jane... All those relationships ruined, especially after they made them pass through the whole "Superior Spider-Junk" thing. They made it like Peter was the responsible of all the horrible things, when it was Octopus. I saw a good shine of hope in Spider-Island when MJ and Peter fought together against the Queen's army, which made MJ finally realize Peter's point of view when he uses the webs.

That's why I believe that the marriage (and the daugther) must be restored when Secret Wars is over. And before you say the old excuse of made Peter old, you should realize something.... PETER IS OLD!!!! For Pete's sake, this is a character with more than 50 years of stories. 50 YEARS!!! They always presented him as the "anyone's man"; well guess what, any "anyone's man" grows up sooner or later. You can't keep him as a teenager forever, especially because being always in the same Status Quo about "jumping from one point to another" is really tiring. At some point, "everyman" has to stabilize his life, but they keep ruining any change in Peter's life in a ridiculous life. He's Peter Parker, not Peter Pan!!! Peter will always be THE Spider-Man, there's not doubt about that, but they can't keep making him look like a teenager with a completely unstable life. If you want a Young Spider-Man, you already have Miles Morales in the mainstream after Secret Wars to keep that torch.

[jimishim12]

Funny. Because Dan said writing a Married MJ has "no limits". So which status quo compromises Spidey stories...the one where relationships cant advance...or one where there are no limitations and featuring the marriage...

He implied that? I though he meant MJ had "no limits" without being married.

[Vortex85]

He implied that? I though he meant MJ had "no limits" without being married.

He clearly said that he is enjoying writing MJ now in RYVs because it's like being able to write her character without limits.

He said writing her throughout BND, Big Time, and Superior it felt limited because her relationship with Peter couldn't go anywhere. They weren't allowed to get married, there relationship just had to continue being what it was, and he even stated it was no fun to readers that way.

To me it sounds like a frustrating predicament.

MJ has 20 years of history as Peter's wife. Like it or not, that is her true identity to many fans who read her throughout those years. That era brought more aspects to her character, more pure emotion, more true feeling than anything, and it must be nice as a writer to finally tap into that. It's like pulling a character out of exile and finally getting to write her in her most realized state.

[jimishim12]

MJ is capable of being more than a regulated spouse(like a superhero herself for example), and being a stock love interest wouldn't stick in todays current audience, fans want more out their female supporting characters than what is just they offer to the main protagonist.

[Vortex85]

MJ is capable of being more than a regulated spouse(like a superhero herself for example), and being a stock love interest wouldn't stick in todays current audience, fans want more out their female supporting characters than what is just they offer to the main protagonist.

As Peter's wife, MJ had a unique role like no other. There can be only one. And, more, thats not all she was.

She had a lot to do on her own, she has her unique career goals, life ambitions, and personality. She was her own character and she got put in the spotlight regularly, faced the toughest challenges, and was deeply embedded into the minds and hearts of fans. Fans loved her like Peter did. She had the most AMAZING role off all, other than the main character himself.

The wife of Spider-Man, Marvel's biggest character. Anything less is a huge step down.

Why you would want to take that away form her and make her another dime-a-dozen hero type is beyond me.

[boots]

As Peter's wife, MJ had a unique role like no other. There can be only one. And, more, thats not all she was.

She had a lot to do on her own, she has her unique career goals, life ambitions, and personality. She was her own character and she got put in the spotlight regularly, faced the toughest challenges, and was deeply embedded into the minds and hearts of fans. Fans loved her like Peter did. She had the most AMAZING role off all, other than the main character himself.

The wife of Spider-Man, Marvel's biggest character. Anything less is a huge step down.

Why you would want to take that away form her and make her another dime-a-dozen hero type is beyond me.

agreed here. lets give him a spider-powered pet and spidey jnr too while we’re at it.

maybe he could have a man-powered spider as a pet!

[Yvonmukluk]

MJ is capable of being more than a regulated spouse(like a superhero herself for example), and being a stock love interest wouldn't stick in todays current audience, fans want more out their female supporting characters than what is just they offer to the main protagonist.

Except, of course, that's ultimately the definition of a supporting character, regardless of gender. Making her a superhero isn't at all necessary to make her an interesting character (and I wish you'd stop going back to that well), she has more than enough to offer in her own right. She wasn't a 'stock love interest' by any means, that's what made her so popular with the readers. She wasn't Gwen Stacy or Betty Brant, created specifically to be the protaganist's girlfriend, but her character developed over 25+ years of stories to become Spidey's one true love.

Pretty much any problem with MJ as Peter's wife in the marriage was down to writers who were either lazy or had an axe to grind against the marriage.

[Tuck]

MJ is capable of being more than a regulated spouse

Actually, she doesn't.

They liked her and wanted to keep her around, so they had her date Harry without much explanation. Without that excuse to keep her around, she'd have shuffled off the book, and likely into comic-book oblivion, when Peter and Gwen started dating.

She's become a good character over the years, but she makes no sense and has no storytelling purpose outside of her relationship with Peter (whatever that may be at a given time).

[oldschool]

Actually, she doesn't.

They liked her and wanted to keep her around, so they had her date Harry without much explanation. Without that excuse to keep her around, she'd have shuffled off the book, and likely into comic-book oblivion, when Peter and Gwen started dating.

She's become a good character over the years, but she makes no sense and has no storytelling purpose outside of her relationship with Peter (whatever that may be at a given time).

Interesting point. Unlike, say, Lois Lane who is an accomplished and driven journalist, MJ spent her first decade or so in the book as the (seemingly) empty-headed party girl. After Gwen's death, she showed more empathy and compassion but not much more----when Peter first proposed to her (circa late 1970's), she simply shrugged off the proposal, dropping the ring back in hand and said "too many guys out there for me to be tied down---see ya!!". She was then in limbo until Stern resurrected her early in his run and then she was fleshed out a bit more, revealing she knew Pete's ID and then of course came the very rushed and very forced wedding. But----through all this----she didn't have much of a purpose outside of a modeling and then acting career; she never seemed very close or concerned about her Aunt Anna and of course her ambivalence towards her sister and her family is well documented. I actually thought Slott having her open her own nightclub was a cool twist with potential (perhaps having MJ guide young people and warn them of the pitfalls of modeling etc) but it hasn't led anywhere yet....

[jimishim12]

As Peter's wife, MJ had a unique role like no other. There can be only one. And, more, thats not all she was.

She had a lot to do on her own, she has her unique career goals, life ambitions, and personality. She was her own character and she got put in the spotlight regularly, faced the toughest challenges, and was deeply embedded into the minds and hearts of fans. Fans loved her like Peter did. She had the most AMAZING role off all, other than the main character himself.

The wife of Spider-Man, Marvel's biggest character. Anything less is a huge step down.

Why you would want to take that away form her and make her another dime-a-dozen hero type is beyond me.

Lets just say Marriage/Wife duties is not the main draw of an action series aimed for kids and up. Sue Richards is married because she's isn't a regulated role for the main protagonists character, it's because she was her own character as well Reed's most entrusted and powerful partner, she's the duertagonist sometimes. And she's not always about her life around Reed, it's about all herself and her family facing down evil and overcoming obstacles.

Something I would get behind with, but alas MJ doesn't have superpowers or play a big role in Spidey's adventures.

[Spider-Tiger]

Interesting point. Unlike, say, Lois Lane who is an accomplished and driven journalist, MJ spent her first decade or so in the book as the (seemingly) empty-headed party girl. After Gwen's death, she showed more empathy and compassion but not much more----when Peter first proposed to her (circa late 1970's), she simply shrugged off the proposal, dropping the ring back in hand and said "too many guys out there for me to be tied down---see ya!!". She was then in limbo until Stern resurrected her early in his run and then she was fleshed out a bit more, revealing she knew Pete's ID and then of course came the very rushed and very forced wedding. But----through all this----she didn't have much of a purpose outside of a modeling and then acting career; she never seemed very close or concerned about her Aunt Anna and of course her ambivalence towards her sister and her family is well documented. I actually thought Slott having her open her own nightclub was a cool twist with potential (perhaps having MJ guide young people and warn them of the pitfalls of modeling etc) but it hasn't led anywhere yet....

Yes, she was mainly the "party girl" at the time. However, like Lois, MJ’s career path were established from her very first appearance. Except those dreams weren’t fully realized so it’s something that we could see her work towards.

http://40.media.tumblr.com/bc9983248...tm5bo1_500.jpg

Maybe Lois’s career makes it easier to keep her around in the books even when she’s not attached to Clark, but I’m not sure how the nightclub would’ve changed that for MJ.

The Watsons in general were a missed opportunity and weren’t explored nearly as much as they could’ve been.
And to be fair, that proposal rejection was a reaction that fits in with the whole party girl façade. This happened shortly after:



She was torn between truly loving Peter, but not being able to fully commit for reasons which were later revealed.

[Spidercide]

Lets just say Marriage/Wife duties is not the main draw of an action series aimed for kids and up. Sue Richards is married because she's isn't a regulated role for the main protagonists character, it's because she was her own character as well Reed's most entrusted and powerful partner, she's the duertagonist sometimes. And she's not always about her life around Reed, it's about all herself and her family facing down evil and overcoming obstacles.

Something I would get behind with, but alas MJ doesn't have superpowers or play a big role in Spidey's adventures.

No it isn’t but it hardly detracts from it either doesn’t it. It’s about writing on multiple levels. By this logic we shouldn’t have Spider-Man doing ANYTHING at all to do with his normal life. School work? Rent payments? Shiiiiiite son, that ain’t action now iz it????

Yeah, The Fantastic Four isn’t like Spider-Man son. The FF is sci-fi adventure. Spider-Man is crime noir with soap opera and mad science. Your logic is highly flawed and akin to basically saying every solitary damn character who doesn’t have super powers or interact with that side of the series is worthless. Which is patently ridiculous

[Spidercide]

MJ is capable of being more than a regulated spouse(like a superhero herself for example), and being a stock love interest wouldn't stick in todays current audience, fans want more out their female supporting characters than what is just they offer to the main protagonist.

No mate I think YOU want that. A lot of other people are fine with them being normal people who just interact with the superhero. Plus MJ was never stock in the first place.

[Yvonmukluk]

It's also worth noting that a focus on the hero's personal life is something that was revolutionary when Spidey made his debut. In most other cases, the secret identity was just something for the hero to do while they were waiting around for the call to action-Bruce Wayne tended to lounge around Stately Wayne Manor until he got the call to action. crimefighting was a day job. Peter Parker was the first guy who worried about keeping up his grades or making enough money to help Aunt May pay the rent as well as what his rogues gallery was up to. I don't get why people keep wanting to throw that away.

[boots]

It's also worth noting that a focus on the hero's personal life is something that was revolutionary when Spidey made his debut. In most other cases, the secret identity was just something for the hero to do while they were waiting around for the call to action-Bruce Wayne tended to lounge around Stately Wayne Manor until he got the call to action. crimefighting was a day job. Peter Parker was the first guy who worried about keeping up his grades or making enough money to help Aunt May pay the rent as well as what his rogues gallery was up to. I don't get why people keep wanting to throw that away.

it's also worth noting that what was once revolutionary stops being so once it's successful and aped. marlon brando blew up the acting industry in his day, but his style is more or less the norm in modern times. if i released a hip hop or punk album tomorrow, it would be a mainstream effort. long term serials are formulaic and mixing and remixing the formula is going to come with the territory. sometimes it's gonna come out bad, sometimes it'll be a nice surprise.