Amazing Spider-Man #3 Spoilers/Discussion

[XMLXXs Man]

Johnny co-owns the Baxter Building, so it would be legally impossible for Peter to buy it without Johnny's agreement.

[Scorponok]

Well, like I said in my own review, I thought this issue was okay and appreciate seeing another friendly throw-down between Spidey and the Human Torch, but of all the times Dan Slott teamed them up, this wasn't the best, though having Johnny meet Harry for the first time was amusing. Big problem however was the circumstances for why Johnny got all steamed up over Peter buying the Baxter Building.

Especially when it's better that Peter has ownership, than someone else. However Johnny feels that the Baxter Building is a family heirloom. If he's still considered legally dead, there's no way he could claim it if the property goes back to the city. To where the building is up for grabs.

[stillanerd]

Johnny thought Peter was disrespecting the memory of the Fantastic Four, which implies *something* happened to them during the 8-month gap. What was the problem?

Oh, that is not what I had a problem with, even though it's still dependent upon knowing what happened to the Fantastic Four post-Secret Wars, which of course we still don't thanks to all the delays from that series--which Dan Slott has no control over. Rather the problem is this:

Why is the Baxter Building even up for sale? Reed is the owner of the Baxter Building. But if he, Susan, Franklin and Valeria are missing or presumed dead, then Johnny, as the only surviving of next-of-kin, is legally the property owner. Which means if anyone wanted to buy the Baxter Building, including Peter, they would have to come directly to him. Heck, he should still be living at the Baxter Building if that were the case, and if he couldn't afford the rent, then he'd be the one to put it up for sale in the first place, right?

Moreover, all Peter had to do to avoid any confrontation and misunderstanding was to say at the press conference what he wound up telling Johnny anyway--that he bought the Baxter Building as a way to honor the Fantastic Four's legacy and to show New York the building would always be the FF's home no matter what. He could even throw in how Parker Industries, like the Fantastic Four, is committed to innovations in science, technology and exploration, and that the FF were Peter's heroes and inspiration and so forth.

Finally, why would Johnny even think Peter was disrespecting their memory anyway? Let's not forget Peter was actually once a member of the Fantastic Four.

[stillanerd]

Johnny co-owns the Baxter Building, so it would be legally impossible for Peter to buy it without Johnny's agreement.

Exactly!

Especially when it's better that Peter has ownership, than someone else. However Johnny feels that the Baxter Building is a family heirloom. If he's still considered legally dead, there's no way he could claim it if the property goes back to the city. To where the building is up for grabs.

Not only that, but as been pointed out, Johnny is now the legal owner of the Baxter Building. So how did it wind up for sale at auction in the first place without his knowledge or consent?

[Dan Slott]

Johnny co-owns the Baxter Building, so it would be legally impossible for Peter to buy it without Johnny's agreement.

In the 8 month gap, both Johnny & Ben lost their shares in a poker game.

C'mon, people, whatever happened to No-Prizing it? :-D

Not only that, but as been pointed out, Johnny is now the legal owner of the Baxter Building. So how did it wind up for sale at auction in the first place without his knowledge or consent?

If you look for the "wrong" in a story, you'll find it.
Same happens when you try to look for the "right".

If you go along for the ride, you'll have fun.
If you try to figure out why the ride isn't matching up with minutia (or worse-- your own pet theories & head-canon), you won't have fun.
It's that simple.
Unless, of course, you're that kind of fan who's happiest when they're trying to prove that something's wrong. :-/

[stillanerd]

In the 8 month gap, both Johnny & Ben lost their shares in a poker game.

C'mon, people, whatever happened to No-Prizing it? :-D


If you look for the "wrong" in a story, you'll find it.
Same happens when you try to look for the "right".

If you go along for the ride, you'll have fun.
If you try to figure out why the ride isn't matching up with minutia (or worse-- your own pet theories & head-canon), you won't have fun.
It's that simple.
Unless, of course, you're that kind of fan who's happiest when they're trying to prove that something's wrong. :-/

I'm not saying the story wasn't fun, Dan. You've always written Spidey and Johnny well whenever they get together for their latest round of high jinks and brother-like squabbling. I'm just saying that, given what we know about recent events in the Marvel Universe--even the "All-New, All-Different" one--Johnny really shouldn't have been caught unawares of Peter buying the Baxter Building because Johnny, as Reed and Sue's next of kin, should be the legal owner. Which means Peter or Roxxon or Alchemax or Hammer or anyone (though probably not Stark because he's strapped for cash these days) would have to come to him to buy it. Although, I grant you, a lot can happen in 8 months and, as you suggest, maybe he and Ben did lost it in a poker game. Maybe even to one Walter Collins.

[Prof. Warren]

In the 8 month gap, both Johnny & Ben lost their shares in a poker game.

C'mon, people, whatever happened to No-Prizing it? :-D

Seriously! Imaging a turn of events that would've caused the Baxter Building to fall out of ownership of the FF is easy enough. The specifics might be explained at some point (or not) but the immediate lack of those specifics isn't an impediment to enjoying the story at hand.

[stillanerd]

Seriously! Imaging a turn of events that would've caused the Baxter Building to fall out of ownership of the FF is easy enough. The specifics might be explained at some point (or not) but the immediate lack of those specifics isn't an impediment to enjoying the story at hand.

Granted, but I'm of the opinion that when a story sets up a sizable gap of time missing, it makes it harder for both the reader and the writer. Harder for the reader because they don't have the proper context behind what the character's emotional state or current development, and harder for the writer because, they have to constantly keep flashing back to that missing gap of time in order to explain what happened instead of moving forward with their story. It a similar problem DC ran into twice, first with their "One Year Later" stunt, and then with their New 52 reboot in which superheroes were already active and only had five years worth of history. It also happened with One More Day and Brand New Day because, for the longest time, there was no explanation (aside from the obvious) as to why Peter and MJ had split up, why Peter's had secret identity again, and why no one could remember he was Spider-Man.

Even so, the current eight month gap in time effect on Amazing Spider-Man pales in comparison to the X-Men comics. In Uncanny X-Men #600, we see Cyclops revolution come to fruition, which was to gather all the mutants to together in Washington D.C. for a peaceful demonstration and there no violence to speak of. Eight months later in Extraordinary X-Men #1 (which came out the same day), everyone hates mutants again in part because of something Cyclops did that was so terrible, even his former teammates are calling him a murderer. And no, it doesn't appear to be is killing of Professor X.

[Mauled]

In the 8 month gap, both Johnny & Ben lost their shares in a poker game.

C'mon, people, whatever happened to No-Prizing it? :-D


If you look for the "wrong" in a story, you'll find it.
Same happens when you try to look for the "right".

If you go along for the ride, you'll have fun.
If you try to figure out why the ride isn't matching up with minutia (or worse-- your own pet theories & head-canon), you won't have fun.
It's that simple.
Unless, of course, you're that kind of fan who's happiest when they're trying to prove that something's wrong. :-/

Depends on what that minutia is though. For me the Baxter Building isn't really a huge thing to spoil the issue. Mine is back from the first issue and Peter doing nothing over Sajani, and allowing her to still run an office after knowing she betrayed him.
He could have had her thrown in jail or simply fired. Hell he could have even had her moved to keep an eye on her. He did none of those things.

[Ravin' Ray]

Seriously! Imaging a turn of events that would've caused the Baxter Building to fall out of ownership of the FF is easy enough. The specifics might be explained at some point (or not) but the immediate lack of those specifics isn't an impediment to enjoying the story at hand.

Yup, that's what I was implying when I said there's a backstory that needs to be told about the Baxter Building.

Also, does Slott have plans for Johnny's Cosmic Control Rod? Is it still in the BB and does Parker now have custody of it?

[Ozymandias]

Harry's back, even though he was changing identities and "on the run". Slott's keeps adding to the queue of things yet-to-be-explained.
So Peter's the best boss you could hope for, that's the third employee we see ignoring, sabotaging or mocking him, in the span of a few weeks.
Osborn goes to the trouble, of undergoing plastic surgery to change his face, and yet he goes by name?

[xpyred]

Osborn goes to the trouble, of undergoing plastic surgery to change his face, and yet he goes by name?

Osborn's new face is that of Peter Parker's. What better way to screw with everyone? Peter makes tech for spider-man right? So Norman takes over Parker Industries and tries to kill spider-man via Peter's identity. It will be a new spin on "clone saga" and "superior spider-man."

[stillanerd]

Osborn's new face is that of Peter Parker's. What better way to screw with everyone? Peter makes tech for spider-man right? So Norman takes over Parker Industries and tries to kill spider-man via Peter's identity. It will be a new spin on "clone saga" and "superior spider-man."

Or like that other bandaged villain from the Distinguished Competition.

[Von]

I liked this issue. I'm not sure why TC didn't think it had humor, though. I found it pretty comical. maybe not quite as much as the previous issue but still funny.

It's no different than when brothers (or more aptly, friends who are like brothers) fight.

This is the way I saw it. Also:

A while back I got over the shock of super powered beings wearing multicolored wetsuits throwing down and
trying to kick each others ass for the most flimsly, stupid reason.

You need to also make sure that the One That is Misunderstood, is not allowed to clear up the obvious misunderstanding,
even if it's one sentence that would clear the whole thing up .. because the One That is Offended is pummeling them too
hard to let them get a word in edgewise.

Its a trope. Its just "the way superheros are".

Its tradition.

[Von]

Finally, why would Johnny even think Peter was disrespecting their memory anyway? Let's not forget Peter was actually once a member of the Fantastic Four.

- Johnny is a hothead, flames on before he thinks. That's Johnny.

- Johnny has a big ego, and has *always* had this wierd rivalry with Pete - trying to outdo each other. From wayyy back

- Johnny lost his family, his team, his powers (for a while), and (he thinks) "At least we still have the Baxter Building" as he's
hanging out in clubs drinking because he lost all of that.

.. then, suddenly he finds out that's gone too ... to Pete. Of all people.

And this is world famous, super-rich, GLOBAL CELEBRITY Pete - so Johnny's jeli already,
he feels like a loser lately, his ego is like a little kids (always).

So that's a triple burn right there. It was always 180 degrees the other way around,
and now (in Johnnys childish mind) he feels like an even bigger loser.

AND Pete did not even have the respect to ask Johnny's permission or even notify him
that he was trying to buy the building ...

AND, as Pete is showing off Johnny's old house - that he stole out from under Johnny and
his family - Pete shows him a new Spider-Mobile that he totally built without Johnny and
is bragging about how great it is.

That was the final straw.

It would be totally out of character (and long standing tradition) if Johnny did not flame
on and try to break Petes neck.