Is ASM leaving anyone else cold lately?

[oldschool]

So, while I admire Slott for shaking things up yet again and steering Pete/Spidey into another new direction, it feels oddly unsatisfying to me. It's not that I find it bad in planning or execution; it just feels…..off. I thought the initial setup was interesting and I am not one of those griping that it feels like "Iron Man Light"; I want to like it and I think it's good that Slott is writing a more grown-up and ambitious Peter but it just isn't working for me. Maybe it's the lack of NYC which i would argue is the most important supporting cast member in the Spidey cast; maybe it's the way the pacing is breathless and slow all at the same time (jetting from country to country but without a whole lot really happening); maybe it's Zodiac which doesn't seem quite right to be a Big Bad; maybe it's Mockingbird and Nick Fury as ill-fitting co-stars. Maybe all of the above. I don't know; all i DO know is that I am finding the Santerians story just started in the "point" issues much more to my liking and I thought RYV was the best Spidey story of 2015. So I guess that says something about my take of the Spidey of 616 these days. Anyone else feel this way??

[Celgress]

Regrettably, I couldn't have put it better myself. I just don't care for globe trotting Spidey.

[Kevinroc]

So, while I admire Slott for shaking things up yet again and steering Pete/Spidey into another new direction, it feels oddly unsatisfying to me. It's not that I find it bad in planning or execution; it just feels…..off. I thought the initial setup was interesting and I am not one of those griping that it feels like "Iron Man Light"; I want to like it and I think it's good that Slott is writing a more grown-up and ambitious Peter but it just isn't working for me. Maybe it's the lack of NYC which i would argue is the most important supporting cast member in the Spidey cast; maybe it's the way the pacing is breathless and slow all at the same time (jetting from country to country but without a whole lot really happening); maybe it's Zodiac which doesn't seem quite right to be a Big Bad; maybe it's Mockingbird and Nick Fury as ill-fitting co-stars. Maybe all of the above. I don't know; all i DO know is that I am finding the Santerians story just started in the "point" issues much more to my liking and I thought RYV was the best Spidey story of 2015. So I guess that says something about my take of the Spidey of 616 these days. Anyone else feel this way??

Yes, I feel exactly this way. And I think you phrased it better than I did. That's why I dropped ASM. I wasn't enjoying the current direction.

[cyberhubbs]

I'd say part of it may be that Slott is tackling global issues with his more humorous and frantic style, so it doesn't quite feel as 'important' as, say, an international spy thriller. He's also juggling a lot, which can be cool, but it seems like he's trying to cram in a lot before something big.

[Prof. Warren]

I'm really enjoying it. I love the anticipation of huge things building in the world of Spidey - the return of Doc Ock, the reformation of the Sinister Six, the mysterious Man in Red, etc.. The current ASM is fast paced, thrilling, a breath of fresh air. But it is a big shake-up and I understand that it isn't going to be to everyone's taste but the thing with Slott is that he plays the long game and I can't wait to see what he has in store.

We're only in the early stages of ANAD Spidey and I expect things will escalate in a major way very soon.

[Kevinroc]

I think a big problem I have with Vol. 4 is Vol. 3. Peter seemed not to care about Parker Industries in Vol. 3. It seemed like he started to care just before the end of Vol. 3 when it seemed like he was about to lose it. But by that point, I was just hoping it would go away. Not serve as the building block of the new run.

[cyberhubbs]

I think a big problem I have with Vol. 4 is Vol. 3. Peter seemed not to care about Parker Industries in Vol. 3. It seemed like he started to care just before the end of Vol. 3 when it seemed like he was about to lose it. But by that point, I was just hoping it would go away. Not serve as the building block of the new run.

Peter probably didn't exactly feel attached to a company he didn't build, but at the same time he could see it as a helpful tool for all of mankind. He got saddled with it, may as well make the best of it.

[Kevinroc]

Peter probably didn't exactly feel attached to a company he didn't build, but at the same time he could see it as a helpful tool for all of mankind. He got saddled with it, may as well make the best of it.

I think if you want the audience to care about something, the protagonist has to care about it too.

(Maybe it's because I didn't care much for Vol. 3 either.)

[weezer17]

Definitely agree. A big step back from Superior.

[John Ossie]

I'm not loving it either myself at the moment. The globe trotting thing hasn't really worked for me nor has the Spider-Mobile thing which still makes me shake my head LOL. I don't know, I feel like I've gotten bored of Slott's Spider-Man to be honest.

[frizb]

I'm really enjoying it. I love the anticipation of huge things building in the world of Spidey - the return of Doc Ock, the reformation of the Sinister Six, the mysterious Man in Red, etc.. The current ASM is fast paced, thrilling, a breath of fresh air. But it is a big shake-up and I understand that it isn't going to be to everyone's taste but the thing with Slott is that he plays the long game and I can't wait to see what he has in store.

We're only in the early stages of ANAD Spidey and I expect things will escalate in a major way very soon.

Couldn't have said it better. Really enjoying it and lots of big stuff right around the corner.

[cyberhubbs]

I think if you want the audience to care about something, the protagonist has to care about it too.

(Maybe it's because I didn't care much for Vol. 3 either.)

I'm not sure that's necessarily true. He's clearly enjoying himself at times, even if he doesn't like every decision he has to make. In the end, though, you could argue he's doing the responsible thing.

[Kevinroc]

I'm not sure that's necessarily true. He's clearly enjoying himself at times, even if he doesn't like every decision he has to make. In the end, though, you could argue he's doing the responsible thing.

I'm saying in Vol. 3, Peter didn't seem to care about PI. I know that Vol. 3 was only 18 issues, but Peter didn't seem to care about PI for about 15 of those issues. (And yes, I know Spider-Verse took up about half of those 15 issues.)

[UltimateTy]

Yes, I feel exactly this way. And I think you phrased it better than I did. That's why I dropped ASM. I wasn't enjoying the current direction.

I had to drop it after the last issue. This relaunch found a way to be worse than the last one.

[jgprime]

Yeah I dropped the book too. Big company Peter seems pretty weird to me, in my opinion Peter works best in New York and as an underdog. He can have good stories with both high profile and street level villains so beyond having Miles as the solely New York Spidey I really didn't see the need for having him go all global. Right now I'm checking out the Molina/Bianchi 1.-something issues, the story is on a much smaller scale and it seems it's going to have more depth than Slott's book.

There's other ways of developing Peter as a character. Having him take in Miles as a sidekick or at least work a lot with him would have been ten times more interesting in my opinion. Heck, Bendis would have been the right man for the job. I'm sure Slott could have done good things with this idea too.