PREVIEW: Amazing Spider-Man, #3

[Agent Z]

I don't know about you, but a cat burgler in a leather suit that doesn't burgle? Not really something I want to read about. I want feisty, wicked woman who does what she wants. Not someone who went straight because the main male hero put her down the "right" path.

And this is about her being crooked because she got hurt by a villain disguised as a hero. Is this much better? And again Marvel only recently wrapped up a storyline about a genocidal maniac trying to be a hero.

[cyberhubbs]

And this is about her being crooked because she got hurt by a villain disguised as a hero. Is this much better? And again Marvel only recently wrapped up a storyline about a genocidal maniac trying to be a hero.

She got betrayed by someone she trusted. I think that's at least pointing a character with issues in the right direction.

And in any case, she'll be a villainous thorn in Peter's side for a little bit until they make up. In the meantime Felicia gets to be naughty.

I mean, when did being a villain become such a terrible thing?

[Agent Z]

She got betrayed by someone she trusted. I think that's at least pointing a character with issues in the right direction.

And in any case, she'll be a villainous thorn in Peter's side for a little bit until they make up. In the meantime Felicia gets to be naughty.

I mean, when did being a villain become such a terrible thing?

Ask Marvel that. They're the ones who made Octavious and Magneto heroes (however temporary).

[cyberhubbs]

Ask Marvel that. They're the ones who made Octavious and Magneto heroes (however temporary).

Exactly. Temporary. You get cute little redemption stories, and then -- like Magneto -- you go back to being a villain a little while later. The best of both worlds.

[Docz]

I imagine Spiderman will try to explain to her what happened when they have their first confrontation with each other, she probably won't believe him at first but I imagine that she'll notice that he is pulling his punches with her, which is something Ock Spidey didn't do and hopefully that will get the wheels turning. If at the end of the arc she is totally at odds with Spiderman it is going to come off really weird that the only person who doesn't believe what happened to him happens to be someone so close to him.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

She got betrayed by someone she trusted. I think that's at least pointing a character with issues in the right direction.

And in any case, she'll be a villainous thorn in Peter's side for a little bit until they make up. In the meantime Felicia gets to be naughty.

I mean, when did being a villain become such a terrible thing?

When it derails years of character development and hinges solely on the notion of the character in question being a complete and total idiot.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

I imagine Spiderman will try to explain to her what happened when they have their first confrontation with each other, she probably won't believe him at first but I imagine that she'll notice that he is pulling his punches with her, which is something Ock Spidey didn't do and hopefully that will get the wheels turning. If at the end of the arc she is totally at odds with Spiderman it is going to come off really weird that the only person who doesn't believe what happened to him happens to be someone so close to him.

I think an issue that this setup has to overcome is that Spider-Man's explanation for his odd behavior has been readily accepted by quite a lot of characters at face value, from MJ to the Avengers. So if Felicia ignores or refuses to believe it, it potentially means poor characterization in an effort for shock value. And if Spider-Man doesn't get a chance to explain, then it comes off as just prolonging a rationale explanation again for the sake of the plot. If the conflict can be solved by a single conversation, and that conversation is deliberately avoided for the sake of shock value, then it's a sign of poor writing because it makes a lot of the characters look like idiots.

[cyberhubbs]

When it derails years of character development and hinges solely on the notion of the character in question being a complete and total idiot.

Terrible character development that hinged on the character being frail and just needing a man's love to set her straight.

No thanks.

[cyberhubbs]

I think an issue that this setup has to overcome is that Spider-Man's explanation for his odd behavior has been readily accepted by quite a lot of characters at face value, from MJ to the Avengers. So if Felicia ignores or refuses to believe it, it potentially means poor characterization in an effort for shock value. And if Spider-Man doesn't get a chance to explain, then it comes off as just prolonging a rationale explanation again for the sake of the plot. If the conflict can be solved by a single conversation, and that conversation is deliberately avoided for the sake of shock value, then it's a sign of poor writing because it makes a lot of the characters look like idiots.

Much like in the real world, of course.

[cyberhubbs]

Say, you know what would have been smart and rational? Peter going to the hospital after getting bit by a radioactive spider.

Stan's just so lazy.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

Say, you know what would have been smart and rational? Peter going to the hospital after getting bit by a radioactive spider.

Stan's just so lazy.

Problem is the two points aren't comparable, so the rationalization holds no weight.

[cyberhubbs]

Problem is the two points aren't comparable, so the rationalization holds no weight.

If you say it doesn't. 'Cause clearly neither is reliant on real-world expectations. Unless we make one of them out to be.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

If you say it doesn't. 'Cause clearly neither is reliant on real-world expectations. Unless we make one of them out to be.

It doesn't. Pointing out a flaw in one story doesn't defend a flaw in another.

You don't get to defend the plot holes in Plan 9 from Outer Space by saying that Citizen Kaine had one as well. No story is perfect. But a good story makes you forget the flaws until long after. It doesn't have ones that are apparent before it even hits the stands.

[Agent Z]

Terrible character development that hinged on the character being frail and just needing a man's love to set her straight.

No thanks.

.

That's rather oversimplifying things. While Peter certainly had some influence, Felicia's development was mostly her taking a good look at herself and realising how pathetic and shallow she was and wanting to be better. Also she had come to terms with the fact that it would never work with Peter a long time ago.

[The Amazing Spider-Man]

Oh. Awesome. Tim Sale! I haven't seen anything from him in along time, and his art is much different now. I'm picking up that variant.