One More Day by Nick Perks

[cyberhubbs]

That's because, as a story, it's a piece of crap. Instead of actually making an emotionally powerful story where two people in love break up, we got this hot mess that people are still arguing about.

(And yes, OMD sucks as a story. Any story that has Dr. Doom, a man who has had a working time machine since his first appearance, unable to do anything because reasons!, and then turns around and has Mephisto solving the problem with his fantastical demon magic, is worthy of mockery.)

Yeah. Dr. Doom should hand his Time Machine out more often to people he barely puts up with.

Clearly every Fantastic Four story sucks because, hey, why doesn't Doom just go back in time and kill Reed as a baby?

[RD!]

Marvel should hire this guy, he's going to be the next Frank Chi. Some really nice piec of art

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

I believe the doctor even states that he's not sure how May woke up, so it's not like the CPR is the reason. That's just what Peter did in a moment of panic.

I -think- the doctor said, non-medically speaking, that he chalked it up to the power of love.

Shoddy writing that points out the shoddy writing is still shoddy writing.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

Yeah. Dr. Doom should hand his Time Machine out more often to people he barely puts up with.

Clearly every Fantastic Four story sucks because, hey, why doesn't Doom just go back in time and kill Reed as a baby?

So, we accept that Mephisto would help Peter because he would get something out of the deal, but we don't accept that Doom might not offer him the same conditions?

[Kevinroc]

Yeah. Dr. Doom should hand his Time Machine out more often to people he barely puts up with.

Clearly every Fantastic Four story sucks because, hey, why doesn't Doom just go back in time and kill Reed as a baby?

Doom did let Squirrel Girl use his time machine. So clearly he does let people he barely puts up with use it.

(Also, when Peter is on the other line with Reed Richards, who also claims he can't help Aunt May, Doom WOULD go out of his way to make it work. Doom LIVES to one-up Reed Richards.)

The real issue is that the "story" tries to have it both ways. That the fantastic (all the super powered beings) can't stop what should be a mundane problem (a bullet shot) for them. Gripping stories have been written with that theme ("The Death of Captain Mar-Vell" comes to mind). Then it promptly subverts that theme by having Mephisto show up and save Aunt May with his demon magic. (OMIT hadn't been written at the time. But if you want to have that discussion...)

There's a reason I don't mention "Why didn't Silver Surfer show up and use his plot device powers?" (Because we never see him. Seriously, if you cut out that entire second issue, OMD doesn't have as many functional problems as it ends up having. But that issue exists. So it's okay to complain about this being a problem with the story.)

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

Doom did let Squirrel Girl use his time machine. So clearly he does let people he barely puts up with use it.

(Also, when Peter is on the other line with Reed Richards, who also claims he can't help Aunt May, Doom WOULD go out of his way to make it work. Doom LIVES to one-up Reed Richards.)

The real issue is that the "story" tries to have it both ways. That the fantastic (all the super powered beings) can't stop what should be a mundane problem (a bullet shot) for them. Gripping stories have been written with that theme ("The Death of Captain Mar-Vell" comes to mind). Then it promptly subverts that theme by having Mephisto show up and save Aunt May with his demon magic. (OMIT hadn't been written at the time. But if you want to have that discussion...)

There's a reason I don't mention "Why didn't Silver Surfer show up and use his plot device powers?" (Because we never see him. Seriously, if you cut out that entire second issue, OMD doesn't have as many functional problems as it ends up having. But that issue exists. So it's okay to complain about this being a problem with the story.)

The sad thing is that I can really understand what they were trying to get to with that plot development- show just how desperate things are for Peter so that the deal would seem all the more enticing. The problem is that in the attempt it simply raises more questions than not. May's condition is relatively simple given the bulk of what all the characters Peter interacts with deal with, and the notion that not a single one can do anything to help seems rather absurd. When you introduce the aspect of talking to characters who have mastered genetics, time travel and super sciences, the idea that they can't even heal a simple bullet wound becomes difficult to accept.

Ironically, this aspect ultimately ends up undermining the very thing they were trying to set up- show how desperate things were for the protagonist. Because it goes so over the top, it left a lot of readers asking questions that the story should have answered. But, once again, it shows how poorly constructed a story OMD was, as it was barely a story at all. Just a means to an end, with the notion that people would forget about it in a years time because clearly more people wanted a single Spidey than a married one, and the stories would clearly be superior once they became easier to tell.

[Sardorim]

Eh, Mary was always self-sacrificial for the greater good and making Peter happy hence all the BS she put up with him. Though even if she did this I don't see Peter choosing Gwen over Mary since as Peter said, Mary is his soul mate.

[Mister Mets]

Honestly, if Marvel ever went with that route, then maybe...just maybe OMD wouldn't be as hated as it is now.

The decisions the characters make wouldn't bother as many people, since readers would be more understanding of the decision to save a young woman rather than an old woman.

That said, while Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 has its fans, there aren't many readers who hold it to the same esteem as "The Night Gwen Stacy Died." So we'd have some readers upset about that change.

The effect on continuity would also be problematic. One More Day kept most things intact, because it's possible to imagine Peter & MJ having similar adventures if they just lived together.

It's tougher to imagine things being the same if Gwen Stacy survived, given the impact of her death on the supporting cast and the villains (Jackal, the Goblins, etc.)

[Mister Mets]

The sad thing is that I can really understand what they were trying to get to with that plot development- show just how desperate things are for Peter so that the deal would seem all the more enticing. The problem is that in the attempt it simply raises more questions than not. May's condition is relatively simple given the bulk of what all the characters Peter interacts with deal with, and the notion that not a single one can do anything to help seems rather absurd. When you introduce the aspect of talking to characters who have mastered genetics, time travel and super sciences, the idea that they can't even heal a simple bullet wound becomes difficult to accept.

Ironically, this aspect ultimately ends up undermining the very thing they were trying to set up- show how desperate things were for the protagonist. Because it goes so over the top, it left a lot of readers asking questions that the story should have answered. But, once again, it shows how poorly constructed a story OMD was, as it was barely a story at all. Just a means to an end, with the notion that people would forget about it in a years time because clearly more people wanted a single Spidey than a married one, and the stories would clearly be superior once they became easier to tell.

From my understanding the bullet wound was taken care of. The problem was the coma. I haven't bothered by the problems getting May out of a coma since that's something doctors struggle with in the real world.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

The effect on continuity would also be problematic. One More Day kept most things intact, because it's possible to imagine Peter & MJ having similar adventures if they just lived together.

No, it doesn't.

We are simply told that it does, but the story doesn't show how that is true. We have to go by the creator's assumption that it would work, except that it is coming from a source that it inherently biased- they don't like the marriage, they don't think it's important, so of course they are going to say it could be removed and nothing of consequence will be lost. But they don't do anything to back that up. They simply move on rather than trying to prove their point.

Someone simply saying it could work is not the same as it actually working. If they want to take the time to walk through the stories and show how each and every one could work with a single character rather than a married one, they are free to do so. But until they do, there is no reason to take their word and their word alone that it would work.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

From my understanding the bullet wound was taken care of. The problem was the coma. I haven't bothered by the problems getting May out of a coma since that's something doctors struggle with in the real world.

Doctor's also have trouble with time travel, genetic engineering new life forms, and crossing dimensional planes in real life. Something most of the people Peter contacted had already mastered.

In addition, if that is the case, then how does CPR cure a coma?

[Cmbmool]

The decisions the characters make wouldn't bother as many people, since readers would be more understanding of the decision to save a young woman rather than an old woman.

That said, while Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 has its fans, there aren't many readers who hold it to the same esteem as "The Night Gwen Stacy Died." So we'd have some readers upset about that change.

The effect on continuity would also be problematic. One More Day kept most things intact, because it's possible to imagine Peter & MJ having similar adventures if they just lived together.

It's tougher to imagine things being the same if Gwen Stacy survived, given the impact of her death on the supporting cast and the villains (Jackal, the Goblins, etc.)

Again, that's what Mini-series are for...it could explore the world of what would have happen if Gwen Stacy had lived instead of die that fateful issue.

[cyberhubbs]

Shoddy writing that points out the shoddy writing is still shoddy writing.

Okay..? I'm just sayin', you guys were wrong. Shoddy writing or not.

[cyberhubbs]

Doctor's also have trouble with time travel, genetic engineering new life forms, and crossing dimensional planes in real life. Something most of the people Peter contacted had already mastered.

In addition, if that is the case, then how does CPR cure a coma?

It doesn't. That's literally what I just said in the previous post and the one you just replied to. The CPR didn't fix May.

[RobertMacQuarrie1]

It doesn't. That's literally what I just said in the previous post and the one you just replied to. The CPR didn't fix May.

Other than being the thing that brought her out of her coma, and brought her back to life and on the road to recovery.