Any direction to improve Amazing Spider-Man comic?

[primenumber101]

So basically, current volume of Amazing Spider-Man is pretty getting mixed reaction from fans and critics alike.

So I was wondering is there anyway to improve issues of Amazing Spider-Man and its story line. (Beside the obvious 'Undo One More day' issue)

What do you guys think?

[WebLurker]

A common complaint I've heard is that the endings to story arcs tend to fall flat. Maybe tighter writing would help? (I suspect a return to the classic Spider-Man setting would help, but, like you said, we're looking at stuff beyond OMD.)

[Prof. Warren]

So basically, current volume of Amazing Spider-Man is pretty getting mixed reaction from fans and critics alike.

So I was wondering is there anyway to improve issues of Amazing Spider-Man and its story line. (Beside the obvious 'Undo One More day' issue)

What do you guys think?

No need to undo One More Day. Storyline was almost ten years ago. As many fans that still love to bitch about it, it's not a real issue.

And you could say that every volume, every era of ASM has gotten "mixed reactions" to one degree or another so, again, not a real issue.

[DieHard200904]

No need to undo One More Day. Storyline was almost ten years ago. As many fans that still love to bitch about it, it's not a real issue.

And you could say that every volume, every era of ASM has gotten "mixed reactions" to one degree or another so, again, not a real issue.

Whether or not they actually do undo OMD, (keeping the Parker marriage in alternate universes) they are drawing out stories like Clone Conspiracy and crossing characters and titles over quite a bit. That tends to be unappealing, it also doesn't give as much individual substance for the characters either. I would hope that they get down to basics with short story arcs.

[Frontier]

I think walking back from the globe-hopping and Parker Industries focus of volume 4 would probably help. Though I think we'll probably get a more street-level Amazing Spider-Man around the time of Homecoming.

I'm also not sure if Clone Conspiracy's sales speak to a lack of desire in another Spider-Man family event, that the storyline just isn't jiving with fans, or that it just in general could've been handled better but there's probably some issues that need to be addressed the next time the Spider-line wants to do their own event.

Putting Mary Jane on a cover would probably do wonders .

[Tofali]

Parker Industries needs to DIE like NOW!

[WeirdSpider]

No need to undo One More Day. Storyline was almost ten years ago. As many fans that still love to bitch about it, it's not a real issue.

And you could say that every volume, every era of ASM has gotten "mixed reactions" to one degree or another so, again, not a real issue.

So just because it was almost ten years ago we're supposed to get over it. Once a bad story always a bad story.

To me and a lot of other Spider-Man fans OMD was a serious betrayal to those of us who care about the characters and their character development, and damaged the Peter Parker/Spider-Man character.

[DieHard200904]

So just because it was almost ten years ago we're supposed to get over it. Once a bad story always a bad story.

To me and a lot of other Spider-Man fans OMD was a serious betrayal to those of us who care about the characters and their character development, and damaged the Peter Parker/Spider-Man character.

Yeah, but while I don't agree with the story, my honest feeling about Marvel on this matter is that the 90s/early 2000s Peter Parker is pretty much regarded by Marvel like the New 52 Superman, they threw him out, he's effectively "dead" and well, with Marvel, if you want that era of Peter Parker, they will replicate him in alternate universes. I am not saying this because I like OMD, I totally revile the fact that Peter Parker would be so stupid to blow away his own secret identity to all the world, and all his enemies, when his own history speaks on multiple that doing that compromises his and others' safety - severely, with just one villain knowing. So let all the villains know? That's arguably the most stupid thing Spider-Man could ever do. It's just that with the multiple people who make decisions, the politics at marvel aren't friendly right now, and that's even with Joe Quesada no longer editor-in-chief, it has still been upheld by relegating Peter Parker as a married guy to alternate universe(s).

[Celgress]

Have the OMD deal be revealed, but only to Peter. As a result, he becomes riddled with guilt and tries to be an even greater hero to make up for what he inadvertently did. He takes bigger risks than ever eventually getting temporarily crippled and nearly killed. He is then forced to take on the Iron Spider identity so he can use the suit until his body heals, which brings him into contact once more with his lost love. Mary Jane is there for him during his recovery but he can not bring himself to tell her what has caused his recklessness. In a long story arc involving many past supporting cast members, Peter and MJ slowly find their way back together. The arc ends when Peter uncovers and foils a plot by Mephisto to conquer Earth using Parker Industries, which was Mephisto's true plan all along. At least that is what I would do.

The icing on the cake. When Big Red is badly beating Spider-Man the demon lord offers Peter another deal to save himself and his loved ones if he becomes Mephisto's servant. Peter rejects the deal. Peter then pulls out a victory, thus fully redeeming himself -

"I'd rather die a hero than live as a stooge," Peter tells Mephisto.

No major events after he dons the Iron Spider suit until the battle with Mephisto, rather just good solid storytelling.

[DieHard200904]

Have the OMD deal be revealed, but only to Peter. As a result, he becomes riddled with guilt and tries to be an even greater hero to make up for what he inadvertently did. He takes bigger risks than ever eventually getting temporarily crippled and nearly killed. He is then forced to take on the Iron Spider identity so he can use the suit until his body heals, which brings him into contact once more with his lost love. Mary Jane is there for him during his recovery but he can not bring himself to tell her what has caused his recklessness. In a long story arc involving many past supporting cast members, Peter and MJ slowly find their way back together. The arc ends when Peter uncovers and foils a plot by Mephisto to conquer Earth using Parker Industries, which was Mephisto's true plan all along. At least that is what I would do.

The icing on the cake. When Big Red is badly beating Spider-Man the demon lord offers Peter another deal to save himself and his loved ones if he becomes Mephisto's servant. Peter rejects the deal. Peter then pulls out a victory, thus fully redeeming himself -

"I'd rather die a hero than live as a stooge," Peter tells Mephisto.

No major events after he dons the Iron Spider suit until the battle with Mephisto, rather just good solid storytelling.

Sounds like how they will do the next AU Spider-Man. Found that entertaining.

[SpiderClops]

Have the OMD deal be revealed, but only to Peter. As a result, he becomes riddled with guilt and tries to be an even greater hero to make up for what he inadvertently did. He takes bigger risks than ever eventually getting temporarily crippled and nearly killed. He is then forced to take on the Iron Spider identity so he can use the suit until his body heals, which brings him into contact once more with his lost love. Mary Jane is there for him during his recovery but he can not bring himself to tell her what has caused his recklessness. In a long story arc involving many past supporting cast members, Peter and MJ slowly find their way back together. The arc ends when Peter uncovers and foils a plot by Mephisto to conquer Earth using Parker Industries, which was Mephisto's true plan all along. At least that is what I would do.

The icing on the cake. When Big Red is badly beating Spider-Man the demon lord offers Peter another deal to save himself and his loved ones if he becomes Mephisto's servant. Peter rejects the deal. Peter then pulls out a victory, thus fully redeeming himself -

"I'd rather die a hero than live as a stooge," Peter tells Mephisto.

No major events after he dons the Iron Spider suit until the battle with Mephisto, rather just good solid storytelling.

Awesome. This is what I always feel after a bad story. The hero needs to feel the guilt for making those huge mistakes. Yes, it's editors and writers screwing things over. But this is the best way to redeem characters.

Not so sure about the Iron Spider part though.

[WebLurker]

I think that "One More Day" was as asinine a decision as the next fan (and found that the post-OMD stuff I tried reading -- all stuff from Dan Slott's run, I think -- was garbage), but I wonder if it might be worth looking beyond that. We know that there's a faction of the fanbase that reviles that story and subsequent status quo (the RYV miniseries and ongoing has certainly has had us crawling out of the woodwork). We know the arguments and counterarguments. I'm not sure if there's anything left to be said at this point (unless future sales and reviews for the RYV ongoing offer any interesting things to discuss).

So, while I think OMD is a major reason for ASM's problems (maybe the reason), I'd like to hear other ideas as to what could be improved.

[Mister Mets]

I think the main issue is that Parker Industries has been going on a for a while, and that's been a departure from the norm for Spider-Man.

Some kind of story that brings Peter back to Earth could improve the reputation of the series. It would also allow the Parker Industries status quo to be viewed as part of a complete story with a beginning, middle and end.

[Prof. Warren]

So just because it was almost ten years ago we're supposed to get over it. Once a bad story always a bad story.

To me and a lot of other Spider-Man fans OMD was a serious betrayal to those of us who care about the characters and their character development, and damaged the Peter Parker/Spider-Man character.

You can choose to cry about OMD forever, and chances are you probably will, but most fans have moved on. It wasn't a good story, no. But it was just a story. And enough other stories have been told since then that it's easy enough to no longer obsess over that one story. If you really can't "get over" a comic book story from years ago that you didn't like, that's not really Marvel's problem.

At the very least, recognize that from Marvel's perspective, OMD didn't do any lasting harm to the character. Spider-Man is still huge, still their #1 character. When OMD happened, angry fans insisted that it would be the end of Spider-Man. It wasn't.

At least marriage fans have RYV right now. But I think, by selling far less than ASM, that book is only going to prove the point that most fans don't really care about the marriage. First issue did great but going forward it's going to settle in at a point on the charts well below ASM.

[oldschool]

I think the main issue is that Parker Industries has been going on a for a while, and that's been a departure from the norm for Spider-Man.

Some kind of story that brings Peter back to Earth could improve the reputation of the series. It would also allow the Parker Industries status quo to be viewed as part of a complete story with a beginning, middle and end.

Well, yes but another part of the issue IMO is that it is a bit too much of a departure for many fans; speaking for myself, I always felt that NYC was Peter's most important supporting character and that, while he needn't constantly be a put-upon hard luck character, he should always have to struggle to a certain extent in both his personal and heroic life (one of the reasons why the days of living large with MJ in her supermodel days during the Michelenie/McFarlane never rang true either----thankfully that was fairly short-lived).

My guess is some sort of return to a more grounded Spidey is likely coming with the new Homecoming movie but I also wonder, if "Homecoming" is a big success, whether Marvel will finally bite the bullet and finally do a hard reboot of their comics. Part of me thinks not after all the rigamarole of Secret Wars and the new merged MU but fan reaction seems tepid to these changes and it may be time for them to play that card soon, not just for Spidey but all their characters that have been through so many changes/resurrections etc.