OMD, 10 Years Later--Was It Worth It?

[Metamorphosis]

Harry being brought back is as large a sin as bringing Norman back at the end of the Clone Saga.

Bringing Norman back kinda actually coaxed me back into comics as it was intriguing (I found out about it like eight years after it happened). At least they've done some interesting things with Norman since he re-surfaced in "Revelations".

But Harry? FFS, what was the goddamned point of even bringing him back (or even Kraven for that matter)??

[Tuck]

Spider-Man is 20 years past its expiration date (at least).

It would do best to properly reboot like Ultimate. Treat the property like Robin Hood and just retell it every so often, updated for contemporary audiences. With digitization, the old books are there - easy to access - for anyone to read when they want. Struggling with the self-imposed storytelling limitations of maintaining a single, continuous timeline is counterproductive half a century on.

If the goal is to open up the storytelling possibilities, get rid of the continuity that's confining you.

[UnknownEntity]

Bringing Norman back kinda actually coaxed me back into comics as it was intriguing (I found out about it like eight years after it happened). At least they've done some interesting things with Norman since he re-surfaced in "Revelations".

But Harry? FFS, what was the goddamned point of even bringing him back (or even Kraven for that matter)??

I can understand what you mean about Norman, but his first storyline upon his return being Gathering of the Five was a real letdown. I still believe bringing Norman back was a sin as it ruined the classic conclusion to Conway's masterpiece story in much the same way Jean Grey was brought back after Dark Phoenix Saga (though I will admit I am glad Jean came back because she is my favorite heroine and X-Men member).

Harry and Kraven should have stayed very very dead.

[DieHard200904]

Spider-Man is 20 years past its expiration date (at least).

It would do best to properly reboot like Ultimate. Treat the property like Robin Hood and just retell it every so often, updated for contemporary audiences. With digitization, the old books are there - easy to access - for anyone to read when they want. Struggling with the self-imposed storytelling limitations of maintaining a single, continuous timeline is counterproductive half a century on.

If the goal is to open up the storytelling possibilities, get rid of the continuity that's confining you.

FWIW, restarting Spider-Man's story for a retelling does sound better than the anti-reboot mentality, or even just retell the origin story. I mean perhaps Chapter 1 is dated by this point.

[UnknownEntity]

Spider-Man is 20 years past its expiration date (at least).

It would do best to properly reboot like Ultimate. Treat the property like Robin Hood and just retell it every so often, updated for contemporary audiences. With digitization, the old books are there - easy to access - for anyone to read when they want. Struggling with the self-imposed storytelling limitations of maintaining a single, continuous timeline is counterproductive half a century on.

If the goal is to open up the storytelling possibilities, get rid of the continuity that's confining you.

That's DC's shtick. Marvel has differentiated itself from that by sticking to their continuous timeline which has been a blessing and curse. Not a fan of the notion of restarting everything every 15 or 20 years. Watching Peter grow up into a man only to then have him be a teenager again is counter progressive.

[Tuck]

That's DC's shtick.

I don't see why that matters. Bear in mind also that Crisis was at least partly done to make the DCU more like the MU with a single timeline.

Marvel has differentiated itself from that by sticking to their continuous timeline which has been a blessing and curse. Not a fan of the notion of restarting everything every 15 or 20 years. Watching Peter grow up into a man only to then have him be a teenager again is counter progressive.

Marvel's thing has been the "feet of clay" thing and the "world outside your window thing". The second one is actually harmed by the gymnastics needed to tell new stories in a clogged timeline. I've enjoyed a lot of the post-OMD run of ASM, but a lot of the plots feel more like Superman plots starring Spider-Man than the classic "world outside your window" stories.

[UnknownEntity]

I don't see why that matters. Bear in mind also that Crisis was at least partly done to make the DCU more like the MU with a single timeline.



Marvel's thing has been the "feet of clay" thing and the "world outside your window thing". The second one is actually harmed by the gymnastics needed to tell new stories in a clogged timeline. I've enjoyed a lot of the post-OMD run of ASM, but a lot of the plots feel more like Superman plots starring Spider-Man than the classic "world outside your window" stories.

Only for the single timeline to then include a newly emergent multiverse.

As for post OMD, I haven't enjoyed it because it damaged continuity beyond repair and eliminated any long term investment. Though I will agree on that Superman plots comment seeing as how many of the post OMD stories are not very original and it isn't anything that hasn't been told before.

[Metamorphosis]

Spider-Man is 20 years past its expiration date (at least).

It would do best to properly reboot like Ultimate. Treat the property like Robin Hood and just retell it every so often, updated for contemporary audiences. With digitization, the old books are there - easy to access - for anyone to read when they want. Struggling with the self-imposed storytelling limitations of maintaining a single, continuous timeline is counterproductive half a century on.

If the goal is to open up the storytelling possibilities, get rid of the continuity that's confining you.

But like you say, the old books are there with digitization & easy to access, now more than ever. Shouldn't be a problem for fans to dive or even wade into continuity.

I think if the continuity is viewed as confining and stifling to storytelling, get better storytellers. Period.

Writers didn't want to write the marriage post-1987? No problem, sayonara. Go write something else. Stern did, and he did fine. Peter David is the kind of professional that will make lemonade out of just about any lemon you care to hand him.

There are too many Bryne-like divas pervading Marvel now. They've done it to themselves.

I can understand what you mean about Norman, but his first storyline upon his return being Gathering of the Five was a real letdown. I still believe bringing Norman back was a sin as it ruined the classic conclusion to Conway's masterpiece story in much the same way Jean Grey was brought back after Dark Phoenix Saga (though I will admit I am glad Jean came back because she is my favorite heroine and X-Men member).

Harry and Kraven should have stayed very very dead.

Well, let's be clear, Norman had some pretty good storylines written by DeMatteis soon after his return, but yeah, "Gathering Of The Five" was an abomination.

(Bringing Norman back was arguably their first real breaking of the Spider-Man narrative in some ways as well, I have to say).

But "Revenge Of The Green Goblin", Marvel Knights: Spider-Man and his time leading the Thunderbolts more than made up for it though.

[RD!]

No. It made the book and fans a laughing stock then and ten years later it's still the stupidest decision in comics.

It eliminated the supporting cast and years of character development, gave us bland repeats of stories we have read before and nothing happened that would not have been as good or better with the marriage.

The whole point of OMD was to keep Peter as a young Everyman, every interview at the time said so. But look at him now, he's never felt older or less of an Everyman than he does as CEO of Parker Industries. The state of the books now has made OMD even stupider than it originally was. I just hope Marvel come to their senses soon.

[UnknownEntity]

No. It made the book and fans a laughing stock then and ten years later it's still the stupidest decision in comics.

It eliminated the supporting cast and years of character development, gave us bland repeats of stories we have read before and nothing happened that would not have been as good or better with the marriage.

The whole point of OMD was to keep Peter as a young Everyman, every interview at the time said so. But look at him now, he's never felt older or less of an Everyman than he does as CEO of Parker Industries. The state of the books now has made OMD even stupider than it originally was. I just hope Marvel come to their senses soon.

Okay, that was PERFECTLY SAID! Couldn't have summarized it better myself (no really, I couldn't, it was just too well done that I couldn't have done it like that)

[WeirdSpider]

Still waiting for all the great stories that you can only do with a single Peter Parker.

[Alan2099]

It made the book and fans a laughing stock

No. The fans have pretty much made themselves a laughing stock at this point.

[Lee]

He penned the Secret Wars 2015 era mini, in a time when Marvel was revisiting all of their major past status quos. Big deal, it was a no-brainer for Marvel to do something like that at that time.

He could have written a Spider-Man story about almost anything. Why are you mad that he gave you exactly what you wanted?

As far as it becoming an ongoing series like it has, he seemed virulently opposed to that.

Do you have proof of this?

[UnknownEntity]

Still waiting for all the great stories that you can only do with a single Peter Parker.

Only one I can think of is the graphic novel ASM Family Business with Peter's biological sister Teresa Parker. It was decent.

[UnknownEntity]

No. The fans have pretty much made themselves a laughing stock at this point.

Both groups have been irrevocably damagaed. Fans/readers (myself included) with their ranting and nonconformity and Marvel itself with its terrible short term profit business model and event craze that resulted in one of their worst periods since the 90's.