JJ Abrams and son cowriting Spider-Man mini-series; Sara Pichelli on art

[Tuck]

Sara Pichelli's doing the art.

Sold.

[Jekyll]

I love Spider-Man, so I'm down to give it a read. I do think it is a news worth announcement. However, I think the count down was a little ridiculous. I am also looking forward to Amazing Spider-Man: Going Big, as I have always enjoyed Gerry Conway on Spider-Man. Not really a Peter David fan, so I am passing on the Sensational Spider-Man title.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Stan Lee's career only exists because of who his cousin was, therefore Spider-Man only exists because of nepotism. It's in the Marvel DNA.

Stan Lee started out on a low-level position and gradually built himself up by sales, longevity, and ability to bring in talent (he was the one who recognized Ditko's work and got him to work at Timely/Atlas when he had just gotten out of the School of the Visual Arts) and proven success to be defacto EIC and then publisher, selected to run by the parent company over Martin Goodman, his uncle.

It's not a simple nepotism thing there.

To me the nepotism issue of JJ Abrams and his kid isn't an issue as it is for Hypno, like if it was Wes Anderson and his kid, I'd be more defensive. It's just that it's weird and random. And launching your kid's career in comics on a 616 Spider-Man limited series, which considering the toil that many writers went through to get that gig...I mean Ed Brubaker has always wanted to write Spider-Man and all he ever did was a single What If? comic...it's not exactly the fairest thing in the world.

[The BaRoN]

90s FONT!!!!

Yesssassssndjfuienfk the greatest Spider-Man font ever

Great artist

Calling it now, engagement is happening in 25.

[WebSlingWonder]

Stan Lee started out on a low-level position and gradually built himself up by sales, longevity, and ability to bring in talent (he was the one who recognized Ditko's work and got him to work at Timely/Atlas when he had just gotten out of the School of the Visual Arts) and proven success to be defacto EIC and then publisher, selected to run by the parent company over Martin Goodman, his uncle.

It's not a simple nepotism thing there.

To me the nepotism issue of JJ Abrams and his kid isn't an issue as it is for Hypno, like if it was Wes Anderson and his kid, I'd be more defensive. It's just that it's weird and random. And launching your kid's career in comics on a 616 Spider-Man limited series, which considering the toil that many writers went through to get that gig...I mean Ed Brubaker has always wanted to write Spider-Man and all he ever did was a single What If? comic...it's not exactly the fairest thing in the world.

You're bringing up issues that don't even matter here. Not fairest thing in the world? You (and me) both adore JMS's run, and he was a big time producer offered the writing gig of Spider-Man. Literally the same exact deal here. What makes it different? Is it just that JJ is more in the public eye? So that argument has that hole in it right there.

[SuperiorIronman]

I'm of split minds on both announcements but seeing as Abrams was the big one...,

It's alright. Although this doesn't really make much sense to announce seeing as there are plenty of Spider books on the market and we don't need to cannibalize our own sales (but this is the spider-office where intelligence goes to die so of course they did). I also don't know why this needed a countdown as well (or why it starts at 4) because Abrams in of itself would be worth talking about, but now that it's clear what people had been asking for (OMD getting undone, Spider-man 4, or even a FF crossover) and getting a one shot we still know nothing about and a mini series by Abrams and his kid..., it's hard not to feel let down.

Sure Abrams is unexpected, but it's a miniseries that's going to have as much impact as Learning to Crawl did. Guarantee.
Sure that's a bit jaded and the book might be completely fine or harmless, but it's clearly a case of not reading the room. But frankly, you don't need much qualifications to get into the industry outside of the big name companies and even then it comes down to who you kiss ass to. Plenty of people write comics and do fine entirely on their own, it happens. But at the end of the day it's a lackluster and nepotistic announcement that goes against what people had been asking for or wanting. I'm of the Spielberg mindset where you give people what they want and then giving what they didn't know they wanted. This might turn out fine, but this is a case of the Spider-office blue balling us again no question as the enthusiasm isn't there.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

You're bringing up issues that don't even matter here. Not fairest thing in the world? You (and me) both adore JMS's run, and he was a big time producer offered the writing gig of Spider-Man. Literally the same exact deal here. What makes it different? Is it just that JJ is more in the public eye? So that argument has that hole in it right there.

JMS was a TV Producer and Chief Writer of a property he had entirely originated and he got to write Spider-Man at a time when the titles was in very dire straits that he pulled out on his own. There it was a case of JMS doing Spider-Man a service. Which he did.

In this case, Spider-Man is in very good hands, sales is very good, and getting a special miniseries just to spotlight JJ Abrams in another medium, mostly to add vanity to show how "multifaceted" he is. In this case, Spider-Man is serving him, not vice-versa. And Abrams hasn't really created anything on his own. He's always copied the aesthetics of previously established film-makers and so on. In the case of LOST, it was other writers who developed that and not him.

[WebSlingWonder]

I'm of split minds on both announcements but seeing as Abrams was the big one...,

It's alright. Although this doesn't really make much sense to announce seeing as there are plenty of Spider books on the market and we don't need to cannibalize our own sales (but this is the spider-office where intelligence goes to die so of course they did). I also don't know why this needed a countdown as well (or why it starts at 4) because Abrams in of itself would be worth talking about, but now that it's clear what people had been asking for (OMD getting undone, Spider-man 4, or even a FF crossover) and getting a one shot we still know nothing about and a mini series by Abrams and his kid..., it's hard not to feel let down.

Sure Abrams is unexpected, but it's a miniseries that's going to have as much impact as Learning to Crawl did. Guarantee.
Sure that's a bit jaded and the book might be completely fine or harmless, but it's clearly a case of not reading the room. But frankly, you don't need much qualifications to get into the industry outside of the big name companies and even then it comes down to who you kiss ass to. Plenty of people write comics and do fine entirely on their own, it happens. But at the end of the day it's a lackluster and nepotistic announcement that goes against what people had been asking for or wanting. I'm of the Spielberg mindset where you give people what they want and then giving what they didn't know they wanted. This might turn out fine, but this is a case of the Spider-office blue balling us again no question as the enthusiasm isn't there.

Okay, overturning OMD was not going to happen, so I still don't know why people are holding onto that. Spider-Man 4 was even less likely (although I would've been fine with it), and Spider-Man/FF didn't need a countdown for hype because it happens all the time.

I'm sorry, but this is not a case of the office not meeting expectations: it's a case where people expected things that either were already happening or weren't going to happen. Cebulski hyping it up is part of his job, and if we expected something different, that's on us.

[WebSlingWonder]

JMS was a TV Producer and Chief Writer of a property he had entirely originated and he got to write Spider-Man at a time when the titles was in very dire straits that he pulled out on his own. There it was a case of JMS doing Spider-Man a service. Which he did.

In this case, Spider-Man is in very good hands, sales is very good, and getting a special miniseries just to spotlight JJ Abrams in another medium, mostly to add vanity to show how "multifaceted" he is. In this case, Spider-Man is serving him, not vice-versa. And Abrams hasn't really created anything on his own. He's always copied the aesthetics of previously established film-makers and so on. In the case of LOST, it was other writers who developed that and not him.

I still think that this sudden hate is unwarranted. Especially since we have no idea what this book is about (which I personally wanted to know more)

[cranger]

You're bringing up issues that don't even matter here. Not fairest thing in the world? You (and me) both adore JMS's run, and he was a big time producer offered the writing gig of Spider-Man. Literally the same exact deal here. What makes it different? Is it just that JJ is more in the public eye? So that argument has that hole in it right there.

I don't even care one way or the other, this does not get me excited at all, but the two are not even comparable. JMS had not only an extensive career in screen writing, but he also had plenty of experience writing comics before Marvel.

[SuperiorIronman]

Okay, overturning OMD was not going to happen, so I still don't know why people are holding onto that. Spider-Man 4 was even less likely (although I would've been fine with it), and Spider-Man/FF didn't need a countdown for hype because it happens all the time.

I'm sorry, but this is not a case of the office not meeting expectations: it's a case where people expected things that either were already happening or weren't going to happen. Cebulski hyping it up is part of his job, and if we expected something different, that's on us.

Oh sure it is on us. But frankly the coincidental timing of Alex Ross deleting that tweet, doing a Spider-man thing starting at 4, and it being an unexpected move, it would revive hype for the project especially seeing as Fox and Darkhorse literally just did that adaptation of the unused Alien 3 script. The market could still sustain a comic adaptation and so it's not hard to believe people would think that was what was happening.

In the case of the Fantastic Four, Dan Slott has a ten year run on the book and a return to the title through Fantastic Four would get his fanbase hyped. Like him or hate him, he is a big deal. And he's not only still with the company, but he's writing a book that has ties to Spider-man.

And then OMD as unlikely as it was is something people wanted and Marvel knows damn well that the story isn't worth propping up an uneven table. The money is just sitting there for Marvel to take it.

And at the end of the day they got a nepotistic mini-series announced that nobody asked for. When you are given so little to go off of besides a vague countdown and hope, people can think the world of something and it turns out the enthusiasm wasn't even there for this. Sure that's on us, but it doesn't change the fact that the announcement wasn't all that impressive nor that it could wait another month to get the fanfare at SDCC.

[NC_Yankee]

I don't even care one way or the other, this does not get me excited at all, but the two are not even comparable. JMS had not only an extensive career in screen writing, but he also had plenty of experience writing comics before Marvel.

The only thing that should matter to fans are the issues themselves. For example: I do not agree with the politics of Gerry Conway, but I love his work on Spider-Man. Especially ASM 121-122 and Renew Your Vows. If JJ and son give us a great story we should appreciate the effort and be happy with the results instead if worrying about the process and how much money he is making.

[Mister Mets]

Why? Give me one reason.

JJ Abrams is an immensely successful and acclaimed director.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jj_abrams

And if you're not interested in a standalone mini-series, there's no obligation to buy it. It doesn't affect your life in any way.

Are you serious? Yes, if you want to write an important flagship book like Spidey, you better have some work under your belt. That’s something you build towards. If the kid wants to start his own indie book and spend years working his way up the industry through blood and sweat like everyone else, then more power to him.

It's a standalone mini-series.

It's something that wouldn't exist without the Abramses. They're not replacing anyone on any project.

[cranger]

The only thing that should matter to fans are the issues themselves. For example: I do not agree with the politics of Gerry Conway, but I love his work on Spider-Man. Especially ASM 121-122 and Renew Your Vows. If JJ and son give us a great story we should appreciate the effort and be happy with the results instead if worrying about the process and how much money he is making.

I agree. I just can't get excited about it given there is nothing that tells me JJ is going to give a better story than any random person on the street. On the other hand, Marvel is handing out books to every random person on the street.

[Snoop Dogg]

The only one of the three things that people wanted it to be that would get as much attention as big movie person was an adaptation of big movie that doesn't exist, which I don't understand seeing as that continuity has no loose threads, is mainly popular because of the cast, and would just be a traditional Spider-Man/Vulture book with shiny paint.