Amazing Spider-Man #1 (legacy 802) Discussion and Spoilers

[Prof. Warren]

Well certainly the Dan Slott affect on ASM has been very strong. If that spell has now been lifted, I’m sure that would explain all your arguments that Peter and MJ never needed anything more than to just get back together and they would.

The real world explanation as to why Peter and MJ weren't together during Dan Slott's era and why they're together now in Spencer's is as simple as Slott didn't want them together, for whatever reasons, and Spencer does.

I'm sure Slott had sound reasons for keeping them apart and he certainly managed to keep the book thriving without that relationship.

Spencer obviously feels differently and is going in the direction he feels is right for him. This seems to be working out just fine so far.

But with the Dan Slott affect still in place, I still say Peter and MJ didn’t hook up because of One More Day - they tried it and decided it wouldn’t work. Ergo, if OMD isn’t an argument anymore, then something else is. Maybe the desperate situation?

I don't know how many ways to explain that Peter isn't portrayed as "desperate" in issue #1. He's already thinking of being with MJ before he has his avalanche of bad luck.

And for all the sh*t that hits Pete in this issue, he doesn't seem terribly fazed by any of it. Life has been using him as a punching bag for too long for a few bad breaks to get to him. He responds to everything that happens in the issue with humor and wry acceptance. Save for feeling some remorse at causing Aunt May disappointment, he's good.

And when he makes his speech to MJ at the end, she's immediately on-board and bursting with joy without a second's hesitation. Not "oh, well, he's really in a bad place - I better be careful not to crush him" but legitimately reciprocating Peter's desire to get back together with her own genuine enthusiasm. Is she "desperate", too? No, neither one of them is. They've just come to a place where they want to try again. It happens.

Again, the real world explanation is that Spencer wants to write them as a couple while Slott didn't (at least not as long as they weren't married). But in-universe it's as simple as they realized that they never stopped having the feelings they had and once one of them came out and said it, the other responded in kind.

Where Spencer is going to take things, who knows? It's a safe bet that, for the purposes of good drama, that Peter and MJ's reunion will suffer some obstacles and bumps in the road. But I do think that they'll be sticking together through all of it for some time.

[Prof. Warren]

I was going through the rogues gallery trying to think of who this new mystery character was that showed up with Mysterio at the end of this issue. I had this funny feeling of hmmm.... could be ... when I landed on Judas Traveller?!

It's been confirmed that the character in #1 is all new so it won't be Judas.

[Miles To Go]

Again, the real world explanation is that Spencer wants to write them as a couple while Slott didn't (at least not as long as they weren't married). But in-universe it's as simple as they realized that they never stopped having the feelings they had and once one of them came out and said it, the other responded in kind.

Exactly, and if we could count the last attempt Slott made at the relationship, it was MJ who made the first move to rekindle what she had with Peter in the lead up to "Go Down Swinging" by inviting him into her apartment and making out with him when all Peter came back for was the clothes he'd left in her care. Peter had the confidence to make a case for being together again only because MJ herself had made him feel so welcome the last time.

It was MJ's own anxieties that shot down her attempt at getting back with Peter in that instance, but I'm pretty sure the experience with the Red Goblin, willing to stand up to the symbiotes, and Flash's sacrifice convinced MJ life was too short that she was in a spot where she could fulfil a place in Peter's life, all she wanted was for Peter to let her know. The seeds were all planted in Dan's last arc, it just takes a little sleuthing to join the dots. Sometimes things aren't made explicit, but then sometimes they don't need to be, you have loads of back issues to supply you with context.

[comicscollector]

Well Amazing Spider-Man#802 was quite disapointing.
The Spider-Man and Mysterio was one of the most anti clamatic fight i have read in a while,did not liked that the fight was not on the comic book,Spider-Man finds Mysterio and in the next pannel it just show him webbed up?!
Would be way better to see Spider-Man actually fighting Mysterio,and not just have him defeated without that even apearing in the comic book.It made Mysterio look like a random thief that gets defeated in a second by Spider-Man.
The whole focus of the story about Peter and Mary Jane being a couple again did not worked for me as well,after all the previous problems the couple had they just got back because Spider-Man dreamt of that story of a Spider-Man Annual?
I have nothing against Peter and Mary Jane being a couple again but this looked way rushed to me.
The secondary story had a feeling of Deja Vu to me,it reminded me of the way Jackal(Ben Reilly) was recruiting villains before the Clone Conspiracy.
The art by Otley and Ramos was good though,especially by Ramos.Because i think Otley have to improve the facial expressions,some pannels looked off to me.

[Miles To Go]

The whole focus of the story about Peter and Mary Jane being a couple again did not worked for me as well,after all the previous problems the couple had they just got back because Spider-Man dreamt of that story of a Spider-Man Annual?

That wasn't just "a stroy from an annual" it was an eisner-nominated study of their deep connection and how much they meant to one another.

They got back together because Peter realised he needed MJ in his life and a touched MJ figured "yeah, life's way too short for drama, let's do it"

[comicscollector]

That wasn't just "a stroy from an annual" it was an eisner-nominated study of their deep connection and how much they meant to one another.

They got back together because Peter realised he needed MJ in his life and a touched MJ figured "yeah, life's way too short for drama, let's do it"

I remember that Spider-Man Annual story, i read it.Did not see what was all the praise about the story when i read it for the first time.
I am not totally against Peter and Mary Jane being together again,it does makes sense that they would be a couple again.But i was hoping for more story developing of that before they were together.
To me my bigest complain was the whole way the conflict between Spider-Man and Mysterio was writen.
Why all of the sudden Spider-Man webs work against Mysterio?
Ever since Amazing Spider-Man#13,Mysterio developed a mist that dissolves Spider-Man webs.So why is he traped in webs as if he was some common thief that got caught?
And why would he be allowed to be in his costume while he was on trial?

[Prof. Warren]

I remember that Spider-Man Annual story, i read it.Did not see what was all the praise about the story when i read it for the first time.
I am not totally against Peter and Mary Jane being together again,it does makes sense that they would be a couple again.But i was hoping for more story developing of that before they were together.
To me my bigest complain was the whole way the conflict between Spider-Man and Mysterio was writen.
Why all of the sudden Spider-Man webs work against Mysterio?
Ever since Amazing Spider-Man#13,Mysterio developed a mist that dissolves Spider-Man webs.So why is he traped in webs as if he was some common thief that got caught?
And why would he be allowed to be in his costume while he was on trial?

Because it's awesome. And because, comics.

That was actually one of my favorite details in #1, the fact that Mysterio is in full costume in court.

[wleakr]

Well Amazing Spider-Man#802 was quite disapointing.

You know, these are actually some really good points! I mean I enjoyed the issue for what it was. I think the art and just "hearing" a different voice on the book was what I liked most. But when you break it down, the quick take down of Mysterio off page and that court scene in costume are kinda disturbing. We'll just have to see how these next issues play out. Seems most folks on this board don't mind the other stuff as long as MJ is back.

[Von]

Because it's awesome. And because, comics.

lol exactly. The people that completely forget these are outlandish comic book stories and take them dead serious, are almost as funny sometimes as the hilarious things that contantly happen BECAUSE comics imo.

That was actually one of my favorite details in #1, the fact that Mysterio is in full costume in court.

hahha...same here!

[wleakr]

I get it's comics, and if this is the "not take itself too seriously" tone that Spencer is going to stay consistent with, then it works.

[Miles To Go]

lol exactly. The people that completely forget these are outlandish comic book stories and take them dead serious, are almost as funny sometimes as the hilarious things that contantly happen BECAUSE comics imo.

Stay classy pal

[comicscollector]

Because it's awesome. And because, comics.

That was actually one of my favorite details in #1, the fact that Mysterio is in full costume in court.

I get that to you that was awesome and funny,but to me it just did not worked.
I get that there must be a suspension of believ while Reading fictional stories about super heroes,but at the same time i like when the stories are writen in a way that they make sense as well.
And to me Reading about Mysterio being on trial with his costume is just way too much silly to me.
And thats not a bias i had against the new direction of Amazing Spider-Man.
One of the first time i got annoyed by a nonsensical moment in comics was when i read for the first time the first Amazing Spider-Man Annual that have in the last pannel all the Sinsister Six together in a prison cell with their costumes as well.
I remember being annoyed by that pannel as well,because it did not made sense that the police would let the Sinister Six with their costumes share a prison cell.
And i dont even know if i can call it a prison cell,because there is no door in sight,with just one guard watching them and with a window with so wide gaps that all,except maybe Sandman could squeeze past through the Prison window bars.
And this is said by someone that think Stan Lee is a great writer.

[comicscollector]

You know, these are actually some really good points! I mean I enjoyed the issue for what it was. I think the art and just "hearing" a different voice on the book was what I liked most. But when you break it down, the quick take down of Mysterio off page and that court scene in costume are kinda disturbing. We'll just have to see how these next issues play out. Seems most folks on this board don't mind the other stuff as long as MJ is back.

I read issue two,it did not had such nonsensical moments as Mysterio in his costume while on trial as the first issue,but it was not a great read to me.
It´s not exactly a terrible story,but to me the story quality have to improve.
I will see if i get issue three,i do not want to stop collecting Amazing Spider-Man because it have been a comic book that i have liked for years,and i still think that with some improvements the story can pick up to be good to me again.
The humour for example was good,and there is a sense that the Peter Parker narative is moving fast in new directions.And thats something i apreciate in comic books.
So i will see if i buy the third issue of Amazing Spider-Man.

[m4st4]

Spencer already said TASM in its first year will appear to be one thing but then it will slowly transform into something different. Basically, it's going to be a Spider-Man storyline, with bits of everyhing (funny, actiony, scary, tense etc.), like it should be.