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Spider-Man General Discussion

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This thread's for the Spider-Man comics and spin-offs, whether they're decades old or brand new.

  • Apart from the main Marvel Universe titles, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man "What If?" stories, crossovers, guest appearances in other books, Alternate Universe tales and things like Marvel's manga adaptations are all on-topic here.
  • Spider-Man 'family' books are on-topic (as are their own crossovers, guest appearances etc.) - e.g. Spider-Man 2099, Miles Morales, Spider-Woman, Silk, Spider-Gwen, Venom, Carnage, Black Cat, Red Goblin and Spider-Verse.
  • Characters and comics that originated in Spider-Man but are no longer directly connected to the spider-franchise (e.g. Punisher, Silver Sable) are not on-topic, unless you're discussing historical connections and crossovers. If in doubt, check before you write a long post. If this isn't the right place, there's a more general Marvel Comics thread which covers them.

Technically, Marvel's Infinity Comics (and their predecessors, Infinite Comics) are webcomics, not comic books, but it's fine to talk about their Spider-Man stories here.

Discussions that are only about Spider-Man adaptations in other media (films, video games etc.) are off-topic, but discussing the differences between the adaptations and the original comics is fine - as long as spoilers for the adaptations are tagged.

Please follow the spoiler policy rules - tag spoilers for the latest issues, for any previews or content leaks, and for off-topic comics. When including spoiler tags, try to write so that tropers can make an informed decision before viewing them (e.g. which series and issue will they spoil?).

     Original Thread OP 
Since everyone likes talking about him. I know little about him(Ironically,I got nearly all I know about him from a Batman thread),but he's apparently important so I made this thread. Enjoy.

Edited by MacronNotes on Jul 10th 2023 at 10:58:13 AM

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#23151: Oct 6th 2021 at 2:11:22 PM

I think the most well-received Spidey runs are the none-Amazing books like Spectacular or Friendly Neighborhood.

Prolly because less controversial reveals and additions.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#23152: Oct 6th 2021 at 11:20:18 PM

I like JMS Spidey.

I can do without Morlun, Ezekiel, the spider-totem nonsense and all of the Other, OMD, and Sins Past.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Oct 6th 2021 at 2:20:45 PM

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
Zarius Since: Nov, 2012
#23153: Oct 7th 2021 at 1:33:34 AM

I love JMS, but he should have departed when Romita Jr. did, either after he wrapped up Ezekiel's arc or after "Happy Birthday" with the Peter and Uncle Ben talk.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#23154: Oct 7th 2021 at 1:36:02 AM

Now that I think about it, I think Kaine is the only one whose made actual use of the whole Other stuff.

Especially during his Scarlet Spider series where it became a berserker mode for him.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#23155: Oct 7th 2021 at 1:48:27 AM

So controversial Spider-take time.

I unironically enjoyed Superior Spider-Man volume 2 even more so than Spencer's run. He actually had character development and growth as a character, thanks to Gage's direction and genuinely dealing with the last runs criticisms regarding his character and his fake identity being borderline sexual assault and working with it in his run. It helps that Anne Marie wasn't a love interest, was able to be the moral core of the run and keeping Ock on the straight and narrow. I liked seeing Ock having to deal with developing a conscious for real and dealing with his newfound empathy towards civilians, I liked his interactions with Ps 4 Peter, the Horizon college cast, Dr. Strange and regular Pete. It was great seeing him develop and not as the usual illusions of change. Plus it was hilarious to see him explain his complicated backstory to one of the women he was dating, I mean, how do you even start explaining that your actually a former supervillain who swapped minds with Spider-Man and are now in a new body?

I guess Slott and Spencer's admissions that OMD will NEVER be addressed soured me much more on regular Peter and made me enjoy Ock's journey as Spider-Man.

Then of course, Mephisto had to ruin it.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
HamburgerTime Since: Apr, 2010
#23156: Oct 7th 2021 at 5:14:06 AM

I sort of feel, stepping back and taking a more objective view, that Spencer did likely intend his ending as a satisfying fix for OMD. After all, Peter has the moral high ground back, confirmation that he and MJ are inseparable, meaning the deal didn’t really work in the end, and we get an actual explanation for Harry’s return and a less stupid in-universe reason for the deal itself.

Spencer just underestimated HOW big a fix the fans wanted. [lol]

miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#23157: Oct 7th 2021 at 6:29:16 AM

[up][up][up]It works better for Caine to be honest.

As his series. Since his series actually uses magic and doesn't feel as weird since Kaine doesnh have a long, long history of mostly science based villains that Spidey uses. It's probably why most ideas of that stuff got imported to him.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#23158: Oct 7th 2021 at 9:00:46 AM

[up][up] It's not really much of a victory over Mephisto. Since we know for all the comics claim that Peter and MJ are inseparable, Marvel won't have them be together for real because of the brand, eventually they'll go through a period of separation, and Peter will see someone else, Peter still dodged responsibility by taking Satan's deal to fix his mistake, and aborted his unborn daughter to save his elderly Aunt who suspiciously keeps getting a lot of action.

And Peter STILL hasn't even punched Mephisto.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Oct 7th 2021 at 12:10:53 PM

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#23159: Oct 7th 2021 at 10:16:17 AM

Yeah.

When you think about it, at this point the only difference between Classic Gwen and MJ is that MJ has too many fans to make killing her off viable.

In practice, she's in the exact same situation: they won't let her be with Peter due to an obsession with not aging him.

One Strip! One Strip!
HamburgerTime Since: Apr, 2010
#23160: Oct 7th 2021 at 10:49:23 AM

MJ in particular seems to have a lot of creatives with a sort of complex about her compared to other superhero love interests. Like, every attempt to break up Superman and Lois that goes over like a lead balloon (which is all of them [lol]) is quickly rectified, even the New 52 breakup and subsequent hookup with Wondy that IIRC was intended to be permanent.

I just don’t get why MJ’s different.

Aleistar Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
#23161: Oct 7th 2021 at 10:57:09 AM

Probably because most editors think Spider-Man is at his most interesting as a "swinging bachelor" whereas Superman, even though he hasn't always been married to her, has only ever really loved Lois Lane. And even then, there were a bunch of other factors beyond just the relationship with Lois that resulted in New 52 Superman's commercial and critical backlash.

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#23162: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:04:12 AM

Man I miss Kaine's SS comic.

One of the first series I seriously collected.

Shame that whole thing with Hummingbird might never get resolved.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#23163: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:04:28 AM

They are obsessed with Swinging Bachelor and / or Teenage hero.

Even though Peter's teenage era lasted a very short period of time, and he'd been with Gwen for a long time after that.

In fact, for most of his history until he married MJ, he was with someone: Gwen, then Mary Jane, then Black Cat, before marrying MJ again.

One Strip! One Strip!
Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#23164: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:05:37 AM

Clark has been an adult for a long time in the eyes of many and thus can have an adult relationship. At this point, Peter is treated more like a kid that can buy booze, really.

Wake me up at your own risk.
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#23165: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:06:55 AM

Even the famous 90s animated series had him as a college student.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
lbssb The sleepiest good boi Since: Jun, 2020 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
The sleepiest good boi
#23166: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:17:50 AM

Even the Sam Raimi movies only had him in high school for part of the first movie.

Disney100 Marathon | DreamWorks Marathon
Lionheart0 Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: I'm just a hunk-a, hunk-a burnin' love
#23167: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:26:17 AM

And he graduates High School at the start of the second Amazing film.

Honestly, I kind of place the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon as the start of the transparent effort into really making Peter the overtly Kid-Appeal Character. Technically Spectacular was the first multimedia adaptation to go all-in on making him a teenager again, but that was at least designed to be an amalgam of the original Lee/Ditko stuff with Bendis' Ultimate comics.

Edited by Lionheart0 on Oct 7th 2021 at 2:26:31 PM

slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#23168: Oct 7th 2021 at 11:29:34 AM

And they have been going all in on that due to his Iron Boy Jr. characterization in the MCU.

Prolly the most bizarre case is when the 2017 show had him fanboying over Ms. Marvel whose a veteran hero.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#23170: Oct 7th 2021 at 12:55:36 PM

Remember when Spider-Man refused Iron Man's offer to join the Avengers because he had his own problem to deal with?

Swinging bachelor Peter is a pretty bad image for the character since he's supposed to be a mascot for kids too.

What the hell kind of message does it send? That it's okay to flirt with multiple women and not commit? Marriage makes you boring? Okay Marvel was all in on that.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
PizzaDog11 Pizza is my business from closer than you think Since: Mar, 2018 Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
Pizza is my business
#23171: Oct 7th 2021 at 4:29:50 PM

“Married characters aren’t relatable” was a weird self-burn by editorial (or burn on the readers, if you take it that way)

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#23172: Oct 7th 2021 at 4:34:24 PM

There was a lot of speculation back in the day, that Joe Q was influenced by his experiences with his ex-wife.

And that writers and editors were living vicariously through Peter's single swinging days.

Making Spider-Man into a harem story is dumb.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
Aleistar Since: Feb, 2018 Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
#23173: Oct 7th 2021 at 5:02:13 PM

I'm not sure if it's "we want Spider-Man to be a harem" and not "we want Spider-Man to be more 'classical' like the Roger Stern run."

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#23174: Oct 7th 2021 at 5:05:42 PM

I mean just look at BND and all the new love interests that were shoved on, like Carlie Cooper, Michele, Norah, as well as all the bar hopping Peter did that had him kiss random red heads.

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
miraculous Goku Black (Apprentice)
Goku Black
#23175: Oct 7th 2021 at 5:08:22 PM

All of whom fans hated. Lol.

"That's right mortal. By channeling my divine rage into power, I have forged a new instrument in which to destroy you."

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