Here’s News… I’m certifiably Batshit Crazy.
I’ll be the first to admit rarely a day goes by that– when I think of Marvel Comics– I can’t help but remember what they’ve done (and continue to do) to my beloved Spider-man. Even though this thought lasts for just a moment, I still get a little glitch in my gut. It’s not as big a cramp as it used to be, but it’s still there… And I am old enough now to know it ain’t never going away… Unless Marvel “fixes” The Amazing Spider-man comic.
By “fixing”, I mean Marvel disavowing the entire One More Day story line– and virtually everything that’s happened since. The more I’ve mulled over this abomination, the more 
I realize my original beef with the story– Peter and Mary Jane no longer being married– is not my real problem with it.
I’m pissed about how their separation occurred. Like many, my main problem now lies with Spider-man making a deal with the devil/demon Mephisto in the first place. Even though Mary Jane told Peter it would be OK– that she would still love him somehow, Peter Parker is Spider-man… And the hero I grew up with figured this shit out. He didn’t take “No” for an answer or the easy way. He improvised… And he certainly never made deals with demons… Because he was smart enough to know those crap agreements never work out the way people plan.
It’s not bad enough that Marvel, within the last 12 months, has rubbed the Peter/MJ marriage in our faces again with the gross MJ/Venom comic variant from Amazing Spider-man #678. It’s not bad enough that Mary Jane mumbled something about loving Peter in the middle of the absurd Spider Island crossover… Now we have to deal with Marvel mismanaging almost every aspect of Spider-man’s 50th Anniversary
– as if Spider-man is one of The World’s Least Popular Superheroes.
I’ve seen Deadpool get more respect in a month than Spider-man’s gotten all year (so far). Maybe Marvel Comics figured they would let Sony Pictures do the heavy-lifting during Spidey’s Golden Celebration– by releasing an unneeded cinematic re-boot.
In any case, what was the publisher’s response to this awesome milestone? Some more fair-to-middling Spidey variants (often on books that had little or nothing to do with the character) and Brian Michael Bendis’ Spider-men crossover mini-series… A book where Marvel’s “616″ Universe Spider-man Peter Parker meets the Spider-man of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, Miles Morales. Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada once infamously foreshadowed such a meeting by saying (and I paraphrase here) if any such crossover ever occurred… Marvel would officially be out of ideas.
Overlooking the delicious irony, I actually applaud Marvel for placing a 50th Anniversary Spider-Man Logo on the top left of their recent Spider-man comics. I know it took all of 5 minutes to design in Photoshop– but hey, at least it was a gesture… A slight effort that proved somebody at Marvel understood the importance of the durability and passion for this
character.
And it all would have been fine… Until, true to pattern, Marvel once again trivialized Spider-man’s awesome history with a similar– but different– logo on Venom #21.
(By the way, this is the part where you’ll probably think I’ve officially lost my geek mind.)
I am actually offended by the 24 Years of Venom Anniversary Logo– even though I know it’s a joke. Why? Because this year shouldn’t be about Venom or, for that matter, Miles Morales (who’s been Spider-man in a different Marvel Universe for all of 5 seconds, compared to Peter Parker).
Barely noting Spidey’s anniversary is bad enough… And playing up Venom’s– even as a joke– seems like a very ill-considered idea that should’ve been left lying on the floor after an editorial meeting– with a bunch of other crap ideas. Still, you know some idiot has gotta be sitting over there thinking, “Better not play up the 50 Year angle… We don’t want the kids thinking Spider-man’s eligible for his AARP card!”
Damn it, kids don’t buy comics anymore… And if they do, they should read Archie comics or some of the other (often overpriced) kid stuff Marvel and their independent competitors spit out. A child shouldn’t be reading a book where the Lizard eats his son or the Hobgoblin (Roderick Kingsley) gets his head cut off… Or a hero makes a deal with the devil.
Come on, Marvel! You’re better than this! Or at least you used to be.
Marvel has great characters that they don’t know what to do with. Spiderman is just the most prominent example of this. And that MJ Venom cover is beyond creepy.
Creepy it is. Creepy and a slap in the face it will always be.
Quesada’s been one of my fave artists 4 a while now. That said; Marvel seemed 2 take a “turn” when some1 in charge, was apparently fond of what he did w/ The Marvel Knights series’. lf that’s the case, l’m at aloss 2 see what was so impressive. Under that sub brand, we got Punisher, a character l wasn’t ever really crazy about, from day one, but “then” 2 have him be a member of the undead…….The Black Panther, while not horrible, was definitely more style, than substance. Then Daredevil, the crown jewel. 4 sure, l liked the art, but K. Smith’s going 2 soap operas 4 inspiration, made that a thoroughly well rendered, but unimaginitive collection of issues. l’m not even gonna go in2 fauxtography of The Inhumans.
Whoever was in charge at the time must’ve thought those titles were like manna from Heaven, and Joey Q has never looked back. ln my view, Marvel’s struggling 2 be relevant, but the excessive wrongthink of their deeds and their words, have become, and continues 2 be their undoing. At least that’s the way l see it.
That’s a great overview, Phil. Totally agree.
Agreed with what you said about OMD. I’ve always said that Mephisto was the only character that was done right in that awful story.
I’ve actually been so upset with the way Marvel has been handeling ASM that I’ve took it upon myself to READ and sometimes RE-READ the new issues and identify exactly what’s going on with the character and why it’s not good anymore. I’m doing this in hopes of fixing it someday.
I know that sounds crazy, but dammit I’m not going to let Marvel ruin my, and many other people’s favorite superhero. Plus I gotta have a few goals to motivate myself. Also, I buy the new issues at HPB. That way Marvel doesn’t get my money
CBD, lots of people do exactly what you are doing.
They will reboot/rehash several new titles in a couple of months. They can reboot Tony Stark’s mind so he can make up for acting like a total shit during Marvel’s Civil War.
They can fix Spider-man too. They just don’t want to. They think this current stuff is great… Or, at least that’s what they say in public.
Venom rocks, 24 years and ongoing. Loving the new series is so epic.
I think you’re pretty much on the money with this one Ian, since Joey Q imposed his will on the direction of the Spider-man character its been downhill all the way. While Spidey was never my favourite Marvel character, you could tell that he was the moral centre of Marvel’s universe, as long as Peter Parker was acting like Peter Parker you knew everything was ok. Since Joey Q’s childish idea that the marriage was ruining the character Peter Parker has not been acting like Peter Parker, its almost like he’s an evil clone or something…
ugh Joey Q, Brian Bendis, Mark Millar, Jeph Loeb and a few others have completely fucked up the Marvel Universe in the last 7/8 years. Its almost like they’re trolling the fans, no character can be “good” anymore, they all have to be complete arseholes to each other and be completely selfish, pigheaded and stupid.
There are, reportedly a few good comics like Daredevil and Journey into Mystery but they are on the periphery. The main overarching narrative thrust of the MU is still being controlled by Bendis and it won’t improve till he fucks off.
To add to those thoughts, LM:
They also cancel titles the public enjoys, like Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge & Chris Samnee… And now, Journey Into Mystery. Certainly they make enough off Thor in his various books and movies they can afford to keep a few of the lower selling titles around long enough for people to discover them amongst the morass of crap they release month.
Absolutely, Captain Britain and the MI13, SWORD, Agents of Atlas, pretty much anything thats interesting gets shitcanned fairly quickly.
Since Eddie Brock is not Venom anymore, who really gives a shit? It’s like celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Spider-Man with someone who is not Peter Parker and just wears the costume. Can you imagine how stupid that would…oh, wait.
As always, exactly on point, J.
As you know, I’ve been catching some flack for this Venom rant… But to be clear, I’m not against the current book. I happen to love Rick Remender’s writing (and art– when he draws). My specific beef was with the 24 Years of Venom Logo– and how it made Spidey’s anniversary seem just a little less special… Even if it was meant as a joke.
To be fair, you made your point quite clear about what you were ranting about. Some fanboyz only see you “ripping on” Venom because they are in such a sad/pathetic rage about someone having the gall to criticize a character (a shit character at that) who they like and just can not see the substance underneath the surface of the article.
To show I am not completely stuck in the past, here’s a perfect example of a new take on an aspect of Spider-man (from Spider-Man 2) that I loved and thought was fantastic: