Bloggers are required by law to weigh in immediately on the whole "Brand New Day" storyline that struck Spider-Man many months back, so here's my opinion: it stinks.Not so much because it ended the marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane (I was a fan before the marriage, after all), but moreso because it was handled in such a ham-handed (and completely unnecessary) fashion.
Look, Marvel has been forced to correct mistakes in the past. Tony Stark's identity was revealed and then hidden again, Steve Rogers' identity was revealed and then hidden again, Alicia Masters cheated on Ben Grimm with Johnny Storm - and then she didn't (sorta). The list goes on and on.
But what links all those corrections is that, however shaky the explanation, it was one based in Marvel reality, and it was one the longtime reader could buy (even if he or she had to hold their nose in the process).
When the powers that be decided to have Spider-Man reveal his identity, it was obvious that it was a terrible idea from an editorial stance, because it meant Peter Parker would be cut off from every existing supporting character, except for Mary Jane and Aunt May. He couldn't continue working at the Daily Bugle. He couldn't continue his teaching career. His loved ones would be targeted by every one of the dozens of villains who hate him. It was a dead-end story, which generated publicity, but left Spider-Man in a bad corner. To get back to some form of status quo, something outrageous would have to take place.
But the solution - to have Mephisto make a vast assortment of oh-so-convenient changes to Peter's life - just smacked of desperation, something just this side of making it all an imaginary story. Couldn't Peter have stumbled across a Cosmic Cube or bumped into The Beyonder?
Well, I'm wandering here. The "Brand New Day" stories have been ok so far, thanks to strong artwork from a variety of artists and decent (though hardly outstanding) stories from different writers - but none of the stories really require an unmarried Peter Parker, except for the one where Mary Jane was sleeping with some actor - that was kinda creepy.
And Spidey has been acting out of character. He's portrayed as a big loser, which is a mistaken impression most writers seem to have of the character. Peter is actually a winner - he's the hero, he defeats the villains while cracking jokes, he rescues his friends, he dates beautiful women (and was, ahem, once married to a supermodel) - we all want to be that guy. But his life isn't always easy - he does face challenges and difficulties. Yet recent storylines show him living at his Aunt's like a slacker, shooting sleazy photos of celebrities, and running away while a vicious animal attacks Kraven's daughter. (Granted, she had tried to kill Spidey - but wouldn't a real hero try to defend anyone in danger?)
But after months of unmemorable stories and villains, The Amazing Spider-Man has finally delivered a good story with "New Ways to Die." Featuring outstanding art by John Romita, Jr. and Klaus Janson, and a compelling story by Dan Slott, we see Spider-Man facing challenging foes, dealing with cliffhangers, interacting with strong characters, and in danger of losing his powers!
Having said that, the latest issue isn't perfect - for one thing, the cover is a total cheat. Nowhere in the comic does the Green Goblin fight Spider-Man, except in a one-panel flashback. But it is fun to see Spidey being targeted by Norman Osborn, even though I still think Osborn should have stayed dead after killing Gwen. But that's just me.
Part of being a fan is being patient, and I suspect that eventually, the "One Day More" storyline will be "corrected," and we'll see Spider-Man get back to his amazing self. In the meantime, longtime fans will have to console themselves with the excellent Ultimate Spider-Man comic, and the occasional worthy storyline (like this one) in the original series.
Grade: B
4 comments:
I pretty much agree with your take on the Brand New Day fiasco, one of the most breathtakingly stupid reboots ever. But I have to say that, once the initial shock wore off and some of the early very goofy issues passed by, the series has been a good deal of fun, very entertaining. I do feel that the spirit of Spider-Man (and Peter Parker) is much closer to the Lee-Romita days (and maybe even the later Lee-Ditko days) than the JMS series which was so dark and morbid, Spidey turning into a real spider, spinning webs out his wrists, etc. As well written as those were, they just weren't Spidey. So I welcome the more carefree, upbeat, action packed storylines. I do miss MJ though!
Pete, admit it, you were bought off by Marvel when they published your letter recently! Actually, I agree that the JMS stories were too dark, too laden with mystical storylines (Spidey works best in the real world) and downright odd. And don't get me started on the "Gwen's kids" story! But in correcting those problems, I still think Marvel threw out the baby with the bathwater.
Ha! I meant to mention that my heart did soften when they published my letter--that makes my third Marvel letter column, including a 1960s Daredevil, a 1960s Tower of Shadows, and this!
Pete
Pete, I only wrote one letter, way back when the Inhumans first appeared in the Fantastic Four. After the issue where Black Bolt and company were trapped behind an impenetrable barrier, I wrote to suggest that Lockjaw could teleport through it. Just a few months later, Lockjaw appeared and took Johnny and Wyatt Wingfoot off on adventures. Stan and Jack had ripped off my idea! Of course, my idea was pretty obvious...
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