Crawl Space #9 Discussion Thread

[Venomaniac]

Did you also review Venom Vs. Carnage?

No I did not. I actually looked on the old site's review page to see who did, but I couldn't find it reviewed at all. I believe Venom vs. Carnage was slightly before my time as a reviewer. Also, I admit I didn't read it when it first came out. My initial reaction was a sarcastic, "Venom vs. Carnage? Yeah, that's gonna be a great comic..." And to be fair, while it was way better than a comic of that title had a right to be and introduced a great character, it did have some major, colossal, uber-gigantic flaws. That mainly being how in the hell does Black Cat not know anything about Venom and Carnage when she fought with Venom against Carnage in Maximum mother freaking Carnage?!

[quote= "Kevin Cushing"] That's perfectly fair. But just be mindful - there will be twists and turns. Yes, twists and turns. And a total lack of fat dude smotherings. [/quote]

Yaaaaaay!

Though my review seemed mediocre, I cant wait!
These arent the type of Spidey stories I would personally write, but you're doing an incredible job writing them! Most importantly you get the character, something the Braintrust fails at

[coolmvm]

Great work Kevin, I must say your stories maybe just what I need to gain my weekly Spider-man fix for awhile. Since I sort of quit looking into Amazing Spider-man at the start of O.M.I.T, and taking a well deserved Vacation from the title for a while.

Still on to the story at hand...

I did Enjoy the Richards and the Parkers moments together, but if you're having trouble with writing Reed Richards, then why not look into some old FF issue to see what makes him work ?

Also I did like Seeing Peter take control over Oscorp and trying to attempt dismantling Norman's tech, maybe a certian cameo by either Tony or Pepper to give some advice to Peter as he's doing this could help out a bit.

I also thought that the Harry and Peter moment, while well meaning is just a lie to throw Peter off.

Still it was a good moment and I also enjoyed the Black Cat coming in to save Carlie, and for her to find out the truth would be interesting, as it could be cool for Spidey to have an insider within the NYPD.

I also wonder Kevin if you going to have Spider-man in place within the events of Shadowland or what is your opinion of it all ?

Because to me having a DD/Spidey moment where Peter tries to convince Matt to find another way and explaining what he did to make his problems leave him would be something.

Oh and before I forget, nice BD cameo as a way to honor one of main Mods.

Still the current arc is off to a good start and nice to see some reinforcements are coming in the form of Toxin and Black Cat, with a nice new costume by the way. It would be fun to see some of the other Spidey friends like FF or Luke Cage coming in to help him out a it, but it great to start small, because it's more fun that way.

Still once again I ask of you to keep up the good work upon such a great series.

[BD]

I read this on day 1, that's how much I was looking forward to it. You knocked it out of the park yet again.
Your voice of Peter Parker is top notch. I also love your writing of the voices of Peter and MJ.

I laughed several times, those included the MJ guessing of the hot guys. I also laughed at her giggling at him not being able to hop out of a window.

I also love that you reference so much past continuity. You talked about how he still has organic webbing, Ben's suit, the impact webbing etc. All nods but not taking out of the story, to the past and moving forward.

One of the best scenes is Harry talking about how he climbed out of his own grave. Very JMD-ish with Kraven's Last Hunt.

Also a previous poster commented that he didn't like that you have Harry acting sane around Peter when he's bat shit crazy. What Kevin did is an old trick I learned from watching Hitchcock interviews. It's much more scary to have two people sitting talking at a table with a bomb underneath and them not know. As a reader, it's much more tense if you saw the villain place the bomb under the table earlier in the scene. The two people at the table have no clue it's going to go off, but the viewer does and its' much more tense and satisfying.

Ok, I have so many pros I have to give you a con. Are you not a red-blooded American male? Why would you cover up Black Cat??? Seriously!??!?!?!


All in all an A+. I loved my cameo.

[Venomaniac]

I feel bad not giving as much positive feedback as everyone else...

[Kevin Cushing]

Still on to the story at hand...I did Enjoy the Richards and the Parkers moments together, but if you're having trouble with writing Reed Richards, then why not look into some old FF issue to see what makes him work ?

Well, A) I only needed him for one scene, so committing a bunch of money and time to scores of old FF comics seems a bit disproportionate, B) I don't have any money right now, sadly not even for new comics, so I really don't have the money for a lot of back issues at the moment, C) If I didn't connect with him when written by JMS, I doubt I'm ever going to, and D) I honestly didn't realize how badly I was going to write him until too late. So I've just gotta apologize for that one and move on.

I also wonder Kevin if you going to have Spider-man in place within the events of Shadowland or what is your opinion of it all ?

Because to me having a DD/Spidey moment where Peter tries to convince Matt to find another way and explaining what he did to make his problems leave him would be something.

Nah, as I've said before, I'm not trying to tie into any Marvel U events. I'd spend all my time trying to keep up with them instead of telling good Spidey stories.

Still once again I ask of you to keep up the good work upon such a great series.

Thanks, glad you dug it!

I read this on day 1, that's how much I was looking forward to it. You knocked it out of the park yet again.

Thanks, Brad! Your enjoyment always means a lot to me, as the godfather of the site and the biggest Spidey fan I know!

Ok, I have so many pros I have to give you a con. Are you not a red-blooded American male? Why would you cover up Black Cat??? Seriously!??!?!?!

Haha, I should have known that'd rub you wrong! I know you're kidding, but in all seriousness, Black Cat is a great character and I want to put the focus back on that instead of her amazing cleavage powers. Plus, it's entirely unrealistic for someone who does what she does to be wearing a costume that's constantly threatening to let loose the twins in the middle of a fight or 'covert entry.' And heck, she was covered up in her first appearance, so it's not like bouncing ta-tas was part of the original character concept.

All in all an A+. I loved my cameo.

Good to hear! I figure if I need a TV news reporter, I may as well use the best!

[bdog]

Wow Kevin just wow.

This issue was fantastic, and I'm not saying that because I colored the cover BUT because it really was.

The humour played an amazing role in Spidey's character you capture it with ease. I pictured a Christopher Daniel Barnes voiced Spidey in these jokes, and they really worked well.

Harry is a cold ass S.O.B I love that.

Also you write the marriage very well. Gerry Conway said that Peter didn't need to be married to have romance, but the Web Heads can't even find that. You manage to keep a frun loving relationship between the two while keeping their marriage interesting.

AND don't even get me started on that continuity!

Here's to your best one yet.


Long Live Crawl Space!

[Kevin Cushing]

Thanks bdog! And a big hand to you for that amazing coloring job on the cover I can't wait for people to see what you did on #10!

[Hambone]

Thought it was great, I really like the cliffhanger at the end.

I don't know why but when I read this line:

PETER:
So, Doc, how’s it look? Will I ever play the violin again?

I "heard" the Spidey actor from the 80's cartoon;it's such a cheesy joke but awesome!



(This was the best clip I could find that jumped right into Spidey talking.)

I'm curious if the general public and the police are aware of Harry Osborn being alive, since as next of kin he'd be notified of Norman's death. Also since Pete contacted some friends for help, will the Avengers be assemblin' anytime soon? (An army of guys with the proportionate strength of a spider would seem like something to call em in for., unless they're "away on a mission in outer space," like they always were when Spidey needed them in the 90's. )

Lots of great humor, particulaly the part with Pete having to take the stairs like a regular joe! Off to a great start, I'd say a 5 out of 5.

[Kevin Cushing]

Thanks Hambone! Really glad you're diggin' the series you're putting so much work into!

And if anybody hasn't yet, make sure to go check out Hambone's gorgeous inks for next issue's cover (including the new Black Cat design and one of the most awesome looking Toxin images ever) at Spideydude.com!

[Enigma_2099]

HARRY:
Framing Peter was never the point. The public doesn’t have to think it’s him.
HARRY:
Once they’ve gotten used to the fact that they don’t know the Spider-Man descending from the sky is the real deal coming to save them, they can’t trust him anymore.

You cold, manipulative, ingenious bastard.

[Spidey Fan]

Sorry I'm a bit late to the party, but here are my thoughts.

This reminded me why I used to love Spider-Man so much. A+.

Reading this issue I felt like I was reading a DeFalco issue from his run on ASM. I could literally see the panels through your descriptions (though I imagined JR Jr art for some reason). It's stories like this that made me love Spidey and read the book all these years.

I liked the interactions between the Richards and the Parkers, though I have to agree Reed felt a bit off in his dialogue. It was a good touch having them interact. Loving how Pete and MJ are interacting and their displays of obvious affection just reinforce what we've all been saying in that the marriage strengthened Peter, not weakened him.

Having them move into Aunt May's place was a great touch. Being CEO of Oscorp means they can afford any place in NYC, but having them set up in the house Peter grew up in shows that being close to their roots is important and totally in keeping with their characters.

It seemed to me that Peter would be a bumbling businessman with no clue what to do. Plus while destroying the Goblin tech is noble, it sure isnt profitable, and I dont see the Board of Directors agreeing to it

Well, in all honesty, Peter doesn't have to be great businessman to run Oscorp. The people under him truly run the company and keep things going smoothly, Pete just needs to guide the company's direction and insure they do as he's instructed. He can always hire advisors to insure no one is trying to pull anything over on him.

Yes, setting his sights on destroying the Goblin tech is noble, and is exactly what Peter would do, so it is completely believable to me. Will some resist? I don't see it as unprofitable since the tech is sitting out there, unused, hidden. They can't very well sell it due to the stigma attached to it by the applications it has seen in the name of evil in the past. Besides, there are other things Oscorp can develop that will be profitable and do good, and doing good is what Pete is best at.

Having Brad Douglas breaking the news of the Siege of the Spider Men? Brilliant!

Exposing Menken and Peter being helpless to do anything about it, especially since Menken knows his secret identity was another great piece of writing. Leaves some avenues of storytelling for down the road.

The exchange between Harry and Peter was great! Harry is really playing his bit to the hilt, no doubt so the betrayal and grief it will cause Peter will be all that much sweeter when Harry's end game is exposed. Great stuff! Totally see the big splash panel of Peter punching Harry (though for some reason I see this one in my head in Kirby art).

Wow, a Carlie written in a way where I don't hate her. Another shining example of why I love Crawl Space so much more than anything the Brain Trust is cranking out. You took a character I hate, and while she is still a bit whiny and lacking in confidence, you've made me like her. Excellent!

Guest appearance by Black Cat? SCORE!!! My second favorite female character in the Spidey verse. Her banter with Spidey and the way they fall into that comfortable paired combat style is so spot on.

Carlie reaching for the clone's mask to see who is under it is a great mini ending to the issue.

The cover for #10 rocks! Liked the inked Cat in her new duds and the inclusion of Toxin is total win!

[Kevin Cushing]

Spidey Fan, all I can say is - thank you! Way too many wonderful compliments and insights to address each one individually, but I loved hearing every single one. I really appreciate it, and thanks for reading!

[DMaynor]

keep up the good work!

[FSUSpiderFan]

I finally got some sleep and had a chance to finish the issue.

Another great issue Kevin! Definitely worth the wait. A good mix of humor, action, plot movement, drama, and action. Your previous stories had a definite JMS feel but this one felt more like a 90’s fun action comic. Maybe it’s the clones but it also reminds me of Michelini’s Powerless story arc ( in which guess who comes to help Spidey out, a certain darkly costumed former cat burglar). Him forgetting he couldn’t just hop out a window was funny.

I think your writing of action which has been your weakness in the past is improving.

I agree with some others that Reed’s dialogue was a little off but I liked Sue and MJ bonding.

I really like that you didn’t go down the same cliché of having everyone assume that these imposters were the real Spidey. People have posed as Spider-man so many times that people should not assume for the 100th time that Spidey's gone bad JJJ was right all along. You wrote New Yorkers like they have more than half a brain. Congratulations!

The use of the Ben costume makes sense and the reason for not wearing it was funny.

Are these some substandard clones? because the Black Cat seems to be able to handle more than one pretty easily and Peter says they have no spider sense. Or is He saying he has no Spidey sense?

I like seeing MJ and Peter joking and enjoying each others company and her being his support person by brining him the costume. The Avenger’s line was funny.

I am really glad you didn't have Pete just go up and high five Harry and say “Where you been bud?” a'la BND. I know there was the JMD issue, but that wasn’t even in ASM so most people never got a chance to read it so as far as they are most people know Peter was not even a bit wary when Harry came back. The tension in your scene was great. I am a little confused about when he came back and how. As well as when he went from happy go lucky BND Harry to evil super genius Harry and had time to setup this master plan. Harry’s speech made me really worried about what he might have really might have done to Liz and little Normie….

I did think you needed to have Peter present more of an agenda for Oscorp than get rid of Goblin stuff. I know he will probably do that later but the board might be worried if they think that is all he cares about. I’d like to see him use the labs to develop some scientific breakthroughs. Finally put his brilliance to some use on a mass scale.

I hope Carlie does find out his ID. It would be an interesting twist for her as a semi close friend and member of the police force to know about him being Spidey.

I am looking forward to Toxin. I enjoyed his mini as well and thought someone should have followed up with him.

Glad we won't have to wait so long between issues this time. Keep up the good work and thanks for the great read. It made a very hard week for me a bit better.

[slave83b]

Okay, I had actually fallen a few issues behind on Crawl Space, so when I sat down to wash the horrible horrible taste of OMIT out of my mouth, I decided to just read the whole damn thing from start to finish.

Damn, that was good!

In all honesty, I don't know yet what I can say about this issue that hasn't already been covered, but thank you Kevin. I'm sure you've caught at least some of my reaction to OMIT in other threads and this megadose of Crawl Space is exactly what I needed. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see Peter and the others actually written in character, something at which even the best BND stories seem to reliably falter. As shocked as I am to find myself saying this, I'm actually excited for the next issue of OMIT to hit, if only because it means I'll have more Crawl Space to read! I can't wait to see where you take things from here.

Once again, Kev, thank you!