"Bland New Day " now up

[George Berryman]

From Fettinger's excellent write-up:

Also, Peter’s thinking that Lilly Hollister, Harry’s girlfriend, may have the hots for him makes me think that the reason Marvel is so anxious to have a single Spider-Man is so they can live vicariously through him.

That's for damn sure. And it's been obvious since waaay back in the day when Quesada became EIC and started talking about how much he hated the marriage.

QFT: I mean Stan's mindset is that people from all walks of life should enjoy a comic, Joe's mindest is that anyone who reads a comic for more than 5 years is a loser who needs to get laid. Gee, I wonder why Marvel has trouble getting more people into comics today.

I posted about this a couple of times on different threads here and it's 100% true. Stan's Marvel, Shooter's Marvel... Hell, everyone's Marvel up until Quesada/Jemas was an inclusive family that made readers and fans feel welcome. That's gone.

Quesada's Marvel?



Slott's said here that Wacker's been trying to make it feel more like Stan's Marvel in BND and I will take his word for it since I'm not reading it. But BND itself, like OMD before it, is an extension of Quesada's "Just STFU and give me your money" attitude.

[Antiyonder]

From Fettinger's excellent write-up:

Also, Peter’s thinking that Lilly Hollister, Harry’s girlfriend, may have the hots for him makes me think that the reason Marvel is so anxious to have a single Spider-Man is so they can live vicariously through him.

That's for damn sure. And it's been obvious since waaay back in the day when Quesada became EIC and started talking about how much he hated the marriage.

QFT: I mean Stan's mindset is that people from all walks of life should enjoy a comic, Joe's mindest is that anyone who reads a comic for more than 5 years is a loser who needs to get laid. Gee, I wonder why Marvel has trouble getting more people into comics today.

I posted about this a couple of times on different threads here and it's 100% true. Stan's Marvel, Shooter's Marvel... Hell, everyone's Marvel up until Quesada/Jemas was an inclusive family that made readers and fans feel welcome. That's gone.

Quesada's Marvel?



Slott's said here that Wacker's been trying to make it feel more like Stan's Marvel in BND and I will take his word for it since I'm not reading it. But BND itself, like OMD before it, is an extension of Quesada's "Just STFU and give me your money" attitude.

Could you link me to one of those discussions please?

Also, if you pointed out a continuity glitch/error back in the day, you'd get a metaphorical handshake and a No Prize. If you report a continuity error today, you get the bird (finger) and the whole "It's magic" for your efforts.


Frankly, Greg Weisman and crew do a better job at emulating the golden years of Spidey more than the current mainstream comics. Hopefully Madgoblin will do a Season by Season review of the cartoon.

[ScarletSpider1138]

Yeah! I'd like that!

Anyways, to agree with my esteemed colleagues -- even Bob Harras, that much maligned mogul (English is fun!), never seemed to be openly telling the fans they were stupid. Maybe he was in private, maybe through his decisions and business practises, but the letters pages and Bullpen Bulletin still kept up the idea of a bunch of fun, likeable guys, goofing around making cool comics for us great readers!

Now all the supplemental materials in Marvel issues seems to stress "Everyone working here is brilliant and is bringing the company back to when it was truly great and the work of everyone in the intermediary was terrible."

I mean, it's not just an FU to the fans, it's basically an FU (in Spider-man's case) to everyone whose worked on the books since #100, since apparently that's how long it's been broken according to Quesada (who oddly enough started reading comics with #96....)

[Reg]

I LOLed at the pic at the top of the article.

JR, that was another excellent article. I had a feeling your view of this "new status quo" would echo my own. I wasn't around for the '98 reboot but I read your articles on it and man, it sounds like the Spider books went to the toilet from '98-2000 until JMS and Paul Jenkins came on.

I also get the feeling that Joe Q thinks we are all fools. I had some respect for Joey until he pulled this lame stunt. Now I think Joe is a word that rhymes with stick.

With the exception of ASM #555, BND comes off as a horribly forced attempt to recall the old-school Spidey stories. Are we the only ones who realize this is not 197-freaking-2 anymore? Times and people change! Actually, Peter displayed far more intelligence back then than he does now in this BN world.

Oh and I second Greg Weisman and crew doing a better job on recapturing the old days of Spidey in Spectacular Spider-Man. Heck, Marvel Adventures Spidey, Ultimate Spidey, Spider-Girl, Spider-Man Family, any other version of Spidey/Peter is portrayed a thousand times better than the imbecile in BND.

Yes, now that Spidey is single, they can take Spidey in countless new directions. Except they decided to go backwards.

[Zarius]

A superb article Madgoblin

I'd also love to know whenever or not MJ is abandoning Peter and May to financial and medical problems whilst she's having a ball as a supermodel...because to be honest, if she doesnt turn out to be Menace, Jackpot, and Sara, I think she broke up with Peter because she was returning to the modeling industry, an industry that had given her Johnathan Ceaser and a powerful stalker. It's precisly in-character for her to only leave Peter to protect him from being hurt by her or because of her, and this would fit such a move. She doesnt know Peter is Spider-Man, so she doesnt want him or May hurt by her constant abcenses touring as a model or the dangers of security guard botches and stalkers.

I doubt anyone like MJ would simply break up with Peter and leave him to pick up scraps for May. Heck, MJ probably is as much to blame for the house being rebuilt and the medications coming in than Peter's seedy paperazzi job or May's posistion with Mr. Lee.

Marvel have only suceeded in continuing to make MJ more important than Peter "I'm the bloody anti-christ" Parker, because she is as equal to Peter as a comic icon as Lois Lane's comics were to Superman

[Javi Trujillo]

JR, I realize these articles take quite a bit of your personal time, and i would like to say thank you. I have always found them well worth the wait and if I could pay you, i would. You've pointed out many things wrong with this new characterization of peter and the hypocrisy of Marvel editorial. Thank you for reaffirming my decision not to buy ASM (or Marvel) and for taking time away from your other interests and family to entertain us. Great job!

[ScarletSpider1138]

I would like to learn the reason why MJ left Peter in this continuity -- as her character has always been depicted as being rather more supportive and caring than that.

Then again, Peter used to be responsible, May used to love Peter unconditionally, and Harry used to be neurotic.

So....

[Bevie]

JR - I've been so upset over OMD/BND travesty that I have neglected to show you the appreciation I have for all the hard work you do to entertain us fellow Spidey fans. WebHead623 said it very well and I hope you do know how much we look forward to and enjoy all your eloquent essays about our favourite hero. As for paying you, LOL, I'd much rather be giving you what I'm saving on not buying the current bookthan what passes for Marvel's Brand New Spider-Man. If you ever need to go that way I'm with you.


Also, ScarletSpider1138 - You put it so succinctly in your last post.


Quote -Then again, Peter used to be responsible, May used to love Peter unconditionally, and Harry used to be neurotic. - Unquote

It just feels WRONG now, in so many ways.

Here's hoping our guy will return some day soon.

[ScarletSpider1138]

I was just reading some Lee/Ditko era comics, and in the letters pages, when one of the fans says "you called Liz Allan's father Mr. Brant, wtf!" (paraphrased) Stan basically responds "d'oh! We're such boneheads! Lucky we have guys like you watching for our mistakes!"

Nowadays you point out an error and you get a barrage of angry vitriol hurled your way along the lines of "get a life!"

[Teck]

Hey, JR, you said BND was the third reboot in just over ten years; 1999,2008, but what was the third reboot? Doesn't chapter one belong with the 1999 reboot?

[CrazyChris]

I think he means the Clone Saga, which tried to reboot the character by saying the Spider-Man who the comics have followed since the 70's was a clone.

[MadGoblin]

I think he means the Clone Saga, which tried to reboot the character by saying the Spider-Man who the comics have followed since the 70's was a clone.

In the words of Phil Hartman as Ed McMahon "You are correct, Sir!"

[George Berryman]

In the words of Phil Hartman as Ed McMahon "You are correct, Sir!"

[MadGoblin]

In the words of Phil Hartman as Ed McMahon "You are correct, Sir!"

You've made my year, George or Scarlet Spidey....who do I give the credit to?

[George Berryman]

You've made my year, George or Scarlet Spidey....who do I give the credit to?

I made it. Huzzah!