Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artists: Joe Quinones
Editors: Nick Lowe
E.I.C: C.B. Cebulski
Crawlspace Reviewer: Chi-Town Spidey
Crawlspace E.I.C: Brad Douglas
“It’s your kids, Peter! Somethings gotta be done about your kids!” One could only wish this was the story. In fact the story is about Peter going back in time to get the Tinkerer’s notes and Teresa and Jameson are coming along for the ride. It starts off with Peter, Teresa, and Jameson in Past-Peter’s bedroom. Future-Peter explains everything to Past-Peter. After that, it’s Future-Spidey fighting along with Past-Spidey against Doc Ock and Green Goblin. Future-Spidey even unmasks Goblin to reveal Normal Osborn. Both villains can’t figure out how there are two Spider-Men and how it’s so easy for them to be defeated, next they go after Mysterio. Then we have Future-Jameson talking to Past-Jameson on the whereabouts on where the Tinkerer could be and decides to spill the beans on his wife and that Spider-Man is really Peter Parker. Meanwhile Teresa went to a diner and sat down to meet with the Original Nick Fury. She’s trying to actually find out if she’s the daughter of Richard and Mary Parker to which Nick responds with a shocked look “Oh..”.
Peter’s facial expression to the words “S’All Good” is about as confident as a person knowing he’s supposed to receive the true genuine taste of a CHICAGO Deep Dish Pizza, but is being served in an INDIANA location.
To quote my friend Matt, who is a big Back to the Future fan after reading this, “Uhm….. I don’t think “impacting the past” has an on/off switch.”
How many books have we read and how many movie have we seen concerning time travel? You know, if you travel back in time and play around….it WILL mess up the time line. If “magic” is involved, sure, I can see that. In this case however, it’s all science. It’s like the “Butterfly Effect” was thrown out the window here. That panel from issue 300 where Dr. Doom is just to move the plot along and a cheat to get away with a story. So many “Time Laws” have been broken in this issue, even DC’s Speedforce would say “WTF?!”
We’ve gone from weird cell phone research, to keeping Teresa safe, to Tinkerer’s origin revamped, to a Time Travel adventure all drenched with the Marvel Universe guest stars. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going in this book! I have written about this many time before, but the only things I have like so far is Human Torch/Spider-Man banter between the two and the Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man #6. This is not the kind of influence you want in a satellite tile to Amazing Spider-Man. I had hopes when I read the FCBD of this series. Now seeing this? I have a feeling this book will be axed pretty soon.
Chip Zdarsky plays off each character completely ignoring the consequences of the space time continuum. Yes, Dr. Doom did state that those consequences don’t apply when using his time machine (back in issue 300), BUT Doom deals with science, not magic here. Not to mention his time machine blew up after sending the three back in time. Don’t they need that machine to get back? Since it was destroyed, does the “safety guard on time” become invalid? Peter also states that Dr. Doom sent him to an alternate timeline where their timeline won’t be affected. So is it a special time machine or an alternate timeline? So does that mean that the future of the timeline that they are already in now, may be affected? Dr. Doom wasn’t too specific on that was he. Maybe this is the Renew Your Vows timeline? I don’t know, but it’s just hard to read knowing what I know. Zdarsky plays off the two Spidey, bad puns, and all. Why are they going after villains though? Shouldn’t Future-Spidey find the Tinkerer to save his world? His time?
NOPE!
He sent Jameson and Teresa to go take care of that while he goes with his younger self, having the upper hand, to defeat old enemies. Once again Spider-Man sending supporting cast to take care of what’s REALLY important while he just runs off. A major problem in these books today. I don’t get this Spider-Man characterization! The talk between Future Jameson and Past Jameson seems a bit off as well. His focus was supposed to be when entering the Daily Bugle to obtain info on Phineas Mason (aka The Tinkerer), but instead the focus is on telling Past Jameson about Marla Madison and exposes Spider-Man’s secret and tells Past-Jameson to lay off the kid. Time-displacement logic aside, this is a toss up. Jameson knows Peter is Spider-Man. Here he want’s Past-Jameson to ease off on the kid in hope it’ll make his life better in the future. Course that won’t happen due to Dr. Doom’s “logic” but maybe Jameson knows that trying to make this “alternate Jameson” life better. Maybe it’s therapy for Jameson? I know folks, it’s a bit confusing. Oh, and who can guess what’s wrong with this picture?
Computers didn’t look like that in the 1960’s!
The only thing I did actually like was the Teresa angle. She lies to Jameson about seeing her old boss from the C.I.A that may have some information, it’s only to get away from Jameson. Seriously who could blame her? I would lie to Jameson stating I had to go to the bathroom to get away from him! She does meet her old boss, but not from the C.I.A. She meets with Nick Fury (Not the Samuel L. Jackson one, the David Hasselhoff one.) just to find out more about her past, to see if she is who indeed who Peter claims her to be. The daughter of Richard and Mary Parker. At first I didn’t like this character, but I’m actually starting to warm up to her. I have said this before. I have a friend who considers me her brother and I consider her my sister. We aren’t related but we just have that brother/sister bonding. I really want that for Peter and I honestly believe that Zdarsky wants that for Peter to so he’s diving really hard into Teresa characterization. She’s actually doing what anyone else would do in her situation. Wanting to know more about her past and I actually do yearn more on that. There is a little nitpick though…
This is the 1960’s correct? Marty McFly wasn’t a pop culture icon until the 1980’s.
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@Evan – “Back to the Future” is my all-time favorite movie as well!!
“Peter also states that Dr. Doom sent him to an alternate timeline where their timeline won’t be affected.”
This right here got me wondering, what the heck is the point of going to an alternate timeline? Who’s to say events played out the same in this alternate timeline?
Whether it’s their own timeline or not, whether their future is altered or not, Spidey, Teresa, and JJJ shouldn’t be changing the past like they are.
@Adam Thanks for the criticism. Like I said in my earlier post below, please scroll on down and you’ll see it. ” I understand, just didn’t (my opinion) fit all the well with Spider-Man. Now the Fantastic Four (I assume) and X-Men (I know for sure) have delt with many time traveling adventures that I wouldn’t touch or try to understand.” Spider-Man and Time Travel just don’t fit well in my opinion. Now what JMS did in Amazing Spider-Man #500, THAT worked. It dealt with Time Travel and made much more sense and fit well with Spider-Man. This story just seemed off beat. I also based my grade off on how Spider-Man’s characterization so it’s not just the time traveling aspect of the book. His world is about to be destroyed so he sent Jameson and Teresa to investigate while he goes and be irresponsible with is younger alternate self.
Are you really criticizing this issue for “hack time travel”? Please, do some research first then.
“Richard’s Doctrine” is an old rule of time travel in the Marvel Universe, introduced back in the day when The Thing wanted to go back in time and cure his younger self, only to find out that by doing so he only impacted an alternate timeline and did not affect his own.
The rule was used in such classic stories as “Future Imperfect”, so if you really wnat to go on and try to criticize the story because “it lacks consequence coming from time travel”, then you should at least acknowledge that it’s been this way before and anyone who is interested in time travel related sheanigans in the Marvel Universe should know this.
Thanks for the info Chi-Town Spidey! I’m not a fan of it either. I assume this was the first issue it was featured in as I don’t remember it being in #300. Going to have to pull it out a check if I missed it the first time.
@matt Yes, that was on purpose. It’s suppose to represent the spider crawling down the web. I personally don’t like it, but some people are digging it.
Is there a reason given as to why Spidey’s spider logo is upside down in this issue?
@Evan Glad you liked the review. Every time I think of Time Travel, BTTF is the first thing that comes to mind and when it involves comics The Flash and Flashpoint come to mind so you can understand my review when it comes to this issue. Marvel’s timelines is muddy at best.
…and we were just mentioning the other day how there has been so much time travel in Spider-man lately. This is heavy.
@Chi-Town Spidey — My goodness, you certainly have my sympathy for having to review this issue. I wouldn’t even know where to begin! As I think I’ve written elsewhere, Back to the Future is my very favorite movie, so right from the beginning I enjoyed your review immensely. But there are so many questions I have that instead I’ll just throw my hands in the air and say, “At least it has time travel — sort of.”
Incidentally, Nick Fury could have simply called Teresa “McFly,” without the first name. That would have made it sound more like a jab at her. It would have been even better if he followed it up with “I had your car towed all the way to your house, and all you got me for me is a light beer?”
@thomas Mets I understand, just didn’t (my opinion) fit all the well with Spider-Man. Now the Fantastic Four (I assume) and X-Men (I know for sure) have delt with many timetraveling adventures that I wouldn’t touch or try to understand.
@Paul Which is why I stated the Spider-Man characterization is completely off. I just don’t think that Time Travel should be in a Spider-Man book. Especially like this one. Like you said, it’s annoying and I’m not sure it lines up with the current Marvel timeline, hence my review on it. This would create an alternate timeline, but like I stated it also creates problems of that timelines future, if indeed that’s the case.
I understand and respect both feedback from both of you. Just think time traveling shouldn’t be done in a Spider-Man story (only if done correctly).
Technically, because of the sliding timeline, this actually takes place in the early 2000’s. Because the Marvel Age always begins about 15 years ago in Marvel time (otherwise characters like Peter would be pretty old by now).
However, I always prefer it when things line up with the original comics, creating a timeless quality which means that the story could take place in the 1960’s or 2000’s. Obviously that hasn’t been done here, which is kinda annoying, but at the same time, this does line up with the current Marvel timeline.
So, while this might not fit with either yours, or my personal preferences, the writing team still hasn’t done anything wrong.
Also, Thomas is right about how time travel works in the Marvel Universe, this would create an alternate timeline. That said, I would expect a character like Spidey to behave is a more responsible manner with details about the future, even if Teresa and Jameson don’t. That does feel out of character. Responsibility is kinda his thing.
There is a history in Marvel Comics of some time travel creating parallel universes. It’s been done since John Byrne’s Marvel Two in One #50 in late 1979. Byrne sorta retconned in Marvel Team Up #100, although it was was part of a twist in the 2006 Karl Kesel Fantastic Four one-shot A Death in the Family. This isn’t something Zdarsky invented, although the canonicity is muddy.