(Writer) Zeb Wells
(Artist) Patrick Gleason
(Colorist) Marcio Menyz
(Letterer) VC’s Joe Caramagna
(Editor) Nick Lowe
(EIC) C.B. Cebulski
Date Released 9/14/2022
Issue Number #9 LGY #903
Price Tag: $4.99
STORY: Emma Frost and Bishop are probing Spidey’s mind and catching up the reader to what happened in X-Man Gala #1. Logan grabs Spidey a change a costume and pays a visit to teleporter, Gateway. Another Mutant, by the name of Greycrow is keeping an eye on Moria/MJ to get the exact location of Moria’s robot body. Spidey and Wolverine sneak attack Moria’s gate guards and wait for Greycrow signal. Logan tells Spidey that he’s (with the Cuckoo’s help) been in telepathic communication with MJ. MJ informs Logan that when the rescue opportunity arises, to keep Peter steady (for reasons unexplained). Greycrow gives the signal and Spidey/Wolverine rescue Mary Jane from Moria’s grasp (quite literally) with a EMP disc. Moria does escape however, but MJ is free and safe. Spidey returns MJ back home, but there’s no kiss for our hero because of “a responsibility” that MJ must bare (..again, for reasons unexplained).
THE BREAKDOWN:
- Crossover Crosshairs
- She’s Important!
- MJ’s Responsibility
- For Reasons Unexplained
- Nitpicks
- Grade
CROSSOVER CROSSHAIRS: Moria using MJ was just a editorial gimmick to entice readers to read into the X-Titles. With Judgement Day and Dark Web on the horizon, Marvel is “trying” to entice both fanbases to try the other side. Just another Marvel Crossover event. Personally, I’m not easily enticed. I rather just stick to ASM and what other spin off series that may interest me (Black Cat/Mary Jane for example). I like to stay in ASM wheel house, but to each it’s own I suppose. When I buy a Spider-Man comic book, I just rather see the characters that associate with the core character. I do applauded Wells for the fun interaction he had with the Mutant-Verse, however I was never too keen on how Spidey has been considered “a joke” to the rest of the Marvel Universe, yet in the real world, he’s the best. Still we got our answer, Moria just used MJ to fulfill part of her agenda and MJ is free from her grasp.
For our younglings, like our baby-faced Neil, Wells is mocking (whomever) wardrobe by comparing it to..
…at least, that’s The Impression That I Get... *cue trumpet*
SHE’S IMPORTANT!: I remember interviewing Nick Spencer during the very start of his run and when I asked the question how important Mary Jane is, he replied that she was very important to Peter Parker and comic industry in general. Good to see that part hasn’t changed.
It’s nice to see Wells amplifies what Spencer said. It’s almost like Peter is pushing Aunt May to second place, which honestly, should be the case. I’m not sure what Wells has planned, but he did state, on record, that the Peter and MJ relationship drama will be resolved by the end of Dark Webb. Unfortunately we have to wait till the beginning of 2023 to see that end result, my hope this it was worth all this drama and the money you shelled out for going on this ride.
I have said it before and I’ll keep on saying it. Peter and Mary Jane BELONG together. I really like what Wells has done with Peter when it concerns MJ. He wants to be there for her, no matter what. Of course, I can’t turn a blind eye that it could be the “no matter what” that got Peter into this mess in the first place.
MJ’S RESPONSIBILITY:
It’s like getting punch in the gut isn’t it? There was no loving passionate kiss for Peter at the end of this issue, even though he saved Mary Jane from Moria. That doesn’t mean the Mary Jane doesn’t love Peter anymore, during the rescue attempt she was very concerned about Peter and held onto him very close. The moment where she thought Peter died, you saw her horrified reaction with tears in her eyes, you can thank Gleason’s art for that. Personally, I would have ended the issue with MJ pulling off Peter’s mask and kissing him ferociously, but then back up stating “I..can’t.” The reason? Mary Jane has a responsibility that she has to honor. Let’s break it down.
- Paul: Mary Jane can’t talk to Peter because of Paul. She was hiding in the closet in issue one when talking to Peter on the phone. She was very concerned that Paul went to confront Peter at his apartment and the last encounter, she basically pulled Paul away while she was talking to Peter at Oscorp. Is she keeping Paul safe from Peter or Peter safe from Paul? I like to think it’s the latter. Here is where I’m thinking that “no matter what” MAY play in. Somewhere down that 6 month period, Peter went nuts. It probably scared MJ and Paul was there for support. However, Peter has gone nuts before, during the clone saga, and MJ got him through that and that was much worse. I am beginning to suspect that Paul is very controlling and manipulative. Paul may have been blackmailing Mary Jane somehow and she has this responsibility to be with him for the time being. Mary Jane hasn’t written Peter off and the art and dialogue in this very issue shows that. Everywhere we’ve seen MJ during this run, Paul is looming around. It’s almost like Paul is giving MJ space, but not too much space. We still don’t know who this guy is and that we don’t like it, except for the Crawlspace community that make pointless meme’s just for the soul purpose to trigger me.
- The Kids: There no bigger responsibility than being a parent. There are two kids in MJ’s life now and one of them looks just like her. Many people are theorizing it’s the kid from OMD and Mephisto has a hand in this somehow. I won’t count that out, but I’m going to put a pin on that, because we know nothing about these kids yet. I like to believe that these kids are clones, drones, or some form of superstition and aren’t really MJ’s. She still has a responsibility to keep them safe, any kind of parent would relate to that. Given what has happened in Sin’s Past (even though it’s been resolved) I find it very unlikely that MJ was pregnant during a time and furthermore wouldn’t keep such a thing from Peter. The reason why I think that is because that is considered “out of character” and Wells said that he wasn’t going to drastically change the characteristics of the characters during this run and Cebulski stated that “Marvel will never dishonor Mary Jane’s character” at C2E2, unless they were lying.
Mary Jane did state that their separation from each other isn’t about Peter. It’s about this “responsibility” that Mary Jane thinks she has to see through and unfortunately Peter needs to be out of the picture. Which leads me to believe that whatever Peter did within those six months, isn’t that bad and Paul/The Kids seem to be in the center of it.
FOR REASONS UNEXPLAINED: There’s a lot of them in this run and apparently Mary Jane informed Logan about it when he mentioned to Spidey “I’ve heard things”. Logan is just making sure Peter is stable per MJ’s request, but it still brings the matter of what “God Awful thing” did Peter do before and during that six months? The long road to find this answer will be revealed at the end of Dark Web apparently, at least according to Wells. Parker has always been hot headed at times, no denying that. I’m willing to believe it started when MJ and Peter saw the bright guy warning them of the future at the end of the Beyond run.
With the Spencer run. The Kindred mystery was welcomed, because of the background noise that we were reading. Peter and MJ back together and the stories that played throughout. I still believe that the end result was supposed to be the reversal of OMD, I mean ASM 60 basically confirms that. When Spencer left, editorial went back to their dirty tactics. With Wells run, this mystery is more annoying, than welcomed. It’s more…are we there yet? We want this resolved. He promised us answers down the road and we want those answers now. With Spencer’s run, he didn’t promise anything. Spencer gave us what us fans really wanted. Well’s needs to assure us that “all is good” at the end, because the ride hasn’t been as enjoyable.
NITPICKS:
- Okay, so MJ can’t talk to Peter because of Paul. Why not Spider-Man? As far as we know, Paul is unaware that Peter and Spidey are one in the same. If he knows, then MJ’s statement makes sense. However, if he doesn’t know…MJ could have said “I can’t talk to Peter Parker, because of reasons. What do you want to talk about “Spider-Man”?” I’m sure Peter is clever enough to pick up that hint and swing her to a rooftop for a private conversation. Paul can’t get mad about that, Spider-Man DID save her life.
- You can tell that Peter misses MJ and vise versa. I mean look at how they are clinging to each other…been too long and the need for it is pretty strong.
- MJ almost letting Spidey’s secret identity slip
- I know that MJ can take care of herself, but call it the old fashioned romantic in me, it’s like Peter was storming the castle to rescue his princess in these panels. I enjoyed that.
GRADE: C-. The writing was good. The art was even better. You can even tell that Wells and Gleason LOVE Peter and Mary Jane together as a couple. This is considered a dream job for Wells and Gleason. The actions was just insane!!! So why the low grade? The purpose. No need for X-Title character cross overs, no need for long events that veil the reasons that aren’t explained. Even Gleason and Wells can’t really write or draw what they really want because of “editorial mandate” that was set back in 2007 (officially). There are certain people at Marvel that should be there working at Marvel. Wells and Gleason are doing the best they can with what they CAN work with. Here’s hoping for a brighter future and honestly, this issue could have gone better. By better, I mean more reinsurance for the fans, that pay good money to read a comic, to keep coming back to read the next issue.
NEXT ISSUE:
Dark Mark is back to talk about GWEN STACY?! You can be sure he’ll pass “judgement” on this issue with a fair ruling. Or maybe he won’t! He’s been known to surprise me for time to time. Speaking of surprises, there was a letter’s section in this issue and I wasn’t anywhere to be found!! See?! It can be done. I told you!
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You were nicer than me on the grade. I give it a D-. To be fair, it’s largely because I hate mutant books and desire the front-loaded exposition, it felt like I missed a good chunk of the story. Glad you had this one. I’ll take the Vulture any day.
I still have issues #1-8 sitting in my closet unread….honestly I might just have my comic shop hold on to the remaining issues and if Dark Web actually is good then I’ll get em. It will be a Christmas miracle though
It’s weird, this MJ and Peter thing just feels like a time waster. Like they got to kill time until something happens.
Which was how Beyond felt to me and I feel like I was correct on that one.
I enjoyed this issue. Peter felt out of his element, and Moira literally had her hand around MJ’s throat. The stakes felt high, and the danger felt real.
I enjoyed the Tombstone arc, but even then, I didn’t feel like there was any real danger to any of the characters. I certainly didn’t feel any danger during the Vulture story.
Here, Peter doesn’t know the rules, this is a villain he can’t anticipate. Do I wish it hadn’t taken an X-Men villain to create that sort of scenario? Sure. But the results were effective.
And we get some real interaction between Peter and MJ. Some genuine character moments that make me feel something about the characters. Yes, the mystery remains annoyingly unresolved, but MJ had great characterisation in this issue and I bought her anger toward Peter. It felt real and earned. Unlike the mystery itself which feels false and unearned.
Peter Parker has a fear of loss, and I can believe his characterisation that he’s willing to put a mission at risk because of his fear of losing MJ. Just like I can believe that MJ is a brave and capable individual willing to put herself at risk if it means capturing a dangerous bad guy.
I’m still frustrated with the story arc overall, but I did enjoy this issue.
Spidey felt pretty lame to me in this issue. Moira uses the love of his life as a skin suit but the rescue is planned without his input, he just kind of takes orders and doesn’t even really beat the bad guy. The E.M.P. disk was given to him to use, he couldn’t stop Moira from reforming and Wolverine had to save him from being gutted. Except for the last scene, nothing in the story really required Spider-Man to be there. I get they’re in Krakoa but Spidey was pretty much just along for the ride rather than being a strong, active participant moving the story forward. Wolverine feels more like Spidey’s babysitter than a contemporary and comes across as more intelligent, level headed and tougher than our hero. I wouldn’t mind quite so much if this was Wolverine’s book, but last I checked the name on the cover was The Amazing Spider-Man.
The art was nice and I’m glad that they’re not trying to pretend that Peter and MJ’s separation is permanent or even wanted by either of them. “I can’t be with you because of my responsibility” is certainly better than the “oh my gosh I can’t believe we ever thought we were good for each other” garbage of the Slott days. But just like arriving to work on time, being “better than Slott” is the expectation, not something praiseworthy. I’d give it a D.
@steve: I think you are on to something.
@anthony: I’m right there with you. X-Men books I never got into, because there are so many and the continuity is hard to catch up with. It’s bonkers, but I’ll take your word for it that it’s fun. Gwen needs to stay dead, but since she is C.B’s favorite and since he’s E.I.C, she’s there. ASM can pull your hair out.
@Michael: That’s one for time travel or alternate reality shanennigans.
@CBA: Good point, but I think it was applied that MJ told Logan to keep Peter “steady”. Thanks for clarifying the Cuckoos point…honestly it’s X-Men and I don’t follow them, so I guessed from what I read in this issue. RIGHT?! How can a 90’s bad be relatable to Spidey, but raising a family goes too far? Honestly, that doesn’t fall on C.B, more on Wells since he wrote it. Your thought on Spidey letting go of MJ to be responsible…as I can see that, they have already tried that with BND and look how that turned out. Nick Spencer basically cemented that Peter can preform his duties as Spidey correctly without Mary Jane. I would like to think that Wells is implying that given the emotional state he is in right now. It’s the plot moving the characters, not the characters moving the story. I don’t know why MJ refused to talk to Peter when she was the one that called his name while at Oscorp last two issues. It just doesn’t make sense and I was think that too about having a life outside of having kids. She seems to be stuck in that place which leaves me suspicious of Paul. I agree on your last points as well. This run is just boring and a waste of time, but I read these books so you don’t have to or just want to follow along.
@Sthenurus: That’s two for time travel or alternate reality shanennigans.
I kinda liked this issue. I’d say that the entire run will edge on how good or bad the twist (and resolution) will be at the end of dark web.
My theory is still that the kids are MJ and Peter’s through some sort of either time travel or alternate reality shanennigans.
I love a Chi-Town breakdown!
A few thoughts: I didn’t read it as MJ told Logan anything about Peter. We know from ASM 1 that Peter went off the rails at the Fantastic Four and Bobbi in ASM 900 said she heard from the superhero community that Peter might need an intervention. So Wolverine’s “I heard things” just seemed to be more of the same superhero gossip that’s out there about Spidey and whatever happened six months ago (and honestly do we care? Dragging this out so long has pretty much killed my interest, now I’m just annoyed and over it).
Also, it’s the Cuckoos probing Spidey’s mind at the start, not Emma; Emma is wearing a different costume. But I thought it was Ms. Frost at first, too.
Thanks for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones reference clarification; but it just begs the question who Marvel thinks is their audience. I thought CB Cebulski told you Peter and MJ couldn’t be married because that’s not “relatable” to the kids they want as new readers, but making a joke about a 1990s ska band is supposed to make Spidey relatable to today’s youths? Okay, whatevs, CB.
I liked the “MJ is the most imporant person in my life” line, but there’s a theory online that Wells is going to push the agenda that Peter is just a bit too much into MJ – and Wells nerfed Spidey in his battles with Tombstone and the Vulture in part because Peter was deep in his feels, and in this issue Peter loses track of the EMP they needed to take down Moira for good because he was so concerned for MJ – and therefore Wells will “resolve” the relationship by Peter working through his emotions and realizing he has to let MJ go if he wants to be a responsible, effective hero. Thoughts, as much as I hate to bring it up? I hate the theory, by the way, but can see that being what Wells is driving at.
The responsibility line was just…ugh. Sure, MJ is a “mom” now, and that comes with responsibility. But mothers are allowed to have a life outside of their children and to have a cup of coffee with one of their oldest friends who just rescued her from death. It can’t be that Peter’s life is too dangerous because MJ was in this situation because of HER life, Moira targeted her for her work with the Krakoan drugs and that had nothing to do with her connection to Spider-Man or Spider-Man. That leaves Paul, but if Paul is manipulating or controlling or blackmailing her somehow, then this would have been the perfect opportunity to tell Peter (and great point about Spider-Man; Paul shouldn’t know that is Peter, unless that’s part of the blackmail/coersion). Regardless, Paul isn’t there, he can’t listen in as he presumably did to her late night phone in ASM 1, so why is she still refusing to talk to Peter?
I would give this more thought, but the mystery box just makes me tired and bored, especially since I know it’s going to dragged out for even more issues. Wake me when Dark Web is over and we presumably get some answers.
Very fair grade, I’d give it a D just because Spidey doesn’t really do anything, he just goes along with everything Wolverine, the true hero of the issue, suggests. But if I wanted to read about Wolverine being the hero, he has plenty of his own titles.
I’m still going with my theory that the kids are MJ’s but there’s some sort of time travel going on.
Peter really is looking stalkery the way he won’t take MJ’s no for an answer.
I stopped reading The Amazing Spider-Man but picked up this issue just to follow up what happened after the Hellfire Gala. I enjoyed most of it except for the ending.
I would think that this was an opportunity to get X-Men fans to get into Spider-Man. Mission failed. The Free Comic Book Day issue made no mention of Paul, with MJ’s Aunt suggesting MJ hook up with Iron Man instead. So if you’re coming in from other books, you get hit with this Paul nonsense which I wish just wasn’t mentioned in this one issue.
Also, I’m not reading ASM granted, but why bombard readers with a dumb Spider-Man yellow eyes outfit, especially when it made more sense for Wolverine to have access to a spare classic costume to give to Spidey, from the New Avengers days or one of those Super Villain auctions that have been going on lately, either in Wolverine’s book or in the M.O.D.O.K. limited series. How did Wolvie get Spider-Man’s new yellow eye suit anyway? Raid his closet much? I think anyone coming in from X-Men would rather see his classic red and blue.
On the positive side, I still loved the dialog and the artwork. The exchanges with Spider-Man and the X-Men were pretty funny. In my head Cyclops has a bit more respect for Spider-Man than that, but it’s cool since their interaction have me a chuckle.
The ending just ruined it for me. And to see Gwen Stacy, WHO NEEDS TO STAY DEAD teased in the same book? UGH. Back to X-Men books I go. Not that they are all excellent, some I’m buying out of habit to keep up with some favorite mutant characters. But for some reason, X-Men books never make me physically the angry the same way ASM books do when Peter and MJ are not together.
At least Peter David’s New Fantastic Four book is great. I can get my Spidey fix somewhere. Just not current ASM.
When I think of all the better things I could have done with $3.99……