What did Peter do? is finally over – now we embark on a new path for our fearless hero. How did this issue do in getting us excited for a brand new day in Spider-Man’s history? Find out, dear reader! Face front and let’s break this issue down together!
Credit Where Credit Is Due
Story Title: 🙁
Writer: Zeb Wells
Pencils: Ed McGuiness
Inker: Mark Farmer
Colorist: Marco Menyz
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga
Cover Artists: Ed McGuiness and Marco Menyz
Asst. Editor: Kaeden McGahey
Editor: Nick Lowe
Remedial ASM 101
What did Peter do? A lot of things. All you really need to know to move forward from here is that he is not with MJ, dating the Black Cat, and Ms. Marvel died last issue.
The Story – Pay Attention, This Will Be on the Test
Peter is sad because he feels responsible for Ms. Marvel’s death (because of course he does). Black Cat is also concerned.
But her concern lies more in the, “Why isn’t Spider having fun?” Not liking angsty Spidey, she sets up the Shocker so that Spider-Man will have someone to beat on. It doesn’t work. Norman is also in the dumps because apparently he killed Goblin Queen in his own book. His lawyers are also trying to cheer him up because they worked it out so that he gets no jail time as it was in the public interest. Meanwhile, Peter exhibits some questionable sleeping behavior while being stalked by Doc Ock’s arms (but not Ock), which, oddly enough, seem to exhibit more sadness for Peter than Felicia. Doc Ock, who is not happy about their excursions, Doc Ock goes all Darth Vader on his old arms and has his new and improved arms beat the living mechanical snot out of them. Later, Norman and Peter bond over their loss. Somewhere else, we see that Goblin Queen is not quite dead and JJJ gets visited by a pair of torn up Ock arms (since they apparently bonded back in #900).
What Passed and Failed
PASS – Editor’s Notes – They are always welcomed when we are referring back to old issues or other series.
FAIL – Peter’s cringe behavior – Long ago when I was a young lad, my cousins did something I found rather odd at my uncle’s funeral. I don’t remember what they did, but I do remember my brother-in-law leaning over and saying, “Don’t judge people about how they mourn. Everyone grieves in their own way.” For the most part, I’m good with that, but…
Peter is sleeping with her mask? A sixteen year old girl’s mask? We already established that Peter took the loss personally, did we need this page?
PASS – Letter from Alan Bowman – he points out that these issues are way too compressed and laments that we are not telling stories at a more 1970s pace.
FAIL – Nick Lowe’s answer to the letter – He basically said, “I so appreciate your thoughts but not going to change a thing.”
PASS – Letter from Zach (but not our Zach) – He points out that all the letters on the letters pages seem to be positive and that makes it feel like they may be manufactored.
FAIL – Nick Lowe’s answer to the letter – He got upset about insinuating the letters are manufactured and then says he gets so many negative comments from people on Twitter that it makes him feel like those people must not be actually reading the book. Ok, Nick.
OOTI (Onomatopoeia of the Issue)
On a scale of 1 (POW) to 10 (BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB), BA-DOOM! gets an 8.5. Transparent letters with the size indicating decibel count? Oh yeah!
Analysis
Black Cat – I don’t mind so much her portrayal here. It is very much 1980s Black Cat. I do feel that she has come a long ways since then, and her insistence that Peter needs to lighten up a bit does feel a step back from how even Wells was portraying her a few issues ago. However, I am not one to tolerate too much angst in my story, so if it helps Peter to move on with the next story arc, then I’m ok with that. Plus, this shows that the two are not completely compatible. They do not possess the same core values and ultimately, this relationship will fail – presumably about the same time MJ and Paul’s relationship fails.
Doc Ock’s New Arms – Hmmm, arms that can absorb Doc Ock’s thoughts and then go out and work on their own? Surely there is no way that could backfire on him! The new arms look cool enough. To be honest, I felt more emotion at the old arms being torn up than I did with the death of Ms. Marvel – and I like Ms. Marvel – can’t wait to see her new movie in November. It promises a fun romp with JJJ and Doc Ock going at it, potentially.
Norman and Peter Bonding – I know some people are going to be upset about this, but I don’t have a issue with it. We’ve gotten enough story to say that Norman has earned some good grace at this point. He is not the same guy that threw Gwen off the bridge. I mean, he is, but he’s not only been cleansed of his sins (theologically I have issue with it, but not literaturely), but he has also shown that he is committed to this new forgiven life he has been given. He has earned it with Peter by being the only one to support him no questions asked when Peter was in a bad space. And, it will be all the better when Norman eventually goes back to his old ways. Frankly, I am a bit surprised that they are taking this long to do it. Kudos to Marvel for seeing this through.
Missing Supporting Cast – Peter used to deal with people outside his Spidey life, but now, ther eis no real Peter Parker group. Everyone he deals with knows he’s Spider-Man. Seems like he could have interactions with the people at work or his apartment or something. Randy is supposed to be the closest friend Peter has, but that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Maybe now that we are out of the mystery box, some of this will be dealt with. I’m not holding my breath, though.
Set Up Issue – We are starting a new arc and Wells uses this issue to set up the pieces. It’s boring. Even the fight with Shocker is meh. There is nothing insulting in the issue either. I know that we need to see that Peter is dealing with Ms. Marvel’s death, but personally, I would have liked to see that a bit less and maybe jump right on in with a funny JJJ/Ock arms story.
Final Grade
Like I said, nothing to really get me going on this issue. The biggest saving grace was that I didn’t have to read Peter being angsty the whole issue. Sadly, that was because Peter was not in this issue too much. I think it is moving too slowly to be effective in getting me geared up for the new arc.
C-
What’s Next?
The new-and-improved Doctor Octopus takes his upgraded tentacles for a rampage through Oscorp! Can the deadliest Doc Ock ever be stopped?
I CAN’T WAIT UNTIL NEXT ISSUE! Why? Well, it’s not about Doc Ock and Oscorp, that’s for sure. No, get ready, because NEXT ISSUE (probably) we will get to read HORNACEK’S HARANGUE! (or whatever he decides to call it) I’m all in!
‘Nuff Said!
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I just can’t with Peter sleeping with Ms. Marvel’s mask.
First, he took an item off of a dead person home with him. Kamala wasn’t his family member. Shouldn’t her costume go to her family? (I have never read her comics but I assume she has a family similar to the one portrayed in the Disney+ show) Her family would be distraught enough at her death, but then to realize that someone had stolen part of her costume after she died – they would be mortified.
Second, it’s just creepy. Peter is sleeping with the mask of a teenage (?) girl in his hands – a girl he barely knew. It’s just weird.
Peter sleeping next to the mask is fine. He’s depressed, acting a bit like a slob, and the mask is there. It’s not like, in-universe, that Peter has an audience. It’s pathetic behaviour, but it’s the kinda thing I’d expect from Peter’s character. It’s very much in-keeping with the behaviour we saw from Peter B. Parker from the first Spider-Verse movie (the sequel is awesome, by the way).
But, Ms. Marvel’s death really doesn’t affect the Spider-Man character in an appreciable way. Peter has been powerless to save innocents before. And yeah, he feels sad, but ultimately he pulls himself together and continues on, fighting the good fight. It’s a story we’ve seen before, and is really not worth fridging Ms. Marvel over.
Obviously, as expressed in the comments of the last review, I’m not a fan of fridging the character, and any reference to it is not something which is going to sit well with me. Honestly, it makes me feel a bit ill, and even when they bring Ms. Marvel back, that feeling won’t go away. Because bringing a character back doesn’t undo the fact that she was fridged. But, I’ve expressed this already, so it’s best to move on.
As to this story’s actual plot, I wasn’t a fan of Doc Ock’s tentacles going rogue when the storyline was introduced. But, I have no objection to the story, it’s just that I personally don’t find it very interesting or engaging. Making the tentacles their own character, giving them their own personality, came off as comical. And it was clearly meant to come off as comical. Which, I guess I don’t enjoy because they’ve always been the most threatening part about Doc Ock. They’re an offensive weapon that makes him dangerous. Playing the tentacles for laughs just kinda rubs me the wrong way. But there is a difference between not liking a story, and genuinely objecting to it and finding it offensive. I don’t like this storyline, but it’s as about as inoffensive as you can get.
And then we come to Queen Goblin. And what I thought would happen, happened. The issue feels weird and disjointed because a really significant part of Norman Osborn’s redemption arc played out in a mini series. The Gold Goblin series was wonderful, if you haven’t read, I beg of you, track it down and treat yourself. And hey, Nick Lowe edited Gold Goblin, and it turned out amazing. I wish he’d take the criticisms regarding the death of Ms. Marvel seriously, and the rest of the criticisms about this run, but if you doubt his ability to edit a great Spider-Man book, then Gold Goblin will prove you wrong. The only problem I have is that it should’ve been a story arc in Amazing Spider-Man. If it’s a story Zeb Wells didn’t want to tell, then Christopher Cantwell should’ve come over and done the arc as a guest writer.
So, SPOILERS for Gold Goblin, and I really do encourage people to go away and read it, rather than being spoiled here (although, hey, if you read this issue you’ve already been partially spoiled).
Okay, here we go.
Norman Osborn’s redemption arc is over. In issue #4 he confronts a ghostly Gwen, believing her to be Kafka, and tries to strangle her, expressing that he’ll never take his sins back, and they can die with her. Of course, Gwen isn’t real, just a representation of Osborn’s self hate.
Anyway, final issue, Spider-Man and Gold Goblin are fighting Queen Goblin. Norman recognizes Kafka is innocent, and being possessed by his sins, but she’s failed to transfer them back to Norman and so tries to transfer them to Spider-Man instead. Norman thinks about how he should be dead, how he wishes the Goblin (which I presume to mean the Green Goblin, the sins which haunt Norman and that he can’t escape) would die. So, he throws a chain and Kafka’s neck and snaps it.
Another innocent woman dead with a broken neck, thanks to Norman Osborn. And it’s well done, down to the SNAP! sound effect. Really, it’s poetic. And afterward Norman tries to rationalize it as “I had to… didn’t I?” but he clearly doesn’t believe that and neither does Spider-Man.
So, even “free” of his sins, Norman commits murder. Because he’s a selfish man, who tends to see women as objects, rather than people. And he always was, even before he became the Green Goblin.
I don’t know what they’re going to do with Queen Goblin, now she’s come back from the dead. And honestly, given how well everything was handled in Gold Goblin, I kinda wish that’d been the end of the Queen Goblin story. Because it worked really well. Maybe Norman, out of guilt, will now voluntarily take back his sins. That’s the only direction I can see this story going, unless he just kills Kafka again or has her locked up, which would be utterly pointless story telling. But to me, that feels like it’d be a cop out, because suddenly Norman would be the Green Goblin again. It’s an easy reset for the character. I’d rather see Norman slowly commit new sins, and steadily damn himself all over again (since it has been shown that true redemption isn’t something he can achieve).
I will say, Doc Ock’s new arms do look cool. But even though Doctor Octopus lost his memories of the Superior Spider-Man and somewhat reset himself, he hasn’t gone fully back to being a true villain and I really don’t want him to. In Beyond, Aunt May called him in and he helped Peter. Dan Slott put a ton of great character development into Doc Ock’s character, and I really hope they do a swerve with the character, and show that even though he’s lost his memories, that at his core his values actually have changed. Otherwise we’re again, just rehashing old stories. And with news that Dan Slott is somehow returning to the Superior Spider-Man character, maybe I do have a reason to be hopeful regarding the character’s future.
@Chi-Town Spidey:
That’s all right, the annual bonus and stock options will more than make up for that.
What? Why are people laughing?
Get comfortable, buddy. This is what Dark Mark does, he ruins the surprise.
Sorry, but this issue gets an F- from me. Never mind that Peter Parker is working for Norman Osborn, the man who killed his girlfriend, clone and baby daughter, faked the death of his aunt, brainwashed Peter into trying to become his heir, tried to kill Mary Jane, etc. Never mind that the Shocker is a joke in this issue (and if there’s one thing “Superior Foes of Spider-Man” taught us, it’s don’t mock the Shocker!). Never mind that my favorite villain, Doctor Octopus, is in an ugly new suit with hideous new tentacles and going to be in a crummy five part story. Never mind that the Spider-Man/Black Cat pages further prove that breaking up Peter and Mary Jane for this ship is beyond pointless and badly written. Never mind that we feel more badly for Ock’s beaten up old arms than Peter bleeping Parker. Never mind that Mary Jane Watson, and how SHE feels about the death of the two kids and of a teenage girl who took her form and sacrificed herself, is nowhere to be seen or heard. Never mind that Spider-Man is sleeping with the mask of Ms. Marvel after blaming himself for her death because — reasons. Never mind that we’re meant to feel bad for Norman Osborn and give him more focus and more of a character arc than Peter himself. The worst offender is Nick Lowe himself for his non-answers, deflecting and refusal to address, or care, complaints and concerns from fans who have had to endure ONE YEAR of this nonsensical storyline that makes the Howard Mackie/John Byrne run look Shakespearean by comparison. At least in the Mackie/Byrne run, Peter had a supporting cast, he was the main character of his own book, knew not to trust Norman Osborn, could win his own battles himself without the aid and tech of Norman, and when stories and decisions weren’t going well, Marvel listened and changed their plans. C.B. Cebulski needs to hire a new editor and new writers for the Spider-Man comics that weren’t part of the “Brand New Day” braintrust, will listen to the fans, tell stories that fans want to read and aren’t intentionally written to anger and antagonize its readers/fanbase, and get Peter and Mary Jane back together and KEEP THEM TOGETHER.
Also, unless the new story has Paul being burned alive by Mephisto in ever-lasting flames in the hottest depths of Hades, we should never, EVER, seen ANY more stories with Paul again. EVER.
I was all set to surprise everyone with “Hornacek’s Harangue” and now I have to come up with a new title.
@Everyone – Goblin Queen/Queen Goblin AGGH! *insert I-do-not-like-the-cone-of-shame gif*
I think the Cat/Spider names go back to when they first started dating when she didn’t know (and didn’t want to know) who he really was. He was dating a girl as Peter and she didn’t like Spider-Man and dating Black Cat as Spider-Man and she didn’t like Peter. If was a interesting take for a while. So I would say that it makes since that they still refer to each other that way.
That sounds about right for how to resolve the Norman’s sins issue. I was wondering what happened to his sins when they first said she was dead. I assumed that they would go back out and look for Norman, but wasn’t sure how they addressed in in GG. I still haven’t read those (I’m behind on my MU reading).
I did like this art. I don’t believe I mentioned that in the review. Good call.
Maybe we can get a Paul limited series to follow up on that storyline….
And you are all also forgetting that Hornacek is not his birth given name, so maybe he will use his secret identity to label the reviews! It could be anything!
I think I am covering this issue Saturday night on the podcast, so feel fee to feed me goodies to point out while reviewing it. I will strive to remember who Kafka is (if you hear me just say Kafka, then you’ll know I can’t remember).
@Sthenurus — Thank you! I knew Mephisto must have been involved somehow. I think that was back in 2020, wasn’t it? That whole thing is a blur now.
@Chi-Town Spidey — Those are great names for hornacek’s column — although, I think “What the Heck? with Hornacek” is better because it rhymes, and BD might prefer it.
I have two suggestions: “Hornacek Horns In” or “Hornacek’s Spider-man Review, Eh?”
At first I was going to suggest Hornacek’s Long Box, but….no.
I went and saw Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse the day before this issue came out. I loved it and it was such a great story! Wow…looks like NOTHING has changed for the better on ASM comic side. If Hornacek is going to be your next partner in the bullpen, then I have some suggestions. “HORNACEK’S HEADLINES”, “HORNACEK’S HOLLERINGS!”, or “What the HELL? w/Horacek!” Brad may frown on that last one. It’s good to know that Nick is responding back to the letters criticism, sadly nothing is going to be done about it to fix this comic.
@Evan
Otto made a deal with Mephisto at the end of superior Spider-man vol 2 to be able to go back to his old ways and defeat spider-nor-man (I’m dead serious)
@Mark more of a B for me. It wasn’t exceptional but I tough everyone was more or less in character (especially Peter) and it’s nice character development for Norman. Felicia trying to cheer up Peter is a nice touch (she probably wants to avoid another episode where Peter alienate everyone because of his pain like at the beginning of the run. I kinda like it).
The art was also nice to look at, and the arms being sentient and attracted to Peter is a nice new angle to explore. Maybe we will get an Octo-Spider revival?
@Mark — I still can’t remember how Doctor Octopus lost all his character growth from Superior Spider-man and is now back to being evil. I know we’ve seen him since then, but I couldn’t remember then, either. Wouldn’t it be nice if the upcoming Superior Spider-man series isn’t Otto at all but JJJ, suited up with his new arms? I’d like to see that.
As far as this issue goes, it kinda makes you wonder why so many variant covers had MJ featured — although, if most people found this issue as unremarkable as you did, I think I can figure it out.
I don’t believe I’ve seen transparent onomatopoeia very often, and you gotta appreciate the hyphen and the exclamation point.
I don’t particularly care for the panels showing Peter sleeping with Kamala’s mask, either, but I will say that the light and shade on the wall from the blinds indicating the passage of time is a very beautiful effect.
My title for this issue is “Yes, but What Happened to Paul?”
You wrote “Goblin Queen” instead of “Queen Goblin” again. 🙂
The dialogue between Scott and Emma in last week’s issue of X-Men implied that they have a plan to bring Kamala back. I wonder if we’ll get an explanation as to why they couldn’t just tell Peter this like a normal person.
Kafka was killed off in Gold Goblin 5. I wonder why they killed off Kafka and brought her back so quickly. Cantwell said that Gold Goblin didn’t have the ending he wanted. It seems like they killed off Kafka without telling Wells and then Wells was like “How do I get Ned out of jail if Kafka isn’t alive?”
My guess is that what will happen next is that Peter will go to Strange or Maddie or whomever for a spell that will return Kafka to normal but it might cause the sins to go back to Norman. And then Norman will have to decide whether he’ll betray Peter and let Kafka suffer the consequences of his crimes like the old Norman would have.
I think that the technology that Ock is using to control his new arms is the technology that Ock had Kraven steal from Peter’s new suit in the FCBD issue. Of course, that raises the question of how Ock knew that the technology in Peter’s suit could be used to control his arms. ( Of course, the FCBD issue also had Kraven’s plan requiring (a) that Peter tune into the police scanner just as Kraven sent a gorilla rampaging and (b) that Peter’s suit would be damaged in the fight with the gorilla, so maybe I shouldn’t apply logic to that issue.)
I’m confused, the ending of the issue seems to imply that Peter is going to keep being a hero for Ms. Marvels sake, but that wasn’t what Peter was saying at the beginning of the issue. He just was taking it seriously. Which considering how modern comics work, he should,.
I also think it’s funny Peter calling Black Cat black Cat. Like your dating you can use her real name. Honestly I don’t think Wells cares about black cat at all. It’s like she’s a placeholder and everyone knows
Also I don’t know what that guy expected, they were never going to admit they cherry-pick letters even though they obviously do.
Oh, yes… Alan Bowman’s letter, that’s exactly what I think. It always seems like there are pieces missing from these issues.