One More Bad Story

Here’s a combo of what I’ve posted over at Newsarama and on CBR after reading Amazing Spider-Man #545: One More Day Part 4.

Won’t this affect Thunderbolts as well? After all, Norman plays a huge part in that book, and having his son back would certainly effect his decisions a lot. Would he have turned away from the darkness, or embraced it? Would he ever turn to working for the government? It’s a question that will need to be brought up, although I’ll be curious to see if Ellis even acknowledges the change. Hell, I’ll be curious to see if even BENDIS acknowledges the change in New Avengers! Wasn’t the unmasking half the reason why his teammates thought he might be a Skrull? Oh, and Dan Slott brought doubt upon Peter being Spider-Man in Avengers: The Initiative. Does this mean The Scarlet Spiders are still secret agents because they never went to help Peter?

How about Flash? Did he ever even wind up in a coma? Is he with Betty Brant, and if so, does she remember almost being killed not too long ago by a psycho woman made of spiders? Does Black Cat still know Peter is Spider-Man? Does Black Cat even remember being with Peter at all?

Is Doctor Octopus still disgusted over the fact he got beaten by a kid all these years? Better yet, is he back to being a green suited mop top villain now?

Too many questions, all thanks to Joe Quesada’s editorial mandate. Will we get answers to even HALF of these questions? Doubtful. By 2009, new EIC at Marvel. I’m calling it. Not even the best creative teams can wipe the fact that 20 years of continuity just got destroyed, all thanks to an immature young old man who hates the very idea of marriage. Quesada didn’t even bother to try with this one. All he did was wave a magic wand. But what about all those writers out there who were itching to give their shot at the current Spider-Man? Did he even bother to see if the wealth of creators would be willing to revive Spider-Man while still keeping what has made him such a compelling character over the past few years? No, he did not.

You’re a child, Joe. Sometimes that works to your advantage, as a man with an imagination makes it big in comic books. This time however, your immaturity has alienated your core audience. Does he even bother to read reader responses anymore? I mean he used to do that here on Newsarama, but I know he’s been a busy man lately, drawing an Alien headed Spider-Man for four issues. I hope he realizes our response has been almost entirely negative. I say almost because yes, there are people who saw it as a positive, and I do not want you to feel your take is invalid. I hope you enjoy what you read, more power to you. It’s just not what I’m looking for in a character or a company to spit on the past twenty years.

I started reading comics with a married Spider-Man when I was just a boy, and I loved the dynamic, even then. Now I’m left with a stranger. JMS was right.

Joe Quesada wants an uninteresting Spider-Man who lives with his Aunt even though he’s well into his twenties, and is addicted to wheat cakes. We want a Spider-Man who is compelling, knows how to grow up, and feels real. Marvel Comics was founded upon the belief that we should be able to relate to the characters as human beings. How can we possibly relate to a Peter Parker who makes a deal with the devil to erase his marriage from existence? It certainly will never happen to any of us. We cannot relate.

This is something Joe Q has forgotten, and it is the major mistake One More Day made.

The last 20 years of storytelling is indeed worthless now. My Spider-Man, the one I grew up with, the one who found a wife and friends to rely on, the one who lost his best friend in tragic circumstances, no longer exists.

Thanks, Joe. For nothing.