Re: Amazing Spider-Man series discussion (spoilers)
After reading #546, that's making so much sense.
Is anyone else reminded of this quote from Astonishing X-Men?
"J. Jonah Jameson'll be tounge-kissing Spider-Man before the X-Men get any good press."
Good memory!
Anyhow, just read #546.
Haven't had this much enjoyment from a Spidey comic since SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE.
I had a good feeling about Dan Slott because he wrote on my favourite scenes of Spidey ever - in SHE-HULK.
She-Hulk is suing the Bugle for its libelous attacks on Spider-Man. Spidey is in court, taking the witness stand and She-Hulk's attorney friend, Pug, asks Spidey, "Why does Jonah hate you so much?"
Spidey responds, "It's because I'm black."
****ing awesome scene. It kept up its brilliance when Pug calls Peter Parker to the stand and attacks him for hating Spidey.
Slott did some sweet stuff in this issue; the Spider-Mugger mugging Peter Parker for example and the ensuing "Take this excuse for I need to change into my hero guise!" and the whole, "They took your shoes!". I laughed a lot. The panel before Jonah's heart attack, the growling, had me in hysterics.
Also - I liked how it turns out Spidey isn't 'gettin' lucky' with the chick on the first page, like we all thought. And it wasn't just shock value (though there was a healthy dose of it), they developed Mia from a manhungry lech to manipulative golddigger.
Yeah, pretty much liked everything.
But I didn't care for Carlie. Dull as ****. Crimebusting nerd-hotness with no self-esteem (but can STAND UP TO A MUGGER)... stupid, dull character. No interest there at all.
Mary Jane as Jackpot... it's a cool idea. I've said for ages that I think MJ as a superhero could work really well BUT I'm not sure here because the environment in which she's a superhero is so different. She's a legal, public superhero (as opposed to a vigilante) and is currently not on good terms with Spidey/Peter. So... she's really too similar to Black Cat. The reversal is in Black Cat is a criminal and Spidey's not - but basically, superhero on-off girlfriend with similar powers on the other side of the law... we've been there before.
However - MJ as a superhero; calling her Jackpot is a ****ing great idea.
Mister Negative... I think he should've been jet black with the same suit. The shading on his skin makes him too white/blue and doesn't sell the whole "negative" thing. What's worse is... Mister Negative looks like a Batman villain. I don't think he's going to turn out to be any good, sadly.
Also - some arbitrary nonsense: Harry can divorce
multiple times but Peter can't. That's just silly.
And finally - I don't think the news would be talking about Spidey being missing nor the Bugle's drop in circulation. It's kinda like Batman's "urban legend" status - do people believe he's real or not? Is Spidey ignored and hated or loved as a kid's icon? It annoys me because if they need him to be hated, then Manhattan hates him. If they need him to be loved, then they love him ('cept for Jonah). I think it's always much more interesting is Spidey is just hated at worst or ignored at best. The tv news scene should've been done surreptitiously through the Bugle. The Bugle would talk about how they've successfully driven Spidey out of Manhattan. And guess what? THAT'S IN THE COMIC. The news scene is completely redundant and I think the idea that Spidey's mask is a huge hallowe'en seller... in real life, cool. In Spidey's world, no. At least not for me.
3/5 Tafts. Lots of fun. A couple of missteps, but a lot happens, it hits the ground running, and it's entertaining.
And... it's Spider-Man. Through and through. Yay!
