I was ambivalent about this title to begin with, but I decided to try it anyway. One the one hand, I always wanted to see Peter Parker achieve success in his scientific endeavors. OTOH, the achievement of such success may stray too far afield of what makes Spider-Man work as a character. As it turns out, in the phrase “Not your father’s Spider-Man,” I am the “father” in this case. It is not my Spider-Man. I think I would have been more accepting of this new direction if I could have seen him grow into it naturally, rather than having it spring forth fully born from a crossover event. Another cliché applies to this situation: “Be careful what you wish for; you may get it.”
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I thought the issue was OK, but I didn't get an "I must keep buying this regularly" vibe from it.
I can easily see it being someone's Spider-Man... just not mine.
Once I decided I wouldn't be following this direction, I didn't even bother to read the back-up stories.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
Really? Having bought the comics, I read the whole thing. Can't remember what the back-ups were about, however.
I very seldom ever do that (not read a new comic wholly or in part), but my curiousity had been sated, and right now I'm in the same position as you. One might eve say I have a slight advantage because I didn't waste however long it would have taken me to read stories I would be no more likely to recall in a couple of days. That's not to say the comic was all bad (or even "bad" really; just not my cup of tea); I did like bits such as Peter Parker capping his own salary at mid-management level. I like that he's hired Hobie Brown as a sort of "decoy" Spider-Man (something Tony Stark never did), and that he pays Hobie a higher salary than he does himself. The art was pretty good, too.
I read it. I didn't hate it, didn't love it either. I 'm not one of those people who needs to see Peter stay stagnant and be 24 forever, but this new approach doesn't really suit me either. It could go either way though;
SPOILERS
I liked seeing Hobie and Miguel and some of Peter's other new support staff. I think that has potential.
END SPOILERS
I bought all of the Marvel #1s this week (and will do so through December), and I probably fall along the lines mentioned here. Some thoughts:
* Dudes, we are old. As Jeff said, we are now officially the "father" that the famous phrase dismisses. We are not the target market.
* OTOH, who are our "children" out there buying this book? Who's buying Amazing Spider-Man these days? It hasn't been me for a long time, so I don't know.
* If I were to imagine Peter Parker as an actual adult, a successful adult, this is a pretty good premise for that.
* OTOH, I've already got Iron Man for that. So ... *shrug*
* Incidentally, Mary Jane in Tony Stark's orbit? Ugh.
* OTOH, that was off topic.
* The back-ups were this and that, good and bad. There were a couple that looked interesting.
* I get the impression that those of us looking for the original Spider-Man are supposed to start buying the Miles Morales Spider-Man.
* Is that a thing that can work? Speaking for myself, I'm not going to be buying the Miles Morales Spider-Man. Because I'm old. I'm not interested in following coming-of-age heroes. I followed Peter Parker for 35 years because I got hooked on his life and story when I was his age. I can't just transfer that to another character. Maybe others can. Maybe a lot of otheres, I dunno.
* I think it's always a mistake to jettison a current audience to find an imagined new one. But I'm not reading Spider-Man any more, and as I discovered from this book, whatever Marvels I continue to read will probably not include any Spider-books. So maybe they're doing what is needful to keep Spider-Man vital and important for the future. A future that I, as the actuarial tables tell me, will not be a part of.
* Or rather, a future of which I will not be a part. (A copy editor to the end.)
Hobie has been horribly misused and underappreciated over the years. Hopefully that will finally change. Frankly I think Ultimate Hobie should have been the new Ultimate Spider-Man, instead of making a new character.
Now if they'd just do something with Stingray.
Peter Parker has a business and Tony Stark is with MJ...sounds like some big shot has gotten the two characters mixed up and everyone's afraid to tell him which is which.
If Peter's considered an actual adult now then why isn't he still married? Does everyone in comics think you don't get married until you're Reed Richards' age?
I'm still waiting for someone to tell me exactly what was wrong with "your father's Spider-Man." Were sales plummeting? If not then why was the change necessary? If it ain't broke don't fix it. If it is then I don't think this is what Spidey needs to turn things around for him.
A lot of people have complained on the internet that Peter is going to be in the Marvel movies instead of Miles. Has the original fallen that out of favor with new readers? Is he considered "old" now? Then making him an actual adult can't be a good idea. Unless the plan is to gradually push him out.
Wasn't the idea that Miles became Spider-Man as a tribute to his Peter Parker? Then why is he still Spider-Man, now that he's in a world with a living Peter Parker? Doesn't his purpose for wearing the suit no longer apply in whatever they're calling 616 now?
How about bringing one of those Stingers identities out of mothballs and giving it to Miles? We have a Spider-Man. Why do we need another?
Tony has tried other Iron Men. They tend to either go crazy or turn into the Freak.
Amen.
Ron M. said: