The other day, I picked up from my friendly neighborhood library Spider-Man: Spider Island, a trade paperback collection of the main story from the mega crossover a while back. Yes, I know it was out a while ago, but as they say, any story you haven't read yet is new to you, right?
Contained within are parts of stories from Amazing Spider-Man (1963 series) #659-660 and #662-664, the whole of issues #666-673, Venom #6-9 and spinoff titles Spider Island: Deadly Foes and Spider Island: Spotlight.
As I am not a regular reader of Spider-Man books -- the last one I bought was Amazing Spider-Man #600, and the last one before that was Amazing Spider-Man #500 -- there was a lot that was different that kind of threw me. Such as:
- J. Jonah Jameson is the mayor of New York? How did that happen?
- Aunt May is married? To J. Jonah Jameson's father?
- Peter Parker has a girlfriend, and it's not Mary Jane? Oh, well, that makes sense; the whole point of "Brand New Day" was to free Peter Parker to be with other people.
- Peter Parker has a new job? Working for a laboratory? GOOD! The whole selling pictures to the Daily Bugle bit was played out, and made less and less sense in this day and age.
- Spider-Man is an Avenger? Wow, they'll take anybody these days ...!
- Spider-Man is a member of the Fantastic Four? Why? Isn't one team enough?
- Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, is an Avenger? Wha ...?
- Marla Madison is dead? I know I'm going to regret hearing the answer to this, but ask I must -- how did that happen?
- Flash Thompson is Venom? I don't even want to know ...
- There's a new Madame Web, who has the perfectly useless talent to see the future, except it doesn't work half the time. I hate characters like that.
- And, most of all ... is this what passes for professional artwork in Marvel Comics these days? It was horrible! The whole thing was a chore to read because the art was so, so bad! It looked like someone smashed the artists' fingers with a hammer and then blindfolded them!
Please answer any or all of these questions, but keep them simple ... I want to go easy on the headache medicine,
Replies
I'd guess the title was inspired by that of Horrors of Spider Island. The IMDB tells me it was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Wasn't the new madame web the old Spiderwoman?
Just under a decade ago Brian Bendis took over Avengers. He began his run with the "Avengers Disassembled" story that ended with the disbanding of the team. This was followed by the first volume of New Avengers in which a new team was founded. Spider-Man joined at that point and Wolverine very soon after. I think the modern popularity of the Avengers really dates from this point.
Aunt May actually married J. Jonah Jameson Sr. in Amazing Spider-Man 600... you must have blocked it out.
The new Madame Web is an old Spider-Woman, the second one, Julia Carpenter, who somehow received incredibly vague precognitive powers and, of course, physical blindness from the original Madame Web. I have no idea if she managed to keep her original powers or not.
- JJJ became Mayor in a special election after the previous Mayor, former D.A. Bill Hollister, was forced to resign shortly after being elected. The super-villain Menace had attacked Hollister's opponent, shady businessman Randall Crowne, during the campaign, exposing Crowne's criminal activities. Then Menace was exposed as Hollister's daughter Lily, and he resigned.
- JJJ Sr is on the opposite side of the spectrum politically and otherwise from his son. He admires Spider-Man and urged Jonah to drop his vendetta once he became Mayor. May found him charming, a romance bloomed, and a wedding ensued.
- The whole point of OMD/BND was to erase the marriage. Dating other people seems like a natural progression.
- They tried to put Peter in a lab in the 1999 reboot, but it didn't stick.
- Spider-Man, Avenger - covered by Luke.
- Spider-Man, FFer - going by memory, after Johnny Storm was believed dead a few years back, Spidey and the FF watched a "in the event of my death" video. Johnny wanted Peter to take his spot on the team, so he accepted the honor. Wolverine and Cap are on about 6 different squads, 2 is no biggie!
- in the 21st century, who isn't an Avenger?
- Alistair Smythe killed her in ASM 654. Smythe wanted revenge on Jonah for his father's death and built an army of Spider-Slayers targetting Jonah's family and friends. When the Spider-Slayers were stopped, Smythe tried to kill JJJ; Marla shoved him out of the way and took the killing blow.
- Flash has his legs amputated below the knees after being wounded in Iraq. The Venom symbiote was removed from Mac Gargan and the military took possession of it; they offered it to Flash to use as a hero working directly for them. He took it out of a sense of patriotic duty and the chance to walk again. He can control the symbiote if he does not wear it for more than 48 hours at a time.
- Mark and Dave are right, Julia Carpenter, the former Spider-Woman, is now Madame Web.
- I'm assuming you are referring to Humberto Ramos? His art style is very polarizing; he seems to have as many fans as detractors.
What happened to Julia's daughter? Did they kill her off?
She's still alive, last seen enrolling in summer school.
I dropped Spidey just before Spider Island, and in fact had a lot of unread issues dating to early in Brand New Day. I was trying to make myself read them since I had so many, and thus nothing else was getting read. I gave them away along with several other unsatisfying series.
John Dunbar (the mod of maple) said:
They tried to put Peter in a lab in the 1999 reboot, but it didn't stick.
I kind of liked it when Peter became a science teacher, but it wouldn't mesh with his costumed identity. He needs a better job than taking photos of himself (the first selfies?) but one that also allows him to wander around without supervision. Having to be in a certain place at a certain time means either getting fired or not being Spider-Man.
Spider-Man, FFer - going by memory, after Johnny Storm was believed dead a few years back, Spidey and the FF watched a "in the event of my death" video. Johnny wanted Peter to take his spot on the team, so he accepted the honor. Wolverine and Cap are on about 6 different squads, 2 is no biggie!
It's such an obvious ploy to sell more books. If the title needs a boost, stick Spidey and/or Wolverine and/or Cap on the cover.
Smythe tried to kill JJJ; Marla shoved him out of the way and took the killing blow.
How many characters have died this exact way? I guess now Jonah can see other people too.
It occurs to me that when Peter started as Spiderman and selling pictures of himself there were a lot less cameras around. So getting shots of Spiderman to print in the paper isn't hard as it was back then. Finding him a new job was probably a good idea. I think making him a science reporter would have been good too.
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