The Four Color Media Monitor

IGN is asking if Spider-Man is broken, not just as a comic, but as a franchise of movies and videogames. But, I think they're slipping when they say:

Marvel have made it clear they don't intend to undo the changes. Furthermore, they've indicated they fully expect some fans to be upset about the change for another four years. Clearly they anticipated this reaction, and we can only hope they have an ultimate payoff planned.

What the publisher needs to do from this point is focus on telling good stories worthy of the character, without placing too much of a focus on the new status quo. Most readers will agree that high-quality stories have come out of One More Day, but that many of the best avoid dwelling on the changes or going out of their way to explain Peter Parker's revised back story. The best thing for Spidey readers is to simply move on.

They don't have a payoff planned, certainly not with Quesada as EIC, and if they mean that fans should "get over it" and just accept the damage that's been done, I don't think so. There have been no good stories to come out of OMD; it's just been Peter Parker as a slacker, uninspired villains and other guest characters, and the implausible return of Harry Osborn with an earring. Not to mention that the writing staff, Mark Guggenheim included, have had the pure gall to insult the audience for disapproving. If that's how they're going to go about with it, you cannot trust or expect them to improve.

Labels: marvel comics, Spider-Man