Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Spider-Man: World Tour

Next stop for our globe-hopping wall crawler? Japan!


6 comments:

Ann the Dragon Lady said...

When is Spider-Man ever gonna get married? Just think they can save so much money if Spider-Man decorats the wedding with his spider web. Heee...hee.... ^_^

Merlin T Wizard said...

Oh, Spidey already got married in the comics. He was married to Mary Jane for years. Then some doofus editor at Marvel waxed nostalgic of the days when Peter Parker was a nerd in high school and decided he and his writers were being tied down by this whole yucky marriage thing and screwed it all up. How? They made Peter make a deal with the devil to dissolve the marriage as though it never happened.

Yup, Spidey made a deal with the devil, because, why not?

I'm going to keep my less savory remarks about the editor in question and his croneys to myself.

Jon Maki said...

Blasphemy! Spider-Man was never married! Never, ever, ever! Never happened!
What in the name of Joey Q are you talking about with this marriage stuff? Spider-Man always has to be a loveless loser! Always!
I mean, it's not like there was an entire generation of fans that grew up in a world where Spider-Man being married was the status quo or anything like that...

Merlin T Wizard said...

For a loveless loser, he got plenty of play: Gwen Stacy, Betty Brant, Mary Jane Watson, Black Cat. Wasn't their a Liz somebody-or-other in there somewhere, too?

No, the problem is the people behind these changes can't stand to give the character a little bit of happiness on the side. There's plenty of ennui in Spider-Man with the marriage, not to mention the potential for more with domestic problems that crop up from time to time. He and MJ were separated at one point with her in CA and him in NY before the reconciled. Why is it necessary to rip them apart to create more?

Look at Cyclops and Marvel Girl/Phoenix. That is one of the most frustrating relationships in comics because they won't leave well enough alone. Then look at Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman, they've had their problems, but they're a family. I can tell you I'd rather read about them than Scott and Jean. How about Superman and Lois Lane? Superman stories are just as good if not better since they tied the knot because it adds an extra layer of depth to the characters, their motives, and their interactions.

That's what's missing from today's Spider-Man, the emotional depth that comes from a serious relationship.

Cuz, you know, girls are yucky.

Jon Maki said...

Ah yes, Liz Allan. There was also Debra Whitman, whom I believe was later revealed to be an alien in the Jack of Hearts mini-series in which it was revealed that Jack himself was half alien.
But yeah, I think the point of him being a loveless loser is not that he is Jon-like in his datelessness, but rather is unable to maintain successful relationships. This is not, counter to what Quesada and others think, an essential aspect of the character.
There are a lot of fans and creators who can't accept character growth, or, more to the point, i think, creators who are convinced that fans can't accept character growth, irrespective of what the fans actually think.

Merlin T Wizard said...

So there you have it. Yes, Spider-Man was married to Mary Jane. No, he's not anymore because editor-in-chief Joe Quesada thinks girls are icky.