Do you still read the mainstream Marvel Universe Spider-Man comics? [Archive]

Gregatron

05-11-2006, 01:50 PM

I do. Why? Simply because the stories are good. SSM's, at least. I don't read ASM, and I'll probably drop FNSM after giving it a chance and not liking it, but as long as a good story's being told, I'll be reading it.

Please note that I will not interject comments into this thread. Just questions.

That said, what do you consider a "good story", and why? Is that different from a "good Spider-Man story"?

Eye Doc

05-11-2006, 01:58 PM

If yes, why?

I'm not pleased with the way Marvel has handled the character lately. Still, I don't hate it so much as to drop the 616 titles....at least not yet because I still enjoy following the adventures of my favorite character :spidey:. Now that Joe Q. says next year Spidey will resemble the Stan Lee incarnation, I guess you could say I'm holding out for better days. I want to see what type of product we get in 2007.

However, I don't mind admitting to dropping the book9s) in the past. If I get to the point where I just don't like, or hate, Spider-Man or any other comic I won't hesistate to drop it. I'm not a completist like some collectors. I don't mind having gaps in my comic collection.

shinlyle

05-11-2006, 02:04 PM

I had to vote "Yes" because I still read Sensational Spider-Man, but aside from that, I've dropped all the 616 Spidey books.

Asm and FNSM are terrible. The art is the only thing either of the books has going for them. PAD's provent o be overhyped, and JMS has long outlasted his own usefullness.

I'm currently reading anand enjoying Sensational and Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as Civil War, which has Spider-Man in it. Aside from that, there isn't a whole lot of Spidey coming through my door....and NOTHING by JMS.

Norman Osborn

05-11-2006, 02:18 PM

Yes but only Sensational Spider-man....as for why? Because I like the current Feral arc and I'm willing to give the mag a chance to entertain me......

ASM's characterization of Spider-man is just brutal....the retcons, contrived villains, bad writing...it's all there......and unfortunately it's spilling in to the other titles....which is why SSM has a short leasH as it pertains to me keeping it on my pull list.

I also read USM because I see it as a quirky take on a character I've adored for 35 years.....

WOLVERINE25TH

05-11-2006, 02:25 PM

I'm debating when, but sometime after Civil War gonna be droppin' ASM & FSM. Sen I haven't really read yet so I better get on that.

crivelliman

05-11-2006, 02:37 PM

I'm #4. So far I am really, really liking the Civil War. And if my assumption that they're going to use the Civil War to throw Spidey out of the New Avengers and more or less out of the superhero community is correct, chances are we'll see that return to the Spiderverse that a lot of us have been itching for, complete with soap opera-induced coma survivor Flash Thompson. Oh boy. Maybe they can bring back Harry and the old gang can hang out again. Yippie. I was totally into it until I remembered them talking about the "spider-cast."

Basically I'm waiting to see if the writers punk out and decide to end the marriage. They do, I'm out. When I left during the Clone Saga, I stayed away because MJ and Pete split up. I read the issue when they got back together and I really enjoyed it, and it sucked me in to this whole "new" Spider-Man. The marriage goes, me too. I'll just continue reading Ultimate Spider-Man in my local Barnes and Noble.

Doc_OCK_4MUGEN

05-11-2006, 02:43 PM

WolfCypher

05-11-2006, 03:06 PM

I only read the ultimate comics now because the 616 universe has gone to ****.

Happenstance

05-11-2006, 03:18 PM

I only read USM at the moment, waiting until the mess from the other is fixed.

Silverstein

05-11-2006, 03:23 PM

I'm choosing poll option#3. I only read USM. The Civil War is more like Infinite Crisis in that it's a general story. It's not ASM or FF or Captain America. It's just a marvel book. Spidey was in the first one for like 2 pages. I just want to see where that goes. If they make spidey the way he should be, and start doing good stories then I'll buy ASM again.

CConn

05-11-2006, 03:25 PM

That said, what do you consider a "good story", and why?What generally makes a book good? A good concept, story, dialogue, art, characterization, etc. While the art's not so hot in SSM, I am loving the concept - to finaly see Spider-Man villains actually in Spider-Man comics again is nice - albeit third-string characters; the story so far has been interesting, always leaving me looking forward to the next issue; and and the characterization is good enough with minimal mention of any of the Spider-God crap.
Is that different from a "good Spider-Man story"?I don't really look at it that in-depth; if it entertains, it entertains. Not that that excuses a poor interpretation of the character.

Gregatron

05-11-2006, 05:41 PM

(Gregatron's sig has a link to an EXTREMELY detailed explanation why Sins past was crap...)

Which you mocked, Ock.

If I'm not mistaken.

Dangerous

05-11-2006, 06:19 PM

Yeah I am still reading.
I read SSM cause its the best Spidey book right now and is actually quite good, I also read FNSM cause I like the art.
ASM is the only book I have dropped for obvious reasons.

Dyeathrose

05-11-2006, 06:29 PM

I had to vote for the third, because while I am reading off and on the current issues, I'm not buying them. I'm not happy with how Spider-man is being handled, and I don't want to spend money on something that causes me so much disatisfaction. Also, I am reading the older main-stream Spider-man comics, so I'd be lying if I said no. I just glance through the current issue, or read it if I'm there for a while, and place it back. I try to keep up with reviews and summaries if I can't get down to the store, and if it piques my interest I'll go investigate.

Dangerous

05-11-2006, 06:42 PM

Wish I could be like that and drop FNSM too, but it took a lot for me to drop ASM.... I just can't bear the thought of gaps in my runs, thats why I stuck w/ ASM for so long.

Gregatron

05-11-2006, 06:45 PM

Wish I could be like that and drop FNSM too, but it took a lot for me to drop ASM.... I just can't bear the thought of gaps in my runs, thats why I stuck w/ ASM for so long.

Why? Why can't you bear the thought of gaps in your run?

The Infernal

05-11-2006, 06:46 PM

I'm waiting to see whethet or not I'll quit buying. So far I've swallowed what was in the books. Sure it wasn't that great but I never saw it as permanent or that it would completely change Spidey.

Though I was more than a little irked with the aftermath of House of M where Gwen became an issue in a way I didn't appreciate. I was hoping that this would have been dealt with properly but..... *sigh*. That's not gonna happen now.

I thought they could easily write out the more dubious developments slowly whilst dealing with them and providing some story developments to justify this. Now, with Joe Q's MJ plans I'm seriously considering getting rid off this from my buy list. His statements have now put me in the 'I think Joe Q and JMS are crazy' section.

To me this changes Spidey way beyond my perception of him, and I don't think I could enjoy reading the book.

I've rarely dropped a comic before. It has to be really bad for me to even think about it. It would have to be as bad as 'X-men: The End' for me to drop it. That's what I see happening.

Dangerous

05-11-2006, 06:47 PM

Because- I am a completist.

Citizen_Kaine

05-11-2006, 06:47 PM

Yeah I still collect them, I dropped FNSM and Unlimited because they bored me to tears. Spider Girl and Ultimate still rule the rest of the Spider titles right now though

ragingdemon155

05-11-2006, 06:49 PM

Don't really collect any 616 comics for Spider-man right now. I'm on the border with ASM at the moment. It just doesn't interest me at all.

USM is owning now though. :spidey:

Gregatron

05-11-2006, 06:51 PM

Because- I am a completist.

Why?

Why would you buy something you hate, or something that you would merely bag and board and box?

The Infernal

05-11-2006, 06:56 PM

Why?

Why would you buy something you hate, or something that you would merely bag and board and box?

I expect there are tons of reasons to why he or others might do so.

I suppose like me others might want to know firsthand what went on before a better storyline picked up.

He might not just bag it up. He may actually read it anyway, knowing that it is horrible. This could be because a) he wants to see 'how' horrible for himself, or b) he may hope to find something surprising or redeeming in what is mostly a horrible story.

Or for some it's just not that easy to give up on something and turn their backs.

Gregatron

05-11-2006, 06:57 PM

I expect there are tons of reasons to why he or others might do so.

I suppose like me others might want to know firsthand what went on before a better storyline picked up.

He might not just bag it up. He may actually read it anyway, knowing that it is horrible. This could be because a) he wants to see 'how' horrible for himself, or b) he may hope to find something surprising or redeeming in what is mostly a horrible story.

Or for some it's just not that easy to give up on something and turn their backs.

Why?

The Infernal

05-11-2006, 06:59 PM

Why?

If I keep explaining and supposing, are you just going to reply 'why'?

Dangerous

05-11-2006, 06:59 PM

Well, I would not buy anything I hate.
I hated ASM so I stoped buying it, simple.

FNSM I don't hate.
Its just lacking and Spidey has a crap costume in it, I'l still buy that.

Kool-Aid

05-11-2006, 07:13 PM

I buy almost all the current Spidey titles. I get ASM, SS, FNSM, USM and SG. ASM is the only one I'm dissapointed in.I like FNSM I don't know why people hate it. I thought it was gonna be bad, but the past 3 issues where good(minus the costume). Hey it brought back Flash.:up:

WOLVERINE25TH

05-11-2006, 09:54 PM

I know why I keep buying...

'Cause I've already bought backissues to runs I've dropped back in th' days when I dropped runs, so not only am I cuttin' to th' chase, I'm avoidin' th' EXTREMELY high price Spidey backissues usually get. $2.99 is already too much to pay fer this ****.

Kool-Aid

05-11-2006, 11:17 PM

Yeah, its weird how they go up in price fast. Even the Other acr which people hated went up in price fast. I didn't expect the second prints to all be $8 and up already.

SpideyInATree

05-12-2006, 10:26 AM

Yes, I'm still reading the regular universe titles, along with Ultimate Spider-Man.

I've stated many times before my concerns with Spider-Man. But it's not nearly as bad as things were when I dropped the Spider-Man books before. And things would have to get really ridiculous for me to do that.

Have things been taken a little too far? Yes, without a doubt. But I've got an open mind and nothing written in many of these comics is written in stone or anything.

But I differ from many fans here. I'm looking forward to maybe seeing Spider-Man's identity becoming public information. Just something, as a Spider-Man fan, I've always wanted to see.

I do enjoy that he's on the Avengers and developing deeper relationships with the other heroes. Though, it seems that after Civil War that is going to be over.

Though with Jeph Loeb and J. Scott Campbell doing an ongoing in 2007 there is a lot to look forward to.

Bullseye

05-12-2006, 02:13 PM

I am reading ASM and will continue to read it.

I've liked JMS rum on ASM from his very first issue. After McFarlane's run I dropped the title but as soon as JMS started I was reading it again.

Dangerous

05-12-2006, 04:36 PM

Captivated

05-12-2006, 06:34 PM

The Joker

05-12-2006, 07:31 PM

I'm enjoying Spider-Man novels right now. THE BEST Spidey read EVER just might be the Sinister Six trilogy by Adam-Troy Castro. He writes an awesome Peter/MJ, great characterization all around and a nail-biting story!

Glad to see you're still enjoying them :up: Which one are you currently reading??

Captivated

05-12-2006, 09:36 PM

Glad to see you're still enjoying them :up: Which one are you currently reading??
Oh, I finished the Sinister Six trilogy... all three... took me about a week. Hard to put down. Loved them all! Sometimes the fights were a little tedious, but I could cope. The twist really got me at the end. Man, that guy can write!

I then found and bought a collection of SM short stories that had one written by Adam-Troy Castro called "The Stalking of John Doe." WOW. It was also VERY good... Have you read it? Peter is brought into a psych ward by police, struggling... out of his head... and wearing nothing but blue tights. He's locked up as a John Doe. Drug tests are run... he keeps raving about someone being after him named "the hunter". It gets very exciting from there...

I'm now looking for the SPider-Man, X-Men Times Arrow Trilogy, just because Castro wrote one of them.

The Joker

05-13-2006, 08:47 AM

Oh, I finished the Sinister Six trilogy... all three... took me about a week. Hard to put down. Loved them all! Sometimes the fights were a little tedious, but I could cope. The twist really got me at the end. Man, that guy can write!

Glad you enjoyed them.I knew you would :)

The only fights that got a little tedious for me was Vulture's ones.I like the old bird,but when Spidey's fighting him it didn't have as much spectacularism as it did when he was dodging Electro's power blasts or Ock's tentacles or even Pity's blows.

But nothing beat the suspense of the story.That and the brilliant characterization of all the characters involved.

I then found and bought a collection of SM short stories that had one written by Adam-Troy Castro called "The Stalking of John Doe." WOW. It was also VERY good... Have you read it? Peter is brought into a psych ward by police, struggling... out of his head... and wearing nothing but blue tights. He's locked up as a John Doe. Drug tests are run... he keeps raving about someone being after him named "the hunter". It gets very exciting from there...

I haven't read that one.It sounds great.I'll keep an eye out on ebay for it :up:

I'm now looking for the SPider-Man, X-Men Times Arrow Trilogy, just because Castro wrote one of them.

Yep Castro is the man.I'd be just as excited about him being put on a Spidey story as I am about Loeb coming aboard next year.Maybe even more.

Captivated

05-13-2006, 01:23 PM

Glad you enjoyed them.I knew you would :)

The only fights that got a little tedious for me was Vulture's ones.I like the old bird,but when Spidey's fighting him it didn't have as much spectacularism as it did when he was dodging Electro's power blasts or Ock's tentacles or even Pity's blows.

But nothing beat the suspense of the story.That and the brilliant characterization of all the characters involved.

I haven't read that one.It sounds great.I'll keep an eye out on ebay for it :up:

Yep Castro is the man.I'd be just as excited about him being put on a Spidey story as I am about Loeb coming aboard next year.Maybe even more.
Here is the book that has that Castro short story:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572972947/104-6035943-6320746?v=glance&n=283155

There is a review at Spider-fan:
http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/reviews/spiderman_books_byron_preiss/untold_tales.html

But, back to the last book in the SS trilogy... The Return of the Sinister Six... I remember now, I couldn't quite figure out why the Gentleman's plan was all that bad... with the way financial systems and computers are global now... the treat seemed anticlimatic, because I probably didn't understand it.

Themanofbat

05-13-2006, 03:00 PM

Wish I could be like that and drop FNSM too, but it took a lot for me to drop ASM.... I just can't bear the thought of gaps in my runs, thats why I stuck w/ ASM for so long.

You know, I know exactly where you're coming from...

I too am a completist, as I have been collecting Amazing Spider-Man since 1978. Over the years, especially when things were on the crappy side, I thought occasionally of giving it up, and I finally did it in 1997 and stopped with issue #420. Once they brought back Norman and basically tried to ignore Clone Saga continuity, I had enough.

I came back in 2001 with ASM #471 with JMS' first issue. I thought things seemed ok, and like the completist that I am, I went out and bought all missing 50 issues in my gap.

I'm happy to say that I won 531 consecutive issues of Amazing Spider-Man (I'm still missing an AF #15 :( ), and while I don't aprticularly enjoy what's happening in the core books at the moment, I know that things CAN get better. So I'm just waiting out the storm.

Cheers... :)

Donald Thomas

05-13-2006, 04:00 PM

You asked if I read... and yes, I read. I'm more and more unhappy with the direction, but know things change... we got Sins Past :down and then the Hydra Arc :up: But, I try not to buy what I don't like.

I'm enjoying Spider-Man novels right now. THE BEST Spidey read EVER just might be the Sinister Six trilogy by Adam-Troy Castro. He writes an awesome Peter/MJ, great characterization all around and a nail-biting story!

Aloha,
I would love to see that trilogy made into an animated movie or comic book graphic novel.:up:
And yes, I still read mainstream Spidey. I've been around long enough to see the highs and the lows.I am also a completist-I've got 525 of the 531 Amazings(need the first 5 and AF #15) as well as the complete collection of all 616 monthly and mini Spidey. My ultimate faith is in the character himself. The quality of Spider-Man as a character is such that, he will always rise to the top in time.This is why I say.....
Spidey rules

The Joker

05-13-2006, 04:44 PM

Here is the book that has that Castro short story:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572972947/104-6035943-6320746?v=glance&n=283155

There is a review at Spider-fan:
http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/reviews/spiderman_books_byron_preiss/untold_tales.html

Thank you very much,you've sold me on it.I just found and bought one on ebay :D

But, back to the last book in the SS trilogy... The Return of the Sinister Six... I remember now, I couldn't quite figure out why the Gentleman's plan was all that bad... with the way financial systems and computers are global now... the treat seemed anticlimatic, because I probably didn't understand it.

I think the Gentleman's plan was quite deadly.All the consequences of what would happen if he succeeded was huge.Great the way they unraveled it in that meeting scene they had.

Also I think the climax on the plane with Ock,Pity,Spider-Man and the Gentleman [who was revealed to be the Chameleon],was fantastic.Especially the bit where Ock reveals how he'd been onto the Gentleman's double cross for ages

rnewbz

05-13-2006, 08:17 PM

I read it, because I have high hopes it will get better, every book has it's pitfalls, I'm sure it will get back on track and when it does I don't want to have a missing gap in my collection.

rscal

05-17-2006, 10:56 AM

I stopped when sins past started... I felt that it was a bad Idea... Gwen running away to give birth to children (Peter's or Norman's) was a bad Idea...
(Gregatron's sig has a link to an EXTREMELY detailed explanation why Sins past was crap...) and I dropped ALL my comicbook buying... I've read a couple of issues at the stores, just to check on how things are going,but that's it... I ain't giving money to those hacks...

thats exactly what i did. probably will only buy trades of stories that i like. but tht's all i'll buy from marvel now. Wish joe Q would admit the real reason that 616 spidey is crap now. His letting and prbbly encouraging writers to change spidey's history. maybe this was all a plot to end spidey's marriage. i hate joe Q and what his done in the past years to the 616 unervise

rscal

05-17-2006, 11:03 AM

You know, I know exactly where you're coming from...

I too am a completist, as I have been collecting Amazing Spider-Man since 1978. Over the years, especially when things were on the crappy side, I thought occasionally of giving it up, and I finally did it in 1997 and stopped with issue #420. Once they brought back Norman and basically tried to ignore Clone Saga continuity, I had enough.

I came back in 2001 with ASM #471 with JMS' first issue. I thought things seemed ok, and like the completist that I am, I went out and bought all missing 50 issues in my gap.

I'm happy to say that I won 531 consecutive issues of Amazing Spider-Man (I'm still missing an AF #15 :( ), and while I don't aprticularly enjoy what's happening in the core books at the moment, I know that things CAN get better. So I'm just waiting out the storm.

Cheers... :)

I also hated the fact that they brought norman back . there was no need Spidey has plenty of villlians that could have been just as diabolical as norman without resurrected a character that had a purposeful death( wasn't just shock value ( like doc ocks )) in the spideyverse continuity. the clone parents were bad enough, sort of hoping that they would retcon the norman resurrection maybe that the chameoleon learned of the pete/norman conflict and end up morphing into norman.

bmrobson

05-18-2006, 01:43 PM

I guess the answer is no. I still buy all the new Spider-Man Marvel Masterworks but that counts as back issues, right? I bought Best Of Spider-Man 1-4 but not sure if I'm buying 5 or not. I own Amazing 123-441 except for 2 issues near the end of that run but I'm still waiting for 442 to come out (sarcasm intended). If they had continued with 442, I'd probably be collecting today. In my opinion, the renumbering killed Spider-Man. It made Amazing no better than a mini-series after that and gave me the option of starting and stopping whenever I feel like. Otherwise, I would feel obligated to keep up my Amazing collection.

Brian

Dangerous

05-19-2006, 06:35 AM

You know, I know exactly where you're coming from...

I too am a completist, as I have been collecting Amazing Spider-Man since 1978. Over the years, especially when things were on the crappy side, I thought occasionally of giving it up, and I finally did it in 1997 and stopped with issue #420. Once they brought back Norman and basically tried to ignore Clone Saga continuity, I had enough.

I came back in 2001 with ASM #471 with JMS' first issue. I thought things seemed ok, and like the completist that I am, I went out and bought all missing 50 issues in my gap.

I'm happy to say that I won 531 consecutive issues of Amazing Spider-Man (I'm still missing an AF #15 :( ), and while I don't aprticularly enjoy what's happening in the core books at the moment, I know that things CAN get better. So I'm just waiting out the storm.

Cheers... :)

Yup if you are a completist, no matter how crap ASM is right now, you know you are going to regret not picking up the current issues in the future when the title becomes great again.
Which,..will happen one day.

Dangerous

05-19-2006, 06:36 AM

Hopefully by #550 if JMS leaves.

Agent Thermal

05-26-2006, 11:53 PM

I'm now looking for the SPider-Man, X-Men Times Arrow Trilogy, just because Castro wrote one of them.

Glad you enjoyed the Sinister Six trilogy - I too find it to be one of the most well-crafted superhero stories to come out in a long time. I loved every page of it. :D By the way, I meant to ask all of you reading - has anyone read the Time's Arrow trilogy (Spiderman and X-Men) yet, and if so, do they recommend it?:O The first book in the series is rather rare and expensive - I don't want to pay that much just to be disappointed, you see. :D