Comics Amazing Spider-Man #555

[J. J. Jameson]

This is definitely the best issue of BND by far. All the others were mediocre at best, and the last arc by Bob Gale made me want to puke...it was disgustingly bad and I dread his next arc.

I'm in the boat with a lot of Spidey fans that aren't really sold on this whole new status quo, and who are not convinced that OMD had to happen/the Pete/MJ marriage had to end. This issue gave me faith, though. After reading #554, I was ready to drop Amazing because it was just so terrible. #555 has restored my faith, albeit a small, small amount. When I was reading Wells' story, it felt like Spider-Man.

Also, he deserves a raise, or a promotion or something because he 1) Got rid of that stupid 70's/80's type of opening/narration and 2) Got rid of those dumb editor's boxes. Good show, Mr. Wells.

 

[Themanofbat]

I've always liked the editor's boxes...

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Good issue. I think i like Bachalo's backgrounds more than i like his actual characters. Some of the cityscapes he drew looked real impressive, imo...

I knew Zeb would deliver on scripts. He's a big Spidey fan, and has written the character quite well in the past.

My only gripe is, reading the banter between Peter and Logan made me long for another Spider-Man Team-Up book, which i know we wont be getting anytime soon. (No way is Joe going to take any Spidey-focus off his ASM project)...

8/10

 

[stillanerd]

Aloha,
In NA #28,30,32 and 34 Spidey reveals his entire face to the team, so your timeline needs to be adjusted a bit.In #38 he's wearing the red and blue costume, so work on this and get back to us. You're making plenty of sense.
Spidey rules

Like I said in the other posts, the timeline--which of course I could be wrong about--I would be working with would involve Spidey revealing his identity sometime after the current arc in ASM #555-#557 but before New Avengers #27. Therefore, it would be okay for him to show his face at that point to them. Also, the reason why, according to this theoretical timeline, that Spidey goes back to the black costume from New Avengers #27 to the New Avengers Annual (remember, this theoretical timeline involves BND happening before New Avengers #27) is because, since their mission involved going to Japan to fight the Hand, Spidey figured he needed something a bit more sleathy than his standard red and blues. The only reason he never got around to going back to his red and blues until New Avengers #38 is because the team was getting involved in one thing after another without much of a break. That's at least the best I can come up with for explaining this disparity.

 

[javi1024]

didnt care for this issue. i really hate Bachalo's art and all of his villains always look a like. i just want Slott and McNiven back and to stay.

 

[Blader5489]

didnt care for this issue. i really hate Bachalo's art and all of his villains always look a like. i just want Slott and McNiven back and to stay.

McNiven ain't coming back. At least not this year.

 

[javi1024]

...#%*@$!!....

 

[J. J. Jameson]

I've always liked the editor's boxes...

Oh I like them...in 60s/70s/80s comics. Not modern comics...that's why we have recap pages.

 

[Donald Thomas]

Like I said in the other posts, the timeline--which of course I could be wrong about--I would be working with would involve Spidey revealing his identity sometime after the current arc in ASM #555-#557 but before New Avengers #27. Therefore, it would be okay for him to show his face at that point to them. Also, the reason why, according to this theoretical timeline, that Spidey goes back to the black costume from New Avengers #27 to the New Avengers Annual (remember, this theoretical timeline involves BND happening before New Avengers #27) is because, since their mission involved going to Japan to fight the Hand, Spidey figured he needed something a bit more sleathy than his standard red and blues. The only reason he never got around to going back to his red and blues until New Avengers #38 is because the team was getting involved in one thing after another without much of a break. That's at least the best I can come up with for explaining this disparity.

Aloha,
I like your attempt but I'm a little confused. If NO ONE knows Spidey's identity after BND, then how or why would Spidey reveal himself to any of the NA?Your Black cosume idea I get totally, but I'm still not getting the NA reveal.On the other hand, if we say that all of the NA reveal stories took place during the Untold Tales of Back in Black, then it makes sense that in ASM #555, Wolverine does not know who Spidey is.I think the Untold Tales approach, as well as your flash back and forward devise could make things work.Send your Black costume idea in. It would be great to see a Hypster get the credit.
Spidey rules

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Also, I just wanted to say that, personally, I really am enjoying Bachalo's art. There is just something about it that clicks.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Also, I just wanted to say that, personally, I really am enjoying Bachalo's art. There is just something about it that clicks.

His Snow-ninjas ruled!

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

His Snow-ninjas ruled!

Indeed they did!

 

[Ray-Fu]

I thought the issue was pretty good. Enjoyed the art and the Felix the Cat prize in the Fruit Toots cereal. Nice little easter egg for those who collected back in the McFarlane era where he would hide Felix on covers or the interiors

Still don't really understand why the marriage had to disappear for these stories to take place, as I think all the stories so far could be told with a married Spidey I'll probably be dropping ASM pretty soon here

Bachalo sure drew a pretty darn tootin' cute Betty though

 

[mre]

BMD just feels like Marvel went back in time to me still....

 

[farmernudie]

Yeh, the art "this arc" is good so far with Bach. (i liked him better here than when he was with X-men...think he can handle it better with less characters to have to draw)

Felix was a good nod to McFarlane's days, which i enjoyed a lot.

Story and writing was "ok".

I agree, nothing selling me on these still....I mean, there is nothing here that shows these stories couldn't be told with a marriage still. Glad I can just read my friends until I feel the urge to collect them again. Timeline here was weird, but i understand why, not that it matters to me, because it all feels kinda "odd" overall, but yeh, not the worst arc so far.

 

[Donald Thomas]

Yeh, the art "this arc" is good so far with Bach. (i liked him better here than when he was with X-men...think he can handle it better with less characters to have to draw)

Felix was a good nod to McFarlane's days, which i enjoyed a lot.

Story and writing was "ok".

I agree, nothing selling me on these still....I mean, there is nothing here that shows these stories couldn't be told with a marriage still. Glad I can just read my friends until I feel the urge to collect them again. Timeline here was weird, but i understand why, not that it matters to me, because it all feels kinda "odd" overall, but yeh, not the worst arc so far.

Aloha,
Peanut's Lucys 5 cents psychiatry would be worth at least 50 cents today, so I'm going to take a stab at it.
MJ was apparently BLOWN UP in Amazing Spider-Man v.2 #13, although she was later found to be alive, she and Peter didn't begin to talk reconciliation until around #43. Now from all that I can remember and read in letter pages back then, the alleged blow up and break up, did not cause the kind of depression, that I see some have with the break up of the Peter/MJ marriage as a result of OMD. My question to the general audience is- how many people who are disappointed in this break up, are the products of Divorced parents in their own lives?Since so many could not stand the JMS stories, certainly they would have to agree that the stories within BND are as good if not better than JMS. But the quality of the stories is not what has poeple so affected. It's the fact that Peter is not married. So again, how many people who are anti the Peter /MJ break up- are products of Divorced parents?
Spidey rules

 

[Blader5489]

Now from all that I can remember and read in letter pages back then, the alleged blow up and break up, did not cause the kind of depression, that I see some have with the break up of the Peter/MJ marriage as a result of OMD.

I think that's because, when Mackie blew up MJ in an effort to make Peter single again, it was painfully obvious that MJ wasn't dead. Whereas OMD is seemingly more permanent.

 

[Themanofbat]

My parents will be together as a married couple for 42 years this summer, and still going on strong, and I am enjoying the new direction.

And after 10 years of misery with TSoB's mom (we never did marry), I have found joyfull bliss with my lifelong wife (and we've been happily married for 3 years in the fall of this year).

Yet, I am still enjoying the new direction.

 

[Donald Thomas]

I think that's because, when Mackie blew up MJ in an effort to make Peter single again, it was painfully obvious that MJ wasn't dead. Whereas OMD is seemingly more permanent.

Aloha,
I am the child of divorced parents. I've been married for 13 years. But, we do know that MJ and Peter will get back together in some form at some point in time.If we look at #13 until the time she reappeared, it will be longer than we will see an appearance of her in BND. Funny the JMS haters rarely acknowledge the fact that he brought them back together.Be careful for what you wish for.So I'm still trying to get a handle on why such doom and gloom?
Spidey rules

 

[farmernudie]

I think you are looking too deep for an explanation. (personal divorce)

I think it is just a poorly written story that is a foundation for an un-needed reboot, personally. It doesn't feel new to me, but old.

 

[Blader5489]

So I'm still trying to get a handle on why such doom and gloom?

Oh, I'm not in a doom-and-gloom mindset, I'm just saying now that Marvel has finally been unable to undo what they consider a major thorn in their collective side, I can't imagine them ever restoring the marriage anytime in the near future.

Can Pete and MJ get back together? Yeah. But (re)married? Not likely.

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

It could be the whole dealing with the devil for the wrong reasons thing, that is pissing people off... I for one could have lived with a divorced Spidey or a widower Spidey... Hell I would've taken the whole dealing with the Devil thing IF MJ was the sniper's victim(instead of Aunt May) and Peter traded his soul to erase the marriage from history... thus saving MJ's life in the process... (although it would screw the continuity from 1987 till now... but OMD did that as well so no big...)

It also could be a straw that broke the camel's back kind of thing...

now carry on... with the ASM #555 discussion

 

[Donald Thomas]

It could be the whole dealing with the devil for the wrong reasons thing, that is pissing people off... I for one could have lived with a divorced Spidey or a widower Spidey... Hell I would've taken the whole dealing with the Devil thing IF MJ was the sniper's victim(instead of Aunt May) and Peter traded his soul to erase the marriage from history... thus saving MJ's life in the process... (although it would screw the continuity from 1987 till now... but OMD did that as well so no big...)

It also could be a straw that broke the camel's back kind of thing...

now carry on... with the ASM #555 discussion

Aloha,
I liked #555. What made it interesting is a continual development of Spidey reconnecting with the NA.He's not a Reserve Avenger, he's a NA who still does his own thing in his own way.Unfortunately, while he was on Tony Stark's good side, he had organic webbing. He could have used the resources of Stark to really perfect his web fluid as well as web shooters. Now that he's an outlaw, he can't get help with that from Reed Richards or Tony Stark.Maybe down the line he could work with the New Night Thrasher, who has the resources to help him really maximize it's development.Or even the Black Panther who gave Peter the heart shaped herb to eat back in the Other story arc.Looking forward to #556.
Spidey rules

 

[antonydelfini]

Now I didn't expect this. I didn't expect Wells to be equal with Slott when it comes to handling Spidey, but this issue is one of the best in the new BND era. The Dan Slott arc was good if a little too self-concious. The Guggenheim arc was average, not goog and not bad either. The Bob gale arc was bad overall, very cheesy and too old school, except part 3 where he got his thing really going. But this issue by Wells is flawless as a Spidey comic book. So now that we've read something from each writer, it's safe to say that Slott and Wells must stay, and Guggenheim and Gale can be replaced by Fraction and Jeff Parker.

STORY 4.5/5
ART 4/5

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Aloha,
I liked #555. What made it interesting is a continual development of Spidey reconnecting with the NA.He's not a Reserve Avenger, he's a NA who still does his own thing in his own way.Unfortunately, while he was on Tony Stark's good side, he had organic webbing. He could have used the resources of Stark to really perfect his web fluid as well as web shooters. Now that he's an outlaw, he can't get help with that from Reed Richards or Tony Stark.Maybe down the line he could work with the New Night Thrasher, who has the resources to help him really maximize it's development.

One of Peter's NA team mates, Danny Rand (aka Iron Fist), is also quite wealthy...