Comics Amazing Spider-Man #600 discussion thread

[Spider-Who?]

Really? I thought one of the best things about this issue was JRJR's art. Everything seemed to flow together nicely, unlike his rushed job on NWTD.

Yeah, sad to say, thats how I feel. I guess being an artist myself makes me really nitpicky when it comes down to it....I donno, something I've noticed is that it seems like each time JRJR comes back to ASM, his style changes and it getts slightly less refined each time. (IE: in the 90s his work was better in a technical sense, and i liked how Spidey wasn't so skinny; during JMS's run he got a little more loose and cartoony, but I loved how he made Pete and MJ look; and now its just rushed and sloppy, but I'd like to blame that on the 3-a-month thing Marvel has going).

And while I liked JMS's run as well, I think Dan Slott gets Peter/Spidey a lot better. I loved every bit of the main story honestly.

that's cool, man. Everybody has their own preferences when it comes to writing. Maybe upon rereading the issue I'll come to appreciate it more.

 

[Themanofbat]

Oh yeah, I paid cover price for the Ross & JrJr covers... and the JQ cover was $10 while the JrSr cover was $20... Canadian.

I bought all 4 covers.

 

[Venom 1988]

during JMS's run he got a little more loose and cartoony, but I loved how he made Pete and MJ look; and now its just rushed and sloppy, but I'd like to blame that on the 3-a-month thing Marvel has going).

I'd agree with you there if this wasn't a one-shot story. Me thinks he had time on this one

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

JMS was GREAT with characterization... he just told piss-poor stories... in my opinion.

Agreed, but his stories were piss poor around Sins Past. I mean, his run with JRJR was actually good, IMO.

 

[Themanofbat]

Agreed, but his stories were piss poor around Sins Past. I mean, his run with JRJR was actually good, IMO.

I thought the ending to the Book of Ezekeil was very poor... we had years of build-up and that was the ending?

It was very weak in my opinion...

Though I did like the Loki story (that he plotted) as well as the Digger tale...

Even the Morlun arc (the first one) had a wee bit disappointing ending...

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

I thought the ending to the Book of Ezekeil was very poor... we had years of build-up and that was the ending?

It was very weak in my opinion...

Though I did like the Loki story (that he plotted) as well as the Digger tale...

Even the Morlun arc (the first one) had a wee bit disappointing ending...

I actually happened to like the Ezekiel story. As for the Loki story, yeah, I did like that one as well. Can't get enough of Spidey eating hot dogs with Loki. If I remember correctly, that's what they did.



Remember that issue where that littie boy had a gun, etc? It was way back in '04 and i haven't read it since, I don't think, so my memory isn't 100% clear on it. Good, touching story, IMO. JRJR.s art helped, and, obviously, JMS was the writer.

 

[Spider-Who?]

I'd agree with you there if this wasn't a one-shot story. Me thinks he had time on this one

SHHHH! NO! it was the DEADLINES, man, the DEADLINES!




its not that his art in this was BAD...its just that...i donno...he made some pretty amateur mistakes that someone of his caliber shouldn't. And like i said, the inking and coloring didnt do anything to add to his pencils. (I HATED how they colored Torch; just a few soft brush smears in photoshop does not make good fire).

 

[Spider-Who?]

I actually happened to like the Ezekiel story. As for the Loki story, yeah, I did like that one as well. Can't get enough of Spidey eating hot dogs with Loki. If I remember correctly, that's what they did.



Remember that issue where that littie boy had a gun, etc? It was way back in '04 and i haven't read it since, I don't think, so my memory isn't 100% clear on it. Good, touching story, IMO. JRJR.s art helped, and, obviously, JMS was the writer.

yeah, i loved all those little moments in JMS's run. Eating hotdogs with Loki, taking popcorn from a dude on his balcony, getting a ticket for riding on the hood of a limo...lots of golden snipits here and there (wouldnt mind seeing some of that in the movies).

And yes, the issue were Spidey confronts the bullied kid with a gun was a really nice filler issue.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

yeah, i loved all those little moments in JMS's run. Eating hotdogs with Loki, taking popcorn from a dude on his balcony, getting a ticket for riding on the hood of a limo...lots of golden snipits here and there (wouldnt mind seeing some of that in the movies).

And yes, the issue were Spidey confronts the bullied kid with a gun was a really nice filler issue.

I completely agree, and I don't know why, but JRJR's art helped make it look great IMO, lol.

You know, whever JRJR is drawing a sad story involving crying, it's very emotional. I mean, he even did it with 9/11. When they little kid cried in that issue (not 9/11), it was emotional. Then, the end shot, I think MJ is talking to Peter while he's on a light pole.

See, tohse are the things that made JMS not a bad writer. He's good, and still is, but he's done bad things in terms of stories. Sins Past and Skin Deep were great examples. Don't get me started on what he did with Gwen.

 

[Themanofbat]

The build-up to the Book of Ezekeil was great... it's just that ASM #508 was such a lousy ending to years worth of build-up...

 

[Themanofbat]

yeah, i loved all those little moments in JMS's run. Eating hotdogs with Loki, taking popcorn from a dude on his balcony, getting a ticket for riding on the hood of a limo...lots of golden snipits here and there (wouldnt mind seeing some of that in the movies).

And therein lies my reasons for making the claim that he was GREAT with characterization...

But when I look at his run as a whole, especially when compared to the other 9 or 10 writers that have graced the pages of ASM (not including the BND guys), he ranks only around 8th or 9th place... with only Mackie & O'Neil being below him... and at times, when I'm having a "symbiote" moment, I put Michelinie below him as well...

But as far as Stan Lee, Roger Stern, Marv Wolfman, Len Wein, Gerry Conway, Tom DeFalco & J.M. Demattheis... well, they all left better marks on Spidey that JMS... in MY opinion.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

The build-up to the Book of Ezekeil was great... it's just that ASM #508 was such a lousy ending to years worth of build-up...

Meh, it wasn't really bad, IMO. Speaking of 508, that issue had a terrific cover, wouldn't you agree? The twin tower lights streaming upward.

as for JMS stories JRJR, they were good, but honestly, all the stories since BND have been better, IMO. I mean, we were introduced to a new Villian, Mister Negative, and then Menace, who turned out to be Lily Holister, etc. we also had that fantastic Hammerhead story. Just so many cool things since January of 2008.

 

[Donald Thomas]

Oh yeah, I paid cover price for the Ross & JrJr covers... and the JQ cover was $10 while the JrSr cover was $20... Canadian.

I bought all 4 covers.

Aloha,
I bought the DF Romita Sr. autographed Ross and JrJr covers and put my order in for the other two with my other subscription service.It's #600 even the haters MUST get at least ONE copy.
Spidey rules

 

[kguillou]

I really really liked this issue man. Definitely worth the 5 bucks. My only beef is...why is it that every big story has to have an anticlimactic ending? Why cant we have a complete story for once especially for a centennial issue? Look at Thor 600 for example, now THAT is how you do a big centennial issue, good story, good characterization and a BIG fight. I mean come on man, the way Slott was hyping up Doc Ock i was sooo looking forward to HUGE battle royale between him and Spiderman and no one draws battle royales better than JRjr. But instead it lasted like 3 pages. The issue did an excellent job of building up Doc ock, i felt pumped and couldnt wait for the big showdown and then.....that was it?? They did the same thing with New ways to die, the big confrontation between him and the green goblin was way too short and that was obviously the moment everybody was waiting for.

Besides that, great centennial issue. lol

 

[Styleshift]

I am extremely shocked that they referenced the marriage again within current ASM continuity. (or at least a comic)

I figured they were just going to ignore it and act like it never happened.
This makes me want to stick around.......

Than again, it was Stan Lee writing the story. I loved it, easily my favorite of the book. Almost felt like he was teasing the writers for such a screwed up continuity. But at the same time he's also sending a message to the reader saying look how much Spidey has changed and changed back over the years, no matter what it was.

Dan Slott wrote a good story for 600 I must admit, this book was way worth the cover price.

The only problem I'm having is, I don't really care for the revamped Otto.
Seems like they'll return him to form soon. I'm really partial to the "business" man Otto of the 90s.

I think that look suits him the most because he's the type of man to think he's better than everyone. Than again it's pretty much the first Otto I've been introduced to, aside from the cartoon.

To me, at least....this new otto is just as bad as the matrix one that humberto ramos tried to sell.

I also didn't find the "pop a claw in your ***" thing by wolverine funny either.
Sure Spidey saved the joke in the end. But it doesn't seem like something Wolverine would say.

Dan Slott still writes Spider-man's jokes pretty well though. Loved the boomerang scene.

P.S. Bob Gale still proves that he can write a bad story for us "geeky fanboys that need to get out of our mothers basement."

 

[Themanofbat]

You have met Wolverine, right?

Errr... I mean, read about him...

 

[Styleshift]

You have met Wolverine, right?

Errr... I mean, read about him...

lol don't be silly....

I'm just thinking that if someone were born in the 1880's they wouldn't be using slang of our time.

I'm sure you didn't say the book was "tight" after you read it, now did you?

 

[Themanofbat]

I'm sure you didn't say the book was "tight" after you read it, now did you?

My references to "tight" go back further than that, and it's been a while...

 

[Styleshift]

My references to "tight" go back further than that, and it's been a while...

hehe
Overall I thought it was an excellent issue.
It's intriguing. Nothing was forced....even after I deduced who Peter's new girl is. It didn't annoy me like I thought it would and it actually "fit". In terms of story telling.

I might stick around a little bit longer than I initially thought.
The back up madam web story was very intriguing.

 

[The Joker]

Finally read this issue.

The main story was very good. Needless to say I enjoyed all the Doc Ock stuff the most. I like this new angle. He learns he's dying, and tries to use his intelligence to make some amends before he goes, but ultimately his own evil side sabotages that, and he ends up causing chaos. Even better was the he was not captured at the end, and escaped, promising revenge on Spider-Man by doing something really terrible next time.

His new look is a far cry from the Doc Ock we're all used to. So it is understandable why some people are having difficulty adjusting to it. But since it's only going to be temporary, I don't mind it at all. I found it very creepy. And Ock WILL cure himself somehow. No question about that. Let us not forget that he cured Spidey when he was dying during the Clone Saga.

I think the inclusion of Daredevil and the Avengers could have been omitted. They really served no purpose to the story, IMO. Human Torch was great though. He and Spidey had some fab dialogue.

The Aunt May wedding stuff was the least interesting part. I really don't care that May is getting hitched again. The only part I liked was when Peter called her his mom at the wedding.

Overall it was good, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype, IMO. As anniversary issues go, it's definitely head and shoulders above #300, #400, and #500.

Overall I'd give it 7/10. I wanted more Doc Ock in it. The scenes with Daredevil, the Avengers etc was just fluff.

 

[Styleshift]

Finally read this issue.

The main story was very good. Needless to say I enjoyed all the Doc Ock stuff the most. I like this new angle. He learns he's dying, and tries to use his intelligence to make some amends before he goes, but ultimately his own evil side sabotages that, and he ends up causing chaos. Even better was the he was not captured at the end, and escaped, promising revenge on Spider-Man by doing something really terrible next time.

His new look is a far cry from the Doc Ock we're all used to. So it is understandable why some people are having difficulty adjusting to it. But since it's only going to be temporary, I don't mind it at all. I found it very creepy. And Ock WILL cure himself somehow. No question about that. Let us not forget that he cured Spidey when he was dying during the Clone Saga.

I think the inclusion of Daredevil and the Avengers could have been omitted. They really served no purpose to the story, IMO. Human Torch was great though. He and Spidey had some fab dialogue.

The Aunt May wedding stuff was the least interesting part. I really don't care that May is getting hitched again. The only part I liked was when Peter called her his mom at the wedding.

Overall it was good, but it definitely didn't live up to the hype, IMO. As anniversary issues go, it's definitely head and shoulders above #300, #400, and #500.

Overall I'd give it 7/10. I wanted more Doc Ock in it. The scenes with Daredevil, the Avengers etc was just fluff.

Although I disagree with it being much better than 300,400, and 500.
Well.....maybe 500. 500 is up for debate.

But 300 and 400 definitely had better stories. Although I definitely liked this issue (I would have given it 8/10.)

I don't think I walked away with the feeling that "yea this is an iconic moment that will be remembered for years to come". Mainly because it feels more like "a day in the life" and was also a bit under played by the fact that Peter's Aunt got married in 600 and thats ok.

I mean I'll remember it, but mainly because of the issue number and not the story.....than again I really don't know.
My main thing is,
It builds into more stories...instead of being a bit more stand alone like I thought it should have. That's my own personal opinion though.

Romita's art still seems a bit rushed. Maybe it's the colorist? I dunno It's just not touching how good his art was during JMS' run.

 

[Styleshift]

Oh yea, for anyone else mad about the marriage and devil reboot.

You might want to keep a closer watch on the book now.
It seems like their is now a good chance the marriage will be set back into continuity.

Especially how a specific page was written.

 

[The Joker]

Although I disagree with it being much better than 300,400, and 500.
Well.....maybe 500. 500 is up for debate.

But 300 and 400 definitely had better stories. Although I definitely liked this issue (I would have given it 8/10.)

I'm one of the few who never held #400 in high esteem. Aunt May revealing she knew Peter was Spidey all along, when her history in the comics totally contradicts it, made for a shallow plot, IMO. No wonder it turned out not to be the real Aunt May who died in that issue. Her reaction to learning Peter's secret in JMS' run was much more believable, IMO.

As for #300, symbiotes and Venom are not favourites of mine. I really don't care for them at all. But I do acknowledge from Venom's standpoint, that it was one of his better stories.

 

[Styleshift]

I'm one of the few who never held #400 in high esteem. Aunt May revealing she knew Peter was Spidey all along, when her history in the comics totally contradicts it, made for a shallow plot, IMO. No wonder it turned out not to be the real Aunt May who died in that issue. Her reaction to learning Peter's secret in JMS' run was much more believable, IMO.

As for #300, symbiotes and Venom are not favourites of mine. I really don't care for them at all. But I do acknowledge from Venom's standpoint, that it was one of his better stories.

True. I'll give you that. Excellent analysis of that situation.
Venom. I don't like venom either, except for when he was initially introduced.

Now even after they've returned to a more subtle use of the character....

I think Macgargan is a punk, because Spidey has easily defeated him every time they go at it.

And Anti-venom is basically "white 90s the protector venom".
At first I thought it was cool, but my opinion immediately changed after a while when I realized what they were doing with the character.
What's your view on Anti-venom Joker??

 

[Themanofbat]

The Centennial issues rank as follows as far as I'm concerend...

And the reason #400 is as high as it is, is because of what it meant as I read it at the time...

1) ASM #200
2) ASM #400
3) ASM #600
4) ASM #300
5) ASM #100
6) ASM #500

The last 2 can be interchangeable at any given time...