Comics Amazing Spider-Man #605 spoilers and discussion

[stillanerd]

All right, since ASM #605 comes out today, there’s at least three things I learned about this issue beforehand (NOT complete spoilers):

Spoiler

1. In a flashback Mary Jane has, we are shown her having a very heated argument with Peter looking pretty beat-up in a shabby and threadbare Spider-Man costume. Apparently, he had been missing for the past four days without so much as a word with MJ assuming the worst had happened to him. When Peter tries to explain, MJ is so furious that in the heat of the moment she mocks his feelings of guilt over his Uncle Ben’s death.

2. Remember that actor, Bobby Carr, MJ had a relationship with in Dan Slott’s “Peter Parker: Papparazzi story” (the one with Paper Doll)? Well, she breaks up with him.

3. In a follow-up to last week’s issue, Peter spends the story trying to avoid and ignore Michelle. When they do finally talk, Peter learns that, in Michelle’s exact words, they were “swapping spit on the kitchen floor.” Peter comes clean and tells her it wasn’t him, that he had been kidnapped and impersonated by the Chameleon. Michelle’s reaction? She accuses him of making the whole thing up and then decks him.

EDIT: Oh, and as for the reason why:

Spoiler

MJ breaks up with Bobby Carr? It turns out he was using Mutant Growth Hormones to bulk himself up in order to get the lead in the Captain America movie and that his supplier is the White Rabbit.

 

[iloveclones]

All right, since ASM #605 comes out today, there’s at least three things I learned about this issue beforehand (NOT complete spoilers):

Spoiler

3. In a follow-up to last week’s issue, Peter spends the story trying to avoid and ignore Michelle. When they do finally talk, Peter learns that, in Michelle’s exact words, they were “swapping spit on the kitchen floor.” Peter comes clean and tells her it wasn’t him, that he had been kidnapped and impersonated by the Chameleon. Michelle’s reaction? She accuses him of making the whole thing up and then decks him.

Which is exactly how I said it could play out.....

Spoiler

It puts it in conflict, because he would have to explain away why it happened. Let's play it through:

First off, Pete would have to find out it even happened. Which isn't a given. But let's say Michelle drops into conversation something about them being together the other night. At that point, pete realizes that Michelle has been raped. And he says to her, what? The guy you were with wasn't really me, but a master of disguise that was impersonating me. At which point MG hits him with a frying pan.....

Which is why, if the "manufactured controversy" had actually happened, I think Pete would feel compelled to make Michelle realize it, no matter the cost. Since it was just some smoochin', I'd imagine he'll just let it go.

 

[stillanerd]

Which is exactly how I said it could play out.....


Which is why, if the "manufactured controversy" had actually happened, I think Pete would feel compelled to make Michelle realize it, no matter the cost. Since it was just some smoochin', I'd imagine he'll just let it go.

Yeah, I'll give you props for how you thought things would happen.

Spoiler

Even though Michelle describes as "swapping spit," the scene where Michelle and the Chameleon did so still strongly suggested otherwise (after all, the fact that they slide down to the floor on of view of the panel with Michelle giggling is one movies, television, sitcoms, etc. often use to tell the audience "and then they had sex"), not to mention how she reacted afterwards. And even so, it's still pretty skeevy, Michelle was STILL physically and emotionally taken advantage of, and it was still played for laughs. It wasn't so much about the context rather than the context.

And like I said earlier when Van Lente explained thing, if it was just making out, swapping spit, or smooching, I'm a little better about the whole situation--but not by much.

 

[stillanerd]

Of course, this brings up another thing concerning the whole controversy:

Spoiler

even after everything that happened between Peter and Michelle with her thinking they were in a relationship and Peter telling her what really happened and her righteous anger towards him SHE'S STILL LETTING HIM STAY IN HER APARTMENT?! I mean, she was all but ready to kick him out for their disastrous drunken "hook-up," but after hearing Peter try to back out of their "relationship" by telling her the "truth" and she thinks he's coming up with a lame-excuse to break-up with her, she DOESN'T kick him out?! WTF?! That makes her even more crazy and the not the "intelligent match for Peter" Wacker claimed she was in his recent Weekly Webbing. And even though the wording makes it suggest Michelle and the Chameleon "made out," it's STILL playing the whole aftermath for laughs and Peter only tells her the truth in order to get her off his back not out of any concern that she was physically and emotionally taken advantage of by a super-villain.

 

[Venom 1988]

^^^
Because she's a woman and women don't know what they want.

 

[ragingdemon155]

I know I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but this issue was an absolute waste. There was no point to it whatsoever. Marvel advertised and promoted this arc as the big "return" of MJ. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she was hardly seen through out "Red Headed Stranger". It was huge letdown for me, because MJ's return was something I had looked forward to since Marvel basically threw her under the bus.

I think it's safe to assume that MJ really doesn't know anything about what happened with "Mephisto". I was personally holding out for that since BND started. "MJ's" big return would have been the perfect time for Marvel to throw me a bone or anything. Meh, whatever..... I'm just really letdown right now. The issue just seemed like a waste to me.

 

[stillanerd]

I know I'm probably going to be in the minority here, but this issue was an absolute waste. There was no point to it whatsoever. Marvel advertised and promoted this arc as the big "return" of MJ. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she was hardly seen through out "Red Headed Stranger". It was huge letdown for me, because MJ's return was something I had looked forward to since Marvel basically threw her under the bus.

I think it's safe to assume that MJ really doesn't know anything about what happened with "Mephisto". I was personally holding out for that since BND started. "MJ's" big return would have been the perfect time for Marvel to throw me a bone or anything. Meh, whatever..... I'm just really letdown right now. The issue just seemed like a waste to me.

I will agree that the entire "Red-Headed Stranger" arc was an pure example of a bait-and-switch in that what was heavily promoted as MJ's return and her effect on Peter's life in this new status quo, she was really just an ancillary character with little impact on the story, save the first issue which her presence prompts Peter to get uncharacteristically drunk and sleep with Michelle--which led of course to a whole other mess entirely storywise. This issue, to me, felt like it was the only one that really deserved to be under the heading of "Red-Headed Stranger." At least we know MJ still knows Peter is Spider-Man and Peter knows that she knows, which, if were honest, wasn't that much of a surprise.

Anyways, having spouted my initial "nerd-rage" reactions, I guess it’s time for my more in-depth review and commentary:

Spoiler

*For the first story, I actually understand what Van Lente was attempting here with the way he portrays Mary Jane. He presents us a woman who is frustrated with being taken for granted, whether it comes to her career or her relationships, especially her past relationship with Peter. And as a result of having to save her then boyfriend Bobby Carr from the White Rabbit, not only does she realize that she was running away from her own regrets over her break-up with Peter, but came face-to-face with what putting one’s self-interests before others actually means, and I have feeling that she knows now she was the one who was truly guilty of this in her relationship with Peter.
*That being said, in order to show the scenes of Peter and MJ’s argument that hints towards their possible break-up, it’s clear there’s been a lot of character regression going on. MJ feeling that she’s always second-best compared to Peter’s need to be Spider-Man was already addressed and resolved years ago, and her comments about Peter’s blaming himself for Uncle Ben’s death and let that define his whole life really presents her as the “bad partner” in the relationship. Although the way Peter described it, he did come across like a addict who needs a fix when describing having to be Spider-Man, so it certainly makes him appear pretty pathetic. Still, at least Van Lente used this as a means for Peter’s code about power and responsibility as a means for MJ not to stand by and do nothing.
*Likewise, I had a problem with the catalyst for her eventual return to New York, her then boyfriend Bobby Carr. I realize Van Lente was using him to contrast Peter and showing that his need for secrecy was merely to protect himself compare to Peter’s need for secrecy to protect those he cares about, but I really have to wonder what in the world did MJ see in this guy in the first place? I pretty much pegged him as a *****e before in Slott’s “Peter Parker: Papparazzi” story but this story took that to a whole new level. Not only is this guy a self-absorbed drug addict who cares only about his image, but then tells MJ her “window is closing” on her career? Good thing she dumped this guys ass and that he’s being sent off to character limbo. But then again, I have a feeling he’s going to re-enter the picture to try and win MJ back as an “obsessive ex-boyfriend.”
*I did enjoy the shenanigans with the White Rabbit with her whole psychotic “Alice in Wonderland” theme style gimmick (although the Mad Hatter called dibs on that one) and I liked the style Javier Pulido brought to the story, giving a kind of quirkiness to sometimes emotional tale.
*For the second story of Van Lente’s it wasn’t more than filler, hinting the upcoming “Back in Black Cat” and the “Who was Ben Reilly” stories. Not to mention just what MJ’s new gig as the host of “Sewn Up” involves and Harry’s secret relationship with Peter’s cousin, Amy Reilly.
*But what REALLY makes it disappointing was the way the whole “relationship” between Peter and Michelle gets resolved. This entire subplot since the start of “Red-Headed Stranger” has just been a disaster from beginning to end, misguided not just from having Peter wind up in a drunken “hook-up” with Michelle, but from the fact that Michelle unknowingly making out with the Chameleon that carried heavy sexual overtones was played entirely for laughs over how Peter was saddled with an annoying, obsessive, control-freak for a girlfriend. Plus, at this point, I am completely turned off by the character of Michelle Gonzales as I believe this arc ended up making her one of the worst new additions to the supporting cast. And the sad thing is, even though there’s logically every reason why she wouldn’t want Peter in her apartment any more, or why Peter should stay there, the fact that the brain trust has them keep living together after all that’s happened is just pure contrivance.
*As for the third story by Brain Reed, it was amusing for what it was. Peter and Harry’s friendship was well portrayed here, although it comes off a little bit too much like an episode of “Two and a Half Men” with Peter as Jon Cryer to Harry’s Charlie Sheen. Although the voice messages from the prospective dates on the website were a bit of hoot.
*And while it was trying a bit too hard to be cute with Spidey’s crush on Danielle the jewelry store owner, it does serve as an example of the problems he would he have trying to get a date strictly as a superhero without revealing his true identity. Then again, you would think that would be an asset considering how Superman got away with it with Lois for so long.

So overall, while we do get some resolutions towards some lingering questions in the first story, the last two stories diminish things a bit. I’d say the first story was effective, if flawed, the second just downright awful, and the third assuming filler that could have easily been a back-up story in pretty much any Spider-Man comic.