Bought/Thought Dec 26th (Spoilers within)

[Xofenroht]

Well, I kept buying the book after "Sins Past" and the "Other", but I actually didn't mind either of those two as much as I had a problem with "OMD".
Some things are undesirable. Others are just "storytelling taboos". We just witnessed the latter.

 

[Dan_Slott]

And yeah, I'm not buying Bold Old Day. That's like walking down an alleyway where a known rapist is said to be active.

You notice I didn't wipe my rump with the last issue, right?

Um. No. That's contrasting someone's work with toilet paper. You have compared me and the upcoming ASM team to "known rapists". Let's look at that.

Toilet Paper/Known Rapist​

Which would you find more insulting?

A paper product used in a necessary, regular hygenic ritual.

or

Someone who sexually assaults people, scars them for life, and hopes to do so again.​

If anything, I'm being unnaturally calm about this horrendous idea.

So, if you weren't calm, your analogies would be worse than comparing people to rapists?

But I'm not going to be dishonest and say that I'm supporting this with my wallet.

The creative team you're a part of is great. With that said, I can't see anything but yet another massive retcon making BND even remotely worth the ride.

Sorry. But no. This isn't even close to an apology. Nope.

The only apology I'm accepting is this:

You shake your inner Etch-A-Sketch.
You approach this with a clear & open mind.
You visualize a New Day.
You imagine a comic, full of Brand New potential-- by a Brand New editorial office and Brand New creative teams.
Hey-- look-- the first issue's got beautiful art by Steve McNiven! And the entire art team from Civil War! Wow!
And, hey, there's even some extra, new pages by guys like John Romita Jr. and Mike Deodato! Cool!
With your clear & open mind, you give this Brand New experience a fair shake on its own merits...

And release.

That's not so hard, right?

 

[FatalEnergy]

Go Slott!

If theres one thing thats keeping me optimistic about BND, its your run with Steve Mcniven.

not to sound like a suck up or anything...

 

[Spade]

You have compared me and the upcoming ASM team to "known rapists".

I may respect you as a writer, but don't put words in my mouth. My analogy was to convey that I feel buying the book post-OMD is like opening yourself up for more issues when you already know what's going to happen. At no point did I say "Dan Slott and the ASM creative team are a group of evil molestors who hide in the shadows and do despicable things to people just because they're involved in BND." You may take it that way and ultimately feel as if I was trying to insult you, but that's not what I was trying to say.

So, if you weren't calm, your analogies would be worse than comparing people to rapists?

I didn't compare anyone to a rapist. What I did do is say that people who are going to go into this just because they're faithful to the title should know better at this point. I'll repeat it once more: I feel that this storyline is trouble and that continuing to read the book after the long history of trouble that has been caused by your EIC's ideas on how to "fix" Peter Parker is fruitless, and that fans might as well give up while the going's good. I happen to be one of the people that feels like he's been had one too many times. That's all.

That's not so hard, right?

If it's so easy to just accept every change (even the kind I can't even call "good), no one would be having the vitriolic reactions that they're having to this storyline. Everyone on the Web would just smile and keep on buying. There's a difference between positivity and- as I see it- being put on a rollercoaster ride that has none of the good conclusions we've seen and leaves the reader ravaged by the end. As much as I like the stories your creative team has woven before and even if there is a hope that this black stain can be formed into a cogent story that is marginally satisfying, I'd only be giving the impression that I condone of a forced retcon of Peter's life.

Quesada has basically told everyone who has been collecting the books up to this point that Marvel took them for a ride. My Etch-A-Sketch, as you call it, is so broken it still has images from the last few gems thrown my way fresh on it. That's a personal decision, and I'm sure there are people who will continue to hold on as things spin into a nosedive. I'm just not one of them.

If you would like to further talk about any disrespect you feel was shown to you, feel free to PM me. But, as it stands, I've repeated my intentions in saying what I said a few times and I don't intend on apologizing for something I never directed at anyone in particular.

 

[Darthphere]

The Chibi Kiriyama, shut the **** up.

 

[BrianWilly]

No no, let's talk more about rape.

 

[Darthphere]

It was a horrible analogy anyway.

 

[Spade]

There's no point to talking more about it. All I know is that I'm not throwing money away.

 

[Darthphere]

Go Slott!

If theres one thing thats keeping me optimistic about BND, its your run with Steve Mcniven.

not to sound like a suck up or anything...

No, you have succeeded.

 

[BrianWilly]

Rape is never a horrible anything.






Oh, wait, are we talking about raping people? My bad. Yeah, that's different.

I definitely don't think having the book come out weekly is a good idea. After OMD? They're expecting people to be buying this weekly after something like OMD?
A lot of fans feel disrespected with what happened in OMD. Why show their respect by buying Spidey three times a month?

Is it any different than the fans who were disrespected by Disassembled, or Decimation, or Sins Past, or even Civil War, and yet continued throwing money at all those titles as if their lives depended on it? Bloody damn Countdown -- Countdown, for god's sakes -- is still constantly selling within the top twenty, if not the top fifteen. Hell, like I said, I'll bet that most people who have been complaining about OMD have also been buying every single issue.

This isn't the first time we've seen this, and it won't be the last. I truly have no faith in fans' choices at this point.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Hmm, Dan's words have made me think about this. Missing his work and the work of all the other BND creators would be a real shame, because they're all top-notch talent. I've been wanting to see Dan take on 616 Spider-Man long-term ever since that Spider-Man/Human Torch mini years back.

But I still don't feel comfortable supporting the changes in OMD, which, to my mind, is what I'd be doing financially (i.e. the only way that truly matters) if I continued buying Spider-Man's comics right after that, awful changes to Spider-Man's status quo and all.

So my question to Dan is this: Being an actual comic book writer and thus more in the know than any of us, do you have any suggestions that would allow us to show our discontent to Marvel in a tangible way that makes the decision-makers potentially reconsider the prudence of OMD and still buy what I'm sure will be great Spider-Man comics from you, McNiven, Bachalo, Guggenheim, et al.?

 

[Upset Spideyfan]

Hmm, Dan's words have made me think about this. Missing his work and the work of all the other BND creators would be a real shame, because they're all top-notch talent. I've been wanting to see Dan take on 616 Spider-Man long-term ever since that Spider-Man/Human Torch mini years back.

But I still don't feel comfortable supporting the changes in OMD, which, to my mind, is what I'd be doing financially (i.e. the only way that truly matters) if I continued buying Spider-Man's comics right after that, awful changes to Spider-Man's status quo and all.

So my question to Dan is this: Being an actual comic book writer and thus more in the know than any of us, do you have any suggestions that would allow us to show our discontent to Marvel in a tangible way that makes the decision-makers potentially reconsider the prudence of OMD and still buy what I'm sure will be great Spider-Man comics from you, McNiven, Bachalo, Guggenheim, et al.?

That's pretty much how I feel. I've been dying to read Amazing Spider-Man as written by Slott, but the uh changes brought about via One More Day have pretty much assaulted every one of my sensibilities as a Spider-Man fan. We all pretty much knew from the get go that part of the reason that Slott was being brought on was as a means of lessening the backlash against the realization of Joe Q's petty vendetta towards the Parker marriage.

But you know what? I had expected the marriage to be retconned so many times during the last couple of years that I was ready to take it just to get some quality Spidey stories.

Then the true scope of this whole mess became clear, that we were getting a Crisis on Infinite Earth's style reboot. I feel conflicted because I would genuinely love to support Slott and co. but I can't in all good conscience support the editorial mandate that's driven us to this point.

 

[Xofenroht]

The only thing that bothers me is "HOW" things got to this point. I understand that Mephisto made it as if Pete and MJ were never even married, that's what bothers me so much about OMD.
On the other hand, I know that there were plot holes left in OMD. I know that there are still answers to the questions I have as to "Well, what happens to Peter Parker, what happens to Spider-Man?" We know that Peter doesn't remember, but MJ still might. We also know, that Peter Parker being who is, stories being what they are, he's probably going to fight to set things right again or maybe he won't.
If there were any time to show your lack of support, it would've been while OMD was continuing. But to pass up on the creative teams they've signed on for BND by essentially boycotting it?

1) You'd only be hurting the creative teams involved.

2) You'll just be left in the dark as to how Peter Parker fits in with the Marvel Universe after all of this.

3) You won't know what you're actually protesting against, having not read BND at all. That's how it'll translate. If we write in, submit letters or e-mails, then maybe we can see a change. But the time for that is over. Like it says, it's a Brand New Day.

We've got to at least give these guys a chance. For Spidey's sake.

 

[Red]

Hmm, Dan's words have made me think about this. Missing his work and the work of all the other BND creators would be a real shame, because they're all top-notch talent. I've been wanting to see Dan take on 616 Spider-Man long-term ever since that Spider-Man/Human Torch mini years back.

But I still don't feel comfortable supporting the changes in OMD, which, to my mind, is what I'd be doing financially (i.e. the only way that truly matters) if I continued buying Spider-Man's comics right after that, awful changes to Spider-Man's status quo and all.

So my question to Dan is this: Being an actual comic book writer and thus more in the know than any of us, do you have any suggestions that would allow us to show our discontent to Marvel in a tangible way that makes the decision-makers potentially reconsider the prudence of OMD and still buy what I'm sure will be great Spider-Man comics from you, McNiven, Bachalo, Guggenheim, et al.?

Be strong Corp.

 

[Xofenroht]

Yes Corp, be strong! Join us in the give BND a chance campaign!

(I've already quit smoking, there's no way in hell I'm giving up Spider-Man)

 

[Red]

Quiet you.

 

[Obi-Ron]

I understand that Mephisto made it as if Pete and MJ were never even married, that's what bothers me so much about OMD.

That's what One More Day was about, pushing the history-eraser button? Seems kind of lame.

 

[stillanerd]

Hmm, Dan's words have made me think about this. Missing his work and the work of all the other BND creators would be a real shame, because they're all top-notch talent. I've been wanting to see Dan take on 616 Spider-Man long-term ever since that Spider-Man/Human Torch mini years back.

But I still don't feel comfortable supporting the changes in OMD, which, to my mind, is what I'd be doing financially (i.e. the only way that truly matters) if I continued buying Spider-Man's comics right after that, awful changes to Spider-Man's status quo and all.

So my question to Dan is this: Being an actual comic book writer and thus more in the know than any of us, do you have any suggestions that would allow us to show our discontent to Marvel in a tangible way that makes the decision-makers potentially reconsider the prudence of OMD and still buy what I'm sure will be great Spider-Man comics from you, McNiven, Bachalo, Guggenheim, et al.?

But you see, Corp, Marvel wants you, and others, to feel guilty, so guilty that even though you feel that the story that set up the new status quo was absolute crap, you'll go ahead and buy it anyway because you liked what these writers and artists did in the past, since they're giving the impression that they're giving you want you want and don't blame them because it was all Joe Q's idea, really. In other words, they're trying to get you to pay attention to all the flashy pictures and brief nuggets of info designed to make you believe you're getting quality stuff down the road while at the same time, telling you to essentially ignore what came before and how they purposefully boxed Spidey into a corner for the sole purpose of giving him a mini-reset. Essentially, what this whole Brand New Day is all about is trying to sell us "New Coke" and claiming it's actually "Coke Classic."

And here's a question I have for Slott: how do those tread marks feel after your boss basically threw you and a couple of others" under the bus" with this statement he gave on CBR yesterday?:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]

Well, to be completely clear, the idea for "OMD" was actually created by a room full of people. From the very first day I was in the EIC chair, I made no secret of the fact that I felt that a married Peter Parker wasn't the best thing for an ongoing Spider-Man universe. The problem was that we never had a decent methodology to get ourselves out of it. I always said that if we ever found a way to do it, I would pursue the avenues to get us there.

Close to two years ago at one of our creative summits, the seeds of that idea began to blossom.Those ideas were then taken and a two week long e-mail chain began where we started to throw around ideas until we got the story kind of where we wanted it to be. The guys involved in all of this from the beginning were Joe, Bendis, Millar, Loeb, Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso and myself. It then all carried over to the next summit, at which Ed Brubaker and Dan Slott also had some stuff to add. It was at one of these summits that JMS said the methodology we were using was more akin to the movie "Sliding Doors" than "Back to the Future." Rather than a single incident not happening that causes a huge domino effect across the timeline, he explained it was more like one door that wasn't taken or opened that only changed the subtlest of things.

[/FONT]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=12673

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Be strong Corp.

But you see, Corp, Marvel wants you, and others, to feel guilty, so guilty that even though you feel that the story that set up the new status quo was absolute crap, you'll go ahead and buy it anyway because you liked what these writers and artists did in the past, since they're giving the impression that they're giving you want you want and don't blame them because it was all Joe Q's idea, really.

Oh, I'm still not buying BND. I'm just open to options that would somehow not screw the innocent and talented creators coming on board Spider-Man's comic, if there are any.

The only thing that bothers me is "HOW" things got to this point. I understand that Mephisto made it as if Pete and MJ were never even married, that's what bothers me so much about OMD.
On the other hand, I know that there were plot holes left in OMD. I know that there are still answers to the questions I have as to "Well, what happens to Peter Parker, what happens to Spider-Man?" We know that Peter doesn't remember, but MJ still might. We also know, that Peter Parker being who is, stories being what they are, he's probably going to fight to set things right again or maybe he won't.
If there were any time to show your lack of support, it would've been while OMD was continuing. But to pass up on the creative teams they've signed on for BND by essentially boycotting it?

1) You'd only be hurting the creative teams involved.

2) You'll just be left in the dark as to how Peter Parker fits in with the Marvel Universe after all of this.

3) You won't know what you're actually protesting against, having not read BND at all. That's how it'll translate. If we write in, submit letters or e-mails, then maybe we can see a change. But the time for that is over. Like it says, it's a Brand New Day.

We've got to at least give these guys a chance. For Spidey's sake.

No offense, but that's stupid. People continued buying Spider-Man's comic after the outrageous central revelation of the Clone Saga and the Clone Saga continued for years. It wasn't until well after all of that, after the scheme to reboot Spider-Man to his earlier years and a fresh status quo failed utterly and readers started dropping the series left and right that the guy in charge at Marvel (Joe Q by that point) figured out that maybe good stories and a quiet sweeping-under-the-rug of all that Clone Saga nonsense was in order, and lo and behold, readers came back and that direction stuck for years.

Plus, we already know what Joe Q's response to letter-writing and all that ******ed crap is going to be. He will look at A) the fans crying bloody murder on message boards and in letters, and B) the still-healthy sales figures, and he'll arrive at C) the conclusion that his controversy = sales ideology is correct and affirmation of that is staring him in the face. A + B = C, quite simply. He's already done it countless times. "Hawkeye's dead and all the fans are upset, but sales on his last couple of minis/series indicated that he didn't really have any fans, so his death was really just the kick in the pants needed to rejuvenate interest in him." "The Avengers were selling terribly before Disassembled, and now Disassembled and New Avengers are selling like hot cakes, so controversial moves like Disassembled are just what the doctor ordered for sagging sales." (Never mind that the Avengers had a string of horribly boring and/or stupid stories just before Disassembled that drove lots of readers, myself included, away.) Continuing to buy Spider-Man's comics after OMD is just more fuel for the fire of that twisted logic and I'm not going to contribute to it, plain and simple. I have nothing against Slott and McNiven and all the other great creators coming aboard ASM, but Joe Q put them in place in a very obvious move to cushion the blow of OMD and get people like you to keep sales on Spider-Man's comic high so he can happily point to sales figures to justify satisfying his and others' personal vendetta against a facet of the character that lots of people enjoyed. Like I said before, low sales on the BND crew's comics are just collateral damage because the bottom line is all Joe Q and anyone else in a position to make decisions about the comics will pay any attention to.

Oh, and just for the record, I didn't buy anymore than the first issue of OMD. I've learned all the details of it from here and through reviews, but I knew the central point by way of spoiled information around the release of the second issue anyway.

 

[Hush]

I live to be corrected did anyone read iff 44 of Superman/Batman? Not issue 45, it was really cool.

 

[Dread]

I'm not saying this to poke anyone, but I always believe that talent and quality wins out. Just like with Cap and Bucky. There was a lot of buzz that was going to happen, and a lot of people entrenched that they would never buy it on principle alone. I've seen a lot of them come around (I think Dread was one of them, I forget) I don't think it matters how upset anyone is right now, if quality Spidey spidey stories are being written, people will come back. If they're not quality, sales will drop (like they would have anyway), and then the whole thing will probably be retconned (through the magical MJ/Mephisto whisper)

Boycotts may make you self-satisfied but they rarely work. I decided 20 years ago that I wouldn't buy gas from Exxon ever again because they wouldn't take responsibilty for the Valdez incident. Many a time I almost ran out of gas because they were the only game in town. Well, 20 years later, and I still drive by Exxons, but they're still there. The truth is, nobody really cares. And outside of forums like these, nobody cares. If rants, and petitions, and boycotts do it for you, more power to you. Me, I'll just sit back and see what Slott, et al, are going to come up with. (Although does anyone else appreciate the irony that the guy who we consider to be the Master of Marvel continuity, has been given more of a blank slate instead? Wouldn't it have been more satisfying if they had given Mr. Slott this task, and see if he could write his way out of it, without all of the magical mumbo-jumbo?)

Yes, I did come around to CAPTAIN AMERICA.

I quoted your post because you have the best answer to some people who criticized my decision, at least as of last week, to stick with ASM for Dan Slott and BND despite hating OMD.

Now, of course, comparing protesting Exxon with a boycott due to oil spills and not getting a comic can seem to be odd to some. After all, whole OMD brings up all sorts of emotions, it doesn't do harm to anyone or the environment. Oil spills do, and it is worth being angry at Exxon for. But, the analogy is somewhat relatable. Like I said before, just because I don't buy ASM doesn't mean my shop won't order 4-5 dozen copies anyway like they always do. Marvel gets it's money from orders sent to Diamond; by the time the copies hit the shelves, they could be used for pulp for all Marvel cares, they already got paid. Certain books seem to always be ordered in certain quantities; methinks that has kept Ultimate selling better than it should. All "boycotting" Slott's ASM will do is deny me some Spidey comics that I know damn well will be good. I don't need Slott to appeal to me that they'll be good over SHH, although it is appreciated (and I agree that Chibi Kiriyama went a bit too far with an anology, but that isn't uncommon on the Internet. I bet I do it sometimes).

I bolded another section, though, that irks me almost more than OMD itself. Because I am sure that Slott didn't NEED a whitewash. He didn't NEED a single, never-married Spidey. Heck, I bet he didn't even need a power-reset to pre-2004 levels (2004 was when he got the organics, and then after that the added powers & strength, little of which was used much). If Slott wanted to "cobble" things, he would have tried to work it organically. Or he could have made it work as was. Seeing that he wasted little time getting Thing and Alicia back together after a few years apart (to which no FF writer saw fit to acknowledge) tells me he is hardly against long-term romances with characters. He could have made the marriage great again. He could have created his own supporting cast, like he did with SHE-HULK.

I doubt Slott sees it this way, or would say so in an interview; he may even think I am overestimating him (being modest). But I see OMD as doing him no favors, but creating a lot of unneeded ill-will towards the much mangled franchise. It provided a "cleaner slate" when he really didn't need one to have made ASM the best it had been in perhaps a generation. But that's moot now. Sigh.

As for Harry's return, as I noted in my review, there may be some sort of audience that wants that, noting the poll by Spiderfan.org (where 60% of some 3800 users polled wanted Harry back), but I am against it because his death scene was a classic, and that he is yet another Goblin revived to somehow make a clunky storyline go down better, that yet again invalidates a classic death.

 

[PhotoJones]

Wow, way to kiss Slott's ass, everybody. Seriously, am I the only one who sees that as being ******ed? Everyone's more than willing to rag on Quesada and JMS for creating the OMD nightmare that leads into BND, but no one wants to own up to the fact that Slott was there, pitching in to ruin Spider-Man.

Dan Slott, I used to really root for you, man. You were the underdog, always championing for the integrity of the continuity and the characters. You were the new Brevoort. Now, like Brevoort, you've either given up on trying to preserve the Marvel Universe or you honestly think you're telling the kinds of stories that that fans (of which, I would've counted you at one time) want to read. We don't. The "vocal minority" of the internet is quickly turning into the vocal majority.

So go on and make your money, Dan. Cash in on those royalty checks and keep your belly full. Just know that you're doing it at the expense of 40+ years of history and millions of fans. Know that with every page of BND that you hand in, you're raising your finger to the fans that much higher.

You've worked hard to get this spot, man. I hope it's worth it.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Ouch, way to not pull punches. I honestly don't know what Slott's involvement in any of the OMD stuff was, but I can't fault him for taking the opportunity to write Spider-Man when he got it. If I were in his shoes, I'd likely do the same. I'd understand if people didn't want to buy it because of outrage over what came before and the auspices that my work would be operating under, but it's still Spider-Man at the end of the day. That's a childhood dream for a lot of writers, I'm sure.

 

[Dread]

Wow, way to kiss Slott's ass, everybody. Seriously, am I the only one who sees that as being ******ed? Everyone's more than willing to rag on Quesada and JMS for creating the OMD nightmare that leads into BND, but no one wants to own up to the fact that Slott was there, pitching in to ruin Spider-Man.

Dan Slott, I used to really root for you, man. You were the underdog, always championing for the integrity of the continuity and the characters. You were the new Brevoort. Now, like Brevoort, you've either given up on trying to preserve the Marvel Universe or you honestly think you're telling the kinds of stories that that fans (of which, I would've counted you at one time) want to read. We don't. The "vocal minority" of the internet is quickly turning into the vocal majority.

So go on and make your money, Dan. Cash in on those royalty checks and keep your belly full. Just know that you're doing it at the expense of 40+ years of history and millions of fans. Know that with every page of BND that you hand in, you're raising your finger to the fans that much higher.

You've worked hard to get this spot, man. I hope it's worth it.

You act as if Dan Slott is some editor, or a writer-who-acts-like-an-editor like Bendis. Yeah, he's been part of those "creator summits" since 2006, but he still is just a writer. Joe Q has been mentioning his disdain for the Parker marriage a year before OMD hit. Do you really think if Slott went, "Y'know, I really don't have a problem with the marriage and I don't need a retcon to be set up for me nixing it," they would have stopped? And then what then? Does Slott storm off in a huff, or post some rant online like JMS, and then what? Either he creates a hostile work environment, jeopardizes his own books as a result, and loses the chance to write Spider-Man, a dream for any creator. I would also add that suddenly being known for disagreeing with "the boss" when they make drastic decisions won't help your career. Slott has to work in this biz. Everyone has seen what happens to types the Gerber who rattle too many cages. Yeah, the fans love 'em...all the way to the poor house. No one gives them any work. Even DC, competitive as it is, might be hestiant considering all the stuff they do. But Slott seems comfier with Marvel, and I like him there, too.

OMD was happening so long as Joe Q had the power. JMS himself said he couldn't derail it and wanted his credits taken off, but sucked it up as a professional. Slott is doing likewise, at the very least.

If you were offered the chance to write Spidey after OMD, you would take it. If not, you are either a fool or a liar.

Think about it like this; who ELSE do you trust as making the best of BND, and possibly starting the road back to the way things were, if editorially given the chance?

Ouch, way to not pull punches. I honestly don't know what Slott's involvement in any of the OMD stuff was, but I can't fault him for taking the opportunity to write Spider-Man when he got it. If I were in his shoes, I'd likely do the same. I'd understand if people didn't want to buy it because of outrage over what came before and the auspices that my work would be operating under, but it's still Spider-Man at the end of the day. That's a childhood dream for a lot of writers, I'm sure.

I'm more in line with this sentiment.

Why deprive myself of possibly good Spider-Man comics, which I have been waiting for from Slott for over 2 years, just out of some need to "stick it to Marvel to vent my rage" when said action would had NO, ZERO EFFECT. Your LCS will not notice one iota the crunch of the fans "boycotting". For every one fan online, maybe 10 just buy the books and go about their lives. Likely more. Everyone hated THE OTHER, but it still sold very well. My LCS will order a few dozen copies of BND, and whether or not I happen to buy one won't effect how many they order the next time. By the time comics hit the shelves, Marvel has been paid long before.

Besides, what if Slott bucks the odds, creates great stories, and starts directing things towards a more sane direction?

I will say, though, that after OMD, USM is now officially redundant.

 

[Dan_Slott]

Wow, way to kiss Slott's ass, everybody. Seriously, am I the only one who sees that as being ******ed? Everyone's more than willing to rag on Quesada and JMS for creating the OMD nightmare that leads into BND, but no one wants to own up to the fact that Slott was there, pitching in to ruin Spider-Man.

Dan Slott, I used to really root for you, man. You were the underdog, always championing for the integrity of the continuity and the characters. You were the new Brevoort. Now, like Brevoort, you've either given up on trying to preserve the Marvel Universe or you honestly think you're telling the kinds of stories that that fans (of which, I would've counted you at one time) want to read. We don't. The "vocal minority" of the internet is quickly turning into the vocal majority.

So go on and make your money, Dan. Cash in on those royalty checks and keep your belly full. Just know that you're doing it at the expense of 40+ years of history and millions of fans. Know that with every page of BND that you hand in, you're raising your finger to the fans that much higher.

You've worked hard to get this spot, man. I hope it's worth it.

Read the Quesada quote again: "...and Dan Slott also had some stuff to add." Don't extrapolate.

Look at my history. Look at the work I've produced. Look at my sensibilities. I stand by my track record.

When the time comes and you find out what my involvement brought to the mix, you're probably going to feel silly for making this vitriolic post.

By the sounds of it, you're someone who wasn't crazy about the events of OMD. The last issue's only 5 days old. You're hot under the collar now. I get that. But in the not too distant future, when that time does come, I'm gonna expect an apology. A really nice one. With an EQUAL amount of nice things said about me. And my big fanboy heart.

Please understand that I can't really talk about things right now. And, seriously-- since this is probably the last post I'm gonna make for a while-- I DO wish to extend a very, very, very GRATEFUL "Thank You!" to those of you who have been keeping things in perspective. I can't tell you how much that DOES mean to me!
ttyl
Dan

P.S.
And don't diss Tom. You have NO idea the battles he faces for you people and the characters you love. Seriously. If you guys ever got a backstage look at how thing REALLY work, you'd be naming streets after Brevoort and throwing him parades.