Comics Is Spidey gonna stagnate as a character?

[Iceburgeruk]

Marvel seem to want to do everything to keep spidey appealing to younger readers and making spidey like he was ion the seventies. They eliminated the baby of spidey so as to prevent him seeming old. They did One More Day so as to eliminate the marriage and return the status quo to the seventies setup - no-one knows his identity, Harry is alive, He isn`t married or going out with MJ, he is currently living with aunt may.

Now this is all apparantly to keep the character young and interesting.

But surely all these changes and restrictions do is keep the character static and prevent the character from moving forward.

Quesada and other look back with nostalgia at the young exuberent days of sixities/seventies spidey. They want him to be like that forever.

But spidey wasn`t static back then. He went to high school. He loved and then lost Gwen. He went to college. He went out with MJ. And eventually he married MJ. There wasn`t immediate change every issue but over the years there was definite growth and change.

Other heroes change very little but they aren`t spidey. The x-men and avengers are ensemble casts. The FF have already settled down as a family. Batman has no life but his mission.

Spidey was always the everyman who as Peter had a normal life like ours. By saying he always has to be the same limits him. Who wants to read about a character who never changes? And how can anyone invest in the character when they no either a)the character will never develop as marvel will say no to any ideas about spidey marrying again or having kids or moving into his own house without his aunt(lol) or b)the character develops again but the management have Mephisto return and hit the reset button.

Marvel are gonna look very silly when while spidey is a fifty year old character living alone with his aunt and suspicious mate harry osborn DC Comics have superman and lois going to their daughters wedding.

 

[Themanofbat]

But surely all these changes and restrictions do is keep the character static and prevent the character from moving forward.

But spidey wasn`t static back then. He went to high school. He loved and then lost Gwen. He went to college. He went out with MJ. And eventually he married MJ. There wasn`t immediate change every issue but over the years there was definite growth and change.

And who's to say that character growth and change won't occur... Spider-Man comics have always been about change, and you're narrow-minded belief doesn't exactly convince that things will stay the same. You claim that they want Spidey like he was back in the 70's (or closer to his roots), but yet you say that the 70's had change? Make up your mind... if things are like they were, then change will be forthcoming.

Spidey was always the everyman who as Peter had a normal life like ours. By saying he always has to be the same limits him. Who wants to read about a character who never changes? And how can anyone invest in the character when they no either a)the character will never develop as marvel will say no to any ideas about spidey marrying again or having kids or moving into his own house without his aunt(lol) or b)the character develops again but the management have Mephisto return and hit the reset button.

You can have character growth and change without necessarily "aging" the character, which is what I believe will bethe focus on Peter Parker for the foreseeable future. It's not as black & white as your limited a) & b) options, but you have obviously made up your mind about what's forthcoming that tehre's really no sense in talking sensible to you.

Cheers...

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

longterm readers of the character will have noticed changed since the beginning.

those within the 20s and younger age bracket which probably haven't seen anything major occurring in his life since the 90s probably won't

it all depends on how you look at the spectrum.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

And who's to say that character growth and change won't occur... Spider-Man comics have always been about change, and you're narrow-minded belief doesn't exactly convince that things will stay the same. You claim that they want Spidey like he was back in the 70's (or closer to his roots), but yet you say that the 70's had change? Make up your mind... if things are like they were, then change will be forthcoming.

What i am getting at is that the marvel higher ups want spidey to be like they think he was in the seventies. Its a nostalgia trip. With marvel wanting spidey in a suposedly better period. Marvel are seeing it through rose-tinted glasses. Its like people who go on about the good old days, forgetting the horrible diseases, injustices, prejudice and terrifiying events of yesteryear.

I just feel that if marvel wanted a status quo like the seventies but with possibility of growth they would never have gone for OMD. They would have written in some original new friends, had spidey divorce and start dating some othe girl. Marvel evidently wanted their nostalgic version of seventies spidey which is why they resurrected harry and used mephisto to remove the marriage.

You can have character growth and change without necessarily "aging" the character, which is what I believe will bethe focus on Peter Parker for the foreseeable future. It's not as black & white as your limited a) & b) options, but you have obviously made up your mind about what's forthcoming that tehre's really no sense in talking sensible to you.

Cheers...

But Marvel have clearly stated that they do not want to allow changes which would seemingly age the character. So that means spidey can`t settle down and marry because that would make him seem older. That means he can`t have kids because that would age him. How much real big character change is left then? If he can`t have long term relationships or a family of his own then he will be forever locked into being in a perpetual teenager/twenty-something state. Genuinely though, I am asking what character changes do you think marvel would allow?

 

[Themanofbat]

What i am getting at is that the marvel higher ups want spidey to be like they think he was in the seventies. Its a nostalgia trip. With marvel wanting spidey in a suposedly better period. Marvel are seeing it through rose-tinted glasses. Its like people who go on about the good old days, forgetting the horrible diseases, injustices, prejudice and terrifiying events of yesteryear.

I just feel that if marvel wanted a status quo like the seventies but with possibility of growth they would never have gone for OMD. They would have written in some original new friends, had spidey divorce and start dating some othe girl. Marvel evidently wanted their nostalgic version of seventies spidey which is why they resurrected harry and used mephisto to remove the marriage.

The 70's weren't all that great, but the storytelling effect was fabulous... somewhere along the line in the 80's/90's, stories became arcs or parts X of 6, which took away the sub-plot effect that not only took away from Spider-Man stories, but all Marvel comics in general.

The divorse option was never really an option, because Peter would never have divorsed MJ, and I somehow doubt that she would have wanted that as well...

But Marvel have clearly stated that they do not want to allow changes which would seemingly age the character. So that means spidey can`t settle down and marry because that would make him seem older. That means he can`t have kids because that would age him. How much real big character change is left then? If he can`t have long term relationships or a family of his own then he will be forever locked into being in a perpetual teenager/twenty-something state. Genuinely though, I am asking what character changes do you think marvel would allow?

Spider-Man can NEVER settle down and raise a family... otherwise, the books would be very boring to future Spider-Man readers. And if that's what you'd like to see, you can read about it in Spider-Girl, which has that and plenty good ol; fashioned Spidey storytelling.

And just like Batman will be forever stuck in his mid/late 30's, Peter will be perpetually in his late 20's/early 30's like he is now... he just cannot have a family because you'll paint the character in a corner, and inasmuch as we'd all like to see closure of our favorite arachnid, he makes too much money for Marvel for them to put an end to his adventures.

And as far as growth goes, he can mature and learn from his mistakes, which he has always been prone to do, his development of friends and peers, his real life situations... like when Peter got that teaching job, that showed "growth in character"... perhaps we'll see him get a chance in a sciencelab, or as an assistant to Dr.Connors... the opportunities are there... Marvel just needs to flesh them out.

But in the meantime, we're in for some old-school Spidey action for the next little while.

 

[Blader5489]

Spider-Man isn't a creator-owned character so he can never really "evolve", at least not as drastically as some want him to.

This is true for all Marvel and DC characters.

 

[spider greg]

He stagnated when he was married.

 

[Odin's Lapdog]

nto really, he had real potential when he was going to be a father...

the whole 'which is the greater responsibility?' issues would have been fantastic for him to go through...

imagine him rushing to go and see may at a play and getting into a brawl with rhino or simple things like picking her up from school late all the time.

sure parker was the relatable teenager back in the day but marvel has no relatable adults with children, this was there chance to do it right.

if they want to get over the age thing, then have the mutant child age progressively quicker than most, it keeps parker still in his late 20s and has him deal with various aspects of parenthood without much affect.

it would even allow for a robin/batman situation that doesn't sound crazy.

but nooooooo.....it ages the character, as if young people don't have children in today's society....it's not like he's reed and is was a father at about 45.

 

[spider greg]

the whole 'which is the greater responsibility?' issues would have been fantastic for him to go through....

Actually he would've quit, because there is no bigger responsibility then taking care of your kids.

if they want to get over the age thing, then have the mutant child age progressively quicker than most, it keeps parker still in his late 20s and has him deal with various aspects of parenthood without much affect.....

So Pete's kid would graduate college before he does?

 

[wolvie2020]

To be honest, as much as I loved the marriage, I really have to admit that there are a heck of a lot more storylelling options this way.

Although it'd be cool to also have a parralell Married Pete and MJ that's not like the one in Spider-Girl, but with a baby instead.

But hey, I'm loving the current stuff

 

[shinlyle]

Will the comics stagnate? Absolutely. There are highs and lows with Spidey, just like every other comic. The stories become dull and predictable, the same ols same ol....we go back to an older status quo to "reset" things for a new audience, and readers get mad....and people get tired and leave. It happens....but it's never permanent.

Will the character stagnate? NEVER. So long as there are people who love the characters and are willing to read comics, novels,play video games, or watch television shows and watch movies featuring the character, then the character will never stagnate. The mediums used to convey teh character may become tired, but the idea of the character...never.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

Will the comics stagnate? Absolutely. There are highs and lows with Spidey, just like every other comic. The stories become dull and predictable, the same ols same ol....we go back to an older status quo to "reset" things for a new audience, and readers get mad....and people get tired and leave. It happens....but it's never permanent.

Will the character stagnate? NEVER. So long as there are people who love the characters and are willing to read comics, novels,play video games, or watch television shows and watch movies featuring the character, then the character will never stagnate. The mediums used to convey teh character may become tired, but the idea of the character...never.

I agree. I just mean that if marvel continues further down this path then they will sabotage their own cash-cow character.

 

[farmernudie]

I feel this new direction is alreayd stagnating the character.

It depends how he is handled.

There will be good times and bad times.

Times that move him forward, and times it will feel like meandering lost in a woods you've alreayd walked thru many times.

There is a fine line to walk where they need to keep a sense of continuity and where the character learns and reacts according to his past and learns.

 

[Spider-ManHero12]

Well, I think Peter growing should happen with the character and because of JQ's actions and wanting peter to be the way he was 30-40 years ago, but that really shouldn't happen. I mean, as I've said, I am really enjoying BND, but JQ should have realised that people could still relate to the character if he was married.

Do I think Spidey is going to stagnate as a character? Well, if they continue to make gigantic changes to Spider-Man comics, then slowly he will, but thankfully he hasn't, Atleast not yet. BND is a big thing that alot of us enjoy, though some don't. However, there's a possibility the stories could get messed up again and again, which is not a good thing. Here's hoping it stays as good as it's been and upcoming changes are good ones.

 

[Blader5489]

Will the comics stagnate? Absolutely. There are highs and lows with Spidey, just like every other comic. The stories become dull and predictable, the same ols same ol....we go back to an older status quo to "reset" things for a new audience, and readers get mad....and people get tired and leave. It happens....but it's never permanent.

Will the character stagnate? NEVER. So long as there are people who love the characters and are willing to read comics, novels,play video games, or watch television shows and watch movies featuring the character, then the character will never stagnate. The mediums used to convey teh character may become tired, but the idea of the character...never.

Nicely put.

 

[Infidel]

The had a story where everyone found out who he was... then nothing happened. It could of happened. Something that wasn't about Aunt May getting sick again (how original). They didn't even want to try. ANd if they don't want to try, I don't want to read it. So, no, nothing is ever going to happen ever again in Spider-man. Nothing.

 

[Blader5489]

The had a story where everyone found out who he was... then nothing happened. It could of happened. Something that wasn't about Aunt May getting sick again (how original). They didn't even want to try. ANd if they don't want to try, I don't want to read it. So, no, nothing is ever going to happen ever again in Spider-man. Nothing.

If you actually read the comics you would know that you sound absolutely ridiculous.

 

[kguillou]

See, I always believed that Peter Parker wasnt going to last forever but the spiderman legacy would. I always believed that Peter would continue to get older, have a child with MJ, then somewhere down the line in the year 2150, Peter Parker would retire and his child would become the new spiderman (or woman) of that era, then that child would have a child and so and so forth. I never really thought marvel was trying to keep Peter Parker an eternal character. I always pictured that in a 100 years or so from now, the MU would be run by the offspring of all of the current marvel heroes, (FF, x-men, spiderman, daredevil, avengers, etc.). I think that would be a much cooler idea, that way your creating new heroes for new generations, but thats just my opinion.

 

[Iceburgeruk]

See, I always believed that Peter Parker wasnt going to last forever but the spiderman legacy would. I always believed that Peter would continue to get older, have a child with MJ, then somewhere down the line in the year 2150, Peter Parker would retire and his child would become the new spiderman (or woman) of that era, then that child would have a child and so and so forth. I never really thought marvel was trying to keep Peter Parker an eternal character. I always pictured that in a 100 years or so from now, the MU would be run by the offspring of all of the current marvel heroes, (FF, x-men, spiderman, daredevil, avengers, etc.). I think that would be a much cooler idea, that way your creating new heroes for new generations, but thats just my opinion.

That would be the BEST way to do it but DC has shown us that when it comes to decisions like that comic companies have no guts. DC had the chance to have batman, superman and wonder woman grow old and hand over the mantle to someone else but instead they just hit the reset button like Queseda did with spidey. I`m sorry to saythat if marvel was still going they will prob still have teen/twenties spidey in 2300.

Marvel and DC just don`t take risks. Its the reason batman is still bruce wayne. Its the reason that they don`t allow spidey to age. Its the reason why most of the new mutants, x-terminators, x-force, generation x and young x-men will always be on the sidelines and will never replace the older x-men. Its the reason why any hero or villain created after 1969 who isn`t wolverine, cable or punisher has a hard time getting respect from writers or even being featured in a comic and when they do appear its normally for a shock death (Blue Beetle, Banshee, Black Goliath, Quasar.).

DC and Marvel are afraid of risky decisions and so will prob always cling to their cash cows. Its prob how marvel and dc will do themselves in.

 

[hex]

These posts all have compelling arguments, one would think that Peter getting a divorce would "age" him even further, and yet I know many people who've divorced in their early 20's. But wouldn't that set a bad example to kids? What with the high divorce rate in America, etc etc.. Yes it would, which is why making deals with the devil is much a better choice.

 

[JayTee]

Of course Spider-Man will stagnate, he's been a pop culture icon for close to over 45 years.

Get this through your heads, Spider-Man will not grow old with you.

Accept the conceits of the superhero genre, accept that Batman will, duh, always be Bruce Wayne, or stop reading the f***ing things and grow up.

 

[webhead921]

Spider-man will not stagnate if they are able to find new and interesting ways of portraying the character.

I love reading Ultimate Spider-man trades. They don't seem to stagnant to me.

 

[kguillou]

I'll be completely honest, I am selfish, i wanna see Peter married with a child. I wanna see Spidey swinging through the city with his child in a web-knap-sac on his back. I wanna see Peter struggle between fighting crime and being at home with his family. And lastly, i would eventually love to see this child grow up to become just like Peter. This is what i always imagined and looked forward to, but I guess you really cant expect characters to grow old with you. I can accept that, i just wish it weren't so.

 

[Blader5489]

These posts all have compelling arguments, one would think that Peter getting a divorce would "age" him even further, and yet I know many people who've divorced in their early 20's. But wouldn't that set a bad example to kids? What with the high divorce rate in America, etc etc.. Yes it would, which is why making deals with the devil is much a better choice.

But how often are kids going to grow up to make a deal with the devil?

 

[Themanofbat]

I'll be completely honest, I am selfish, i wanna see Peter married with a child. I wanna see Spidey swinging through the city with his child in a web-knap-sac on his back. I wanna see Peter struggle between fighting crime and being at home with his family. And lastly, i would eventually love to see this child grow up to become just like Peter. This is what i always imagined and looked forward to, but I guess you really cant expect characters to grow old with you. I can accept that, i just wish it weren't so.

Read the Amazing Spider-Girl, and that's the kind of story you're going to get...