Comics JMS and The Good He's Done

[crivelliman]

Considering it was JMS that got me excited the be a Spider-Man reader again, it's definitely a good thing.

I dropped the Spider-Man titles back in the late 90's after they "resurrected" Aunt May. It was too much for me and not only did I drop Spider-Man titles but I completely dropped out of comic books altogether for about 4 to 5 years.

The first Spidey movie came out and I was interested to see what the comics were like. I remember picking up the issue with Doc Ock and the spaz who stole Ock's arms technology. And that Romita Jr. was artist. I decided to jump back on board.

JMS did something that many writers haven't been able to do since the Clone Saga. And that's introduce new and interesting rogues to the Spider-world instead of Spider-Man fighting some second stringer for the one millionth time. Morlun. Shathra. Digger. Ezekiel. You rarely saw rehashed villains and everything was fresh. The totem aspect is something that really captured me into the comics. Was it fate that Peter became Spider-Man or was it purely what it was...an accident. And at the end of The Book of Ezekiel, it basically left it up to the reader. Fantastic ending, in my opinion.

Also the little things JMS did. The Doctor Doom issue was really fun. How he had Peter take all the money he got and put it into a library named after Gwen Stacy. The issues with Loki, and how he still owes Spidey one. He stayed true to Peter and Mary Jane and made their marriage a BIT interesting. Instead of the borefest it always was. Aunt May was written very well, though everytime I see the character I wince sometimes knowing she should be DEAD!

Sins Past confused the hell out of me. The original idea was that it would be Peter's children, which would have made a LITTLE more sense. Still wouldn't have worked in continuity, in my view...but whatever. I think JMS jumped the shark BIG TIME, and obviously, with this story arc. He should have quickly left the book after that if he knew what was good for him.

Skin Deep I wasn't too much of a fan of. Mostly because you had these realistic-like pencils of Deodato and then you had the flashbacks done by Mark Brooks and it...did...not...mesh...at...ALL! And the villain was like Molten Man on crack anyway. But at least he STILL tried something new.

The Hydra, New Avengers, arc was fantastic. It had that flair that the beginning of his run had and into the Book of Ezekiel.

The Other...well, JMS did a fine job of crapping all over his own story, heh. The totem arc was fine the way it was left, but he had to add more to it and make it dumb. This is EASILY forgettable. But it wasn't ALL JMS. Reginald Hudlin's part was horrid, and Pat Lee's artwork was just about as horrid as the writing. The only thing JMS did was crap on himself here.

And the unmasking build up was pretty good. And, so far, post unmasking, JMS has been handling things rather well, with that flair that he had when he started on the title. Honestly, I think what JMS needs back is John F'N Romita Jr. Because once John left JMS fell off his horse.

But JMS did do a lot of great things. The number one was getting me back into Spider-Man comics, and comic books in general. DC should be thanking him because if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be reading as many DC titles...I wouldn't even be reading comics at all. And I wouldn't even be posting here. I'd be a non-comic book reader still if it weren't for JMS.

These are my feelings to a T. The Doctor Doom / Captain America story was what got me reading Spider-Man again after the 90's (though it was the "realization" that Pete was the clone that killed it for me). I also really enjoyed the Digger arc.

 

[Dr.Dude]

Evaluating JMS's run on Spidey is complicated for me, because there really is that dividing line set right at "Sins Past".

Obviously after that point its all sucked.... but until then, the combo of JMS and Romita Jr. had been one of my favorite Spidey runs of all time, easily somewhere in the top 5. The original Morlun arc, Aunt May finding out, the Ock arc, Digger, and especially ASM #500.... it was all straight-out, classic-style Spider-Man stories with just enough new twists on things to make it all interesting.

Just how ****ing good those stories were is what puts it all in perspective, and its exactly what makes all those lameass recent storylines he's done since Romita left such a shame.... but even so, I'll still always remember the early days of his run as what really counted.

 

[Dark Spidey]

I too think that the JMS/ Romita. Jr run has got to be one of my favourites of all time. They revitalized 616 Spider-man.

Deodato style was cool too. But it just lacked a certain... charm, that Romita. Jr's work brought to JMS' writing.

 

[gildea]

....i thought skin deep was alright.

Not great but not in the same class as the other or sins past.

 

[Doc Destruction]

bad spider-man writing started years ago, mid clone saga. JMS just provided us with a break, as did the boring but "alright" paul jenkins, before it got right back on track with rubbishy writing. dont you agree?

Well, there is a difference between lame and boring and AWFUL. JMS' run started out great, which makes everything minus the Hydra arc, post-Sins past a wretched, horrible thing.

 

[shinlyle]

Okay, I read ASM#533 while I was at the shop this past week, so I can throw out some more criticism on JMS.

Issues like #533 are the reason I can't stand JMS on ASM. It was a great issue. Yeah, the cover had the Spider on his chest all wrong, and the interior artwork wasn't much better (yes, I like Ron Garney, but some of this is terrible), but the story, characterization, and the entire situation were all handled perfectly.

Now, the reason it angers me: Why can't he do this EVERY ISSUE?!

For every Hydra Arc, Coming Home, or issue 533 he does, we get a monumental, "Shocking change", B.S. arc that has no place in the Spidey-verse. If he would keep on doing these issues, we'd be fine.

Watch....as soon as this current arc is over, a stinker will come. Watch and see.

Rest assured, my wallet and I will continue to shop elsewhere.

 

[Norman Osborn]

Now, the reason it angers me: Why can't he do this EVERY ISSUE?!

.

As I've stated many times before, I'd be indifferent to JMS if he was just another dime a dozen hack.......the fact that he can write a sometimes "brilliant" spider-man just infuriates the hell out of me

 

[shinlyle]

I honestly think he should have just come on board until the "Book of Ezekiel" arc, and then bowed out. It would have honestly given JMS a very respectable run on Spider-Man, and he wouldn't have tainted it with the crap that followed it....I don't think we need to say it's name.

 

[Captivated]

Okay, I read ASM#533 while I was at the shop this past week, so I can throw out some more criticism on JMS.

Issues like #533 are the reason I can't stand JMS on ASM. It was a great issue. Yeah, the cover had the Spider on his chest all wrong, and the interior artwork wasn't much better (yes, I like Ron Garney, but some of this is terrible), but the story, characterization, and the entire situation were all handled perfectly.

Now, the reason it angers me: Why can't he do this EVERY ISSUE?!

For every Hydra Arc, Coming Home, or issue 533 he does, we get a monumental, "Shocking change", B.S. arc that has no place in the Spidey-verse. If he would keep on doing these issues, we'd be fine.

Watch....as soon as this current arc is over, a stinker will come. Watch and see.

Exactly. I've said the same thing.

I know they have these "brainstorming sessions," and the very definition of a brainstorming session is that [SIZE=-1]there are no bad ideas. It's later, when the ideas are evaluated that you qualify them... and it's really Joey Q who's the keeper of that gate.

I think that after a few of their "bright" ideas ended up being stinkers in reality, they might learn the value of "focus groups"... [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]preferably made up of fans.[/SIZE]

 

[GNR]

How come I don't see any mention of Happy Birthday?I thought the trade was a great read,especially the last 2 solo stories from 501 and 502.

 

[Kevin]

happy birthday? issue 500? i liked it.

 

[VICTORVONDOOMX]

Well, I really like the way JMS focused on the appropratly large supporting cast for a Queens boy living in the Big Apple; How he clarified the character by bringing him back to his roots of responsibility, guilt and honor; How he maintained charaterization and gave the characters internal motivations that made sense in both historical and human terms.... Wow, yeah, that's the one I like best.

Now many of you might say that he did EXACTLY the opposite... and well, you'd be right.