Of course the other Editor In Chief's went through the same thing. But the year 2007 is a lot different than 1985 or even 1996. Time moves on and so do ideas in marketing strategy and creative stategies. You are saying it yourself here, "the last 40 years". We are closing in on 50 fast here too...and how do you keep a character going for so long without repeating the same stories over and over again until it becomes a sad shell of what it used to be?
I don’t buy that.
So it’s 2007 and not the 90’s or 80’s anymore,- why should that be an excuse to write shoddy out of character/ padded-out arcs?- It is not. For the last 4 odd years the editorial has clearly not had any meaningful direction for ASM. They ran out of ideas, so they just started coming up w/ the most basic sensationalist cheap shots in order to stir up controversy. How lame. The way I see it- ASM already is
‘a sad shell of what it used to be’. One angle that could have been explored, but at this stage has only been hinted at in the past- would have been a realistic and more considered portrayal of the marriage, making MJ a real person. JMS started to do that- then everything went sour.
Well, of course the reader knows this. In your personal life isn't it always easier to diagnose someone elses problem than doing it for yourself, in most cases? To judge someone elses life looking from the outside because you're not so close to the problem? Yes, it is easier. And it's easier to also point your finger and say, "All the fans knew..." when you are reading what's going to happen in the comic book three months in advance and seeing teaser covers and teaser pages of the comics. Peter Parker doesn't get teasers or newsarama updates on what's going to happen next in his life, haha.
Seriously, No Spider-Man reader/fan needed any preview covers or future synopsis to know that PP’s decision to unmask was highly dubious, scratch that- plain stupid and totally out of character. Not only that, but the ramifications for doing so could only be bad. Again, you can’t relate this situation to giving personal advice to a friend about an issue they unsure of. Not unless they are mentally unstable and thinking of jumping in front of the nearest train-
SPLAT!. That’s all I can liken it to because it’s NOT something PP could have been manipulated on, and I find it insulting that Joe Q thinks he could con me into believing it.
And, in the unmasking case, I love the story because it's another lesson that Peter Parker is learning. It's what has made Peter Parker and Spider-Man great for all these decades that you were mentioning earlier. The superhuman registration act asked to register. Peter didn't HAVE to reveal his identity to the public but Tony Stark thought it would be a nice gesture to his fellow heroes to "come out of the closet". Peter ALWAYS wants to do the right thing. And while you may think, "But he's not...he's automatically endangering Aunt May and Mary Jane by doing it no matter what you say". And you are right. He would be and is and DID. But Peter has ALWAYS been about not putting himself or his life above the greater good. THAT'S been part of his character from day one as well. And you CAN'T argue that.
Never at the cost of his family’s safety.
That is out of character and as much as you may feel otherwise- nothing can be done about that. Peter Parker
‘learning’ of how he should not have unmasked is another swipe at the intelligence of the readership. So Stark thought
‘it would be a nice gesture’ for Spidey to unmask,- Right. So if he thought it would be a nice gesture- would Spidey stick a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger too? Because that is how dumb the unmasking was. Peter’s main concern above all else has always been protecting those he loves and unmasking just contradicts all of that. You claim that while unmasking would put MJ and May in danger, Peter agreed to it anyway. I would say- No he did not- Joe Q did it. ASM has been missing the mark for a long time now in terms of not only good storylines, but also crucially- understanding who Peter Parker/ Spider-Man is. No matter how you try to justify it the unmasking does not stand up. The current status quo is a result of a succession of illogical and highly contrived event arcs put in place for the sole purpose of JQ getting to the point we are at now, whereby exists an opportunity to kill the marriage.
Pathetic.
But when you are saying "out of character" I'm thinking more along the lines of Peter Parker dressing up as a ****** and saying, "*****" at the end of every sentence, haha. Now THAT'S written HORRIBLY out of character. Not a character unmasking after 44 years of stories.
Heh.
Well, hey man that’s you and I have a different opinion.
For me, and many others the unmasking is highly out of character, no matter what contrived circumstances JMS/JQ use to try and justify it to me, because it contradicts PP/SM’s prime directive of protecting those he loves. Furthermore- considering how intelligent and strong willed PP is- Stark would NEVER be able to manipulate him.
