Comics Kurt Busiek view on Spidey and MJ

[moraldeficiency]

Anyone who thinks marriage uncomplicates things has never been married, or even had a girlfriend. Sure MJ is like the perfect woman but considering how much terrible crap Peter goes through constantly if he didn't get the knockout supermodel girlfriend the freaking comic would drive people to suicide. The earlier post about Peter's brains attracting the hot chicks isn't quite right. It was always his nice guy personality that helped him out combined with the obvious sense that there was something more to him than the average guy. Other than Gwen both MJ and the Black Cat were the popular pretty girls who (it must be stressed, EVENTUALLY after time) went for Pete because he was something special once they looked a bit closer. Personally I think MJ brings up the level of drama and risk in his life. Yeah he's a loner but that's only cause fate made him that way. He wants to fit in but his life never lets him.

 

[ScottishFogg]

It is a terrible argument Busiek creates because:

1. There can still be balancing dual responsibilities while married. So they can no longer using boring Aunt May but make it a more adult and realistic responsibility of juggling a struggling marriage with being a superhero and how it strains the realtionship.

2. Peter has been a character of growth. To keep him single and in his early '20s for the last 20 years would be boring and the series would be stuck in status quo and suck. Kind of like how for the last 4 years after MJ came back Joey Q put the brakes down and said "NO MORE PROGRESSION." Hence all the bull**** "SHOCKING EVENT OF THE MONTH" to make the series seem fresh. Removing MJ will not solve this problem. Only amplify it.

3. When well written Peter can still be down on his luck and be married to MJ. It was bad writers in the 'mid '90s and the last 3-4 years that have forgotten that. Which is a shame because JMS/Romita Jr. did the marriage pretty well.

i couldn't have said it better.

 

[shinlyle]

You know, I've just had a horrifying thought:

What if the plans for the seperation are only so that they can be remarried in 3 years or so....when Spider-Man 4 comes out, and the character is married off in the film franchise?! Look at the comics....I wouldn't put it above Joey Q to pull such an outlandish stunt just to generate some publicity in a few years...

 

[ScottishFogg]

that makes me hurt on the inside.

 

[SpideyInATree]

I totally get what he's saying and agree with it for the most part. I'd definitely like to see Busiek jump on over and do an ongoing Spidey title now, haha.

 

[Donald Thomas]

I see what you're saying, and I agree, but I think our definition of "loner", at least in terms of Peter Parker is different. I mean to say he's not a socially outgoing person, not a "I hate the world" loner. And even Bruce Wayne has friends.

Aloha,
Love your sig. Completely agree. Now on topic-Let's never forget that Spider-Man appeared in a little volume called Marvel Team Up for 150 issues several annuals and MYU 2 and part of 3. He tried out for the Avengers ever since Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3.He has the right to be a part of a larger group of heroes that he can call upon. He shoud just not be bound to any team.He should always be Spidey first and team member second.
Spidey rules with web shooters thank you

 

[DACrowe]

Peter isn't a loner. Spider-Man is, except he teams up a lot and has no problem with it even though most heroes don't trust or like him. That's the beauty of the character.

But Parker being a regular guy struggling to find love would logically get married one day in most circumstances. He did. Drawing her like a supermodel is bull**** as the comic book medium draws EVERY woman to that ridiculous standard and it should be pointed at artists who think thebest way to sell an issue is if every woman looks like a supermodel. And turning MJ the actress into MJ the supermodel was another poor writing decision.

But MJ is a great character who in the right hands has made the issues better. I'll put it this way I think the '90s would have been a lot more unbearable without MJ and The Other would have been even worse too.

 

[Venomfan]

How many times will MJ be ANNOYED or TERRIFIED? till it gets old, which it already is.

not nearly as old as him going on dates and having to leave and then his girlfriend thinks hes a coward

 

[Blaktin America]

With the Reveal of the character he needs to be part of a team just for protection.

 

[Brand]

It's pretty simple. Peter is married, and as much as they might like to Joe Q and his cronies can't go back in time and change that fact. If they do break up the marriage, it will make the comics much darker. Even if they come up with some stupid story where afterwards Peter remains blissfully ignorant of his marriage, the readers will still remember it and will know that the comic could be so much better.

For instance, I've been a Star Wars fan all my life. I watched the movies as a kid and own dozens of novels, even sticking with the series through the New Jedi Order. As the books continued to get darker and darker, my interest grew less and less. Finally, the authors recently got around to killing one of my favorite characters, the wife of the guy I've followed since I first saw A New Hope when I was 6. That's when I called it quits. I won't be buying anything else with the Star Wars label on it, and if things keep going the way they are now I can easily stop buying Spider-Man comics again.

Yes, we love to see Spider-Man challenged. But in the end it's nice to see the good guys win. I have absolutely zero interest in watching a character I've come to love constantly being beat down over and over and never coming out with a victory. Taking away the marriage would be one of the biggest losses in Spider-Man's history, if not THE biggest. On top of everything else happening to him now, it makes me think that if Marvel decides to go in that direction I'll be marking another item off my list to buy each month. Oh well, there's always Ultimate until Bendis screws it up.

 

[AmaznSpider-Fan]

I disagree with him. I think all that breaking up MJ/Peter would do is make all the lazy writers that don't want to deal with it happy. There are so many ways you could play how Pete being Spider-Man affects MJ. To Peter it's like he's married to MJ but he's also married to the burden and responsibility of being Spider-Man. How would your wife react to you having this whole other life that she can't possibly be a part of? How does that dynamic play into their relationship?

You could go so many ways with this, and I think that Peter unmasking and MJ being there for him only solidifies their marriage.

 

[Blaktin America]

Professor X has his powers back now. He can make us all forget.

 

[TheVileOne]

I like and respect Busiek and all he's done, but I strongly disagree with his comments. Pretty much agree with all that's been said against them.

However, just to point out, Busiek is married and has children as far as I know.

I don't have too much else to add. But I think the fact that Mary Jane is such a beautiful, ideally knock-out babe just adds to the conflict. Since she is the type of woman that would get hit on a lot and maybe that causes Peter to get jealous.

And yeah Peter has always been dating and hooking up with hot babes since the 60's. Nothing new.

 

[spider greg]

not nearly as old as him going on dates and having to leave and then his girlfriend thinks hes a coward

Don't remember saying that I thought this was a good idea, but while we're on the subject, I agree, that gets pretty old also. New ideas need to be brought up, and if he's not married the options to do something new will be open

Aloha,
Love your sig. Completely agree

Thanks.