Comics What's with all the mask ripping lately?

[Miss Webb]

Anyone noticed how in the different Spiderman books (at least on the covers) there's this new thing where eyeholes are oddly poked out or masks ripped? Anything can happen during a fight but who ever saw superpowers poking eyes and yanking masks? It's getting stupid. Especially the iron spider costume, why the hell is that ripping like tissuepaper? Unless there's an explanation I don't get it. Maybe Stark's technology is flimsy.

 

[imdaly]

Ma'am, it's been like that since the beginning of time. I imagine it's the same reason why you see rips in Peter's mask during the big end-fights in the movies, too: It allows for the viewer/reader to see Peter's facial expressions as he's having the big fights, thus adding a ton to the emotional impact of what's going on. It's a clever, subtle trick the artists use to add emotion to their drawings.

 

[imdaly]

Well...okay, maybe not since the BEGINNING of time, but it's been going on for a long time.


Curious about this, I've gone through to try to find the first time Spidey was pictured with a ripped mask on the cover of a comic...

Unless I'm missing an issue, it doesn't seem to happen until Amazing Spider-Man #342:

And here, it's nothing more than a tear in his hair.

The next occurance of ripped-masked Spidey on a cover seems to be AMZ #432...again being nothing more than a couple tiny tears that show nothing of his face.

Wow...okay, so it looks like the first time we ever really get a good shot of Pete's expressions while wearing the mask on the cover of an "Amazing Spider-Man" title is not until #259 (Vol. 2 #18).

Color me suprised to see it took so long for this to happen on his flagship title!

This appears to be the only times we've seen Spider-Man with his mask on, with the mask torn, and not while Peter is transformed, in the history of "Amazing Spider-Man", unless I missed one somewhere...wow...thought it would be much more than that!

 

[imdaly]

"Spectacular Spider-Man" is just as suprising.

First time we see this happen is #148, but doesn't really count, because...well...it's a zombie Spidey:

Aha! FINALLY! A good example! It didn't happen until #211, but it's a great one:

#217 shows another tear-in-the-hair shot...not really worth mentioning...

 

[imdaly]

"Web of Spider-Man"

#61:

Also, minimal tearing in issue #101.





Adjectiveless "Spider-Man":

Issue #5...

And not again until #98...

Very slight tears in the cover of #129...





"Marvel Knights: Spider-Man"

Slight tearing in Issue #4 and #17





....annnnnd that seems to be about it! Wow...


So I take back what I said, this has not happened since the beginning of time, or even that often at all! I really thought it happened a lot more than this, but looking through the past covers...seems I was wrong!

 

[spider greg]

Back in the good ol' days, a writer would remember his suit being damaged, therefore him being forced to repair it or letting us know that he puts on a new costume. These days, every other issue his costume'll get shredded, because it looks cool, and the next day he's wearing a brand new suit with no explanation. It'd be nice to see a little attention to detail. Just my little rant, you can go back to your regularly scheduled posting. *waves bye bye*

 

[Miss Webb]

LOL, going back to the beginning of time covers a LOT of territory...

Kind of makes you wonder why the heroes don't reinforce the cloth. At some point somebody's gonna be fighting nakkid! t:

It would be a hell of a strategy, though. Fight an opponent but keep ripping at their costume. They'd be too distracted to fight!

What's really messed up is I actually have a lot of those old issues with the torn masks. I dunno, I guess the eyehole thing is what's really funny (although I think Ramos did a cracked eyepiece somewhere). I can't recall anyone poking at eyes during a fight. Guess it could happen, though.

 

[Venomfan]

there is also that issue with venom holding up a skull shakesperean style, that has a ripped mask on it, although its not actually spideys skull, but isnt that issue pretty old?

 

[Miss Webb]

there is also that issue with venom holding up a skull shakesperean style, that has a ripped mask on it, although its not actually spideys skull, but isnt that issue pretty old?

I've got that one. I think the caption says something like "Spiderman I barely knew ye" or "alas fair spider I knew him well" (I think, I'd have to dig out my closet).

 

[USMC]

 

[imdaly]

Kind of makes you wonder why the heroes don't reinforce the cloth. At some point somebody's gonna be fighting nakkid! t:

It would be a hell of a strategy, though. Fight an opponent but keep ripping at their costume. They'd be too distracted to fight!

I'd be constantly teaming myself up with all of the female heroes all the time just HOPING to be there when that happens to them