Spider-Questions
Tom,

(1) Is Marvel going to start offering an option to subscribe to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY?

(2) Any plans to have Peter David do any Spider-Man work any time soon?

Thanks,

Posted by Mardochaeus LXX on 2008-10-07 18:51:16
TEE HEE
Aunt May looks like senator Schwarzenegger in drag.

Posted by underscore on 2008-10-07 18:59:27
Tom, what did you really think of The Other? The general reaction seems to have been poor, as much of the storyline was either ignored or quickly done away with (one of the very best things about BND, in my opinion).

Posted by Moorish on 2008-10-07 19:28:47
What would Coolhanddave ask?

1) If everything in continuity happened, except for the "I do", how come dead people are back? (Basically a Spider-man continuity question, what did OMD change, although I'm guessing, that's the definition of upcoming story lines.)
(So many questions, is nothing sacred, if the fans didn't have a problem with the marriage why should the writers, aren't there enough stories you can tell with a married peter then with a single one, why is time stuck in the MU in relation to some characters, but instead, seen as its gotta be strictly Spider-man related, here's the main one.)
2) How old is Peter Parker?

Posted by thomas more on 2008-10-07 19:45:31
Strictly years and months. None of this early 20s, mid-20s stuff, please.

Posted by thomas more on 2008-10-07 19:46:36
Thanks
Now I don't have to waste my two on the obvious ones. Its awesome that St. Thomas and I are on the same page.

Posted by coolhanddave on 2008-10-07 19:57:25
Spider-Man questions
1. Now I am sure you've heard this alot, but... You, Quesada, and others have repeatedly stated: The only thing that's changed was the Marriage not happening. I can post a link to every site where this is said. Spidey's normal powers would have enabled him to keep up with such thugs, and his enhanced powers from the Other certainly would've made it a breeze to keep up with people like Screwball. But as we saw in BND, Screwball got away.


My question is: If the only thing that's changed is the Marriage, then what happened to Spider-Man's powers from the Other, and the experience he accrued over the years?

2. I understand Marvel is busy with comics and what not, but would it be possible for you and others to at least pay the Marvel.com message boards a visit at least every once in awhile?

Thanks.

Posted by Aziroth on 2008-10-07 20:00:50
Spider-Questions
Here's a few questions from a fan who is still reading/enjoying ASM...

1) I understand that with the dissolution of the Spider-Marriage, it was a good idea to give Mary Jane a break and keep her away from the book for a while, even though she's one of my favorite super-significant others in comics. So my question is are there plans for Mary Jane to return to the books as a major supporting character? Cameos of her dating Bobby Carr and the mystery of Who is Jackpot are entertaining as hell, but I feel like the book is one of its major moral centers without the sassy redhead.

2) Steve Wacker seems like a really funny guy, so here's a two part question: Make him write a comedy book like a deadpool or aaron stack one-shot, i think thatd rock. Also, how in hell do you put up with him in the office?

Thank you, your worshipful Brevoortitude

Posted by cryhavok01 on 2008-10-07 20:20:27
I just want to open this by saying, "I'm a true Believoort!" I love the new Spidy direction. But since you are asking for questions, here's what I got.

Spider-man has been toted as a positive role model; he has his brushes with bad decisions, but always trues to make up for it. There's this deal with devil.

1) How can a good character make a pact with evil incarnate and still be a good role model?

So far, his life is considerably better than it was before the deal. He's happier, May is healthy, some dead people are walking around. 'Okay kids, you need something real real bad, go make a deal with Satan.' The only person who seems to be suffering from this thing is Mary Jane, who seems to remember. So second question:

2) Was the deal to supposed to screw Mary Jane or Peter?

Posted by kyle-latino on 2008-10-07 20:28:10
qu's
1. I know for a fact that quesada said that Peter 'forgot' about his awsome "Other" powers rather then not ever having had them. This is supported by -nothing was ERASED except the I DO although some was forgotten- statement. So my question is not will they ever be addressed? my fist question IS SPECIFICALLY "IF a writer wanted to bring them back in soon or later would you let them?"

2. Will Kaine and the Gwen clone ever be seen or mentioned again if only to be killed off? limboing characters is worse then killing them OR badly writing them. This has to be adressed one day so can you tell me IF AND/OR when it will be. come on lets get this one out of the way sooner rather then later pretty please?

Posted by tobys on 2008-10-07 20:29:02
Tom, why is Amazing Spider-Man so incredibly awesome right now? I look at it and I just can't believe it.

It's like a cross between Jesus Christ and a PB&J sandwhich.

Oh..have there been any discussion of plans for a possible new Paper Doll arc? She really had a great intro Amazing that really kind of left me wondering where she could be taken next.

Posted by Dr. Chaos on 2008-10-07 22:34:39
my two spidey questions.
1). What was the backup plan in case OMD/BND backfired so severely that you had to reverse said events? I can only assume that the backlash wasn't bad enough where such a possibility was exercised.

2). Any plans to have Peter be made aware of the decision he made in OMD, be it near or extreeeeeeemly far future? If so, what would he do with that knowledge?

Posted by DRock1 on 2008-10-07 23:27:25
Burn Out
After this many years on the job, do you still enjoy Spider-Man (and comics in general) or does the online backlash make it too much "just a job?" I would think the potential for burn-out would be pretty high.

Posted by ted_dahlman on 2008-10-07 23:39:09
Offensive
Can you please remove the post that compares a
comic book to "a cross between Jesus and a PB&J sandwich"?

Posted by herbiepopnecker on 2008-10-08 00:11:23
Ok...
Two questions. Fair enough.

a. Number one, I'd like to add my voice to answering kyle-latino's first question... How can a morally good character like Spidey, who told us that with great power comes great responsibility, make a pact with the Marvel Universe's equal of Satan, and yet be still considered a good role model to kids and people everywhere, regardless of if his aunt gets to live, which is incredibly selfish for Spidey?
b. What is the point of Carlie Cooper if she's Gwen Stacy in all but name? I'd almost prefer Gwen to be alive than have this Poundshop version instead.

Anyway, though I loathe BND and all it stands for, I am thankful for the opportunity to ask these questions Tom, so cheers.

Posted by Derek Metaltron on 2008-10-08 04:27:41
I veto kyle-latino and derek metaltron question :
go read 'Faust' , IT IS TIME....

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-08 05:50:01
Ok then...
Then I un-veto it infinity, bub, cause this question needs to be answered. Spidey made a deal with Satan. He's not a hero anymore. No compromises. And Faust wasn't a Superhero with great power and responsibility. So my and kyle-latino's main question still stands.

Posted by Derek Metaltron on 2008-10-08 07:34:22
I definetely don't understand what kind of answer you're seeking.
Did you read 'The golem ' by Gustave Meyrink ?
In it, a character explain what is the devil as a symbol.
Maybe have you seen 'Bad lieutenant ' by Abel Ferrara ?
At the time where moralists (' we-aaare-the-wooorld' ) didn't make laugh anymore, Ferrara chose to show the wrong example, thinking it'll have more impact, and pointed better than anyone the painful problem of forgiving.
Spidey dealing with the devil is the ultimate narrative ressort, completely into the problematic 'with power comes grest responsability', and gives to him another purpose that the eternal campus-looser.It shines litteraly that this problem won't be solve tomorrow:
first, because the deal open a new direction to Spidey's history.
two, because a so interesting plot need time to have effect
three, do I have to remember you that this is bussiness also, see the post about continuity.
You're afraid that Spidey shows the wrong example, DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE SO DUMB TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE BECAUSE SPIDEY DOES THAT ? DO YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT INTERESTED TO SEE WHERE MARVEL WANNA GO WITH THIS ?
Plus, you're attacking directly the integrty of authors by veto-censuring something who isn't gone to his conclusion.
Then you'll judge.

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-08 08:37:39
Plus...
Aren't you sick of happy-ends ?
That super-heroes will eternally save the world ?
I'm not against fairy-tales, but I personnally need to read other things; I don't agree with everything Marvel is doing but right now there talking about life better than everyone :
FOR ONCE, stories have consequences as in real life ( see the up-coming 'Dark Reign' ) and that's what comic-books are made for.
Aren't you sick of the 'live-and-let-die -philosophia ' ( 'art is not curing cancer ' ) ?
The fact that Spidey made a deal in an interesting variation about the Dostoievski' sentence 'what is really awful is that everybody have his reasons ' or the common 'the end doesn't justify the way and means ', and I have no problem to see Spidey facing what is calling integrity, or becoming a martyr, because it is showed a better interesting way than crucufied on a cross.
Can you people just WAIT...?

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-08 09:00:14
This is something as no less than Alan Moore who defines litterature -as life- when he says ' you'll get what you gave' and it takes sometimes a life-time to reach that...
I think we could at last be thankful to Marvel to take the risk to deal with this kind of thematic....

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-08 09:05:11
1)When will aunt may die she old that is what old people do
2)How much of a sales hit are you willing to take before seriously looking at what has happened to spiderman and doing something about it.

Posted by spiderFAN1984 on 2008-10-08 09:31:47
1) Was the deal with Mephisto an allusion to the supposed moral decay of today's society?

2) Do you see the deal with Mephisto as a more "selfless" or more "selfish" act on the part of MJ and Peter?

Thank you, Tom, for listening, and please edit the post about Jesus and pb&j, many of us find it offensive.

Posted by deadpool1977 on 2008-10-08 10:20:13
Questions from across the pond
Hi Tom,
First of all keep up the great work ASM is very enjoyable. This new direction is certainly working, in this long term (more years than I care to remember) fan's opinion.
Only one question. Will ASM be crossing over into other stories next year? Event stories and such like? Or will the title be left alone to develop its own stories?

Posted by eamonmcgrane on 2008-10-08 10:25:01
I love BND, but here are my 2:

1. Peter went through some seriously unnerving issues during/after House Of M. I speak of course in regards to his new, second life, containing all his loved ones that had died, and also his apple-of-his-eye son. With the knowledge that this whole world was untrue, and then eventually taken from him, reality returned to normal. Peter's only response to this is in a panel or two in the final HoM issue, and then in Son f M #1. It's obviously too late now for the character to all of a sudden 'recall' all of this, so dealing with it in future storylines seems unlikely. But why was it this was never followed up on?

2. And should it have been followed up on, don't you think the stresses of such a tragedy on his life would have wedged Peter and MJ apart... thus dissolving their marriage, giving Peter his 'Back In Black' moment of emotion, followed by his Brand New Day?

Posted by dp_lombardo on 2008-10-08 10:28:47
Leave Dr. Chaos alone!
That Jesus Butter & Jelly sandwich line made me die laughing, lighten up people.

Posted by cryhavok01 on 2008-10-08 10:34:43
Vetoing Dr.Chaos' post
I am vetoing it because 1) such comments are irreverent and even blasphemous. 2) comments like the Jesus/PB&J comparison are not tolerated on the Marvel.com message boards because such comments are the kind that offend people (as you may have already noticed by reading/approving some of the posts disapproving of Dr.Chaos' post.

Posted by Aziroth on 2008-10-08 10:46:16
Questions
When, if ever, will Spider-Man become one of the most prominent characters in the comics? And by that I mean: Are there any plans to have Spider-Man once again take center stage in the Marvel U?
We all know Iron Man, Cap, and Wolverine get tons of exposure and are very active in the Marvel U as a whole. Will Spider-Man ever get his turn? I mean, REALLY have a turn? For once it would be nice to see him save the day for everyone.

Posted by the darkone on 2008-10-08 10:52:46
My 2 questions:
1) Joe Quesada made a statement at the start of BND to the effect that going the deal with the devil route as opposed to the divorce route was better, because divorce was an inappropriate theme/hot button topic, or an ugly blackmark on the name of Spider-Man.
How exactly, is a man whose whole mantra is, "with great power comes great responsibility", making a deal with the devil any better or even remotely acceptable? You are effectively stating to children everywhere that if life gets on top of you, making a deal with evil incarnate to get out of a jam is okay. I simply can't muddle my way through that one!

2) A lot of people at Marvel seem to be glossing over the anger of fans in regards to the result of OMD and the subsequent establishment of BND (with the exception of this opportunity to speak out, of course!).....the very existence of this blog giving us this opportunity means that at least you can see the anger of us, your fans...but do Marvel as a company intend to publicly address said anger to at least ease the bitter rift between yourselves and your previously loyal-now departed fans?

Thanks for your time Tom. I look forward to reading your answers.

Posted by aussie macca on 2008-10-08 11:07:51
1) What do you think the appeal of Spider-Man is?

2) Any chances for an upcoming Nova/Spidey meeting?

Thanks Tom,

Jared Good

Posted by jaredgood1 on 2008-10-08 11:31:52
ugh...
So now i have to Veto Aziroth's Veto of Dr. Chaos. (I dont actualy care if im allowed to veto a veto, im just trying to make a point) This is the kind of closed minded-ness i can never understand in people. What exactly was offensive about his comment? Its not like he was making fun of anybody's religion. he was saying jesus is a good thing! as are pb&j sammiches. The internet is supposed to be the greatest bastion of free speech there is. hell, i see people making horrible horrible accusations and attacks on other people for simply having a different opinion about one line of dialogue in a comic book, but one person makes a little joke and everybody's head explodes with outrage at the shocking and offensive comments? talk about hypocracy.

Posted by cryhavok01 on 2008-10-08 11:33:08
About Mephisto
1. Do you feel that Peter Parker was in character by making a deal with Mephisto? Do you think it was a necessary evil plot wise, or that Peter Parker has seen so much pain and death in his life he would be willing to do anything to save another life (Gwen Stacy, Captain Stacy, Jean Dewolf, Uncle Ben, Captain America ect.)?

Posted by DevynR. on 2008-10-08 11:37:18
Spiderman Questions
1. After all this time do YOU feel that the OMD/BND arc has helped or hurt the Spiderman comic.

2. As an engaged 24 year old man myself; Why did you feel a married Spiderman injured or hurt the comic in any way and do you feel there are any instances where a married Spiderman can actually be a positive writing device.

(I myself have never read a Spiderman comic to see who Peter was dating but how he dealt with real challenges in his life. I guess I never saw the appeal of a single Spiderman since I was only 3 or so when he got married. I just am at a lost that Marvel would so drastically change a character in his selling high. It wasn't like Spiderman was failing or selling low when the change occured... So who fought for the OMD changes? The editors? The fans?)

Posted by NinjaDan2000 on 2008-10-08 12:24:11
Why so concecending?
Hear me out:

I've been a huge fan of Spider-Man for just about my entire life. I'm not a drooling, game-obsessed, live-in-ma's-basement spaz. Ok, I have a Spider-Man tattoo on my forearm, and that's pretty spazzy behavior, I'll give you that, but otherwise I'm a pretty regular guy who happens to love reading comic books.

I really loved where Spider-Man was post Civil War. He had made some bad, bad decisions and was paying a hefty price for them. There were story possibilities that blew my mind, and I could not WAIT for the next issue to come out.

So then I hear that One More Day is going to wipe the whole thing off the table and split up his marriage. Ok...although it's not the direction I wanted to see the book go, whatever...I'm on board. I read One More Day and thought it was a really lazy way to get out of the marriage and identity situation. But ok...I'm still on board, and the new direction, while it's not one I would have chosen, does have its own merits and exciting possibilities.

The book is coming out three times a month? Awesome. I'm so on board. I don't like every single arc or issue, and there are things I don't dig at all, but I'm on board for sure.

My point is that there are those of us who remain open-minded and respectful of your collective efforts, but when editors suggest that the readership consists of a bunch of whiners, or that the readership would complain no matter what, or that we are just a bunch of fanboys that spend too much time on boards, I feel lumped in there, and it's kind of off-putting. I'm not saying I'm dropping the book because of it...that's trite. But it makes it harder for you to get the fan base excited about upcoming projects when reading an interview sometimes makes the reader feel scolded for having different opinions.

Almost every time I read an interview or article where you or Steve Wacker are talking about fans' reactions to this flagship character, you sound condescending and very defensive. I know it's frustrating to have your work judged before it's read and your decisions armchair quarterbacked to death. I'm in a creative field, too, and I hate it when people second-guess what I've worked very hard on. It stings. But when you make it seem like our opinions don't matter, or that we don't know what the hell we're talking about, it gets really old. I've enjoyed reading your blog for some time now, and I will continue to read it because whether or not I agree with everything Marvel does, I do appreciate the bold moves the books have made over the last few years.

Make Mine Marvel.


Posted by macwagen on 2008-10-08 12:49:14
I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE
you Marvel had go too far :
the next time I see Peter Parker drinking a Diet Coke instead of a normal Coke
I QUIT...

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-08 13:20:39
I WILL...

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-08 13:21:05
questions
1) Has the response to this made you reconsider any ideas you
were considering for other characters?

2) Is the angry response by half the fans better than a bored shrug by all the fans?

Posted by izzatrix on 2008-10-08 13:45:57
Questions
1) Does Peter remember that he revealed his identity to the world? If so, how come he doesn't wonder why the whole world forgot? If not, then that seems to be a lot more changes than just undoing "I do."

Posted by superscribe on 2008-10-08 14:45:47
Questions
Hey Tom

Is there an official Marvvel edict that states that the Clone Saga or anything from that storyliine must never be mentioned again? I don't actually recall a time when Pete or MJ mentioned Ben or the death of their daughter....except to make jokes about it. "Hey I've clones.....great"

Posted by Miles_Warren on 2008-10-08 15:06:32
Veto and such
Veto the jaredgood1's first question. Tom has already stated this in previous blog posts.

Also, when did reading spider-man require a degree in literature to understand. I don't think that the ideas behind the changes made in OMD were as high minded as bulgarianyogurt tries to make them out to be. Yes they clearly used the Faustian deal, but beyond that I don't think there was some in depth discussion of what the devil represents or even an in depth discussion of the role that Mephisto plays in the MU. People are always going to disagree with decisions and most of their questions are legitimate, so they can do without a dissertation on the literary roots of such ideas/choices/representations etc.

1. How much of an uproar from fans is necessary to cause a change in the direction of a character?

My only reference for such a change would be the death of Jason Todd. I'm not sure how much actual displeasure there was or how DC editorial became aware of it, I'm sure that would be an interesting story.

2. When is the decision made that a reboot is necessary and how do editors/writers etc. come to that conclusion?

Posted by CaptainMarvel221 on 2008-10-08 15:21:27
2 Questions
1) Can the Prowler please come through an arc SOON? Hobie Brown works so well with Peter Parker I would just love to see it done by any of the brain trust. Especially with JRjr doing the art. I don't think JRjr has ever drawn the Prowler and he was very influential in JRsr's creation of the character.

2) Are you working on getting Dan Jurgens to write and draw an arc or Family story? His previous run was way too short and I'd like to see him come back and work on the 'real' Peter Parker.

Posted by Suiter on 2008-10-08 15:36:43
In response to bulgarianyogurt here...
Not trying to make this a two-way conversation, but I want to defend my views here. Oh, and kudos to several interesting, rational questions since my last post, too many to name them all.

Anyway... yes, this arc isn't over. And you know what? The longer it goes on, the more painful it becomes to me, a Spidey Fan who thanks to OMD and BND has on the whole lost love with the once heroic Web-Slinger. To ME, I just want it to end NOW. I can't wait, because the number of things wrong with Spidey now thanks to his deal with the devil upsets me.

I'm not sick of happy endings. I like to see the good guys win. In an ideal world for me, the Spidey writers might finally allow Spidey what the title deserves - no more Aunt May, MJ and him with a child, and the situation of the unmasking solved by the events of Avengers The Initative #7 rather than a whish of Satan's hand.

Even so, if I had to pick one thing which grates me more than anything, its HOW this was done than the fact that it had to me. I'm going to say it one more time... Spidey made/agreed to a deal with the Devil. Spidey, the heroic, unselfish, responsible icon who certainly didn't do a Johnny Blaze when Uncle Ben croaked, or Aunt May was dead the last time.

So yeah, thats what hurt me most - that Marvel thinks this is what Spidey does when his aunt's in a coma. I reckon every Spidey fan KNOWS what May would have said if she had been awake to see her nephew's decision.

So there, last word from me. I do admit though bulgarianyogurt, at least you put your views forward sensibly. I always say as long as you can agree to disagree, thats fine. Oh, and judging by your 'Peter drinks Diet Coke' comment, guessing you're not going to see the new James Bond Movie. :P

Anyway, back to the questions people! :)

Posted by Derek Metaltron on 2008-10-08 16:08:19
1. Is there any consideration given to the upset fans during your meetings?
2. Why should I get interested in other Marvel characters when a simple deal with Mephisto can re-write any development's made in their books? Or do the other Marvel characters have too much moral fibre to make the deal with the devil that Peter did.

Posted by randin on 2008-10-08 17:17:49
No quesions
Jesus was the only perfect individual to ever walk the earth. Peter is not Jesus. He makes mistakes, after all, he's only human. Besides, Mephisto took advantage of Pete at a very distressing time in his life. It's not like he went out looking for a devil to make a deal with.



Posted by jjp69 on 2008-10-08 18:58:03
Tom is right
You can't please everyone and with so many taking the stories they don't like so personnally, I think the "Stan Lee presents" at the beginning of every book should also include "with apologies to anyone who doesn't like what they read within!"

Posted by jjp69 on 2008-10-08 19:03:37
"The Other"
The Other had great potential, but fell flat at the end. The added powers were the worst idea of the whole story. My only question is "If Peter only forgot about his new powers, can we be sure that he develops permanent amnesia regarding these powers?" Wolverine is "the best there is at what he does" and we don't need Spidey popping some rediculous claws trying to be Wolvie Jr.

Posted by jjp69 on 2008-10-08 19:10:10
(1) Would you ever consider if not adding Spider-girl to the 616 universe or a crossover with Spiderman, maybe a girl from the Feast center who gets adopted by May and becomes like a sister to Peter?
(2) Will we ever see Jeph Loeb and Tim sale back opn Spiderman? How about Bendis on Amazing?

Posted by poeticlife on 2008-10-08 20:16:48
My Questions...
1. How old is Peter? (in years)

2. I'm not saying "I think you guys should change the direction of the comic book" or anything I'm just wondering do you guys go to the Marvel boards?

Posted by marvelman123456 on 2008-10-08 20:26:32
2 questions
1. How come everyone claims the only thing changed by Mephisto was the undoing of the marriage; while Spider-man's bio on Marvel's own web page clearly states that the wiping of people's memories and the return of Harry was caused by Mephisto.
2. Does the current BND storyline reall take place a year or so after OMD, because that really mucks up the whole Secret Invasion/New Avengers timeline.

Posted by Motumbo on 2008-10-08 22:08:27
hahaha mine doesn't have to do with harry and
but I will give my opinion on the mj and mephisto thing: If they didn't get married then a lot of the events like The Other couldn't have happened, it just makes sense IDK

1. What was wrong with pete in the other?

2. Is what anti-venom's...thingy a symbiote that a certain webslinger could catch *wink wink*

Posted by suziepunisher on 2008-10-08 23:53:52
One more thing...
please remove the post about jesus and the PB@J its offensive.

Posted by marvelman123456 on 2008-10-09 01:06:43
Spider Man' spin-off
1/ Knowing that some ongoing starring female characters (I hate this terminology, apologizes ) will merge soon : 'Dakota North', 'Spiderwoman', is there a chance to see an ongoing starring...Black Cat ?
Attention...I'm serious here, not a 'Patsywalkerhellcatagentofinitiative' crap ...
something with David Lapham on the writing, and Tommy Lee Edwards for the art...
After all, she should have probably comes to terms with the secret son of Steve Rogers now, or is it planned for a forthcoming ( I don't know what does it mean ) Spidey' issue.. .?
2/ I'll say something now , starting with Ann Nocenti and ending with Ted Mc Keever...
I hope to have finally an answer about this.
I mean, Ann Nocenti, the magnificent writer of one of the most significant story-arcs about a Marvel character who generate a whole comic-book line from the local concurrency, Ann Nocenti then.
Ted Mc Keever, one of the most important artist of the latest century that Marvel DARE to promote with publishing the blasting ( actually it is ) 'Plastic Forks' ( I'm thinking so to THIS Mc Keever, the one who use space and close-up like no-one ).

I mean, don't be afraid to pall your readers, don't menage us -let it all go, you'll feel better after - I think that's when you're publishing 'patsywalkerhellcatagentofinitiative', that's here you disrespect them/us and me especially because I'm paranoid.


Posted by notapotatoe on 2008-10-09 05:47:56
My 2 questions.
I hope it´s not offend anyone:

1-Is there any chance of undoing the mephisto deal? I think it was a real bad move and put peter compromise his marriage and I know lots won´t agree bu his soul. I think something should be done to clean Peter´s soul from something so bad, even if many called it a heroic act.

2-When classic villains will be used again? I miss, Doc. Octopus, Chameleon, Lizard, Vulture Shocker, Electro and so on. I think it´s time for their return.

Thanks for your time.

Posted by claudio pahl on 2008-10-09 08:32:06
I can respect bulgarianyogurt intelligent rants. But I don't really agree with the idea of him vetoing questions because he already has an answer that satisfies him. But hey, Tom said, "any poster can veto any question for any reason."

For the record, I wasn't insinuating that Spider-Man can't be a hero because he made a deal with the devil, I was just interested in hearing the response to that question. Maybe next time I'll have read enough books to get to ask what I want.

Posted by kyle-latino on 2008-10-09 08:58:35
actually
Please dont remove the PB&J comment I would find its removal offensive.

also JJP69 your post ofends me as a rational atheist. You should have said I bleive that Jesus existed and also was perfect.

The way you stated you BELIEF as FACT was as offensive as me saying god does not exist versus I dont belive.

Im not trying to bring religion into your blog im just saying it can work both ways to please dont pander to EITHER side Tom and Thankyou very much kind sir for giving us an opputunity to ask these questions.

Posted by tobys on 2008-10-09 10:08:49
Questions
1

What would you say is BND's greatest success?

2

What would you say is BND's greatest failure?



Thanx.

Posted by baxtos on 2008-10-09 11:00:15
Mine didn't seem to post yesterday, so...
1) Is Mephisto's deal with Peter part of a larger Mephisto War waged against the Marvel Universe? If not, seems like someone already part of the Spidey mythology could have filled the role (a supernatural Post-Death Mysterio perhaps) without all of the "deal with the devil" implications.
2) I'm really enjoying NWTD but was thrown off by the fact that Spidey took so many bullets and was still standing and then that Bullseye was shot in the chest while the Tracer was clearly in his hand (wasted opportunity to blow off the marksman's hand). Are there intentional, larger explanations for these happenings or should I not mind and chalk them up to No-Prize scenarios?

And, not a question, but I love Slott on Spidey and would like to see his Spidey/Human Torch mini re-printed in Trade.

Posted by hamgravy on 2008-10-09 11:05:12
and
Good questions Baxtos.

I'm going to veto Claudio's questions but only because I know the answers.

1) Tom has said in the past that they're not going to undo the deal. Even if it's the end of a much longer story arc he's not going to reveal it now.

2) Hammer Head and Molten Man are slotted as upcoming villains and Wacker has said that the embargo on old villains is off and that we can expect to see the classics in future arcs.

Posted by hamgravy on 2008-10-09 11:08:10
kyle-latino
I don't doubt that Tom has a response of his own for you, and my veto won't change a thing. I just don't understand reader's behaviour about this deal with the devil.
The latest deal-story I know from Marvel is one with Dr Strange and Doom, and still is one of the most interesting stories published by Marvel, with 'God kills... '.

Even if you already have your opinion about evil and good, don't you think this kind of stories can actually give a lot to someone else, Spider-with-great-power-come-great-responsabilities- Man IS the place where such themas can be summoned, and for that I'm thankful to them to point such a purpose this way.I don't have to be ashamed having read some books , and for what I know, 'even in comics' , using his brain is welcome.
so it makes me come back with my Diet Coke problema :
what is for you character failures ? drama ? why are we talking about it in works of fiction ? Is what you want something like 'The safe adventures of Spider Man' ?

To answer your question maybe you should read 'Hellblazer', the adventures of someone who is totally corrupted, and also very pure, even if he know he is damned .

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-09 13:44:04
Quesada "put a genie back in a bottle" by introducing magic to a character that is grounded in science (albeit the comic book version). While 'The Devil" is a valid literary device and may work for any number of stories and characters it doesn't belong in the Spidey Myth even apart from the moral implications. The X-Men don't fight the mob, Daredevil doesn't take on interdimensional threats, and in this case the powers that be used a decidedly un-Spidey method of getting to where they wanted to be. That story could have been anything, and while I do enjoy some of what has come of BND, I can see why readers feel cheated by The Deal and don't think that any BND storypoint of any value could not have been told with a married Peter.

Posted by hamgravy on 2008-10-09 14:22:35
that's the problem,
I really would like to see X-Men fighting the mob, Daredevil ( the armor was cool ) taking interdimensionnals what you said. The Nocenti-Romita Jr era was great especially from this point , see Inferno and the Ultron story-arc.
Stories could be more fun if the heroes are confronted to something who- at first- depass them, something that 'they're not made/ created to face '.

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-09 14:38:04
I agree to a point. I absolutely thought Ann Noccenti earned that Mephisto/Blackheart run (Ultron was Acts of Vengeance) through good writing and abetted by the fact that Daredevil is a character of faith that wears a devil costume. It's not to say that a writer can't write against type, but in OMD they did so only for a moment and only as a magical band-aid.

Posted by hamgravy on 2008-10-09 14:54:07
I really only have two question sence I assume their going to get to ansawering the "other" question in due time only pleae make soon. :-) ok my question is
1) When dose Amazing spider man fit in time line wise? I gather it's before SI at this point but how much before?
2) When SI is over will amazing spider man pick up after SI as well? I mean I've heard their are big things happening after SI so I think it would be preaty easy to tell if spidy is lagging behind time wise in his book. Thank you for taking the time out to answer the question.


Posted by s-i-d-e-r-m-a-n on 2008-10-09 15:14:39
If THIS has no repercussions, what will have ?

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-09 15:26:27
sorry have to correct my self I put my questions in a comfusing way. clealry amazing spider man is happing during SI but not during the climax as he wouldn't be in NY. So I guess put simply my quesions are.
1) how much before the finle battle in SI is amazing at this point?
2) When will Amazing spider man start to pick up after the final battle in SI? ok I gather their maybe story points you can't get in to in thease. So if you could just bast time line on current amazing spider man please?

Posted by s-i-d-e-r-m-a-n on 2008-10-09 15:26:42
Yeah, I'd like to veto all of the "But you said you only changed the marriage, so how come..." questions, thank you.

TIME HAS HAPPENED BETWEEN #545 AND #546. And we will find out what happened during that time. They already told us that we will.
So if you all could be a bit more patient...

Also, I'd like to veto those impolite variations of "how do you want to make it up to us bitter fanboys who don't like your current stories, even to those of us that spit in your face at every opportunity?".

Oh, and Motumbo... Check out #546. When Peter is stepping into the alley, there is a newspaper headline: 100 days without Spider-Man. In the same issue, a TV news anchorwoman says that it's been months, outside of one brief sighting (Swing Shift).
So a year is a bit off, but close to four months sounds reasonable.

But of course, the Marvel comic timescale being a sliding one (no matter if it's 1975 or 2056, the Fantastic Four will always have been active for about ten years, give or take, with more and more stories crammed into that decade each year of our time), it won't matter in the end anyway. So it might have been one year, or it might have been two months. Remember that six-month gap when Chris Claremont returned to the X-Men in 2000? Is it still important if it was eight weeks or eight months?
If you really want to get anal about how much time has passed between New Avengers #1 and #40, and if that is consistent with Spider-Man wearing the black costume after Civil War, I suggest you just invent an explanation for that (there always is one) and demand a no-prize.

Posted by Michael Heide on 2008-10-09 15:29:22
Respect
No muslim would allow his god to be mentioned in a jesting
manner; similarly, Christians will and should speak up when
the name of Jesus Christ is misused. Free speech aside,
it is respectful of others NOT to use His name lightly or as
a curse. It is a simple courtesy to those who respect the name
and shows a level of maturity - misusing the name shows a lack
of maturity.

Posted by herbiepopnecker on 2008-10-09 15:52:41
ok um I did have a another question. I'm interested in x men/spider man mini coming up my question about it is. Is it 616 or is set out of coninuity? before I commit too it I'd like to know.

Posted by s-i-d-e-r-m-a-n on 2008-10-09 16:14:11
Vetoes and Questions
I veto SpiderFAN 1984's questions and Darkone's questions. Because Aunt May is one of Marvel's best characters, must never die, and it was stupid for her to die in issue #400 anyway. And the sales question is boring. And the question about Spidey taking center stage just seems unimportant. Taking center stage doesn't make a good story.

My questions:
1. Will Brian Bendis, Mark Millar, or Terry Moore ever write "Amazing Spider-Man?"
2. Will Steve McNiven, Todd McFarlane, or John Romita Sr. ever return to penciling "Amazing Spider-Man?" Could Terry Moore pencil ASM?

Posted by pineappleprotein on 2008-10-09 16:28:09
Hey Tom,
Thanks for the opportunity to ask you some OMD/BND questions.

1) I know from previous statements that you have made that you feel OMD/BND had to happen. I don't agree, but I respect your opinion. Would you personally have done it the way it was eventually done with Mephisto, everyone forgetting Pete's identity, etc or is there a different plot device you would have liked to have seen used to "remove" the marriage?

2) If you were a fan who were opposed to BND, apart from dropping Spider-man completely, what do you think the most efficacious way to get the powers that be at Marvel to reverse their decision would be? Maybe, to try and get all the opponents of BND to refuse to buy a particular forthcoming issue?

Again, thanks for doing this.

Posted by cjmcaree on 2008-10-09 16:28:26
Vetoes and Questions
I veto SpiderFAN 1984's questions and Darkone's questions. Because Aunt May is one of Marvel's best characters, must never die, and it was stupid for her to die in issue #400 anyway. And the sales question is boring. And the question about Spidey taking center stage just seems unimportant. Taking center stage doesn't make a good story.

My questions:
1. Will Brian Bendis, Mark Millar, or Terry Moore ever write "Amazing Spider-Man?"
2. Will Steve McNiven, Todd McFarlane, or John Romita Sr. ever return to penciling "Amazing Spider-Man?" Could Terry Moore pencil ASM?

Posted by pineappleprotein on 2008-10-09 17:05:24
Michael Heide and pineappleprotein...
I just want to dispute some of your points tactifully here.

Heide, its completely ok for us 'fanboys' to hate the current direction, which judging by most sites and pieces of intel is the majority rather than the minority. I'm afraid that I and others refuse to be patient. The writers have not only said that we'll have to wait til #600 (a little over SIX MORE MONTHS to wait for this tragedy to even begin to end) for the marriage thing and even then I doubt we're going to get anything we really want.

Remember the exciting #560 when we got told we'd get what we really wanted? Yeah, we got MJ sleeping with a movie star. Oh, was my face smiling.[/sarcasm] Hope that Spidey is a Skrull? Gone. So kindly allow us Anti-BNDers (of which there are many more than Pros) one good thing, kay?

pineappleprotein, I used to like Aunt May, I really did. But these days she's old and tired and cliche and boring. OMD ruined yet another great chance to send her off well, opting instead for the Satan and Dotty 60's Aunt approach. So yeah, I want her dead. In an ideal world, I want her to have a great send-off, but post-OMD I find that quite unlikely.

One last thing. As a christian I do feel that the name of Jesus shouldn't be used. As herbiepopnecker stated, other religions wouldn't take their deities being poked at fair at all.

Posted by Derek Metaltron on 2008-10-09 17:28:47
Sorry...
Correcting that last bit, I meant to say that the name of Jesus shouldn't be used in a anti-religous manner. Didn't quite proof read that bit.

Oh, and I would also like to apologise in advance if I do sound fanish or angry at people. I do try to respect people's views, even if they conflict with my own. But at the end of the day, I on the whole dislike (hate's probably a nasty word, I save that for OMD) the direction of BND. It hasn't all been bad. Mr Negative seems the sole new villain worthy of hanging about with the classics. And New Ways to Die was pretty decent. But yeah, to me it mostly sucks. Sorry Spidey Writers. I just can't accept a Spidey who can feel alright with making deals with evil incarnate.

Posted by Derek Metaltron on 2008-10-09 17:43:13
help
1) Tom, will you, or Joe, or Slott write a letter to my wife explaining why it is important for me to continue my life-long readership of ASM in spite of the current financial crisis and our need to buy diapers? OH! My wife loves Project Runway, so maybe Whacker could write it for me! (does he have a blog...)

2) hire me?

Posted by captainwinkie on 2008-10-10 17:49:05
I can explain it to your wife my self..
if you want,if it helps...

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-10-11 05:35:18
Spider-Man was ruined by crappy writing not m
Marvel,

Wake up! We hate OMD/BND.

The reason why Spidey wasn't doing so well before was due to BAD WRITING, not the marriage. You have lost more than half you fans due to this insult and the numbers keep dropping. Are you this stubborn that you won't admit you made a mistake and fix it?

Look at what JMS did with the title before everything was destroyed with OMD. Good writing would have made the character work married or not while bad writing will make the character suck regardless of status.

Marvel, you admit that so many fans are mad... why don't you fix this instead of treating us with contempt?

Posted by HiddenVorlon on 2008-10-11 22:17:44
OMD/BND
I have read many complaints concerning OMD/BND, and while I can't argue with those who simply aren't enjoying the stories (which I personally love), I would like to address one of the most common complaints I see: Spidey's deal with the devil. How, many ask, can we still view our beloved web-head as a hero when he has stooped so low for such a selfish reason?

Let's look at history... why did Spidey ever even start being a hero to begin with? Because of the immense guilt he felt that it was HIS actions, or lack thereof, that led to Uncle Ben's death; and then it looked as if Aunt May was going to die, and why? because Peter dodged a bullet. If something like that won't lay one hell of a guilt-trip on someone, I don't know what will. And guilt like that can make anyone do things they normally wouldn't, things they may come to regret.

In my opinion, the whole "deal with the devil" business didn't break character for Spidey, it just shows that he's not perfect, he is human, like the rest of us (albeit one with radioactive spider-goodness) and therefore makes mistakes. At the risk of bringing much insulting upon myself, OMD was a very powerful, moving story and one of my favorite Spidey tales... and BND has been a wild ride, introducing some much needed new villians (some awesome, others not so much so far) and putting great humor back in the book.And New Ways to Die has been brilliant.

Well, there's my opinion for what it's worth, sorry I just felt the need to say it, now I guess I'll ask my questions:

1. I read that J. Scott Campbell and Jeff Loeb were working on something Spidey related... is this still happening and if so, when? JSC was born to draw Spidey in my opinion!

2. While I do love OMD and most everything since, I do miss MJ, and Spidey does need some romance... any plans on Black Cat showin' up anytime soon (hint hint, I'm prolly gonna offend people with this too...)?

Posted by spider-fan1313 on 2008-10-12 18:05:32
Can we look forward to any flashbacks involving Jean DeWolff? Any hint that she might appear in Spider-Man:Noir?

Posted by ossian on 2008-10-17 10:25:52
Classic villains
When the classic villains like Doc Octopus, Lizard, Vulture, shocker and Electro will show up?


Any plans for Hobgoblin?

Posted by claudio pahl on 2008-10-17 12:30:41
Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man
I'm loving the Marvel Masterwork HC Editions, especially Amazing Spider-Man. Currently, we're up to volume 10 which is up to ASM #99. Does Marvel plan on reprinting the entire ASM run as Marvel Masterworks? At least do up until the Jackal/Spidey Clone issues - ASM #151. How about a HC edition featuring the art of Amazing Spider-Man greats: Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema, Gil Kane, Ross Andru, Keith Pollard, John Romita Jr., Ron Frenz & Todd McFarlane.

Posted by jgc21 on 2008-10-18 23:34:54