By: Rick B.

Rick B. — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:16:39 +0000

While there has been some disservice by writers too eager to leave their own stamp on the character rather than honoring the foundation that comes before them, I find it amazing (to choose an adjective) that when you consider all the various incarnations of Spider-Man – comics, animation, film, etc. – that there has been as much consistency as there has been. When you compare Peter Parker to Bruce Wayne, who is sometimes almost unrecognizable from one version to another, the constancy of Parker’s basic personality and personal situations, and that of the feel and tones of the supporting cast, is remarkable. I think this says much about how powerful Lee’s initial storytelling on this character was.

My first issue of Amazing was #26, and I followed that title (and the spin-offs) for over 300 issues afterwards. When I gave it up, it wasn’t because I was tired of comics or the character. It just felt to me like Marvel in the 90’s (and I do note your comments about the sincerity of the creators at the time) was substituting sensationalism for good story-telling. Add to that the convoluted nature of the storylines, and the number of titles required to keep up with them, and I remember how relieved I was when I finally made the decision to let them go. Years later, when Ultimate Spider-Man was launched, the high quality of the plotting, dialogue and characterization (and I do know you’re not particularly a Bendis fan), had me excited to be reading monthly adventures of this long-time favorite once more. And while I do find the high school setting appealing (at least the way Bendis handles it), for me the real appeal was a chance to get in at the beginning once more, without decades and hundreds of issues worth of backstory to be bogged down by.

As always, thanks for a thoughtful and well-written column –

Rick B.

Comments on: Comics in Context #44: Weavers of the Webs

By: Rick B.