I have to admit I was intrigued by the storyline as it began to unravel. That is until the great reveal.
Parkers brain waves and Otto’s where switched by his golden octobot. Really! So basically Peter think’s he’s Octavious and Octavious thinks he’s Parker. Plain and simple. Marvel can play it up all they want but unless Parker and Ocks brains where physically removed and switched, then Peter Parker is very much alive. I must admit I was one of many fans outraged at the fact that Peter would meet his death in such an absurd way, but for some reason it's to be expected.
We all know in the world of comic’s, nothing lasts forever and this is temporary. Although Slott has stated that this is a status quo they plan on keeping. I for one believe in change in a characters status, but if it’s one that brings growth to a fictional character. Not one that undermines the very foundation that a character is based upon.
For years marvel has continued to prevent the growth of one of their most beloved character’s to ever swing across the pages of a comic book. First there was the clone Saga, which in itself had a lot of negative reaction. Yet the concept of Ben Reilly being the real Peter Parker opened the doors to so many possibilities. In time Ben Reilly would have been accepted if Marvel had kept on in this direction because he would have been the real Peter Parker. Instead Marvel caved and the rest is history, as well as the scene in the clone saga where Peter and MJ’s baby is kidnapped. Which has always been ignored as having any significance. Which was just another attempt by Marvel to keep Peter from showing any growth.
Then we have the entire Gwen Stacy storyline ripped to pieces by having Harry Osborne sleep with Peter’s first love and bare children. Next we have the atrocious One More Day storyline. Peter and MJ deal with the devil to save dear old aunt May, who by the way is happily married and living her life while Peter stay’s stuck in bachelor limbo. Harry Osborn, Peters best friend, is now alive and lets not forget this was all done by magic.
Now on to the more recent developments. I said earlier that a simple switch in brave waves would not in no way mean the death in Parker, but in Marvel’s eyes it just might magically mean just that. Lets start off at the Prison. If the Avengers contacted Spiderman because Octavious requested for Peters presence, then why did he not try to speak to the avengers first? I will not buy some horse crap explanation that they would not believe him. Especially with heroes like Daredevil and other heroes that have the capability in knowing if someone is lying. Now if Octavious indeed see all of Parker’s visions of his life and decided to do good by them, then why didn’t Peter not see all the death and corruption Octavious himself inflicted. It’s easy to show Octavious being treated bad as a child, but how about all the evil that was committed. Just simply handing over the mantle is just so out of character, especially knowing everything Doc Ock is capable of. If Peters brain waves is inside the octobot, then how is it Peters dead? It’s only brainwaves! So Peter’s personality is different because of the submission of Octavious’s brain waves. There is so many unsettling things that can come from this storyline. MJ being with somebody that isn’t who she thinks it is. I could go on and on. In the end the bad guy wins. Which does happen, but at least give a character who's been around 50 years a more respectable ending. Ultimate Spiderman has only been around a handful of years and ended the Parker storyline with class.
I always thought it was funny on how Marvel always seemed to try to keep Peter from growing. They introduced the Ultimate storyline where we had a young Parker for a younger generation. So in a sense that Peter was for that particular generation. Then he was killed and a new Spiderman was introduce which is okay. I’ve read a few issues, but I don’t run to the comic store to buy them either. I’ve also read the comments where Parker fans will fade away.
That’s absurd. What’s so appealing to Parker is he is so much like the everyday Joe. There are thousands upon thousands of people that can relate to him. His everyday problems and how he dealt with them is what make's him unique. Spider-man is not a mantle that can be carried on because of the guy under the mask. Of course there can be other interpretations but in the end it’s Parker that has always held it together.
Moving on to Slott. He said he’s been a fan of Spider-man since he was eight and that he was sad to see Amazing end, but was also excited to see it all blow up and be responsible. That to me seems like someone who has more interest doing absurd stories simply for a reaction, rather than respect for the character he is writing. Seeing Spider-man with claws and blood dripping from them and the most recent covers with him holding a gun in a world where senseless tragedy has been occurring, just seems wrong. I do think death threats over a fictional character are also wrong, but I seriously doubt they where all real, but in this world you never know. In a generation where there are so many dark things happening. Is a darker Spiderman really what the world needs? Especially with a couple already running around.
Peter Parker that we all know and love will eventually be back, and when he is many others will be back reading, regardless of the new readers that are brought onboard. I wont let the sales numbers of the first few issues fool me either. Not everyone buys number one issue's simply for story. A lot of times it's for future value. I'm sure with different variants. The first month or two will be pretty impressive. Amazing #700 will be big indeed, because it will be the first time something like this will ever be done. It will be the first time where Peter, who has held entire buildings, beaten the likes of fire-lord, been buried alive, beaten to death and so many other acomplishements finally gives up easier then he ever has. Happy 50th Anniversary Peter Parker, courtesy Of Dan Slott!!!
The Amazing Spider-Man
