Wow. Check out this book-length essay on the demise of Marvel in general and of Spider-Man in particular. (I kid you not: it’s book-length.) From the introduction:
The primary purpose of this essay is to examine the life and times of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, and how I (and many, many others) feel these characters (as well as Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson-Parker) have been blatantly defiled by writer J. Michael Straczynski’s “Sins Past” storyarc in Amazing Spider-Man # 509-514 (which revealed that Gwen Stacy had a fling with Norman Osborn and secretly had his children before he killed her).
It’s also designed to dissect and debunk Sins Past, and show how the numerous retcons and mischaracterizations that appear in the storyline are simply not possible. I feel that consistency of character is more important than strict continuity, but since JMS and the gang have insisted on dredging up the past and retconning it, I will show, point-by-point, how the events depicted in this story are not possible. This essay is designed to be THE one-stop resource for information on this topic, as well as other subtopics related to the downfall of Spider-Man, Marvel, and the superhero genre. There are many sub-issues that have emerged from Sins Past that I’ll also address, such as the controversial return of Norman Osborn, the controversial aging and marriage of Peter Parker, the gradual destruction of everything that has made Spider-Man a great and iconic comic book character, and the creative and moral disintegration of the superhero genre itself!
The final purpose for this essay is to serve as something of a history lesson for novice fans, and as a trip down memory lane for older fans.
I’ve taken my time in this essay, both for the sake of thoroughness and to show off the fruits of the kind of research and care that the current regime at The Thing that Used to Be Marvel is totally incapable of. Indeed, this whole enterprise is the result of over a year of concentrated research and hard work.
Certainly, my own personal opinions figure in a great deal here, but I’ve cited lots and lots of cold, hard facts to back up those opinions. Still, art is subjective, and anyone is free to agree or disagree with my observations. I’m not here to whine and moan (too much). I’m head to (hopefully) shed some light on these matters, and maybe change a few people’s opinions and open some eyes. Someone has to step up and fight for these characters that have touched so many over such a long period of time!
Also note that this essay is no substitute for the original issues. Please, go out and read them! USE THEM to determine whether or not you agree with what I have to say. If you do have the original issues (or reprints) handy, then have fun following along. If you don’t, well, don’t worry. This essay is designed to be easily understandable and detailed enough for those who don’t have the stories to refer to.
Since I began this essay, much has happened to drag Spider-Man and the industry even further into the gutter, and this will also be discussed.
Most of all, though, this work is a loving celebration of one of popular culture’s greatest fictional characters, the ever-amazing Spider-Man, and to examine the sorry state he’s in right now…and how painful it is to witness that state.
No, I didn’t read the whole thing, and I may never get a chance, though I agree with the main thesis. It pleases me that somebody cared enough to write this much about the subject.
1 response so far ↓
1 Joel // Mar 14, 2006 at 08:38
For so many of us aging Spidey fans, Gwen Stacy was our first love, and her death is like a wavy red line drawn through our childhoods. Straczynski’s playing with fire, here. The kind of fire that hopes to make a lot of money.
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