Hey everybody, Alvaro/Lance here, and you know what is my earliest Spider-Man memory? Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends!!! I don't recall watching the original run, but I remember it somewhat from when they gave it alongside some other cartoons, specifically with the RoboCop animated series. Besides this being the introduction to Spider-Man really, I believe Firestar is guilty for weakness for redheads. Kind of odd thinking back now that she was probably the Harley Quinn of that time, a character created specifically for the show due to the fact Human Torch was not available because of licensing problems, but eventually made into the comics years later in X-Men and eventually New Warriors (oh, how I loved The New Warriors).
Of course, I would see the comics when I would buy Archie as a little kid, but it really didn't call my attention, mainly because I guess I was somehow turned off by seeing all those Spider-Ham comics next to the Archies and Muppet Babies and such, it didn't really call out to me. But there was one thing for certain that did catch my attention, I got a Spider-Man toy. But it wasn't any Spider-Man toy. It was the black suited Spider-Man. And I thought it was the most awesome thing ever!!!! I played with it all the time. ALL the time. Until one day my family and I went to Coney Island. I took the toy with me to have some fun. After running like a little maniac on the beach, I decided to trap Spider-Man under the sand, and wonder how he would get himself out of that predicament. Then I was called because something that really never happened before was about to occur: my mom was going to take my sister and me to magic show. So we rushed away and had a blast at the show and later the merry-go-rounds. Then, going up the steps to catch the train back home, I felt something missing. And an image of Spider-Man, trapped under sand with the water rising to him, ensuring his death was what suddenly came to mind. Needless to say I was devastated. I sent Spider-man to his certain death. I killed black suited Spider-man. Never would I have another Spider-Man toy! Well, except for one time much, much later, but I guess that's a story for another day.
It wasn't until a couple of years later that I had another encounter with the web-head. When I was living in Puerto Rico and I "graduated" into the world of Batman comics, my friend Alfred, another avid comic collector, showed me "The Child Within" storyline from Spectacular Spider-Man. And I got hooked. I absolutely loved (and still do) Sal Buscema's artwork. This was really around the time that Image first formed and Todd McFarlane and Eric Larsen were no longer on the Amazing and Spider-Man comics, so I was late to that party (though I did get to check out some of the Larsen stuff through friends and eventually the McFarlane stuff through another friend who was a huge Mcfarlane fan). So the only two comics I bought religiously from that point on was Batman and Spider-Man. X-Men I was more into it when Joe Madureira was on it, but that's a blog for another day. I've always been a huge fan of DC, but when it came to Marvel, there was Spidey. Besides, he lives in New York, so in a way it was a bit of a connection there. All was pretty good. Until IT happened. Yeah, if you bought Spider-Man in the 90s, you know what I'm talking about........
Yes, I am talking about the hideous "Clone Saga" that nearly killed the Spider-Man book in the 90s. Now, what I didn't mention in my blog about Knightfall, there was a moment in comics I like to call the "AzBats Effect". It was a time where many iconic characters went through...bizarre costume changes. Even the likes of Dardevil started wearing armor type costumes! And here, with the Clone Saga, we are introduced to Ben Reilly. He was a clone of Spider-Man which he fought off many years ago. He came back claiming to be the real Peter Parker. Now, this story had all the potential in the world, it really did, and for a while it was exciting. And then he dressed as The Scarlet Spider and everything went to hell. Making matters worse, it was revealed in the end, that Ben Reilly was the REAL Peter Parker, and the Peter Parker through the 80s up to that point was the clone all along!!! A twist M Knight Shyamalan would be proud of. So, Peter decides to be The Scarlet Spider, and Ben Reilly becomes Spider-Man. And what followed enraged fanboys even more.
Ben Reilly changed the Spider-Man costume, and put the webshooters outside on his wrists. To many it was as if Marvel was taunting Spider-Man fans. Peter Parker was now a clone, dressed as The Scarlet Spider, with a pregnant MJ. While Ben Reilly made a knock off costume of the 70s live action Spider-man. But I had hope, as a Mets fan since birth, I learned to cope with the bad and live eternally hopeful. Marvel tapped Dan Jurgens to do the Ben Reilly Spider-Man. I liked his Justice League of America run and the occasional Superman. I got a mini comic that was an insert in the Wizard Magazine that was actually pretty good (I still even have it). I had hope. There was hope for Spider-Man!!! About three issues in, Dan Jurgens got canned, and that was it. I stopped buying Spider-Man. It was too frustrating. And many felt the same way, as sales were at an all time low. To quote that anchorman in Spider-Man 3, "this could be the end of Spider-Man"....
And then Spider-Man 75 came out, the final part of "Revelations". After Marvel saw the sales starting hitting rock bottom fast, they pushed the panic button. They got big names on Spider-Man again and they attempted to reboot the franchise. In this action packed finale, the original Green Goblin returned from the dead, MJ loses her baby, and Ben Reilly dies a heroic death, reveling Peter Parker was the one true original Spider-Man. Did it have it's flaws, like some people complained that Peter actually tried to kill Norman Osborne with he pumpkin bombs? Yeah, it had plot holes and out of character moments, but we were about to have what we all wanted: Spider-Man was back! After a somewhat failed experiment bringing in John Byrne, off from his pretty solid Wonder Woman run, into the brand new Spider-man, things really got into high gear again when artists like Steve Skroce and Mike Wierengo were on board as well as John Romita Jr. Eventually Humberto Ramos joined in along with writer Paul Jenkins, J Micheal Straczynski with JRJR was having an awesome run in Spider-man, including the emotional World Trade Center comic, and all was right in the Spider-world.....or so we thought.....
The debacle known as Civil War started in the mid-2000s. The super-hero registration act and so forth. So, this all started basically with The New Warriors pretty much messing things up and getting most of themselves killed along with innocent victims. So right off the bat, I started REALLY hating this series. After more misadventures and the act was enforced, Spider-Man reveals his identity in a press conference. I have to write this again to actually soak in the ridiculosity (new word) of it all to sink in. Spider-Man reveals his identity in a press conference. My first thought was literally "HOLY HELL!?!?! How are they going to revert that when they eventually want to make Peter have a secret life again!?!?! This is STUPID!!!". I wish I was wrong. God, how I wish i was wrong.
During the story, Aunt May gets shot and there is an assault on Peter's home because of the Marvelous (see what I did there?) idea he had. Because of this he goes into hiding and decides it wasn't such a smart idea after all. He decides to join the renegade group opposing the registration act. And after all was said and done and the story ended (Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, the only GOOD things to come out of this, and was totally IGNORED for the most part), we were left with the feeling of "now what?". What followed was the most infamous Spider-tale of all time.....
One More Day. An idea so stupid, even J Micheal Straczynski clashed with head editor Joe Quesada over it. As a matter of fact, it turned out to be his last Marvel comic, he didn't even wanted to be credited in the final issue. It was that bad.
So, Aunt May is about to die...again. Apparently for real this time. This had so much potential, this could have been the most gripping Spider-Man story EVER told. It also had gorgeous artwork by Joe Quesada. Peter, being tempted by Mephisto (Marvel's version of Satan), had the chance to save May from going to the comic shop in the sky, all he had to do was offer his MARRIAGE in SACRIFICE. I hate to keep writing this word, but again, this had so much potential. Cling on to the past, or move onward to the future? Overcome temptation, and show that with great power comes great responsibility, even if it comes at a great personal sacrifice? No. Not only did Spider-Man agree along with MJ, that page, that one page, where the decision is made and they share that final kiss, and she in a homage says "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot"....not only did I stop buying Spider-Man, I stopped buying comics for years. At least "mainstream" comics. I had had it. It honestly felt like the middle finger was being waved at all of us with that page. So, Aunt May is alive...again.....The big revelation of his secret identity never happened. And in yet ANOTHER bizarre twist, Harry Osborne was now ALIVE!!!!! Also, there was a subplot that apparently MJ's daughter that had "died" in the aforementioned Spider-Man 75, was alive, but also in a taunting fashion Mephisto reveals that she will now never exist due to him and MJ never being married. Beautiful. So the Spider-Girl comics becomes quite pointless as well. This story, basically destroyed Spider-Man to the point it has never fully recovered.
So, Aunt May is about to die...again. Apparently for real this time. This had so much potential, this could have been the most gripping Spider-Man story EVER told. It also had gorgeous artwork by Joe Quesada. Peter, being tempted by Mephisto (Marvel's version of Satan), had the chance to save May from going to the comic shop in the sky, all he had to do was offer his MARRIAGE in SACRIFICE. I hate to keep writing this word, but again, this had so much potential. Cling on to the past, or move onward to the future? Overcome temptation, and show that with great power comes great responsibility, even if it comes at a great personal sacrifice? No. Not only did Spider-Man agree along with MJ, that page, that one page, where the decision is made and they share that final kiss, and she in a homage says "face it tiger, you just hit the jackpot"....not only did I stop buying Spider-Man, I stopped buying comics for years. At least "mainstream" comics. I had had it. It honestly felt like the middle finger was being waved at all of us with that page. So, Aunt May is alive...again.....The big revelation of his secret identity never happened. And in yet ANOTHER bizarre twist, Harry Osborne was now ALIVE!!!!! Also, there was a subplot that apparently MJ's daughter that had "died" in the aforementioned Spider-Man 75, was alive, but also in a taunting fashion Mephisto reveals that she will now never exist due to him and MJ never being married. Beautiful. So the Spider-Girl comics becomes quite pointless as well. This story, basically destroyed Spider-Man to the point it has never fully recovered.
After that big pile of a mess, I have never bought an issue of Spider-Man again. I have heard of some good stories from Mark Waid, and the Rhino story by Joe Kelly, which is considered the greatest Spider-Man story ever done (I read it actually. It was...Ok. I kinda liked it, but I don't know, maybe I'm just too jaded). I hear wonderful things about Dan Slott's run alongside Humberto Ramos. Manuel actually sent me a copy of their Free Comic Book Day issue promoting Spider-Island from last year, and it was actually pretty good. Maybe in time my wounds will heal and I'll be able to trust Spider-Man again. Until then I have the back issues, the movies, and the 90s cartoon to look back too. Now, you might wonder why I didn't mention the movies or the 90s cartoon or the famous Spider-Man 2 video game? That's a story for a different blog. That's it for now, feel free to share your Spidey-memories, or suggest me some of the newer stuff to read and who knows, the little boy in me might go back to Coney Island and save Spider-Man by being buried in the sands of time and washed away by memories. Until next time, thank you for reading and stay safe!
~Alvaro "Lance Danger" Cortes Ortiz Jr
~Alvaro "Lance Danger" Cortes Ortiz Jr
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