I've read half of that arc in my school's library when I was a kid and loved it. Then, years later I find that a significant amout of comic book youtuber hate the story because it changed spiderman's origin from a sci-fi to more of a fantasy origin. It's nice to hear a good review of the arc for once
JMS’ run was a solid. I really appreciate his character work and how he made Peter, MJ, Aunt May, and the rest of the cast feel appropriately mature given their age and experiences. I also liked how JMS would just give Spidey little moments where he connected with the citizens of NYC, like him enjoying some popcorn on a balcony with some random dude. Morlun is a diminishing returns type character imo but his first story was a real treat. Not all of JMS’ stories were hits (we all know the low points haha) but overall I think the good outweighs the bad.
So excited for this new format! I think if there's something I'm gonna take away from this at least, is that when it comes to long-running characters when you put to bed dynamics, rather than limiting the characters or finishing their development, it more often than not reveals, new ground that can be explored.
The Aunt May material is some of the best in the history of the book. Ditto the high school teacher bit. All of the interesting new status quo changes being completely undone at the end of Strazinski's run remains one of the biggest crimes in comics. I've admittedly never been sure how I feel about the Totem stuff, but that's more a conversation about the issues of status quos in general. Morlun never really did it for me but I can see how he'd be someone elses favorite.
I honestly feel like the Totem stuff, Morlun included, works best in this story exclusively because of the ambiguity of it all, and how Peter flat out rejects the mystic bullshit and leans into the radiation angle, which is what saves him. He's Spider-Man, end of story, and he doesn't need some Spider-God or Energy Vampire to tell him anything different. Also one thing I never considered until someone in a different Spidey comments section brought it up, is that the mysterious illness Peter slowly dies from later in JMS's run until it comes to a head in The Other, probably originates from the moment Peter gives himself that extra dose of radiation in THIS story which I find really interesting and shows how interconnected so much of his era is, that even several arcs later, certain plot threads can come back in a big way.
@@CozmicEmbyrs honestly what I’m learning most is I should read the run again. I read it up to The Other when I was young but I was pretty resistant to the ideas so I might not have absorbed the totality of the concepts. If nothing else I’ll probably appreciate it more in light of…Jesus EVERYTHING that’s come out since.
This is nice because for me finding specific arcs to recommend is difficult, as far as I’m concerned Spidey doesn’t have a bunch of standouts, and least not ones in the public eye, the fucking Night Gwen Stacy Died and the Black Costume Saga get too much of the fan attention for others to shine. I tend to just recommend whole runs. Spider-Man thrives in situations of the day.
Honestly the Black Costume Saga wasn’t great outside of the general idea and the fact it gave us Venom. It kinda felt like it was spinning its wheels for a long time and when compared with at some of the other comics being produced at the time (e.g. Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men) it’s really nothing special imo
@@jacobcurle8964 Fundamental problem is it wasn't really meant as an arc, it was just a temporary status quo change with a pretty weak conclusion once it made it's course. But of course then it was made the origin story of a villain who became popular so it was presented as this epic important arc, even though it is both very overrepresented and done better in every. single. adaptaion.
Golden Age is 1935 through the early 50s. Silver Age is 1956 through the early 70s. I personally don't like the JMS run on ASM very much -- to me it reads like dumber Alan Moore. My favorite Spider-Man run is by Roger Stern in the early 80s, which introduced the Hobgoblin. (Who became irrelevant once Norman Osborn wasn't dead after all! Urgh!)
Personally always prefered the run during the 70s and 80s that had the symbiote suit. You take Peter outoff high school, but he´s still learning. With villains that aren´t a dark counterpart, but more the inner darkness of what society has to offer (and the Hobgoblin´s battle van, look we´re more deap, but at the end of the day we´re still comics) and character developement that was needed. With that said I do like the early 20s run, of what little I´ve read. This experimental age isn´t people´s favourite but I do like some of it. While now (slightly) overused the whole idea of fate being intervolven with spiritanimals and multiple spider dimensions is a fascinating take on Peter´s world, after the only other time they tried that with Judas Traveller being yes. Morlun himself while in subsiquent appearences being mixed on personality is a greatly introduced character, he´s like Bane from DC but fused with Morbius. With that said Aunt May finding out Peter´s identity as Spiderman is always one of those only works in this run and not in highnsight moments as amazing 400 kinda already did, similairly why Peter becomes a superhero originaly was a bit nah I´ll pass for me. I dunno, I suppose that´s the beauty of superheroes and to a lesser part media that´s been around for longer that oneself stuff, you can always interpretate and experience it in your own unique way. Also Marvel bring Hobgoblin and his van back, thank you.
Oooohhhh when you said you were reading Ultimate spider-man you meant these “ultimate edition” things and not actual Ultimate Spider-man. Of the Ultimate universe imprint that ran from 2000 to 2015. Still… great video 😁
The conversation between Aunt May and Peter might be one of my favourite scenes in all Spidey comic history
I've read half of that arc in my school's library when I was a kid and loved it. Then, years later I find that a significant amout of comic book youtuber hate the story because it changed spiderman's origin from a sci-fi to more of a fantasy origin. It's nice to hear a good review of the arc for once
Great vid Sam. I'm gonna prioritise reading more JMS this week.
JMS’ run was a solid. I really appreciate his character work and how he made Peter, MJ, Aunt May, and the rest of the cast feel appropriately mature given their age and experiences. I also liked how JMS would just give Spidey little moments where he connected with the citizens of NYC, like him enjoying some popcorn on a balcony with some random dude. Morlun is a diminishing returns type character imo but his first story was a real treat. Not all of JMS’ stories were hits (we all know the low points haha) but overall I think the good outweighs the bad.
So excited for this new format! I think if there's something I'm gonna take away from this at least, is that when it comes to long-running characters when you put to bed dynamics, rather than limiting the characters or finishing their development, it more often than not reveals, new ground that can be explored.
The Aunt May material is some of the best in the history of the book. Ditto the high school teacher bit. All of the interesting new status quo changes being completely undone at the end of Strazinski's run remains one of the biggest crimes in comics.
I've admittedly never been sure how I feel about the Totem stuff, but that's more a conversation about the issues of status quos in general. Morlun never really did it for me but I can see how he'd be someone elses favorite.
And that's not even to mention the school shooting issue.
I honestly feel like the Totem stuff, Morlun included, works best in this story exclusively because of the ambiguity of it all, and how Peter flat out rejects the mystic bullshit and leans into the radiation angle, which is what saves him. He's Spider-Man, end of story, and he doesn't need some Spider-God or Energy Vampire to tell him anything different.
Also one thing I never considered until someone in a different Spidey comments section brought it up, is that the mysterious illness Peter slowly dies from later in JMS's run until it comes to a head in The Other, probably originates from the moment Peter gives himself that extra dose of radiation in THIS story
which I find really interesting and shows how interconnected so much of his era is, that even several arcs later, certain plot threads can come back in a big way.
@@CozmicEmbyrs honestly what I’m learning most is I should read the run again.
I read it up to The Other when I was young but I was pretty resistant to the ideas so I might not have absorbed the totality of the concepts. If nothing else I’ll probably appreciate it more in light of…Jesus EVERYTHING that’s come out since.
Oh hells yes
neat seeing non-Doctor Who videos from you!
This is nice because for me finding specific arcs to recommend is difficult, as far as I’m concerned Spidey doesn’t have a bunch of standouts, and least not ones in the public eye, the fucking Night Gwen Stacy Died and the Black Costume Saga get too much of the fan attention for others to shine.
I tend to just recommend whole runs. Spider-Man thrives in situations of the day.
Honestly the Black Costume Saga wasn’t great outside of the general idea and the fact it gave us Venom. It kinda felt like it was spinning its wheels for a long time and when compared with at some of the other comics being produced at the time (e.g. Chris Claremont’s Uncanny X-Men) it’s really nothing special imo
@@jacobcurle8964 Fundamental problem is it wasn't really meant as an arc, it was just a temporary status quo change with a pretty weak conclusion once it made it's course.
But of course then it was made the origin story of a villain who became popular so it was presented as this epic important arc, even though it is both very overrepresented and done better in every. single. adaptaion.
Golden Age is 1935 through the early 50s. Silver Age is 1956 through the early 70s. I personally don't like the JMS run on ASM very much -- to me it reads like dumber Alan Moore. My favorite Spider-Man run is by Roger Stern in the early 80s, which introduced the Hobgoblin. (Who became irrelevant once Norman Osborn wasn't dead after all! Urgh!)
Personally always prefered the run during the 70s and 80s that had the symbiote suit. You take Peter outoff high school, but he´s still learning. With villains that aren´t a dark counterpart, but more the inner darkness of what society has to offer (and the Hobgoblin´s battle van, look we´re more deap, but at the end of the day we´re still comics) and character developement that was needed. With that said I do like the early 20s run, of what little I´ve read. This experimental age isn´t people´s favourite but I do like some of it. While now (slightly) overused the whole idea of fate being intervolven with spiritanimals and multiple spider dimensions is a fascinating take on Peter´s world, after the only other time they tried that with Judas Traveller being yes. Morlun himself while in subsiquent appearences being mixed on personality is a greatly introduced character, he´s like Bane from DC but fused with Morbius. With that said Aunt May finding out Peter´s identity as Spiderman is always one of those only works in this run and not in highnsight moments as amazing 400 kinda already did, similairly why Peter becomes a superhero originaly was a bit nah I´ll pass for me. I dunno, I suppose that´s the beauty of superheroes and to a lesser part media that´s been around for longer that oneself stuff, you can always interpretate and experience it in your own unique way. Also Marvel bring Hobgoblin and his van back, thank you.
Oooohhhh when you said you were reading Ultimate spider-man you meant these “ultimate edition” things and not actual Ultimate Spider-man. Of the Ultimate universe imprint that ran from 2000 to 2015.
Still… great video 😁
I've read Ultimate Spider-Man to completion too back in the day! I just got mixed up hahaha
🏃 "PromoSM"
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