Thanks Tom

Posted by cjmcaree on 2008-07-28 17:06:45
Regarding Brand New Day, Tom, I think the remaining bad blood comes from the fact that we *haven't* been over the argument of why unmarried Spidey is better than married Spidey, and everybody *doesn't* agree that unmarried Spidey will be more vital. You guys at Marvel just *tell* us this is so and we have to deal with it.

Fans who oppose the decision don't get a say in the matter--at best they can hope to attend a panel at a convention (or post to blogs like these) and confront you or Joe Quesada and try to articulate their position as best they can in the fairly limited capacity that fans can speak directly to editorial. You guys then have unlimited room to respond, and since you're the pros--its your blog, you're the guest of the panel--you get the last word.

That only leaves the option of trying to rally fan support and organize protests and boycotts, in the hopes of convincing Marvel to change the policy. And even then there's a sense of denigration when Marvel acts as if everyone loves Brand New Day except a few stick-in-the-muds who can't accept it.

Now, I can appreciate your side of all this: Marvel made its decision, it's highly satisfied with that decision for many fair reasons, and there's no use in trying to please everybody. It'd also be entirely impossible to open the floor to a detailed argument against every single thing Marvel is currently doing--if you let one fan go on for an hour about Brand New Day, another fan will want to go on for an hour about Avengers Disassembled, and so on.

Nevertheless, every time I read a con report and see where some fan is questioning Brand New Day, I sympathize with the fan who thinks there's an excellent case to be presented that can persuade Marvel to reverse course, and no effective means to present it to Marvel because, as far as Marvel is concerned, everybody loves BND so there can be no case against it.

Posted by jim_smith on 2008-07-28 17:54:08
Jim, just because "we" (and by "we" I think Tom specifically meant the blog) have been over the argument of why it works better, doesn't mean you have to agree with it.

Furthermore it's no good pretending you're in the majority on this one. You aren't. Your side just happens to be a lot more vocal about it because you're that much more frustrated than we are. The rest of us are pretty content one way or another, and don't feel the need to get into stupid arguments about something that is working out pretty all right for us (except me, because I think I have some sort of compulsion to get into these stupid arguments anyway).

Ultimately, it's not a democracy, it's a commercial business, and big businesses have to make plans in the long term rather than doing everything their customers tell them to.

Posted by Fetsur on 2008-07-28 18:50:47
Thank you Tom Brevoort
I did not ask the question about BND for my own sake, rather I asked it so I could post what your take on it.

Thanks for answering. :)

Posted by Aziroth on 2008-07-28 20:09:55
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Can't wait to see what else Brevoort reveals in answering fan questions! :D

Posted by Aziroth on 2008-07-28 20:46:26
OMD/BND
Tom,

I'll try to keep this brief. I am a 34 male who has been reading Marvel Comics since I was 6 years old (1980). Through it all, there has been plenty good and bad comics to read through. Since I was 10, I have bought between 45- 50 comics a month, mostly Marvel. Since January I haven't bought ANY comics, not Marvel, nor DC, not even Image. I just don't have the taste for any more. I know to you that is not a big deal, but when I quit going to the Comics store, that means my son quit going to. As well as my wife, my nephew who I got to start reading and the kids at the local libary who I help to pick out good titles. Now, I realize that an "old" man like me is not the kind of customer that Marvel is looking for, but lose me and you have lost much much more. I am mature enough to realize that Marvel is corporation that wants to make money. What I can't understand is this idea of "our way, or the highway" with your fans. What's funny is I am now at a point with real disposable income. I want to read a book where true progession happens, where dead means dead, where characters age and get married and have kids, and those kids grow up in real time to be there own characters. Sad thing to me is with 80+ books a month, all have to feature this illusion of change, and stupid retcons. Well, so much for being brief. Here the deal: Spider-Man is your character to do with as you please. You can keep Peter a loser kid for the next 200 years if that is what you want, but you HAVE lost me as fan and reader. Sorry...

Adam aka Rebeldragon

Posted by rebeldragon on 2008-07-28 22:38:41
BND...
Personnally I am so sick of hearing about this whole thing. Though I didn't care for OMD and have loved MJ as Peter's wife and partner, I still have thought that Spidey would be a little more interesting single with a number of love interests. I would like for there to be a resolution to OMD and for MJ and Pete to regain their memories of their past life, but for it too happen at a time that it would virtually be impossible for them to get back together and for them to still love each other. I have been a long time Spidey reader and I'll continue to be as long as the stories are as fun and interesting as they have been the last few months. My question would actually be for all the haters out there, "Will you please just give it a rest already?" If you've tried BND and still don't like it, then you really aren't much of a Spider-man fan anyway.

Posted by jjp69 on 2008-07-29 01:58:38
OMD/BND numbers
I hope romanpas won't mind me cutting and pasting his numbers.

2 Amazing Spider-Man 546 $3.99 Marvel 127,856
9 Amazing Spider-Man 547 $2.99 Marvel 101,132
10 Amazing Spider-Man 548 $2.99 Marvel 97,881
3 Amazing Spider-Man 549 $2.99 Marvel 101,048
9 Amazing Spider-Man 550 $2.99 Marvel 90,817
13 Amazing Spider-Man 551 $2.99 Marvel 88,029
4 Amazing Spider-Man 552 $2.99 Marvel 89,808
8 Amazing Spider-Man 553 $2.99 Marvel 82,624
14 Amazing Spider-Man 554 $2.99 Marvel 81,048
8 Amazing Spider-Man 555 $2.99 Marvel 86,885
14 Amazing Spider-Man 556 $2.99 Marvel 78,442
16 Amazing Spider-Man 557 $2.99 Marvel 77,041
20 Amazing Spider-Man 558 $2.99 Marvel 76,944
21 Amazing Spider-Man 559 $2.99 Marvel 74,184
23 Amazing Spider-Man 560 $2.99 Marvel 73,991
17 Amazing Spider-Man 561 $2.99 Marvel 72,345
19 Amazing Spider-Man 562 $2.99 Marvel 71,382
20 Amazing Spider-Man 563 $2.99 Marvel 70,766

The first number is the overall rank of the book in sales.(on a monthly basis)
The ending number is the amount of units sold to comic book stores.

Posted by romanpas on 2008-07-23 23:16:59

I would be interested in the total sales of the spidy title 3 times a month vs the three monthly spidy titles?

Has there been an overall drop? and how low and long would the drop have to go on for, before editorial had a rethink.

Just wondering.

I have to admit I considered it a great jumping off point, and stopped buying the comic and bought 40 years of Amazing Spider-man on DVD - Outstanding value.

Posted by Brianjsg on 2008-07-29 02:10:36
I honestly like Brand New Day. At this point I think that its amazing that marvel can keep the spider-man books at a high level while getting them out three times a month.

That being said, I did like the pre-One More Day stuff. I read ultimate spider-man religiously, and to a lesser extent I pick up Spider-Girl every now and then. I liked Peters and MJ's relationship in the main title because I can get an older spider-man in the regular continuity and I can go to other books for that classic spider-man feel. Now Parker feels younger, which is kind of weird for me.

I didn't like the retcon, because for me it caused the biggest moment of Civil War to be ridiculously erased. But, lucky for me I don't hold a grudge, because I decided to give the BND stuff a fresh look, and judged it on its own merit.

And you know what? Its pretty damn good.

Posted by doeswhateveraspidercan666 on 2008-07-29 02:19:32
Hey Tom,

- Is Ultimate X-Men cancelled after Ultimatum?
- The sollicitations for Avengers The Initiative say : "The explosive finale starts here!" Does this mean that the series will be axed? With what issue?
- Is there any unannounced major new Marvel Heroes series post Secret Invasion?
- When will the mysterious project that Marvel has been teasing will be unveiled? (Nobody's on our side)



Posted by softverre on 2008-07-29 04:04:27
From a worthless Spider-Man fan
Hey jjp69,

Thank you for calling me a worthless Spider-Man fan!

"If you've tried BND and still don't like it, then you really aren't much of a Spider-man fan anyway."

I must admit that the entire OMD/BND discussion makes me a bit sick as well. I am tired of hearing the same argument over and over again so I no longer post any complaints about it. But it would be nice if you would show at least some courtesy to those fans that DO like Spidey but e.g. got to know him being married and still have problems getting used to the whole idea. Yes even after all these months I STILL have problems digesting the OMD story... does that make me less a Spider-Man fan??

Please, some of us stopped complaining, it would be nice if the bashing/generalizing would stop... On both sides actually.

Marvel made a decision: if we don't like it, we don't buy it. That's our right.

Posted by Zigy on 2008-07-29 06:00:09
Tom,
Haven't posted here in some time but...
Great and honest response to the BND question.
I'm glad Marvel is not faltering and going ahead with the new direction.
I've been reading Spider-man in one form or another for over 30 years and I am enjoying the new direction.
More power to you. Keep it coming
E.

Posted by eamonmcgrane on 2008-07-29 06:09:23
No Surprise
I'm not surprised that the monthly sales of Amazing Spider-Man continue to fall. Enjoy YOUR Spider-Man Marvel, because as fans continually drop the book you'll be left to enjoy him with fewer readers.

G.


Posted by fanboyspodcast on 2008-07-29 06:55:08
Future of Spiderman
Tom,

Question: Do you think a book that features true progression would sell? What I means is, for example, a single book that features Spider-Man where he ages in real time without the illusion of change, where there are no retcons, and where things like dead mean dead are followed. I am not talking about changing BND, instead I am interested in a separate book that follows its own storyline. What I would like to see is a Spider-Man book where it starts with Peter as say age 14 and every 12 issues he is aged one year. To me, that is the compromise that is needed to get the fans like me, who like a tight continuity, to be able to enjoy Marvel books again. So to repeat, do you, or anyone reading this, think this would sell?


Posted by rebeldragon on 2008-07-29 07:38:14
Fantastic Four
Mr. Brevoort,

What is the cause of the delay with the most recent issue of Fantastic Four? Hitch keeps saying that he's close to done, and yet the book is way off-schedule.

Posted by colonelgreen on 2008-07-29 08:41:16
OMD/BND

I know you won´t answer it but I have to ask it anyway.

As you said BND won´t go anywhere and there is no plains for reverse it, so why using mephisto , deals and magic instead of divorcing Peter and MJ ? Spider-Man always was a comic that dealt with personal problems and human tasks, that what made Spider-Man comics so unique, divorce instead of using mephisto could ha been a way to show that Peter is a human being and could face human problems like divorce. I definitively know you won´t respond and will think it is offensive, but would be great to know why Mephisto instead of divorce.

Posted by claudio pahl on 2008-07-29 09:45:32
BND
Tom,

The issue with OMD/BND isn't the marriage. The marriage is a scapegoat and is getting all the press, when the real outrage is the manner in which you have handled this situation from its onset. You can't claim to respect your readers while waving a magic wand and wiping away twenty years of continuity and expect us to swallow it. It's disrespectful at worst and lazy storytelling at best.

I don't think any reasonable Spider-fan is going to oppose doing everything you can to better the character and do what you feel is best for business. But you can't expect us to invest into Spider-Man as a character, or as a property, given the resolution to OMD.

You state that the new status quo is here to stay. That's fine. I've stopped purchasing Spider-Man since the end of OMD. I honestly don't think there's anything you can do with the character that would restore his validity as a hero, in my eyes. I understand your motivations for the change. I don't agree with your methods. If nothing else, please learn from this experience and prevent further events from devolving into the sordid mess we have today.



Posted by ralphus on 2008-07-29 11:12:29
Thanks
Thanks Mr. Brevoort for being straight up with us. I though you were being very honest. I was holding out hope for a return to the way things were. I grew up with a married spriderman and that is what seems famillar. I called and cancelled my subscription. I understand the company needs to protect its future - I just wish there was a place for all of us at the table. AMZ spidergirl just seems too teenish for me. One question though, if Marvel was trying to make this big change, why develop the Mr. and Mrs. Spiderman stories? Doesn't this just add confusion to the market place?

Posted by comicsdoc on 2008-07-29 11:28:15
HULK
Hi Tom,
Will the Incredible Hercules title and numbering return to the Incredible Hulk anytime?
Can you make some calls and find out when we can hope to hear some casting announcements for Cap, Avengers, and Spidey4?
Can you explain the point of Marvel Apes?
Now for BND...I'm enjoying the book for the most part, and I understand the need for Marvel to want Pete to be their lovable loser, but does he have to be such a man-child? I have found contentment with the agita, except for the timeline issues. Would it give to much away to explain how BND fits into current universe continuity?


Posted by TConway on 2008-07-29 12:01:49
question two
anything planned for Omega Flight ?
I've read something from Joe Q that he wished 'nothing like the New Avengers'.


Posted by notapotatoe on 2008-07-29 12:05:11
Tom, about Spider-girl....
Hey Tom,

Why don't you guys ever put any effort into promoting Spider-girl, especially if you want the Anti-BND fans off your backs ?

Also why aren't there any writers within Marvel Comics, that can help assist Tom Defalco and write within Spider-girl's world ?

Posted by CAmbm on 2008-07-29 13:22:08
Another worthless fan.
"If you've tried BND and still don't like it, then you really aren't much of a Spider-man fan anyway."

I have always identified with Peter Parker. When I was a student I would read his adventures from that period. I read the Wedding again, a day before myself actually getting married.

Now I´m getting older and he is getting younger. I know this is not Marvel’s problem, and that there are a lot of characters out there I can relate to. And that is what I’m doing. I stopped buying Spidey titles, and I’m reading comics like Captain America (at least Bucky is 50 plus years old). Does that make me a “bad Spidey fan”? Of course not, but since Peter is returning to an age lost gone for me, I just don’t feel any connection.


Posted by freyes2000 on 2008-07-29 13:22:42
I'm happy to hear that Marvel is sticking to its guns on the spider-marriage. There's no reason to back down -- the BND era has been immensely enjoyable so far. And BTW, I'm one of the fans who came back to Spidey because of OMD.

Posted by chapter11studios on 2008-07-29 13:53:38
You rule, Tom! You ****ing rule! Stick to your guns!!

Posted by Maestro on 2008-07-29 13:59:26
to Zigy and freyes2000
I never once called any Spidey fan worthless. I only said that if you don't like Amazing right now then you don't really like Spider-Man. I too, was this close to knocking Amazing off my pull list after OMD, but after giving BND a chance, I saw that it really was good Spider-Man (except I still don't understand the return of Harry). I wish there was a better way to disolve the marriage, but who want to read about a divorce in comics. And for all of you that want Pete to age in real time, "Are you serious?!" The last thing I or I'm sure 99.9% of fans want to do is read about a 60 something Spider-Man, 'cause that is what age he'd be right now. If you need your fix of old Peter then read Spider-Girl and Spider-Man: Reign. They are both great, but if you think a book based solely on an old Spider-Man would stay afloat, you are sorely mistaken!

Posted by jjp69 on 2008-07-29 15:20:54
jjp69
I've followed Spidey since '75 when I was three and up until OMD/BND. I dare ya to tell me I "don't really like Spider-Man" as I sit here looking around an apartment with Spidey and Marvel memorabilia crossing four decades just because I dislike OMD/BND.

Fans who like a married Spidey aren't asking that the character be sixty years old. It was a fallacious non-argument when Quesada said that (he needed an excuse to call us "selfish") and it's just as wrong now.

This isn't about age and it never was. And "youth" has never been the core of the character.

Posted by SaveSpidey on 2008-07-29 15:48:55
BND
Much as I prefer Peter being married, I could have gotten to accept Peter as a single. I'm a Spidey fan, I would have grumbled, but I would have accepted it, if the char in the book were still Peter Parker.

Right now, with Brand New Day, the guy using Peter Parker's name, superhero identity and costume, is not Peter Parker.

Where Peter was loveable, BND Peter is not, where Peter was relatable, BND Peter is not. Where Peter was selfless, BND Peter is selfish. Where Peter was mature, BND Peter is an immature loser.

I could read Amazing, as long as Peter was still Peter, the imposter pretending to be Peter, hanging out with either fake Harry or deadbeat dad Harry, is not Peter. He's a worthless incompetent piece of @@#%&@ waste of space.

Unmarried Spidey I can cope with, heartless, soulless Peter Kazenberg who behaves like Eric O'Grady and Nick Katzenberg's lovechild I can not.

I haven't bought a single issue of Amazing since Brand New Day started, and I will continue to leave the issue in the store as long as Spider-Man does not regain it's heart and soul. As long as the character in it, is someone I want to see beaten to death with a crowbar and turn into the Skrull he must be. (it's the only explanation for the 180 in personality.)

That might mean nothing to you, but it also means that my godson and goddaughter will never be introduced to Amazing Spider-Man by me. It means that my godson will not be taken to a comicstore and given a budget to spend, as I would have if Spider-Man were still worth it.

Right now, regular universe Spider-Man ended with Sensational Spider-Man 40. It was a great character, and I still mourn him, but I will not buy that stuffed mimicry of a once great character that BND is trying to sell to us.

Posted by liliaeth on 2008-07-29 15:53:41
Editors role in late books
Hey, Tom I'll try to make this brief but it's kind of a long question.

I was hoping you could give us some insight into the role editors play in the lateness of books. I could be mistaken but I believe the editor is responsible for selecting the creative team. When you select a creator who has had lateness problems in the past what steps do you take to prevent lateness in the future? I'm getting very frustrated with lateness and from the outside looking in it doesn't appear that you guys are doing anything to limit late books. I find this especially frustrating with a series like Old Man Logan. Apparently the book will not ship in September or October. With a book like this that is essentially a What If story that does not affect any other books why not wait until it is complete, or mostly complete, to solicit the first issue? And please do not give me the "comics are produced by human beings" excuse. I'm sorry but I just don't believe that. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of monthly periodicals produced by humans that ship on time every month, year after year. I really believe that scheduling is the problem and I hope to hear what steps Marvel are taking to limit late books in the future.

Thank you for your time

Posted by rialb on 2008-07-29 16:05:40
add on
And oh yes one question, how did the utter loser that Spider-Man is shown to be in Brand New Day ever get into the Avengers? There is no way that this incompetent moron would have ever been respected by Captain America. So once again, when will the Skrull imposter leave and the real Peter Parker return. And when the Skrull goes, can he take those one dimensional excuses for characters, aka insults to women called Carrie and Lilly with him. They're even more lifeless and cardboardy than Gwen Stacy who up to now held the title of worst female character in Amazing Spider-Man ever.

Posted by liliaeth on 2008-07-29 16:08:09
Great Work
"You rule, Tom! You ****ing rule! Stick to your guns!!"

^^^
What Maestro said! Keep it up. I'm loving ASM right now, and I have my genuine interest in SPIDER-MAN back. Give my thanks to the team and the rest of Marvel for me.

Marvel has its balls back....finally.

Posted by BlackToe on 2008-07-29 16:15:18
Spider-man
Tom,

I have been keeping my comic book store, Nik'Lbag Comics in Pahrump, open for the past seven months despite swearing to myself that I wouldn't because of what's been done to Spider-man. I clung to the hope that the sales decline (that I predicted would occur and now has) would cause you all to reconsider this horrible decision. Your statements here have taken away all faith I had that reason would prevail over Marvel's determination to butcher a character that has been much beloved by the public for over 45 years of rich history and continuity. Your smug disregard for the wishes and demands of fans is intolerable. You act as if you are all as invincible as the superheroes you write about, but this time, you will fail. You are completely misunderstanding and mismanaging your audience.

"We didn’t go to all of the effort and brace to deal with all of the agita simply to cave in and reverse ourselves because some fans are upset."

That statement alone just cost your company tens of thousands of dollars. Your attitude that there are just a few angry fans that can be easily overlooked is way, way off the mark. You've touched a nerve here messing with Spider-man, and the backlash will never go away. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. With this one act of stupidity, you've created a movement against Marvel.

By stating that it would be "caving in" to accommodate fan wishes, you have taken a combative stance, as if it were you guys versus the audience, battling over the future of Spider-man. That's not how it works. Spider-man is not yours. You are merely a caretaker. You are a hired gun at Marvel and so is Quesada. You're session players in a cover band. You play the tunes the people want to hear, not the ones you want to play. You play requests from the audience, or you don't play at all.

"We’ve been over the argument for why an unmarried Spider-Man is a much more vital character than a married Spider-Man, and how the marriage itself started as a circulation-boosting stunt for the newspaper strip that got out of hand."

The marriage was a damn good idea by Stan "The Man" Lee, whose boots you aren't fit to lick the soles of. His decision to marry Peter and Mary Jane is one that was wisely copied in the comics and the following years saw some of the most successful sales figures ever for Spider-man. This delusion that Marvel has concocted that marriage is some sort of "taint" is an insult to the fans who have carried the Spider-man titles throughout the last twenty years. You've turned long-time fans into a bunch of suckers and you've ruined the credibility of the entire Marvel publishing department in doing so.

You should all be ashamed of yourselves. One day, when the consequences of all this catch up with you, you will be.

Posted by ronnieramone on 2008-07-29 16:39:25
web-head
I have never been a huge spiderman fan, but did read much of the amazing, sensational title in the early nineties as i'm much more of a marvel cosmic guy (great job DnA). But even I have to admitt changing the entire spidey timeline seems very bogus and noncreative. im sure the younger generation might like it? hopefully

Posted by chulo313 on 2008-07-29 17:42:09
web-head
I have never been a huge spiderman fan, but did read much of the amazing, sensational title in the early nineties as i'm much more of a marvel cosmic guy (great job DnA). But even I have to admitt changing the entire spidey timeline seems very bogus and noncreative. im sure the younger generation might like it? hopefully

Posted by chulo313 on 2008-07-29 17:43:16
You know what I don't understand? Why didn't Marvel just sink all of this creative talent (i.e., Bendis, Wells, Wacker, McNiven, Bachalo, Jiminez, etc.) into making Ultimate Spider-man come out three times a month? They could've just kept regular Marvel Universe Spider-man married and put a decent long-term creative team on Amazing Spider-man (e.g., Slott and JRJR) and cancelled the other two 616 Spidey books. That way he's still married for the long-time fans, while the new readers will flock to Ultimate Spider-man.

Makes perfect sense to me. But, then again, I feel the same way about Astonishing X-men. If they wanted to have a more self-contained X-men book with a superstar creative team on it, why not just put Ellis and Bianchi on Ultimate X-men and cancel Astonishing with Whedon and Cassaday's departure from the book?

These are the decisions that make the Ultimate line redundant and ruin a perfect opportunity for Marvel to have the best of both worlds. In other words, one universe that is older and where things have changed radically over time (616) and another where things are more timeless (yet modernized) and which closely resembles the movies (Ultimate).

Posted by Jackraow21 on 2008-07-29 20:20:36
bnd vs "real" spidey
This is what I don't get. There are literally a dozen X-books. There are a half-dozen Avengers books. There is Ultimate Spider-Man which focusses on a young single Parker. If Marvel has their hearts THAT set on the BND version of Peter Parker, why not simply release a "continuity-friendly" Spider-Man every month? That would repair continuity, appease the fans of the real Spider-Man, and probably increase Spider-Man's revenue, as many Spidey fans would buy both titles, as opposed to one or the other.

One fan noted above that the issue isn't the marriage, it's the way Spidey (the book) has been handled. I can't speak for every BND hater, but I will say that OMD was trash, BND is mediocre at best, and even worse, it just doesn't resonate the same way the "real" Spider-Man does. The fact is, marriage or no, it completely cut the Spider-Man continuity, caused all kinds of issues, creates a multitude of loose ends, and when people complain, Marvel says "keep buying, we'll explain it". Why would someone continue to buy a product they don't enjoy?

Many have stated that "this isn't a democracy, the business has to do what it thinks is best, not what the fans what."

Tell that to New Coke, the Edsel, Betamax and the TurboGrfx-16.

The fans did what THEY wanted and simply didn't buy. The companies involved lost millions.

ASM sales are down over 40 percent since OMD. Excuses aside (cross-overs, the economy, the price of oil, Daylight Savings time) the fact remains is the biggest hit is from people either boycotting the book, or people leaving it because it's a shadow of it's former self.

Swallow your pride and admit this is the comic-book version of New Coke Marvel.

The sooner you do, the sooner your lifelong fans start to return.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

Posted by insatiablesinner on 2008-07-30 02:07:50
It's one thing to retcon a title so completely.
But to do it mid-flow and with a deus ex machina is... I lack words.
Spider-Man had never been less status quo than just pre-OMD.
His identity exposed, chased by the law, standing threat towards Kingpin, confrontation with J.J.J., spider totem enhanced abilities, May on the brink etc. etc.
Now it's the 1980's again, it's not change, it's a step back.
You've got all ages spidey, and ultimate spidey, why oh why couldn't you just have left us old long time readers the REAL Peter Parker?

Also, his retrofitting seemingly affected everybody around him. As posted on the forums and I quote:
"Suddenly Doc Strange looks like a foolish amateur, because he can't recall all his conversations with, and battles alongside Peter.

Daredevil, who deduced who Spidey really was, using his hightened senses, suddenly no longer knows? Thus he too has been dumbed down by this.

Ben Urich, using his keen insight and journalist skills, also deduced Spideys identity, long before civil war. He's been lobotomized as well, clearly, because he's forgotten too.

S.H.I.E.L.D. knew, Iron Man knew, Wolverine knew etc. Erasing their memories also seems to have taken away their curiosity. "I saw him unmask, but I can't remember the face...I wonder why that is.. no, wait, for some odd reason I don't care, oh well, wonder what's on telly"
Plausible? Hell no.

With the whole MU thus altered, is it any wonder I've jumped off the entire universe? It is now hollow and unrealistic.
(I know, people flying and shooting concussive beams out their eyesockets is hardly realistic, but work with me)."

Another long time reader signing off.

Posted by Nøhr on 2008-07-30 06:57:45
Food for thought:

The world remembers Spider-Man unmasking. Peter remembers unmasking. Why isn't Peter wondering why nobody knows who he is?

Posted by Rawnzilla on 2008-07-30 10:14:30
Ralph Macchio once said that it's o.k. if readers get mad as long as they keep reading the books. From what I can tell, you are losing readers right and left. If something isn't broke, don't fix it. The pre-OMD Spider-man was not broken, but he sure is now. I have to say that although I have a tremendous respect for the work that Joe Quesada, Dan Slott, Mark Guggenheim, Zeb Wells, and Bob Gale have done over the years, I believe that the theory that an unmarried Spider-man is a better character than the one we've been reading about for the past 20 years is flawed. I think that you guys are sincere in your feeling that what you are doing is best for the character, but sincerity doesn't mean that you are right. My prediction for this whole thing is that it will eventually be reversed and BND will go down as the worst era in Spider-man history. Unfortunately the people who will be affected the most by this is the above creators. Personally, I wouldn't want that on my resume. I'm sure people like Howard Mackie would agree.

Posted by scooter1a on 2008-07-30 10:41:04
It also bothers me that Peter has a new “romantic interest”. Each time I see those two flirting I can’t help thinking that such relationship is destined to fail. Otherwise, we would be broken the “not-married status”. So, the stories have a big flaw: one of the plots is already dead.

Posted by freyes2000 on 2008-07-30 12:49:14
I think the most amazing thing about BND is that a little over a decade ago Marvel's editors had a story that desperately needed retconning, the Clone Saga, and yet they still didn't use Mephisto despite the suggested option.

Now a storyline that doesn't need it gets Mephisto used.

I also wonder if Marvel's editors realized they've ruined any future relationship for Peter.

You writers and editors have shown you don't believe in marriage for Peter Parker. That means any love interest you intro in the future is as best a future ex, at worst something for new angst, like a death or a supervillain. Because otherwise any logn term relationship might as well be marriage

And I've seen sales charts. Lately it seems each issue bleeds buyers. Maybe you're thinking new fans will pick it up. But most modern Spidey, like the movies and recent cartoons, has MJ in it in some form. So lack of her certainly wouldn't draw. And if they go back to the TPB's and see him making a deal with the devil in their attempts to catch up on his history? That's not something that endears a hero to the readership I don't think. That's something where you've got to hope the fans you have love him so much they'll accept that flaw.

Posted by MrJL on 2008-07-30 18:00:38
Responses...
Ironic that a majority (and the longest) of responses to this blog are from people that don't like what Tom said and the current direction of ASM.

I wonder what it says for a product when the only people talking about it are the ones NOT buying it?

Then again...since less people have been buying ASM since the start of BND, I guess more people will be talking about it...and how lousy it is.

Nice work Marvel! Stick to your guns with this poor excuse for creativity.

G.

Posted by fanboyspodcast on 2008-07-30 18:33:07
Nice move...
Congrats, Tom. I hope you're enjoying the taste of shoe leather with the way you just stuck your foot in your mouth. But announcing in a single voice that "This is how things are gonna be, deal with it!" You've just incensed the anti-BND crowd and have probably lost another 20% of your company's readers. As someone who works in a industry that requires a you to work in the cunsumer's interests, I can tell you right now what you just did is essentially comitt suicide. Because when you make one customer angry, that person with tell 10 more. And so on. So, enjoy the progressive loss of your fanbase and the fact that your incompetent writers are unable to attract new readership on ASM. We'll see in a few months whether or not "things are here to stay" or not.

Enjoy.

Posted by Mr. Astounding on 2008-07-31 07:55:15
Using Frank Cho correctly
An Ares mini series with Cho would kick !*#@@**% !!

Posted by underworldeve on 2008-07-31 18:05:00
To Mr. Astounding
I don't think the company will suffer any major losses. Sure, old readers, such as myself will be gone, but new readers will come and everything will be business as usual.
It's frustrating, sure, but that's just how the cookie crumbles.
The good thing is, because there's always something good in everything, I'm saving a ton of cash currently. Dropping Iron Fist, She-Hulk, ASM, New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Invasion, Spider-Girl etc. etc. frees up a lot of monies.
Not to mention space on the shelves.

Posted by Nøhr on 2008-08-01 07:04:04
To Nohr

I happen to think the OMD/BND stuff would be enough of a turnoff to keep at least some new readers out

Posted by MrJL on 2008-08-01 16:09:54
To MrJL
Maybe, maybe not.
When I say new readers, I mean new readers, the next generation.
They won't know what went before, unless they pick up the trades of course.
If they do, I guess the sh*t will hit the fans again.

Posted by Nøhr on 2008-08-01 20:13:30
OMD/BND
Tom,

Let me first apologize for the length of this post. Next, thank you for answering the question. That said...

I have been a loyal Marvel reader since the early 1970’s. My first issue of Amazing Spider-Man was #120. I quickly collected a sizable bulk of back issues. I have been going strong ever since. I even sat through the Clone Saga mess, hoping you would reverse it, which fortunately you did.

I am very dismayed at what appears to be your insistence on not likewise correcting this current One More Day/Brand New Day. This is the absolute worse turn of events in Spider-Man history. And this is a history that includes the Clone Saga, bringing back Aunt May after the touching ASM #400, the Other, and Sins Past.

There is so much wrong with this course of events, I do not know how to make this brief. Let’s start:

1. One More Day shows absolutely zero knowledge of the character of Peter Parker. There is no way Peter, whose major motivation is responsibility would throw away his marriage (a sacred vow) to save the life of Aunt May, who he already had to come to grips with in issue 400, before Marvel got cold feet about returning baby May and gave us Aunt May again. On top of this, Pete makes this deal with the DEVIL. Don’t give us semantics that Mesphisto is not really the devil. For all intents and purposes, this is what he is. There is absolutely no way Peter (or MJ) make this deal.

2. What kind of message are you sending your readers (many which are young-as you hope-and impressionable)? What do you do when things become so desperate? Turn to the devil! He will make everything alright. Good move, Marvel!

3. This is not even good story telling. You set up a situation. Peter’s identity is public. He is a wanted fugitive. Aunt May and MJ are wanted fugitives. All of Spidey’s villains now know who he is. Aunt May is shot and dying, and no one can help her. Spider-Man has threatened to kill the Kingpin if and when she dies. How are we getting out of this situation? We don’t. We just ignore it. We pick up after everything is fixed. Aunt May is back to making wheat cakes. Nobody remembers who Spider-Man is (what, no one remembers where all that news footage from the press conference went?). Just poor story telling that just reeks of an agenda.

4. Your insistence that the marriage was just a gimmick and restricts writers is also a cop out. As a kid, I was upset when MJ turned down Pete the first time in the ‘70’s. I was very happy when she accepted the second time. I’ll admit they did rush right to the wedding. Marvel missed an opportunity to do some years as an engaged couple. They could have even broken it off at one point, before continuing on to the wedding. But, the point is they did get married. To say everything works out fine once you’re married shows you obviously have never been married. There are so many opportunities. Long distance relationship when MJ has to work on the West Coast. Black Cat working with Spider-Man could make things uncomfortable. You still have to make dates and appointments with a wife that his web swinging could interfere with. Not being able to write Spider-Man as married might have something to say about your writing abilities. And on a side note, the problem was not that Pete married a super model. The problem is you turned MJ into a super model. You should have kept her as a pretty, fun loving women who did local modeling and some acting on Broadway or off-Broadway.

5. Finally, these stories have not improved with Brand New Day. The art has been hit or miss. The new villains have been uninteresting to horrible. You promised us a return of Pete’s supporting cast. But, most of them have been swept away by new, less interesting characters: Carley like Gwen, Vin like Flash, DB like JJJ, Jackpot like Black Cat. And you bring back Harry to ruin yet another classic Spectacular #200. So much for being single making the character more viable.

There are other ways you could have handled everything. Right now, you have Amazing Spider-Girl, for a retired Pete as husband & father and May picking up the webs. Why not return Amazing to once a month, undo this awful OMD/BND, and make that the current 616 Spider-Man, where he is married. Ultimate seems to fill the bill for a high school Pete. Then start a new comic (Spectacular?) and make that title have a single Pete in college. That lets you bring back Harry and Gwen (which apparently some writers wanted to do anyway). In this new title, you don’t rehash old stories. You just tell new ones with this status quo in current time (2000's) and you don’t allow the character to age beyond college (using 616 characters, not Ultimatized).

I would like to point out, since I mentioned I have been with you since the early ‘70’s, you may have deduced I am in my early 40’s. I just want you to know, I am not some nut living in my parents’ basement. I am married with two children with a good job. And I am sure I am not in the “vocal minority.”

While the future shows some promise (it is great to see the return of John Romita Jr.!) I don’t know if I can support this title any longer. Please show some insight to realize this was a major mistake.

Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinions.

Posted by Spider-Gnome on 2008-08-02 11:32:10
Screw MJ bring back Felicia
Screw MJ bring back Felicia

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?t=234796

Posted by Wraithous on 2008-08-22 18:16:56