Why so many continuities?

[RedShark92]

Looking over at Spiderfan.org made me realize how many different Spidey continuities they're going through right now.

You've got the standard 616 version.

The Ultimate version.

The Spider-man loves Mary Jane version.

The Marvel adventures version.

There's 4 for Peter... I'm not sure I'd count Spider-girl in this case, as even though Peter's a character, he's not the main focus of the characters...

Still - why so many? Marvel Adventures and Ultimate Spidey in particular seem to be covering similar ground: telling Spider-man stories set during his High School years. Spidey & MJ seems to be covering this same ground as well, but from a different viewpoint at least...

Why so many?

[Beast]

Because they sell and people enjoy them. And each one focuses on a different area of the market. The Marvel Adventures are the family friendly books, which are just fun stories with no real firm roots in continuity. Ultimate Spidey is more continuity heavy and features stories that are geared for an older audience.

[90'sCartoonMan]

What Beast said.

And also, Spider-Man is Marvel's single most marketable hero, of course they're going to adapt him for new readers, old readers, young readers, female readers, Indian readers, etc. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel came out with a Spider-Man: Braile comic.

Plus the Spider-Marriage is evil and should've never happened, so we must have new continuities where he's not married. ;)

[a-spidey]

i think as long as nobody mix them up it's a great read and something for everyone. I read Ultimate spider-man and the 3 "regular" books and i have no problem with it. Like it.

[Billy Parker]

'Cause Spidey rules!! We need LOTS of Spider-Man books to keep entertained!

[RedShark92]

I certainly wasn’t begrudging them doing them, more power to them. Likewise for people enjoying them, go to town! Obviously they’re selling well or they wouldn’t bother.

I do find it interesting that Quesada is complaining so much about the Spider-marriage, and how it keeps them from telling the kind of stories they told in the past when they’ve got three different settings where Peter isn’t married and they’re free to tell those stories.

I guess that’s the part that puzzles me. On one hand you’ve got Quesada saying they want to tell stories about young single Peter, and here on the other hand they’ve set that up and yet he continues to clamor for it.

[scottv]

I think that each book shows a different side of Spider-Man. I read the 3 series from the 616 universe and Ultimate SM. I love them all. I am probably going to pick up Spider-Girl because I have heard a lot of good stuff!

[Mister Mets]

I honestly think it's a problem, and Marvel should try to limit to less continuities, especially when many of the books have spinoffs of their own (Spidergirl for instance has a spinoff Avengers Next mini-series coming soon.)

It makes things really confusing for new readers.

The Ultimate Universe is legitimately too popular to cancel, but if I were EIC, I'd get rid of the other books. Maybe I'd eventually launch an Ultimate Mary Jane series to make up for the loss of that book, or release some books (ie- Spidergirl) exclusively in digest form.

[Dark Soul # 7]

Different people like different continuities and it brings Marvel a little extra money.

The 616 is essential and I couldn't do without a monthly dose of Spider-man loves Mary Jane drama.

[Black Atom]

I really don't think Marvel knows what to do with 616 Spider-Man. Ironically, Queseda was ranking on DC for not knowing how to deal with Superman, when they obviously don't know where to go with Peter. It's clear they don't really want to deal with the marriage, yet they want some easy out. Given that, there's no reason to have 3 616 books, plus all the others. "Amazing" should appeal to just about everyone, then have "Sensational" be a darker/grittier book.

[Alan2099]

"Amazing" should appeal to just about everyone, then have "Sensational" be a darker/grittier book.
I figured if they were going to do a grim Spider-man Book "web of" would be the best title to use for it.

[Arilou]

As far as I see things the divisions is something like:

Marvel Adventures: For young readers (but with a few in-jokes) not in-continuity. One shot-stories.

Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man: A bit lighter in tone. (a BIT) lots of continuity bits.

Amazing: The main book. "Spider-man in the Marvel Universe". I expect most important developments to happen in ASM.

Sensational: The slighty darker and "grittier", version,

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: The Shoujo-version :p Essentially the teenage drama (but with a backdrop of Spidey-lore that makes it oh, so much fun to read "Bet you'd like to bump HER off a bridge!" heh) If anything I'd compare SMLMJ mostly to either Ultimate (for the teenage Drama) or Marvel Adventures (for the lighter tone)

Ultimate: Much darker in tone, also a reboot, so the teenage angst is back. Somewhat of a "IF Spider-man was written today book".

Spider-Girl: Ironically for a title set in an alternate future, it's the most "Old Skool" Book. In structure and tone it is the one that is most like "classic Spidey" to me (perhaps along with FNSM)

[SnakeEater]

Because they sell and people enjoy them. And each one focuses on a different area of the market. The Marvel Adventures are the family friendly books, which are just fun stories with no real firm roots in continuity. Ultimate Spidey is more continuity heavy and features stories that are geared for an older audience.

wasnt ultimate spidey supposed to be more for kids since the 616 spidey is too adult for his own good?:confused:

[Alan2099]

wasnt ultimate spidey supposed to be more for kids since the 616 spidey is too adult for his own good?:confused:
Ironically, yes.

The Ultimates books were originally supposed to attract the younger readers but somehow the whole thing took a far more resious and cynical feel than the mainstream books.