Does Anyone Else Think that Marvel should Dispense with "Angry Spider-Man" Plotlines?

[Theophilus]

I don't have a problem with repeating storylines in and of themselves. I'm cool with Cap dying or retiring every time a writer wants to make a political allegory (as long as the story is good...and right now it is!)...I'm cool with Spidey quitting as long as the story is good.

But I was browsing through the "Back in Black" ASM where Pete heads off to prison to take on Kingpin and it just struck me as somehow wrong. Look, I haven't read ASM in years, so feel free to correct me on this one. I liked "angry murderous rage Pete" well enough in the Sin-Eater saga and the Gang War storyline where Black Cat almost died, but I think it's about time to retire this particular storyline. There's nowhere else to take it, and I'm tired of angry Pete ever since the "fake robot parents" storyline from the 90s that ended in the clone revelation and Peter Parker: Pregnant Wife Beater.

Spidey is a hero who, quite frankly, can't be overly bitter for long periods of time. It doesn't work. Cynical, down on his luck, depressed sometimes--but preferably still joking to keep from breaking down and not promising to kill his adversaries.

It just doesn't sit well with me. I hate it.

[Chris Nowlin]

While I don't feel as strongly about it as I do other things, I do think recycling of stories has been a problem for Pete over the last couple decades. It would be nice if the writers would have fresh ideas.

The thing is... the last time we saw angry Pete, it was because Aunt May was dying. Then Aunt May died. Now Aunt May's dying again, so we get angry Pete again.

I'm more annoyed by the general absurdity than the angry Pete aspects. But you make a good case.

[Theophilus]

I don't mind recycled storylines, but I feel pretty strongly that Pete's fits of rage are okay, but should be very temporary. The man has incredible self-control. I mean, GG kills his girfriend and he only beats on him for a minute before relenting...and now his elderly aunt gets shot and he plans premeditated smackdown/murder?

For me, Spidey is at his best when he's a pessimistic optimist or an optimistic pessimist. He's got a pretty realistic worldview and he handles tragedy through humor.

To summarize:

The angrier Hulk gets, the stronger he gets.

The angrier Spidey gets, the funnier he is.

[Sean Whitmore]

Angry Spider-Man should definitely be used sparingly, but I think that's what they've been doing. Like Coke said, we haven't seen a really angry Peter since his "I am Spider" phase right after his robot parents died. So for an entire generation of readers, this is a completely novel idea.

(The Mackie years don't count. Those weren't unfunny because Peter was angry, they were unfunny because Mackie is unfunny)

And assuming that the other books Spidey's appearing in all take place shortly after Back in Black, it looks like his rage will be very short-lived this time around.


SEAN

[SpideyZERO]

Angry Peter is a pretty good/new idea to me and I like it...

But depressing Peter who always goes 'Oh...It's all my fault, I've failed you, GWENNN!!!!, I'm sorry etc, that's way overused! I know that's an important part of Peter to feel sad but...it is way overused

[brundlefly]

The bigger issue with the current "Angry Spidey Out For Revenge" arc is that it's simply not suspenseful due to the chronology. Fisk gets released from prison in Daredevil and then heads off to Europe, so he's obviously not going to get killed by Peter since this must take place before Murdock got Fisk sprung. I'm waiting for the Angry Spidey arc to catch up with the rest of the Marvel Universe. It is nice to see him back in the black suit, though.

[Venom]

I've see Peter angry in different ways, but never this angry before and I like it. What do you expect him to be like? His aunt's dying and his whole life's falling apart. "Oh, look Aunt May's been shot. I'll go and capture the person responsible and let the cops deal with him. That'll teach him to mess with me and my family." If I was Pete I'd probably want to feel like killing everyone that was responsible too.

Is it really a crime for Peter to get pissed off when something like this happens. I'm not insulting you, but I think you're being really fussy about all of this and making a big deal out of nothing.

[thronzeblast]

I dont mind the angry spiderman plotline's,becuause it's unrealistic to thing someone can be witty and crack joke's 24/7.I do think they need to give spiderman a break it' getting rediculous what they keep throwing at him without a break.From the time his house got burned down and he moving into the stark tower it's been on thing after the other without a break.

[Sonicjuce]

The bigger issue with the current "Angry Spidey Out For Revenge" arc is that it's simply not suspenseful due to the chronology. Fisk gets released from prison in Daredevil and then heads off to Europe, so he's obviously not going to get killed by Peter since this must take place before Murdock got Fisk sprung.

I don't see why everyone keeps complaining about this. I think it would be glorious for Peter to kill the Kingpin, but in actuality Spidey never could. The chronology sucks, but at the same time couldn't he hunt him down later. Also that could have been wrong information.

[Mister Mets]

The angry Spider-Man plot is pretty rare. I wouldn't want to see it again for another few years, but I see no reason for Marvel to never do it again, as there will be events which will piss off Spider-Man.

Incidentally, the events of Civil War/ Back in Black did make Spider-man's anger appropriate and understandable.

[scottv]

I think that it was a good time for Peter to be angry. All the stuff happening with Aunt May, Civil War, unmasking, and Cap dying are really hard on him. He doesn't have control over his own life. I think that the stories are well written and I have really enjoyed them. I think that they need to wrap them up soon otherwise it will get old and boring but I think that after One More Day we should see that change.

[Crimson]

I don't mind it, as long as they do it once a in a while.

Spider-Man is one of the few characters were you can do whacky comedy, heavy drama and then really dark stuff and it works. It doesn't feel forced.

As long as after One More Day we get a few quieter storys and perhaps a few comedy ones... and lay off the events for a bit. I'll be happy.

[IMJ]

Hey, Spidey's got a black costume and it has to be used for something! :p

[sabongero]

Keep the rage baby ! Let Peter kick some arse !

I like the way he handles regular goons nowadays. Breaking fingers and stuff. Awesome !

[paulski]

The problem for me is... does anyone really expect Spidey to end up killing someone in this storyline?

Nah, didn't think so. Me either.

So it's kinda pointless, huh?

[Sean Whitmore]

The problem for me is... does anyone really expect Spidey to end up killing someone in this storyline?

Nah, didn't think so. Me either.

So it's kinda pointless, huh?

Depends on your definition of pointless.

For that matter, we know the Green Goblin is never going to succeed in killing Spider-Man, either.

"The journey is more important than the destination" and all that.


SEAN

[Chris Nowlin]

Sean is absolutely correct (I feel dirty).

It's an obstacle we watch our hero overcome. Here the obstacle is internal and his enemy is himself.

[ZacharyLovesYou]

Wouldn't mind "Angry" Spider-Man if it was written well and in an interesting way. However, this whole tacked on, black outfit, movie tie-in inside Amazing has just been down right bad. Nothing feels natural.

[Crimson]

The problem for me is... does anyone really expect Spidey to end up killing someone in this storyline?

Nah, didn't think so. Me either.

So it's kinda pointless, huh?

No. Not even a little bit... it doesn't help that the comic tells you this takes place before the Kingpin is released from jail.

OMG Zombie Kingin! No wait, Skrull Kingpin!

[paulski]

Depends on your definition of pointless.

For that matter, we know the Green Goblin is never going to succeed in killing Spider-Man, either.

"The journey is more important than the destination" and all that.

Only difference in this case is that the writers are earnestly trying to convince readers that Spider-Man's going to kill the Kingpin (or at least somebody). I wouldn't compare it to your typical "Is the hero going to get out of this deathtrap alive?" situation (although look what happened to Cap... ;) ) - generally, no one who's read comics for more than a year expects the title character to be killed.

As a long-time Spider-Man reader, I've seen all this done before (most recently with the first Morlun storyline) and expect it to end exactly the same way. That's why this story's not working especially well for me at the moment - I just can't realistically see them ever changing the guy to the extent he'll murder a bad guy, so there's no real hook.

[Chiasm]

The whole problem with Back in Black angry Spidey storyline is that Marvel completely fubarred the implementation of it in regards to other related books.

We already know Spidey doesn't kill Kingpin because of the story from months ago in Daredevil. So the whole climax of ASM is ruined now.

And in new Avengers we see happy go lucky Spidey who is quipping non stop and very unangry. So we know that one of two things has happened: either Aunt May lived or Brian Bendis forgot he was writing 616 Spidey and wrote Ultimate Spidey into New Avengers.

[Sean Whitmore]

And in new Avengers we see happy go lucky Spidey who is quipping non stop and very unangry. So we know that one of two things has happened: either Aunt May lived or Brian Bendis forgot he was writing 616 Spidey and wrote Ultimate Spidey into New Avengers.


Or (3) Aunt May died, Peter went through his grief, and now he cracks jokes again to mask his pain and insecurities like he's always done.


SEAN

[Chris Nowlin]

Or (3) Aunt May died, Peter went through his grief, and now he cracks jokes again to mask his pain and insecurities like he's always done.


SEAN

He doesn't cry in front of the big boys. And despite his personal problems he still needs to help out the Avengers because he has great power and with it something something...

I think he'd be behaving as he is with the Avengers even after the upsetting revelation that May's a Skrull

[Sean Whitmore]

He doesn't cry in front of the big boys.

Unless Jeph Loeb is writing it.

Then, Peter is a sensitive young passion flower, his delicate petals withering under the harsh light of reality, torrents of tears gushing out of his eyes, his little bitch voice breaking ever so poignantly.


SEAN

[Chris Nowlin]

Unless Jeph Loeb is writing it.

Then, Peter is a sensitive young passion flower, his delicate petals withering under the harsh light of reality, torrents of tears gushing out of his eyes, his little bitch voice breaking ever so poignantly.


SEAN

Ooh, sounds very adult.