Amazing Spider-Man #562 - 563 "The Other Spider-Man" Talkback (Spoilers)

[James Harvey]

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #562

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/uploaded/0.459670001205850979image_small.jpg (http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0608/ASM_562.jpg)

WRITER: Bob Gale
PENCILS: Mike McKone

THE STORY: It's Web-Slinger vs. Wall-Crawler as artist extraordinaire Mike McKone (FF, The Exiles) joins writer Bob Gale to answer the
question – who is “The Other Spider-Man?” It ain't comin' down to another clone saga is it? If so, send all complaints
to 1994!

Comments?

[Shantosh9500]

Well this is pretty much the first Gale issue where i didn't think "what was Marvel thinking?". So the other Spider-Man is screwball and its something i didn't expect and i'ts good to see that a BND issue that wasn't focus on Peter and its really good to see a spotlight on Bookie's dysfunctional family. Also Mike McKone's art is really good here even though i'm not really a big fan of his.

3/5

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Hasn't this been done a thousand times before?

[Miyamoto Musashi]

Hasn't this been done a thousand times before?
The thing about Spider-Man being impersonated? It happened twice during the Lee/Ditko era and happened so often later, don't know how many times:sweat:

[James Harvey]

Time to wrap-up this mystery!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #563

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0808/ASM563_Cov_sm.jpg (http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0808/ASM563_Cov.jpg)

WRITER: Bob Gale
PENCILS: Mike McKone

THE STORY: Remember that joke that starts, “So Spider-Man walks into a bar, and…?” Well, when it’s the villain-filled Bar With No Name, it’s no joke – it’s a barroom brawl as only Mike McKone can draw it! And that’s only the beginning of one of the most maddening nights in Spidey’s life! Throw in The Enforcers, The Bookie, and a climax at Coney Island, and you’ve got a recipe for the nuttiest Spider-Man story this year. Gale didn’t tell us what he was drinking when he wrote it, but it must have been pretty good stuff!

[B]Comments?[/B

[Fett One]

When was the last time a comic had dialogue on the cover? Its been so long I don't even remember.

I liked the humor in this and was surprised that Ox actually kept his word and surrendered. It's not every day that the bad guys turn themselves in.

[Paul_Cousins]

Time to wrap-up this mystery!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #563

http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0808/ASM563_Cov_sm.jpg (http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/covers/0808/ASM563_Cov.jpg)

WRITER: Bob Gale
PENCILS: Mike McKone

THE STORY: Remember that joke that starts, “So Spider-Man walks into a bar, and…?” Well, when it’s the villain-filled Bar With No Name, it’s no joke – it’s a barroom brawl as only Mike McKone can draw it! And that’s only the beginning of one of the most maddening nights in Spidey’s life! Throw in The Enforcers, The Bookie, and a climax at Coney Island, and you’ve got a recipe for the nuttiest Spider-Man story this year. Gale didn’t tell us what he was drinking when he wrote it, but it must have been pretty good stuff!

[b]Comments?[/BIs this issue as good as it sounds? LOL!

The reason I ask is that I might buy it.

[Stu]

This issue had great artwork - almost Dodson-esquire.

There's some decent lines in this one too - this is easily the best issue they've done since this silly relaunch. It's nice to see some classic Spider-Man villains in The Enforcers too. All the new villains they've come up with so far absoloutly suck.

[Xurk]

When was the last time a comic had dialogue on the cover? Its been so long I don't even remember.
During One More Day ;) But anyhow, I thought Spidey's word balloon was hilarious as well and thought it was funny that the editors added in that note about the cover having dialogue :)

I'm not sure what to think of this issue though. At first, it was great that there were so many successfull Spidey one-liners in it, which had me smiling practically the whole time. But after a while, it became a bit too much and gave me the impression that Gale was trying too hard to be funny - a shame, because he really did make the story very funny, but went a bit overboard with it...

The cut-scene to May's soup kitchen with that Spanish / Italian guy healing very fast was odd. I suppose they will come back on that later on, as promised though.

Oh, either Peter has been spending a lot of time in the sun, or they slightly messed up the colouring, because he didn't look like Peter at all in that panel of him phoning Aunt May :p

[wonderfly]

Hasn't this been done a thousand times before?Well, of course, but it wouldn't be comic books without duplicates of our heroes running around. Some of the best stories have featured villains mimicking heroes, you make it sound like it's a bad thing! :p Having said that though...

For a storyline which was supposed to resolve the "Spider Tracer Killer" storyline, it sure didn't accomplish anything close to that. The "other Spider-Man" we see in this storyline is simply "Screwball" performing a favor. The real "meat and potatoes" of the "Spider Tracer Killer" storyline, (there's got to be a better name for it than "Spider Tracer Killer"!) is still unexplored. It's being dragged out a bit too long, for my tastes...

Other than that, I was set to compliment Bob Gale on the improvements in writing dialogue, (especially after Issue #562 ended) but by the end of Issue #563, I was grimacing again. He's overdoing it a bit too much still...

But yeah, I did find myself laughing out loud at times during these two issues. I'll give him that much...

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Well, of course, but it wouldn't be comic books without duplicates of our heroes running around. Some of the best stories have featured villains mimicking heroes, you make it sound like it's a bad thing! :p Having said that though...

For a storyline which was supposed to resolve the "Spider Tracer Killer" storyline, it sure didn't accomplish anything close to that. The "other Spider-Man" we see in this storyline is simply "Screwball" performing a favor. The real "meat and potatoes" of the "Spider Tracer Killer" storyline, (there's got to be a better name for it than "Spider Tracer Killer"!) is still unexplored. It's being dragged out a bit too long, for my tastes...

Other than that, I was set to compliment Bob Gale on the improvements in writing dialogue, (especially after Issue #562 ended) but by the end of Issue #563, I was grimacing again. He's overdoing it a bit too much still...

But yeah, I did find myself laughing out loud at times during these two issues. I'll give him that much...


Well, my point was wouldn't people have caught on that by now Criminal Spider-Man is bound to be a fake?

I can't help but think this is just Marvel trying to play up the whole "Just like the 60s/70s" thing.

[wonderfly]

Well, my point was wouldn't people have caught on that by now Criminal Spider-Man is bound to be a fake?

I can't help but think this is just Marvel trying to play up the whole "Just like the 60s/70s" thing.

You have a point, but there's always been a portion of New York City's population that has ALWAYS believed Spider-Man's a criminal. The "DB" (and the "Daily Bugle" before it) have fed those beliefs over the years with their stories....each time a new incident occurs for which Spidey is denounced as a criminal, the public soaks it up, and the old debate continues: "Has Jameson been right about Spidey all along?" It's probably a daily water cooler topic of conversation for the residents of Marvel's New York City...

[Jacob T. Paschal]

You have a point, but there's always been a portion of New York City's population that has ALWAYS believed Spider-Man's a criminal. The "DB" (and the "Daily Bugle" before it) have fed those beliefs over the years with their stories....each time a new incident occurs for which Spidey is denounced as a criminal, the public soaks it up, and the old debate continues: "Has Jameson been right about Spidey all along?" It's probably a daily water cooler topic of conversation for the residents of Marvel's New York City...

After 563 issues I would expect the passage of time could be allowed. Spider-Man has been around in the MU for what, fifteen years and has saved the world on multiple occasions (surely) and even gave up his identity to the public. I just can't believe trust would be so sparse but then again, this is Marvel. If the fans cannot trust the EiC how can stories about trust be produced.

But what's my opinion worth? I can't touch an issue nor would I ever buy a The Amazing Spider-Man now and haven't gotten around to catching back up with USM...I suppose my TSSM viewer card could validate me somehow...or my 'movie fan' card. :sweat:

[wonderfly]

After 563 issues I would expect the passage of time could be allowed. Spider-Man has been around in the MU for what, fifteen years and has saved the world on multiple occasions (surely) and even gave up his identity to the public. I just can't believe trust would be so sparse but then again, this is Marvel. If the fans cannot trust the EiC how can stories about trust be produced.


Well, there's two aspects to that: The Marvel universe has always been a place where heroes are mistrusted, (in contrast to the hero worship that occurs in the DC universe). So yeah, the editor's at Marvel are always going to mandate that Spidey, (and other heroes) be regarded as criminals by a certain segment of the Marvel population.

The "in story" reasoning works pretty good as an explanation as well though: every "good deed" of stopping a super villain usually results in massive damage to the city, (and lives lost, if the villain is a killer). Wherever Spider-man appears, there's usually destruction that follows in his wake, (from the battles he's in). The "Death of Gwen Stacy" was a very public incident. Would Gwen Stacy be alive if Spider-Man hadn't been up there battling the Green Goblin? That's going to feed on people's doubts pretty well, (and these same questions eat away at Peter Parker also).

[Peter Paltridge]

I can't help but think this is just Marvel trying to play up the whole "Just like the 60s/70s" thing.
Repeats of 70's storylines are all fine and dandy but you know what Spider-Man really needs? A pet rock.

C'mon, he must get so lonely.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Repeats of 70's storylines are all fine and dandy but you know what Spider-Man really needs? A pet rock.

C'mon, he must get so lonely.

I just can help but feel Manga's strongest advantage over American comics is that they eventually end *looks at Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo and One Piece* Well, One Piece at least has a overall plot. :sweat:

[Spideyzilla]

This storyline was lame. I give it 3 three stars purely for the art. I give the art a 5, but I take two points off for the story.