Amazing Spider-Man #36 Talkback (Spoilers)

**Clayface** · 11-15-2001, 01:56 PM

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist : John Romita JR.
Inker: Scott Hanna

Nothing more needs to be said . . .

Comments?

**James Harvey** · 11-15-2001, 05:45 PM

I got it today (due to shipment delays) and al I can say is...wow. What a powerful read. Far fetched in a couple places (Doom crying) but such a great read. I'm gonna re-read it again...

**Clayface** · 11-15-2001, 07:13 PM

Originally posted by Dick Grayson
I got it today (due to shipment delays) and al I can say is...wow. What a powerful read.

Powerful read is even a bit of an understatement, IMO. I'd have to say its the most powerful thing I've ever read in a comic. This thing really hit me in the heart, and its just an incredible read. I've read it several times, and am picking up copies for my friends and family. I highly recommend it to everyone.

**Leaping Larry Jojo** · 11-15-2001, 10:31 PM

I thought that the book would have worked better with less prose and dialogue. Good performance by JR Jr.

**Brian Cruz** · 11-15-2001, 11:02 PM

Hmm, I must be the only one who thought it was bad. Not only in execution, but in conception. It was a nice idea, but it came across as heavy-handed and extremely implausible. The art was nice though.

**Leaping Larry Jojo** · 11-15-2001, 11:18 PM

Originally posted by Brian Cruz
Hmm, I must be the only one who thought it was bad. Not only in execution, but in conception. It was a nice idea, but it came across as heavy-handed and extremely implausible. The art was nice though.

In a way, I agree. I think some of the villains were inappropriately chosen for this issue. The Doom crying thing nearly ruined the book. Some of the motivations made sense, but overall...

I thought John Romita Jr told a good story, but I think JMS dropped the ball on the writing.

**Clayface** · 11-16-2001, 11:29 AM

Wow, I can't believe anybody would NOT like this issue! I literally had tears in my eyes when I read it - the words were the best part IMO.

As far as the villians thing goes, it didn't bother me. Maybe because I don't bother following a lot of the other Marvel titles, so i know little to nothing about characters like Dr. Doom. Whatever the case, that seems like an incredibly minor issue to me in light of the rest of the story and art.

I don't think this was really meant to be a "plausible" issue - it was meant as a statement about the issues, and in that regard it worked extremely well in my opinion. This was the sort of story I was looking for in other WTC-attack related comics and collections, such as Heros. Unfortunately, I felt that nobody actually did it right before - this is the first time I've seen something that really captured that sort of emotion.

**Samhaine** · 11-16-2001, 07:58 PM

Ok, I just read the issue, and I have to agree with Brian and Larry. It was a good concept, but not quite executed properly. I agree, Romita Jr. did some great art, but the story left me wanting more. In fact, I was expecting so much more from the issue. I thought there would be an actual story involved, instead of some rescue work and some "Spidey" narration.

Again, I'm not knockin' the concept, because I think it was great for them to do it, but I think it could have been done in a better way.

**Clayface** · 11-16-2001, 08:13 PM

Originally posted by bloodone
Ok, I just read the issue, and I have to agree with Brian and Larry. It was a good concept, but not quite executed properly. I agree, Romita Jr. did some great art, but the story left me wanting more. In fact, I was expecting so much more from the issue. I thought there would be an actual story involved, instead of some rescue work and some "Spidey" narration.

See, I think that's the problem - some were expecting a superhero story of some sort, when the issue was never meant to be that - it was meant as a commentary on the events and a tribute to the everyday heros that were involved. I could see how that would be disappointing if you were expecting a story of some sort, but I dont' think that was ever the intention of the issue.

**James Harvey** · 11-17-2001, 02:10 PM

You make a valid point, Clayface. The issue wasn't meant to be a superhero action story, but how Spider-Man deals with it. I thought it was a great issue hampered down with just one page I didn't like (the one with all the villians in the wide open - too unbelieveable). But overall, it was such a powerful read. The part of the issue that really got to me was the part where the little boy was told by his fireman father to wait for him. And then whe the kid finds out his father was killed that just hit me like a tonne of bricks. This has been the best issue of Amazing Spider-Man in a long time.

**Supermon** · 11-17-2001, 04:36 PM

I thought the issue was great and very well done. I see the point about the villans being there though. Especially since if Magneto really felt bad about the deal he could lift all the metal depris out of there within an hour. Overall though I thought it was great to see this kind of commentary in a comic.

**James Harvey** · 11-18-2001, 03:24 PM

I thought it was well handled and a gutsy move overall by marvel. In a time where movie studios and tv shows are axing images of the WTC out, it's nice to see a medium deal with it.

**James Harvey** · 02-06-2002, 01:08 PM

This issue will no doubt be compared to Ultimate Spider-Man #13...but damn this was a really, really, really, really, really good read. Comments and thoughts on the ish?

**Joe Wagner** · 02-06-2002, 06:08 PM

Must....find.....comic! Aargh!!! JMS run on Amazing has been nothing short of incredible and I'm sure he wouldn't drop the ball now. JRJR's art has been one of my faves since I got back into reading Spidey about five years ago. I wish there was a comic shop closer than an hour away. Aarrgh!

-Joe!

**James Harvey** · 02-06-2002, 06:44 PM

Call up your comic guy, ask him to secure you a copy. Then, this weekend, jaunt down tot he comic store. But, the comic will hit newsstands in two weeks time, so maybe you can hold out for that. The book is definatly worth picking up. It finally makes Aunt May useful again!

**Gyro** · 02-06-2002, 09:19 PM

The book is definatly worth picking up. It finally makes Aunt May useful again!

I bet that was hard to do

**Samhaine** · 02-10-2002, 11:31 PM

I thought it was a pretty good issue, but we've had to wait for so long for it, that I just couldn't get over that. Plus, I couldn't get over issue #400, and the whole clone or whatever thing. But it was still pretty good.

**halinar** · 02-11-2002, 01:09 PM

It was an incredible book. I'm loving all of the JMS stuff.

I do have one question though. Because I have not picked up a spidy book in many many years previous to JMS....when and how did Aunt May come back??? I have the book where she dies and that was the last thing I knew about. Was it a restart thing with Onslaught?

**James Harvey** · 02-11-2002, 01:16 PM

Apparently the Aunt May who died in ASM #400 was an actor sent my Norman Osborn to help break Peter's spirits. Norman himself returns around the same time, revealing that the chemical formula that made him the Goblin also gave him superhuman stength and healing abilities.