Sensational Spider-man # 41 Review
“One More Day” part 3
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Joe Quesada, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove
One more day continues to drag along in both shipping time and story wise. This issue took a long time to hit comic stores and the issue itself is boring and predictable. I love Spider-Man and I’m really upset that Straczynski’s last arc is so slow, we have known for about a year that Aunt May is dying and Peter will do whatever he can to save her.
This issue opens with a young red-headed girl meeting Peter in an alley. The two talk while Peter walks around with his mask half off and the little girl tells Peter he is an idiot. Peter continues to walk and passes by a larger version of himself from an alternate timeline. This Peter is a video game loving loner who is really sad and pathetic. Then he meets up with another version of himself who is rich and successful but also alone. This version of Peter likes to drink and brood despite his money and power. Peter finally meets the Lady in Red who is revealed as Mephisto. Mephisto wants to make a deal with Peter in order to save May’s life. Peter realizes he needs to talk this over with MJ and we find out Mephisto has already approached her with the offer. MJ wants to hear the terms of the deal and guess what? He wants to end the marriage. Big surprise there, huh everyone?
Mephisto wants their love so they will always be miserable and sad deep down. He tells them they have one more day to think it over and then either their marriage or May will be gone for good.
Thoughts/Comments:
Good lord this sucks. Joe Quesada might be a good artist but he really is Mephisto in this storyline.
Everything Mephisto said about getting joy out of ending the marriage is the same thing Quesada has fought for during the past year or so. Peter and MJ would never be foolish enough to deal with the devil himself, but they do. This is really out of character for the two; May is old and has lived a long life. If someone was to tell me to pick between my favorite girl Julia and my grandma, I’d have to tell granny it’s been fun. What’s more, if Mephisto has the power to save May shouldn’t Dr. Strange as well? I guess Strange must really be a Skrull or something cause this just isn’t making any sense.
Also, the back up feature in the comic is a reprinting of a Silver Surfer comic featuring Mephisto. Guess what, I don’t care! This isn’t worth charging an extra dollar for this book. This is a pathetic ploy by Marvel to get more cash.
This whole story is a joke and just a big fuck you to the fans of the Spider-Marriage. Quesada has the power to get his way no matter what and that is the entire point of this story. For the first time in history gang, I give this book an F . This storyline is just Quesada’s way of getting what he wants and to hell with all the other fans of the marriage. If this keeps up I might have to change my name to Bat-Ben.
You gave a Spider-Man comic an "F" rating!?
I sense a disturbance in the force.
Next thing you know Omar will start liking Wolverine: Origins.
I'm with you Ben. How dare they treat spiderman fans like this. First it was the whole fiasco with Gwen and Norman. That was bad enough, but this. This is ridiculous.
Odds are, if they end the marriage, I will probably drop the book.
Yet it's not a big deal to me. I'm a big time Spider-Man fan and I got to witness three horrendous movies that had him completely out of character. I can handle four issues that may or may not end the marriage.
If lots of people drop the book it will speak to Joe Q and things will change. But it's still fiction and I refuse to get angry at fiction.
I'm not convinced the marriage will end though. It's looking like it will. But I am not completely sure it will yet. Just way too obvious. That final issue could easily prevent him from doing something only an extreme momma's boy would do.
Yeah, screw this. When Brand New Day hits, the only arc I'll read is the Slotts/McNivin story just because they are two of my favorite writers and artists. After that, I'm done with Amazing Spider-Man for now.
I've always liked it because it's had a level of continuity that other log-running Marvel titles don't. When they reverse time or whatever, there will be no continuity left, Peter won't remember anything, so no more cool references to old issues.
As far as I'm concerned, the Amazing Spider-Man story is over. I'd rather go back and buy old ASM trades instead of tripling my spending amount on this book.
It seems that Marvel is really doing so much of their books like DC would have handled them in the 80s and 90s. By making things "magicaly" go away. Pretty soon Marvel will have their own Crisis book and Spider-ben can bitch about that. I left Marvel years ago with the whole Gwen Stacy/Norman screwing thing and I'm so glad I haven't gone back. Although hearing you guys on the podcast talk about Annihilation,WW Hulk,and Messiah Complex makes me want to go back. almost :)
whats with the still only 3.99 bullshit, is that supposed to be them making fun of us for how rediculiously over priced crap can be? That is like robbing someone and then saying hey look I got all your personal balonging and you don't, remember when you used to have all your own things, isn't that funny how now I have them???
Fuckers.
Hi everyone,
Thanks for reading and big thanks for agreeing with me. This is a huge slap in the face to Peter/MJ fans and it just shows how big of a baby Quesada is. He doesn't like the marriage so he's going to do away with it and to hell with the fans. This just feels wrong and it's a huge insult to long time spider fans.
Also, Chris you are totally right about the price thing. The only extras in the back are a Marvel Handbook entry about Mephisto and a re-printing of his first appearance from a Silver Surfer comic. Like I said in the review, I don't give a damn about this stuff. And why is Mephisto in a Spider-Man book in the first place? This just doesn't make sense and it isn't worth charging an extra dollar for.
Thanks again everyone, I wonder what vile Venom I'll spew when I review part four. If the marriage really does end (and it looks like it will) it will probably be the last review I do for Amazing Spider-Man for a very long time.
Yo' Spiderben, just wisen up and go read some damn DC or image or manga. Really it's not worth having a coronary over. Being a spiderman fan has sucked for long time now. Who knows it might be a good thing in the end. Maybe in this new life, Norman and Gwen didn't fuck.
jeebus ben, i'm telling grandma.
Speaking of the whole Gwen/Norman thing: You know what's funny? Quesada was the one who told Straczynski to make Gwen impregnated by Norman! Hahahahaha!
I mean what kind of twisted view does the guy have on Spider-Man story telling anyway?
"I bet fans will really like it if Spider-Man's arch-nemises has sex with his friend. And if they like that, they will love him not being married anymore! I am the smartest Editor-in-Chief ever."