Having missed getting my books last week due to my illness and then not getting my entire two week stack, I've no clue what came out when and that's likely to continue for another week or so. We'll talk about what I read and worry about the details of release, well, never I guess.
Amazing Spider-Man #590 starts dealing with a question some fans asked after the 'event' that, amongst other things, returned Spider-Man's secret identity to being a secret: won't some of his old pals notice that they've forgotten something? Spidey and the Fantastic Four meet up to follow up on a previous adventure to another dimension. Once they meet, it's clear to the FF that they knew who Spidey was but can't remember. This bothers Johnny Storm more than the rest and he becomes obsessed with remembering. The story flashes back to the previous adventure, mostly because it was never told before this story, so we can reference the change between before and after the 'event'. One of the main variations is that Spidey spends most of the previous adventure walking around with his mask off.
Huh? Really? Even in another dimension? That doesn't sound like the uptight Parker I know.
It may be my memory failing me but I don't remember that the FF knew Spider-Man was Peter Parker. I seem to remember Reed going 'of course I knew, I am so s-m-r-t' at one point, but that feels like a reasonably recent occurrence. Even with Pete's trust of the FF, I remember him being masked when going to Reed for help with the alien suit that would become Venom. Maybe I'm misremembering.
For sake of argument, let's say I'm misremembering and the FF have known about this for ages. It still seems weird to see Pete walking around in his Spidey suit but with the mask off. That's different. One of the plot points upon their return to the other dimension is that the grateful people they helped made statues of their heroes and, oh look, the Spidey one is unmasked but eroded so you can't make out the features. It feels like they did this just to give Johnny Storm another reason to freak-out about being unable to remember the secret identity.
From a reader's perspective, Pete's reluctance to let the FF in on his secret is a bit odd as he unmasked for the Avengers two weeks ago. He trusts them but not the FF? Really?
Now, the story is to be continued so it may make sense in the end. Maybe he admits he's being silly to friends he trusts and all is well in the end. Perhaps this story takes place before the one in New Avengers #51 and is the motivation behind him deciding to trust the Avengers with his secret as well.
At this moment it just doesn't read very well.
I'll be willing to take that back if #591 explains all but right now it feels like an awkward, rare 'swing and a miss' from writer Dan Slott.
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2 comments:
There was a period of time after Civil War #2, but before the end of Civil War, when pretty much everyone knew that Peter Parker was Spider-Man and he walked around w/ his mask on/off a lot. (For example, Peter's students knew that their teacher was Spider-Man during the end of Peter David's run on FNSM).
Before that, Spider-Man had revealed his secret identity to the Human Torch (and the rest of the Fantastic Four) at the end of Dan Slott's Spider-Man/Human Torch mini-series.
It was also revealed in that mini-series that Spidey had a number of adventures with them (including the one from the flashback sequence in ASM #590).
Does it matter that Peter had his mask off in the Macroverse? Would anyone there recognize him?
Also, Spider-Man editor, Steve Wacker, has posted on various message boards that ASM #590 and #591 take place before New Avengers #51.
The point that this story is likely a tie to the Spidey/Torch mini series is helpful to me. That's one of the few recent Spidey series I don't have and haven't read so it probably contains the information I lack.
Does it matter that he's not wearing the mask in the Microverse? Perhaps not. Why bother wearing the rest of the costume then? Why not just wear some generic FF costume, like the 'astronaut' suit they show him in early in the book? Those are made of unstable molecules and Spidey's togs are generally just cloth so it would make practical sense as well.
Maybe part of my brain is still too 80s orientated, where Spidey would be in a team-up, in the middle of nowhere, and still would only raise the mask over his nose to eat and drink. Walking around 'half' costumed just doesn't look right.
And I'd managed to not see such a note from Steve Wacker so at least my theory was correct in that regard.
Thank you Anonymous friend!
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