Joey Q Just Doesn't Seem To Get It

An article in the January 7th New York Post reports that the next issue of Amazing Spider-Man will open with a now single Peter Parker kissing a woman who isn't Mary Jane. And here's the quote from Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada:

"The first page is a real shocker and it's done on purpose. It's a bit of a slap of reality to longtime readers."

No - the slap of reality was the decision to have made this change in the first place. It sounds like Quesada just doesn't care what Spidey fans think. He comes off as...disrespectful. It would be nice to think that he would see his position as overseer of these great characters in a way that would preserve what made them great. That he would consider himself a respectful caretaker. But looking at Marvel's recent output, it sure doesn't seem like that is the case. Nor does it seem that any character is safe.

I didn't think that the Spider-Man folks could have exceeded the badness of the Gwen Stacy kids plot, but then Peter Parker revealed his identity. Then they upped the stakes and introduced this Mephisto "do-over" plot. Oh what a tangled web...

I can understand the strong negative reaction of Spider-Man fans - they've had to endure a good amount of questionable comics. I am glad I don't regularly read the title anymore. I will simply be left to wonder why Marvel seems bent on destroying it's greatest character...and whittling down it's considerable fanbase. I have to admit that I am somewhat curious to see where this will go. Dan Slott is the writer and I do like his work.

I am trying to be open-minded with these postings, as I don't want folks to think that I just feel like ranting about the state of the comic industry. Mostly, I enjoy comics...there are a lot of good ones coming out (even ones that JQ oversees). The goings-on in the Spider-Man titles seem like little more than a lazy way to shake up an established character. Are sales that bad? Or could it be that they've actually ran out of good ideas for the Spider-Man books?