It’s fitting that on Stan Lee’s birthday that we’re getting a ton of news about arguably his greatest creation. At least, it’s his most amazing.
Everyone knows that ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #700 came out this week and with it came a huge, Earth-shaking change that have many fans divided. Though the character’s creator was playful in his response to the SPOILER ALERT death of Peter Parker while his mind was trapped in Doctor Octopus’ body, a good number of fans have shown much outrage. So much in fact that Spidey writer Dan Slott is getting death threats.
No matter how much you may dislike the story, I think you can all agree that the threats are a bit much. That’s definitely what Marvel Comics Editor-In-Chief rightfully thinks.
In an interview with Newsarama, Alex Alonso shares his thoughts on the fan reaction to the end of the 50-year-old comic series and it’s star:
“With all due respect, I don’t know if the Internet is really the ultimate indicator of what fans desire, want or need. You don’t predict your next president by only polling red states, know what I mean? Most of our most successful stories and initiatives have been met by Internet cynicism. Our job is to create buzz and excitement, and then deliver a quality story to back it up. The sales of Amazing Spider-Man #700 — a triple-sized issue that’s on track to sell more than 250,000 copies in print alone — speak volumes about the popularity of the character, the deep love people have for Peter Parker. We completely understand fans’ grief, rage, anger, angst and curiosity when you do something like this a day before Stan Lee’s birthday. [Laughs.] How they stay tuned in months and years to come will be the ultimate test of whether or not this story was successful.”
In regards to the death threats, Alonso goes on to say:
“This isn’t the first time a creator has received a death threat here at Marvel, and we take all threats of physical violence — to a Marvel staffer or freelancer — very seriously. If you threaten one of us, even if it’s just as a joke, we will do a thorough investigation to determine who you are. Count on it. This announcement was met with perhaps a little more vitriol than others. Perhaps that speaks to the passion people have for this character.”
Finally, as consolation to those fans incredibly upset by the loss of Peter Parker, the man in charge assures his audience that anything can happen:
“Hey, don’t forget that we did a little story called “One More Day” a few years ago that had a lasting effect on the Spider-Man universe. And remember how long Bucky wore Captain America’s red, white and blue tights? We seriously considered never bringing Steve Rogers back. Look, when people read ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #700 and see how the story unfolds — how Peter’s memories embed themselves in the consciousness of the next guy to wear the tights — big questions will emerge. I’ll leave it at that.”
In all honesty, I didn’t think that Marvel had the balls to do what they did to Spider-Man, especially during his 50th anniversary. I thought that both Peter and Doc Ock would inhabit Peter’s mind in like a Voldermort/Professor Quirrell sort of way because I didn’t think that they’d kill Peter Parker in the mainstream Marvel canon after doing so in the Ultimates universe. But damn was I wrong… for now. Alonso’s last comment seems to indicate that something could happen down the road. Until then, we’ll see how things go once ‘Superior Spider-Man’ #1 hits shelves next month.
What did you think about ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ #700? Do you think Dan Slott deserved all the negative backlash that he’s getting? Do you find that fans are overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
