Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows-One More Chance

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

I think it's possible people went in to buy the book thinking it'd be more Peter-focused with MJ and Annie in supporting role, but the truth is it treats them all as equals, and Peter has'nt had a hell of a lot to do in either MJ's issue or Annie's issue, and the title does say "Amazing Spider-Man".

Maybe. From about the point that it was announced that MJ and Annie were going to be superheroes as well, I kind of assumed that it would be an ensemble instead of one star with supporting characters. I actually like that it's an ensemble instead, but if others don't, fair enough.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

I want the book to succeed as well (and this number is by no means bad for an AU book), I'm just trying to work out what is turning some people off of it.

It's not very scientific, but from what I've seen, RYV has been getting consistently good reviews, while the contemporary ASM comics are mixed, at best.

the more issues released and pre-order sales to examine, we may get a better idea what the numbers really are. For what it's worth, I'm having to wait to buy and read until my local store can get another order in; it was sold out on day one, and I came in on day two (I made darn sure to get a pull list on RYV then and there, believe you me). The guy at the counter made an offhand comment that the series was starting to pick up readers, at least in our area. I also saw him ordering additional copies of RYV#2 while he was getting my order for #3 taken care of. So, I think there's still a chance of it not flatlining on us just yet.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

ASM has more going for it because, much as we wish it wasn't, it has the distinct advantage of "mattering" because it's mainline canon

True. ASM will outlast RYV, no question, and largely due to it being the main series. (However, I do question the relevancy of ASM now; superhero characters are becoming more defined by movie and TV adaptations. On top of that, the Ultimate Spider-Man comics are almost always being used as the source material.)

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

...and a fan favorite in Ben Reilly came back.

Given that he's just a clone of the original character and the villain, I actually thought that was going to make more people drop the book.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

However, Clone Conspiracy is still underperforming and being beaten soundly by Superman (a book with a happily married hero which just happens to have the advantage of being mainline)

Superman is the Big One, so I wouldn't be surprised at anything being beaten by it. I am really curious about how Clone Conspiracy will be viewed in retrospect. I haven't heard that much praise for it, and a lot of mixed reviews.

[ZariusTwo]

I agree with you that ASM has minimal relevance these days. Bendis' USM seems to be the stories Marvel take the most inspiration from for their films and tv shows, although from what I hear, the new Spider-Man cartoon will be heavily influenced by Slott's run (it helps that the Marvel animation department is run by Slott's old BND editor)

Originally Posted by WebLurker

Given that he's just a clone of the original character and the villain, I actually thought that was going to make more people drop the book.

It's funny how some of the storyline's defendents are going on about how the "psychic imprint" of the clones somehow means they're the same individual and that they possess their "soul". I find that a bit of a reach.

Besides, Ben won't be a villain much longer, given he has his own book coming out (and one they may possibly be sacrificing 2099 for since Peter David will write it)

BTW, Ryan Stegman says that RYV's numbers are perfectly sustainable despite the low ranking in the December charts. Some people also took note of the dollar share and concluded RYV sat in the higher 30s.

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

I agree with you that ASM has minimal relevance these days. Bendis' USM seems to be the stories Marvel take the most inspiration from for their films and tv shows,..

That could be partially since it was centered around a teenage Spider-Man (it seems like most adaptations like being able to use that era), although I suspect that the series arguably being one of the best runs in the franchise and the way it mixed a lot of classic elements together probably helps.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

although from what I hear, the new Spider-Man cartoon will be heavily influenced by Slott's run (it helps that the Marvel animation department is run by Slott's old BND editor)

Hope that goes well; From what I've heard, I'd probably like some of Slott's stuff or characters if it had been used in a pre-OMD setting. Given that it sounds like the cartoon is about a teen Spider-Man (again), I'm guessing most of the offending stuff (OMD itself, Parker Industries, etc.) will probably not be used.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

It's funny how some of the storyline's defendents are going on about how the "psychic imprint" of the clones somehow means they're the same individual and that they possess their "soul". I find that a bit of a reach.

Maybe they think Slott's intent is that it's a real resurrection and are willing to overlook the description in favor of the perceived intent?

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Besides, Ben won't be a villain much longer, given he has his own book coming out (and one they may possibly be sacrificing 2099 for since Peter David will write it)

I question how that will work, given what we know about the Jackal Ben clone now.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

BTW, Ryan Stegman says that RYV's numbers are perfectly sustainable despite the low ranking in the December charts. Some people also took note of the dollar share and concluded RYV sat in the higher 30s.

That's good to hear. As nice as it would be for it to regularly outsell RYV, I'm most concerned about the series remaining in print.

[ZariusTwo]

So it looks like we got another potentially big clue that OMD may be undone this year in the Clone Conspiracy

Peter and Gwen's reanimated clone/whatever have a heart-to-heart and Gwen reveals she always sort of knew Peter loved MJ more than her, and asks Peter how he is with her. When he tells her they're not on good terms, Gwen berates Peter, saying his guilt forever robs him of happiness.

This is the latest in a long line of hints and teases stemming from last year, someone also brought up a good point that the people Peter and MJ associate themselves with tend to have tragic events thrusted upon them (including Tony on MJ's end) which could also be the result of the Mephisto deal

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

So it looks like we got another potentially big clue that OMD may be undone this year in the Clone Conspiracy

Peter and Gwen's reanimated clone/whatever have a heart-to-heart and Gwen reveals she always sort of knew Peter loved MJ more than her, and asks Peter how he is with her. When he tells her they're not on good terms, Gwen berates Peter, saying his guilt forever robs him of happiness.

This is the latest in a long line of hints and teases stemming from last year, someone also brought up a good point that the people Peter and MJ associate themselves with tend to have tragic events thrusted upon them (including Tony on MJ's end) which could also be the result of the Mephisto deal

Very interesting (esp. since I've gathered that it's been a popular idea in the past to try and suggest that Gwen was the one that Peter loved more.

Truth be told though, I don't think they're going to be undoing OMD anytime soon; they've invested too much into making Spider-Man single again and they have the RYV comic now for readers that prefer the characters married. My gut says that, while they may do some kind of followup to OMD, any suggestion that they're going to undo the story is misdirection that'll string us along.

[ZariusTwo]

Originally Posted by WebLurker

Very interesting (esp. since I've gathered that it's been a popular idea in the past to try and suggest that Gwen was the one that Peter loved more.

Truth be told though, I don't think they're going to be undoing OMD anytime soon; they've invested too much into making Spider-Man single again and they have the RYV comic now for readers that prefer the characters married. My gut says that, while they may do some kind of followup to OMD, any suggestion that they're going to undo the story is misdirection that'll string us along.

There is that possibility OMD will be dealt with, but not reversed, but there is wiggle room to beleive there will be something done to reconcile them given the wedding era stories are being reprinted and Marvel can't seem to stop promoting Peter and MJ as a couple continuously (before RYV was even a thing, we still got significant use of the marriage in the newspaper strip, and it is depicted pretty healthfully there)

Also keep in mind Superman recently won the IGN People's Choice award for best comic, and Vision won best overall comic. Both titles deal specifically with superheroes and thier families. That kind of acclaim is something Marvel would really want a peice of, perhaps in a way that, like the two I mentioned, "matters" to the overall continuity.

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

There is that possibility OMD will be dealt with, but not reversed, but there is wiggle room to beleive there will be something done to reconcile them given the wedding era stories are being reprinted and Marvel can't seem to stop promoting Peter and MJ as a couple continuously (before RYV was even a thing, we still got significant use of the marriage in the newspaper strip, and it is depicted pretty healthfully there)

Maybe. Although, the newspaper comic was always its own thing and the characters as a couple were always fan favorites, so I could see them doing it for marketing purposes; like how you can buy merchandise from the '80s TMNT cartoon, despite the fact that different iterations of the characters are being used now.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Also keep in mind Superman recently won the IGN People's Choice award for best comic, and Vision won best overall comic. Both titles deal specifically with superheroes and thier families. That kind of acclaim is something Marvel would really want a peice of, perhaps in a way that, like the two I mentioned, "matters" to the overall continuity.

Maybe, although I'm not sure if they would be bothered by RYV being a parallel universe story.

(Now, I hope I'm wrong, but I have little to no trust in Marvel's comic branch, regardless of them making RYV and the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra ongoing.

[WebLurker]

Finally got to read #3. Liked it overall, although not quite as much as the previous two.

[ZariusTwo]

The X-Men return in all their 90s glory for April's sixth issue

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

The X-Men return in all their 90s glory for April's sixth issue

http://www.newsarama.com/images/i/00...016006_cov.jpg

Looks like fun, although I think I prefer Professor X's wheelchair (like in the movies) to that flying car thing he's in.

[ZariusTwo]

A preview of Wolverine from Renew Your Vows #6

[ZariusTwo]

I really think the recent newspaper strip storylines have been a fine example of how RYV could have been handled without the "MJ as superhero" aspect. In the latest one, Peter and MJ have been working in tandem with Rocket Racoon to try and prevent Ronan the Accueser from aqquiring a Kree Sentry. In this story so far, Peter tried confronting Ronan out of coustume when he threatened some civilians, MJ defied his instruction not to get involved in the search for him, and she's even helped her husband google information online about a set of stone carvings at a national park where Ronan is heading.

Really strong examples of teamwork as well as Peter being confident enough to try things outside of his costume. A shame the strip gets repeatedly grilled for how "dated", "decompressed" and "cheesy" it can occasionally be. I know it can be viewed in that light, but I for one consider the last decade of it an unappreciated golden age, at least if you like MJ and the marriage...and why I will always consider OMD's legacy to be that of a failiure because it ultimately did'nt kill what it set out to end...and ultimatley made me become a fan of something I've found more enjoyable than the mainline representation of the characters (prior to RYV helping to enrich my experiances)

[ZariusTwo]

Ramos variant for Renew Your Vows#4 (out next week)



Preview for the Issue (good news for us, the plot's actually moving along)

http://www.newsarama.com/32999-spide...vows-4.html#s7

Interestingly enough, at one point MJ makes reference to her, Annie and Peter destroying Regent's tower...and the book advises you to read the RYV mini-series for information on that, but that book is'nt supposed to be in precise continuity with this one.

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Ramos variant for Renew Your Vows#4 (out next week)

http://static7.comicvine.com/uploads...5694-ASM_R.jpg

I kind of wish my store sold variant covers now (although the regular cover is my favorite regular cover to date).

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Preview for the Issue (good news for us, the plot's actually moving along)

http://www.newsarama.com/32999-spide...vows-4.html#s7

Sounds good. (Wonder how the story will read when read in one sitting?)

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Interestingly enough, at one point MJ makes reference to her, Annie and Peter destroying Regent's tower...and the book advises you to read the RYV mini-series for information on that, but that book is'nt supposed to be in precise continuity with this one.

My understanding is that the Secret Wars miniseries represents an alternate timeline; the incursions and Battleworld caused the RYV timeline to unfold in a slightly different manner. After the multiverse was fixed, the Secret Wars timeline was erased and the original one was restored. However the rough idea of what happened was close enough that even though we didn't get the "original" timeline version of the mini-series, we can infer more or less what happened from the Secret Wars timeline version. So, I'm taking it as a "it happened, but the new series overwrites the old one in times of conflict."

Also, Regent's tower wasn't destroyed in the original miniseries. So, apparently, in the original/restored timeline, the final battle with Regent was more destructive than it was in the Secret Wars timeline.

[ZariusTwo]

Nate Stockman will be tackling art duties on Renew Your Vows for it's fifth issue, here's some previews

Spoiler:

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Nate Stockman will be tackling art duties on Renew Your Vows for it's fifth issue, here's some previews

Spoiler:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C16qDmoXcAAJGq_.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C2Uj3JYWIAYa4-X.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C3b15UzW8AADfLk.jpg

Looks good. It's lively and similar in style to Stegman's work, so I think it'll mesh well with the rest of the series, based on the previews.

[ZariusTwo]

90s Jean in a jubliant mood in a preview from Renew Your Vows#6




Looks like Marvel will be toning down the politically charged storytelling and restoring several heroes to factory settings in the fall of 2017 (although there is no word on plans for Spider-Man)

https://www.comicbookmovie.com/comic...e-like-a148744

[WebLurker]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

90s Jean in a jubliant mood in a preview from Renew Your Vows#6

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4AwX0LWIAALYIu.jpg

Nice, the old costume looks better here than it did on the cover. Looks like fun,

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Looks like Marvel will be toning down the politically charged storytelling and restoring several heroes to factory settings in the fall of 2017 (although there is no word on plans for Spider-Man)

https://www.comicbookmovie.com/comic...e-like-a148744

Guess that'll be nice for fans who read those series and prefer the traditional status quos over ones with legacy characters and other changes. Wonder if the legacy characters, like RiRi Williams, will be written out or will still have their own series, but not be the "main" bearer of the mantle, like how Miles Morales co-exists with Peter Parker now?

As far as Spider-Man himself goes, I think it's likely that Parker Industries will go by the time of this new direction is implemented. Not so sure if he and Mary Jane will get remarried, though; Marvel really has invested a lot in rebranding that as being a "what if?", not the "canonical" version of the characters and a single, blue collar Spider-Man is a classic status quo for the franchise.

I do hope that this new direction doesn't mean that RYV will get canceled to increase comics synergy or something. (Ironically, I suppose if 616 Peter and MJ got back together, RYV looses one of the main elements that justifies its existence.)

[ZariusTwo]

Originally Posted by WebLurker

I do hope that this new direction doesn't mean that RYV will get canceled to increase comics synergy or something. (Ironically, I suppose if 616 Peter and MJ got back together, RYV looses one of the main elements that justifies its existence.)

It'd be exactly what happened with the Lois and Clark series, once DC settled on making the classic Superman and Lois the main characters again instead of the New 52 versions, that book was swiftly cancelled.

What was curious about that was that the Lois and Clark series in itself wasn't actually a big seller for DC, yet it got all the acclaim from the fans at the time where as the N52/DC You mainline titles continued to struggle. RYV is in a similar posistion right now...not a big seller, but getting all the acclaim while the mainline book struggles to satisfy it's audience

Whether Marvel does something similar to Rebirth (i.e merge the RYV canon with the mainline canon using the reality-bending character responsible for turning Steve into Hydra Cap) is up to them, but Secret Empire can offer a pretty quick fix for everything if they go that route.

[ZariusTwo]

Coincidently in relation to that, Dan Slott was inserted into the original Renew Your Vows mini-series by Adam Kubert.