Spider-Man’s Marriage Annulment: The Headlines
Over the last few weeks, more than 80 percent of the stories in my long list of news feeds have somehow involved the mystical annulment of Spider-Man’s marriage. The Merry Marvel Marketing Machine is hitting on all cylinders, it seems, as the coverage from mainstream media has been overwhelming.
Over at The Beat, Heidi MacDonald assesses the hits and misses in mainstream media’s coverage of the event – at least as far headlines go – as well as some thoughts about how the rationale for the split has been presented by Joe Quesada and Co.
"… bringing the comics Spidey back in line with other media Spidey’s was the main factor. To be honest, there’s a lot to be said for this ‘core concept.’ It wasn’t until we were researching an earlier post that we remembered that Superman and Lois are STILL married."
Rick – A few years ago when it was proposed that the Superman books do the same thing it was rejected by DC. The deal here was Superman would be the only on who would remember he'd been married to Lois.
You mean, like the magic kiss in Superman 2?Hmmm… If MJ's pregnant, and she doesn't remember… No, that's been done…
I'm shocked that the media didn't jump on this, or more specifically religious groups and how a much-loved character like Spider-Man making a deal with the devil is sending the completely wrong message to children who read comics. You'd figure that there would have been some kind of uproar, but it's been strangely quiet on that front. Wierd.
Well, let's not forget Sipey and MJ's kid is out there somewhere. I'm guessing She'll be the next super-villain creation.
I'm just offended by this retcon. It undoes well written work, and makes the comic just uninteresting. Ones must move forward, not backward. I shall be hard pressed to ever buy another Spiderman comic (or product for that matter).
"… bringing the comics Spidey back in line with other media Spidey’s was the main factor."Except that he is still married in the comic strips. Getting married in the films could have been a logical plot development.
In line with ??? repeats on TV? a movie franchise that righly should be killed after that awful 3rd installment? It is like arguing that Gilligan can never leave the Island, let the story dictate where the story goes.Robin always has to be 12 and named Dick Grayson.The Flash will always be Jay Garrick.writers should write, not the Marketing machine.
I think we'll keep this development from my five-year-old friend who loves Spider-Man. A few months back, she came back from school and started moving her stuff from her Spidey backpack to her old Dora the Explorer backpack. Her mother asked why, and she said the boys at school told her only boys could like Spider-Man. Her mother reassured her that she could like whoever she wanted and the stuff went back into the Spidey backpack.
Kudos to the mother (*this* close to saying "Word to the mutha!", but I fought back that urge)! My daughter, who's turning 9 this year, has had similar run-ins with boys at her school for her various super-hero items, and she just sets them straight now all on her own. It's great!