User blog:GrnMarvl14/The new Spider on the block

So, as I'm sure everyone's heard by now, there's a new Spider-Man in town. And he's not a clone, doppelganger, or evil villain posing as the true Spider-Man. This one's all new. But what does this mean for fans? Well...let's break it down:

If you're reading MOST Marvel comics...it means nothing. It's a periphery item that will not affect you.

If you're reading Amazing Spider-Man...it means nothing. It's a periphery item that will not affect you.

If you're reading any of the Ultimate books...it PROBABLY will mean something. Spider-Man's always been a popular character, and the idea of there being a new one will reverberate as he makes appearances outside his own title. Alongside the new Ultimate Wolverine, we've actually got an interesting thing going on, with two of Marvel's biggest characters having been replaced by younger versions with varying connections to their predecessors.

If you're reading Ultimate Spider-Man...it means quite a bit. Peter Parker is gone, the kid you've been watching for the past decade is no more. He's gone. Replaced with young Miles Morales. If you were invested in Peter Parker, you're likely not too thrilled with this. But if you just like Spider-Man and don't care who's behind the suit...you'll probably not mind, assuming the direction they take with the character doesn't differ too greatly.

Ultimately (no pun intended), the true saving grace of this is that it IS in the Ultimate universe. If this were in the mainstream universe, you'd know that by the time that movie comes out next year that Spider-Man would be back in the suit (happened for Cap, after all). But with the Ultimate universe...the rules are different. They've decimated the characters known and loved by mainstream fans and truly shaken things up. For the better? For the worst? I can't really say, as I'm not an Ultimate reader. The idea of what they've done is certainly intriguing, but I've no practical experience with the characters to say whether the change has been beneficial or not. But the idea...the idea is fairly interesting. The mainstream versions are overused (because they're popular), and it's tiring to see them put in life-and-death situations over and over again knowing, full-well, that they'll survive, or that even if they die...they'll be back soon. I was never a fan of the Ultimate universe before because I never really got the draw. It was light on continuity...but clearly, the more comics published, the greater that continuity would become. Unless they planned on ditching it every so often via some sort of crisis and starting fresh, the lack of continuity was just a temporary asset. But the idea that they've become a realm where there are no sacred cows, no characters who can't be sacrificed...that's an appealing thing. The idea of a universe where even your biggest names aren't safe from death...now that's an interesting idea. Especially if you can still return to the other universe if you find yourself getting nostalgic.

This is a new direction, one with promise. Will it deliver? Will it bomb? Only time will tell.