A Healthy Respect

Just got out of JJ Abrams' Star Trek. Go see it. If you're any fan of science fiction, go see it. It is an absolutely fantastic space adventure. After you've gone and seen it, come back to this blog because the next paragraph (and the rest of the blog) is going to revolve around some plot points I'm not sure you want spoiled.

I've been a fan of JJ Abrams since Alias. I enjoyed that show so much, and the things he's done since, I've even gone back and watched Felicity. When it was announced he was doing Star Trek, I was psyched. Now, have just left the theatre not even an hour ago, I wish he and Quesada could have a sit-down.

The movie's plot revolves around a new timeline beginning. It isn't history being rewritten, it's a new tangent timeline being created. Which means the old movies and the old shows are still canon. They just don't apply to this new universe. Spock is the only character from the old universe to see this new universe. In fact, him being isolated or lost in this new universe is really quite tragic -- though, it does, admittedly, give him a new chance to be a new kind of hero.

This healthy respect Abrams has for the old show, its fanbase, and all prior continuity is so appreciated it's nearly humbling. In this single (first?) movie, he has created the opportunity for new adventures to begin. We can have new adventures of Kirk, Spock, Bones and Scotty. We can go back and revisit these beloved characters in the situations we loved seeing them in -- and even new moments as we carve out a new history for them. We get all that. Without having to forfeit a single episode or movie.

We can have our continuity and a reboot too.

It may be comparing apples and oranges. Doing this to the Spider-Man books would wreck havoc on all the Marvel comics, as interwoven as they all are. But it sure would have been nice. A healthy dose of respect would have been appreciated. Instead of the slap in the face we got.

CBR Interview

Comic Book Resources conducted a pretty fantastic (and revealing) five-part interview with Marvel Editor in Chief Joe Quesada. Part 1 can be found here. There's links on each page to take you to the next part. They discuss all things One More Day.

See if you can make sense of it.

it's hard to have hope . . .

As I read One More Day and its final panels I say to myself, "surely not. Surely they can't let the bad guy win on such a colossal level. And it's not even a good bad guy! It's not Doc Ock or Green Goblin. It's Mephisto, who usually hangs out in the Ghost Rider books! What's he doing in Spider-Man and why has he been given the single greatest victory any villain has had over Spidey?"

His being able to take Mary Jane away from Peter ranks right up there with Green Goblin killing Gwen Stacey. He doesn't deserve that honor. Nothing else compares, really. Not the death of Harry, not the death of Uncle Ben.

So why is he allowed to get away with it? And if he is, it's all the worse because Peter will never mourn losing MJ! Because let's face it: Pete's a melnacholy guy. He's haunted by the deaths of everyone he's ever come into contact with. But not MJ. True, she's not actually dead. But she was the love of his life, his wife for better or for worse. And he's lost her.

And so I try to have hope. I try to think, "surely this won't be allowed to continue. Surely Peter will triumph over the forces of evil."

But then I read Tom Brevoort's blog (he's one of the powers-that-be at Marvel) and he does his best to take away what hope I have:

I think we care about and respect our fans a great deal, but that doesn’t extend to doing everything any of them wants. We’ve been over the argument for why an unmarried Spider-Man is a much more vital character than a married Spider-Man, and how the marriage itself started as a circulation-boosting stunt for the newspaper strip that got out of hand.

We didn’t go to all of the effort and brace to deal with all of the agita simply to cave in and reverse ourselves because some fans are upset. This is a long-term game we’re playing here, and everybody agrees that an unmarried Spider-Man will be much more vital over a much greater period than a married one. We knew there’d be people upset in the short term—but we’re also taking the long term into account.

Now, you never know what might happen in the future. But given that Joe Quesada has no intentions of ever reversing this, Dan Buckley has no intentions of ever reversing this, I have no intentions of ever reversing this, the Marvel West guys are completely supportive of this decision, and upper management is very happy with it, if you’re waiting for a turn-around, you’d better settle in for a long wait.

Guys, like it or hate it, this is the world now. Sorry.