…ummm, no… not really…

C’mon, what do you think we’re talking about this week?? Yes, we’re talking about “the big reveal”, and some special guests stop by to add their two-cents. Plus we have the real covers to Amazing Spider-Man #533, Civil War: Frontline #2, and Sensational Spider-Man #28.

You may want to stop reading now if you don’t know what we’re talking about yet, though that leaves the question of how exactly are you getting Internet access in that cave you’re living in…

Spoilers ahoy..!

Newsarama: So, Joe - the reveal - you really went through with it. Was this something that Mark [Millar] wanted to do since the first days of his pitch, or did it come in later, and if so, how did it make its way into the story?

Joe Quesada: It came in a little later, but the pieces fit perfectly together. I believe it came up in one of the first email chains that we started about Civil War.

NRAMA: Gut level, when you read this script for the first time, did you agree with it, or did you have to be convinced?

JQ: About a month ago, during one of those infamous 50-email-long creative chains, I asked the question, 'whose idea was it to unmask Peter?' The reason I was asking was because I had forgotten. This happens often, to all of us, because so much stuff gets thrown around at these summits that you just can’t keep track of who said what, you just know it was said. To this day, while I have this vision of Mark first saying the words Civil War, there might be an argument that it came from Bendis or Straczynski or Loeb, it’s like the chicken and the egg.

Anyway, when I asked the question, everyone pointed at me and said that it was originally my idea. For the life of me, I remember liking the idea, but I don’t remember instigating it. Perhaps that’s why I liked it so much [laughs]. Truth be told, Tom Brevoort is laying claim to being the first one to mention it, so I place this all squarely on his shoulders.

So, when I read the script for the first time, when I saw the art for the first time, I was chilled to the bone, but excited as all heck. Knowing what I know, this is just an amazing time to be a Marvel fan and especially a Spider-Man fan!

NRAMA: Macro-view – why? Why is this move necessary for the Pro-Registration side, and for Civil War as a larger story?

JQ: The Spidey reveal serves many purposes. It serves a number of story-driven purposes that will play themselves out in the next year-and-a-half, but it also drives the whole Registration point home. Peter Parker is our everyman. Spider-Man is our corporate mascot. Who better to show the implications of Civil War, both present and future, than the character that most Marvel Comic fans relate to? It was almost an inevitable, perhaps foregone conclusion.

NRAMA: Mark and Tom [Brevoort] have mentioned to us that the story went through a lot of drafts on its way to completion. How about the unmasking? Was that something that needed to be finessed?

JQ: If you read Mark’s first outline, you’ll see that this wasn’t a part of it, so some rearranging had to happen. I believe we’re about a half an issue off from the original plot outline. What also had to be finessed was the timing. This had to be coordinated with all the other Spider titles and every single Civil War tie-in.

NRAMA: Why was it important, if unmasking was the larger goal, that Peter do it himself, and not have his masked ripped off, his photo taken, etc?

JQ: It shows his belief in Registration and his trust in Tony. It’s just so incredibly important to the story and the characters. Besides, there is so much power in Peter taking it into his own hands, his family supporting him in the decision. More than the reveal, my favorite part of this whole thing was the issue of Amazing that preceded it. Just the love and support shown by Aunt May and MJ was fantastic and a real pleasure to read.

[At this point, we’re going to let Joe go get a glass of water. We’ve invited the writers of the monthly Spider-Man titles and their editor (you know, the guys who now have to make this work) to respond to a few questions and share a few thoughts on all this…]

NRAMA: Okay, fellas, as each of you see it, why did Peter reveal his identity publicly?

Axel Alonso: This was Peter’s show of commitment to the cause. And a show of solidarity with his current mentor, Tony Stark. Peter went above and beyond the requirements of the Superhero Registration Act when he ousted himself to the world.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: For me, it was a question of loyalty, and a very, very personal choice (as opposed to an ideological one, which is what's driving Cap and Iron Man, I feel). Peter feels indebted to Tony for all he's done for him and his family; this is one way of repaying that.

Also, if Peter hadn't revealed his identity, in the new post-Civil War climate, he would've become an outlaw ... on the run. Which wouldn't have been so bad for him, Spidey's used to being reviled, but it would've cut him off from his family, or put them on the wrong side of the law.

Also, Peter's all about vows and ideals. "With great power comes great responsibility." He feels that burden tremendously, and when something is law - or something is made illegal - he takes it extremely seriously.

Peter David: For a number of reasons: Out of loyalty to Tony, and because he had the support of his loved ones. But ultimately, I think what it comes down to is that people like Jameson have been declaring for years that Spider-Man has no regard for the law. If he openly defied the Registration Act, then he would have verified once and for all the worst things that had ever been said about him. I don't think he wanted that to happen.

NRAMA: How does the reveal affect your series?

AA: It affects everything. Peter Parker is and always has always been the heart of the Marvel Universe. Where he stands on the issue of Superhero Registration sends a ripple affect across the superhero community and the fan community. For him to take such a step is huge. The personal costs are profound, maybe even devastating. The question isn’t whether there will be hell to pay, the question is, How much?

RAS: It's an added layer of complexity, of intrigue. Not just plot-wise, but also emotionally. This was a decision everyone in the Spidey-verse will be affected by, will have an opinion about. And not just MJ and May and the people Peter works with, but his students, his old girlfriends, his old classmates, everyone.

Everything you thought you knew about Spider-Man is suddenly a lot fresher, a lot more dangerous. And it sort of makes Peter's life much more...relentless, you know? Like now, there's no respite for Peter or Spider-Man, he's at risk (and his family's at risk) 24-7. I think that intensity will definitely inform what's going on in Sensational. The bleed between Peter's two worlds, his family life and his adventures as a superhero, will be greater, with more crossover between the two. Peter "problems" will now affect Spidey; and vice-versa. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

PAD: Tremendously, particularly since - when it comes to the Peter Parker side of his life - I'd wanted to focus on his work as a teacher. So naturally, this entire development upends what I was planning, and sent matters into a totally different direction. It's really unexplored territory, and thus is both exciting and scary.

NRAMA: For decades, Peter has nearly lived in fear that if his enemies knew his identity, his loved ones would be in danger, let alone what JJJ would do...are his fears well-founded?

AA: No doubt, this is Peter’s biggest fear realized. But, of course, he only did it because his loved ones – MJ and Aunt May – knew all the facts and supported him on this move. They know what they’re getting themselves into.

RAS: Absolutely. Knowledge is power, and for a masked superhero to give up his or her secret identity to the world... I mean, a secret identity is the proverbial ace up a superhero's sleeve, so for someone to give that up... I mean, yeah, I would say Spidey's fears are extremely well-founded...

PAD: Oh, I think unquestionably, yes. Just for starters, Jameson now knows he's been paying Peter Parker to take pictures of himself for years. He's not going to react well to that. Plus parents of his students are terrified that their kids are going to be targets for supervillains, and not without reason. He's not going to be able to have anything approaching a normal life anymore.

NRAMA: So - your upcoming story (we're showing some of the "new" covers) - what can you say about what's coming up for Peter in your series, now that the whole world knows?

And Axel, how has the overall tenor of the line changed with the reveal and the identity now public?

AA: The most immediate thing Peter has to deal with is this revelation in the context of a fast-growing Civil War. The battle-lines are being drawn, and if Tony Stark is taking the point of the implementation of the new law, then Peter Parker is the poster child for the cause. He laid it all on the line with this one.

RAS: Sensational's first issue after the unmasking (with incredible art from new father Clayton Crain - congrats, man!!!) is a stand-alone called, "My Science Teacher is Spider-Man!!" It sort of examines how this monumental decision affects a single person. Namely, one of Peter Parker's star pupils, a skinny kid who goes to Midtown High and wants to be a scientist.

Of course, this being a Spider-book, some villain is bound to drop-in, and in this case, it's Dr. Octopus, who of course unmasked Spider-Man once before, in Amazing Spider-Man #12," I think, but couldn't believe high schooler Peter Parker was really Spider-Man! So naturally, he's pretty upset about the whole thing.

After that, we have "The Deadly Foes of Peter Parker," which dusts off the Chameleon (who's all about faces and masks and identities, of course,) and teams him up him with some classic foes for an all-out assault on every facet of Peter's life.

PAD: The major storyline coming directly after Civil War will lead into a three-parter with Mysterio that takes place at, naturally, the school where Peter teaches. Peter's going to fighting desperately to hold onto his job while at the same time being terribly conflicted about it. Flash Thompson, once he finally accepts the truth, is suddenly going to want to be Peter's best friend, which pisses Peter off since Flash used to be his best friend, but now it's only because he knows Peter is his hero.

Peter is going to find himself in the bizarre position of needing superpowered bodyguards for the school, for his loved ones, for the Bugle, for anyplace that Peter Parker frequents, because he can't be everywhere and he's sure not going to ask the Avengers to act as his personal 24/7 back-up. So yeah, it's going to be shaking things up.

NRAMA: Thanks guys...

[And now for some updated preview art from Sensational Spider-Man #28. New Joe Fridays continues below]

NRAMA: Joe, back to you…You’ve mentioned before that there was plenty of editorial disagreement with the idea of telling Wolverine’s origin in Origin. How did this reveal compared inside the office? Was everyone on board from the start, or did it need to be worked through?

JQ: You would think that this one would have broken out into World War III, but surprisingly enough, no. I think everyone was on board with the vision and what the future holds for Spider-Man and friends, that all anyone fought over were front-row-seats for the fireworks.

NRAMA: We’ve already spoken with Tom Brevoort about this in our Civil War Room feature, but from your point of view, take us for a tour inside Peter’s head – why does he think this is a good idea? Is this, as he sees it, a logical extension of, “With great power comes great responsibility?”

JQ: Yes, especially when his family is behind him and they not only tell him it’s okay, but they’re proud of him, what he’s done and what he stands for. Life is different for Peter now, he’s an Avenger, lives in highrise tower, works for Tony Stark...he’s come a long way from the loner, hard luck character that he use to be. Hey, but you know, people change, things change, you get married, life moves on, Peter is “growing” as a character [laughs]...

NRAMA: As we saw in Amazing Spider-Man #532, Tony Stark really put the screws to Peter to unmask. Hell, even Peter told him that he was like a father to him in that same issue. Peter’s loyalty – and longing – for family are well known, and easily seen by anyone close to him, so was this a calculated move on Tony’s part to get his way with Peter? Did Tony push the “great power/great responsibility” button?

JQ: Tony could quite possibly the smartest man alive, you tell me?

NRAMA: Peter’s always had the opportunity to unmask, yet hasn’t. What’s so crucial about now in all of this that Peter sees this as the only alternative?

JQ: As I said, life has changed, he’s maturing, life is maturing, things are different. And as you mentioned, he’s found something that he’s been missing for a very long time, a father figure. This particular turn of events, the Tony/Peter relationship, was one of those wonderful creative accidents that sort of happens and you slap your forehead and go, “Of course, it’s so obvious.” If not for Avengers Disassembled and New Avengers, we would never have discovered it, but I remember when Joe Straczynski first said it to the group and we just looked at him like, “Oh my god, that’s goooooood!”

NRAMA: Now over the last two or so years, through various means the civilian/secret IDs of Daredevil, Iron Man, and Captain America have been revealed. Now in the real world, Spider-Man has a much different profile than these characters and his secret ID becoming public is understandably big news.

JQ: Yup, sure is.

NRAMA: But in the world of the Marvel Universe, Spider-Man is more of an equal to those other guys, so from a strictly storytelling standpoint, how is this development/story arc for Spider-Man/Peter Parker different than what's already been done a few times in the Marvel Universe the last two years?

What new ground can be mined from this that hasn't already through Matt Murdock, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers?

JQ: While other characters unmasking may have been a big deal at the time, Spider-Man unmasking was considered taboo. While revealing their identities may have caused some problems for Matt Murdock and Steve Rogers, no one single superhero in all of comics has more to lose from unmasking than Peter Parker. Therein lies the difference.

NRAMA: Going back a bit to Peter’s other opportunities to unmask, he always felt/was paranoid about the idea that if people knew who he was, MJ and Aunt May would be in trouble – where was that concern in all of this, that, by doing this, he just placed his two family members in mortal danger?

JQ: I think the evidence of this was seen in the latest issue of Amazing. Peter brought his family in on the decision. Remember, the status quo has changed for Peter, not only is he more secure in life, but Aunt May knows he’s Spider-Man as well. Isn’t it cool how we keep moving him forward through life. I can’t wait until this same time next year, I bet Peter will be virtually unrecognizable from the character that he used to be!

NRAMA: You know what’s coming – you’ve seen the scripts, and issues in progress – was Peter’s worry that his enemies would strike at him through his loved ones on the money?

JQ: Of course he is, but lets face it, he’s placed his family and friends at risk the minute he put on that spider suit, oh so many years ago. The secret identity was the one thin piece that kept it all together, but even that’s incredibly risky when you think about it. It’s the "great power, great responsibility" mantra that has always kept Peter going while placing others at risk. It’s that same mantra, within the current climate of the Marvel Universe, that makes Peter take this next step.

NRAMA: Touching lightly – and I mean lightly mister – fifteen minute addresses – on one of the other Spider-Man issues. MJ – could you ever see Peter Parker as a widower?

JQ: It could happen.

NRAMA: As a grieving nephew at a gravesite?

JQ: That would be sad, wouldn’t it?

NRAMA: Over the last few weeks we've got you to confirm you and JMS are doing a Spider-Man limited series some months down the road. With the creative team one can imagine this will be a very high profile series, and it seems logical to conclude this project will be either greatly affected by this development, or be a direct outgrowth of it. What details can you share about this upcoming project?

JQ: It’s four issues, it’s an amazing story, the artist is a hack, I hope the fans enjoy it. I said in the past that after Daredevil: Father I was going to work on some of Marvel’s big icons as I haven’t had the opportunity to in the past, so here’s one of those projects.

I have to tell you, it’s such a joy working on something where I’m only a small part of the creative team. While Father was very important to me and I’m very proud of it, it was a very emotional and painful experience at times. I know this is going to sound stupid, but my daughter posed with me for the last page of the book (when you see it, you’ll know what I mean). When I finished the last page, I felt like the whole thing came around full circle and I just kind of broke down.

NRAMA: We'll close the circle on Father sometime in the near future. As to your's and JMS' Spider-Man limited series, you called it an "amazing" story. Since we're talking all about the reveal, can you assume it's directly related to and follows up on these events? Will this be where this development really comes to a head?

JQ: Let me just say that it’ll hopefully be a story that the fans will want to read but like so many things we talk about in these Joe Fridays, not all is at it may seem or as it is said [laughs]…

NRAMA: That’s New Joe Fridays Joe ...Anything else you can say about the story?

JQ: The series features the whole cast and issue #1 has one heck of an Iron Man appearance.

NRAMA: And just pure accounting, does it have a title and a debut month yet?

JQ: Yes and yes, but you won’t see this series until next year and that’s all I’m going to say about it.

NRAMA: Play fanboy for a moment – of all the villains that Spider-Man has had, who gave the biggest spit-take when they saw him unmask? I’m thinking Doc Ock in that he now knows he dated Spider-Man’s Aunt….but anyone else?

JQ: He’s not a villain, but I love the moment with J. Jonah in this new issue of Civil War … just priceless.

NRAMA: A means of discussion that you perhaps became infamous for was “Can we tell better/more stories under condition x than under condition y?” in terms of making changes. In your view, can you do more and tell more stories with a Spider-Man whose identity is known than you could with one whose identity was hidden?

JQ: Oh, you have no idea [laughs]

NRAMA: We’ve already seen it on our own message boards with the NY Post spoiling it on Wednesday. This move has – to be blunt – pissed some people off, some to the point of saying that they’re swearing off Marvel because of it. Are you worried about losing readers because of it?

JQ: No, I can’t live my life like that. If we were putting out a horrible product I would, but there’s so much more to Civil War than just the Spider-Man reveal and there’s so much more coming up, that I just can’t wait for the hate mail [laughs].

NRAMA: Do you believe them, that is, that they’re absolutely not going to pick up an issue, just to see what happens next?

JQ: I’m sure someone out there will hold true to that, but we have to go about the business of doing what’s best for Marvel and what’s best for the comic’s industry which in the end will be what’s best for the longevity of the industry and in the end, our fans, current and future.

NRAMA: Speaking of the Post – why did you opt to spoil the story both there and on Howard Stern (among others) Wednesday am, long before comic shops opened? This was a secret Marvel was so intent on keeping, and then, in the 11th hour, it’s out there, without warning for anyone to hear and see. I mean – let’s be honest here, is that how you would’ve liked to have learned about say, Darth Vader being Luke’s father?

JQ: Lets be honest, if we had the kind of numbers buying Civil War that were going to the Star Wars movies, George Lucas would be writing a Spider-Man title. That release was designed to draw people to comic shops, it was designed as the next wave of publicity enhancing retailers sales on Civil War. I can’t tell you how many letters and emails I’ve received from people reading their first comic and it’s Civil War.

Remember, one of the reasons we loved the idea for Civil War so much was because of its accessibility to the mainstream and it’s an easy sound bite for news outlets to wrap their heads around.

So, as expected, today we’ve been getting reports from all over about new people coming into the stores looking for the Spider-Man reveal and about people adding Spider-Man titles to their pull list.

NRAMA: When we had our roundtable discussion for the “final” [ahem] Joe Fridays, one of the bigger themes was “What Would Stan Lee Do?” Does unmasking Spider-Man fit in that line of thinking?

JQ: You bet it does, especially with all the stories we have planned out.

NRAMA: Given his role in Spider-Man’s creation and early years, did you discuss this with Stan at all for his insight, or just to let him know this bombshell was coming, and, come June 14th, his phone might start ringing?

JQ: Stan always has great insights on the things we do. While I’m sure he doesn’t follow every single issue of every single comic on a monthly basis, he is very well aware of the big issues and storylines happening in the books. With respect to the Spidey reveal, Stan was not in the immediate loop, but I’ve just recently spoken to him and he’s well aware of the goings on.

He’s an amazing guy, all he wanted to know was what was going to happen story wise, was it a good story, was it going to take us interesting new places, when he heard the plan he was thrilled.

NRAMA: We talk a lot about genies and bottles. This seems to be letting one out as opposed to putting one back in. Why reverse the polarity when you've talked so much the past year about putting them back in?

JQ: Because I’m a complicated man. Reread those old Joe Fridays, I’m tortured and conflicted. By the way, in case fans are asking what makes New Joe Fridays “new”, well, now when I answer these questions, Wolverine and Spider-Man sit right beside me. I figured it’s a good way to keep readership up!

NRAMA: Given that you can and will put genies back in bottles, what would you tell readers who today are wondering how long this new development will last until you do put it back in? Weeks? Months? Years? Never? Or "Public is Public,” and if the next Editor-in-Chief wants to change it, that’s his ball of wax?

JQ: “Public is Public”, I like that. Seriously, I’m not going to say much more than read the books and enjoy it.

NRAMA: As we’ve all come to realize in comics, they’re no longer just characters whose stories are expressed solely in comic books, but Spider-Man, like the X-Men, Superman, Batman, and the rest are valuable intellectual property that can be exploited in any variety of media. In that regard, how high up did this decision have to go for approval?

JQ: With a decision like this, everyone in the company has to be involved, so it went very high up the chain. Marvel management has been incredibly supportive of us folk here in publishing and with this decision they remained exactly that, incredibly supportive.

NRAMA: In that vein, there’s been a line of reasoning among fans and observers that once the movies started being made and doing well for Marvel, that changes would only be made in the characters if they were moved towards their movie version. Given this ain’t anywhere near Spider-Man in the movies, is that line of reasoning valid?

JQ: No, it never was. That was something perpetuated in fandom just like the big rumor that surfaced after last weeks New Joe Fridays. I won’t elaborate on the rumor, because I kind of like it but I have no idea where it came from because the words and ideas used were never uttered by me.

NRAMA: From here – Spider-Man’s story goes off in the three titles, and Civil War focuses back on the larger issues, or...what?

JQ: Yes, Civil War will have some Spidey ramifications, but much of that will be in the Spider-Man titles, fallout can be seen in Amazing Spider-Man #533, Civil War Frontline #2, Sensational Spider-Man #28-31 and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11-13.

Civil War has a lot more ground to cover and the Spider-Man reveal is just a small part of it.

NRAMA: Okay – tease us out – any final thoughts, things coming up that readers might not have thought of as a ramification of this, or places that you think folks should be checking out for story nuances they might otherwise not see?

JQ: If you think Spider-Man’s villains are going to be a problem, think again. Man, I wouldn’t want to be around J.J.J. this week. He’s going to…

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Week 01 (includes links to ALL 52+ editions of Volume 1)