 Report by Albert Ching
It’s Friday afternoon, just a couple hours after the start of this year’s WizardWorld Los Angeles, Marvel Comics is having a Spider-Man’s Brand New Day panel. Given the nature of the comics, and the controversial four-part “One More Day” story that preceded it, it could prove to be an interesting hour if enough of the fans so vocal about their distaste for the end of Spider-Man’s marriage is in attendance.
That could be a big if, though, as it’s a few minutes after the panel’s scheduled start time and there’s only about 30 people in the crowd, perhaps due to the mid-afternoon (local time) weekday start-time?
The panel, hosted by Marvel Marketing’s Jim McCann in place of the absent Joe Quesada, started a few minutes late and without scheduled Amazing Spider-Man writers Marc Guggenheim or Bob Gale. McCann stalled time by asking a fan in the audience to show off his Yoda backpack, followed by polling the crowd as to who came from the longest distance.
Upon the arrival of Guggenheim and Gale, McCann warmed up the crowd by playing a clip from Guggenheim's new ABC series, Eli Stone.
The panel proper began with Guggenheim fielding a call on his iPhone from fellow Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott, but there were some communication problems and the call ended quickly.
After the panelists tried on their Skrull masks that are being given out at the Marvel booth, Slott called back and was put on speakerphone. Spidey editor Steve Wacker genially asked Slott if the dialogue for ASM #560 was done yet.
McCann then explained to the audience that this panel will be held a little differently than ones in the past, in that presentations and Q&A will be done throughout the panel, instead of all presentation in the beginning and all Q&A at the end.
The first slide showed Spider-Man and Wolverine from Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo's Amazing Spider-Man arc hitting next month. "He's going to surprise everyone with how good he is on this book," Wacker said of Bachalo, joking that new audience will discover Bachalo after being "stuck in the X-Men ghetto for 10 years." Wacker also said it'll start answering questions about how post-“One More Day” Spider-Man fits in with the Avengers.
Dan Slott, still on speaker-phone, talked about his next arc, and the cover of ASM #561 [above] was shown. Slott praised the art of Marcos Martin and said the arc will have something "everyone has been asking for."
Wacker announced a new addition to the crop of Amazing Spider-Man writers - the now seemingly former DC exclusive writer Joe Kelly, who Wacker said is going to do at least two issues. Wacker referred to Deadpool #11, in which Deadpool was inserted into an old Amazing Spider-Man issue, as evidence of Kelly's Spidey cred.
Knowledgeable fans may recall Kelly was the first “graduate” of Marvel's 1990's writer development program - the "Stanhattan Project" and began his professional career with the publisher.
McCann polled the audience for a couple of questions. A fan asked if they're planning on more comics with back-ups, like the first issue of "Brand New Day," that'll maybe give more details on the new characters. Wacker said they'll be a "Brand New Day special" in a few months that'll flesh out some supporting character back-stories.
Another member of the audience accused Marvel of being "anti-Mary Jane," with the panel all denying that claim. His question was concerning the lack of Mary Jane in the new Spider-Man animated TV show, with McCann of course informing the fan that it's a Marvel Studios project that they (Marvel publishing) don't have anything to do with.
"No one hates Mary Jane," said Wacker. "Drugs on the other hand are bad," added McCann, punning on the name "Mary Jane."
Someone who identified himself as a comic book retailer in San Diego said he's had customers "bitching" about the “One More Day” storyline. He said he didn't have any problem with it and thought “Brand New Day” was "awesome," but wanted to know what the panel would suggest he should tell his dissatisfied customers.
Guggenheim clarified that nothing was "erased" from history, and compared it to the Geoff Johns-penned Flash storyline where the Spectre caused everyone to forget Wally West's secret identity.
"Comics are cyclical," said Guggenheim. "My response to them is that this is part and parcel with comic books."
McCann said they'll be addressing continuity issues in upcoming comics. "The big central question is what happened at the wedding," said Wacker. "Those questions will be answered.
“They're not questions we want to answer right away," Wacker continued. "The books you have still happened," said McCann. "You'll find out where things fit."
Guggenheim discussed his personal feelings towards the matter, saying he was "agnostic" towards the idea of the married Spider-Man, but now that he thinks that an unmarried Spider-Man is "just better," and "closer to the core" of the character.
"An unmarried Spider-Man just works better," said the writer.
"For those wondering 'did this happen, or did this not happen,' the quick answer is 'None of this happened, it's fiction," quipped Gale. Slott, seemingly playfully distressed by that attitude, interjected saying that "there are answers, it's pretty cool, keep reading."
Gale then talked about his upcoming arc with Barry Kitson in May, saying it's some of the best stuff Kitson has ever done.
This prompted another announcement - that artist Mike McKone is coming back to Marvel … Amazing Spider-Man specifically, doing a two-part story with Gale, which will include the Enforcers and "a major sequence in Coney Island."
Marvel then showed the audience a black and white cover by McKone which seemed to reference Civil War, which McCann mentioned.
Once again polling the audience for questions, a fan asked one of those time-honored convention questions - if there were any plans to collect the daily Spider-Man comic strip. McCann said they have no plans, and probably don't have the license, anyway.
Another audience member asked why Uncle Ben didn't come back from the dead in "One More Day," given the various things that happened in that series (like Harry Osborn coming back). The panel joked about the consequences of such an action, and Guggenheim said "We didn't bring anyone back from the dead” …. with Slott adding (and seemingly indicating everything isn’t what it seems in regards to Harry), "Keep reading."
McCann asked Wacker what he thinks would happen if Uncle Ben came back, and Wacker answered "I think he'd stop being Spider-Man." Slott joked "What responsibility? See ya!"
The next question concerned why Marvel brought Aunt May back (to life at one point, and to...health, in "One More Day"). Wacker explained that Aunt May is simply "at the core" of Spider-Man, and thus an important part of the mythos.
A fan asked about the first trade paperback collection of "Brand New Day," and Wacker said it'll collect Slott's first arc and Guggenheim's first arc, along with an older story that was Slott's "first" Spider-Man work. The next will have Gale and Wells' first arcs. "Each trade will have about five to eight issues," said Wacker.
This prompted Gale to talk about the pacing of "Brand New Day", and how they’re writing for the thrice-monthly issues, not collected editions. “We're writing comics, not trade paperbacks," said Gale.
Wacker then presented slides (below) of an upcoming story arc in August drawn by longtime Spidey-favorite John Romita Jr.
"This guy is supposed to draw Spider-Man," said Wacker.
Slott announced the name of the story arc with Romita Jr. - "New Ways to Die." "It's going to have some big returns and some major Spider-Man villains," said Slott. "We've worked really hard to bring you guys all new villains, and now it's time to open up the toy chest." Slott said that in the first issue of the arc Norman Osborn will get permission to bring in the Thunderbolts to take on Spider-Man.
A fan asked how Spider-Man fits in with New Avengers and Secret Invasion, and Wacker said they'll be a three issue series outside of ASM this summer that will deal with some of those issues and also feature Jackpot, written by Brian Reed.
An audience member asked about the previously con-announced Jeph Loeb and J. Scott Campbell Spider-Man title, and Wacker said it's still in the works.
The next question asked was if Spider-Man still had the new powers he got in "The Other" storyline? Guggenheim joked "I think he forgot he had them." Wacker said that readers are not going to see them anytime soon, seemingly indicating Marvel is distancing the character from that story arc.
A fan asked if Spider-Man was younger in the comics now, and Guggenheim said no, it's just that not being married makes you seem younger.
A question about the focus being on Peter Parker vs. Spider-Man led to Guggenheim discussing how the "soap opera element" to the title was always important and the "essence of Spider-Man," and that “Brand New Day” allows them to get back to those "core values."
Yet another question about the end of the Spider-Man marriage led to McCann defending the decision, saying that in the 20 or so years the character was married, there weren't a lot of great stories that were centrally about the marriage itself. Wacker said that Amazing Spider-Man is the "official book" and that it has to resonate with as much people as possible.
Gale added that he had gotten "bored" with Spider-Man lately, and was excited to write an unmarried Spider-Man with more "fun and humor."
Wacker then spoke directly to those skeptical of the "Brand New Day" continuity, saying, "What Spidey has needed for a while is a team of guys working on it as enthusiastic as these four guys and the artists."
A fan asked if the Lizard was going to show up, and Gale reminded the fan that Dr. Curt Connors was just in ASM, and Wacker said he'll be around a little throughout the rest of the year.
Another question concerned if readers would see Spider-Man show off his intelligence more, and the panel said yes, but Wacker added that we'll also see him make some "bad decisions."
"Why couldn't Spider-Man" just get a divorce? McCann said it would be terrible for publicity, the same with killing her off. "I always pictured her being raped and killed," joked Guggenheim, a likely reference to DC's Identity Crisis series.
The panel wrapped with a contest between audience members - teams of three had to act out a page of dialogue written by Gale and Guggenheim; the team deemed the winner would win two original Spider-Man sketches (one by Todd Nauck, another, less refined one, by writer Jeph Loeb).
End of live updates...
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