I love Spider-Man. When I was ten, Ultimate Spider-Man came out and that is the book that made me start reading comic books. I literally never missed an issue. I had a crush on Peter Parker. I drew pictures copied from the panels in my school notebooks. If anyone should be sensitive to the fact that Brian Michael Bendis just killed him and replaced him with a kid no one’s ever heard of, it’s me.
But here’s the thing. I’m not upset. I know this is very un-comic-book-fan of me. But I am excited.
I’m 22 years old now. I grew up with Bendis and Bagley’s Spider-Man. This saga was written and illustrated with special heart, something that appealed to me on a level deeper than entertainment. I was soaking in the bathtub when I watched Peter die. He died the way he lived: selflessly. It was bittersweet, but I felt myself really content at what an awesome ride it had been, these last 10 years.
There is now a new Spider-Man. He’s African American and Hispanic, and he’s got some new powers like invisibility. I think this is cool. I love the way Brian Michael Bendis writes, and I like how he writes Miles. I’ve heard a lot of people really, honestly upset about this new character. I’m not exactly sure why.
I think we have to be really careful when we start to protest drastically new things happening in comics. I know superheroes really iconic in our culture, and that makes us feel like their identity should be maintained classic. It’s as if they belong to everybody. I get that. But I have a couple of things to say in response:
First, you don’t want a static character. You may think you never want Spidey to change, but you do. And if you think these big changes haven’t been around since the beginning, you’re mistaken. Think about Batman for a second: 1950s-Batman and Tim Burton-Batman and Christopher-Nolin Batman. Superheroes are able to adapt and change with each generation, and that evolution is the very thing that makes them immortal. These characters have had the rare opportunity of being passed from artist to artist, touched, reimagined, molded, and given new life. We shouldn’t try to stifle that lest we see them disappear.
I believe that the creative people who make our comics—the artists—ought to be able to explore entirely new ways to bring us the stories that they dream up. They ought to be allowed to do brand new things. Saying that they can’t or shouldn’t is awfully close to censorship.
Oh and also, I’ve read angry people saying that this is “a publicity stunt,” and that Marvel is including “racial diversity just for the sake of diversity.” And I kind of think, so what? Maybe it’s a publicity stunt—Marvel wants publicity, and attempts to gain it by making new and exciting stories for us to read. That’s kind of a good thing. As long as good story isn’t being compromised (which I don’t think is the case) we shouldn’t care. And about the racial thing, yeah, intentionally including heroes that aren’t Caucasian may be a good thing. Why not? Diversity is good, even if it is for the sake of diversity.
So I say, bring on this new era. I love Spider-Man. I love what he stands for, where he’s been, and where he’s going. He’s got a rich history and a bright future. Long Live Spidey!
