Marvel reveals the new Ultimate Spider-Man (spoilers)

[abysslord]

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page ... e&id=33673

I wish they would have had it be someone more prominent in the series, but maybe this is for the better. It would have been interesting to see MJ get powers.

I do think it's a bit of PR to have him 'half-black, half-hispanic' though. Why not make him 1/4th Native American and 1/4th Asian too?

[BobBretall]

I do think it's a bit of PR to have him 'half-black, half-hispanic' though. Why not make him 1/4th Native American and 1/4th Asian too?

Going half & half seems like a bit of an attention grab, but maybe Bendis will work it into the story.

I won't know except what I read on the news-sites since I bailed on the Ultimate Universe.

[GABE!]

UGH! stupid poly-bagged books

[Gilgabob]

I too bailed on the Ultimate Spidey.

Regarding his race, seems like an attention grab by Marvel. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Nick Fury is black in the Ultimate universe despite the years as a white character in regular Marvel continuity. No one seemed to really care.

[GABE!]

Larry's comics Owner and Manager tweeted some racial jokes regarding this.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/08/01/ ... pider-man/

I'm can't understand why a prolific retailer would say these things on an open forum like twitter.

[BobBretall]

I'm can't understand why a prolific retailer would say these things on an open forum like twitter.

Because he's an idiot??? (just guessing....)

[dbm]

I too bailed on the Ultimate Spidey.

Regarding his race, seems like an attention grab by Marvel. I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Nick Fury is black in the Ultimate universe despite the years as a white character in regular Marvel continuity. No one seemed to really care.

Yeah, but Spider-man >> Nick Fury.

I like this move. Attention grab? Maybe, but diversity is good. I'm interested in seeing the story told from a different perspective.

[spid]

If Bendis was not writing I would give this book a try. I like the fact a kid from NYC who have a lot of cultures mixed together would take up the costumes.

[BobBretall]

Up next: "Spider-Man, Inc." - We get 100s of new Spider-Man, one for every ethnicity, religion, & nationality in a very special story-arc encompassing 136 Ultimate comics issues coming out weekly over the course of 6 months. Every prime #'d issue will be poly-bagged in an ascending rainbow sequence of colors until they do one only visible under ultra-violet light. Any store that buys 500 copies of each bagged issue and builds a fort out of the unsold copies will be eligible to have Brian Michael Bendis personally come to their shop and alphabetize their back issue stock.

Nick Fury is heard to say: "I have had it with these *&$#ing Spider-Men in my *&$#ing Triskelion!"

(just kidding......)

[fudd71]

Once an again this is just a lame-brained PC stunt that doesn’t mean anything. Nothing shows how truly racist these people are more than stuff like this. Remember when not being bigoted meant that skin color didn’t matter. Killing a character to grab press is childish and ridiculous; replacing them with a character of a different race to grab press is strictly racist. By changing the race of a character like this all Marvel is saying is the fundamental problem with the original character was that characters race. There is no fundamental flaw in anyone that is based strictly on the person’s race, and if you think there is you’re a racist! No amount of PC double talk about diversity changes that fact.

Even if you believe this diversity nonsense how about they put their money where their mouth is and hire a more diverse writing staff. We have all seen the ads for the Marvel Architects; you want to see how much these people truly believe in diversity take a look at that photo. This is a stunt to make themselves feel better. If any of these people truly believed in diversity half of them would step down and demand they be replaced by writers of another race. The hypocrisy of this whole thing is sickening!!!

[BobBretall]

I don't think there is a problem replacing an (allegedly) dead white Peter Parker with a character of a different race.

Where Marvel stepped over the line was blabbing it all over the press before the comic even came out: "Hey look! We have a new Spider-Man and he's black/latino!"

They should have just let it happen, not made the racial issue into a publicity stunt, that is what cheapened it.

[spid]

I think neither the press release or race cheapen anything. I think it is just part of the natural story. It was the same when Wally replaced Barry, when Bucky replaced Steve, and Dick Grayson replaced Bruce Wayne. No one would claim those were "PC Stunt".

They all got press releases describing who they were so the mainstream audience would know who they are.

[BobBretall]

I think neither the press release or race cheapen anything. I think it is just part of the natural story. It was the same when Wally replaced Barry, when Bucky replaced Steve, and Dick Grayson replaced Bruce Wayne. No one would claim those were "PC Stunt".

They all got press releases describing who they were so the mainstream audience would know who they are.

We can agree to disagree.

Neither the Wally West nor Dick Grayson press releases came out the day BEFORE the comic, along with panels from the comic spoiling the specific "reveal" (though neither of these were a particular surprise).

Neither of those concentrated on the race of Wally/Dick.

The Spider-Man press release touted the race & that is what the news media picked up on (exactly what marvel wanted to create publicity). There were spot on various news shows that led off with "New Black Spider-Man!" showing the reveal panel prior to the comic even hitting the stands. It makes it seem as though the race was chosen not for story reasons but to drive media shock value & get publicity.

Was it really necessary to release this to the media on Tuesday instead of Wednesday?

Marvel knows how to manipulate the media to get publicity.

[spid]

We will have to agree to disagree, because I was pretty sure that identity of both Dick Grayson and Wally West were known well before the comic that introduce them came out. Plus, Marvel has been announcing big news the day before the comic comes for years now. That is not new. They want to put people into the stores the day it comes out not the day after or the next week.

And I do not see them announcing the race as a media grab. He is an unknown character so putting that in the press release helps to identify the character to the general audience.

[BobBretall]

We will have to agree to disagree, because I was pretty sure that identity of both Dick Grayson and Wally West were known well before the comic that introduce them came out.

There is a HUGE difference in my mind between knowing Dick & Wally before hand (who, to be frank, were obvious choices & not surprises/spoilers at all) VS. putting out a press release including pictures from the comic revealing a key element that WOULD have been a surprise.

Plus, Marvel has been announcing big news the day before the comic comes for years now. That is not new.

Yes, and it has been a "media grab" since they started doing it. I have not liked it since they have started doing it. I guess I'm voting with my wallet as the # of Marvel books I read continues to shrink........

They want to put people into the stores the day it comes out not the day after or the next week.

Do you REALLY believe that people not reading comics are going to leap into their cars & rush to the comics store when it opens Wednesday based on a news story on Tuesday? Is this going to drive significantly different behavior than if the people heard the story on Wednesday?

Why the fascination with crowding people into the store on the day the book comes out? Especially since the # of people who will do this is statistically insignificant.

Trying to drive people to stores for "sound bites from the news" is not healthy. How have Marvel sales been doing over the period of time they have been doing this? There are other factors for declining sales, but this is NOT helping.