"The Amazing Spider-Man" - Will it translate to "an amazing movie?"

This blog will be about the upcoming movie The Amazing Spider-Man.  I will discuss the movie, the movie's similarities to the past Spider-Man films, some predictions, and discuss if the movie should even be made.  If you like "going in fresh," perhaps you should skip this blog until after you've seen the movie.  But definitely read it later.  Never, ever just skip one of my writings altogether.  That would be a crime most heinous.




On July 3rd, the fourth Spider-Man film will debut on the silver screen.  However, instead of a continuation of the previous adventures, we will get to see a new take on the Spider-Man story.

Here's a four-minute preview recently released:

From previews, we know/can speculate the following:

- Peter becomes Spider-Man
- He meets Gwen and shares his secret
- Her father, police Captain George Stacy, doesn't trust the masked vigilante, Spider-Man
- Dr. Curt Connors becomes the Lizard, and Spider-Man must stop him

Ever have déjà vu? Ever have déjà vu?

How much of the above is new material, unseen by the majority of the public in the first Spider-Man trilogy?  

Let's analyze:
Peter is bit by a radioactive/DNA-altered/mutated spider. (Spider-Man)

Grossest. Pimple. Ever.
Or
"I've got no strings to hold me down..."

Peter learns he has powers, and develops them. (Spider-Man)

When the subway hand rails are too sticky to touch, grab the ceiling.

Peter meets Gwen Stacy. (Spider-Man 3)

Wanna stay alive?  Appear in the third movie...

Peter meets Gwen's father, George Stacy. (Spider-Man 3)

"Hey, if staying alive worked for Gwen, I'll follow suit."

Peter befriends Dr. Curt Connors. (Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3)

"Villains die in your movies?  I'll just avoid becoming one altogether."

And, judging by the trailer at the beginning of this blog, it appears half of New York will see Spider-Man unmasked, a recurring problem of all the movies in the original Sam Raimi trilogy.

"Can't.... keep.... mask on...."

What's New?



It appears that this film will be a little more faithful to the comics than the original trilogy.  A little.

Gwen Stacy will be shown as Peter's first true love. This is the legitimate first major relationship in Peter Parker's dating career before he gets involved with Mary Jane Watson, as portrayed in the original trilogy by actress Kirsten Dunst.

"Face it, tiger, you'll have to wait to hit the jackpot."

Dr. Curt Connors will actually undergo his infamous experiment with lizard DNA on himself, in an effort to grow his missing right arm (as lizards regrow their missing limbs). The experiment, however, will cause him to mutate into the Lizard. Judging by the picture below, it also appears the Lizard will not be a mindless beast, but instead be self-aware (which has been depicted in the comics). While Dr. Curt Connors appeared in the original trilogy, the experiment and inevitable conflict with Spider-Man did not (though it was rumoured to have been the plot of Spider-Man 4, had it been filmed with the original cast).

In the comics, police Captain George Stacy likes Spider-Man. This similarity was portrayed by James Cromwell in Spider-Man 3. Instead, The Amazing Spider-Man will have Captain Stacy and his police force pursuing Spider-Man (though the idea of the police after Spider-Man has been seen in comics before). Though unlike the comic books, this incarnation will offer a new angle.

Absent from this film appears to be J. Jonah Jameson, expertly portrayed by J.K. Simmons the first time around. With the absence of JJJ, it appears the role of "war against Spider-Man" will be filled by George Stacy, as mentioned above.

Perhaps the greatest change from the movies but best aligning with the comics is that we will see Peter Parker develop his web-shooters, one of the fundamental things Spider-Man is known for. The first time around, as you recall, the web-shooting came from his actual wrist, another super-spider power that developed alongside his spider-sense, wall-crawling, etc. Having Peter develop the web-shooters truly shows his other defining trait outside being Spider-Man - being a science whiz - which was (in my opinion) underdeveloped in the original trilogy.

See, kids?  Stay in school.  Science is awesome.

Are These Plot Points Enough to Reboot the Franchise?


Well that, I suppose, is the multi-million, possibly billion dollar question, isn't it?  I, in particular, have set my sights on comic book mega-blockbusters The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises this summer.  The Avengers is the round-up of five movies (Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America), whereas The Dark Knight Rises is the bookend, the denouement of the current Batman franchise.

The Amazing Spider-Man, however, is showing us a lot of what we just saw 10 years ago (some elements as little as five years ago), from the beginning again.

However, the appeal seems to be there.  Comicbookmovie.com has indicated that early tracking estimates The Amazing Spider-Man to make $125 million in its opening weekend.  They argue that there are enough Spider-Man fans to buy tickets, as well as younger females interested in the real life off-screen relationship of the two lead stars, Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker) and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy).

But outside of hype, is there really any need to go through this on film?

Here's the potential movie spoilers as we go over some comic book history:

In the comics, Captain George Stacy is killed during a conflict between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus when debris falls from a building. Will this happen in this film? Will this be the "with great power comes great responsibility" moment? Judging by this photo, who knows...

Also in comics, after getting serious about their relationship, Gwen Stacy, too, dies, after falling off a bridge during a skirmish with the Green Goblin.

Note: Recall that the first Spider-Man film paid homage to this scene, with Mary Jane Watson falling from the bridge while Spider-Man and Green Goblin battled - except in this scene, he saves her.

And the reason why Peter's parents are dead/missing, and Peter lives with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben? Why, his parents were spies! It appears that some of this secretive aspect will play into the movie, as Peter's father, Richard, and Dr. Curt Connors were partners in projects together.

Final Thoughts

Growing up, Spider-Man was one of my favourite heroes. He even rivaled Batman for top spot! And when he first made his theatrical appearance on my birthday, 2002, I was blown away.

That said, rehashing a lot of the same plot points only a few years later doesn't excite me the same way. I'm aware the movie will be fun, and there will be a lot of new twists and turns, but completely rebooting this film still has me shocked.

On the other hand, what could they do with a new cast had they filmed Spider-Man 4? The intent was to use the Lizard, as Connors was established, but who is the love interest? Gwen? What happened to Mary Jane after three movies?

Spider-Man is too hot of a franchise to let sit on the back burner, and Marvel knows it has to keep pumping out movies to milk this cow. I don't blame them for this. And I'll even forgive a reboot - so long as it doesn't unnecessarily mull over how his powers work, how he develops them, etc. Give him powers, a reason to fight, and let him fight.

I'm not saying omit his origin story, far from it.  Just don't dwell on it!  You know the reasoning everyone, comic fan or not, knows Parker gets his powers from a radioactive spider?  Because it's been done a zillion times in comic book reboots, various cartoon reincarnations, and already on film!  We get it!
Do your scene, show the spider-bite.  Don't change it to something drastic like a family history of spider bites, or an alien spider, or anything too wacky (look at the backlash Michael Bay is already getting about Ninja Turtles by saying they will be aliens, and the movie hasn't been made yet).  But do the scene, and move on.  We've got CG tussles to see.

I will say this, however: If Peter jacks the web-shooters from somewhere/someone instead of inventing them himself, I won't be impressed. As mentioned, this is a perfect opportunity to indicate that he's a science kid - even though he's in high school - and using his talents to develop web-shooters will highlight this.

The History of Comics Pt III: The Silver Age of Comics (But as Good as Gold!)

[If you haven't yet read my entry on The Golden Age of Comics - STOP!  Then follow up part two - Who Killed The Golden Age?]

In the third entry on the history of comics, we now enter The Silver Age of Comics.

At the closing of the Golden Age of Comics, soldiers returned from the war, superhero comics began to decline, and other genres such as war, westerns, crime, horror, science fiction, and romance began to hit the stands.  DC heroes (then National Comics) like Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Flash (Jay Garrick), and other members of the Justice Society of America were pulled, while Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman continued to print, albeit modestly.  Horror and crime comics took things to new levels, and Fredric Wertham, psychiatrist and author of Seduction of the Innocent, coupled with the United States Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, led the charge against comic books.  And from the book burnings, the pressure from the government, and the avoidance of a government-sanctioned body overseeing comic book publications, comic book publishers formed the Comics Code Authority to monitor published content.

The short lived journey of crime and horror comics at the top was coming to an end, and it was time for superhero comics to strike again - and strike they did, with a bolt of lightning!

DC Comics

Barry Allen's first appearance as the Flash,
hastily ushering in the Silver Age

DC Comics sought to bring lighter-hearted, fun, adventurous comics back to the forefront.  While Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman had continued to sell, editor Julius Schwartz decided to revamp the other heroes of the 30's and 40's.  Himself a fan of science fiction, Schwartz looked to reimagine DC's heroes with a scientific twist.  Thus, the following changes were made:

Hal Jordan's 1st Appearance

• 1940's Flash, Jay Garrick, was replaced by police officer Barry Allen, who, while working in a crime lab, was struck by lightning and made a super speedster.  After reading a comic book about The Golden Age Flash, Barry decided to take the name for himself.  The new Flash's appearance in 1956's Showcase #4 (shown above) is generally regarded by historians as the first issue of The Silver Age.
• 1940's Green Lantern, Alan Scott, whose ring was operated by a magic lantern, was replaced by test pilot Hal Jordan, who was given a ring and lantern after being inducted into an intergalactic police corps, the Green Lanterns, by an alien group known as the Guardians of the Universe.
• DC updated other heroes, including The Atom (professor Ray Palmer, physicist) and Hawkman (Katar Hol, an alien from the planet Thanagar).
• Aquaman was retconned and given a new origin and history.
• DC introduced new characters, like J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter.

J'onn J'onnz, manhunter from Mars

The new changes by DC were a hit, and once again, superheroes began to flourish and thrive.  Crossovers began, with heroes appearing in each other's titles, until DC introduced their flagship mega-team, the Justice League of America.

Justice League's 1st Appearance: Brave and the Bold #28

And later, following the popularity of team-ups, DC had sidekicks join forces to create the Teen Titans:

Brave and the Bold #54

DC Comics, now a publishing giant in the 50s and 60s, paved the road for the new superhero era.  It was during this time that DC decided they would do something radical - bring back the original heroes.

The Flash #123 - a landmark issue.  It also recently sold for $83,000

Flash (Barry Allen) was able to vibrate his molecules so fast, he was able to escape our plane of existence - and land himself on Earth-Two, the home of the original Flash, Jay Garrick (confused?  Wait till we get into the multiverse).

Over time, Barry visited Jay and vice versa, and through creative ways eventually the whole Justice Society of America met with the Justice League of America, saving each other's bacon now and again.

DC was truly breaking new ground for the superhero genre - something comic writer Stan Lee took notice of.

Enter the Marvel Era


While mega stars like the current Flash and Green Lantern were created, and the Justice League became a sought after comic book for readers everywhere, the Silver Age of Comics cannot be spoken about without delving into the massive gains made by Marvel Comics and, notably, Stan Lee.

I shouldn't have to reiterate the awesomeness that is Stan Lee, because you've already gone ahead and read my introduction to Stan Lee in my blog Comic Names You Should Know: Stan Lee!  Besides, you already knew who he was prior to that anyhow, right?  Right?

But to showcase the work Lee accomplished during the Silver Age, let's again recall that Stan Lee co-created:

Spider-Man's first appearance, Amazing Fantasy #15.
Recently sold for $1.1 Million.  I want one... make it two.

• Spider-Man
• Iron Man
• Hulk
• Thor
• Hawkeye
• Nick Fury
• The Avengers
• The Fantastic Four
• The Silver Surfer
• The X-Men
• Daredevil
• Doctor Strange

Stan Lee looked at comics in the 40s and 50s, and saw what worked, and what didn't work.  Together, with Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, John Romita, Sr., and many other incredible artists and writers, Stan began the Marvel Comics explosion.  Lee, like DC's Julius Schwartz, was a big fan of science fiction, and based most of his superhero's powers on scientific reasoning (Iron Man's suit ran on Stark-powered transistors, Peter Parker's radioactive spider, Bruce Banner's gamma bomb radiation, cosmic radiation in the Fantastic Four, and so on).

And, playing off the popularity of super teams, Lee saw to the creation of the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and a comic book that took singular heroes and paired them together, The Avengers.

The Avengers Versus Loki?
Hmm... they should make a movie about that.....

Stan Lee, as editor of Marvel Comics, also introduced a new aspect to superhero comics - the reluctant, self-loathing superhero.  Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, would battle a villain, but as a result frequently miss a high school test, lose his job, or end up not getting the girl.  Bruce Banner constantly avoided becoming the Hulk, as he was powerless when the rage took over.  The Fantastic Four acted as a super team, but while Reed Richards could control his stretching, Susan Storm wasn't always invisible, and Johnny Storm could toggle his Human Torch guise,  Ben Grimm was permanently disfigured and viewed as a monster when he was cosmically altered into the Thing.

At a time when DC Comics's heroes were becoming over-the-top (Superman's powers escalated to the point that he could now move planets with his hands), Marvel Comics's humanizing traits, historians argue, are what drew in teenage crowds and jetted Marvel Comics into the spotlight.

Another key point for Marvel was that Stan Lee like to place his heroes in familiar settings - like New York City (Peter Parker grew up in Queens, the Fantastic Four's headquarters, the Baxter Building, was located in Manhattan, etc), as opposed to DC's imaginary locations of Gotham City, Metropolis, and Smallville.  In fact, Lee placed almost all of his characters in New York City, giving more justification as to why the heroes would cross paths regularly.  Placing the heroes in locations that Lee was familiar with helped with the writing process, as well as made fans more easily identify with the characters.

With all these comics in the market, it was only a matter of time until superheroes took over other mediums - notably television.

Comics-to-Television


The 60s & 70s saw a lot of superheroes on TV, some incarnations good, some mediocre (but never bad - I mean, hey, they're comics!).  Perhaps I'll do a more thorough review of this later, but for now, he's some of the major ones to recall, and likely the ones you're most familiar with.


Batman

In 1966, Batman made his TV debut, starring Adam West as the titular hero.  I don't believe there's a lot of explanation required here - the theme song alone should refresh your memory.  If you don't remember the show at all, here's a quick explanation:

• Burt Ward, as Robin, consistently said, "Holy ___, Batman!" ( ___ not meant to represent a curse word).  See here for examples.
• Mickey from the Rocky movies (Burgess Meredith) was the Penguin - though chronologically that means the Penguin was Rocky's coach.
• The Joker, played by Caesar Romero, had a moustache whited-out with makeup because the actor wouldn't shave it for the role.
• There were three actresses to portray Catwoman: Eartha Kitt, Lee Meriweather, and Julie Newmar.
• Frank Gorshin expertly portrayed The Riddler.

Because the Comics Code Authority had neutered comics, this campy representation of Batman made it to the air.  Respectfully, it did extremely well at first, which even prompted the 1966 Batman movie.  By the third season, the TV show pressured DC Comics to introduce (Batwoman and Batgirl had already come and been dismissed) reintroduce a female character so one can be featured in the show, and so Barbara Gordon made her debut as Batgirl.  The character was then portrayed on the small screen by Yvonne Craig.

Spider-Man

What was it about those hip people in the '60s?  They sure knew how to write a catchy jingle back then.  To get the neurons firing in an effort to recollect this show, here's the Spider-Man theme song.

And for no reason except that I like it, here's the song sung by Michael Buble.

As for the show, which debuted in 1967, the key highlights are:

• Decent acting talent
• A lot of shots of Spider-Man web-swinging and sticking to walls (to save money, shots were reused over and over again, like the background scenes of any episode of The Flintsones)
• A decline in using villains from the comic book after season one
• Footage from the show Rocket Robin Hood was reused in this show (no joke, check it out yourself)

Nevertheless, Spider-Man proved to be a big hit, and helped forever popularize the character.

All that Glitters isn't-- Silver?

Once again, superheroes took the lead in comic books, and made further mainstream leaps into television, radio, and film.  They had survived being the scapegoat of allegations by a mad doctor, and the onslaught that then ensued from the United States government.

The publishers themselves, however, may have become their own worst enemies, as the creation (however necessary) of the Comics Code Authority implemented stringent rules dictating the do's and don'ts of publishing a comic book.  The revitalization of superheroes sprang from this initial change, but ultimately altered the course of many heroes, forcing superhero comic books to become campy, silly versions of their prior incarnations.  Previously seen characters like Batman no longer tackled crooks and crime but now fought intergalactic beings, and carried shark repellent bat spray.  "And how come Batman doesn't dance anymore?  Remember the Batusi?"  Other heroes, like Superman, now had Krypto the Superdog, Streaky the Supercat, Comet the Super-Horse, and Beppo the Supermonkey.  Together, they formed the [*sigh*] Legion of Super-Pets.

While superheroes embarked on lighter antics than in the past, what was it that took the polish off the Silver, and ushered in the Bronze Age of Comics?  Like all other periods throughout history, no one person dictated the timeline of each era, so opinions vary depending on historians.

One historian and comics scholar, however, argues that the Bronze Age of Comics didn't get ushered in with a boom of lightning like the Silver Age, but instead appeared by a subtle, quiet "snap"...

[Stay tuned for my entry on The Bronze Age of Comics!]

Friday Fun-day!

I've been slowly compiling another historical piece to branch off from my initial piece, The Golden Age of Comics, but because it won't be finished today, I decided to let a little bit of the Joker out and go for inappropriate laughs!  Be sure to click on the images to enlarge them to read the text - usually key points, though sometimes the images themselves tell it all.

Mom & Dad, probably want to shut it down now.  If you read on, remember, I didn't draw these up.

ALL of these pictures have been lifted from superdickery.com - so a special thanks to them for brightening up our day.  The website started showcasing examples of Superman being, well, a dick, and evolved into a variety of humourous material, from scenes with unintentional homosexual undertones to scenes taken wildly out of context.  Nothing is off-limits.  With that, I bring you a few highlights - go to superdickery.com for more.

If you think I'm taking other people's work and putting my own comments on it, you'd be exactly right.  But this is a one time thing, I don't plan on making a career out of it.

Like I'd just take stuff from the Internet and jack it as my own material.

Who do you think I am, Daniel Tosh or something?

Green Lantern

I bet Ryan Reynolds asks to have this line put in "Green Lantern 2"

Superman

Nothing sketchy here!

Best leave this one alone.

...

Such confidence...

"Why won't Bruce return my calls...?"

Marvel Comics

The title says it all!

"Hulk... confused...?"

Wow.  Just wow.

Easy, Spider-Man!  That statement is exactly what got Sean Avery in trouble!

Hey!  What did I just say!

"Now, now, Thor's got enough mighty Mjolnir for everyone."

Looks like the Hulk's anger isn't the only thing raging!

Subtle Scenes...

I got your key to mystery, RIGHT HERE!

I don't know what comic this is from, but "Toni Gay?"  "Butch  Dykeman?"

Archie Comics

Read Betty's "offer" at the top right...

...

Interesting tactic to get the girl...

Batman

...

"Of the Year??"

This caption was placed here by design, not by accident.
I mean, somebody had to judge "Of the Year."

...

In the words of Archer, "Phrasing!"

Fredric Wertham's Seduction of the Innocent

Really?  Everybody thinks of their wife, you mention Robin??

...

If Batman and/or Robin are outed this June,
let's call this "precedence."

Hope you enjoyed a laugh!  Again, thanks to superdickery.com!  See you back here next week!