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Spider-Verse Part 3 has arrived, and the showdown everyone has been waiting for has finally happened: Peter Parker vs. Doctor Octopus (aka: The Superior Spider-Man). With Olivier Copiel vivifying Dan Slott’s words, Amazing Spider-Man #11 is injected with energy and vibrancy it otherwise doesn’t quite deserve. The reason being is because its writer seems to have drawn inspiration for his version of Peter Parker by watching Forrest Gump on repeat in his bedroom. Dan Slott’s Peter Parker is like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get.
After 10 issues of Peter fumbling and bumbling around as a sideshow character in his own book, a switch has seemingly been flipped and he suddenly takes charge. It’s jarring, and the result is a sort of cognitive dissonance for readers who haven’t been happy with the status quo for some time. If you’re like me, then you’re left scratching your head at the inconsistency. If you’re like Andrew Roebuck from Spider-Man Crawlspace, then you have a more curious take.
Mr. Roebuck says of Spider-Verse Part 3:
“It seems to me that we finally have a reason for Slott writing our Peter Parker so incompetently these last few months. He needed it to feel important for him to step into his big boy pants and take charge of the situation. We needed to see Peter at his worst to appreciate him when he is finally back doing the things that we all knew the character capable of.”
If one were to hold tight to this premise, then he or she would have to believe Dan Slott wanted Peter Parker fans to drop roughly $50 over the past year on a lackluster to embarrassing version of their favorite character for the so-called payoff of issue #11. That is certainly one way to deal with the cognitive dissonance the book has generated, but one I don’t think will be of much comfort to the vast majority of Peter Parker fans.
What is more likely: that Dan Slott views Peter Parker as a kind of Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption, who he had to drag through a mile of human waste to attain glory, or that he’s writing a character that he doesn’t quite know how to handle?
Perhaps the most bizarre moment of Peter’s momentary return to form is his assertion: “Ock can’t imagine a world where he loses. One where I come back, reclaim that body, and win!”
Given that there are plenty of instances in Spider-Man history where Peter Parker handily defeats Otto, it seems a bit odd to say that the villain can’t imagine a world where he loses. He’s lost. Multiple times. Regardless, any one who read The Superior Spider-Man knows that Peter didn’t come back and “win” per se — Otto basically stepped aside.
All of this again raises the question: What happened to Peter? Was he dead? If so, then where was his soul? Did Otto just take control of Peter’s mind for a year, which would mean that Peter was the one doing all sorts of dastardly deeds while brainwashed? Is there a “downloaded” Otto somewhere in the recesses of Peter’s brain just waiting to get out? There never was any clear answer, which may be why Peter hasn’t really grappled with the enormity of the situation. The personalities of individuals who survive near-death experiences often undergo profound changes. The Superficial Spider-Man just swings around and occasionally mentions that he maybe-sorta-kinda-died.
The one diamond in the rough from The Amazing Spider-Man #11 comes when Peter and “Spider-Gwen” share a moment that could lead to some interesting stories down the road. As much as it pains me to say it, the smart move by Marvel would be to use each character’s shared experience as a spring board for a more serious relationship between the two of them. This particular Gwen knows exactly what Peter went through when he lost his first true love. Instead of having Peter Parker engage in stupid make-out sessions with Dan Slott’s creation Silk, it would be worth Marvel’s time to kick start something more serious between Peter and Gwen. Doing so would also open the possibility of a love triangle between Peter, the new Gwen, and Mary Jane. The Superficial Spider-Man could become The Substantive Spider-Man once again.
In short, Spider-Verse Part 3 was one of the few issues of The Amazing Spider-Man since its relaunch that was actually worth the $4.00 cover price. Unfortunately, Dan Slott’s Spider-Gump is still like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get.
Update:
Update II:
Douglas Ernst Blog 
Yeah, Ock never conceive that Peter will win, except that he’s lost even freakin’ time they’ve tangled.
Also, I disagree with you, SpOck never really stepped aside, he ran away from the problems he caused…which really shows how ‘superior’ he is…even with the writer making every character an idiot who can’t understand why Peter had a complete 180 in personality and SpOck still screwed everything up.
That was also a very valid criticism that popped up again and again during the SSM run. Wasn’t it The Avengers that ran a battery of tests to determine whether or not SSM was the “real” Peter Parker, and then they decided to a.) not bring the logical individuals to read the results, and b.) not even bring in a telepath? D’oh! 🙂 At some point it almost became comical how clueless individuals were acting.
Also, despite the fact that probably half of them have had this “Freaky Friday” (SLOTT IS SO ORIGINAL) plot done or attempted on them at one point, or yes, they were brainwashed (several times, in Wolvie’s case), so you’d think they’d work harder on trying to figure out what was wrong…just…lazy writing all around on this character and concept.
This dovetails nicely into a conversation about the industry, the websites the follow it, review it, etc. When it seems like no one is really pushing the creators to up their game, you wind up with a mediocre product. The creators often give off this vibe like, “How dare you criticize our work. You should just be grateful to read what we’re giving you.” Well, no, not really. It doesn’t work that way — especially if you’re charging $4.00 per issue.
Do we want The Superficial Spider-Man or do we want The Substantive Spider-Man? I don’t want the equivalent of a sugary snack that I’ll forget about five minutes after it’s consumed. I want something memorable, which is why I’ll continue to blog on this title and give hard-nosed reviews. Who wants to go to read reviews where the writer is playing Patty Cake with the artists and writers? I don’t.
Remember, the comics don’t make much money. The real money is in licensing the characters out for movies, TV shows, and video games. It’s not like the corporate behemoths that control those companies actually depend on comics for their bread and butter; they’re the rough private-sector equivalent of government-subsidized art.
In some strange way, technology has helped insulate the guys and gals writing the comic books. With movies, video games, theme parks, etc. … Disney probably just lets the comic division do whatever the heck it wants. Since Marvel is making money hand-over-fist with the movies, the guys writing the comics have less pressure on them to deliver. The top brass is like, “Hey, write some comics that will allow us to sell more action figures…some new characters to unlock for next year’s video games, and maybe some sort of creative gold that we can work into The Avengers 5, will you? I’ll stop by again in six months. Bye.”
Exactly. The comics are ancillary to the whole enterprise. They’re no longer the centerpiece.
I just wish the creators would be honest about that and admit it — they don’t particularly care what the fans think. They’re just going to do what they want, and if the fans like it, great. If they don’t, then too bad. The creators will just go on blocking bloggers who they can’t easily dismiss with their typical name-calling, personal attacks, etc. (See my update above regarding Dan Slott and Tom Brevoort.)
Gah, typical. But what do you expect?
Just keep on keeping on. You’re clearly getting to them.
I think the saying is something along the lines of: “Those who think an individual can not make a difference have never slept in bed with a mosquito.” 🙂
Sounds good.
Makes all the sense in the world to have Slott block you just when you were saying some nice things about this issue. I liked it myself, especially when Gwen and Peter had their moment, although I’m not keen on them starting anything up.
I find it quite interesting that the long-sought “scion” turned out to be the son of MC2’s Peter and MJ, and that it may mean a bigger role for their daughter Mayday (one of my all time favorite legacy characters) in the event now that the legacy of her family is at risk in the stakes. It also sort of gives her father, the MC2 version of Peter, the most crucial part of the story despite the fact he was killed off early in the story along with his wife. Are Marvel slowly but surely easing it’s fresh audience into believing the marriage of Peter and MJ has some major significance? Time, and summer 2015, will tell for sure
Dan Slott does not know how to take constructive criticism, and he really doesn’t know how to take criticism when he’s dealing with someone who is quick-witted and willing to call him out on his endless string of red herrings, straw man arguments, ad hominem attacks, etc.
I’m within you on that one. I’d obviously like to see Peter and MJ to get back together, but from a creative standpoint I can see the logic in creating a spark between Peter and Spider-Gwen.
I’ll definitely be blogging on it, so make sure to stop on by and let me know what you think as it all unfolds.
Actually, I think having Gwen and Peter try to start something would be a neat concept to explore…just to see them having to try to come to terms that this Gwen isn’t the same one he knew, and has had a different life and experiences than him and vice versa, wit it eventually falling apart when they realize that they can’t just force the other to become what is basically an identical stranger… I think that would be a nice twist from the normal comic cliche of having a perfect copy from another dimension showing up and meshing perfectly with a completely alien world and people.
But I think asking a somewhat original concept from slott is kinda a lost cause at this point.
We’re on the same page. I saw some people over at Crawlspace who weren’t happy I threw that out there, but I never said that he had to wind up with Gwen. I mentioned a “love triangle.” I think, as you point out, it would give Peter a chance to really come to terms with his past so he could move forward. That’s the thing — it “is” Gwen, but she’s also a different person…who just so happens to know what it’s like to lose someone in the manner Peter did. In many ways she “mirrors” Peter, but do we really want to be married to our own mirror? I’d say no, unless the person is a total narcissist. I think ultimately he and Gwen would realize that they are not meant to be together, and that Peter’s one true love is M.J.
That makes it even worse if theyre basically gender-flipped versions of the same character, that waters down Peter’s personality while making Gwen just a shallow rip off. I was giving some credit to Slott for the creation of Silk, but if she has the same flippant, snark attitude of Peter, what was the point of creating her? Why not have her more of a quiet character? Or grim? Or more flighty or flirty? Or anything else than just femPeter? Heck, even direct clones of Peter have more unique personalities than Silk if what you’re saying is true.
I agree with you; I was saying “mirror” in the sense that she shared an experience that largely shaped Peter into who he is, they’re both superheroes, etc. Yes, that would be weird if they were total mirrors down to the wise-cracks. I’m just saying that she would mesh with him on all sorts of levels, but that ultimately he’d end up with M.J.
Side note: I also think that it would give Peter a greater appreciation for what M.J. went through all those years if he had a pseudo-relationship with Spider-Gwen and then had to sit at home on occasion wondering if she was dead in a ditch (or another dimension) somewhere…
Oh, hell yeah it would, especially once they got fed up with each other constantly checking and ‘protecting’ each other…unfortunarely, Peter having this realization would mean character development and as we’ve seen, mainstream comis despite that because ‘it alienates potential readers’.
I love how Marvel thinks that keeping Peter Parker perpetually stuck in some sort of psychological man-boyish no-man’s land doesn’t alienate readers.
Not to mention the fact that they’ve previously ran stories based on his teen years alongside his adult life. “Untold Tales of Spider-Man” and those ‘Human Torch/Spider-Man’ comics (which I think Slott wrote).
Even without doing so, they seem to have forgotten what makes Peter Parker a great hero, I loved his stories as a kid, even though I was 10 and he was in college, married and an adult. It’s who he is as a person, a regular guy given insane powers who just tries to be a good person…
I basically grew up reading The Amazing Spider-Man when Peter and M.J. were newlyweds. They were this cool young couple who were full of energy, love and hope for the future. That sort of thing. I loved it. There was nothing wrong with it all all, but somewhere along the line the writing started to stink. Instead of blaming the writers, Marvel seemed to blame the marriage. They killed M.J. and the writing was still embarrassing. Then Dan Slott killed Peter Parker … and that didn’t help. They brought him back, only to put the car in neutral for months until Spider-Verse started. Then Peter Parker became a “Where’s Waldo” character in his own book. Sad.
Side note: I predicted Spider-Verse would make Peter Parker take a back seat in his own title before it even happened. 🙂
Well, as I mention in my own Spider-Man Crawlspace review, it’s pretty easy to get emotionally caught-up in the opening bout of the issue.
I thoroughly enjoyed your review as well, Mike. As always, it was very thoughtful. I was trying to figure out a way to reference your take in my post, but I didn’t want it to come across like I was pitting you against Mr. Roebuck. It just wasn’t working, so I’m glad that you took the time to add your two cents down below. Let it be known that even though I disagree with your colleague’s grade on this issue, I also appreciate all the hard work he put into his review.
I also thought this part of the issue was handled well. I like that Peter is able to acknowledge, “Hey, Doc Ock is bad news, but right now…I need his brain and I need to find a way to make this work.”
Thanks, Doug. And yes, even though Andrew and I did differ on this issue, he does indeed do great work. I actually do like when he provides a different critical perspective as often times they point out things which I missed the first time around, not to mention it shows that, contrary to what some of the Crawlspace’s critics have stated, the views aren’t homogenous and have differences of opinion. Also, over on examiner.com, Alex Widen has been writing some very articulate, if a bit verbose, critiques on Spider-Verse himself.
And yes, while I was being a bit snarky in citing the “two men become allies after having a fist fight” trope, it does make sense story-wise for Peter and Otto fight together against a common foe a la “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Although, given how this is supposed to be Doc Ock, the same guy who killed Peter Parker and took over his body, not to mention has committed all sorts of nefarious deeds for decades, I’m expecting him to pull a double-cross towards the end once the main villains of the event are taken care of. That is if Slott doesn’t once again whitewash Otto as he’s been doing ever since Superior Spider-Man.
Also, good point about how Otto has lost before numerous times under Spidey, and how strange it is for Otto to actually think he can’t imagine a scenario where he loses.
I believe you covered it in your review, but there really wasn’t the kind of conversation that needed to be had between the two of them. Like you said: Ock killed Peter. Or did he? Again, we’re not sure what the heck happened. I think because Dan Slott doesn’t even really know (or doesn’t want to commit himself to anything specific) it sort of has a cascading confusion-effect. Peter can’t really confront Otto over what happened to him because the writer never really was clear about what went on. As a result, there really can’t be that cathartic moment many readers are seeking…
Thanks for sharing Alex’s reviews. I’ll check them out tonight.
The Superior Slotter-Man is so high and mighty he blocks a critic who is just trying to improve a comic he enjoys.
So true. Marvel asked Disney to make Big Hero 6 a more adult-oriented film but they got strong-armed. Doesn’t even seem to have been worth it as kids are much more interested in that one winter princess movie.
The weird thing is that I don’t even tweet at him. I don’t put ‘@DanSlott’ when I tweet and I don’t follow him. The only time I ever check his feed is when someone sends me an email saying, “Doug, check out the dumb stuff Dan Slott is tweeting” or after I write a review — because he has a history of responding to my blog posts.
The Tom Brevoort block is even more hilarious. I haven’t checked his feed in months, but I was sitting there and thought, “I wonder if he weirdly blocked me, too. If so, then I must really be striking a nerve.” Yep!
Anyone who reads my blog posts can see that a) I’ve read the books, b.) I’m putting thought and effort into my reviews, and c.) I can articulate my positions quite well.
Dan Slott has a history of responding to critics on the Internet, but he won’t comment here — even though he reads my stuff (including my old posts on Trayvon Martin for some odd reason). Telling. He can block me all he wants, but I know he’ll be back. It’s obvious that he has some sort of Google alert out on his name, that he the scours the Internet to see what people are saying about his work, etc. If for no other reason he’ll be because he knows other people read and share my posts.
You tagged one of the tweets #DanSlott. He must have checked it.
I’m not how sure pathetic that is. Maybe it is just something Twitter people do???
That’s what’s interesting: using the hashtag #DanSlott is just that — a hashtag. That’s for anyone who is searching the subject ‘Dan Slott.’ It’s like tagging my blog posts with his name. It’s a completely different thing to put @DanSlott, which would be like saying, “Hey Dan, read this.” In the former case it’s just throwing my blog post into a giant room filled with people who are interested in the subject matter; in the latter case I would be specifically addressing Dan Slott.
The fact that he is looking through his own hashtag on a daily basis is somewhat strange. A writer typically wouldn’t block someone who was randomly publishing blog posts on their work. It’s odd. Very odd. Like I said before, it also seems as though he has a Google alert for his name.
When one fails to have a valid response “from Marvel” they block instead. No one is allowed to have an opinion on the mighty Slott.
One of the reasons I like Mike’s (aka: StillaNerd’s) reviews as that he’s been a straight-shooter. I don’t always agree with everything he says, but those are the kind of reviews I’m looking for when I visit a comic website. Dan Slott’s response shows just how far these guys will go to insulate themselves from any real criticism. He should be embarrassed with himself, quite frankly. When a man goes out of his way to put himself into a little digital bubble, where the echoes of “Attaboys” are all he hears bouncing off the walls, he should feel shame.
The people I block on Twitter are those who tweeted directly at me with expletives, etc. The people who I block on my blog are those with an affinity for four-letter words. Even my “bans” are typically not lifetime bans (e.g., Lizard19 essentially put into a penalty box for a few months).
I actually have Slott tagged as a friend on Facebook (for some reason), I remember when I made a wry comment about Silk being a cash-grab, Slott p.m’ed me and “took me to task” for being repetitively snarky and for not being a “team player” who should be behind him 100%, otherwise he’d unfriend me. I write a lot of fanfics and two people I would consider very close friends of mine occasionally criticize my work for either a spelling mistake or for not being too consistent with a character’s motivations, I don’t tell them to get behind me “100%” or be alienated, I embrace their viewpoints and try to better myself as a writer so it’s easier on my audience.
“The beatings will continue until morale improves!” You either get into line with Comrade Slott, or you must be banished to the Facebook Siberian gulags. 🙂
A friend isn’t someone who just tells you what you want to hear 100% of the time. A friend is someone who will make you a better person. There are occasions where friends must deliver upsetting truths if they are to be successful in that endeavor. Like I said: Digital bubbles bring brain atrophy. Don’t live in a bubble, Dan Slott.
Funny that Slott is one of the first to claim “group think” while he purposely sets up a system that embraces it. People like him are using twitter as a tool to promote books and political views, if you don’t believe me look at their twitter feeds objectively you will see a pattern. The pattern is simple mention a hot topic and stir up an issue to get views then it is followed soon by “this issue will be out today, don’t miss it”. If you disagree it will be responded with snark then if that does not work they will try to get the twitter pack on you, if that fails they block the person. I often wonder if there is a class the comic writers all take on this method. They also think their opinion matters more than any other, Slott has sent a friend of mine a personal message in the past that proves it. He would never share that in the public due to the fact that it would not be an ethical act. Even without that message I think he makes it obvious with his tweets. It seems that Slott has been producing less controversial opinionated tweets maybe he is tired or management talked to him about it….or maybe he finally decided to get some work done.
That’s actually a pretty accurate reading of their Standard Operating Procedure. 🙂
Once the 2016 election kicks into gear I’m sure the political tweets will be back. I always found it funny that he would complain about tight deadlines while engaging in extended Twitter arguments over politics and comics.
I’m hearing from at least two other well known critics of Slott on the Crawlspace that he is blocking them on Twitter also. RDMaQ (responsible for some humerus illustrated criticisms of Slott’s “masterpieces”) suspects the upper management is telling him and the rest to clamp down going forward.
He may not respond like he used to, but like I said: Dan Slott reads the reviews and the comments section of this blog. He can’t help himself.
Tom Brevoort knows Dan well:
He may block people on Twitter, but he can’t stop guys like me from writing and he can’t stop Google from disseminating our messages far and wide. He keeps coming back for more because deep down he knows that I make some very good points and there are plenty of people who agree with me. Obviously no one is going to agree with me 100% of the time, but if even 50% of my criticisms resonate with someone, then that’s clearly a success. Why? Because they’re not hearing my point of view from certain websites that kiss up to creators in order to keep access flowing.
Side note: Hi Dan Slott. Hi Tom Brevoort. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll have another review for you to read in the near future. Check back in after Spider-Verse concludes. And yes, I can still see your Twitter feeds. Shocker.
It seems even I’ve been officially made Slott’s latest target. Rather than block me though, he chose to vent about me on Facebook.
Ah well, any excuse to post the intro to “Perfect Strangers” on his comment page…
Seems like Slott is the kind of guy that can’t take the slightest bit of criticism, everyone must absolutely adore his work and hail him as a genius or he’ll sic his fans on them while whining about how life is so tough and unfair.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Here’s another piece that might be of interest to you: Dan Slott, absent a superior argument, now sics Twitter followers on critics
Your observation is very astute. One of the reasons Dan Slott doesn’t like this blog is because unlike his Twitter or YouTube accounts, he can’t surreptitiously scrub comments away when he makes a fool out of himself. And, unlike certain comic book websites that are willing to shut down threads and delete comments when he throws a temper tantrum, I will do him no such favors.
I’d be willing to post screen shots of his vent if you sent them to me. I could add them as an “Update III” to this post.
I told you Dan Slott reads my blog and the comments section. 🙂
Long story short: He wants to max out on Facebook followers who will always tell him what he wants to hear. One way to avoid “drama” is to only surround yourself with people who agree with you.
Note to Dan Slott: It only becomes “drama” when you act like a drama queen. As I said before, you’re welcome to come here any time and engage in a civil discussion like a grown man. That beats lurking on my blog and then venting on Twitter, your Facebook page, and to Tom Brevoort, doesn’t it? I would think so.
Also, there’s nothing that is stopping Dan Slott from creating another Facebook account that is private and only used to interact with close friends and family. The idea that he’s preventing his family from interacting with him out of pure love for his adoring fans is bull. That is him purely fishing for sympathy comments.
Well I unfriended him as a result of this. I’d rather not add to his migrane. I’ll still support the books he writes that I do enjoy (like Silver Surfer), he will not lose a customer, but he has lost a lot of respect…and I suspect someday when he reflects on instances like this, he’ll realize most of that is self-respect
It wasn’t you, zariusii. Dan Slott creates his own drama and then he complains about it. He runs to Twitter, his Facebook feed, to Tom Breevort and anyone else who will sooth his fragile ego when he’s legitimately challenged. He kills Peter Parker, and then wonders why Peter Parker fans are livid. He brings Peter Parker back, and then wonders why fans are annoyed that the character was a side-show in his own book for 11 issues. He makes partisan politic comments on Twitter, and then wonders why people push back.
He’s really good at shooting fish in a barrel, but when a blogger like me or Hube from Colossus of Rhodey comes around, he doesn’t know how to handle it. He resorts to name-calling and petty attacks from afar because he knows that if he actually steps into our arenas, then he’s going to get intellectually bloodied.
If he wants to stay in the safety and security of the little ego-bubbles his blown for himself on different social media platforms, then fine. But don’t ever for a second think you’ve added to his “migranes,” zariusii — those are all of his own making. 🙂
Thanks for the pep talk buddy, it’s definitely appreciated, it just saddens me as a fan of Spider-Man that the franchise is in the hands of someone who resorts to so many easy ways out of anything…including the easiest way of resisting a more and much-needed critical evaluation.
Like I said, I’ll be randomly blogging on future issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. I’m assuming I’ll do one for the conclusion of Spider-Verse for sure, and then who knows how it will go. You’re always welcome to comment here. I’m sure there will be times where you’ll be like, “Doug, what the heck are you thinking, man?!” and that’s cool. Just don’t start dropping f-bombs all over the place, and we’ll be cool. Unlike Dan Slott, I’m always up for a good debate.
He seems to be enough of a celebrity, I’m surprised he hasn’t. Make a fan page for the general audience and keep the account for personal use.
None of your “fans” need to know you went to some American school and Occidental College. (Drama major, though? Go figure…)
You can see his Facebook page? I checked today when zariusii shared his story and…I’m blocked. Ha! I’m assuming he would have an open profile so even those who aren’t his friends can see the conversations that are taking place.
My guess is that he does have a private account, but he wants people to do the, “Don’t let it get you down. You’re the man, Dan. Superior Spider-Man forever!”
Oh don’t worry about little old me. I do see eye to eye on a lot of things
It should be easier to assess ASM once March kicks in because they are again going back to one-a-month to make way for the “.point” series again, with Gerry Conway’s “Spiral” coming out
I’m debating whether or not to grab Conway’s work. I’m not sure how much cash I want to sink into Marvel…although if it’s going to be a good story, then I should probably support that!
Isn’t Marvel doing that dumb thing where they go ASM issue 16.1, 16.2, 16.3? Urg.
Yeah, the “.point” series as I label it. I don’t know why they do this either, apparently there’s also a third ASM “special” three-issue limited series coming out at the same time in addition to that, so we seem to be going back to the old 2008-2010 methods
Update: Decided to quote one of my favourite scenes from Quantum Leap in further response to Dan’s venting (from the episode “Good Morning, Peoria”)
“I’d like to read you something we found in our news files dates August 16, 1945, the day after the Japanese surrendered and World War II ended, “The guns are silent now and so are many of the men whose hands once held them. Never again will they see their wives or mothers. Never again will they hear their children laugh. And never again will they smell the sweet scents of home. And for what? For what did these husbands and fathers, these brothers and sons, give their lives so many thousands of miles from home? I say it was for one word, and that word is freedom. The freedom to pray. To write. To speak. To feel. To be. As we see fit, and not as others would dictate to us. To this freedom, which has been so dearly bought for us, it is up to us, the living, to dedicate our lives and our futures… to its eternal protection.” These words were written by Frederick Beeman, the editor of the Peoria Dispatch. And I sincerely hope that Mr. Beeman would see it in his heart that all we are looking for here is…a little freedom too.”
I myself have been blocked by Slott recently, mostly because of arguments he and I have had on both Twitter and Comic Book Resources, the latter which also works as an example of places like Twitter and YouTube, where Slott can just sic his fans on people, as the Spider-Man subforum is moderated by someone who not-so-subtly wishes to be Slott’s “apprentice” or something. One of my Twitter followers has also been blocked by Slott, in spite of not actively engaging with Slott, and instead only comments on him when responding to me.
I apologize if I’m sounding a bit egotistical here, but given that, I have to imagine that someone has just been telling Slott to start blocking people. Given the Facebook post that Zariusii shared, Slott’s probably just spinning this as him finally “realizing” what course he needs to take with social media, but given his insecurities, I find it a bit hard to believe that Slott took it upon himself to make this decision.
Boom. That’s the problem with so-called “journalist” and others who are not supposed to see their position as a springboard into the industry or an opportunity to get buddy-buddy with creators. I’ve seen a few moderators over the years at websites like that who seem to think, “Maybe if I’m just a loyal mouthpiece for the creators, then they’ll invite me into their inner circle and then who knows what doors will open for me!” That is a recipe for an inferior product.
Haha. Classic! I don’t mean to laugh. I feel sorry for your friend, but that is incredibly telling.
I think you may be spot-on with your analysis of the situation. I would not be surprised if someone pulled him aside and said, “Listen, Dan. I know you love social media, but you let it sort of consume you at times and you have a lot on your plate. Start blocking anything that might take your focus away from the work that you need to get done.” Well, since pretty much anyone who is critical of Dan Slott is worthy of his attention, that requires a lot of blocking. 🙂
But the thing is, he knows my blog is out there and he knows that I will continue blogging on The Amazing Spider-Man. He may be able to block me on Twitter, but there is no way for him not to run across my work unless he just swears off Google all together. The tweet I linked to earlier and the screen shot that was shared demonstrate that he has come to these very comments section after blocking me on Twitter. That’s rich.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Patrick. I really appreciate it. Like I said, I’ll be blogging on the final issue of Spider-Verse, so feel free to add your two cents (or four, or six, or make it a buck!) after that goes up.
And Dan, once again, you’re always welcome to join the discussion. You remind me of the kid who sits on the sidelines while all the other kids are playing football in the park. You really want to join the game, but you just sort of sheepishly stand there. Well, I’m telling you: join the game if you want. You might get tackled, but that’s what happens when you play contact sports.
Patrick, you may have struck a nerve. Since you commented on Comic Book Resources and Dan Slott’s wannabe “apprentice,” a few people have come here from a CBR link that appears to be private.
I’m a member of CBR and sent the link out to a member (may have been Patrick, the guy’s username shares the same two initials)
Gotcha.
I go by “Phantom Roxas” on CBR, so I assume that Zariusii is the user as the one who sent the link to me.
As for your earlier comment, you summed it up best, since CBR is pretty much designed to be an echo chamber for Slott at this point. And yet, when two posters, as well as myself, posted criticism on there, Slott made an account (He had an account on the old version of the site, but had yet to make one once the site was relaunched), and used it to troll me and those other posters, one of which he responded to with a snide remark about how I would be calling him out.
So while I’m sure that there’s a lot of people for Slott to block on Twitter, given how he’s responded to you, me, and many others, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s managed to keep track of everyone in spite of his laments that it’s very hard for him to have to tell people apart.
Which probably explains why Silver Surfer actually got delayed: https://twitter.com/DanSlott/status/545057286105104384
Since Tom Brevoort edits Silver Surfer, I can’t imagine that he was the one who told Slott to hold off on Twitter, mostly because he’s been having to do play you as well, and considering Slott and Brevoort’s own interactions with Rich Johnston. I could maybe see it being Nick Lowe, though.
I’m looking forward to the rest of your coverage on Spider-Verse, and I’ll be sure to check out your other posts!
Hi Patrick, yes it was me who sent you the link, I was a bit clandestine about it just for security reasons when I contacted you, hope you understand. Speaking of CBR, today I was given a one day ban for “belittling and trolling” when all I did was respond to someone who was actively mocking people with a differing opinion (and for an unrelated incident in the Wonder Woman forums where I came to the defense of….Steve Trevor. Yes. It gets that petty there sometimes)
Doug, I have to bring this to your attention, seems Dan Slott has decided to play the role of Ebinizeer and has taken the time to post in a pro-Mary Jane thread over on CBR where he basically attacks confronts two people, including someone I believe to have severe autism, the user is told by Slott his posts don’t matter, and that his dream of pairing Spider-Man up with She-Hulk will never come true. While I do think Jen and Pete is a bit of a crack pairing, nobody should be told point blank that their dreams don’t matter and can never materialize. What was it Wilton Knight once said? “One man CAN make a difference”
http://community.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?644-quot-Face-It-Tiger-quot-Mary-Jane-Watson-Parker-Appreciation/page23
Why would Dan Slott mock anyone’s idea for what is possible in a Spider-Man comic book, given that he’s the guy who killed Peter Parker and made a megalomaniac Spider-Man for over a year? Doc Ock nearly exterminated six billion people in the Marvel universe, and then a couple months later Peter Parker was dead and Doc Ock was “The Superior Spider-Man.” Dan Slott has no room to make fun of anyone.
He made an account on CBR after it was reset specifically to troll me and another user, so I’m not exactly surprised. Really, I think what zariusii and I are getting at is that CBR is just a playground for Slott. It’s like, if not Twitter, CBR is the place where Slott really shows the kind of person he is.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Patrick. Thanks for taking the time to head on over hear and add your voice to the discussion. I appreciate it.
I totally agree with you about CBR. I obviously haven’t read all the exchanges between you and Dan Slott, but I did read that most recent back-and-forth and it seemed needlessly combative on his part. It was a strange exercise in ridicule aimed at someone who was just sharing his opinion on what he thought might be an interesting idea to explore.
The emergence of the internet really annoys certain creators, who seem to think they and only they have good ideas. When a writer comes up with a dud, the internet instantly exposes it and provides better alternatives. Past readers only had the “Letters to the Editor” section (obviously controlled by Marvel) to sound off. Now, guys like you can say, “Hey, what about this?…” and you never know what might gain traction. My bet is that writers have essentially stolen plenty of good ideas from online message boards and blogs without ever giving the guy or girl who came up with the idea any credit. The thing is, you can’t copyright an idea, so Marvel is legally in the clear. Morally, it’s a jerk move. I’m not saying Dan Slott does that, but I am saying that he mocks someone like you while deep down he knows that the boards are essentially a free focus group for Marvel. Interesting…
Keep sounding off, Patrick. Even though there are plenty of people reading the message boards who do not comment…they very much appreciate what you have to say.
Well, Slott’s frustration with the users on CBR has reached the point where he’s trying to make a “dramatic exit” so he’ll be “free of the burden” of having to put up with people like me.
http://community.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?28317-Fiction-vs-Reality
Dan Slott tells himself the fiction that he actually has a history of behaving like a mature adult on various social media platforms. Why is it that Dan Slott represents “reality” and a sounding off board represents “fiction”? In some strange way he’s fishing for compliments from CBR readers when, in the same breath, he’s calling them a bunch of idiots. And the thing is, there will people who do the equivalent of “Please Dan Slott, don’t go! We looooooove you.”
Yes, there are gaps in knowledge that people have about the industry. But, overall, I think the fans do a pretty good job a filling in those gaps. Dan Slott’s post is predicated on the belief that Marvel’s talking points regarding any gaps in knowledge that come up are always truthful. They’re not. Marvel will protect the Marvel brand, and there is no doubt that its creators will spin their own fiction to protect their reputations, legacy, etc.
It is often readily apparent when men like Dan Slott are lying to themselves, so of course much of what the fans say when they’re calling him out on those lies will be deemed “fiction” by said creator.
That’s beautiful.
Patrick here. First of all, a Happy New Year to you, and to all fellow commenters here. I’ve said the thread with some friends, and I’ve found that two more of them got blocked on Twitter, both of which have only made a single comment to me, though one was only summing up my own tweets about Slott’s behavior, while the other pointed out how, even on Christmas, he’ll go after people for the pettiest of reasons in response to me posting an image of this post: http://i.imgur.com/ljhVcT4.png?1. For an added bonus, the only reason he quotes me as using the phrase “waifu” is because it’s a criticism I have used of Silk, not on CBR, but on Tumblr and Spider-Man Crawlspace. If I’ve used it on CBR, then I don’t believe it’s ever been in reference to Silk. If it has been, then Slott has better memory of my own criticisms of his work than I do. He has criticized the user Songbird/Diamondback in the past by citing Tumblr, and he actually did make a post about speculation specifically to criticize Stillanerd in the past, so he clearly does follow the Crawlspace.
That said, he’s since moved onto trolling the people in the Bleeding Cool forums, which I don’t have an account on, but other users on the Crawlspace have discussed it. I’m not sure if the other posters who he trolled on CBR have accounts on there as well, but he’s essentially “dumped” CBR, and is trolling Bleeding Cool to pick up the slack.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Slott is still reading this blog, even if he’s not linking to it any longer. He’s as immature as ever.
And so much for him “quitting” social media. He must have an odd definition of “quitting,” which to him apparently means “continue to troll message boards where fans are criticizing me.”
The one thing I will say is that someone must have talked to him about his online behavior because his Twitter feed has, at least for now, shifted in tone. Heck, maybe he even had an epiphany. I haven’t seen as many political posts these days, and he seems more subdued. Perhaps that will change with election season…
Yeah, i’ve noticed that as well, now that you mention it. I think the mostly likely explanation is that someone at Marvel or Disney talked to him about his online behavior, but then, I don’t know.