An Open Letter to Marvel Comics Regarding Amazing Spider-Man
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 4:07AM (Sent to Marvel Comics)
Greetings.
I'm a college professor who has just rediscovered Amazing Spider-Man (ASM), which I used to read quite faithfully in my youth. Been reading back issues from the 70s and buying all kinds of old issues on eBay. I recently subscribed to ASM. I've read everything from Spider Island onward.
I was hoping you could answer a question and perhaps address some constructive criticism. In ASM 674 and 675, Spidey's physique appears "normal." He isn't drawn with bug eyes and a frail, spidery anatomy (in costume) the way he is in, say, Ultimate Spider-Man. I assume this is because Camuncoli drew it. In the other issues, however -- the ones penciled by Ramos -- Spidey often appears thin and twerpy in costume. In Avenging Spiderman, he even jokes that the Avengers consider him as their pet, which fits the way he is drawn physically and the "dorkish personality" he is given in costume.
The Spidey I remember wasn't like this. When he put on the costume, he became something different. He was overbearing in confidence and wit. It's like all that Peter Parker held back in real life came out when he could be, without fear, "in character." What you have done is make him a completely different personality, with the way you draw him and how he now regards himself. There's no character transformation anymore. It's just Parker in a mask, except he is often drawn like a frail bug.
Is there any chance in the future that Camuncoli will pencil more ASM's, so that his physique in costume can look more of what it was traditionally? If not, do you offer any story lines today that I could subscribe to where the character looks and behaves more like he did in the late 60s, the 70s and 80s.?
Maybe it's just that I'm an old timer, but I miss the things that really made Spider-man special. Character transformation and regular anatomy that always outplayed itself was part of that. Parker was the quiet geek; Spider-Man was everything he hid beneath the surface.
Regards and thanks,
Dr. Sean Wilson, Esq.
Assistant Professor
Wright State University
http://www.wright.edu/cola/Dept/pls/wilson/index.html