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Hang on...

"The DEBUT of the Vulture"?!?!

New Vulture? Old Vulture? Brand New Vulture?

Brand New Day has warped my tiny wittle mind...

Sweeeeeeet, this should be fun.

Poor old Spidey.

Nothing helps recovery from a heart attack more than the low-stress job of running a major American city.

Very cool twist. I can't wait to see the rest of the issue, as Dan Slott's Newsarama interview suggests it'll be more important than this ending, but this alone is a good morsel to tide me over.

I was half-expecting an exonorated Wilson Fisk now that he's back.

And it's a new Vulture.

I can't believe it took them 40+ years to think of this.

Spidey should one-up him with a run for governor.

I'm with The Mutt. Amazing it hasn't happened sooner!

Wait... but I thought the integrity of the "more realistic" Marvel universe was based on using actual real-world politicians, so I fully expected this to be the Honorable Mike Bloomberg. But wait.. it's a fictional character! So the Obama Spidey issue... you mean that Wacker's defense of the issue was false and it was instead just a (albeit very successful) publicity stunt?

I'm shocked, shocked I say!

I have a vague memory of Jonah running for mayor back in the 70s, but I could be totally wrong,

McK: I will say that, by and large, major political and world leaders are the same in the Marvel Universe as they are in the real world. This storyline is apparently the exception to that rule, rather than the Obama issue (or the fact that Obama is president of the Marvel U).

Neal K:

I was being sarcastic, really. I think that the "Jameson as mayor" thing has great storyline possibilities (like Lex Luthor as president, although that was a wasted opportunity if there ever was one!), so I am glad Marvel is doing it. I was mainly commenting on how silly the whole Marvel vs. Erik Larsen over Obama was, and how it was insisted that Marvel ALWAYS uses real world politicians to be more realistic in a world where radioactive spider bites can turn you into a superhero.

Of course, the absurdity of that insistence totally ignores Cap running for president and Richard Nixon turning into an evil lizard in the 70s. So I guess my point is that the Obama Spidey issue shouldn't have been defended as "just Marvel KEEPING IT REAL!" but instead as what is was -- a very successful move from both a financial and publicity standpoint, just like how the Jameson as mayor storyline could be very successful from a storyline standpoint.

Call a spade a spade.

I was expecting this or Mr. Li from the food shelter.

A vote for Jameson is a vote for Parks Department supervisor Alistair Smythe!

Jameson: no one candidate has a werewolf for a son.

Jameson: serving the people of New York is Job #2.

Jameson: Still better than Trump

Jameson: I hates the Spider.

Jameson: Hey kids! Want to earn a hundred bucks? Kill Spider-Man for me.

This is so awesome. Next, DC will probably make Lex Luthor president of the USA.

hey if JJJ as mayor doesn’t work out they can always get mephisto to undo it… you know there is always an out, nothing at Marvel is set in stone… just ask spidey

I thought it was going to be Obama.

After Luthor becoming President, this seems a little anti-climatic. But I do think there are more story ideas here for Spidey/JJJ than there were for Superman/LL.

I was expecting maybe the Fabulous Frog-Man.

"This is so awesome. Next, DC will probably make Lex Luthor president of the USA."

My first thought exactly. Granted, Jameson isn't a Luthor level villain, but the idea of putting the main character's public nemesis in a position of higher authority isn't what I'd call new, and in Luthor's case was highly problematic (how does said nemesis remain a credible thorn in the side of the main character while, somewhat realistically, maintaining the dignity of the office so the people don't vote him out/impeach him?...in most cases, it's a dead end, simply done to see what the main character's reaction would be, which is why it didn't work with Luthor and why it won't work for Jameson). Plus, I don't see how this affects either character dramatically.

Look at it this way: Jameson now has the "real" power (ability to authorize police squads or what not in NY rather than saying Spiderman should be stopped in the paper) to stop vigiliantism [i.e., Spider-Man]; this would seem, given the character's views on vigilantes and his role in a comic book, the main thrust of what giving him this kind of power would mean for storylines. Spidey in the page above even intimates this with his reaction, which is an "This is bad for me" moment. The only logical draw there is that it means the heroes ability to function would be hampered (unless Jameson knows his identity and plans to petition his local government to tax Parker higher or something else ridiculous). In many ways, that would make sense as a storyline.

However, unless something radically changed with the Mephisto thing and I missed it (and I'll concede that's possible...I haven't kept up on Spidey that much), Marvel's Universe is already hunting down vigilantes as part of Civil War/Dark Reign. So that means...it's harder to be an outlawed vigilante than it already was being an outlawed vigilante? SHIELD/HAMMER and Thunderbolts are going to be easier to avoid, in comparison, than NY cops? (again, my understanding that Spidey has outlaw status anyway...if not, well, then what's the big deal?)

And I don't see Jameson donning a powersuit or anything to fight him; he's never been that level of villain.

My two cents. I just don't see where it goes, given what we know of the characters...

I don't think this is nearly the same thing as Luthor becoming President. Luthor is the evil to Superman's good. Luthor's election represented the world-turned-upside-down for Superman; his mortal nemesis is in the highest office in the land, and Superman is a very law-and-order kind of guy. So you had the recurring problem of Superman having to serve under a guy who he ultimately knew to have self-interest at heart. Worse, Luthor's presidency was often on the side of right, even though his intentions were on the side of wrong. (See, i.e., the "Our Worlds at War" crossover.)

JJJ isn't evil. He's been portrayed rather inconsistently since his inception: Stan Lee started him as a megalomaniac newsman who was jealous of Spidey, but who DID see Spidey as a public menace. It didn't help that Spidey would often antagonize JJJ, i.e., webbing his chair or insulting him in his own office. Still, JJJ's been a supporting character in Peter Parker's life; I seem to recall him footing the bill for Peter and MJ's wedding, and/or paying Pete's legal fees when he was accused of murder. (I could be recalling wrong on both of these.) Marvel's position of late seems to be that JJJ is an entrepenurial newsman who is heavily skeptical of most superheroes, Spidey being the most prominent example. JJJ's status of mayor will only enhance that status; on the other hand, he may also face city-level crises (Hulk rampages; invading Atlanteans) and need to call on Spidey for help.

Now, the Kingpin or Norman Osborn becoming mayor would be more akin to Luthor's presidency.

I have no particular beef with the JJJ becoming mayor storyline. Despite the whole "It's been done before with Luthor" angle, I think it is something that can probably generate new and different plots. What I do have a problem with is this:

"...Aunt May's love life (ewwww)."

What's wrong with Aunt May having a love life? Are they really trying to disturb Spider-Man readers with the mental image of old people going at it? Is that's what's going on here?

What’s wrong with Aunt May having a love life? Are they really trying to disturb Spider-Man readers with the mental image of old people going at it? Is that’s what’s going on here?

Unless it involves her nephew... After she does call him "Tiger" in the first issue of BND...

In which case, definite "ewwwwww!"

The Luthor presidency was a great idea totally wasted. I hope the Marvel boys don't botch this one.

I can already envision a Spin City -esque spinoff series starring bumbling, hotheaded mayor Jonah, and his henpecked staff of various D-List supporting characters who can now get the limelight.

I agree with Smokescreen, this is really a bad stunt. I am convinced Mark Waid had to have come up with it.

And Luther as President isn't a good idea gone bad. It's an awful idea that sounded good for novelty's sake until you actually try to execute it and realize it is bad. Bad concept that guaranteed bad execution.

Good, good. I voted for him.

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.

Mark Waid said in the interview, “The term limit is when the readers get fed up with this, we move on.” Funny. If only they'd follow that advice with the whole BND/marriage never happened direction.

if only there were a term limit for people whining about the marriage. it's been over a year. get over it.

I hope they're moving Peter away from a print media related supporting cast, and into a political one. I'd like to see him get a job in JJJ's administration, in some capacity. Print is nearly dead, so Marvel would have to come up with a viable and comparative new career for Peter, and politics fits the bill. It also ties in perfectly with Aunt May's shelter story, the Norman Osborne/HAMMER subplot and connects nicely with the comic's overall theme of responsibility.

Mark Waid said in the interview, “The term limit is when the readers get fed up with this, we move on.”

So Mark Waid DID come up with this? I knew it, it sounded like a Waid idea.

Actually did Waid write the panel up there too? That "Nuff Said" joke is corny and goofy-in-a-bad-way enough to be his. Can't really see Guggenheim or Slott doing that joke.

Um, how is this any worse than the Green Goblin being in charge of national security and the government-sanctioned Avengers team? Like someone mentioned already, Spider-Man is already a fugitive, this is not going to make it any worse for him than it already was.

anything is better then the wussy mayor NYC has in reality...

I do have to say this was obvious from the get go.

A major character (one that brand new day was meant to bring back to the fore) just sitting around. A mayoral contest plotline left open. It was pretty clear what they were setting up for.

And the "villian in charge" is already going on with Osborn, so Mr.Negative as mayor was a clear red herring.

I swear Amazing Spider-man is the worst comic I've ever read. The main character has no redeeming values anymore and it's just gimmick after gimmick: He dies, new costume, identity revealed to the world (which was pointless and completely wasted), Barrack Obama's in a issue, he makes a pact with satan thus making not a hero but a pathetic loser. Who cares about a guy wh o doesn't think anything out and has no morals at all. Even super villians have something related to morals, not Spidey. WHy did they hire all these fine writers to come up with this garbage? It's pointless.

Mark Waid! Mark Waid, all the other writers. Quit. You guys are too good for this lousy book.

Of course, the absurdity of that insistence totally ignores Cap running for president and Richard Nixon turning into an evil lizard in the 70s.

It was Reagan who turned into a lizard, in the '80s. In Captain America #344 in 1988, to be exact.

I love reading crazy complaints about Spider-Man. Glad I came back to this thread.
On a related note, I was somewhat disappointed with the issue itself. Interesting idea for the immediate future, but the resolution of the FF story was lacking.

Don't blame me, I voted for Matt Murdock.

I've got no problem with the JJJ-mayor thing.
I am a little nonplussed by the whole "new Vulture" idea though.
I really hope it's not the same old lameass "replace him with someone young & vicious who's a REAL threat because people think he's not a 'serious' enough villain" exercise yet again. That would be a total yawner.
It would only be a fun and interesting story if the role were taken over by someone who's every bit as too old to be doing this as the previous Vulture. The whole point of the Vulture to me is that he's an old man, obviously way too old to be fighting Spider-Man. Any attempt to get away from this for some deluded concern for "realism" is a mistake.
In a movie, he shouldn't be played by Patrick Stewart (as I've seen suggested online) but by Abe Vigoda (I'm totally serious).

*PAF!*

That was the sound of my brain exploding. Take that as good or bad as you will.

Chuck

"And I don’t see Jameson donning a powersuit or anything to fight him; he’s never been that level of villain."

No, Jameson just hires people to build Spidey-Killing Robots with his face displayed on a screen on its body.
But other than his Spidey Vendetta, Jameson isnt an evil man.
And this might be interesting with the Osborn situation, since they are basically enemies .
Norman once bought the Daily Bugle to control it for one thing.

As for the story itself............

I dont mind that Jameson becomes mayor, but they built the whole election storyline for a year with the dud ending in Character Assasination where the elected guy declines the job, just to swerve readers with the surprise Jameson win?
Pretty lame if you ask me.
Not that I care, I only buy Amazing when John Romita Jr draws it.

Huh?

I thought JJJ was running the FrontLine or something?

I actually *prefer* the comics to use fictional politicians rather than real ones; that way they can demonize them (or idealize them) all they want. As for JJJ as Mayor? Well, I'm not following Spider-Man recently, so for all I know, there Is a justification for this in the "new" continuity... but he of course strikes me as a poor person for the job, after all his anti-Spidey mania DID lead to the creation of several villains. Most importantly, with Osborn in charge of HAMMER (and it seems, the US government) it loses some of its impact, as mentioned above. They should've done it before (or after) Dark Reign. In the end: not interesting enough to draw me in by itself. Get Peter and MJ back together (in some fashion) and we'll see then.

So THIS is the story that married_Spider-Man was holding back...!

While it may seem that JJJ becoming mayor of New York is a much smaller event than Luthor becoming president, you have to remember that this is the Marvel Universe, where for all intents and purposes New York City is America. I'm pretty sure that in the MU the rest of New York and the other 49 states are just considered boroughs.

Daredevil should have been mayor ages ago, it would have spared us a lot of trouble.

I miss SPider-man. They turned the book into nothing but empty gimmicks and made the character the most insignificant person you can imagine. To us older readers it's like he's dead. It's just sad, the can't buy anything that happens anymore. 'Hey, everyone finds out who Spider-man is. What a great story that would of made. No wait, we don't care we have to get rid of the marriage.' THey (Q know who) didn't care and now they want to care, but why should. we.

Next issue: Spider-man plays poker with that captain that was kidnapped by pirates! Bah!

It never even occurred to me that this might contribute to putting to bed the popular "fact" that Marvel is more grounded in "reality" than DC. It's all hoohah!

It was Reagan who turned into a lizard, in the ’80s. In Captain America #344 in 1988, to be exact.

And I think it's closer to the truth than many are willing to admit.

[...] Amazing Spider-Man #592- We don’t often recommend Spider-Man comics (you can thank “One More Day” for that), but I heard about the big surprise at the end of last week’s issue. Let’s just say it really, really got my attention. Want to know what it is? Click here. [...]