The Amazing Spider-Man #638
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Joe Quesada
Art: Joe Quesada & Paolo Rivera
Cover: Paolo Rivera
Variant Cover: Joe Quesada
Price: US $3.99
Release Date: July 21, 2010
***This review contains NO spoilers, unless you haven’t read The Amazing Spider-Man story arc, One More Day.***
***If that’s the case, someone seriously needs to punch you in the concussion.***
Greetings, Comic Attackers! It has been a while since I last covered The Amazing Spider-Man. I finally have something to say again. If you will, take a stroll down Memory Lane with me.
We’re going to be remembering something very controversial. We’re going back to a moment in time (pun intended? You decide.) in which we were told to forget ‘it’ ever happened. The scenes I am going to show you, may cause deep emotional stress. Feel free to look away or exit this review at any time. One more thing…keep your hands inside the ride at all times.
Remember this?
Remember this?
Remember this?
Remember this?
Remember this?
And, lastly, this?
Before we proceed any further, take a moment to wipe your tears, punch a wall, yell and cuss, roll your eyes, or swallow that little bit of vomit in your mouth. Now let’s move on. Shall we?
One Moment in Time. Chapter One: Something Old.
Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Joe Quesada returns to The Amazing Spider-Man to write and to draw the present day scenes in the sequel to J. Michael Straczynski’s final story arc, One More Day, in which he provided all the interior art and beautiful standard covers. Peter Parker and Mary Jane finally get some one-on-one time to discuss what happened between them on the day that they were “supposed” to get married. Finally, all of us faithful Web-Heads are going to get some answers.
We are taken back to the unlikely couple’s wedding day through actual pages from 1987’s The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21. Paolo Rivera does a nice job of drawing new scenes into that story that fills in the gaps. They are more in depth glimpses into what “really” happened. This four-part story arc shows us the result of the Parkers’ deal with Mephisto to save Peter’s dying Aunt May.
This is the sequel to the single most powerful story arc that I have ever read. The day that I read The Amazing Spider-Man #545, I made the mistake of not saving it for last. It got to me and tugged at my heart strings so much that I was ready to quit reading comics altogether and I still had more issues to read from that day’s stack. It took a few hours, but I was able to pull myself together and snap out of it, moving on to finish reading the rest of my books. One More Day divided the Spidey faithful into three groups. Those who were devastated on an emotional level, but still enjoyed the story, those who were extremely pissed at what Marvel had done and were skeptical about the following story arc, Brand New Day, and those who walked away from Spider-Man titles altogether.
Those who stuck with The Amazing Spider-Man through thick and thin, are finally going to get the answers they deserve. This is what we’ve all been waiting for. Closure is finally here. I sincerely hope that those who walked away after One More Day will return to the title and pick up One Moment in Time. This issue is a great set up into this year’s “Can’t Miss” story arc. It is, as the late Paul Harvey would say, “…the rest of the story.”
Aron White
aron@comicattack.net
So…you’re going to email me the plot details, right?
🙂
I’ve been a fan of Spider-man for over 30 years and as soon as this story arc is done it will be my last. The Brand New Day reboot has been terrible and the first issue of OMIT made me sick. I remember going to my local comic story to by both wedding issues and seeing a dude dressed as Spider-man, I remember watching all the news about it and how big a deal it was and for Marvel to just erase it is a joke.
There is absolutely nothing left for the die hard long time Spider-man fans.
Until Marvel gets it’s act together and fixes Spider-man make DC mine.
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Kristin- Sure…I’ll hook you up. Guess that means I didn’t do a good enough job to sell this thing. Hahaha!
KnightFire- I’m sorry you feel that way. I thought that Brand New Day was back to the basics of Peter hard on his luck and then putting on his costume and swinging around for one zany adventure after another. I enjoyed it and still do.
well I can safely say One moment in time is the 2nd comic I’ve ever read to make feel physically ill the 1st being that ungodly piece of shit one more day or as I like to call the death of Childhood yes dear readers that book single handily put the last nail in the coffin for my childhood everything I grew up reading was systematically raped by Joe “don’t know shit” Quesada the worst editor in chief in the history of comics but enough about OMD I’m here to talk about OMIT and let me tell you I was pissed off the moment I got to the 2nd page It revealed the whisper MJ made to Mephisto. Now here’s a word for word quote of what she said “I know peter he will never make a deal with you never ever unless I ask him to.” now I want you all to ask yourselves how many things are wrong with that statement. I’ll let you figure it out for yourselves but for me reading that made me want to vomit. Do you want to know how spidey missed his wedding? He falls of a 3 story building that’s how.yet as we’ve clearly seen in the hundreds of issues he’s been in he’s taken far harder hits than any fall could ever dish out this is the guy who fought the hulk and lived this is the guy who’s took on the sub mariner and won your telling me a walk off a roof knocked him out? HORSE SHIT!!! I will finish the OMIT Arc then I shall come to the decision of either toughing it out until the OMD crap is reversed or giving up on spider-man completely cause the last time I read a book this stupid One More Day if your wondering I gave up on Amazing Spiderman Comics until anti venom came into the picture.
oh and Aron it’s not that Brand New Day stories were bad I enjoyed most of a great deal but the reason OMD angers so many of us is spiderman was coming full circle he went from teen to man as well as became darker for what his life was becoming he was facing things that many of us can relate to the death of a loved one and the need we all feel to try and save them but by giving him a free pass on it it made the realism of the character disappear. Back in Black was my favorite arch of spider-man in since the death of Gwen Stacey because of the impact it was having on the character and I’m sure many of us would have loved to aunt may die because out of all the characters in Marvel she has changed the least when I met Joe Q a few months back I asked him why he won’t kill aunt may because according to him she’s peters rock…that’s the moment I knew Joe Q was full of nothing but complete and utter crap cause MJ did more for Spiderman then Aunt may ever could she was his rock he still cared about May but as his wife MJ finally returned the favor and saved him from himself
Oh, I can’t be sold. I haven’t read a Spider-Man comic since that very issue with the deal with Mephisto. I think I picked up the Annual with Jackpot, but that’s it. As soon as they split them up, and started putting out 3 issues a month, I dropped it like a hot potato. I can’t be sold. Especially if Joey Q is behind it. The abbreviation, OMIT, is exactly what I’m going to do with it. OMIT it from my buy list.
@Angry Comic Critic: What killed it for me, was when Joey Q came out and said something along the lines of…they were out of ideas for Peter+MJ, but having them divorce would look bad to the kids, be immoral, whatever…but making a deal with the devil? A-OK! That was my “you’re full of shit” moment.
@kristin you can’t be sold on brand new day well as I said I was like that for a while as well all you need is that one special character or story to sell you for me it was anti venom but I will recommend some issues that gave me hope that brand new day wasn’t a complete piece of shit the American Son Arc was great so was Grim Hunt and after the Bullshit of OMIT they will have a story that serves as a sequel of sorts to American Son called Origins of Species which with any luck will live up to the title of Amazing
Kristin- It is immoral to get a divorce but not immoral to make a deal with the devil. That’s when cool stuff happens, like…transforming into the Ghost Rider, or….losing your wife….that part doesn’t sound so awesome. I also read somewhere that Quesada was never for Mary Jane marrying Pete because a geek doesn’t get the super hot model chick. But ever since John Romita started drawing the book, pete didn’t look so dorky anymore. They were both beautiful people. I don’t know. It happened and the focus of the book centered on web swinging action and bad luck instead of couple drama. I’m starting to ramble now, because I no longer know what I’m saying.
Angry Comic Critic- I enjoyed those Brand New Day stories you mentioned, but I also liked the Mysterio arc and both Rhino stories. And how do we know that OMIT will be complete bullshit? It isn’t over yet. And MJ did tell Pete in One More Day, that if they weren’t meant to be, their love will find a way to put them back together. I gotta keep the faith.
@Aron 1st let me smack myself upside the head for forgetting the Rhino Arc that was one of the best stories spidey’s had in a while the Mysterio arc was alright wasn’t bad but wasn’t all that great either but I have to say I loved the way Myterio was written for it and I know OMIT will be bullshit because it’s Joe Quesada he’s a decent artist but he doesn’t know anything what so ever about Spider-man as a character. Whats happening now is him making an already god awful story (O.M.D) become even worse by filling in blanks that really have no reason to be filled in save for one because honestly I’d be happier not knowing what happened to Spidey at his wedding I just chalked it up to magic and used my imagination to fill in the blanks and the only question I had as a Spidey reader was what did MJ whisper to Mephisto other than that I really didn’t care what things weren’t answered because they didn’t need to be answered it’s like someone who’s had great parents there whole life finds out they were adopted and they find out their real parents are total assholes they were happier not knowing. That’s what I’m trying to covey about why OMIT will be a shit story because it’s the salt to an open wound the only way I can see this story becoming good is if both MJ and Peter realize what happened to them and decide to go on with there lives however they intend to if they do this I and thousands of other fans will be very very happy and all faith in marvel will be restored but until then I have serious doubts that OMIT will be anything more than a god awful sequel to an even more god awful arc but on thing I will say I liked about OMIT part 1 is the annual laced into the story since I only read Amazing Spider-man and none of his other titles including the annuals it was nice to see some of that classic story which I’ve to this day have only read the ending to in a reprint in one of my AMS back issues.
Because the geek doesn’t get the super model? lololololololololololol whut?
It’s a COMIC. Isn’t the point to sort of live through the characters or something? And besides:
Hank Pym? Hot wife.
Reed Richards? Hot wife.
Tony Stark? All sorts of hot womens.
Even Bruce Banner gets Betty Ross.
If “nerd” just means super smart sciencey guy, Peter falls into that category too, doesn’t he?
Whatever. I seriously don’t listen to anything that comes out of JQ’s mouth anymore.
Angry- Well, from one life-long Spidey fan to another, I sure hope there is something that occurs on down the line that brings you back to the book in a positive way.
Kristin- Pym’s hot wife is dead. And Joe Q does know a little bit about something. He helped to bring my boy, Daredevil, back to prominence!
Was I the only one that noticed MJ talking on a cell phone trying to call Peter? Sure cell phones existed back then…they just didn’t look like a razor that she could just pop out of her wedding dress. I mean, if you’re going to try to make up for this BS after OMD, do it right. Where was the almighty EIC for that one?
@Aron Anti Venom brought me back to the book in a positive way he was they only reason I started reading it again I even back peddled a bought all the back issues between OMD and Eddie becoming anti venom and I liked them all a lot I liked nearly every story between OMD and OMIT save for one or two arcs cause either the story was neutral meaning it didn’t really go anywhere or was just plain boring like issue 605 which nearly made me fall asleep while reading but thankfully its very rare for Amazing spiderman comic to be that boring happens once out of every 200 issues in my experience or the art didn’t fit for a Spidey comic namely the Electro gauntlet arc which while have some very interesting moments towards the end namely the destruction of the DB and the crippling of Dexter Bennett was a generally boring story till the final issue and the artwork was something that belonged in Hellboy or possibly moonknight or daredevil comic. It didn’t fit for a spidey book don’t get me wrong I love Amazing spiderman comic OMD and OMIT are the only arc’s in the series I hate I even liked the parts of maximum clone-age that appeared in Amazing spiderman they were’nt good but they were okay and I moved on letting them be quietly forgotten but I just can’t do that with OMD and OMIT.
@Aron-Just curious how can one join the staff for this site?
You need to talk to Andy Liegl and I (Kristin), and arrange to submit writing samples and column ideas. You can find our emails on the Contact link at the top of the site. Andy’s currently at Comic-Con right now, though.
Angry- What SHE said…
thanks for the info I sent him an E-mail with a review I wrote on RT
Ryan- No, I noticed that too. I guess that modern technology is just a given in whatever story they tell in the Marvel universe. I was reading Wolverine: First Class, until Jean Gray was sending text messages to Professor X. That kind of just ruined it for me. Unless, of course, I missed the memo that the First Class line was supposed to bring the stories into more of a modern setting like the Ultimate universe origins did.
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Pingback: Marvel Reviews: The Amazing Spider-Man #639 “One Moment in Time”
The 616 is set on some sort of »sliding« timescale.
That’s why when Ben Reilly reappeared it had been 21 years since the original comics were published but about five years in the fiction.
That’s why Magneto has been »de-aged« so many times.
It jars me, too, sometimes, because I have a hard time internalizing it, but overall I think it’s a good idea. I don’t think of Peter as being like 70 years old.
One notable exception is Ennis’s version of Punisher (that’s part of why it made sense to move that character out of the 616 and into MAX).
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