Where would you rate Micheline/McFarlane ASM Run...

[shiverbones]

I have always wanted to read that, since the hobgoblin saga is the personal high point for me.

[RockMyAmadeus]

If you loved the Hobgoblin saga, get the tpb 'Hobgoblin Lives', written by Roger Stern. It's how he intended the story to end, before the interoffice squabbles of DeFalco, David and Owsley botched it up.

 

 

I always thought the whole Ned Leeds angle was pretty weak.

 

 

[Dale Roberts]

Love the art, Mcfarlane really was leaps and bounds ahead of other artist at the time. Michelenie is a decent writer, the stories were fun but the PP/MJ relationship was a little too much for me, I feel that it occupied too much of the story. I loved Mcfarlanes interpretation of MJ, his rendition was the best MJ IMO. I haven't read the Assassination Plot yet.

 

Overall, it's a A-/B+ for me.

 

 

 

Stories were average AT BEST.

 

I have always really like McSpideys (the Amazing run moreso than the other one). Will be historically remembered. Probably alot like the Neal Adams run on Green Lantern or Batman.

 

Jim Lee, Silvestri, and McFarlane were the only real talent which went to image. The rest of the guys were marginal at best. Lee and McFarlane will always be remembered as the best of their generation.

[shiverbones]

I jumped in to comics and ASM right before McFarlane's run. I loved it! I'll be buying the omni for sure. I've been looking out for cheap copies of the trades, but having them all in one Omni is preferable.

 

 

As far as the run goes, it was the last great Renaissance for Spidey, and everything since has been boring (Spidey's parents, endless Venom repeats) to downright awful (the clone garbage, Norman Osborn and Gewn Stacy? )

 

Compared to the rest, the Hobgoblin saga was pretty awesome, and early Bronze was hummin'....I'd put the McFarlane era in the top 3 of Spidey runs in the last 50 (!) years.

 

The new ASM stuff has been nothing short of fantastic. Brand New Day through the current stuff has me loving Spidey again. The old-timers here will say it sucks without ever having read a page, but it's the best Spidey in quite a while, IMO.

 

Of course, the art doesn't compare to TM.

 

I read asm on the stands from about 244-333 when I finally gave up. The Mcfarlane Spideys turned my stomach at the time. I am a little more lenient now, I will give him the fact that as long as a human face is not involved it looks good, and he did make the webbing more interesting, But his Peter & MJ faces really killed it for me. All the human faces, just looked so bad. His Mysterio cover & the venom cover on 316 are really nice, His hulk was pretty good too (Except for the cover of 340) Then Larsen came along and that was when I broke my ASM habit.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Love the art, Mcfarlane really was leaps and bounds ahead of other artist at the time. Michelenie is a decent writer, the stories were fun but the PP/MJ relationship was a little too much for me, I feel that it occupied too much of the story. I loved Mcfarlanes interpretation of MJ, his rendition was the best MJ IMO. I haven't read the Assassination Plot yet.

 

Overall, it's a A-/B+ for me.

 

 

 

Stories were average AT BEST.

 

Yeah, but they were so much FUN! If that was someone's first exposure to spidey, it was a good representative of who the character was over the years.

 

[shiverbones]

Love the art, Mcfarlane really was leaps and bounds ahead of other artist at the time. Michelenie is a decent writer, the stories were fun but the PP/MJ relationship was a little too much for me, I feel that it occupied too much of the story. I loved Mcfarlanes interpretation of MJ, his rendition was the best MJ IMO. I haven't read the Assassination Plot yet.

 

Overall, it's a A-/B+ for me.

 

 

 

Stories were average AT BEST.

 

Yeah, but they were so much FUN! If that was someone's first exposure to spidey, it was a good representative of who the character was over the years.

 

 

I'll even concede to that, it must have been exciting to a new comer. But even the "Plain" art of Ron Frenz was more dynamic to me. His ability to nail a facial expression or gesture, though with plain lines, was so much more evocative.

[500Club]

If you loved the Hobgoblin saga, get the tpb 'Hobgoblin Lives', written by Roger Stern. It's how he intended the story to end, before the interoffice squabbles of DeFalco, David and Owsley botched it up.

 

 

I always thought the whole Ned Leeds angle was pretty weak.

 

 

It's addressed in the story. (thumbs u

 

I can't remember the details, or whether I read it in CBA or Back Issue, but the whole Leeds ending was a real fiasco. I think DeFalco, the EIC, wanted someone else to be the Hobgoblin. Owsley, the editor, who was POed at DeFalco, wrote Leeds in as the Hobgoblin, and killed him off all at the same time, while DeFalco was away.

[druss84]

Love the art, Mcfarlane really was leaps and bounds ahead of other artist at the time. Michelenie is a decent writer, the stories were fun but the PP/MJ relationship was a little too much for me, I feel that it occupied too much of the story. I loved Mcfarlanes interpretation of MJ, his rendition was the best MJ IMO. I haven't read the Assassination Plot yet.

 

Overall, it's a A-/B+ for me.

 

 

 

Stories were average AT BEST.

 

Yeah, but they were so much FUN! If that was someone's first exposure to spidey, it was a good representative of who the character was over the years.

 

 

I'll even concede to that, it must have been exciting to a new comer. But even the "Plain" art of Ron Frenz was more dynamic to me. His ability to nail a facial expression or gesture, though with plain lines, was so much more evocative.

 

McFarlane Spidey's (starting with the Torment run) were what got me into comics really, because they were fun at the time. Now I look back on Torment and I think that they are terrible, including the rest of his run on the 90s series. However, I still love the McFarlane ASM's, and they have some great covers. 309, 311 and 316 are some of my favorites. The run did get pretty weak with the Assassin Nation Plot at the end, however.

[Ted Knight]

I think the only reason the McFarlane run was so highly celebrated is because, other than a couple of anomalous story lines (Death of Kraven, etc.), Amazing Spider-man was awful for years before. And it was awful for years after. Much like the rest of Marvel books at the time.

 

The run from 298 to 324 is just average. A 4 out of 10 compared to the Ditko, Romita, Kane, and yes, even Ross Andru periods, rating 9.5, 9.5, 9, and 7 respectively.

 

 

[nmtg9]

The run was good but I preferred the issues immediately before it. 238 - 293 was a great run generally and I will always have fond memories of those.

 

Apart from frog-man and Spider-Kid

[Park]

The run was good but I preferred the issues immediately before it. 238 - 293 was a great run generally and I will always have fond memories of those.

 

Apart from frog-man and Spider-Kid

 

Aww Frog Man wasn't that bad...maybe he was. I was with that time period as well. Hobgoblin, Gang War, Puma, Black Fox...heck even the Secret Wars II crossover was pretty good.

 

One of my favorite books is 267 "The Commuter Cometh" .

 

As far as the Mcfarlane run, while I liked the stories and the covers, I always thought he drew MJ like a hooker. Not a bad thing but...

[MagnusX]

[font:Book Antiqua]

I really enjoy the McFarlane period (thumbs u

 

Even more the Larsen transition after that

 

And then come Mark Bagley, Carnage, Carnage Saga/ Ben Reilly, and I quit the character.[/font]

[Prince Namor]

Most everyone who jumped on during the McFarlane years will remember it as good.

Compared to now, maybe it is. Haven't read it in years.

 

Those of us who collected Spidey through the Romita/Andru years and went back and got those Ditko issues, will generally see the McFarlane run as:

A) The beginning of the end

B) Lacking fluid storytelling after the Stern/DeFalco run

C) Collected it for the art, because it WAS kinda neat

or, my choice:

D) All of the above

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Most everyone who jumped on during the McFarlane years will remember it as good.

Compared to now, maybe it is. Haven't read it in years.

 

Those of us who collected Spidey through the Romita/Andru years and went back and got those Ditko issues, will generally see the McFarlane run as:

A) The beginning of the end

B) Lacking fluid storytelling after the Stern/DeFalco run

C) Collected it for the art, because it WAS kinda neat

or, my choice:

D) All of the above

 

 

Spidey was hideous for much of the 70's and early 80's. Same ol' same ol' was the name of the day. Consider: the only characters that "stuck" from #100-#237 were Morbius, Punisher, and Black Cat...and even those characters languished for years.

 

Issue #238 started something new, and #238 to #261 are excellent, for the most part.

 

But #100-#237 is filled with forgettable nonsense. I mean, really, how many times does Doc Ock need to fall for Aunt May?

 

The McFarlane run was not high literature, but it was FUN. It was exciting. Mich and Mac clearly enjoyed their work, and it shows. Sure, AssassiNation Plot was weak, but Venom, Green Goblin vs. Hobby, Silver Sable, Scorpion, Lizard, Mysterio, Sandman, Black Cat...the run was just FUN.

 

And come on, watching Mary Jane Watson-Parker chop up her possessed gold jewelry was HI-LARIOUS.

 

 

 

[Point Five]

As far as the Mcfarlane run, while I liked the stories and the covers, I always thought he drew MJ like a hooker.

Agree 110%. I hated the way he drew MJ. (thumbs u

 

I do like some of the covers of this run, but McFarlane's run was the juncture where I dropped the title for good...just felt the storytelling left a lot to be desired, and somehow seemed to be pitched to a younger audience than the mid-80s run. Maybe I'll take a second look sometime.

 

 

[Sardo Numspar]

I enjoyed looking for the hidden spiders on the McFarlane covers back in the day. Stories were blah IMO.

[Hammerhead]

I was excited to see solicited in this months Previews that the Micheline/McFarlane ASM run will be collected in omnibus format.

 

I was wondering where you as a reader put this run in the grand scheme of all ASM stories/teams.

 

Look forward to some good input on the subject!

 

Loved it, loved it, loved it. It was my introduction to Spiderman, through back issues. Loved every bit of it. Michelinie's writing blossomed with McFarlane's art, and they took full advantage of Spidey's Rogue's Gallery. My first "new" issue of Spidey was #332 or #333, so I missed out new, but just barely.

 

Loved every minute of it, except McFarlane's rushed art jobs in #321-323, and Rubenstein's AWFUL inks in #304 (not to mention McLeod's burial of #298 and #299.)

 

 

It is, to me, the quintessential Spiderman.

 

As far as the run goes, it was the last great Renaissance for Spidey, and everything since has been boring (Spidey's parents, endless Venom repeats) to downright awful (the clone garbage, Norman Osborn and Gewn Stacy? )

 

Compared to the rest, the Hobgoblin saga was pretty awesome, and early Bronze was hummin'....I'd put the McFarlane era in the top 3 of Spidey runs in the last 50 (!) years.

 

You know, I agree 100% with you on this, I loved the Hobgoblin saga as well (wish I could find the trade) Mcfarlane was the man!

 

If you loved the Hobgoblin saga, get the tpb 'Hobgoblin Lives', written by Roger Stern. It's how he intended the story to end, before the interoffice squabbles of DeFalco, David and Owsley botched it up.

 

I will check it out, thanks...did not know this.

[Dale Roberts]

I think the only reason the McFarlane run was so highly celebrated is because, other than a couple of anomalous story lines (Death of Kraven, etc.), Amazing Spider-man was awful for years before. And it was awful for years after. Much like the rest of Marvel books at the time.

 

The run from 298 to 324 is just average. A 4 out of 10 compared to the Ditko, Romita, Kane, and yes, even Ross Andru periods, rating 9.5, 9.5, 9, and 7 respectively.

 

 

 

Man, I completely disagree with this. With the exception of a few storylines, Spider-man was great during the 80s. I love practically every issue from #193 - 300, and I like most of the Spectacular and Web issues from that time period. Just look at all the good stuff, Black Cat, #200 is a classic, Punisher, Kraven, Subby and the Frightful Four, Juggernaut, Hyde & Cobra, Hobgoblin, the Wrecking Crew, Kingpin and the Rose, the Symbiote Costume saga, Puma(ugh, not so much), Mary Jane returns, Spidey vs Firelord, Gang War, Hobgoblin dies, Pete and MJ get married and then Kraven's Last Hunt.

 

Great run through there with solid stories and mostly pretty good art with Frenz doing his best Ditko-esque work, and some early JRJR stuff that was pretty good.

[Ted Knight]

I think the only reason the McFarlane run was so highly celebrated is because, other than a couple of anomalous story lines (Death of Kraven, etc.), Amazing Spider-man was awful for years before. And it was awful for years after. Much like the rest of Marvel books at the time.

 

The run from 298 to 324 is just average. A 4 out of 10 compared to the Ditko, Romita, Kane, and yes, even Ross Andru periods, rating 9.5, 9.5, 9, and 7 respectively.

 

 

 

Man, I completely disagree with this. With the exception of a few storylines, Spider-man was great during the 80s. I love practically every issue from #193 - 300, and I like most of the Spectacular and Web issues from that time period. Just look at all the good stuff, Black Cat, #200 is a classic, Punisher, Kraven, Subby and the Frightful Four, Juggernaut, Hyde & Cobra, Hobgoblin, the Wrecking Crew, Kingpin and the Rose, the Symbiote Costume saga, Puma(ugh, not so much), Mary Jane returns, Spidey vs Firelord, Gang War, Hobgoblin dies, Pete and MJ get married and then Kraven's Last Hunt.

 

Great run through there with solid stories and mostly pretty good art with Frenz doing his best Ditko-esque work, and some early JRJR stuff that was pretty good.

 

Really? Well, I'm glad somebody enjoyed those books. My buddy started collecting right around 238 and he loves them as much as anyone. I guess I just grew up on reading the older stuff and those will always be the best Spider-man stories by far to me.

[Prince Namor]

I think the only reason the McFarlane run was so highly celebrated is because, other than a couple of anomalous story lines (Death of Kraven, etc.), Amazing Spider-man was awful for years before. And it was awful for years after. Much like the rest of Marvel books at the time.

 

The run from 298 to 324 is just average. A 4 out of 10 compared to the Ditko, Romita, Kane, and yes, even Ross Andru periods, rating 9.5, 9.5, 9, and 7 respectively.

 

 

 

Man, I completely disagree with this. With the exception of a few storylines, Spider-man was great during the 80s. I love practically every issue from #193 - 300, and I like most of the Spectacular and Web issues from that time period. Just look at all the good stuff, Black Cat, #200 is a classic, Punisher, Kraven, Subby and the Frightful Four, Juggernaut, Hyde & Cobra, Hobgoblin, the Wrecking Crew, Kingpin and the Rose, the Symbiote Costume saga, Puma(ugh, not so much), Mary Jane returns, Spidey vs Firelord, Gang War, Hobgoblin dies, Pete and MJ get married and then Kraven's Last Hunt.

 

Great run through there with solid stories and mostly pretty good art with Frenz doing his best Ditko-esque work, and some early JRJR stuff that was pretty good.

 

I loved Ron Frenz work on the title. Highly overlooked.

And even though I can't say I enjoyed it from 183 though, once Roger Stern took over in the mid 220's, I thought it was a solid must buy book until I quit reading during the McFarlane run.

I'm going to re-read those Mc/Mic issues again with an open mind and even keep RMA's 'good fun' concept in mind. Who knows, maybe it will surprise me.