Ah yes, the clownshow. Honestly, can't wait how badly they will screw everything up. I don't even care about it anymore. Only thing I am looking for after this is the sales numbers for issue 27. Because if it is still selling at the top after all this, there is no hope for Spider-man and idiots will buy ANY shit you throw at them with Spider-man name on it.

> Only thing I am looking for after this is the sales numbers for issue 27. Because if it is still selling at the top after all this, there is no hope for Spider-man and idiots will buy ANY shit you throw at them with Spider-man name on it. The thing is that the sales numbers simply aren't reliable since there is no variance to them. You can't just sample the same 125 locations month after month and expect an accurate assessment of how a book is actually doing.

Aside from the death, there's pretty much nothing here worse than everything already in the run. And honestly, she'll probably be back to life before the sales numbers for #27 are in. So I wouldn't get your hopes up. I wouldn't expect it to get dethroned again until August with the Fall of X launch. Though, this month it's probably going to #2 since Batman had a big anniversary issue and while #26 is going to sell crazy, our numbers are now point of sale, so it'll be pretty split between May and June.

So there’ll be a big fight, Ms. Marvel dies, Rabin is defeated and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING changes in this “most heartbreaking issue in 50 years!” What did Peter do? Nothing! Can we please finally be told what that panel from issues 7 and 25 were?

> Rabin is defeated Honestly, I don't think he will be defeated in the sense that he won't be back, the heroes will simply drive him away and the end of Wells' run will be dealing with him again. I truly believe that. The kids aren't going anywhere, Paul's not going anywhere, and this garbage isn't going anywhere for another year at least.

I think most people theorized (myself included) that this arc was going to conclude the mystery/Rabin/Wayeb plot. Especially once we saw that Rabin was coming back in the present. But as you stated, now that we know the kids (seemingly) and Paul make it out alive, this arc begins to feel a lot like table setting for another encounter down the road. I guess to be fair to Wells and Lowe, they only said we would know the answers to what happened 6 months ago. They never said things would be completely resolved. Another year of this situation is not very enticing to most people though.

It is astonishing how Wells has written a story that is a textbook example of how *not* to tell a story. His misuse of *in medias res* is baffling and the characterization is just awful.

Eh… sorta. Wells said Year 2 would be a clean slate. But considering Paul makes it, and almost certainly the kids do as well; either he doesn’t know what a clean slate is, or he was lying.

He probably just meant in terms of the reader not being in the dark. Like I said, in retrospect, this arc looks more like its explaining things and potentially setting the table for future events. Not the brooming out of unliked aspects of the run like so many of us were predicting.

I dunno. I doubt they’re going to reveal the truth behind Paul, the kids, why Rabin needs them, Rabin and Paul’s history, why MJ is still with Paul, why MJ seems to hate Peter, what MJ’s “chains” were for AND have enough time for Kamala’s fridging all in one issue. So I still think it’s a strong possibility Zeb was bullshitting.

Oh yeah, there will still be threads left unattended. But a couple of those questions have been answered, in unsatisfying ways mind you. There could always be more revealed later on, but it seems MJ is still with Paul because of the kids (responsibility? Eh…), MJ hates Peter because he wouldn’t leave her alone (stalking is bad, but that’s a pretty poor justification given their history and the situation). I expect we get some resolution to what MJ’s chains are before Rabin goes, but Paul will probably remain an enigma to drive continued speculation/cope.

Interviewer: "Well you have some impressive grades but it looks like you don't have the correct qualifications for this position," Kamala: "Give me this job... or else...," Interviewer: "You're a feisty one. I like your style! You're hired!" Also why is everyone being so friendly to each other on the second page?

it's the boomer idea of just getting a job by giving someone a good strong handshake

Yeah... ... "Handshake,"

I think it’s supposed to be sort of a joke that she gets the internship like that but it’s very out of touch with reality. If she wanted to work at a big tech company like that, she’d have to go through multiple programming assessments. Also just because it’s an engineering company and not a software company doesn’t mean they wouldn’t need software engineers, every company does. But getting back on subject, some people are trying to defend Wells and claim he has done good work in the past, but this dialogue is awful. MJ saying “Rabin. The Emissary” firstly. Oh really, I thought you meant a different Rabin, thanks for clarifying. Norman’s cliche greeting, Peter sounding like he’s almost surprised to see him (“Norman?”, no it’s the other guy who goes by Gold Goblin and wears a suit of gold armor on a glider). And throughout the run, Rabin’s dialogue is just awful. I understand he’s this mysterious, evil man, but his lines are so drenched in mythological nonsense that I can barely understand it. Aside from all the drama of this run, and everyone being written significantly out of character, I have found the dialogue to be unbearable. It’s choppy and unnatural at all times. You can find silver much better dialogue in some pretty bad runs. Even if you didn’t like Slott’s run, the dialogue at least felt natural. But I truly can’t find anything to like about this run. Wells even reused a line he had used a few issues earlier. When Paul says he’ll pay for some of Peter’s hospital bill, the collector says “what are you some kinda nice guy?” And then a few issues later, when Janine is sitting at a diner and talking to the manager, she says almost the same line. Now I don’t have an issue with having a style, but writing pretty much the same line for two completely different characters a few issues a part not only seems lazy, it seems odd because it wasn’t even a good line the first time. I know this sounds like a rant about Wells, but it’s more of a criticism of people who criticize the fans for not liking this run, because they assume we don’t like where the story is going. In my opinion, the dialogue is the worst thing about this run. It makes every issue extremely hard to read.

Peter and MJ’s interactions this run continue to feel off. Given the story, I’ll partially concede it’s by design. Everything feels point blank coming from their dialogue. Almost like going through the motions. It’s weird lol

I mean this is THE FIRST TIME Peter has ever mentioned the kids directly. After 25 issues where he has never interacted with them. And based on his concern for them, instead of MJ, that would imply he thinks they’re in danger from Rabin? When as far as he knows Rabin wants MJ? So yeah, there’s one reason for it to feel off.

Actually. Was it ever mentioned that Rabin was after the kids? Was it right before he died when Peter got them out of the other universe?

Nope. Rabin only ever mentions MJ as his target in ASM25. He mentions he’ll come after MJ once she has “accepted her chains” and later tells MJ that Peter is too late to save her as she is “bound” before Peter returns. ASM24 in connection with ASM25 is where things get really confusing, because Rabin in that acted like he had no idea they existed before he heard them, only for ASM25 to imply he may have even been the one who created them and reveal Owen was the first person he saw when he decided to attack. So… either he didn’t, or he had no idea they were useful for another purpose? Either way, he all but whispers that he “understands” when he is distracted by hearing the kids voices in ASM24, meaning nobody else would have any idea he would be coming after them, because he never gets a chance to say so.

Alright. Did MJ say scream that Rabin was after her kids are that he was back before we got that major shitty flashback? I can’t remember, and I kind of don’t want to reread it.

Nope. Never said anything of the sort. Unless there’s a hidden piece of info we’re not being told, none of them have any reason to think Rabin is after anyone BUT MJ.

So did the letterer fuck up here? Rabin has had unique letters this whole arc but here he doesn't.

Glad Kamala has to remind us quite literally “and I’m here too!”… because most of us would have forgotten without the leak.

Kamala; “I’m here!” Rabin; “You’re here to die!” Kamala; “Boy I hope not”

***\*Zeb Wells and Nick Lowe making a cameo appearance as two civilians in the background of the panel winking at the reader\****

DON’T GIVE THEM IDEAS

Here it comes, the biggest dumpster fire in Spider-Man history since OMD

So the same images they showed after the leak, but with text. Wow.

Yeah... That's how previews normally work, lol

But then we've already seen the preview when the end of the issue was leaked.

Just the unlettered pages. It's not uncommon for Marvel to put out 3 unlettered pages for their A list books several weeks early and then have the week-before preview be those same pages plus one or two more but finished. They did it for last issue too

Something to note; Peter is more concerned about the kids than he is MJ. And yet, neither of them should know Rabin is after the kids, because his target was always MJ before. Do they know something they’re not telling us? Also, Norman refers to MJ as “Ms. Watson” so, I assume whatever MJ’s relationship with Paul is, it isn’t a marriage.

Remember Norman made that comment back in issue #22 that Peter was right and Rabin found his way back. So Peter knew this was a possibility, yet Paul and MJ seem shocked to see him in #21. Maybe he didn’t/couldn’t tell them? Either characters are withholding information from each other in a surprise reveal, or Zeb just has so much crap on the wall he can’t keep it all straight. Seeing how Rabin’s motives change on a whim, I lean more towards the latter.

Jesus Christ I hate this fucking story. Either the characters know nothing without being told, or they know EVERYTHING and aren’t fucking talking about it. And there’s no way to know for sure. Christ we STILL don’t know if anyone in Peter/MJ’s friend/family circle know what the deal is with MJ/Paul/the kids.

Yeah, I would’ve liked to seen Aunt May’s reaction to Peter telling her MJ was with another guy and had two kids after a week lol. And she doesn’t know he’s Spider-Man…. right. They already copped out with Aunt Anna having dementia. At least we know Carlie Cooper knows the deal, thank god for that.

May would definitely have had words with MJ about it. Hell, if MJ isn’t with Paul romantically, May would have probably been the one to break that out of her and get her to realise how stupid she’s being. Heck, May didn’t fully approve of Pedro (that’s mostly because she was disappointed in Peter’s behaviour and that Peter and MJ hadn’t given her any grandkids yet, but still) and he was a NICER GUY THAN PAUL. *At least we know Carlie Cooper knows the deal* Do we though? Because we never learn what MJ told her, so we still have no idea if anyone knows for sure, or if MJ is keeping stuff still. She refused to tell Felicia the full truth in the mini-series as well. I genuinely started laughing out of despair as I was typing, because it’s the same problem; if the characters know WHY IS NO-ONE TALKING ABOUT IT?!

“Where are the kids?” Who fucking cares we just want them and stupid ass Paul gone, dusted, erased who cares just get rid of them. It’s hilarious how they release this and planned this for the anniversary of Gwen’s death yet this isn’t shocking like they advertised it’s just fucking stupid. I’m not normally a person to say this but Lowe, Cebulski and Brevoort really need to be removed from spider-man like the comics are just getting worse and worse.

So Ms. Marvel will die and Paul will still be around and I bet the relationship btwn Paul and MJ will still not be answered and....is there anything to look forward to with this issue???

Not a thing. Just a taste of more bs to come.

Watch out Spidey... HE HAS A CROWBAR!!

Wouldn’t Peter’s new suit, uh, come in handy here? Maybe he gets it mid issue, but he doesn’t have it when Kamala dies either.

I feel like after Dark Web they kinda gave up using it, though I think it's coming back in a couple issues

It's not like it really helped him win any fights beyond its debut against Vulture.

Agreed. But seeing as he’s been sporting it nearly every fight since reacquiring it, except not now against a villain who actually wiped the floor with him in their previous encounter, seems rather ridiculous.

“Peter you need to wear the suit!” “Norman, I’ve had my ass kicked even whilst wearing it, and worst of all it’s tacky”