I think at this point, the secret at the end of Civil War #2 is out and we can’t keep a lid on things much longer.
We just received a press release from Marvel about “it” and our one last bone we’ll throw to those trying to avoid spoilers is that you’ll have to click through to read the press release.
In the meantime, enjoy the cover to Civil War #5.
Spider-Man Unmasks to the World
In a move that will change the Wall-Crawler’s life, Spider-Man unmasked to the world and revealed that he is Peter Parker. In the pages of Civil War #2, Marvel’s summer blockbuster series, Spider-Man shockingly reveals his secret identity at a press conference.
Civil War has erupted in the Marvel Universe as heroes fight heroes over the passing of the Superhuman Registration Act. After a terrible accident involving young heroes leads to the deaths of several hundred innocent people, Congress passes a law declaring that all super-powered vigilantes must register with the government.
This divides the superhero community as some heroes register while the other half becomes wanted criminals. The leader of the Pro-Registration side, Iron Man, convinces Spider-Man that heroes need to be held accountable, just as law enforcement is, and that to make a statement for their cause, he needs to unmask to the world. In a milestone moment in comics history, Peter does the unthinkable and reveals his secret identity.
Peter Parker’s life will take a dangerous turn, including his deadliest villains, know the secret he has been keeping since a radioactive spider bit him, giving him the proportionate strength and abilities of a spider.
Will Peter Parker live to regret his decision or will he be a leader in legitimizing superheroes in the eyes of a public that has lost faith in them? From the looks of the cover to Civil War #5 seen here, Spider-Man’s greatest villains are going to ensure that Peter’s life doesn’t get any easier either way.
The only place to find out is your local comic store as the fallout from Peter’s decision is felt in the summer event Civil War and the Civil War tie-ins. Also, see how the biggest decision of Spider-Man’s life plays out in all of the Spider-Man titles, which will feature a “SPIDER-MAN UNMASKED” banner to call out that the next chapter in the Spider-Man mythos is happening here. To find these comics at a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook.
Follow SPIDER-MAN UNMASKED in:
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11-13
Sensational Spider-Man #28-31
CIVIL WAR #2 (of 7) (APR062017)
Written by Mark Millar
Pencils & Wraparound Cover by Steve McNiven
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
On Sale – 6/14/2006
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #533 (APR062002)
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
Pencils & Cover by RON GARNEY
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99
On Sale – 6/28/2006
SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #28 (MAY061944)
Written by ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA
Pencils & Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99
FOC – 6/22, On Sale – 7/12
FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #11 (JUN061939)
Written by PETER DAVID
Penciled by TODD NAUCK
Cover by MICHAEL WIERINGO
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99
FOC – 7/13, On Sale – 8/2/2006
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Somone asked over in the Civil War #2 thread about why Bullseye would be after Spidey, he probably got hired by Kingpin or someone else to take him out…but I have a better question:
According to the recent issues of Dardevil, ISN’T BULLSEYE IN PRISON?
Daredevil continuity and Civil War continuity seem to be bouncing off each other an awful lot. Maybe that’s some other guy in a Bullseye costume; has anyone seen him playing with a quarter?
And if I remember correctly…Bullseye no longer has a costume…just that ridiculous scar…
…Is it a bad sign that I’m almost willing to go back and try Friendly Neighborhood and Sensational again just to see the ramnifications of this unmasking?
I was thinking about doing the same thing, Spidermav. I am a fan of Peter David, but I haven’t been reading anything of his (been waiting for an X-Factor trade). I’ll look through them in the store and decide if I think they are worth it.
I do enjoy Todd Nauck…
It’s a good thing i’m not alone. Peter David’s a good writer…but his last two arcs on FNSM are something I just wasn’t interested in. Sensational, however, was just a rehash of some old 90’s stuff that was even worse. Maybe this unmasking will give us new ideas to play with?
….You know….considering Spider-MAN did it…should Spider-MAV unmask?! Haha.
I was really excited about FNSM when it first came out because I really like Peter David and think he’s a good fit for Spider-Man and Mike Wieringo is one of my favorite artists, but I dropped the book in disgust when issue #2 jumped right into that horrid The Other crossover.
Going back… I dunno. It feels like I’d be hooking up with a cheating ex-girlfriend.
I read the first issue of FNSM and it didn’t impress me. Instead of risking a dislike of PD I opted to stop reading the comic.
Join the side against Cap and his resistance? I’d think long and hard about that one Spidermav. Do you have an elderly aunt to consult on this?
FNSM was good, even if it did step right into ‘The Other’. I read it after that, just to give Peter David a chance to redeem his Spidey book, because The Other was horrid, and that wasn’t HIS fault (DAMN YOU JMS).
Oh, i’ve thought about it. I’ve consulted my elderly aunt, who told me quote “Shut yer yapper, i’m watchin’ TV!” …Not much help there!
Spider-mav hearts PAD
Did you ever read his X-Factor run?
I’ve read some of it, not ALL of it. From what i’ve read though, it was an excellent run. It’s kinda hard to find that old run, even though it’s currently being put into a ‘Visionaries’ form. Likewise, His current run is also great, and it makes me proud to say I like X-Factor.
That’s right. I know stuff.
This, after I spend so much time artfully using pronouns in my POW. Dammit. Well, I’m not clicking on that cover. I’ve seen too much already.
I don’t mean this as a dig, Josh. I applaud you effort and am impressed that you pulled it off. Quite nicely, actually. However, just how long did you expect the secret to remain hidden?
I just didn’t want it to be MY fault that it got ruined for someone. And I also enjoyed the challenge when writing.
Well pat yourself on the back, bro. I’d say you did it. We posters and that Marvel press release spoiled it. And the New York Post. And Howard Stern.
** I moved this comment over to the other thread where it’s more appropriate to that particular discussion – Conor **
So here’s a question: How did the iron spider costume get all ripped up? Isn’t it all indestructible and what not?
Unstable molecules?
I’d say…beacause so much damage is being caused so frequently, the suit doesn’t know what to do, so it’s practically short circuiting.
…Anyone? Eh? EH?
By the time issue 5 come out, spider-man has switched sides and Tony takes the suit back? Or maybe the picture just looks cool that way?
Is it me or does Venom look like an Insane Clown Posse album cover on the picture up there?
Okay. I think this is the thing; I hope no one else has said this.
Is anyone sick of Marvel’s hype machine yet? House of M, Hulk-whatever and now Civil War. Christ on a stick, why not bring back foil covers and specialty cards in every issue?
I’m finding none of this engaging, mostly because I know in six month’s time it won’t mean jack and shit when the next “big thing” rolls out. Whatever happened to solid story telling with dynamic characters that change and grow? I realize it’s hard when dealing with characters that have been around for thirty years, finding new territory to cover, but there’s got to be something besides gimmicky crap.
And has everyone completely forgotten that comics are for escaping from reality? I can sympathize with writers and editors wishing to comment on today’s concerns through their product, but could we please have something fun and silly BESIDES Next Wave?
There. That’s my rant.
Of couse. It’s exactly the kinda crap Joey Q said he’d stop, and it did start off like that, but all the crap is just seeping back in.
well…to play devil’s advocate here:
– aside from the variant covers crap (which I don’t think Marvel is doing with Civil War), other than this being an event crossovr, how is it like the old days? There are no gimmicks other than what is being considered quality storytelling and good art…
right? Or have I (With my devil’s advocate hat on) just drank too much kool-aid?
I would say the difference here is that these are compelling stories. How do I know that? I know that because this is the first Marvel event in years that I’ve paid any attention to. And I’ve read lots of events. With the exception of Cataclysm and Aftershock for Batman, Civil War is the only crossover event that I’ve enjoyed in quite some time.
I would argue that there are all sorts of escapist comics at the moment, but the main books at Marvel aren’t them at the moment. Luckily, there are lots of other books to read, as well as decades of back issues.
I would even say that a viable alternative to what Marvel is doing at the moment is pretty much everything happening at DC. That stuff is as classic as it’s ever been right now.
I reall think that at this moment, there is something for everyone. And I’m the cynical one.
I can’t stand the Marvel hype machine. I hate Joe Q’s smugness and his constant “we’re the best” attitude. However, as long as the books are good that is a minor annoyance that is easy for me to look past. I read what I want, and that doesn’t necessarily coincide with what Joe Q tells me to read. I haven’t picked up Amazing SM, Hulk, FF or a regular X book in years. On the other hand, a lot of the books Marvel is putting out right now are damn good. Civil War, Daredevil, Runaways, Powers, Ultimates, USM, UFF and New Avengers are great. I guess what I am trying to say is find the books you like, support them, and ignore whatever crap the Marvel PR tries to shove down your throat.
I will say that the New Joe Friday where Joe Q “remembers” that demasking Spiderman was his idea does reak of a ton of smugness.
But that being said, I love that things are being shook up. I think in order to appreciate the totality of the story, you’re going to want to get Civil War:Front Line, because it’s going to get into different aspects of the legal aspect, I think… At least, it will rule on the remaining New Warriors’ culpability for the Samford event.
That being said, the podcasts are basically the writers and editors fellating each other for 30 minutes…
I think that the hype machine only effects those who look for it. I mean, people who don’t visit the on-line comic book news sites and just buy comics will never even see the hype machine at work.
Also, isn’t it Quesada’s job to hype his product? Wouldn’t he be a bad Editor-in-Chief if he didn’t?
You couldn’t say that Stan Lee wasn’t a walking hype machine, and everyone loves him.
That’s a good point about Stan Lee. I love that guy and he was all about the hype. I think the difference between he and Joe is that I truly think Stan loves what he is hyping and that he is just as excited as the rest of us to be reading the books. With Joe I just feel like he is trying to sell me something, no matter the quality, kind of like a car salesman. Like he’ll tell me whatever I want to hear in order to get me to buy a book. But like I said, he is easy to ignore when the books are good.
And yes, those Marvel podcasts are horrible.
Joe Quesada may just actually believe in the product he sells. He may be an optimist in a cynical world: “I can’t read all eighty of these books every month, but the editors seem to like them, and I trust the editors and the creators and the characters. Wow, this coffee is delicious! Gosh, it’s a great day!”
Could be. Ya just don’t know. If I worked there, that’s what I’d be like. Until I got online for the day.
Or maybe it’s cognitive dissonance. I wouldn’t know Joey Q’s inner workings. I read most of his comments as tongue-in-cheek, occasionally forgetting and getting hornswaggled by him (“Spider-Man’s going to get divorced? And date Dazzler??”)
Well, one of the things that really bothered me and I might just be holding it against him, is where Joe Q, on the Marvel Podcasts, just basically puts Neil Gaiman on the spot and says “When are you going to do a project with me?” and says it more than once.
It just makes me think that he’s thinking “Me me me, spotlight on me, even though I am supposed to be interviewing someone else. Look at me!” That being said, I dig Marvel, so it clearly doesn’t bother me that much.
Again, I think that Stan Lee is the key to all this. I think Joe is trying to go back to a time when Stan Lee was the public face of Marvel, and things were considered to be exciting. So, it’s not so much Me Me Me, as much as Marvel Marvel Marvel, because he’s the public face of Marvel. And other than the means of distribution, this doesn’t feel much different than Stan’s soapbox. He’s trying, through his personality, to give that personality to Marvel. And he’s a pushy New Yorker, so that’s what you get. Personally, I don’t care too much about how Quesada is in public, since I don’t really consume much of those kinds of stories. But what I do know is that Marvel has been exemplary on the whole since Quesada took over, because it was on death’s door when Harras was there. Also, he’s one hell of a fucking penciller, and I wish he had time to draw a book. If there’s any reason to be upset with him, that’s it.
(I saw a variant for Civil War #2 at the shop last week, so there are variants.)
(No foil though.)
I think that Marvel uses variant covers, but only on second printings/”Directors’ Cuts”? Does that sound right? I don’t really follow that side of the market. In fact, I’m not sure my shop owner orders any of the variants; either that, or my brain automatically filters them out and I look right past them every week.
A friend of mine is a reporter on our local NPR station and called me this morning to abruptly say, “Tell me everything you know about the death and resurrection of Superman.” (Apparently, somebody’s got a reporting trip to Metropolis IL in his future.) In addition to making me feel like the biggest nerd in the midwest, the conversation got me thinking a lot about foil covers and speculation buying and how even Civil War’s phenomenal sales don’t hold a candle to those nineties figures. One the one hand, so many more people were buying such terrible comics, but on the other hand few ever opened them to see how terrible they were.
Have you seen what comes out tomorrow? Even better than last week!
I looked at the list, and I’m in serious trouble.
I’ve got another 8-10 books. There are certainly going to be some drops coming on soon.
I’m also conflicted about delaying purchase of Invincible book 6. Pain!
15 books plus a trade (Invincible Vol. 6) and it’s my week to do the PoW! Eek!
yeah, huge week this week. Some big titles too…. new team on Superman Batman, Flash relaunch, the elusive #11 of Ultimates, and New Avengers and Astonishing are always big sellers.
As it’s Conor picking I’m gonna take a guess that he picks Robin or Superman Batman as PotW… after reading the Flash preview I can safely say it won’t be that.
And hooray for Invincible trades! This arc is pretty kick ass.
I did some serious cutting back at the beginning of the year. This week I have seven, which is now a lot for me. Nova, Cap, Superman/Batman, Ultimates, Ast. X-Men, Iron Man, New Avengers, and Eternals… oh crap that’s eight! I wanted to check out one of the Spidey titles and was thinking about the new Flash. I guess I will pass on those. I’ll just have to wait and see if I hear good things about them from the podcasts that I listen to. Hmmm…where can I find a review of the new Flash comic?
You can read the first 6 pages of Flash at Newsarama. It looks…interesting…and not in a good way. I am not a huge Flash fan but I did get issue 1 since it was 75% off through my service. I am guessing that even with the discount it may have been too much to pay.
Variant covers these days are still used for first printings, Jimski. Remember, Civil War so far has had a variant cover for both Issue #1 and Issue #2, and House of M had assloads of variants for each issue. They TRY to limit Variant Covers too second printings and directors cuts, but that will never happen.
Man, this week’s comics Are going to leave me feelin’ happy afterwards. 52, All Star Superman, Justice, The Flash, Captain America, The Ultimates, New Avengers, and Astonishing?! The only thing that’s missing from this list is a Civil War issue, Amazing Spider-Man, and Daredevil! No doubt this weeks podcast will be full of kickass discussion.