Guess what time it is ladies? It’s speculation time! What are we playing the guessing game with this time? Everyone’s favorite topic The Amazing Spider-Man. Issue #600 saw the return of Mary Jane Watson to the fold, but what does this mean?
Spider-Man has in the past been a love story, either a love between Gwen Stacy, Felicia Hardy or Mary Jane. When Peter and MJ were married the book became about their love and how they struggled with his identity as Spider-Man. That angle has been missing from the book thanks to JMS’ Brand New Day story arc. Is the return of MJ a return to the days of their storied love affair?
Issue #601 just hit stands this past Wednesday and it looks like MJ will be around for at least a little while. My gut tells me that Marvel is going to stick with a single Peter Parker for a while longer, but there are a lot of questions that need answering.
Peter is obviously aware that something was done to protect his secret identity, what that is is still technically a mystery, but something tells me that it involves Doctor Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme and Spidey had an adventure a while back where a lot of weird stuff happened. Plus you have this issue with Strange where he’s no longer fit to be the head mage in the universe; could the two things be related?
I do think that MJ will stay on as a recurring character creating a will they or won’t they dynamic in the book which should prove interesting if nothing else. To tell the truth it makes for a good story if everything comes full circle, it’s just that the world at large around Spider-Man keeps getting their minds wiped and that’s just silly.
The cover of issue #601 was drawn by J. Scott Campbell and perfectly reflects the previous dynamic between the characters, how cool would it be if that made a comeback. The best news is that ASM is moving right along at an enjoyable pace, I for one can’t wait to see what happens next!
