Let me be clear. I have been extremely fair and reasonable and calm when speaking about Spider-Girl's role in the Spider-Verse crossover event. I've mentioned how much hope and joy I have in seeing my favorite character return to comics for a proper appearance. I've even spoken in defense of Dan Slott to those who've preemptively damned this story based on his previous handling of female characters and 'event' storytelling. I'm certainly going to wait until I read the book before I judge it. Now, with all that said, the two preview pages do not lend me much hope for the future of the Parker Family MC2. They look like they are being torn apart and possibly killed for the sake of motivating May through this story. And I can't abide that.
Yes, it's not lettered. Yes, it's only two pages. Yes, I'll wait and see. But based on these pages alone? I'm suddenly a lot less excited and a lot more apprehensive for Spider-Girl and her role in Spider-Verse. Please don't do this, Dan Slott. Please don't tear apart a whole family. They've been through so much. MC2 is supposed to be the safe haven. Not lacking danger and drama, but safe in the sense that for once, we know Peter made it. He's got a loving family, a great relationship with his wife and even though he retired from web-swinging, he still lives up to the greatest responsibility of all: family. I'd truly hate to see that thrown away.
I'd also hate for Mayday to loose her Father, Mother or both simply to push the story forward. There are certainly other methods of motivating a hero on a journey. May herself is a prime example of a hero without a tragic back-story. Instead of the cliché and well-trodden route of the dead relative/loved one, our Mayday instead stepped forward to defend her family. In doing so May discovered that when she succeeds, people live. It's a clear variation on the Power and Responsibility angle Peter himself learned through lose and pain. I guess if I have a point, the crux of it would be that this doesn't fit at all, both from a storytelling point of view and from a universal outlook approach.
If Mayday suddenly finds herself an orphan or otherwise tragically motivated, she'll become a very different character from the one I know and love. She'll also become less interesting and less unique. That would be the real tragedy to come out of this story. Spider-Girl -the series- ran for 100 issues followed by a second 30 issue series, then a bunch of featured spots in Spider-Titles, then a third series and a one-shot. Spider-Girl, the concept and character has legs. There is no reason to destroy what works to push a plot forward.
Okay, I'm being very negative and probably jumping the gun. I'm just very invested in this (emotionally, mentally, financially, you name it!) and I want to see my absolute favorite character in all of fiction handled with the care and respect she deserves. Please. Maybe everything will turn out fine and I'm just overthinking and over-analysing a few unpublished images, who knows? On a positive note, I really, really dig Humberto Ramos drawing THE Spider-Girl. It's means one more artist off my 'Draw Spider-Girl' list. I like what I see, Humberto!
I've got my fingers and toes crossed, Mr Slott. Please do right by Mayday Parker and her family. I'm going to read this entire event to find out.
Until Spider-Girl and Swiney Girl meet and swap Hamburger recipes, I remain
frogoat