Today’s breaking Spidey news is that February will bring a brand new mini-series for would-be Spidey sidekick Alpha by Joshua Hale Fialkov (writer of DC’s excellent “I, Vampire”) and Nuno Plati. Some important clues to the end of Amazing Spider-Man and the start of Superior Spider-Man can be found in the announcement:
– Alpha is not the new Spider-Man. This theory had largely died out already anyway, but now we know.
– Alpha will be checking in with Peter at Horizon regularly, and the series is set post-ASM #700, so we now know that Peter Parker will live and will still be working at Horizon Labs.
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Well alpha can bite me but I do like the idea of keeping up with peter… I may check this out…
Avengers Academy arena
Remember how the Carnage minis set up Minimum Carnage? Calling it now, this will lead to Alpha being put into Avengers Arena.
Hopefully, the mini will also include the long overdue and much anticipated return of Jackpot!
My thoughts are up: http://uncannycbreader.blogspot.com/2012/11/alpha-didnt-work-first-time-and-it-wont.html
To be fair, the mini doesn’t have to suck. The worst thing about Alpha was that he had close to zero personality at all, so for a new creative team, that makes him essentially a blank slate. That doesn’t mean I plan on picking this up, but I wouldn’t assume it will be terrible. Maybe they’ll actually start to develop him into a decent character.
“Why would Harry Osborn come back?”
Yes, how unlike Marvel to engage in character regression for marketing-driven reasons. 🙂
I saw this coming sooner or later. EVERYONE seems to get a spin-off mini series sooner or later. Im surprised Mary jane and Aunt may haven’t gotten one yet. Mind you there was Spider-Man loves Mary Jane (how sad is it that an spin-off series about a supporting character is infinitly better than most of the spin-offs featuring actual superheroes?).
Anyways I figured Alpha wasn’t done but equally I don’t want to see him ever again My dislike of him wouldn’t be so strong if it wasn’t for the fact that his lame ass story was the one used to ‘celebrate’ the 50th anniversary. Im sorry but the main feature for a milestone like that should’ve been WAY better like how Skyfall was a wnderful way to celebrate 007’s 50th anniversary
@13 Sorry, the only teen characters most teens want to read about seem to be Archie types.
I imagine he’s meant to be the Marvel equivalent of Damian Wayne – people like him because he’s amusingly obnoxious. Could work with the right writing.
And re: this –
“Marvel (e.g., Slott, Wacker, et al) were clearly pushing Our Boy Andy as the next Big Thing, hoping for a teen sensation to capture that mythical Huge Teen Audience that’s always just o’er the hiill beyond yon hill (this time for sure!).”
Why is that a bad thing deserving of scornful phrasing? Should they not be bringing in younger characters to do “teen” stories with? Considering the amount of complaints posted on here about them writing Peter too young and unsympathetic, you’d think it’s good news that they’re bringing in a new character to do those stories with, and contrasting him with Peter Parker. Even if you didn’t like Slott’s execution of ASM #692-4 (and fair enough, each to their own, etc), there’s nothing wrong with Alpha as a concept.
Marvel (e.g., Slott, Wacker, et al) were clearly pushing Our Boy Andy as the next Big Thing, hoping for a teen sensation to capture that mythical Huge Teen Audience that’s always just o’er the hiill beyond yon hill (this time for sure!).
They must have decided that they have too much of an investment of time in him to drop him in the face of overwhelmingly negative reader response and piss-poor character writing.
The problem is, their logic is that, if they keep repeatedly pushing him in front of everybody, the bad character everybody loathed before will become popular.
And that, friends, is the definition of madness: Doing the same thing over and over again, hoping it will have different results this time.
Might be the lowest-selling comic ever.
i enjoyed the character. I am glad he won’t be spider-man. I will probably pick up this mini.
And who wanted this character back exactly? What market-testing told them about the huge pent-up desire for Alpha? Or do they just need to kill a few more trees?
Why would Harry Osborn come back? Why would he even care abouit bebing Spider-Man? He’s got a baby to look after doesnt he? He moved on from Mary Jane a long time ago too, as evident by his love for Liz and even Menace, so I doubt he’d want to start anything up with her now. No, I think Marvel have been trolling fans and Peter will still be Spidey, and thus, will be back with MJ.
If Superior Spidey really is Doc Ock in Peter’s body, this could all be part of his masterplan, posing as Peter and prepping Alpha to become his ultimate weapon or something.
Alpha will be checking in with Peter at Horizon regularly, and the series is set post-ASM #700, so we now know that Peter Parker will live and will still be working at Horizon Labs.
Marvel blowing the endings to there stories since…
OW!!! NUTSHOT!!! What the hell, Marvel?!?!? Did I say I wanted this guy back?!?!?
“Alpha will be checking in with Peter at Horizon regularly, and the series is set post-ASM #700, so we now know that Peter Parker will live…”
BIG FLAMING SURPRISE!!!!! Like they were going to kill off their cash cow. But too be fair, develop the little s***stain into a decent human being and character, and maybe we can get behind this…
… nope, couldn’t keep a straight face.
A character absolutely NOBODY likes, is now getting his own mini-series…..
Okaaaayyyyyyyyyyy……..
Guys? Please, give it up. NOBODY wants him. Throwing him in readers’ faces again and again is not going to make him any more popular.
At this point, you’re just embarassing yourselves. Alpha is the single worst-conceived Gary Stu in comics history. Let him go.
I’m glad I was evidently wrong about Poochie being the new Spider-Man (though Slott, et al, made it clear it WAS their original intent. Thank God they seem to have reconsidered.)
As for Spider-Man-who-s-not-Peter hooking up with MJ? Not a surrise, but another Marvel troll of readers.
I want to love Marvel again. I want to wait in gleeful anticipation of the next issue, but before that can happen, Marvel’s eds need to learn that bad publicity is NOT better than no publicity at all.
So, if it’s not Alpha …
K-Box’s comics prediction: The “Superior Spider-Man” is Harry Osborn, former boyfriend of Mary Jane Watson, come back to New York City.
Grimmer attitude, lack of natural spider-climbing abilities, someone with enough of a prior romantic relationship with Mary Jane to get “back” with her, and the only post-OMD cast member to be resurrected from the dead with no current established status quo or recent appearances.
…
Okay, I love I, Vampire, so I’ll read this just because of Fialkov.
Alpha: Most. Annoying. Character. Ever.
Well, maybe not ever … but still an embarrassment. Make the bad man stop.