> I personally don't think that serialized characters should be married. There should be exceptions for parental-types--Reed and Sue definitely fall into this category--but I don't think Spidey should. My ideal would be for Peter and MJ to be living together but not married, as there are more directions they can go from there. Serialized storytelling is already full of "riskless" drama. When Superman risks his life to fight Metallo, the reader knows he isn't actually going to die, or if he does, that it won't be for long. And that's okay, because there are other things, more personal things, that actually can be at risk. But marriage can screw that up. If Clark and Lois have a fight, I know nothing's at stake, as DC would never have them get divorced, and a retcon would be a major undertaking. There's no drama there. (Not to say that the only relationship drama can come from whether a couple stays together or breaks up, but you know what I mean.) If Peter and MJ weren't married, they could actually act like a regular couple, as there wouldn't be a metatextual impetus keeping them locked together, and a major change wouldn't be necessary for them to break up from time to time.
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Seriously? Don't agree here on all points. I mean, not married myself, but there's craploads of real tension and problems in even good, stable relationships with consequences that have nothing to do (in the short term) with a break-up/divorce. There's questions of career, of identity, of coping with the day to day of how to make a relationship and a life together (particularly in New York City) that have rarely, if ever, been touched. And just because you already know the outcome, doesn't mean that the journey won't be interesting; I mean, really, if you buy that premise, then why bother with just about any superhero comic?
> To me, the Spider-marriage isn't essential to the mythos. I'd compare it to Dick Grayson being Robin. Yeah, it was a big deal for forty-some years, but then they moved on. When a non-essential aspect has been in place for twenty years, as the marriage has, I have no problem trying something different for a while. I've no idea if it'll be good or not, but we aren't talking about some sacrosanct conceptual element here.
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You're right, we aren't. That's why Peter is single in the Marvel Adventures line; and the Ultimate Universe; and "Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane", and the movies, and any past or future cartoons. Right now, lots of places where you can get single Spider-Man and couples drama, and only two places where you can't (and Spider-Girl BARELY counts, but there is definitely a good example of a married Pete and MJ who have some disagreements but without putting the marriage on the line); but that's not enough to make Joe Quesada Happy, no. It's all or nothing. It's nothing more than Fanboy Entitlement run amok (see also: Didio's desire to have Nightwing killed off in Infinite Crisis).
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> I'm currently reading more Marvel comics than I usually do. Brubaker's Cap and DD are always good, Brubaker and Fraction's Iron Fist has been a breath of fresh air, Ellis' Thunderbolts is hilarious, I'm looking forward to Millar and Hitch's FF run...
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Millar and Hitch on the FF makes me want to run away SCREAMING. And Brubaker is so relentlessly bleak that I'm not sure I even want to go thru the journey to see some light.. But I mean, good for you. Me, I'm done with Marvel until the "Nu Grim'n'Gritty" goes the way of the 90s die-cut foil cover.
Mr. Cynical
