Jason Schulman wrote: I don't see what this has to do with Warren Ellis, who didn't even read superhero comics when he was growing up, or so I've read.

The topic isn't only about Ellis, is it Jason?  No, I specifically addressed something Matt Linton said about creators in general and how they shouldn't be held accountable for the state of the industry.  If I wanted to address Ellis specifically, hell even talk about him, I'd have mentioned him. Good thing I didn't.

Advantages: younger fans who are accustomed to a Spiderman that juggles superheroics with the everyday life of a married man get to keep the Spiderman they have been reading for the past 20 years or so.

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How can "younger" fans be described as anyone reading comics for 20 years or more?

Anyone "younger" reader would by definition be the ones who are only accustomed to the married Spider-Man, because for them to be as familiar with the unmarried one would have had to have been reading for OVER 20 years.

A 17 year old that has been reading Spider-Man for 6 years for example would fit that category.

Anyone who thinks that there's no easy way to end this marriage isn't thinking hard enough.

Would Peter sacrifice his marriage to MJ in order to save her life?

You betcha.

So, when (insert uber-powerful cosmic dude) walks up to Spider-Man and says "man, we've been watching the portents, and like, your wife's toast."

"What can I do to save her?"

"Well, we've thought about it, and we could do this one of two ways. You can either a) let her die, 'cause that's what happens to everyone, or b) us cosmic-types, 'cause we're real impressed with all the good stuff you've done, can go back and make it so the two of you never hook-up, which would save her life."

"But we wouldn't be together."

"Sometimes life involves sacrifice. It sucks, but what can you do?"

"It's not FAIR!! I've gone to the wall so many times, taken myself into harm's way for others, and she's been the one good thing that's happened to me! Now, you're telling me I have to lose her?"

"You're going to lose her either way. We just thought we'd do this one thing, offer you this one chance to save her life."

"Will I remember her?"

"She'll still have lived next door to you for a time, but she will not have had the opportunity to further your relationship."

"Will she live any longer than she would have with me?"

"She'll have at least another 20 years. We can't tell much beyond that."

"...She's really going to die?"

"So will you, one day."

"..."

"Peter, there's not much time. The window of opportunity to make this happen narrows with each second."

"...Save her. Just don't tell me it's better this way."

"Of course."

"Will I at least have one more night?"

"When you fall asleep, it will happen. Take care, though. This must occur before midnight, else the chance will fade, and destiny will befall her as it was meant to."

This would be so major-league, and it wouldn't, subjectively, invalidate the other stories. At least, I don't think so.

Yeah, but then you lose Mary Jane, which no one seems to want.

Pshaw, it's not like it couldn't be "fixed" by whatever Editor or writer wants to.

But then again, you risk cheapening marriage the way death has been cheapened in comics...

Matt, a little bit, more than a little bit, a whole bunch...who is to say.  What you did say was...

QUOTE: Feel free to rant about writers and artists you don't like, but blaming them for the current state of the comic book market just shows an absolute disconnect from the reality of the situation.

Which seems to be the direct opposite of what Mig was saying.  I don't agree with either extreme.  You've since clarified your position, but I originally started to discuss this with you because you seemed to not want to put any blame on the talent at all, going so far as saying that anyone who thought they were to blame was showing "an absolute disconnect from the reality of the situation."  I think that's patently untrue.

I LOVE these discussions.

Comic-book readers with nothing better to do all day than sit on message boards - telling professional writers/artists/executives how they would mend the comic-book industry.

The simple fact is that with Xbox/Playstation etc there is simply not the market that there was for super-hero comics.

Were Stan & Jack to start over today - they too would only sell 10% of what they did in their prime.

Or are M*****/DC executives SOOOOOO STUPID that they would not move hell & high water to get Claremont/Byrne/Austin/Lee/WIlliams back on mainstream titles if that were really the answer..?

LOL.