JB, if you had wanted to undo something like that after it was inked, how would you have done it in those pre-Photoshop days? Would you have had to redraw the entire panel and get it re-inked? Or was there a simpler solution?

Todd -- Have you been reading the book? The Mephisto story (which I skipped) was certainly the springboard for the new status quo, but it has not been mentioned once since the reboot. The stories have been appropriate for readers of all ages. New foes and old foes have appeared, and it has not been necessary to "do homework" to understand and enjoy the plots. I don't think the stories are mediocre at all, tho I do wish the artwork was more consistent from arc to arc.

I am a happy reader, and I have been buying an extra copy for a 10-year-old friend who is devouring the book 3 times a month.

I read the first two to four months' worth, Brendan, thanks to a co-worker who was reading it at the time.  (And, as far as I know, he may still be reading it.  The subject's not come up since I gave up on it.)  Gave up partway through the Bachalo-drawn blizzard storyline, whenever that was in relation to the start.

Not mentioning that big ol' dangling elephant in the room (to mix metaphors) is part of the mediocrity from where I sit.  It's a major occurrance to the character, being, as you agree, the springboard for the current status quo.  And, the nature of that major occurrance all but requires there be another shoe to drop.    Heck, we both skipped the storyline, yet are aware of it, at least in the broadest strokes.  We can't be the only ones.

I find the stories to be pretty cookie-cutter and not terribly engaging.  On top of that, at least at the outset, it seemed as if they went out of their way to bludgeon readers with elements of the new status quo.  (Ex: Things like "Nuts!  I'm outta web fluid, and I don't have money to make more."  a page later "Man, this would be easier if I weren't out of web fluid and could afford to make more."  a page or two later "Hope this picture turns out ok.  I can sell it to the Bugle and get some money to make web fluid, which I'm out of.")

And shall we mention the Jackpot "mystery?"  A character who looks like MJ, has a name plucked straight from MJ's most famous line, shares a line of work with MJ, and has a propensity to call people by a nickname that MJ uses.  But, she's not MJ...she's a character pulled out of left field at the reveal of the "mystery's" solution.

The mystifying part is that, some of the writers and artists involved are people whose work I normally enjoy.  But, put 'em all together in this particular mess, and I'm finding no joy.

Recipe for "good" Marvel books, I guess.  "I suggest a new strategy, Joey Q.  Let the devil win."

If you do anything but move forward from the Mephisto story, then all the garbage that came before it must return. The marriage, organic webshooters, the spider-totem, Gwen Stacy being a whore and everyone knowing Peter's identity. It all depends on which is worse for you in the long haul.

For me, reading any of the current run of ASM is like watching the "Superstar" episode of Buffy.  Things have changed overnight, but the characters all seem to think Jonathan's been this super-cool uber-guy all along.  All from bad juju.  Even the opening credits have been changed to reflect this new world born in dark magic and Faustian deals.

(Don't mean to keep going on about it...just that the comparison just jumped into my mind as I read Matt's post.)

Comparing Winnie the Pooh to Harry Potter is akin to comparing Carl Bark's Duckburg books to Lee and Ditko's Spiderman.  Both are aimed at kids but kids of different age sets.
And both like all well written comics. can be enjoyed by a more mature audience for what they are without changing the charachter to suit the audiences needs.

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Then you got my point exactly. Both can exist. Which is more popular, well that is another question. Right now, the current Marvel method is akin to other sources of media they are competing with.  They are doing well enough to increase publishing profits. Of course, I really wonder how that is going to change with increasing prices in a bad economy.