Howard Mackie wrote: Come on,guys, this is all just smoke and mirrors. Changes come and go... mostly in the attempt to get a boost in sales. In the end... and,eventually, there will be an end...writers, edtiros,editors-in-chief leave. The further the Spider-Man books drift away from the core concept, the more satisfying the return.

I totally understand this.  Personally, I've been reading comics for 30 years and year 1 started with Spider-Man.  So I get the notion that things change.  I'm not against change in the sense that we get an appearance of change.  Spider-Man joins the Avengers.  I don't like it, don't think it's at all in character, but that's easy enough to revert back to the status quo. I hate this new costume (why Spider-Man needs metal spats and armbands, I'll never know), but the original will return, so I'll wait. But things like the marriage to boost sales under the pretext that the character will eventually return to status quo?  Well, it's been over two decades and he's still married.  I'd venture to say the marriage is the status quo and we may possibly never see a return to the regular MU of the Spider-Man many of us know and love.  Same can be said for all the "fate" BS JMS is shoveling on the character while at the same time saying he's not making any fundamental changes to his origin.  Seriously.  Does he believe the crap he's spewing?  It goes from an accidental radioactive spider bite to a Spider-God who has created many Spider-Men and Peter Parker being fated to be one of them. Yeah.  Right.  That's not fundamental and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that this is yet another change that becomes status quo.

So, although I understand the notion that "the more things change, the more they stay the same" or "just ride it out", I've been doing that for the past 15 years and nothing has reverted the character back to the status quo in an overall character sense in that time.  Nothing.  Am I in a rage about it?  No.  Am I upset about it?  Sure.  If I had seen just one instance of Peter Parker/Spider-Man recovering from all the crap that's been heaped on him, I'd agree that a "wait and see" mentality would be appropriate.  That I haven't seen evidence of that at all from Marvel suggests to me that they don't even know what status quo is for the character and, quite frankly, don't really care.  It's too bad that it seems I care more about this character than the company from which he sprang.

Look at his history, and see Batman change his "shape" about every ten years --- before DARK KNIGHT. But how long has he been a psycho ninja, now?

That's not fundamental and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that this is yet another change that becomes status quo.

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The only thing is. it seems a lot of people dislike the totem mumbo jumbo.

The marriage? Believe that was Stan Lee's idea and while it ebbs and flows, I think there are as many a people who like it (since its all they know) then dislike it. maybe more

What is a spat? I keep seeing that used in reference to the new costume.

JQ says the biggest genie that can't be put in the bottle is being put back into the bottle end of this year. (and i think a smaller genie too)

Some have speculated the marriage-though JQ being coy says Pete is definitely not getting divorced. Think it is the marriage? and if not, what else could be a genie that big?

Spat:

Although, they were part of formal men's wear back in the day.

That might be. Civil War is supposedly based on one faction which wants superheroes to register and unmask, and one that doesn't.

For some reason, Spider-man will be a pivotal figure in that choice.

So maybe something will happen and they will mindwipde everyone who knows anything-which would include putting the X guys and Xavier back under. That would fit in with some jokes Bendis/New Avengers has made about "Who doesn't know your identity." Maybe the heroes will fight enough to distrust each other and agree to let everyone forget about everybody-they'll be comrades but maybe not close friends anymore-in the sense of everyone knowing everything

Or maybe its someother genie, and in the process, another genie gets let out-Spidey unmasks ;)

"I believe I can fly"