Thursday, November 30, 2017
Clarification on Review of The Death of Gwen Stacy
I just want to make clear that I have always and still do admire the character of Spider-man. He is my favorite super-hero(not counting The Runaways). He is a character I always closely identified with and felt had admirable qualities. In my review I just was pointing out the weakness of him holding himself below the happiness of others(especially in recent years in the comics I read). And also him holding himself to an unrealistic standard. It was a great revelation to me when he taught me that you have to give self-love first before caring for others. And it was also a great revelation to me that you mustn't be a perfectionist. That you learn from mistakes and tragedies and grow from them if you allow forgiveness in.
Review of The Death of Gwen Stacy
Stories are a part of human nature as I stated before and this is a storytelling blog after all. So in that vain I thought I would review some comic stories that had an impact on me, while I am working on my own comic book. Making a comic book has a lot of behind the scenes work fyi :)
So the first comic book/graphic novel I wanted to review is The Death of Gwen Stacy. I will try to keep this spoiler free. Albeit the title already indicates that a character named Gwen Stacy will die. Gwen Stacy was a character in the Spider-man comics and is still a character in alternate timelines in the marvel universe. That being said for this review's purposes I will discuss this story and the characters without the involvement of clones, alternate timelines, mutated children, ect....ect.
Spider-man was the first comic book I read and the character that got me into comics in the first place. The Death of Gwen Stacy is a compilation in trade paperback form of a storyline in the Amazing Spider-man comics that ran long before I was even born. But it didn't take me long as I was reading Spider-man comics and fan letters to realize how important of a storyline this was and I bought the trade paperback and read it.
It was a great story filled with emotions and pathos of helplessness, remorse, guilt, and grieving. Again not to spoil it for any readers who have not read it but it has to do with characters reacting to circumstances beyond their control but that none the less they feel guilty for. And how we can either rise out of the ashes of tragedy or let it consume us.
The story very much helped me understand the core of Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-man as a man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
In the end I believe Peter became selfish as result of this belief that he had to hold up the world and the tragedies he felt guilt over. His honorable mantra of "With great power, comes great responsibility" was a call to live up to ones full potential and not squander your gifts but take responsibility for them. But in the end did he hold himself up to an unachievable high standard.
His desire to help others seemed to start to come at the expense of the very strength that made him special in the first place. It became a controlling obsession for him and led to a lot of misery. Again not to spoil things but the whole One More Day storyline as well as, in a more indirect way, the whole Superior Spider-man storyline were results of Peter not being able to let go of his guilt. Perhaps the guilt he felt over the Stacy family grew all those years inside of him. Although it might have at first seemed like he overcame it, perhaps he never did. After his Uncle Ben, Gwen's father, and then finally Gwen did Peter let the guilt of those storylines consume him in a different way. Where he became obsessed with fending off death. Failing to come to terms with the fact that life is a balancing act. That life and death are in a constant dance with one another. That we must embrace death as a part of life to truly embrace the joy that this life has to offer us.
Had Peter instead said I have this ability and this power and I will do my best with it but I am human with the free will to make choices and there in also make mistakes. Just like the people I am trying to help. If he forgave himself truly and deeply could he have found happiness while helping others. Would Spider-man not have been a burden but a calling.
The Death of Gwen Stacy also underscores the characterization of Mary Jane, as well. A character of true strength. She was stronger than Peter, strong enough to catch him every time he fell under the weight of the heavy load he carried but with sacrifices to her own happiness. If Peter had made peace with death and his own mistakes could Mary Jane and him have found happiness. Would Mary Jane have found the joy in life as well so she could be the wind in Peter's sails as they both made this voyage we all call life.
We all struggle for connections and death seems to be the ultimate obstacle snatching the precious connections we make away from us. And it certainly is painful. Change is pain in any form. But if we can cherish the connections we make and live freer and allow others to live freer; allowing some connections to ebb and flow and change maybe we can rise above the despair and guilt and come to new understandings that open our hearts even more. If we can forgive ourselves we can forgive others and embrace life more fully.
So in summation The Death of Gwen Stacy is a must read in my humble opinion for any Spider-man fan. It is essential to understanding the core conflict and ultimate tragedy of the character. But even if you are not a Spider-man fan it is still a potent and enthralling story of death, tragedy and the emotional aftermath. And how sometimes just being present can heal. How we must overcome and let go of pain to open our hearts and reach for joy.
I hope you enjoyed this review. If you would like to discuss it or the storyline or the character of Spider-man or anything else I am always open. Love to hear people's thoughts and opinions. Feel free to leave comments or email me directly at lorax928@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-Basile-writer/100016331536155
So the first comic book/graphic novel I wanted to review is The Death of Gwen Stacy. I will try to keep this spoiler free. Albeit the title already indicates that a character named Gwen Stacy will die. Gwen Stacy was a character in the Spider-man comics and is still a character in alternate timelines in the marvel universe. That being said for this review's purposes I will discuss this story and the characters without the involvement of clones, alternate timelines, mutated children, ect....ect.
Spider-man was the first comic book I read and the character that got me into comics in the first place. The Death of Gwen Stacy is a compilation in trade paperback form of a storyline in the Amazing Spider-man comics that ran long before I was even born. But it didn't take me long as I was reading Spider-man comics and fan letters to realize how important of a storyline this was and I bought the trade paperback and read it.
It was a great story filled with emotions and pathos of helplessness, remorse, guilt, and grieving. Again not to spoil it for any readers who have not read it but it has to do with characters reacting to circumstances beyond their control but that none the less they feel guilty for. And how we can either rise out of the ashes of tragedy or let it consume us.
The story very much helped me understand the core of Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-man as a man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.
In the end I believe Peter became selfish as result of this belief that he had to hold up the world and the tragedies he felt guilt over. His honorable mantra of "With great power, comes great responsibility" was a call to live up to ones full potential and not squander your gifts but take responsibility for them. But in the end did he hold himself up to an unachievable high standard.
His desire to help others seemed to start to come at the expense of the very strength that made him special in the first place. It became a controlling obsession for him and led to a lot of misery. Again not to spoil things but the whole One More Day storyline as well as, in a more indirect way, the whole Superior Spider-man storyline were results of Peter not being able to let go of his guilt. Perhaps the guilt he felt over the Stacy family grew all those years inside of him. Although it might have at first seemed like he overcame it, perhaps he never did. After his Uncle Ben, Gwen's father, and then finally Gwen did Peter let the guilt of those storylines consume him in a different way. Where he became obsessed with fending off death. Failing to come to terms with the fact that life is a balancing act. That life and death are in a constant dance with one another. That we must embrace death as a part of life to truly embrace the joy that this life has to offer us.
Had Peter instead said I have this ability and this power and I will do my best with it but I am human with the free will to make choices and there in also make mistakes. Just like the people I am trying to help. If he forgave himself truly and deeply could he have found happiness while helping others. Would Spider-man not have been a burden but a calling.
The Death of Gwen Stacy also underscores the characterization of Mary Jane, as well. A character of true strength. She was stronger than Peter, strong enough to catch him every time he fell under the weight of the heavy load he carried but with sacrifices to her own happiness. If Peter had made peace with death and his own mistakes could Mary Jane and him have found happiness. Would Mary Jane have found the joy in life as well so she could be the wind in Peter's sails as they both made this voyage we all call life.
We all struggle for connections and death seems to be the ultimate obstacle snatching the precious connections we make away from us. And it certainly is painful. Change is pain in any form. But if we can cherish the connections we make and live freer and allow others to live freer; allowing some connections to ebb and flow and change maybe we can rise above the despair and guilt and come to new understandings that open our hearts even more. If we can forgive ourselves we can forgive others and embrace life more fully.
So in summation The Death of Gwen Stacy is a must read in my humble opinion for any Spider-man fan. It is essential to understanding the core conflict and ultimate tragedy of the character. But even if you are not a Spider-man fan it is still a potent and enthralling story of death, tragedy and the emotional aftermath. And how sometimes just being present can heal. How we must overcome and let go of pain to open our hearts and reach for joy.
I hope you enjoyed this review. If you would like to discuss it or the storyline or the character of Spider-man or anything else I am always open. Love to hear people's thoughts and opinions. Feel free to leave comments or email me directly at lorax928@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-Basile-writer/100016331536155
Thursday, November 9, 2017
As the seasons change so does life
As I watch the changing leaves of fall it reminds me that nothing stays the same. Things change. Old ways pass to make way for new ways just as old leaves fall to the ground to make way for new leaves. But the old leaves biodegrade and get used up by the trees again as nutrients as fuel for the trees to continue on. So as old ways pass I try to remember to be grateful for them, learn from them and use them to propel myself forward.
Part of the changes in the my life is entering the world of indie comics and trying to create my first comic book series called The Way of the Night. I sometimes feel overwhelmed having to not only write and market it but also pull together the other visual pieces.
I most recently signed on with a letterer after much debate about doing it myself. In the end I feel it was best to ask for help. I have had trouble asking for help in the past in my life. Somewhere along the way I think I started to believe you had to soldier on. But more and more I seem to be realizing that asking for help is actually a sign of strength. Knowing yourself enough to know when you can't do it alone and being brave enough to admit it.
This comic book venture is teach me a lot about myself. It's an all new experience for me just like the new leaves that will be coming in spring. And just like the leaves falling now I have to let go of some old ways in order to continue forward.
Part of the changes in the my life is entering the world of indie comics and trying to create my first comic book series called The Way of the Night. I sometimes feel overwhelmed having to not only write and market it but also pull together the other visual pieces.
I most recently signed on with a letterer after much debate about doing it myself. In the end I feel it was best to ask for help. I have had trouble asking for help in the past in my life. Somewhere along the way I think I started to believe you had to soldier on. But more and more I seem to be realizing that asking for help is actually a sign of strength. Knowing yourself enough to know when you can't do it alone and being brave enough to admit it.
This comic book venture is teach me a lot about myself. It's an all new experience for me just like the new leaves that will be coming in spring. And just like the leaves falling now I have to let go of some old ways in order to continue forward.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)