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One of the more interesting pieces of news from this weekend's WizardWorld: Los Angeles was the announcement that Ben 10 co-creator Joe Kelly is to join Marvel Comics' Amazing Spider-Man writing team. Comic veteran Kelly, who's previously written runs on X-Men, Justice League and Action Comics, has given the usual press about Spider-Man being his favorite comic character and one that he grew up reading, but the best proof of why he's a great fit for his new job comes from a fondly remembered comic from a decade ago called Deadpool. Find out just what makes Kelly a lock for the new, improved, retro soap opera Spidey after the jump.
In Deadpool #11, the eponymous main character gets lost in time and ends up trapped in an 1960s issue of Amazing Spider-Man (#47, to be exact), interacting not only with that era's characters but also actual dialogue written by Stan Lee way back when. The result is a "Forest Gumping" of a fan-favorite era that parodies the excesses and stupidity with genuine affection mixed in with a healthy amount of snark, unlike the more usual cynical ripping off and trashing of fondly-remembered reputations. After all, if ever there was a way of showing that a writer gets what the creator intended for a particular character, it's making fun not only of their dialogue, but also their hair:
It's not just those who wanted to see Spider-Man classics made fun of that loved this issue - Spider-Man fansite Spider-Fan.org said the issue was
doubtless the funniest comic I have read in my life. It treads the fine line between the coarse lampooning which could be thrown at any 30 year old comic, and the over-intellectualising which can be the bane of any media which attempts to introspect. In taking this course, it puts nary a foot wrong to my mind.With Marvel taking a very back-to-basics approach to the Spider-Man franchise with their current "Brand New Day" initiative, a writer like Kelly who knows just how alternately awesome and awful this stuff can be is exactly what is needed. His first issue hasn't been scheduled, but is expected in the fall.
Deadpool #11 [Spider-Fan]
Comments
Of course, Deadpool also featured the routine mental and physical torture of an old blind lady and a body count that has to be seen to be believed. Man, how I miss that comic.
My only exposure to Joe Kelly is Supergirl and I hope that was the exception and not the rule because it blew chunks.
@Macloserboy: I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you there. Joe Kelly took the travesty of Jeph Loeb's characterless mishmash of a Supergirl relaunch and did something unique and special with it. He turned her into the closest approximation of a real life teenage girl I've seen in comics. She was unlikable, selfish, and kind of a bitch. But, by the end, she grew into... not-a-bitch. Sure she's still not Miss Daisy Sunshine offensively sweet and flawless fantasy girl-next-door caricature, but is that what you really want? Joe Kelly's Supergirl is one of the underrated gems of modern super hero comics.
@Ryan H:
UGH I KNOW
the joe kelly run on that book introduced me to the wide world of sadism, metatextuality, identity theft, and how to win a fight with captain america (you kick him really hard in the nuts).
@themidnighter:
also underrated: christopher priest's run on "deadpool" and joe kelly's run on "x-men". the joe kelly / steven t. seagle run on the flagship x-books has sadly been forgotten. i miss maggot!
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