Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • What Looks Good: Indies 11/11

      Daniel Gehen
      November 10, 2015
      Columns, Dark Horse, Image, Indie, What Looks Good
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Top 10 Things We Can (Unfairly) Assume About "Batman v Superman"

      Daniel Gehen
      April 19, 2015
      Big Two, Columns, DC Comics, Top 10
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: 6 Most Expensive Comic Books April 2021 Update

      nguyen ly
      April 17, 2021
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Congrats to Valiant's Julia Walchuk!

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2018
      News, Press Release, Valiant
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 3.0

      Un-Men: Get Your Freak On Review

      Daniel Gehen
      January 2, 2008
      Reviews
    Recent
    • Singles Going Steady – Vowels, Who Needs Them?

      Daniel Gehen
      March 8, 2021
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • The British Invasion: Paul Cornell on Captain Britain and MI: 13

      Daniel Gehen
      April 10, 2008
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
      Classic Comics, Fantagraphics, News, Press Release
    Recent
    • VISITOR is the Quintessential “SPIRIT” Story

      Daniel Gehen
      March 26, 2021
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Joe Giella, Gene Colan Victimized By Con

      Daniel Gehen
      December 6, 2011
      News
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      Daniel Gehen
      November 22, 2019
      Books, Collectibles, Miscellaneous Comic Book Content
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Collecting Profile: 6 Most Expensive Comic Books April 2021 Update
  • Collecting Profile: Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Collecting Profile: 1990 Marvel Universe Trading Cards
  • Collecting Profile: Red Sonja
  • Collecting Profile: Dr. Doom
  • VISITOR is the Quintessential “SPIRIT” Story
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Big Two

Revisiting AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36 Reminds Us How Far We’ve Fallen

Daniel Gehen
September 12, 2018
Big Two, Classic Comics, Marvel Comics

Disclaimer: This is a very politically charged piece. If you’re of the opinion that comics should not be political, I recommend also avoiding Captain America Comics #1, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, etc. You should be safe sticking with Garfield strips.

For many, the run on Amazing Spider-Man by J. Michael Straczynski is the best of the modern era. It’s first arc, “Coming Home” is considered one of the definitive Spider-Man stories. However, early into JMS’ run, the world was rocked by the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. Like the rest of the world, the heroes and villains of Marvel – many of whom reside in New York City – felt the impact of these attacks. To their credit, Marvel interrupted the story of Amazing Spider-Man – their flagship title – to address the terror attacks in issue #36. Being the seventeenth anniversary of that tragic, horrible day, I decided to revisit this issue, as few pieces of pop culture have been able to truly capture the emotions of that moment in time. What unfolds is a beautiful story of people coming together. However, looking at it through the lens of 2018, it is a reminder that we as a country have become almost irreparably divided.

It is difficult to imagine a world where Americans could come together to stand united against a common enemy. Even though our nation’s name is “The United States,” that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, it’s easy to look at The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal and think this is a recent development, but it’s been the case for a long time. At the very least, it’s been the American status quo since the Tea Party reared its ugly head, demonizing those that did not take the most far-right stance on the political spectrum. A recent photo from a Donald Trump rally showed supporters sporting shirts saying “Better Russian than Democrat.” Seventeen years ago, it was unfathomable to think that we would rather side with a foreign power that has attacked our country over our fellow citizens, but that is the world we live in. In revisiting Amazing Spider-Man #36 in honor of September 11th, it is depressing to not only revisit these tragic events, but also to compare it with the state of the world today.

For those that have not read this issue, do yourself a favor and seek it out. It’s only a couple dollars on Comixology, or those with Marvel Unlimited can read it right now. The writing from JMS – which is largely done in the form of a poem – is as spectacular as it is moving. His words capture the mood of the moment – somber, reflective, resilient, and ultimately hopeful. To often, these characters are placed in potentially world-ending scenarios and no one bats an eye. However, JMS manages to capture the true horrors of 9/11 in a completely sobering sequence featuring Spider-Man and a child lost without his father. It is absolutely heartbreaking, and serves as a reminder that in these battles between the powerful – be them costumed characters or real-life foes – it is often the innocent that suffers the greatest.

Straczynski’s script is paired wonderfully with the art of John Romita Jr, who at the time was at the top of his game. Each panel is dripping with raw emotion and a keen attention to detail. Whether its something as little as Spider-Man and the X-Men’s Cyclops working hand-in-hand with first responders or the statement-making closing splash, Romita delivers the goods.

For those that may be too young to remember (or weren’t even born), Amazing Spider-Man #36 captures the camaraderie that took place in the tragedy’s fallout. It didn’t matter if you were a liberal or conservative, black or white, we stood tall and united against a hostile enemy. We picked each other up because we were all a part of the American family. It may be shocking to believe, but we weren’t at each others throats because of different political ideologies. Yet seventeen long years later, and politics has become a team sport. Is this candidate for office qualified? Do they represent the best of us? No, but he’s the candidate for the political party I root for, so he gets my vote no matter what. We will defend a hostile foreign power as long as it helped the person from the right “team.” Having just reread Amazing Spider-Man #36, to see us devolve like this is sickening.

Should another national tragedy unfold on the scale of 9/11, is it possible for us to rally together? While the optimist in me wants to say “yes,” the truth is probably no. Each side of the aisle will try to blame the other for allowing it to happen. Citizens will argue back-and-forth over which political alignment is at fault, and the perpetrators will escape without a day in the court of public opinion. I’m not going to pretend I have solutions, because the problems facing America can be solved if everyone stopped being stubborn and listened to reason. Then again, we as a people have never been good at listening, instead choosing to forge our own path forward, which history has shown to be a double-edged sword. And right now, we are seeing the downside to “going with your gut” rather than listening to facts and reason.

With another anniversary of 9/11 passing by, Amazing Spider-Man #36 remains as poignant and affecting today as it did back when it hit stands in November 2001. But, as evidenced by the preceding paragraphs, it can be a frustrating experience. Stracynski’s hopeful attitude and Romita Jr’s emotional artwork read as artifacts of a bygone era, when people could look beyond their differences and see commonalities. I’m not completely naive, I’m aware jerks have always existed. But can we ever come back from how far we’ve fallen? I’m normally an optimist, but I doubt it.

 

Amazing Spider-ManJ. Michael StraczynskiJohn Romita Jr.

Share On:
Tweet
Review: ‘Death of Love’ slays expectations
INTERVIEW: Todd Matthy talks robots, princesses, and bridging the divide with storytelling

About The Author

Daniel Gehen
Editor-in-Chief

Dan was introduced to the 1960s Batman show at a young age, which developed into a lifelong passion for comics. When he's not grinding out his day job, he can be found reading about Scarlet Speedsters, Web-Heads, or Sagas just about anywhere. If it's good he'll read it. If it's bad... there's a chance he still might read it.

Related Posts

  • Singles Going Steady: Why? Lettering!

    Daniel Gehen
    July 28, 2020
  • What Looks Good for the Week of July 22, 2020

    Daniel Gehen
    July 20, 2020

Support Us!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Friends of the Site

  • SOLRAD
  • Your Chicken Enemy
  • Psycho Drive-In
  • Women Write About Comics
  • The Beat
  • Loser City
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders