Since taking over the reigns of Amazing Spider-Man as editor, Stephen Wacker has ushered in a new era of stories featuring the character, taking Peter Parker from "Brand New Day" and all the way to "Big Time". He's also responsible for editing the critically acclaimed relaunches of Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Punisher, Venom and more. Talking at the FanExpo Canada on Friday, Wacker was asked to share his thoughts on Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man, and like many of us, he had one niggle with the big screen adaptation in particular.
"I'll be completely honest -- as I was watching it with my son, I loved it because he liked it but as I got away from it and I thought about the story a little more I was struggling with some bits. Particularly, how he is the same person after Ben dies as he is before? That sort of crux, that sort of change, I thought wasn't part of the film. I had the same problem with the Broadway musical [Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark]. Any time someone retells that story and they don't use that as the hinge of what changes for Peter Parker's life, I kind of flinch at that."
It's hard to argue with this. In the film, the death of Uncle Ben inspired Peter to hunt down his killer, but it certainly didn't inspire him to become a hero. The lack of the, "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" line in the movie was also a great shame. Be sure to share your thoughts on these comments in the usual place, and to read more highlights from the "Pint o' CB" panel, simply click on the link at the bottom of the page.
The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
STARRING:
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans as Curt Connors/The Lizard
Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben
Sally Fields as Aunt May
Denis Leary as George Stacy
RELEASE DATE: Out Now.