I was just reading your rave on Spider-Man Unmasked, and I'd just like to point out that a few of the things you wanted to see happen DID actually happen. Doc Ock said something or other about being beat by a 15 year old somewhere, I don't know which comic he says that in, but I know I read that on this site. There was a serious confrontation between Peter and JJJ in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #23. I also just want to point out an obvious mistake: Doc Ock never tried to marry Peter's mother, but odds are someones pointed that out already and you might be tired of hearing it. Anyways, I enjoyed reading your article.
While I disagree that Spidey unmasking allowed for good storytelling (since the move itself was ridiculously out of character), I do agree that they should have just ran with it instead of negating it.
And also, they did, during Peter David's run, cover Betty realizing that Peter was running around with a burden since he was a kid, causing him no end of grief. AND during the story where Doctor Octopus goes after Peter once he unmask, Ock keeps going on about how a 15 year old made a fool of him, especially when he unmasked him during that cold back then.
Just thought I'd share with you. Keep on keeping on!
Generally I agree with your most recent rant. However, I think you may have missed a rather good story which focused on JJJ and Peter coming to terms with the "years of deceit," as you put it. Check out Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man #23 for the story.
I read your latest rant. I'm not sure if you were aware of this, but Peter David DID do an issue on Jonah and Spider-Man and the lawsuit subplot was resolved in that issue.
Sigh. Yes, Peter David did take a stab at some of this in FNSM #23. As I pointed out in the original rave, I was vaguely aware of this, and the fact that I could only remember it vaguely counted as a knock against it in my mind. In any case, the example was merely meant to point to my question, which was, what stories did the unmasking make possible, but weren't told, or weren't told with sufficient gusto?
I'd have appreciated some answers to this question, rather than being called out for insufficient awareness of or appreciation for Peter David's work. Or having it pointed out to me that Aunt May is not in fact Peter's mother. I had thought, given the nature of their relationship, "mother" was a good shorthand, but apparently not.
Ah well. Live and learn...