Original Sins #3 (Story 3)
Background
In Original Sin #2, The Orb released the secrets of The Watcher's eye to the world meaning that specific secrets were revealed, having various different impacts on different characters. See Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 3) #4 for details on the secret rocking Spider-Man's world.
Original Sins is the complimentary title to Original Sin and explores additional characters and the repercussions of The Orb's actions.
Story 'Bury The Lead'
Original Sins #3 (Story 3)
| Editor: | Tom Brevoort, Wil Moss |
| Assistant Editor: | Jake Thomas |
| Writer: | Dan Slott |
| Pencils: | Mark Bagley |
| Inker: | Joe Rubinstein |
| Lettering: | VC's Clayton Cowles |
| Colorist: | Paul Mounts |
Years ago: Ray Rothman, a researcher for The Daily Bugle, was asked to compile all of the paper's earliest attacks on Spider-Man. Ray did a thorough job, even checking the entertainment sections down in the Bugle's archives. He came across a piece that recalled Spider-Man first television appearance. From the audience, the reported was mesmerized by his feats of agility, his charisma and his webbing and reported a bright future. Rothman read to the bottom to discover that this praising piece was written by none other that J. Jonah Jameson! JJJ appears from behind Rothman and fires him, demanding that he never saw anything and that the piece does not exist! JJJ saw to it that Rothman never worked in the town again.
A time later, JJJ burns the piece, mulling over the fact that it was a fine piece of writing...
General Comments
This simple two-page story is adequate enough. It reveals a secret about JJJ and adds a layer or two to the character that Original Sin should do.
Dan Slott sells the awe in which JJJ wrote well and contrasts it nicely to his fury at its discovery and Mark Bagley draws Spider-Man and doesn't have to worry about churning out pages so the level of quality is what you'd expect from a good Mark Bagley book.
I wonder, though, how this actually relates to the reveal of secrets in Original Sin. In the main series all of the secrets just came out and characters freaked out and reacted in various different ways. This short story seems more like a secret revealed to the reader than a character actually discovering this happened. It doesn't quite follow the pattern of previous narrative or purpose. Maybe someone will learn this secret and we'll see the impact of it in the future... but I mainly think it is just told from the wrong angle and that's why it only gets 2.5 webs. At this moment, it doesn't really mean anything, as the other secrets have...
Overall Rating 
Good but only good. I'll raise the rating by at least 2 points if this ever has any repercussions.