This is probably going to be the last one of these I have time to do for a while; law school is already starting to ramp back up the intensity metre.
But I’m rather happy with it, and if “One More Day” was just too static and boring to mock, at least “Brand New Day” isn’t, despite thus far having a near-total lack of Peter Parker actually being Spider-Man, and despite Steve McNiven apparent belief that Peter really, really likes running his hands through his hair. (I don’t know what it is about Steve McNiven’s art that prompts me to do these things.)
Not included: the three pages introducing Mister Negative, both because I felt they impeded the remixed narrative and because I don’t want to condemn the creation of potentially interesting new villains.
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In the event that “I could pimp…” was a Bloom County reference, I doff my hat to you, sir.
Even without the dialogue, the scene where that guy is putting on Peter’s shoes is just creepy.
Now there’s the Jonah I know and love! Poor JJJ, it must be so hard having your moral compass completely detached from cotinuitiy…
I like the spider-robber, he’s sweet.
HEY GUYS I THINK HARRY MIGHT BE GAY
SCIENCE! It never gets old. But the art? It scares me.
Not that your last few have been bad, but this one was solid all throughout.
It also makes me even less interested in where Spider-Man is going.
Eh, I wasn’t happy with the Arena one – I ran out of steam as I gradually realized it sucked too hard to be parodied, and I think it came through in the writing.
I have a hard time imagining how bad the Arena source material was. You really took one for the time just looking at the pictures on that one. Civil War is still my favorite, though.
Ahhh I am so happy right now!
First you dispelled my anger over the Death of the New Gods by giving Big Barda the ending she always deserved, and then you stopped me bitching about Brand New Day by actually making it cool.
Thank you. You made my life a happier and more content place, I care nothing for official continuity now, I am happy in the MGK universe.
And here I thought nothing would top… ‘It’s only Goliath…’
A great return to form. Better than even Civil War!
Ah, tranny jokes: the last refuge of the lazy comedian. Now that people aren’t so comfortable laughing at sexism or racism, someone had to be subhuman, and sir, we are here for you!
Can someone help explain the gap in continuity to me referenced with the whole “maybe I should take my mask off on public tv” thing?
I’ve read (your) civil war and saw him unmask himself, and now I’m reading (…your) this and he’s incognito again and nobody knows his identity? What am I missing?
Thanks
Rachel: given that the (intended) joke arising from the transgendered person (note: not transvestite, I wanted to make sure he/she identified herself as such) is “Peter is hella uptight,” which was primarily inspired by Steve McNiven giving Peter some truly overblown “shocked” facial expressions on the page in question, I’m not sure what your problem is, unless using transsexuals in a humorous context is by definition offensive on your meter.
I mean, I had the character mock Peter’s panic for a reason, after all.
Besides, we all know that bedwetters are the new subhuman du jour.
GuyInc: In case you are not being ironic (it is hard to tell these days):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_More_Day_(comics)
Ah. Good old reality-altering demons.
Good stuff, as always. Loved the Simpsons reference with the marijuana bit.
I really, really like the idea that the reason the Bugle is suddenly going under is that Jameson has wasted millions of dollars building giant robots to hunt down Spider-Man.
Good parody. (And it’s also nice that I’m not the only one who spotted the problem of an “all-new, all-accessible Spider-Man comic!” that doesn’t feature freaking Spider-Man in it on any page! Yes, that’s what the kids want when they go to pick up a Brand New Day for Spider-Man–22 pages of Peter Parker, looking for a job!)
This is great. I almost want to get the original. But naaaww.
Excellence. After trudging through the Arena parody (Not your fault. Not even the three-way love child of Alan Moore, Steve Gerber and Grant Morrison could do anything with that pile of garbage… And what happened to Scott McDaniel? He used to be good ‘n shit.) It’s warms the old cockles to see some good, high-caliber funny stuff.
This just confirms my previous theory: Harry Osborne is Mephisto in disguise and his real goal is to get Spidey to go gay, as that would be the true slight in the eyes of a christian god…
“Mmmm… Now that’s a man-kiss.”
Dude! I tell ya, this is more entertaining than the ACTUAL BMD!
Just like your Civil War!
My hat is officially off to you, sir! =)
Real life distractions? Shoot, and I was hoping you’d have another installment of Arena, where Green Lantern Bruce Wayne openly wonders why the hell there are three other version of himself dressed up like bats, as opposed to a half-warmed Frank Miller reference.
Very nice job, by the way.
As much as I love Dan Slott, this is rewrite is both funnier and more natural than the original. Have you considered taking on a comic job?
Hey, if DC or Marvel want to hire me, I’m not exactly hard to find.
[…] mighty godking strikes again, this time at the most deservingly stupid comic story in years; spiderman in magic dc reboot ‘brand new day’. […]
I can only imagine Arena would be tricky for anyone to mock. It’s not like there’s any substance whatsoever to go off.
Well done, good sir. You may need to pitch a Terry Rodriguez, Transsexual Detective miniseries. I’d buy it.
‘I’ve read (your) civil war and saw him unmask himself, and now I’m reading (…your) this and he’s incognito again and nobody knows his identity? What am I missing?’
the devil. dead serious. also, joe quesada is afraid of commitment? or something.
anyways, mgk, you have literally just made my week. i lol, we all lol, but we never ACTUALLY lol, you know? i cannot read the jjj bit without dying. it’s impossible.
that you’re not doing this for a living is a shame.
I love your Spider-mugger.
[…] Upping the Spider-ante, Christopher Bird remixes Amazing Spider-Man #546. (Above: Damn Spider-straight! Panel detail from the linked […]
Terry Rodriguez, Transexual Detective could be the character find of the century. Someone draft her/him into the Thunderbolts (or X-Men) or whichever book it is Ellis will be writing this year…
Some of us have been bitching for a while now that Mr. Bird needs to be in comics. His Civil War parodies showed that not only did he have a sense of humor, he understands what makes these characters memorable. He understands how they think, how they’ve been consistently characters. Good story + consistent characterization = what made comics great. We want to depend on the characters to be portrayed accurately, and be given fresh, clever challenges.
I think someone needs to start a campaign to clamor for DC or Marvel to hire Mr. Bird. I just think e-petitions and flooding inboxes aren’t the best way. Ideas anyone?
If there are any artists out there who have both the skills and stamina, please contact Bird about collaborating. A successful independent/online comic has been a stepping-stone for many creators before.
J. Bryan Shoup,
What really convinced me of Chris’ mainstream writing chops was his Death of the New Gods parody. The voices of Scott & Barda were spot on. Seriously, I can’t remember a time they were written that well in the actual comics.
I am so depressed at what they are doing to Spidey. I am no exaggerating when I say that these parodies totally make my week (sometimes my entire month, depending.) I completely agree with J. Bryan Shoup. Words could not describe how ecstatic I would be if Mr. Bird were able to write comics. Thank you so much for providing these salves for our comic-loving souls.
Awesome parodies like yours were what got Gail Simone noticed, and she’s one of DC’s top writers now. But really, aren’t you planning on being a lawyer? I don’t think even top-tier comics writers can compare in pay scale.
I was hoping you’d do a parody of “Amazing 30-Year Old Virgin Jobless Loser Peter Parker, Who Lives at Home With His Mother Figure, and Doesn’t Fight Crime Out Of Spite”.
Or, A30YOVJLPPWLAHWHMFADFCOOS.
I am planning on being a lawyer, but I’m not going to be a high-hat corporate lawyer – rather, I will be the sort of lawyer who engages in public causes. That pays, but not nearly so well as the soul-deadening stuff. So I could certainly use a little side income.
I think someone needs to start a campaign to clamor for DC or Marvel to hire Mr. Bird. I just think e-petitions and flooding inboxes aren’t the best way. Ideas anyone?
Maybe a deluge of honest-to-God letters in tangible envelopes that open and close and have saliva-activated adhesive and everything? I haven’t written one of them in ages and I may have forgotten how to do so, but for Mr. Bird to potentially get a job in comics I would certainly try my best!
Anyway, nobody bothers to write their letters on paper anymore, so I think it would be tougher for these companies to ignore a lot of those.
Find out the truth about the split-up by reading, MJ’s Top 5 Complaints About Spider-Man Revealed!
“Harry Osborne is Mephisto in disguise and his real goal is to get Spidey to go gay”
I think that making Spider-Man gay would piss off the fanbase way more than Clone Saga, the story where Spider-Man had claws and was empowered by a Spider-totem, and One More Day put together.
It’s a swerve that I’d enjoy. It’d get me buying Spider-Man books if they turned him gay. The portrayal of Harry Osborn here would make fertile ground for a Spider-Man/Goblin feud. Rather than the “you killed my dad” angle, you could have a very deep and complex rivalry/friendship based on unrequited love. Rather than worry about telling Aunt May he’s Spider-Man (that’s an old, worn out road, after all), Peter would have to worry about coming out to his aunt (who, while probably a really nice person, would show her age and be uncomfortable with it). There’s a treasure trove of new, fresh stories there to be told. Since Peter’s a fairly down to Earth character, you could also have stories that meaningfully and seriously dealt with homophobia.
“He understands how they think, how they’ve been consistently characters. Good story + consistent characterization = what made comics great.”
I think the Gold and Silver Ages would like a word with you.
Oh yeah, about Terry?
After reading the post here…
…I CALLED IT! 😀
Andrew said: “I think the Gold and Silver Ages would like a word with you.”
I’m confused. Do you agree or disagree with me? I was saying that Mr. Bird understands what makes superhero comics enjoyable. I also really enjoy the Gold and Silver Age.
Oh god, I *just* noticed the Jay Pinkerton ref with Jonah insisting that Peter get him a fucking coffee.
…that WAS a Jay Pinkerton ref, right?
Oh, my god. I just discovered this, obviously months after the fact, but I had to post a comment. That was absolutely brilliant. That was ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE better than the puerile, derivative tripe that actually passed for the first issue of BND (and I say that as someone who has *liked* Dan Slott’s work). If the real thing were this good, I’d still be buying it. Why in the name of the flying spaghetti monster are you not employed as a writer for a major comics publisher?
(And that’s praise I do not give out lightly. I have aspirations as a writer myself, but I’d give my left… umm, well, something symbolic but not actually disabling… for your gift for dialogue.)
[…] comics i had to stop buying comics when my hours got cut, so not only am i like six months behind, but i was already behind on reading stuff at the time and i still haven’t caught up. the most satisfying comics i read this year were the ‘hob’ storyline at dresden codak, and the last four pages of mighty god kings cover of brand new day. […]
[…] Until then, check out the adventures of the Amazing 30-year-old-jobless-virgin-who-still-lives-with-his-aunt-yet-still-has-chicks-wanting-to-blo… […]
[…] Until then, check out the adventures of the Amazing 30-year-old-jobless-virgin-who-still-lives-with-his-aunt-yet-still-has-chicks-wanting-to-blo… […]