FRED VAN LENTE ON MA SPIDER-MAN, MODOK 11 AND MORE

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

Super-heroes vs super-heroes, super-heroes becoming darker and grittier, and super-heroes having offspring out of wetlock…

Are comics fun anymore these days?

Well, for writer Fred Van Lente, he aims to put the “fun” back into comics with the monthly Marvel Adventures Spider-Man series.

If you’ve not been following the series, this week’s issue #21 would be a good time to jump on board as everyone’s friendly neighborhood wall-crawler goes “black” to the future with a new, “smart stealth” black costume.

And if you’re one of the million fans looking forward to next summer’s Spider-Man 3, expect to see young Peter Parker going up against some of the villains showing up in the next anticipated film sequel such as Sandman, Hobgoblin… and Venom.

Van Lente swung by for a brief chat about putting the “fun” back to Spider-Man’s adventures.

Newsarama: It's pretty clear that unlike the regular Marvel Universe, the Adventures Universe is aimed at younger readers. For those who're unfamiliar with this version of Spider-Man, can you tell us more about the Adventures Universe? How different are the characters, and what kind of a world are they living in?

Fred Van Lente: In the Adventures Universe, Peter is still in high school, still has his secret identity, still lives with Aunt May, and Mary Jane is but a gleam in his adolescent eye.

[Editors] Mark Paniccia and Nate Cosby, the able stewards of Marvel Adventures, did a good job of summing up the line's philosophy for me by saying that these books should make today's kids think that comics are the coolest thing ever, and remind adults what it was that excited them about comics in the first place. These are truly "All Ages" books, and we want the proverbial kid from 7 to 77 to be able to pick them up and enjoy them.

To that end, the overriding watchword for Adventures is "fun". I mean, obviously everyone thinks that the mainstream books are fun or else they wouldn't be buying them, but in the Adventures books everything is looser, there's a lot more humor, and independent of current continuity.

I've tried to approach writing each issue as if it was the stand-alone episode of a TV show, like the Bruce Timm Batman and Superman cartoons that in my humble opinion are the high water mark for All-Ages superhero entertainment.

NRAMA: Story so far? Anything that new readers should know about prior to picking up the black costume issues?

FVL: Ah, part of the beauty of the Adventures books is that there is no "Story so Far." Another ironclad rule for the Adventures books is that they must be self-contained stories. No multiple-issue arcs. Each issue is a wholly self-satisfying reading experience unto itself.

The idea is that a kid can pick one up in 7-11 or Wal-Mart or what-have-you, or Mom can bring it home for him, or Dad can read it to his kid before she goes to sleep, and not need to know anything beyond the "Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider"-type basic premise-- and, you know, the really major supporting characters, Aunt May and J.J.J. and the like.

NRAMA: In the regular Marvel Universe, Peter Parker's ditching the Iron Spidey costume for his original duds in January, and the "Back in Black" event is scheduled for February (although it might or might not be Parker in the black costume). So, why and how did the decision to have don the black costume in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man?

FVL: I was told, "come up with some black costume stories," and I gleefully obeyed. Other than the [Stan] Lee & [Steve] Ditko issues, which I basically used to teach myself to read when I was four (in the color Pocket Books paperbacks), the black costume tales of the mid-80's were the Spidey I devoured as a kid.

NRAMA: So, what else is in this week’s #21?

FVL: Stilt-Man, Leapfrog, Rocket Racer and the Tinkerer. Gearheads galore!

NRAMA: However, in the regular MU, the black costume that was actually an alien symbiote was first introduced during Secret Wars limited series. This time around, in the Adventures Universe, Spidey's putting on the black costume to face the Tinkerer and his technologically-enhanced villains. From the looks of it, the new "smart stealth" black costume is something like the technologically-advanced red-and-gold costume designed by Tony Stark just prior to Civil War in the regular MU, correct?

FVL: Actually, no, not so much -- in the Adventures Universe, the black costume is formed from a "smart stealth" substance that was invented by the Tinkerer, and not for costuming purposes either.

But Spidey can be pretty resourceful when the chips are down, and he's not above appropriating and modifying somebody else's technology for his own use, especially when--

Well, therein lies the tale, as they say. Check out MASM #21 for details.

NRAMA: In that case, does it come with special equipments and all that?

FVL: This black costume has all the abilities of the original: "natural" webbing, obeys basic mental commands, provides camouflage in the shadows, can slide on and off his body like some kind of living ooze, all that fun stuff. It's symbiotic without being a symbiote, if you follow me.

NRAMA: In December's issue #22, he's going up against the Green Goblin and Hobgolin. And in January's #23, he's got his hands full with Sandman. Isn't Spider-Man 3 also featuring these villains? Pure coincidence? Or trying to jump into the bandwagon here?

FVL: No, it's a total coincidence.

Wait... Sorry, I couldn't say that with a straight face...

Once I was told that the black costume arc would be coordinated with the opening of SM3, I thought, what the heck, go the extra nine yards and feature that movie's villains, go for the total synergy.

Except I don't think Stilt-Man will be in SM3. But he really should be.

The Goblins story, "World War G", is one of my favorites. In it, the Green Goblin decides he's going to take out Hobgoblin for stealing his schtick and Spidey -- and New York City -- are caught in the middle. It's the kind of story that, due to the complexities of continuity and such, would be difficult to pull off in MU-616, but works perfectly within the looser rules of the Adventures Universe, so that was pretty cool.

NRAMA: Speaking of Spider-Man 3, the sequel will see the debut of Venom. So, when can we expect to have Venom debut in the Adventures Universe?

FV: In MASM #24, and check out the absolutely gorgeous cover Patrick Scherberger did for that issue -- even if it's just the pencils! It gives me chills just to look at it.

NRAMA: Tease more then. How different is Venom going to be? Eddie Brock or somebody else?

FVL: Eddie Brock, yes, although his backstory is somewhat different from MU-616, as you'll see. The biggest difference, I think, is that with this Venom, the black costume is really controlling Brock to get back at Peter, as opposed to the other way around.

NRAMA: What's coming up next? Carnage? Scarlet Spider? Adventures War?

FVL: Well, we're not allowed to use the words "kill" or "death" in an Adventures book, so I doubt we'll be seeing an Adventures War any time soon.

Maybe "Adventures Spirited Disagreement."

NRAMA: Last few questions before we wrap up. You're also working on a limited series spinning out of Civil War, the April-debuting Super Villain Team-Up: Modok's 11 with artist Francis Portela. Anything that you can spill at this moment?

FVL: As the title implies, it's about the super-heist of the century: Modok, sick of being hunted and hounded by AIM, gathers together an eclectic team of Marvel's Most-Wanted for one big, spectacularly impossible score... The opportunity for which would not be possible without the events of Civil War. While the heroes are distracted by in-fighting, the villains are free to flourish ... The ones that don't actually work for the government, that is. [laughs]

NRAMA: Plans for Camilla Black? More of the all-new, all-different Scorpion in the works?

FVL: Ironically, Carm's supporting cast is getting more airtime than she is these days -- her SHIELD handler, Derek Khanata, guest-stars in Parker & Kirk's excellent Agents of Atlas, and her villainous mother, AIM Scientist Supreme Monica Rappiccini, will be gunning for the Big-Headed One in Modok’s 11.

Carmilla is a character Mark Paniccia and I both have a huge amount of affection for, and we keep kicking around ideas for her next appearance ... Once we hit upon the right project, Newsarama will surely be informed.

NRAMA: New Silencers projects?

FVL: Why yes, but not a comic... Co-creator Steve Ellis and I are hoping to ink the deal on that bit of excitement this week, with an announcement coming sooner rather than later.

NRAMA: Cowboys & Aliens?

FVL: For all twelve comics fans on the Internet who haven't seen our banner ads yet (gotta love them big media buys): You can see this SF/Western action adventure as it unfolds, a page a day, at http://www.drunkduck.com/CowboysAndAliens/ all leading up to the paper version shipping in December from Top Cow.

NRAMA: What else is there?

FVL: Ryan Dunlavey and I still simultaneously explicate and excoriate Western thought in our Action Philosophers series, which should see its seventh issue, It’s All Greek To You, ship around the time this interview runs: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Pre-Socratics, Epictetus the Stoic, and Aristotle, but were too busy sleeping through class to ask.

[SmileOnADog]

Love that damn costume.

[CitC]

I never thought the iron spidey would last long. It was designed to be temporary, but Black Spidey is a look that can stick around forever, as far as I'm concerned.

FV: In MASM #24, and check out the absolutely gorgeous cover Patrick Scherberger did for that issue -- even if it's just the pencils! It gives me chills just to look at it.

I think his pencils look even better than the final product sometimes. Check some more of his pencils here: http://comicsintheclassroom.net/oo20...cherberger.htm

[Bill_Nolan]

I read the new issue today. Very fun, as usual. Nice to see the black costume, tho'. If I had one complaint, it would be the lack of any Peter Parker stuff in this issue. I may be misremembering, but I don't think he appeared out of costume at all. This book works best when the interaction between Peter and the supporting cast is played up. Sounds like that will be returning, so I look forward to it.

I also miss Patrick Scherberger on the interiors, but the amazing cover was enough to satisfy me this month.

- Bill

[panjisudoyo]

It's one of the greatest costumes ever made for Spidey. Iron-Spidey wasn't that bad but ( I'm sorry, Joe ) it's nowhere near as good as the black costume.
Mike Zeck doesn't get enough credit for this.
Oh, and just in time to promote the up-coming Spiderman 3 movie too.

[KyleCowstar]

THat Venom cover looks amazing.

[Prometheus3]

Don't like how in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Peter Parker has the "natural webbing." Would it be so hard for the people at Marvel to even remember that less than ten years ago, Spider-Man had web-shooters?

But I'm still excited for Modok's 11.

[paulski]

Holy crap, that's some nice Spidey art!

Makes it even more ridiculous that the regular title continues to look like complete shite.

[Disco Cookie]

Originally Posted by CitC

I never thought the iron spidey would last long. It was designed to be temporary, but Black Spidey is a look that can stick around forever, as far as I'm concerned.



I think his pencils look even better than the final product sometimes. Check some more of his pencils here: http://comicsintheclassroom.net/oo20...cherberger.htm

Thanks for the link! Looks great.

And I agree, Black Spidey is a class act - would very happily see this become the standard Spidey look or at least migrate to another character permanently. Spider Woman's outfit makes my eyes bleed it's such an eyesore - put her in the black suit and I'll be happy.

[saiyanspider]

Originally Posted by Disco Cookie

Thanks for the link! Looks great.

And I agree, Black Spidey is a class act - would very happily see this become the standard Spidey look or at least migrate to another character permanently. Spider Woman's outfit makes my eyes bleed it's such an eyesore - put her in the black suit and I'll be happy.

I agree, at least put a spider emblem on her.

[AbacusComics]

Meeeeeemories...

Next up? The Beyonder...

[beta-ray]

That Venom pic looks pretty cool... Can't wait for the MODOK/MODOC issue...

[I am MODOK]

You can probably imagine which project I'm excited for!

Although, why wasn't I am MODOK consulted for this list of top villains!?!

[von Doom, M.D.]

I hate to be giving away my own personal Spidey-story ideas, but this 80's nostalgia has got me to say, I think it would be pretty cool if the Fabulous Frog-Man came back (or a new character in the costume) as Spidey's sidekick.

[baxtos]

Is it me or is the goblin's hand throwing the bomb drawn wrong? Shouldn't it be flipped with the thumb facing the bomb?

[Absalom]

1st time I'll pick the marvel adventures spider-man, especially for the art which is amazing ! this new artist is very talented !

[RedRonin]

The Venom cover is amazing.

I loved the new Scorpion in Amazing Fantasy. I had completely forgot that Van Lente worte that story. But I am excited about Modok's 11. Just sounds like fun.

[jza1218]

Everyone read Action Philosophers as soon as possible!

[Don Mega]

Originally Posted by SmileOnADog

Love that damn costume.

You and me both!

I´d love to see it back for good after Civil War.

Might just be the best superhero costume ever.

[Bill_Nolan]

Originally Posted by Prometheus3

Don't like how in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Peter Parker has the "natural webbing." Would it be so hard for the people at Marvel to even remember that less than ten years ago, Spider-Man had web-shooters?

He usually uses the web shooters in Marvel Adventures Spider-Man. The "natural webbing" refers to the black costume's ability to create webbing without the shooters. He even runs out of webbing at one point in this issue.

- Bill

[Arnout]

Originally Posted by baxtos

Is it me or is the goblin's hand throwing the bomb drawn wrong? Shouldn't it be flipped with the thumb facing the bomb?

I think it's more a case of this being one of those odd snapshot actions. The hand's anready completed the arc of throwing, but let go in mid'arc, so the bomb's coming for you, while the hand's still flying in the other direction.
Doesmn't strike me as an error, but a little weird, true.

[LostMarauder]

wetlock?!?!?

[Mr Wesley]

I'd just like to take onemoment to say that the Marvel Adventures line is producing some of the best, funnest super-hero comics of any company today. If you haven't picked up a copy of MA Spider-Man, Fantastic Four or Avengers, you're missing out on comics that remind us adults what fun comics should be.

[Grimm22]

I have seen young kids who want to read Spidey comics, but aren't old enough to read stuff in Spidey's regular books

Its great that there is a book for younger readers that lets them read about the webslinger and still have approprite stories for their age, without having to sacrifice the fun of comics

[Supreme Convoy]

That's a pretty slick image!