Previous Post I'll just skip to # 3 2 and 1. #3 OMD. Returning Harry like it was absolutely no big deal, simply throwing him back into the picture and when they got around to it they hint at a quick explanation that he simply never died. Basically nothing to it. Returning such characters from the dead that should require a lot of thought and explanation, otherwise it only cheapens the character. Obviously the deal with the devil is just ludacris, pathetic, and can't be put into words. But the reason this is at #3 and not #1 is because after what came before, I just wasn't as surprised to see something this careless and thoughtless, not surprised at all, so I don't even think it deserves to be in the #1 spot, because by now it is just business as usual with Joe Q and new marvel. #2 Sins past. This was pretty mind blowing disregard for an important "symbol", not just character of Spidey's past. Only for a quick shock value to a new story for quick sale's, they disregard all else, this was the beginning of the extreme they are willing to go to in carelessness and thoughtlessness to sell a story...I don't even think it deserves to be called a story. To sell shock and awe, not at the story, but at their utter reckless stupidity. They were selling their own stupidity and the extreme length it has reached. Hard to put a value on that. #1 The relaunch, or in specific, the return of Aunt May. This was the beginning of throwing continuity under the rug with the rest of the dust. The careless and effortless way they returned Aunt May was the beginning, this was the signal of what was to come, and though sins past and OMD were surprising to some at their extreme, the relaunch was the beginning that said anything careless and thoughtless is never out of the question as long as the end is brought about, the means doesn't mean anything. It doesn't matter how they go about it, or the consequences to continuity, as long as it brings about the end they are looking for that preferably has the shock value to sell, anything goes. This was when the looney tune's reality and disregard for common sense took over, to sell a quick story, and again I hate using the word story and don't think it fits, but I am in a rush to go eat so don't have time to think of another term that better fits their idea of a story. So after this relaunch, what ever is to come is meaningless and can be erased without any thought process or carefullness or clever craftiness, it will be not just swept under the rug, but they will lift the rug for everyone to see in an extreme manner and say to everyone "this trash now never was to begin with." Let everyone know they could care less, make way for the new.

10. Getting rid of Jason Macendale after he was beefed up and nearly killed Ben Reilly.

9. The Spider-Marriage: Peter and MJ were a bad match, and there was nowhere for their relationship to go. MJ becoming a psychologist and going back to school was great, but then that was killed by the Byrne relaunch. There would have been a greater level of equality in their marriage, a better dynamic if MJ had been able to bring something useful to the superhero side of things. Oh well. Getting rid of the marriage in the face of established storytelling was lame compared to making it work. I can think of several things they could have tried. 1. Make MJ clinically and psychologically incapable of coping with Peter being Spider-man, and the risks. 2. Make MJ a useful psychological partner, so that she could make Spidey's war on crime more organised and effective. 3. Have a child with Peter... see Mr and Mrs Spider-Man. 4. Have her stay with Peter while Ben stayed Spidey for GOOD. 5. Have her turn out to be the clone ala the cartoon and bring back the real MJ in the wake of the 'death' of Reilly and MJ. 6. Have her fall in love with Ben Reilly and actually start to emotionally if not actually cheat on Peter. 7. Give the poor woman some powers, or a role beyond being Peter's trophy. 8. Have her become Spider-Man's greatest foe after being dumped in Goblin Goo, a better 'Menace' anyone? Gee... that's only a few ideas, some not so great but come on Marvel!

8. Having May come back from the dead. I don't need to explain why this is terrible.

7. Killing baby May. A sodding disgrace in every way.

6. Wasting Kaine as a character and now making him into a crappy 'tarantula' monster character.

5. Not keeping Ben Reilly as Spider-Carnage in order to close out Ben's time as Spidey.

4. Dumping Jessica Carradine as Ben's girlfriend and bringing in Elizabeth Tyne instead... yuck, MJ redux.

3. Killing Ben Reilly: It was an epic issue but it left a bad taste that has never gone away.

2. Not killing Venom off and not drawing Carnage as a more three-dimensional villain. I think Carnage was a wasted idea and Venom lost his edge when he stopped being Eddie Brock.

1. Not sticking with Ben Reilly as Spidey.
Most of Spider-Man's inertia as a comic seems to span from this time. When suddenly the status quo became something that was always going to be stuck to forever more for fear of alienating fans, even to the extent of deals with the devil. The whole notion of identity, and the reclaiming of destiny and responsibility, the dislocation of Reilly as a character who was the original Parker but was disenfranchised, well it was great. The best Scorpion story I've ever read as well, was at this time. The whole Jessica Carradine, and Blood Brother's storylines were the most exciting storylines in a long time. I just don't get why they backed out. They should have had the balls to stick with it, but no, instead we went backwards in the comic, and we still are.

All my points are felt strongly but 1. is felt very deeply. My favourite comicbook ended with PP75, and now I prefer PunisherMax. Sad but true.