Amazing Spider-Man Writer Dan Slott: The Ending Works Better In Context

Following yesterday's apparent leak of plot details pertinent to Amazing Spider-Man #700, series writer Dan Slott has doubled down on his assurance that he'll avoid the Internet following the status quo-shattering events contained therein. That said, he asked fans upset with the issue's developments to read the comic in context, not just a secondhand recounting of the bullet points, before they rush to judgment. "If you don't want [Amazing Spider-Man] #700 spoiled, GET OFF THE INTERNET NOW. And please read the issue in its full context," tweeted the creator, who then followed up with a longer, more elaborate tweet on the subject:

"Well, I guess Spider-Man-wise *I* am going off the internet sooner than I'd planned. NO SPOILERS from me on ASM #700, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd do the same. "A story is a beginning, middle, and end IN CONTEXT. "A story is in the telling-- NOT in the second hand recounting by others. "If anyone put their mind to it they could tell the world's worst beat-for-beat version of Citizen Kane or A Charlie Brown Christmas-- and with very little effort, make them sound horrible. It's not that hard to do. "Please do us the favor of reading the story as WE intended it. "Please look at this story with pages shown IN their entirety, instead of partially chopped and framed to highlight SOME dialogue but LEAVING other parts out. "Please let us tell you our story. "It's a story I've wanted to tell for some time. "It's a story we've seeded for ONE HUNDRED ISSUES. "This is not a fly-by-night gimmick or slapped together plan. "This three part arc-- and especially this FINAL CHAPTER-- is my favorite story I've ever told in comics! "I am VERY proud of this one-- and ALL the hard work and stunning artistry Humberto Ramos, Victor Olazaba, Edgar Delgado, and Chris Eliopoulos delivered on the page. Hell, our editorial team of Steve Wacker and Ellie Pyle worked tireless hours THROUGH A HURRICANE to get this to you! "Please, please, please let us do our jobs and present this project that we all care about TO YOU in the manner with which it was designed. "End of the day, we want to entertain you. And if you give us a FAIR chance-- in our OWN words-- with the pictures presented in their best light, complete correct and full order-- you'll experience one helluva tale. "That's all I've got to say about all things going on INSIDE the Spider-Man books till the new year. "(I'll probably drop some Birthday wishes, Happy Holidays, and New Years tweets. Talk about he Hobbit. And the new Doctor Who X-Mas Special. But Spidey story-stuff? Nope. See you in January.)"

Here's something that hasn't really been examined yet; Slott, who was so aggressively anti-spoilers, almost immediately jumped to the "read it in context" defense, suggesting that the spoilers are real. This issue has leaked very early, from a seemingly random source...is there any chance this is an elaborate ruse on the part of Slott or Marvel, re-lettering actual pages just to mess with fans, a la Slott's famous Miguel O'Hara tweets? It's unlikely, but not impossible...!