Spider-Man Changes Will Not Disappear Any Time Soon

As the spoilers in the Amazing Spider-Man #700 get splashed across the Internet today in all sorts of press, people are starting to react to the news. Of course, most long time comic book readers have known what was happening for a long time now, as scans of some of the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #700 leaked early online. It's only the rest of the world and the casual comic book fan that are now finding out for the first time that Peter Parker is dead and Doctor Octopus is the new Spider-Man. While many fans are obviously upset over the idea of a former villain as Spider-Man (not to mention the death of Peter Parker), the biggest challenge Marvel appears to be facing is convincing the press and fans that the changes are real. In a comic book industry, where characters deaths and subsequent returns are common place, every new death announcement is always met with a healthy amount of skepticism. However, in their first press release on the day of the release of Amazing Spider-Man #700, Marvel Comics is taking a pro-active stance to assure readers that these aren't temporary changes to Spider-Man. While Marvel's editor in chief stops short of using the word permanent, he does seem to indicate that these changes aren't something that will quickly be undone in a couple of issues. Here's what Axel Alonso had to say. "This is the single most seismic shift in Spider-Man's history—and it's not something that will disappear any time soon," said Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief, Marvel Entertainment. "When Spider-Man editor Steve Wacker and writer Dan Slott came to us with this story, it was clear that this was a long term plan crafted with the utmost love and respect for the character. This is the kind of story that will have fans up in arms—but also coming back to the comic stores to check out each new exciting issue.