Marvel Cinematic Universe – Spidey Librarian

Watch the Spidey Librarian Action Hour Tonight on My YouTube Channel!

I’ll be reviving my live show, The Spidey Librarian Action Hour, this evening!

I’ll be discussing Spider-Man related news from the last week, answering reference questions related to Spider-Man, and giving a LIVE tour of a significant part of my Spidey Shrine collection: the Funko POPs! I’ll also talk about the MCU’s upcoming movie, Thor: Love and Thunder, and discussing the addition of Valkyrie and Gorr to Marvel: Contest of Champions, just in time for the movie!

The Funko POP segment will feature a LIVE unboxing of two new POPs! Come join me tonight!

Moon Knight Reaction (non-stream) Is Up!

Television

It always takes me a little longer than I’d like, but I finally got my reaction to the new Moon Knight trailer posted to my channel. While I may not be able to respond as quickly to content like this as the YouTube content creators who are doing this for their livelihood, I’m nevertheless happy to be able to make content like this in my spare time and work my regular, full-time job. I can even (slowly) invest in my channel by occasionally purchasing equipment and watching the odd YouTube channel creator video on work time, since I’m actually teaching (a VERY rudimentary) YouTube basics for content creators program at the library.

Getting back to Moon Knight: while he’s not the most well-known Marvel character, Moon Knight definitely has a small but hardcore cult following among Marvel fans. My understanding is that he’s Marvel’s answer to Batman, but with several significant twists, including lunar mysticism and the presence of dissociative identity disorder (DID) that plagues Marc Spector, Moon Knight’s alter ego. He’s fairly “street-level” in terms of his power set, to my limited knowledge, but we’ll see how true that is when the show comes out on March 30.

Moon Knight is also the subject of a really funny meme that may be (until possibly now or very soon after, at least) the main source of his reach among casual audiences. I know it made me laugh out loud the first time I saw it.

And that’s pretty much all I know about him. The show will feature Oscar Isaac in the title role, along with Ethan Hawke as someone who appears to be the show’s main antagonist. Both of those actors are amazing, and I’m eager to see how they bring these Marvel characters to life, and hopefully make Moon Knight and his world a compelling and intriguing addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Come March 30, we’ll certainly find out!

Here’s the link to my trailer reaction. Enjoy!

Moon Knight Trailer! Reaction Stream Tonight!

Television

It looks like Disney Plus released a trailer for its upcoming show Moon Knight yesterday, and while I haven’t streamed a reaction to it yet, you can rest assured that I’ll have a live stream reaction tonight, and an edited video upload of said reaction in the next day or two!

It’s been unusually silent on the announcement end of Disney Plus’s Marvel content, which after 2021, where we typically knew things several weeks–if not months–in advance, feels a little… off. There’s plenty they’re apparently going to make and release this year, but until yesterday, we had no idea when any of it was going to drop. At least now we know Moon Knight will be premiering on March 30 of this year.

And, of course, it’s on a Wednesday. Disney Plus is nothing if not consistent.

I always look forward to new Marvel content on this platform, but what they’ve got in the works will definitely explore some of the less tread-upon territory in the MCU. In addition to Moon Knight, I believe we can look forward to Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, and season 2 of What If…? And that’s in addition to the feature films due out this year: Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

So, there is plenty of content on the way this year! I’d just like to know more about when the Disney Plus stuff will be gracing my small screens.

Anyway, speaking of small screens, keep an eye out for tonight’s live stream, which you can easiest do by subscribing to my YouTube channel! I’ll be mostly gaming, but I’ll also carve out a few minutes to film a reaction to the Moon Knight trailer!

Until then, here’s a stream from yesterday, where I squeeze as much Marvel Contest of Champions as I can into a couple of hours. Enjoy!

An Early, Spoiler-Free Review of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange

Movies

I had the benefit of going and seeing an early screening of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange this evening. It’s enjoyable, as Marvel movies tend to be, though it could easily be charged with taking the mystical end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and going through the same motions we’ve seen in the earlier films, but with trippier effects.

I’ll start with some of the positives. Benedict Cumberbatch is spot-on as Stephen Strange, in looks, in voice, and in manner. He starts off as he did in the comics: an arrogant, brilliant surgeon who has an automobile accident that leaves his hands all but useless to him. This particular arrogant jerk is far less likeable than, say, Robert Downey, Jr.’s Tony Stark, favoring a more caustic, at times visceral wit that can seriously cut. It’s off-putting at times, but I think is ultimately successful for a character who takes on the burden Strange finds put on him, especially as he comes to understand how little he really knows as he studies the mystic arts.

The supporting cast is also ably utilized. Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One brings surprising warmth and introspection to a role I was expecting to be otherworldly and almost uncaring. Chiwetel Ejiofor is superb as Karl Mordo, whose power and experience is only matched by a certain regimentedness of purpose that he can’t quite ever seem to shake. Rachel McAdams is Strange’s romantic interest, Christine Palmer, who has a few amusing scenes reacting to Strange’s antics (both mystical and not so mystical), but is otherwise not terribly memorable.

The biggest problem one might find with this film is that, as a Marvel Studios film, it does seem to hit some fairly predictable points. Marvel has clearly mastered the storytelling aspects of the hero’s journey, and has amassed a multimedia juggernaut by doing so successfully. That’s why we see a lot of the same elements: a hero who starts off not particularly heroic, who finds a way to attain the power to change the world, loses an elder figure, and completes the journey themselves, changed for the better. Along the way there’s some humor, some romance, and some fun. Doctor Strange seems to follow this formula to the letter, and while Marvel still does the job ably, it may be time for them to consider new angles to their films’ storytelling.

And then there’s the villain. Marvel’s tendency to do lousy movie villains (Loki notwithstanding) is intact and going strong. Mads Mikkelson’s character Kaecilius is someone of whom I’d never heard until this film, and it turns out I didn’t need to know much about him, in the worst ways possible. He’s out to remake the world anew, and willing to destroy reality to make it happen. Armed with a bland fanatacism and an even blander cadre of disciples, he’s less of a threat and more of an inconvenience, as Strange soon deduces.

None of this is to say the movie is a failure. Quite the opposite. It’s still building to a larger conclusion, and it does take this old formula and run it against the considerable backdrop of a mystical, reality-spanning adventure. And the special effects are simply mesmerizing. We have sorcerers and wizards bending reality all around themselves, creating portals, altering gravity, summoning matter and energies out of thin air, astral projections, out of body trips through the universe, multiverse, and so on. It’s a visual feast, and a bit overwhelming at times, but it’s definitely worth experiencing. Even if Kaecilius isn’t all that memorable, he can still do some fun things during a fight.

There’s the Marvel blend of action and humor, some of which you can see coming, but which ultimately works out. A few of the jokes in particular come out of nowhere, making them rare gems indeed. Stan Lee’s requisite cameo comes at a moment you can hardly miss. And the post credit scenes are definitely worth sticking around for, both for humorus and plot-driven reasons. Definitely worth a view, and I would say this is one of the few times I’d lobby for seeing it in 3D IMAX if possible.

Marvel’s Netflix Properties Continue to Shine, Adding to 2017 MCU Content

Television

In case you’ve been hiding under a digital rock for the last week, Netflix dropped Marvel’s Luke Cage last Friday, and the overall reception has been pretty positive, even as some issues have been raised about the narrative structure and pacing. Still, it’s an entertaining and does a serviceable job of depicting race and racial issues through the lens of a superhero story.

There are quite a few compelling women characters, all of whom are related to the actions the central character without being defined by him. It’s beautifully shot, and its R&B and hip-hop soundtrack is very prominently spotlighted, all making for a unique, enjoyable, and ultimately important entry into the Marvel experience.

Luke Cage makes for a fourth full season of Netflix properties that have a connection (however loose) to the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the overall consensus seems to be that this corner of the MCU is the most consistently well done so far. Daredevil was so successful that its second season was greenlit within one week of the first season premiering on Netflix, and Jessica Jones explored dark and disturbing themes of control and obsession in a way that clearly resonated with viewers. A second season of this show has also been approved, though it remains unclear as to when it will air.

It will likely be a while, though. At the New York Comic Con, it was announced that 2017 would be a full one for Marvel Netflix, with three shows on the schedule for next year. Iron Fist has had a release date of March 17 confirmed, with The Defenders–which will combine characters from the four preceding shows–likely to release during the middle of the year. Likely at near the end of the year will be The Punisher, whose main character Frank Castle was one of the highlights of Daredevil’s second season.

This is, of course, really exciting news for Marvel fans. With Netflix committing to no less than three Marvel shows next year, that adds to the three MCU films (Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok) that are already scheduled for next year.

There also continues to be talk about more Marvel properties on the way. Cloak & Dagger, Damage Control, and other unnamed shows are in various stages of development or pre-production, though how reliable the information turns out to be are unknown at this point.

Still, it’s impossible to deny that 2017 will be an exciting year for Marvel fans. There are no less than six different properties confirmed to release or premier next year. That averages out to a new experience every other month!

I may not be at NYCC this weekend, but I’m just as stoked about these announcements as the attendees!

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Three Seasons In

Fan Culture, Television

As the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. officially kicks off tonight, I figure it’s timely for me to give voice to the things I love–and don’t really love so much–about this show. It has the distinction of being the only broadcast television show I follow faithfully, and its status as a Marvel Cinematic Universe property may have more than a little to do with that. Everything else I watch is usually either Netflix (hello Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and soon Luke Cage!), some other streaming service, after the fact, or some blend of the three.

So why is it that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets this extra effort from me? Is it that I’m an MCU junkie, who just doesn’t care what it is, as long as it has the Marvel IP attached to it? Do I strive for interconnectivity between the movies and the shows, despite how little of it we actually see? Have I actually grown attached to some of these characters and storylines, many of whom are not born from the comics?

If you couldn’t already tell, the answer is a little bit of all three.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. got off to a bumpy, if charming start, banking on the likability of its characters as much as Phil Coulson’s “connection” to the films. People tuned out after a couple of episodes, and the main complaint at the time seemed to be its lack of utilizing flashy, powered characters from the comics that weren’t being used in the films. I remember seeing more than a few commenters upset that Mike Peterson didn’t turn out to be Luke Cage during the first episode, for instance.

While I understand the desire for this from comic book fans, I don’t consider it a very legitimate criticism, as S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been a spy organization first and foremost. The premise of this television show was therefore primarily a spy drama. How non-powered people handle life in this reality should be, and I feel has been, a primary thread of exploration in this series, even when the show doesn’t always acknowledge it.

I will admit, during this initial stretch of episodes is when the show seemed to be at its weakest. The pacing was sometimes slow, and there seemed an over-reliance on why Coulson was still alive, and was dragged on longer than it needed to be. Still, the group dynamic between the characters, from orphaned protagonist Skye to stoic badass Melinda May to the bantering British duo of Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, made for a fun enough ensemble that I cared enough to keep following their evolution as a group and a team.

Then, those of us who did stick around learned something important about season 1: it was, by necessity, hamstrung on what it could explore in relation to the movie studio to which it was connected. Even so, there were glimpses and flashes of what the show could be in some of the earlier episodes, such as “Eye Spy.” When Captain America: Winter Soldier blew the lid off the first season, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. became a lot stronger and more action-packed in its storytelling, and I would argue has maintained a compelling narrative ever since.

The end of season 1 brought about some revelations, as these kinds of shows tend to do, and we got to explore them in the second season. Skye, we find out, is (and has always been intended to be) Daisy Johnson, a character from the comics known as Quake. Her origin has been changed from a mutant (mutants don’t exist in the MCU due to Fox having the film rights to them) to an Inhuman, and her Inhuman origins are explored. Several new characters and arcs are introduced, including one of my personal favorites, Mack, who proves both instrumental in helping Fitz adapt to his new condition, and a member of a splinter S.H.I.E.L.D. group that nearly takes Coulson’s group down.

Some of the elements in this season could have been handled better. More showing instead of telling, for instance, about the Inhumans, their history, and their abilities. Coulson’s need to draw alien symbols also could have benefited from a stronger explanation that wasn’t dragged out for as long as it was. And don’t get me started on how they handled Fitz’s injury and eventual recovery from season 1. It was entirely too quick and clean, and ultimately should have been one of the few things that took significantly longer than it ended up taking.

On the other hand, there are plenty of strengths to this season. Daisy (not Skye anymore!) meets and ultimately has conflicts with both of her parents, leading to a final showdown that is both heartbreaking and memorable. Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird!) is introduced, and is wonderfully played by Adrianne Palicki, as is Nick Blood’s character Lance Hunter. Mack and the “other, real S.H.I.E.L.D.” storyline was also memorable, particularly as well as actor Henry Simmons played his scenes. And the Inhumans situation is brought to a head at the end of the season, setting up a good portion of the themes in season 3.

Season 3 had more good points than not so good, in my opinion, but its exploration of the history of Hydra and its link to the Inhumans (and the Kree) was front and center here. We finally get to see the traitor, Grant Ward, die (twice!), and the fifth episode, “4,722 Hours,” stands out as quite possibly my favorite episode of the entire show so far. Coulson starts working with a legitimate arm of the U.S. government, and eventually begins a romance with its head, Rosalind Price. Her sudden and cruel death was one of the moments I disliked most about the season, as they’d done a good job of making her likable, and Coulson’s reaction to it had all the classic signs of Women In Refrigerators that we see in comics so often.

Ward’s “evolution” into the character Maveth made for a legitimately world-ending threat, pressing S.H.I.E.L.D. to its limits as they finally broke out the Secret Warriors. Several excellent Inhuman characters comprised this team, including Joey Gutierrez, who can melt metals, and Elena Rodriguez, a speedster. When that threat is finally taken care of, Hydra seems to finally be obliterated, and the focus of the show may seem to finally shift from Inhumans to… Ghost Rider?

As we head into season 4, I’m as excited to see Robbie Reyes’s Ghost Rider as a number of people are upset that it’s not Johnny Blaze’s motorcycle-riding demon. I think their use of a newer character with less history to “stick to” opens up a lot of narrative possibilities that could make for great storytelling. I’ve not read any of his comics, yet, but I’ve heard good things about it, and have been pleased with the glimpses of the character we’ve seen thus far.

I’m hoping I’ll be hooked enough on him to start looking for his comics. I’m hoping this season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with its new time slot, proves to be its strongest yet. If it goes darker, as I believe it will, I think we’ll have another strong base from which to improve an already good show.

If you haven’t watched Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.–or even if you watched it at first and dropped off soon after–give it a watch this season. I’m more convinced than ever this show is going to be a great (ghost) ride! (no apologies for the pun!)

The One-Sided Nature of Marvel Studios’ “It’s All Connected”

Movies, Television

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I’m a big fan of the MCU that Marvel Studios started back in 2008 with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. I love the interconnected nature of the movies, and how they reinforced the notion that these were characters whose actions would affect the plots and developments of others that came along. It was a brilliant way to conceptualize and bring together a movie franchise, and it was so uniquely a Marvel opportunity, that I knew their film The Avengers was going to be a huge hit, even as far back as Iron Man, when it was only being hinted at.

With the ever-present phrase “It’s all connected” a seeming mantra of the entire universe, it seemed a no-brainer that there would be plenty of connections, however tenuous, between the films and the shows that emerged on ABC and Netflix. And as far as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been concerned, they’ve made plenty of references to the films to show they’re connected, from having some of their stars (Thor‘s Jamie Alexander, The Avengers‘ Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson, and Captain America: The First Avenger‘s Haley Atwell jump quickest to mind) appear on the show, to having episodes and plot arcs made in direct response to the events of the films. Netflix shows Daredevil and Jessica Jones have made small, oblique, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them references to the films, but thus far have mostly kept to themselves in terms of really connecting to anything else.

Where there has been the least amount of connection in terms of acknowledging properties outside its own wheelhouse, however, has been with the films. And that is a major, ongoing source of disappointment for me.

Now, I realize that making movies is way different from making television shows, and I know it’s unlikely, and maybe even impossible, to really work the characters, plots, and developments of television into a film in any substantial or meaningful way. Movies are planned out years in advance, whereas television can turn on a proportional dime as needed. I get it–we probably won’t see any television characters in the films anytime soon, if ever.

But I think it’s criminal at this point that the word “Inhuman,” as used in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., has yet to even be uttered on screen in any of the MCU films. I find the studio’s indefinite suspension of the previously planned Inhumans movie to be off-putting and disingenuous in light of it’s mantra.

As best I can tell, the only reference I’ve seen from the films to anything not originated in the films has been the Theta Protocol, which even then involves the Helicarrier that was first seen in The Avengers. Even then, also, I’m not sure the name itself is even mentioned in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In any case, my point in all of this is that, as the originating medium of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the films should be doing more to cross connect to the other content that’s out there. And again, I realize we may not ever see Daisy Johnson or Mike Peterson or Melinda May, or even (though I really hope I’m wrong here) Matt Murdock or Jessica Jones or Luke Cage in the films.

I still think, however, that including a throwaway line about the Inhumans emergence or the chaos going down in Hell’s Kitchen would be something manageable.

Come on, Marvel Studios. Would it really be that hard for you to do that little?

Why the Zendaya Spider-Man Movie Controversy Isn’t a Big Deal to Me… and Shouldn’t Be to You

Fan Culture, Movies

It seems there’s been a slow-burning uproar the last few days, since The Wrap posted an article leaking the alleged “real” role that young actress Zendaya has been cast for the upcoming film Spider-Man: Homecoming. In it, the article states that Zendaya, a young woman of color, will be playing the role of Mary Jane Watson, whom Spider-Man fans know to be the most iconic and well-known of Spider-Man’s love interests. In response, many fanboys–most of them white, of course–have taken to various social medias and websites to vent their collective outrage over this decision by the powers at Sony.

As a Spider-Man super fan myself, I’ve been aware of this announcement since it went live, and somewhat vaguely aware of the “backlash” that’s resulted. To be perfectly honest, it’s hard for me to get worked up over this issue, for a number of reasons.

MJ’s race doesn’t fucking matter! I love the way I’ve seen most of the racists coding their response to this one. They know damn well they can’t openly say, “I’m angry because MJ shouldn’t be black!”, so instead they attack her hair color. “MJ should be a redhead!” they shout. It’s purely code for saying she should be white, which is complete and utter bullcrap. I’ll say here what I’ve said elsewhere: with very few exceptions, there are almost no Marvel comic book characters whose origins and backstories demand they be white. The Human Torch. Doctor Strange. Iron Fist. Hell, Iron Man, for that matter. And Spider-Man, as well as his supporting cast. Anyone who claims these characters must be exactly as they have been portrayed in the comics is saying so from a position of privileged ignorance
It’s not official, at least not yet. The Wrap article, while it has certainly touched off a minor firestorm with this alleged development, can’t actually be officially taken at its word… yet. Until Marvel or Sony comments one way or the other, this is just a high-profile piece of gossip from a website. Does it sound like something Marvel would do? Yes it does. Does it seem like a logical development to include MJ in the Spider-Man films? Totally. Would Zendaya be the proper age to play MJ in a high school iteration of Spider-Man? Hell yes. But until we hear something official, we may be getting wound up over nothing.
The racists are clearly losing, anyway. There’s been more focus on the backlash against the backlash. I’ve seen articles where Twitter trolls get schooled for their coded comments about Zendaya’s race, and hair color. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn has defended the concept of a person of color playing MJ, very eloquently citing need for our movies to reflect the diversity of the world in which we live. The “controversy” surrounding this hypothetical piece of casting is really nothing more than the slowly, noticeably, deteriorating yelling of the privileged racists whose voices are becoming less and less important as time goes on. The powers at Marvel and Sony are not listening, and continuing to make movies and shows that prove to be highly successful, both financially and critically.

On a personal note, if Zendaya is indeed portraying MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming, I am a-okay with this, in exactly the way I would have been okay with a Peter Parker who had been cast as a person of color. I’m not familiar with her work, but I will say that she does look stunning, and I’m willing to bet that Marvel and Sony would be putting her in the role because they know she can do the character justice. To me, that’s all that matters, and Marvel has long since earned my trust in these areas.

If Zendaya is MJ, bring it on! I’m sure she’ll be wonderful.

Fandoms: Learn to Play In the Sandbox Together, or Get the Hell Out

Comic Books, Fan Culture, Movies

Don’t expect to insult my fandom to promote yours and expect we’ll be friends for very long.

There. I needed to say that, and get the venom out.

I like to think I’m a pretty accepting person, all things considered. I prefer Marvel comics to DC comics for the most part, though I’m perfectly willing to acknowledge when certain DC stories get things right that Marvel either doesn’t or hasn’t in some time. I like both Star Wars and Star Trek, and don’t understand why people have to choose one or the other. I like Doctor Who at certain stretches, and am not so hot on it for others. I love Firefly.

And there are plenty of other fandoms I like. There are fandoms I’m not so hot on. There are plenty of fandoms I just haven’t had the opportunity to explore, and may or may not discover in the future. And I’m fine with all of those things.

You like My Little Pony? Wonderful. It’s not my cup of tea, but it works for you, and that’s what’s important.

But one thing I’m not okay with? Don’t ever insult my fandom to try to make yours seem better. I will knock you flat on your ass if you do so.

Lately I’ve seen a lot of material online that denigrates Marvel and simultaneously extols DC. Tawdry, sensationalistic, clickbait-y headlines and memes that use the Us vs. Them premise to lure readers into their pointless and often terribly written content. Typically, when I see dreck such as this, I generally just roll my eyes and keep going. But lately I’ve seen enough of it, as well as re-postings of it from people I actually care about, that it’s starting to impinge on my overall enjoyment of my fandom.

This, friends, is not acceptable.

I’m not one to go around starting fights. I prefer Marvel to DC, but again, I’m willing to give them credit when and where it’s due. More importantly, I’m actually rooting for the DCEU to be as successful as the MCU, even though I think they are far behind in terms of execution at this point. I want them to have a tentpole franchise they can be proud of. I am not willing to lower myself into a mudslinging fight that we see so often, both online and in pop culture forums, where one side is yelling “MARVEL SUCKS!” and the other is yelling “DC SUCKS!” as loud as they can. It’s pointless and puerile, and I want no part of it.

And I expect the same treatment from those around me.

You want to think Marvel sucks and DC buries it? Go ahead. Think it all you want. But the moment you open your mouth and say something to that effect and insult my fandom, you and I are going to have problems.

It’s fine if you prefer DC to Marvel. It works better for you, and Marvel works better for me. There’s no reason to start insulting the other. It’s a big, wide, wonderful world, and there’s plenty of room in the sandbox for everyone to play. I don’t understand why people feel the need to tear others down in order to make themselves feel better, but one thing I can do is refuse to tolerate it.

So consider this a warning, dear reader. You’re free to disagree with me all you want. You don’t have to like what I like, so long as you express your disagreement respectfully. I will never trash talk your fandom or franchise, and I think it’s not asking too much to expect the same from others.

The moment you put a foot out of line and spew bile all over a thing I hold dear, you can expect to be warned, once. After that, if you continue, expect that I will censor the hell out of you.

It’s not about having a different opinion. It’s about being able to disagree like adults. If you don’t know how to do that, don’t expect me to hold your hand.

I’ll just show you the door.

Oh, and one addendum: this cuts both ways. Marvel fans insulting DC fans, for example, will also be shown the door.

Play nice, everyone, with everyone.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Set Photos Takeaway: I Want That Backpack

Movies

Yesterday Looper, an entertainment website, put up some photos fresh from the set of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming showing actor Tom Holland in his Spider-Man costume. They’re pretty good, and aside from showing a clearly less-shiny version of Spidey’s costume from Captain America: Civil War, provide a clear glimpse of a backpack presumably used by the character both for high school and hero-ing.

The fact that this is a fairly plain JanSport backpack actually makes me really happy, as whenever I cosplay Spidey at conventions, I usually have had bags that I carry (because hey, gotta keep that spare set of civvies nearby) and fish through when I need something in them. While I haven’t actually carried one in a few years, I’ve always felt a backpack was an appropriate thing for Spider-Man to carry around. Clearly writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Mark Bagley agree with me (or I with them), as Peter Parker from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics also carried around a backpack with some regularity.

I’d also argue that if you’re going to be a masked, anonymous vigilante with superpowers who wants to keep his identity secret yet still carry a backpack, you’re best going with a commonly carried, plain-colored backpack that will be hard to easily identify as belonging to just one individual. Still, in this day and age of social media, mobile phone cameras, and Instagram, it’s probably not going to throw people off that easily.

In any case, yeah, I now want one of those things. I’ve actually wanted one for a while, but now even more so. Maybe not in that color, but definitely for my cosplay purposes at the least.

I can’t wait for 2017 to get here.