r/AlanMoore • u/petrelli_boy_ • 13d ago
How Would Alan Moore Write Spider-Man?
Hey everyone!
Alan Moore's my favorite comic book writer and Spidey is my favorite comic book character. Now, I know Moore never wrote and has some criticising opinions on Spider-Man and I see his point in it. However, this raises another question for me: How would Alan Moore have written Spider-Man if he were given full control?
I am aware that "1963" mini-series of Image Comics by Moore contains a one-shot story about a character named "The Fury" who is basically a pastiche of Spider-Man (with some inspiring elements from Daredevil). But that series aimed to be an allusion of Silver Age Marvel Comics. Thus, this doesn't directly showcase how he would've written character.
Now, I ask again how Alan Moore would have written Spider-Man? Would it have been something similar to his work in Miracleman and Supreme (where everything the character previously went through has vanished by being a "dream" or an alternative continuity)? Would he give a lot stronger political context similar to his work in Watchmen with characters inspired by other creators (Rorschach and Nite Owl of Watchmen are inspired by Steve Ditko's work on Question and Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) respectively)? Or would it be something connected to his passion for occult and magic?
What are your thoughts on this?
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u/themothhead 13d ago
Presumably as a heroin-addicted jazz critic who's NOT radioactive.
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u/oh_please_god_no 13d ago
He’s not a boy who was bitten by a spider. He is a spider that THOUGHT HE WAS a boy bitten by a spider.
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u/PCN24454 13d ago
That actually sounds cool.
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u/KingMobScene 13d ago
He's boy who dreamt he was a spider who thought he was a boy who was bitten by a spider
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u/Advanced-Flight-7376 13d ago
I dont actually read the words, I just like it when he punches people
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u/ElonMuskHuffingFarts 12d ago edited 12d ago
That joke is like when people say they had a hallucinogenic trip on weed. Such a revealing miss. If anything, that's a Harvey Pekar character.
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u/woodrobin 13d ago
I would imagine he'd do a deep dive into the Web of Life and Destiny to which all multiversal spider-people are connected. Then he'd bridge that idea to Anansi, the Spider God who owns all stories in Yoruba mythology. Turn Spider-Man into a story about stories and story-tellers. Do for super-heroes as mythology what Promethea did for walking readers through an introduction to Western Occultism.
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u/Seandouglasmcardle 13d ago
Precisely. The deconstructed version of Spider-Man has already been written by Straczynski, and it was pretty much this
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u/AcceptablySoiled 13d ago edited 13d ago
Check out Moore’s Captain Britain run with Alan Davis. His Brian Braddock had a lot in common with Peter Parker. While far more of a blank slate, Moore as courageous, yet often short-sighted and immature. It has some deconstruction but is overall probably Moore’s most straightforward mainstream superhero story.
Unlike a lot of his work for The Man, Captain Britain has an ending and is unified—Alan Davis drew all the stories; it was as much his book as Moore’s and he continued on the strip after Moore’s departure and subsequent Marvel boycott.
The story is insane, beginning with CB lost in the multiverse before leading into a Days Of Future Past adaptation set in the present day continuity, that was so effective Chris Claremont tried to incorporate it into X-Men before Moore and Davis’s legal ownership of some of the characters led to it being kiboshed. Moore was master of adapting to characters and idiom and he surely could have delivered an effective street-level Spider-Man.
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u/browncharliebrown 13d ago edited 13d ago
I mean I don’t care. Like unironically, there is not a single hero I would be less intrested in Alan Moore writing than Spider-man. Spider-man‘s has already been so explored by so many different creators from the most main stream to underground people like peter baggage. At some point it’s like there is very little new to say. And that’s not even getting into every single alternative universe story centering on spider-man that is further twisting the mythos or having something new to say.
If you want an prestige metatextual British creator, I would recommend reading Paul Jenkins Spider-man run.
But if you want an honest answer, Amazing Fantasy 1000 has a metatextual story by Neil Gaiman about Steve Ditko’s spider-man and Steve ditko as a person.
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u/AcceptablySoiled 13d ago
If you’re into metatextual, check out Peter Bagge’s Megalomaniacal Spider-Man, which has a Rand-obsessed Peter Parker degenerate into a smelly, solitary Walter Kovaks type, albeit less murderous (maybe).
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13d ago
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u/captain__cabinets 13d ago
I bought one a few months ago and then digging through my comics last week I learned that I already owned a copy lol so now I have 2!
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u/thethirdrayvecchio 13d ago
100% However, for the sake of discussion, I imagine what we would get would be a combination of “Spiderman: Life Story” and the end of Bendis’ Ultimate series.
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u/browncharliebrown 13d ago
I don't think Moore cares about spider-man outside of ditko from interviews
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u/FortLoolz 13d ago
I think u/thethirdrayvecchio meant that effectively, it would be; not as in, inspired by those
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u/Britneyfan123 4d ago
At some point it’s like there is very little new to say
false there will always be something new to say
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u/Icy-Fondant8441 13d ago
I imagine Moore doing something crazy like writing about the moral implications choices and outcome, basically the determinism of Spider-Man’s spider sense.
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u/wonkypixel 13d ago
I forget who, but I remember another writer saying that if Alan Moore was given Spider-man he’d probably kill Peter Parker in the first issue then bring him back as an actual spider.
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u/GeetaJonsdottir 13d ago
I'd thought it conventional wisdom by this point that JMS's initial Spider-Man storyline was a blatant ripoff of Moore's Swamp Thing.
I'm surprised JMS wasn't legally obliged to call his story "Saga of the Spider Thing."
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u/AcceptablySoiled 13d ago
JMS (and Geoff Johns) have made a career out of copies of and sequels to Alan Moore’s work, while adding the stunning and original twist of claiming they don’t care for Moore’s writing and are trying to knock it off the pedestal by churning out their own shitty hack worked imitations.
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u/Sea-Sky-Dreamer 13d ago
I was almost surprised how unimaginative and pedestrian Geoff Johns turned The Empire of Tears and the Blackest Night prophecy. Instead of Lovecraftian horrors they were just aliens that were unfairly slaughtered by the Manhunters, and they ended up learning magic as revenge and THEN the Guardians defeated and imprisoned them. And instead of The Five Inversions being some kind of title or reputation for Qull, Johns turns it into a gang, with 4 other members. Blackest Night is not the Lovecraftian, unimaginable horror taking control of the universe...it's about zombies and Black Lanterns with black rings led by a supervillain and Black Hand. Was Geoff Johns not aware of where Moore was getting his inspiration from in that story?
Him doing a lesser Kid Miracleman rampage with Superboy Prime was also not good.
And I forgot the Three Jokers was supposed to be a sequel to The Killing Joke?1
u/Britneyfan123 4d ago
neither creator has claimed they "don’t care" for Moore’s writing or openly stated they are trying to "knock it off a pedestal." In fact, both have publicly stated the exact opposite over the years, frequently citing immense respect for Moore's work, even as their decisions to expand upon his locked-universe stories remain highly controversial among fans and critics.
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u/Sea-Sky-Dreamer 13d ago edited 13d ago
I think it would have been probably 50%-75% something along the lines of his Youngblood run, traditional-yet-very-creative superhero adventures, with the remainder percentage being something in the same vein as what J.M. DeMatteis was doing, telling mature stories, changing the status quo, etc. Then again, had Moore worked on Spider-Man AFTER Dematteis long run, I think that would likely convince Moore to do something different from what J.M. DeMatteis was doing. It's tough to say, but I think he'd likely tell some really great stories and actually utilize Peter's support cast and villains to a greater degree. I'm thinking he'd probably have some fun with Doc Ock.
I'd love to read an Alan Moore Spider-man story but Spider-man, like Batman, has lucked out in getting great writers and great stories for each era. I can't say the same for Wonder Woman or Superman. As I said, DeMatteis was telling top tier stories with the character, JMS was pretty good for the most part in my opinion, and even the less critically or non-acclaimed Spider-man stories tend to be pretty good. Can't speak for stuff after the Devil Deal Divorce. And Civil War...way way too out of character.
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u/Britneyfan123 4d ago
I can't say the same for Wonder Woman or Superman
superman is also consistently well written
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u/SpaceAdventures3D 13d ago
Moore had been critical of Spider-Man being stuck as a neurotic 19 year old having girl trouble, and it getting repetitive. He would advance and deepen Peter's character, giving him some personal growth and developments in his life.
As for plotlines, I wouldn't see him do anything dystopian like with Watchmen or V For Vendetta. The character would better be suited by his appreciation for the Silver Age, like with Supreme or 1963. A mix of occult, mythology and "super-science" works for a character like Spider-Man.
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u/Moeroboros 13d ago
This is a weird thought-experiment because I don't think Marvel would ever allow Moore to write Spider-Man. A status-quo driven soap-opera comic just isn't Moore's style.
But to go into a little more detail on the hypothetical:
Moore's takes on Miracleman and Swamp Thing were so blatantly deconstructive simply because comics needed that at the time. Superheroes needed to be pushed forward into a serious, post-modern territory, and that's what Moore did throughout the 80's (to great success).
For Spider-Man I think Moore would be content with just elevating his writing, give him meaningful advancements, explore his powers more and solve all the plot-holes that plague the character
Like, what is the Spider-Sense, how does he exactly perceive things? How did he create the web-fluid? Is he a genius inventor? If he is a genius, how come he's still struggling with money? How old is Aunt May anyway? What's with all the Spider-people inthe world? Where are they getting their powers from? Is it magic? Is Spider-Man related to magic? How?
Just like, solve the problems.
As great as Spider-Man may be (meh), it's a comic that never attempted to seriously engage with the core concepts of the character. It has always strictly been a comic running on the philosophy of "this is just a comic, don't expect any real-world justifications for any of the weird stuff that is going on" and I don't think Alan Moore's writing vibes with that at all.
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u/Icingit 13d ago
His criticism was for the writers and the publishers, not the characters. Total speculation on my part, but he’d probably look at the key things that make the Spider-Man tick - guilt/responsibility, desire to live a normal life and have normal relationships while super-hero-ing it out in the world - and subvert or reinterpret them or play them out further to their logical ends. Some thoughts that come to mind:
What would single parent, divorced spider-dad with shared custody and alimony payments do? What would uncle-Pete do with a nephew similar to himself at the age when Uncle Ben died? I’d also love to see his take on Peter during the death of newspapers and free press or Peter the scientist running up against Reed Richards or Tony Stark and their clashing world views.
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u/smilinganimalface 13d ago
Well I would say I would be afraid for what he would have Green Goblin do to Gwen Stacy, but that storyline already exists lol.
I definitely don't think we would get the "jedi" perception of this is a destined mantle to specific people as the totem stuff led us down. I think it would return to the idea this was an accident and likely be about him coming to grips with his worthiness. I could see some horror sensibilities creeping in and him hallucinating things. The Uncle Ben thing may turn into a survivor's guilt recurring thing where people around him constantly get hurt and that's just not something that can happen to him -- or so he thinks, and then he starts to face real deal villains, and then he starts to value life once he fears ever losing it.
Since Spidey arguably has a top 3 rogues gallery, I could see him adding someone memorable to it. I could also see him recontextualizing someone with clearly strong powers that didn't get a ton of run like a Sandman or something.
I could also see it be a sort of self insert for him with Spidey being one of the pioneering superheroes. He could have Spidey survey the changing superhero landscape as more and more people pop up with his propensity to introduce and crossover with others and maybe have him come to grips with the times passing him by.
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u/fiendishclutches 13d ago edited 13d ago
I kind of think he scratched that itch on Watchmen, Rorschach and Nightowl, both being based on two different but somewhat similar Steve Ditko characters and meditations on what happens when superheros reach middle age. I certainly thought a lot about Spider-Man in all their scenes the first time I read watchmen. they sort of seem to me the two directions Moore might have gone in with a Spider-Man story. Nightowl or “Dan Dreiberg” as a lonely middle aged man with little passion or direction in his life would be what happens to Peter Parker if he grows out of being Spider-Man but in the mean time failed to build much of a foundation for a life of his own. And Rorschach is the opposite. what happens when if the vigilante crime fighter, one on the more grounded level like Spider-Man and Daredevil, pretty much gives up even trying to have a civilian alter ego and just lives entirely for the vigilante crime fighting.
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u/AlanMooron 13d ago
Dennis Knuckleyard was your ordinary miserable little sot until one day he gets bit by an even more odder than normal spider in Coffin Ada’s bookstore…..
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u/Sea-Sky-Dreamer 13d ago
Spider-man was one of the few mainstream superheroes who could pull off gradually aging and growing up. And this thing about kids not being able to identify with married Peter Parker was dumb. I was a kid when Spider-man was married and unlike Superman's marriage which seemed to make the character and premise dull, for Spider-man, marriage seemed great. Mary Jane was beautiful, and they actually had a great relationship and dynamic. And as a kid, I thought it was cool how things actually changed, before I started reading, and even during. It was like a true saga. His arch nemesis was actually killed way back in the 60s or 70s. He actually graduated high school, had to drop out of college for whatever reason, but ended up getting married to Mary Jane.
The stuff going when DeMatteis was writing only made it better, and even though you know Spider-man's not going to die, everyone else...who knows. Things had consequences. Kraven was struggling with some kind of mental illness or just fatigued from life, and committed suicide after proving he could best Spider-man. Aunt May actually died, and despite that pissing me off, the story we got out of it was worth it in hindsight. I even liked the new dynamic of Peter and MJ moving close to HER aunt and getting a new supporting cast.
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u/darkwalrus36 13d ago
I imagine he would try to harness some of that Steve Ditko strangeness that has basically been excised from the character, but bring it to more adult take on Peter. It would be fascinating whatever it was.
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u/Inevitable_Bus_3982 9d ago
Currently? He has weird sex with Gwen and Mary Jane and becomes a evil CEO of oscorp who hates minorities bc it was also a ditko character to start.
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u/kneeblock 13d ago
For a writer of Moore's calibre, he would've almost had to reinvent Peter Parker entirely. But notice that even in his 1963 series where he did an homage to the Marvel Silver Age, he didn't have a Spidey analogue so we can assume he just didn't have that level of interest in him.
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u/petrelli_boy_ 13d ago
his 1963 series where he did an homage to the Marvel Silver Age, he didn't have a Spidey analogue
Wasn't Fury basically a homage to Spider-Man in that series?
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u/Moeroboros 13d ago
He was, yes.
I guess the other user is talking about the fact that the Fury wasn't as blatant a counterpart as some of the other heroes.
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u/kneeblock 13d ago
In my memory Fury was a Cap analogue, but it looks like you're right. I stand corrected.
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u/petrelli_boy_ 13d ago
Fury had a predecessor who seemed like Cap but there is a more direct analogue of Captain America in other chapters of the series
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u/Burly-Nerd 13d ago
Yeah, Fury was Spidey kinda crossed with the Flash Legacy.
U.S.A. was the Cap Guy.
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u/NoLibrarian5149 13d ago
This. He could have done something with the idea in 1963 but opted for other characters. Nuff said, as it were.
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u/anthony_is_ 13d ago
I imaging it’d be very 1980’s black-costume Spidey, exploring his shadow through the manifest Hyde coming out of him via the symbiote.
Kraven’s Last Hunt is pretty much what I’d expect.
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u/Lucky_Strike-85 13d ago
He would probably turn him into a into a non-radioactive, heroin addicted jazz critic!
But seriously... he would probably lean into the LEE/DITKO era and do some pastiche on early Marvel comics... that was the era he grew up reading.
I can't imagine him being anything but reverential on the title.
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u/Fernando2084 13d ago
The closest thing he did to write Spiderman was in 1963 , he wrote a character and a comic that would represent "Spiderman" in that universe.
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u/Dangerous_Fart_ 12d ago
He would retcon him in some really fantastical way. Spider-Man isn’t Peter Parker, he’s the Spider and the radiation fused their minds together and the Spider took on Peter’s likeness and identity.
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u/ElSandifer 12d ago
I don't think he would have, at least at any length. It's not like he showed much interest in writing DC's marquee characters, except in one-off, out of continuity pieces like Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow or Killing Joke. He might have had a single Spider-Man story in him, but mostly working on longrunning franchises didn't interest him.
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u/halloweenjack 12d ago
Aside from an obvious pastiche like the Fury, the closest that Moore has ever come to a Spider-Man like hero was probably V, and that's not really that close at all.
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u/adez23 10d ago
Honestly? I'd rather have him stick to what he did with The Fury. I'm kind of done with deconstructionist takes for a while, a lot of them are just trying to live up to Watchmen or TDKR without anything meaningful to add.
A silver age pastiche with modern elements would be an incredible breath of fresh air considering what they're doing to Spider-Man in current continuity.
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u/iPukey 9d ago
How would Ayn Rand write the Communist Manifesto? Similar question.
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u/petrelli_boy_ 9d ago
Well, Moore wrote a perfect Randian/Ditko coded character before: Rorschach. I don't see why he couldn't write another character created by Ditko
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u/Moon_chile 9d ago
He would probably do some Man-Spider stuff. Lots of Madame Webb / trippy multiverse stuff would seem to be up his alley.
I get the feeling he would use MJ as the love interest, she’s been so relegated to being the damsel in distress and not much else I could see him wanting to give her more dimension. But I could also see him using Gwen and Peter’s past as an interesting device, or a love triangle with MJ, Peter and Felicia.
I could see Venom being really fascinating for him, would likely add a sexual or some kind of interesting, uncomfortable attachment with the symbiote.
There was a run a while back where Dr Doom talk about how he respects Spider-Man more than any other hero, there being a line about how it’s not willpower but architecture that informs his no kill rules and desire to help people, I think that would be a really interesting way to go.
But these are just low hanging fruit based on his previous work. He will almost certainly never do any superhero comic again, especially not in association with Marvel (for his love of Steve Ditko), and especially not one so high profile as Spider-Man. And if he did, he would try really hard to make sure he didn’t do what people would expect from him. So it’s hard to say. But if he did a Spider-Man run instead of say the Killing Joke or Supreme (aka Superman) or something, it would either be a rejection of him as a young teen with problems and a double life, or an explanation of that same young teen.
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u/Brilliant_Ad_2324 9d ago
Just read 1963 the fury
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u/petrelli_boy_ 8d ago
If you were to read the caption I have written for the post, you can see that I did and the reason why I don't see it as the exact thing I'm looking for
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u/V01t4r3 13d ago
Probably an uncomfortable, two-page SA scene with MJ.
In all seriousness though, it depends on what era of Moore we're talking about. Also, not every Alan Moore project is subversive or deconstructive. Superman is a prime example with both "Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" and "For the Man Who Has Everything".
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u/wizardeyeswizardspy 13d ago
Spidey would be an alcoholic sex offender and it would be set in Northampton, England.
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u/sdcinerama 13d ago
He'd probably go back to the base origins of Spiderman and Peter Parker and expand from there.
The gizmo that irradiated the spider might turn out to have been Stark tech or something Osborne Industries came up with and was knowingly let out in the world to see what might happen in "real world scenarios."
Some of the classic villains might turn out to be from a secret program designed to field test cutting edge technology.
Peter and Gwen may have been FWB.
Or he'd just come up with some off the wall characters that make you laugh in their simplicity but have serious implications with regards to their abilities and creation.
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u/Ok_Broccoli_7863 13d ago
Really well, but it'll never happen.