#you&039;re worth fighting for

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 039: White Tiger (SSM 9-11)

MASTERPOST

This time, we've got...

Politics! As well as two mentions of a character I love, more POC, a new vigilante I love, and avant-garde arts and crafts... It might be the best batch in a while. Plus, Medusa's back!

Look. Before we begin, I have a theory. Harry's shrink is trying to know who Spider-Man is by uncovering Harry's memories, and HE's gonna be the new Green Goblin, not Harry.

Hmm. We shall see.

Anyway! ESU announces that night school is gonna be cancelled, regardless of how many protests there are. Spidey is understandably miffed.

An ethnic professor calls out the administration and states that hispanic and black students will be hit the hardest by this decision, as shown in previous panels. I like it! I like when Spidey gets political (more than usual). I enjoyed a similar arc in 1969.

The university COULD sell its Erskine Manuscript (Erskine being the man who invented the Captain America super soldier formula!), but the direction finds it too priceless for such an endeavor.

Once again, it hits very close to home. Gosh, it really hits. :(

It's funny because I was thinking about the Prowler hahaha. I doubt it's a coincidence.

Night falls, and as Peter goes to the university, strange men in green prepare to assault the place, as well as...

Well, I already like this character.

Peter can't do much about the White Tiger, and the latter encounters the green goons.

See, what I appreciate about WT's costume is that its complete whiteness makes for nice panels.

WT escapes with the manuscripts, and the chairman is very happy to see our new character is Hispanic. Great excuse to say heinous stuff! It's now state of emergency at ESU. (Getting France under Macron's regime flashbacks.)

Spidey goes to the Daily Globe (remember it subtly rose to prominence this run) and...!

Damn, a duel between one character I love and one I'm starting to really appreciate?! I have to read that!

Thanks to Spidey's investigation, he tracks down a detective, who gives him a recap of what happened in Dead Hands of Kung-Fu 20-31 and explains WT's identity. And the Prowler, still a vigilante, checked (with his fists) whether WT was a killer or a hero. I'm happy to see Hobie hasn't stopped! Or, sad But also happy.

WT gives the professor mentioned earlier, Vasquez, the manuscript, and Spidey arrives on the scene. They fight and tension rises on campus.

Can we smooch, sir?

See, I was thinking it was too easy, and it truly is, because in the France of 2023 AD, cops just don't ask anything. They see peaceful protests, they repress. How fun!

That makes sense. Peter does note the WT acts different!

Spidey and the true WT keep fighting, and suddenly, windows open and the neighborhood cheers for WT! Spidey is stumped... and a bit jealous. "You may have pulled one of the biggest boners of your life," Spidey thinks to himself. TMI, tiger! I mean. Oh, anyway...! They finally listen to reason and go back to ESU, but...

Oh, dear. That's almost vile. Too optimistic. Oh no, I really enjoyed this batch until then!

The detective arrives just in time to clear some things up as well (the fact that the WT had nothing to do with the green thugs).

Everything's well that ends well... and Medusa?! Hell yeah! The last time we saw her, she was pretty entertaining.

Fun times!

Anyway, if you're wondering if the comments about the issue are worth your time... no, they're not. They really aren't.

Anyway, for SSM #11, we get Chris Claremont of X-Men fame as a guest writer!

It starts in medias res, as Peter worries about kid who apparently saved him and MJ from being run over by a car. Hey, remember MJ? Remember how this magazine is called "Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man"? Remember we have other characters than Peter Parker? A whole ensemble cast, in fact. Where are they? What are they doing? Aaaargh!

So the kid absorbed a toxin, and Peter has to race against time to find the antidote.

Okay, first off, handsome Peter. Second: I thought Peter's sudden skin change was very audacious and avant-garde (ATSV anyone?) but... in the scans somewhere else, Peter's just fine. How peculiar! I kind of really love it though. This is art, folks.

I love how the lady at the front looks horribly depressed while Peter and MJ are enjoying themselves.

So Spidey tracks down the antidote, but someone already took it... Medusa!

They fight, Medusa escapes, but Spidey finds her again... on Coney Island, which means for the second time in this run, we get one of my favorite devices: an amusement park! I love amusement parks! Who doesn't? Hell yeah!

This is art. All of this.

Anyway, Spidey interrupts Medusa saving one of her acquaintances with the same serum, him and the Inhumans fight, then they decide they don't have to. The old, dying guy takes some of the serum, and Black Bolt helpfully flies away to give the remainder of the serum to the kid.

Everything's fine. Medusa namedrops Yon-Rogg (if you've seen Captain Marvel, you'll do "Ah!" too) and the matter is resolved.

This issue was fun, but I can't help but be tired when heroes fight against each other when it's very clear they could both talk for about two minutes and be done much more quickly.

Next time: Hitman's back in town! Yay...

[cherievsbullies]

Suicide is Never a Solution (Part 3)

Suicide is Never a Solution (Part 3)

(Continued from Part 2…) Rest assured. I understand what it’s like to be driven to such a dark and awful place. When I was young, bullied, and felt completely alone, I attempted to take my own life. It was one of the most terrible things I’d ever considered. So, I want you to know I really do understand your pain and your desperation to get out of the corner you feel your bullies have backed you…

[cherievsbullies]

Your Mind Is Your Own. Keep It That Way.

Your Mind Is Your Own. Keep It That Way.

Bullies don’t only want to hurt you or destroy your good name. More than anything, they want to get into your head and alter your mind. The worst thing about bullying isn’t the physical assaults. Cuts and bruises heal easily. It isn’t even the name-calling, the smears, the rumors, or the marginalization. It’s what it can do to the mind if we aren’t careful. The worst thing that can happen to a…

[cherievsbullies]

Don’t Quit — WORDSNOW HEART I read this poem and surely it has impact on me. I am struggling what to write lately.

[cherievsbullies]

Suicide is Never the Solution (Part 1)

Suicide is Never the Solution (Part 1)

The suicides of targets of bullying at school and in the workplace has gotten lots of media attention in recent years, driving home the sad truth of an epidemic of suicide among people due to bullying and abuse. What I cannot stress enough is that suicide is totally fruitless and counter-productive. People who take their own lives seldom think of the ramifications.

When you commit suicide at not…