Writers: J. Michael Straczynski
and Joe Quesada
Artist: Joe Quesada
Rating: 5 of 8
Spider-Man
One More Day
What would you do if you only had one more day? One more day with the woman you love, or one more day with the woman who's always loved you? Would you spend that time saying all the things you've already said, or saying things you never thought you would? Or would you spend it trying to make that day into so much more than just one?
One more day is never really enough, but sometimes you've just gotta do the best you can with what you've got. For Peter Parker, that means doing everything in his power to save the life of the woman who raised him. To do so, he goes down a very dark and dangerous path and once he's reached the end, he may never be the same. What he did angered a great many fans, myself included and I'm not sure if any other story has done quite as much to taint the character's legacy.
One of the worst things about it is just how many times you have to suspend your disbelief. Before you're even halfway through, the team expects you to accept that some of the greatest sorcerers and scientists in the Marvel universe can't solve something as relatively simple as a bullet wound. While a bullet wound's probably a lot more complicated in real life, in the context of the Marvel universe, it should be incredibly simple.
But it's moments like these that feel like they're just painting Peter into a corner, just so they can get a specific outcome. While it's certainly compelling to see him try to do everything he can to save his Aunt, it's also saddening seeing what depths he's willing to sink to because of it. It's hard to know what I'd do if I was in his shoes, but I just know that I didn't want him to do this.
While it's important for our heroes to be in some way relatable, it's also important for them to be aspirational. Even if they're not real, you want to be able to look at them and say 'If he can do it, if he can pull it together somehow despite everything, then so can I'. They don't have to be perfect, but sometimes, you just want them to try. You don't want them to give up on something and someone that really matters, even if it is for someone else.
In One More Day, a demon named Mephisto says he'll save his Aunt, but at a price: he wants their marriage. There are a lot of problems with this, like why Mephisto shows up now when the three characters have rarely interacted up to this point. Even though his appearance is steadily built up throughout by various red haired people and creatures, it's still rather sudden considering his absence from the hero's life.
I've also never understood why he wants his marriage, specifically, especially over other, longer standing couples like Reed and Sue Richards. Given it's longevity, surely a marriage like that would have even more value. But really, I just don't understand or agree with Quesada's reasoning for erasing the marriage. He did it because he didn't think readers could find a married Spider-Man relatable, which I just don't agree with, as I'm pretty sure a number of his fans are themselves married.
Even if they're not, it's nice to see that even a fictional character can get it together. After all, if even someone like that can do it, then why can't you? But besides all that, it's just frustrating to see Aunt May's wishes ignored. In The Last Temptation of Eddie Brock, he was actually able to talk to her, thanks to some magical intervention from his friend, Madame Web. There, despite Peter's protestations, she tells him to let her go, because she's ready to die. So either JMS and Quesada ignored this, or it's an illustration of Peter's inability to let her go, even if she herself are ready.
Another criticism I have of the story's that, for the most part, the third part is irrelevant. There, Peter's shown how his life might have turned if he took any of at least three different paths. But it doesn't really go anywhere and just leads to the above ultimatum, so it just feels like a waste of time because of it. I also find it hard to believe that someone like Dr. Strange can't sense a demon not so far outside his Sanctum. Though, at times, the art can be pretty strong, particularly when it comes to part two, Mephisto himself and the hero's fight with Iron Man, sometimes the characters' facial expressions are decidedly lackluster.
If you've never read it, I definitely recommend against it. It remains one of the worst Spider-Man stories there's ever been, though despite all of it's problems, I still recommend JMS' run. Despite both it and Sins Past, it remains one of the character's greatest runs and one of my personal favourites.
