Obama and Spider-Man

January 8, 2009 12:14 PM

Not quite a Marvel Team-up: Obama and Spider-Man.
posted by Fuzzy Monster (34 comments total)

Do they team up and finally defeat the evil Zombie Reagan and his army of Palinbots?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:21 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

No, but the next issue should be rad.
posted by jquinby at 12:30 PM on January 8

Spidey's on Drudge! And, strangely, the headline is not "SPIDER-MAN MENACE."
posted by Superfrankenstein at 12:31 PM on January 8 [8 favorites]

Put a mustache on Joe Biden and he'd make a convincing J. Jonah Jameson.
posted by jonmc at 12:34 PM on January 8

The comic starts with Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas.

Parker decides "the future president's gonna need Spider-Man," and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor.

Obama thanks him with a fist-bump.

I just... gah. Do they share a Hostess Snack Cake afterwords or something?
posted by FatherDagon at 12:34 PM on January 8 [7 favorites]

When two superheroes meet, don't they usually fight first?
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:39 PM on January 8 [5 favorites]

But Spider-Man had already teamed up with Stephen Colbert! (In fact, Marvel was endorsing Colbert's Presidential campaign long after he abandoned it in real life)
posted by wendell at 12:45 PM on January 8

Spider-Man's Greatest Bible Stories!
posted by aeschenkarnos at 12:47 PM on January 8 [4 favorites]

Obama has said that as a child, he collected Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comic books.

OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
posted by ND¢ at 12:48 PM on January 8

FatherDagon, words cannot express how much I love that comic.
posted by brain_drain at 12:53 PM on January 8

In next month's issue, Spider-Man helps newly sworn in President Obama stop the massacre of civilians in Gaza.

Oh, wait... he doesn't.
posted by Joe Beese at 1:01 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

Joe, that derail is just breathtaking. Bravo.
posted by brain_drain at 1:09 PM on January 8

But Obama collects Conan the Barbarian comics, too - come on, Dark Horse! Step up to the action!
posted by HopperFan at 1:15 PM on January 8

FatherDagon, words cannot express how much I love that comic.

Me too, especially Daredevil's well-thought-out dialogue: "Wow!!!! A powerful force field. I can't see it, but I can feel it."

Dude, it's DAREDEVIL.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:18 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]

Fanboyzone.
posted by piratebowling at 1:23 PM on January 8

I guess they have to work hard to promote sales when the cover price is $3.99.
posted by Chuckles at 1:28 PM on January 8

I thought I read somewhere that Obama still read those comics... was I imagining that?
posted by Muttoneer at 1:36 PM on January 8

Muttoneer, The Telegraph definitively stated "He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics" (though the source isn't cited).

More presidents in comics (mostly story recaps, only one image), and a clip of Meltaing Regan (I think that's supposed to be regular Reagan, but he looks so melty).

More Obama/Spidey discussion, with a picture of the fist-bump.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:44 PM on January 8

I guess they have to work hard to promote sales when the cover price is $3.99.\

Now that's change I can't believe in.
posted by hellojed at 1:44 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

the cover price is $3.99

Is that true? Did DC's Lex Luthor finally defeat Marvel corporate?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:20 PM on January 8

a picture of the fist-bump

That artist needs to sub-contract his chin work.
posted by Joe Beese at 2:21 PM on January 8

Spidey... what is best in life?
posted by ooga_booga at 3:59 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]

Savage Dragon met Obama first (and endorsed him in issue #137, I think).
posted by BitterOldPunk at 4:05 PM on January 8

the cover price is $3.99

/still bitter over that 16 page X-Men comic with a cover price of $3.99, and nothing to indicate that a third of the contnet had been replaced by padding on the front.
posted by Artw at 4:50 PM on January 8

Spidey... what is best in life?

Angst! And puns!
posted by Artw at 4:50 PM on January 8

Savage Dragons have atrophied, or those pants are great at slimming his otherwise muscular legs. He looks comically top-heavy in that brief view.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:09 PM on January 8

Ah, 90s-style art...
posted by Artw at 5:12 PM on January 8

Okay, any other fanboys'n'girls see the awkward in this at all, considering that Barack and Michelle Obama are all, "Yep, we're best friends and life partners and we're totally the awesome, hip presidential candidate family!" and Quesada only recently used the Devil to split up hip, awesome best-friends-for-life couple Peter and Mary Jane on grounds that marriage is boring and MJ was keeping Peter from getting laid with hot chicks?



No, just me then? Okay.

I actually would love this about 10x more if there were Hostess Snack Cakes involved - it would make the whole affair seem a lot more like fun and less like currying favor. I think that's what's been annoying me about Marvel's recent spate of celebrity appearances: they don't really seem genuine. Mind you, I'm not really sure how people felt about the Marvel Team-Up issue with Saturday Night Live way back when, but c'mon, John Belushi vs. the Silver Samurai? Way funnier than this, or a handful of pages of Spider-Man reacting uninterestingly to Stephen Colbert.

On another note, Joe Beese, that is not Todd Nauck's best work. (I haven't seen any sources saying it's him, but his art is fairly distinctive - usually not in a bad way. Maybe his heart's not in it?)
posted by bettafish at 5:28 PM on January 8

I have a deep-seated conviction that Obama will repeal the Superhero Registration Act.
posted by Weebot at 5:51 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]

> Do they team up and finally defeat the evil Zombie Reagan and his army of Palinbots?

You mean Reagan's Raiders?
posted by The Card Cheat at 5:59 PM on January 8

Sure, it's all fine and dandy until just after the Inauguration. The President is a *little* bit tipsy on the champagne and general ceremony buzz. He's with a few close staffers, laying out the agenda for tomorrow and shooting the shit ...

FLUNKIE: We'll need to do something about Gaza, it's getting hotter every day.

OBAMA: Well (waves his hand mockingly) Just get Superman on it

FLUNKIE: We can't, he went AWOL in the 70s

OBAMA: (smirking) Batman then?

FLUNKIE: Dead. Sadly.

Obama picks up another glass of champagne

OBAMA: Well why not Wonder Woman or Spider man?

FLUNKIE: They've ..declined to be involved in anymore actions. All the rest we've got stocked away in Action, Ohio

OBAMA: You mean to tell me the U.S Military has been stacking away Superheroes for the last 60 years and covering it up?

FLUNKIE: That's right sir.

OBAMA downs his glass:

OBAMA: What about Wolverine?

FLUNKIE: Drunk.

OBAMA: Iron Man?

FLUNKIE: Rehab.

OBAMA: Well who DO we have?

lLunkie checks his Blackberry...

FLUNKIE: Um ... Ant Man . And Dazzler.

Obama takes a long pause, re-fills his glass, and says to no one in pacticular

OBAMA: Well, send them, how much worse could it get?

It gets much worse.
posted by The Whelk at 7:52 PM on January 8 [2 favorites]

I think Marshal Law makes a solid statement on superheroes in war.
posted by Smedleyman at 11:00 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

So how do we convince Obama to give an interview to Wizards? I'd really like to hear more about his nerdy side.
posted by butterstick at 9:43 AM on January 9

Dear stupid people who saw the Obama comic on the teevee and are already spending the gazillions of dollars that it will indubitably fetch you at auction in a few years: Please read Mike Sterling's post about the comic and its availability. Wait a couple of weeks and get the second printing for cover price, or wait a few months and get it for even less.

And for the love of Christ, don't go to the same store this guy went to.

[This comment was originally posted in double Obama-Spidey FPP.]
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:32 AM on January 15