... and I have felt a nice sensation about that issue. Actually, I never cared so much for that book: it seemed to me more an ASM #442 than an ASM Vol. II #1, because that wasn't the first issue I wanted to see. No Spider-Man, no great supervillains (I never liked the Scorpion), aunt May (I was so disappointed for that return!). I have always loved the backup story "The secrets of Spider-Man", though.
But when I have re-read it a couple of days ago I have understood a thing: I miss that period. Yes, I miss the relaunch, the same relaunch which in the first months disappointed me but, after a short time, hooked me with good, solid stories.
In that first issue we had subplots, a new job for Peter, the old supporting cast...
And then the return of Spider-Man, the stalker, the Sinister Six, the Blob, a lot of action!

And how can I forget CHAPTER ONE? The first issue was a shock: I didn't need the "new origin", I was afraid to see my favorite character ruined... But this was a wrong thought: that series featured the one and true Spider-Man, the same character I had always loved. When it was over, I felt a bit sad. I wanted to see more! I loved to see Dr. Octopus' "first appearance", an explanation to Spider-Man's problems with checks, Peter crying on his bed 'cause his ruined reputation...

This makes me to think how things could be if JB had stayed aboard... Just to know what we have missed in these years.

So, I'd like to ask something to our favorite author: would you like to write and draw Spider-Man again? In a Marvel without certain "editors", of course.
As read in the FAQs Marvel asked you to do a CHAPTER TWO. Would you have done a remake of the complete second part of the Lee/Ditko run? 

And a question for the board, too: Marvel erased CHAPTER ONE from the continuity, but when did this happen? After JB's departure?

Thank you for thw answers and, of course, for a forum where I can share these sensations. Talking about the Spider-ralaunch is almost forbidden "elsewhere"...

Francesco.  I too was dissapointed with the Spider-Man relaunch at the time.  No offense to John but, like you, it didn't seem like a re-launch at all.  It seemed like Marvel decided on a re-launch of Spider-Man and then didn't have the stones to actually go through with it and truly start the book over from a new place.  The stories picked up exactly where they left off whereas I was expecting something like what John did with Superman.

However, I recently re-read all of those issues and was pleasently surprised with how much better thay were that I remembered.  There were some problems (the constant dialogue about how old Mary Jane and Peter where got a little old after a while) but the art was excellent and the stories intruiging.  Whilst it wasn't perfect it was a least an attempt to get back to the Peter Parker of the early seventies. 

John has mentioned that he and Howard Mackie were really close to having Peter just wake up back in high school and there's a part of me that wishes they had gone it that direction but in the whole I consider Spider-Man to be a great "forgotten" chapter in John's career.  It's also a great source of "his old stuff was better comments" whereas, if people actually read those issues with an open mind they would see a Spider-Man much closer to the tone of Lee/Ditko/Romita than what is currently being published.

Andy

You know, this thread makes me think about my all time favorite JB Spidey work. It was an Amazing Spider-Man annual, I forget which number at the moment, but it featured Doc Ock, and I remember it fondly. To this day it stands in my head as one of the best Spidey stories of all time. I remember it had a pretty cool Keith Pollard cover too.

Gee...whatever happened to Keith Pollard? He seemed to be one of Marvels "go to" cover artists back in the day, and one of thier mainstay artists in general. I really liked his stuff.

Chris, this is the story you are talking about:

The story in that issues was the "Doc Ock, Crime Boss" version of the character, which I never cared for. When Wolfman asked me who I would like to have as the villain in the story, I said "Doctor Octopus!" *, thinking I'd get the guy I remembered from my reading days. No such luck. But, hey! It was a Spider-Man story, so I got to draw him a lot!**


* Actually (!!) I said "Mysterio". But I was told a Mysterio story was already in the works, so I asked for my second favorite Spider-Man villain.

**Something to file under "All Inkers are EVIL! EVIL, do you hear??": That story included a scene in Peter Parker's new (and incredibly dingy) apartment. I pulled out reference, and drew exactly what we'd seen of the place in Spider-Man's regular titles. This included a poster on the wall that said "Every Day in Every Way I'm Getting Better and Better." (Yeah, I know. pleh). Terry changed this to a STAR WARS poster. Guess who caught the flak in the mail?

(That was the "how wrong can we get Parker's apratment?" annual. There was also a page that showed the "layout" of the place, as a "special feature" in the back. It showed a 2 room apartment, with a separate bedroom, despite the fact that Parker's quarters had been clearly established as a single room.)

Flavio:

QUOTE: This may disappoint fans who got used to an "everything you know is a lie" approach or sundry pyrotechnics every four issues (no criticism meant to Francesco here).

Don't worry: JB usually does what I want to see in a comic book, and this happened in AMAZING and CHAPTER ONE, too, even if not since the beginning.

John Byrne: "You seem to be confusing a relaunch with a reboot.
What Howard, JR and I were doing was not
intended to be the latter."

You are correct, sir!  Sorry.  Reboot, relaunch, retcon...  I've been reading comics for 20 years and still get the terminology confused!  I think this is why I was initially disapointed - I wanted you to do with Spider-Man what you did with Superman.  Just out of interest, if you wish to divulge, what was your brief from Marvel on this project?

Andy

(Incidentally, CHAPTER ONE was not originally intended to be a part of this process. As presented to me, CO was meant to be a kind of "Heroes Reborn" take on Spider-Man, set off to one side, to provide potential new readers with a way of getting caught up on Spider-Lore, while at the same time sprucing it up a bit, to make it seem more modern and cohesive. It was only after negative reaction started to come in -- via mail and the 'net, not via sales! -- that Marvel took the rather odd position of insisting CO was now the "official" backstory on Spider-Man. A position they would subsequently reverse, as the final shift to the fully fanboy-dominated ^^***** kicked in.)