I don't see it that way at all. I'm on #503 and for the first time in a long time, Peter Parker is an interesting character. The supporting cast may be smaller at this point, but Peter's interactions with MJ and May feel very real and worth my emotional investment in their lives.
At some points in the ASM series when the cast was large, the book felt more superficial. Too many characters can sometimes mean a writer can only gloss over their interactions and relationships in an attempt to include everyone. JMS did a smart thing by shrinking the cast to be able to focus in on their deeper complexities. In a way, I see it as a natural progression. When we're young we all have a large circle of friends. Then as we get older, some friends fall away and we develop deeper, more complex relationships with the ones we grow older with.
My 2 cents.
Quote:
Amazing Spider-Man had a prominent supporting cast in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s... until JMS's run where it dwindled down to MJ and Aunt May, both of whom were privy to Peter's super-hero life. The focus shifted almost exclusively to Spider-Man the super-hero whilst Peter Parker, the ordinary guy with ordinary life problems was pushed to the sidelines.
