The Spider and the Sea-Scourge!

You know what’s weird? I might be crazy, but I don’t see any credits for this issue. I looked them up online.

Namor, the Sub-Mariner, has been busting up equipment in the ocean. Good for him.

Spidey finally checks out the docks and Deb Whitman’s uncle, which she asked Pete to do long ago. Uncle Whitman has a contract with the government to setup equipment in the ocean, but his crew is scared because of Namor’s activities. Spider-Man, being his usual helpful self, beats up the crew and chases them off. Then he leaves when Uncle Whitman asks him for help.

The next day Deb shows up at school whining about the whole thing, and Pete decides he better stop being a bitch and go help out. He becomes a crew member onboard the ship, along with some other crew members who apparently came back or something.

So we get Spider-Man vs. Namor in a battle on the high seas. Spider-Man actually kicks the crap out of Namor, which is pretty cool and unexpected. Eventually they finally sit down and have a chat and work things out amicably, with Namor helping the surface dwellers find a better spot for their gizmos.

This reads a little like an issue of Team-Up, though not as crappy.

Rating:

buy on amazon.com: single issue or dvd collection

The Prophecy of Madame Web!

Here’s what I said when I saw the cover: “Ooooh, Madame Web! Awesome.” That cover and character design are seriously great.

The issue starts with Rupert Dockery, scumbag, instructing some goons to kidnap a lady and kill anybody that gets in the way. This is a new low, even for Dockery.

We then cut to Pete Parker, who is hanging with Deb Whitman as she heads to meet with a psychic, one Madame Web. Pete dismisses Web as “a garden-variety fraud” and leaves Deb to go to a meeting at the Globe. When he gets there he finds the Globe under lock down — nobody allowed into the editorial department before 5PM. Being the dastardly rule-breaker he is, Peter scoffs at this, changes into his Spidey duds, and heads on up anyways.

Up in editorial, Dockery is meeting with some bigwigs and introduces KJ Clayton, reclusive publisher of the Globe. She claims that she has finally come out of hiding in order to turn the paper over to Dockery. Just then, the masked goons we saw Dockery chatting with earlier burst into the meeting room. They move to grab Clayton, as Dockery had previously instructed them, but are interrupted by Spider-Man crashing through the window.

Spidey is able to beat the heck out of most of the gunmen, but one manages to get away with Clayton. Luckily, someone drops a clue — a flyer for Madame Web, the same psychic Deb Whitman was going to see! Hmmm….

Spidey naturally heads straight over to Web’s apartment, and discovers that Madame Web is fucking cool:

Anyway, Madame Web wasn’t kidding about the psychic bit. Though blind, Web is able to identify the flyer Spidey has as belonging to a student of hers, Belinda Bell, who is a model and actress. She also says that Bell was in danger, and complicit in deceit involving a powerful woman named Katrinka Janice Clayton. Aha!

So, as I’m sure you can guess, Dockery hired Bell to pretend to be the mysterious KJ Clayton, who he knew nobody had seen before. Pretending to be Clayton, she would turn the newspaper over to Dockery. Dockery then also orchestrated Bell’s kidnapping (and eventual murder) to hide the evidence. Dockery’s last bit of nastery, we learn, is to wipe out the real KJ Clayton. When all is said and done, he will be in control of the Globe.

Luckily, though, Web also points Spidey in the right direction for finding everybody he’s after. He manages to save both Bell and Clayton and capture Dockery.

In the aftermath, KJ Clayton retires and shuts down the Globe and, as a consequence, Peter is out of a job. As he considers his options, Peter receives a phone call from Madame Web, who congratulates Spider-Man on his success! Yes, her psychic powers have informed her of Spider-Man’s secret identity and Peter’s phone number. She also tells him, though, that his money troubles will soon be over — and we cut to J Jonah Jameson attempting to call Pete and offer him a job, only to receive a busy signal!

This issue was great, dude. Good, fun story, excellent pacing and I really, really love Madame Web. The art is such a drastic step up from that Marvel Team-Up 101 issue I read, that it’s sort of shocking. And finally, I’m glad Dockery is finally out of the picture; I never really enjoyed his character much, and it’s nice to see the books moving forward.

Note: This Madame Web is not the same as the Madam web that appeared in that one Hostess comic.

Rating:

buy on amazon.com: single issue or dvd collection

Fusion!

This issue begins with a shoutout to the fans at Maplecon II in Ottawa for creating the Fusion premise. Hurray for CanCon! Boo for a terrible idea! Read on dear friends…

Spider-Man is back from his jaunt in Los Angeles. As he swings through Manhattan he decides to stop to help out at the scene of a car accident and traffic jam. Not a very exciting start, but not every issue can be super villains and apocalypse, I suppose. As is fairly predictable, Spidey’s attempt at help only angers those involved. He gets called a commie. You would think this scene might have something to do with the rest of the issue, but you’d be wrong.

Next we jump to a science lab, where we meet Hubert and Pinky Fusser, little-people twins. Hubert, a scientist at the lab, is rushing ahead with his research on an untested, unchecked sub-atomic particle accelerator, despite the warnings of his janitor brother, Pinky. As Hubert says, “surely nothing can go wrong.” Shockingly, though, there is “a burst of raw energy as hundred trillian (sic) name less (sic) specks of matter are unleashed”. This, naturally, results in Hubert and Pinky fusing together into a glowing mess of a man.

Cut to the Daily Globe, where Peter is late for an important meeting. We, and he, learn that Rupert Dockery – who you may remember as the owner of the Los Angeles Courier in Spider-Woman – has been brought in as the new circulation manager! (Note: although Peter knows of Dockery from his time in LA, that’s not something he can really let on about. He keeps his trap shut.) Pete also learns that Barney Bushkin has hired another photographer, one Lance Bannon. I smell trouble!

Peter, feeling sorry for himself, meets up with his Aunt May at some hospital where she’s visiting Anna Watson. At this point I, the reader, am crazy bored. Aunt May scenes have a tendency to be little more than filler lately, in my opinion. This is no exception really… after some chitchat, Pete’s spider sense starts to go nuts, and after finding a place to change, he eventually comes across the fused Fusser twins. It’s not clear why they are in a hospital terrorizing nurses. When Spidey attempts to talk Fusion up, he just leaps out the window.

Chase time! It turns out Fusion has the powers to expel huge amounts of kinetic energy when touched, and to absorb energy from things like falling or running into stuff, and also from engines and lights and stuff like that. It also turns out that, though they are fused, Pinky and Herbert can’t agree about what they should be doing and, in their disagreement, they actually can de-fuse and go their separate ways. However, they can’t get very far apart before they start suffering; I can’t tell if they’re in pain or what, but it’s not good. Kinda like that episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation when Picard and Dr. Crusher have those things and they can’t separate and then they can read each others’ thoughts and Beverly discovers that Picard has a huge boner for her. But I digress.

So anyway, they are de-fused and then they refuse and there’s this whole long stretch where Spider-Man really should have caught up them, but he doesn’t. Instead he just heads back to hang out with Aunt May and Anna Watson.

Later, Spidey eventually finds Fusion and tries to fight him. It doesn’t really work out. Also, the part that’s Hubert is all about staying fused and absorbing tons of energy and throwing Spidey around, but the Pinky part just wants to go home. So, you know, there’s internal conflict AND external conflict ALL AT ONCE. So anyway, the only way Spidey is actually able to defeat Fusion is by taking advantage of this internal conflict; he convinces Pinky to de-fuse with his brother and distance himself enough that they become weakened.

Once separated, we get this classic line from Spider-Man:

“They’re two harmless-looking midgets!”.

So that’s about it. A pretty lame-ass, boring conclusion to a pretty lame-ass boring issue. I guess the idea wasn’t terrible, but it was pretty clichéd and it certainly didn’t overcome that at all. The whole thing seems like it was banged out quickly and without much thought. Weak.

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Mesmero’s Revenge!

First the fashion industry, and now Broadway. Spidey’s really taking an interest in the arts. Unfortunately, though, this battle with Mesmero was once again a complete misfire. And what was with that drug dealer that kept showing up? Did he have a point?

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A Method in his Madness!

We finally find out what Jonas Harrow’s up to — he has developed a “mental attitude-response variator ray…a device which will drive men mad!” That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? He’s the one that cause J. Jonah Jameson to go batty, and presumably is causing the problems for Robbie Robertson too.

It actually takes awhile for Peter Parker, let alone Spider-Man, to show up in this issue. It’s an interesting choice, and it works! There hasn’t been much going on in Peter Parker’s world lately, and it’s nice to see some of his normal non-Spidey life (even if it’s still saturated with super villains).

I love when people fuck with Spidey’s mind, as long as it’s well-done. This issue was. Check out these two panels:

Hehe, whim-whams. And how about this bit of comedy gold:

That, along with gesundheit jokes, will always be a classic.

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…In Love and War!

So I guess Christmas has come and gone? If Pete’s going back to school?

Anyway, in this story we find out that the Black Cat is head-over-heels in love with Spidey, though in a kind of crazy, “I’ve lost my marbles” kind of way. Michelinie has a couple missteps, but overall I really liked what he did here.

Incidentally, I wouldn’t mind an explanation of why/how the Black Cat is alive, and how her bad luck powers work.

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The Black Cat Always Lands on Her Feet

The Black Cat reemerges… and it’s nice. Good, playful dialog between her and Spidey. The mysterious insanity that’s gripping J. Jonah Jameson and seemingly affecting Robbie Robertson — and how Jonas Harrow is involved — has also captured my interest.

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Bewitched, Bothered and Be-Dazzled!

I don’t know why, but I’ve really looking forward to the Dazzler. Is it because I know she’ll suck? Because I dislike (most) disco? No! It’s because she zips around on roller skates and turns music into light with a magic disco ball! WTFantastic!

This cover is amazing. Seriously. You know what else is amazing: Pete and the gang going to see Star Trek. Yeah, that’s right. ON THE WORLD’S TINIEST MOVIE SCREEN:

Wow, Star Trek on a 2.7″ screen. Hot.

So the action gets pretty lame…who cares? So the plots a stinker…big deal. This issue still has enough badassery to make it a fun read.

Rating:

One For Those Long Gone!

Not a super interesting episode, but Pollard and Mooney’s art was top-notch. The last few books I’ve read have looked really great.

Man-Hunt!

Apparently J. Jonah Jameson has had a nervous breakdown. Neat. This issue is mostly about Spidey and the Punisher going after some mob guy, and the Punisher suspecting that Peter Parker is up to something. There’s no resolution really, the story is continued in the next issue.

This might be in the wrong spot? Pete runs into MJ and says he hasn’t seen her in months. He just saw her in Spec 38 or something I think though. So that’s weird. Probably just a topical reference to the fact that she hasn’t appeared in ASM for months — at least, that’s what the Official Index claims.

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The Spider and the Burglar…A Sequel

Well, this is a big one! 200 issues of Amazing Spider-Man! Woo. A note on the splash says that Stan Lee wrote one page of the issue, which is pretty cool I guess. (I’m guessing it’s page 15.)

This was an awesome, epic, issue. Having Pete face off against the burglar again, and having him confront all his old fears, angers, anxieties was a welcome shot of adrenaline into the character. Pete’s been so morose lately, that it was nice to see everything come together for him in the end.

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Now You See Me! Now You Die!

Another boring Mysterio issue. I am curious what hidden treasure in the Parker home Mysterio and the Burglar are after, but mostly I just want this story to wrap up.

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Mysterio is Deadlier by the Dozen!

Except for JJJ having a nervous breakdown (or heart attack?), this was a fairly boring issue.

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The Kingpin’s Midnight Massacre!

Other than a brief Daily Bugle interlude, this whole issue is a fight in which the Kingpin kicks the crap out of Spidey. The only reason Spider-Man is alive at the end is because Kingpin chooses the love of his wife over vengeance against Spider-Man.

It was alright, I guess, but the fighting got kind of boring after awhile.

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Nine Lives Has the Black Cat!

This Black Cat issue wasn’t as good. The banter between the Cat and Spider-Man seemed more forced, and the story wasn’t really as interesting. The bits of the issue that were good were that Spidey broke his arm and that the Burglar convinced Aunt May’s nursing home to (falsely) inform Pete that Aunt May had died.

Rating:

Never Let the Black Cat Cross Your Path!

Alright, the Black Cat! This should be good, right? Right! This was a fun issue and the interplay between the Black Cat and Spidey was well-done. I’m really looking forward to more of Ms. Hardy.

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The Wings of the Fearsome Fly!

Well, this issue starts off with snow, which is quite surprising. What the hell month is it supposed to be? I suppose it’s probably near the end of summer at this point, since Peter has finished his summer school. So perhaps this is just a freak August / early September snowstorm?

Everything goes wrong for Pete in this issue: in addition to the snow, this issue starts with Peter wondering if JJJ looked under his Spidey mask (I assumed he hadn’t, but maybe I’m wrong). When Pete enters the Bugle, the first thing Jameson does is fire him. Even Robbie’s pissed at Pete. Later, Spidey gets beat the hell up by the Fly and MJ finally calls it quits with Pete after he blew the date the night before. When Peter turns to Betty for comfort, in prances Ned Leeds to belt him one!

All this makes Spidey go nuts, leading to the craziest panel in awhile:

To top everything off, The Fly is captured by the cops and S.H.I.E.L.D., and Spidey doesn’t even get to vent his rage on the dude.

This issue ends with one hell of a bombshell — the burglar that killed Uncle Ben is back!

Great issue!

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24 Hours till Doomsday!

This issue brought a surprise return of the Fly! I love that guy! He makes a mess of things as JJJ and Spidey tool around town trying to get Spencer Smythe’s bomb off their arms. Since Spidey is pre-occupied with not exploding he happens to miss not only a very important photography assignment, but also his last-shot date with Mary Jane.

This was an amazing issue. The whole bomb thing played out beautifully, with plenty of tension and boatloads of friction between Spidey and JJJ. I loved that Jonah had the opportunity to peek under Spidey’s mask, but instead took the high road and did the right thing.

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Wanted for Murder: Spider-Man!

Well, that didn’t take long, did it? It was only just recently that Spidey was cleared of all charges by the cops, and here is wanted for murder again — at least by J. Jonah Jameson.

The Spider-Slayer bit of this story was thankfully brief. This issue really served as mostly a setup for the next one, in which we can expect a major confrontation between Spidey and Jonah, and Peter and MJ.

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In Search of the Man-Wolf!

I guess Spidey wasn’t unconscious from the Man-Wolf’s blow, just stunned and “barely conscious”.

It turns out Spencer Smythe is behind a bunch of this lunacy (ha!), orchestrating the attacks by Chameleon, Electro and Man-Wolf. Smythe is pissed because he’s dying from Spider-Slayer-related radiation poisoning, and wants revenge on Jameson and Spidey.

At the end John Jameson dies! :O

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Mayhem by Moonlight!

Betty kisses the crap out of Peter in this issue. They probably have pop-pop in the attic after that. BUT PETER ISN’T EVEN INTERESTED IN BETTY. Boy, does our hero have girl troubles.

This was a pretty nice issue with a good pace. Having the Man-Wolf back makes sense, and I think the whole Jameson vs. his son thing could be interesting, even if it’s ground that’s been tread before.

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The Jigsaw Is Up!

alright, even with my big shift around, this is in the wrong spot. mary jane reacts harshly towards betty, which is completely contrary to their conversation in spectacular 27 — these two asm issues should come before those.

the whole jigsaw-as-terrified-wreck angle was kind of interesting, but overall this story was a dud.

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The Power of Electro!

Cool art in this one. It seemed really short for some reason, but maybe it just had a quick pace. It was a decent story about some kid with the Plague. Electro apparently dies, which is good — I like when characters die, if only because I like seeing how they’ll get revived later.

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Chaos is– the Chameleon!

There’s a panel here that references Doc Ock dying “last month off the New York coast” in “Mayhem in Manhattan…the Spidey novel.” WTF is this? There are novels that are considered canon? That’s bull, IMO. I’m going to assume that Wolfman just threw that in there because he was one of the writers, and that the book isn’t canon.

This issue is a pretty big milestone, because Spider-Man is officially cleared of all charges and suspicions by the DA and the police.

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The Graduation of Peter Parker

This story is supposedly about Peter’s graduation, but once he gets there he discovers — shock of all shocks — he is not graduating. At least not yet. It seems he forgot to take a gym class, and now he’ll have to make it up in the summer and graduate in September.

This was just filler and a tease. Why take away Pete’s graduation from him? From my point of view, it would have been nice to actually see him get through graduation successfully.

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