PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN #92 - June 1998

Stuck in the Middle with You!

Credits:  Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita, Jr. (penciler), Scott Hanna (inks), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Dusk helps Trapster defeat a group of assassins known as the Waiters.  He tries to grow closer to Trapster, but is unable to get him to confess to Joey Z’s murder.  Eventually, Trapster declares that he has something to show Dusk.  He takes Dusk to one of Norman Osborn’s secret labs and threatens Osborn’s life.  When Dusk tries to talk him out of it, Trapster turns on him.  Dusk ends up with confessions from both Trapster and Osborn on tape, but his secret recorder is broken during his fight with Trapster.  When Trapster regains consciousness, Dusk convinces him to confess to Joey Z’s murder.  Trapster agrees, but keeps Osborn’s role a secret as a bargaining chip against him.

The Subplots:  Norman Osborn defends Peter when Professor Howard criticizes his work.  Aunt Anna is homesick for Florida.  Paul Stacy grows increasingly hostile.  Jill wonders if Paul’s taking his medication.  

Web of Continuity:  I believe Anna’s idle thoughts on Florida foreshadow her leaving the titles again.  (Although, I seem to recall her sticking around in the early reboot issues, so maybe the creators didn’t go through with it.)  Bizarrely, this issue implies that Aunt Anna is the one paying the mortgage on Aunt May’s old home.  Why wasn’t it left to Peter?

How Did This Get Published?:  It’s hard to choose which snippet of Mackie Robot Speak to highlight this issue.  Here’s a clunker from Jill:  “I’m fine, but…have you found out anything more about this Joey Z. and his connection to Spider-Man?  I feel as though we are so close to uncovering a clue to his involvement in Cousin Gwen’s death.”  And I feel as though no actual human being talks like this…

Review:  So…that’s the end of “Identity Crisis?”  Two of the other chapters showed Peter definitively giving up an alternate identity and embracing Spider-Man again, but we don’t even get that much in the final issue.  The resolution we do get is a rather feeble payoff, since the Trapster isn’t any better off at the end than he was before he teamed up with Dusk, and he hasn’t had a convincing arc that sells the idea of him confessing anything.  Are we to believe that he’s really any safer from Osborn in prison?  What kind of a resolution is this?  And there’s little else in the issue to redeem the lame ending.  The issue opens with Dusk and Trapster vs. the Waiters, joke assassins that dress like actual waiters, but with idiotic face paint and haircuts.  After that, Mackie touches base with the Stacys, the fruitless Professor Howard subplot reappears, Peter and MJ have a brief moment, and there’s a small attempt to flesh out the Trapster as a character.  There is a one-page conversation between Dusk/Spider-Man and Trapster that leads me to believe that maybe Mackie was on to something and could’ve developed the Trapster into a more believable character, but that promise was short-lived.  I will say that MJ is more likable, by the standards of this title, during her scenes this issue.  She’s still nagging Peter, this time about money, but she doesn’t come across as abrasive and out-of-character as she has in previous Mackie stories.  And the revelation that Paul Stacy apparently has some kind of mental problems does at least explain his erratic behavior since his introduction.  It’s odd that it’s taken over a year to get this revelation, though.

Overall, I have to say that “Identity Crisis” goes down as one of the lesser events in Spidey history.  It’s not offensively dumb, and it’s gimmicky in an entertaining way, but the execution is sloppy all around.  Apparently, no one was paying close attention to the final product, since story points repeat endlessly throughout the event, and the continuity between chapters is often shoddy.  Three of the four new personas are considered potential employees by Norman Osborn!  How did that idea get repeated once, let alone twice?  And is there a reading order to these issues that makes any sense?  Some chapters end in cliffhangers, others don’t.  Major characters, like the Trapster, inexplicably disappear and reappear in-between chapters.  Major plot points are introduced and forgotten by the next chapter.  (Shouldn’t Peter be concerned now that the Black Tarantula is targeting his wife?)  Granted, there are some fun moments in the storyline, and at times the event did manage to break up some of the era’s monotony, but almost every chapter reads like a rough draft.  I think readers have a reasonable expectation of consistency when buying into a linewide event like this, and that’s something the spider-office did not deliver.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #435 - June 1998

Fun’n Games with the Four Star Squad!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inks), Bob Sharen (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  As Dusk, Peter spies on Roughhouse and Bloodscream, who are on a secret mission for Black Tarantula.  Later, as Ricochet, he teams up with Delilah to confront them.  During their fight, Bloodscream nearly kills Delilah.  To throw his opponents off guard, Peter quickly changes into all four of his identities during the fight.  Finally, in his Hornet guise, Peter defeats Roughhouse and Bloodscream.  In exchange for his freedom, Bloodscream gives Peter info on Black Tarantula’s plans.  Peter’s stunned when Bloodscream hands him a photo of MJ and her friends.

The Subplots:  Peter notices Chesbro from the ESU campus when he invades Roughhouse and Bloodscream’s hideout.  While meeting with Black Tarantula, Fortunato recalls the legend of an associate of Marco Polo who discovered martial arts in Asia, studied with the Hand, and learned the secret of immortality.  Meanwhile, Kaine attacks the Scriers sect in Euboea.  Later, Robbie looks for Alison Mongrain at the hospital, but she’s gone.  He does see a Scrier being wheeled in, carrying the mark of Kaine.

Web of Continuity:  Spider-Man’s already given up the Hornet ID at this point, since this story explicitly follows his battle with the Vulture, yet he’s still concerned with establishing the Hornet as a hero this issue.

I Love the ‘90s:  Delilah refers to Roughhouse and Bloodscream as “Beavis and Butthead” (sic).  Later, Ricochet asks to be sent to next Thursday after Roughhouse knocks him “into next week” so that he can catch the latest ER.

“Huh?” Moment:  MJ is amused that Peter has chosen to pretend to be a criminal in two of his four new guises.  He did?  I’m assuming the idea was that Dusk would also be branded an outlaw, due to his team-up with Trapster, but this hasn’t been conveyed in the stories yet.

Review:  The hook this issue is seeing Peter use all four new identities during the story, which doesn’t sit well with the continuity of the other titles; honestly, I'm not surprised at this point.  I think it was inevitable that someone would do this story, but it probably should’ve been saved for the final chapter of the crossover.  Doing it as the second Ricochet chapter leaves the Ricochet persona with barely anything to do, since so much of the story has to accommodate the other three identities.  Ultimately, what did the creators get out of Ricochet?  His alleged criminal ties certainly amounted to nothing.  He gets a team-up with Delilah, which is something Spider-Man would’ve done anyway in order to stop Black Tarantula, and there’s really nothing else there.  What else could be said about the issue…?  This Black Tarantula material remains tedious, DeFalco’s dialogue is occasionally stuck in the Silver Age, and Joe Bennett’s art occasionally still has that awkward inhuman quality to it.  So, nothing new.  Fans of the Clone Saga were surely freaking out, though, to see the return of Kaine.  And when that’s the highlight of your issue, you should know you’re in trouble.  (By the way, many of the panels I've posted lately come from the Green Goblin's Hideout, which is a great fansite dedicated to Norman Osborn). 

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #28 - June 1998

Hornet’s Nest

Credits:  Todd Dezago (script, plot), Mike Wieringo (pencils, plot), Richard Case (inks), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  The Human Torch is bothered by the Hornet’s cryptic comments regarding Spider-Man, but changes his mind after meeting the Hornet in person.  As the Hornet, Peter agrees to a press conference being held by Norman Osborn.  Osborn gives the Hornet a check for $25,000, which he immediately asks to be donated to Hope’s school.  The Vulture interrupts the event and attacks the Hornet, claiming Hornet’s stolen his chance to kill Spider-Man.  During their fight, Vulture deduces that Hornet really is Spider-Man.  He shouts the information to the crowd shortly before Hornet knocks him out.

The Subplots:  Billy Walters tells Peter not to bother trying to be his friend again.  Hope signs to Peter his signature web-shooting sign, leading him to believe she knows his secret.

Web of Continuity:  Billy tells Peter that he was “alone a lot” as a kid and hasn’t made any friends in New York.  I don’t think we learn anything else about his past.  Billy was obviously intended to become a major supporting character, but he’s dropped as soon as Todd Dezago leaves the titles.  As for where this story fits into the larger "Identity Crisis" storyline...don't ask.

Creative Differences:  The name of the Lothridge School for the Deaf has been hand-corrected.

Review:  Once again, “Identity Crisis” is an obvious gimmick, but Sensational manages to have fun with the idea.  The story doesn’t just coast on the novelty of seeing Spider-Man in a different persona, there’s actual thought put into how to create interesting scenarios for this new identity.  Little moments, such as Peter trying to figure out where to hide the much bulkier, heavier costume, are nice, and just seeing the joy Peter feels when Osborn tries to adopt the Hornet as his own personal hero is great.  Of course, that joy is short lived since the Vulture ruins everything, but that’s just classic Spidey.  The subplots and personal life scenes are also handled well, with MJ acting thankfully non-shrewish and Billy Walters being a little more likeable.  The prospect of Hope knowing Peter’s secret ID also adds some much-needed tension to the title.  The cameo scenes by other heroes are also fun, aside from being a clever excuse to see Wieringo’s interpretation of other corners of the Marvel Universe.  It’s a shame we never saw a ‘Ringo run on Marvel Team-Up.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #258 - June 1998

Man of the People

Credits:  Glenn Greenberg (writer), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Prodigy uses his spider-sense to see through Mad Jack and Conundrum’s illusions.  After Mad Jack escapes, Prodigy discovers that Conundrum only wanted the Hand of Mumthazi and has no interest in Tabriaz.  Prodigy intimidates Conundrum into revealing Tabriaz’s location.  While there, he’s attacked by Mad Jack.  Norman Osborn arrives with his armed guards.  One of them, Kenneth, shoots and apparently kills Mad Jack.  With the Hand of Mumthazi recovered, Tabriaz rescued, Conundrum in custody, and Mad Jack dead, Osborn is pleased.  His mood is disrupted, however, when Prodigy announces at a news conference that he’s found a Spider-Man suit at Conundrum’s hideout, implicating him as the impostor Spider-Man that beat Norman Osborn.  Later, the Daily Bugle clears Spider-Man.  Peter returns to his original alter ego, while Norman Osborn has a secret meeting with Mad Jack.  

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  

• This story has to be set “in-between the pages” of Peter Parker, Spider-Man #92 and Amazing Spider-Man #435-436, since the Trapster has already confessed to Joey Z’s murder by the time Prodigy has his press conference.
• Mad Jack was in on Norman Osborn’s scheme from the beginning.  He accepts Osborn’s payment (previously, he burned the money) and explains that faking his death will help him move in the shadows.  Osborn claims that the recent events will make him more of a public hero and will place Ambassador Chaliz in his debt.
• According to Norman Osborn, Ambassador Chaliz is an old friend, and his family was among the few who knew he was still alive while hiding out in Europe.
• This issue makes it clear that Conundrum’s ransom note to Ambassador Chaliz demanded they meet at Maquire’s bar, which is how Prodigy knew where to find him last issue.  Why both Conundrum and Mad Jack have a connection to the bar isn’t revealed.

Forever Young:  Peter’s response to meeting the beautiful Tabriaz would seem to be an attempt to reinsert a bit of “girl trouble” in the title (although he does at least feel guilty for noticing how pretty she is.)

Review:  Glenn Greenberg is credited as the “incoming writer,” although I think it was already known within Marvel that Spectacular would be cancelled soon.  Greenberg’s previous work in Unlimited and his prose stories lead me to believe that he’s a respectable choice to be taking over this title, even if it is only for a few issues.  Debuting as the guy playing clean-up on a two-parter taking place within a larger event, however, isn’t going to be the best showcase of anyone’s talents.  

Both Greenberg and Ross do a competent job closing the story out, but it’s hard to say that there’s anything particularly exciting going on.  The villains are defeated, the girl is rescued, Spider-Man’s name is cleared, Norman Osborn maintains his public image, and not a single mystery involving Mad Jack and Conundrum is resolved.  (Even with Mad Jack “dead,” there’s no effort to take his mask off and discover his true identity.  Spider-Man doesn’t seem curious about his body at all, actually.)  The status quo simply reverts back to normal, with only a small amount of hand-wringing on Spider-Man’s part for planting evidence at Conundrum’s hideout.  Initially, this seemed like too much of a copout ending, although now that I think about it, I can understand why the creators wanted to end the bounty storyline cleanly.  Spider-Man is guilty of beating Osborn, but it’s inconvenient story-wise for the Daily Bugle to have a bounty on him forever, so there has to be some kind of closure.  So, I accept that Spider-Man has to be cleared in some way for the beating, but I question the execution.  As I mentioned, Spider-Man feels a bit guilty about implicating Conundrum in the attack, but he’s over it by the final page.  Ultimately, that small amount of guilt is the only price he pays for losing his temper and attacking Osborn, which is letting Spidey off too easily.  I also question his willingness to plant evidence implicating anyone, even a villain, for a crime he didn’t commit.  If Spider-Man were to make a dubious moral choice like that, it seems like something he would angst over for at least a few issues.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #257 - May 1998

Prodigy

Credits:  J. M. DeMatteis (writer), Luke Ross (penciler), Al Milgrom & Dan Green (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Prodigy, Peter Parker’s newest alter ego, foils an attempt by Conundrum’s men to kidnap Ambassador Chaliz.  Unbeknownst to Prodigy, the event was staged to draw attention away from the kidnapping of Chaliz’s daughter, Tabriaz.  Conundrum announces his ransom demand for Tabriaz, the priceless Hand of Mumthazi.  Ambassador Chaliz is unable to deliver the Hand because it’s recently been stolen from a museum by Mad Jack.  Prodigy promises Chaliz that he’ll rescue his daughter.  Meanwhile, Conundrum confronts Mad Jack in an abandoned bar.  Prodigy arrives and interrupts their fight.  To his shock, they team up against him and shrink him to a doll’s size.

The Subplots:  Flash, who’s now officially dating Betty, reflects on how well his life is going.  Anna Watson gives Peter the details of her affair during her first marriage.  She was married to struggling radio drama writer Jacob Hilliard when she fell for singer Johnny Diplama.  Consumed by guilt, she left California and was taken in by Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

Web of Continuity:  

• Billy Walters is portrayed as a photographer during the opening of the issue.  A line of dialogue later clarifies he wants to be a reporter, however.
• The mysterious Conundrum makes his debut.
• There’s a ridiculous amount of cryptic hints regarding both Conundrum and Mad Jack this issue.  Conundrum supposedly has no knowledge of his past life, but does seek guidance through meditation from his deceased “master.”  Later, Mad Jack claims that he taught Conundrum most of his tricks.  Mad Jack, we discover, has a bond with the abandoned bar Maquire’s (also the name of his cat), dwells on the “torments of his past,” has a connection to Conundrum through an “old man,” and has a “romantic streak” according to Conundrum.

I Love the ‘90s:  Flash’s three guesses for Betty when she plays the “Guess Who?” game with him:  Courtney Love, Kate Winslet, and Fiona Apple.

Production Note:  Numerous lettering mistakes this issue.  The title is on the wrong side of the opening splash page, omniscient third person captions show up in quotation marks, lines of dialogue repeat in one panel, and the final splash page bungles Mad Jack’s gigantic word balloons.

Review:  The credits page acknowledges that this is J. M. DeMatteis’ final issue, but I wonder if he even knew this when writing the story.  I’d like to think that he wouldn’t introduce yet another mystery character, drop more fruitless hints regarding Mad Jack’s identity, and leave on a cliffhanger in his final issue.  It’s a shame that the J. M. DeMatteis and Luke Ross era of Spectacular had to end like this, with so much unrealized potential.  There were a few rough spots during this stint, but the signs of a potentially classic run were there.  A more polished Ross and a more focused DeMatteis, working on material that could gel within the confines of a franchise comic, would’ve produced some great Spidey stories.  Stories that, perhaps, could’ve brought some fans back to Spider-Man without all of the hype surrounding a reboot.  Instead, Spectacular was left to practically languish with no support from the rest of the franchise.  The events of this title should’ve been felt across the line, but the “hands off” policy of the era instead left one book attempting to tell bold Spider-Man stories and three other titles that often read like fill-ins.  And with Spectacular cancelled, the readers are stuck with numerous plot threads left dangling and mysteries that will only end in even more frustrating resolutions.

As the introduction of the fourth false identity, “Prodigy” is a fairly average chapter in the “Identity Crisis” event.  To be honest, I suspect J. M. DeMatteis wasn’t overly thrilled by the crossover but is playing along and trying to make the best out of the concept.  The hook for Prodigy is that he’s based on the classic superheroes from the comics Peter found in Uncle Ben’s attic.  That means he acts and speaks like a Silver Age DC superhero, “square-jawed, decent, uncomplicated -- and everyone seems to loves him!”  He’s the hero Peter wishes he could be, were he not plagued by self-doubt and rotten luck.  It’s a solid starting place for an idea, but intentionally making the character generic is a risky move.  Of the four identities, Prodigy arguably has the least interesting visual and powers (he can fly, somehow, and that seems to be it).  I also question why the concept of Norman Osborn adopting Prodigy as his personal hero, and weapon against Spider-Man, is showing up again when it’s already being used for the Hornet in Sensational.  How did no one catch this?  There’s also the dubious arrival of Prodigy at the story’s end, when he’s magically able to locate the villains in time for the issue’s climax.  This month’s Peter Parker, Spider-Man already used that specific plot convenience.  These event stories require tight editing, which is not a hallmark of this era of Spidey.  Finally, there’s the introduction of Conundrum, the mystery villain that Spectacular absolutely did not need at this time.  I give credit to Luke Ross for the visual, a bizarre Arabic puzzle mask that folds like a Rubik’s cube, but there’s more than enough cryptic, unexplained behavior in this book right now.  Unless Conundrum is being introduced as a means to unravel the Mad Jack mystery, he’s best left on the shelf for a while.

PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN #91 - May 1998

Undercover

Credits:  Howard Mackie (writer), John Romita, Jr. (penciler), Scott Hanna (inks), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  The Trapster now has a price on his head, so that no loose ends remain from the framing of Spider-Man.  He defeats a group of Hand ninjas, but is soon targeted by Shocker.  Meanwhile, during a secret meeting at a cemetery, Detective Snipes and Arthur Stacy convince Spider-Man to approach the Trapster in a different identity and convince him to confess.  As Dusk, Spider-Man rescues the Trapster from Shocker.  He explains that he’s also been targeted by Norman Osborn and the two agree to team up.

The Subplots:  Jill has returned to school.  MJ is increasingly aggravated by the stress caused by Peter’s life as Spider-Man.

Forever Young:  MJ, twice in the same panel, spontaneously declares she’s too young for this stress.  She then repeats the “too young” claim a few pages later.  This is the beginning of an irritating theme that continues into the reboot -- Peter and MJ keep claiming they’re “too young” for anything that happens to them.  The creators also hammer home the idea that they were too young to get married.  Never mind that just a few weeks before this issue was published, Peter’s college days were established as being nine years ago in one story produced by the same office.  

I Love the ‘90s:  MJ’s just going to wait around for Peter until she grows old…NOT!

Review:  PPSM is often the weakest of the four monthly titles, but I was hoping that “Identity Crisis” could bring something out of the book.  Given that this title served as impetus for the event, and is the one dealing with the Trapster, it’s not outrageous to expect a bit more from its contributions to the storyline.  Instead, we get this half-hearted effort.  Yes, the art is as solid as ever, but I could nitpick this story for days.  Cliché elements that I can’t stand, like the Hand being dismissed as pathetic, disposable foes.  MJ acting even more unlikable than usual in a Mackie story.  (Even though this seems to be an intentional choice in order for Peter and MJ to have a heart-to-heart, at the end she’s still as irritable and petulant as she was before the conversation.)  Lazy plotting, such as Dusk being able to magically find the Trapster.  Jill just popping up fine and dandy after being near death an issue or so ago.  Lazy scripting, such as the art and script disagreeing on the spelling of “Cypress Hills” in one scene.  Lifeless dialogue, with no real personality for any character.  

And Dusk, so far, is the least interesting of the new identities, even if John Romita, Jr. succeeds in making a black void look cool.  We’ve seen some attempt to tie Spider-Man’s unique traits into his other identities, but Dusk really is just a void.  With no personality and not much of a gimmick, he’s just kind of there.  It could be argued that Spider-Man’s powers enable him to be stealthier than the average hero, which I suppose is Dusk’s hook, but the issue doesn’t communicate the idea at all.  Instead, it’s Spider-Man in black pajamas, switching identities because that’s what the story demands.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #434 - May 1998

‘Round and ‘Round with Ricochet!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inks), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Peter debuts his Ricochet persona, spontaneously deciding that he’ll pretend to be a criminal seeking a cut of the crimes he’s stopping.  He’s stalked by Delilah, who asks him to join her in her war against Black Tarantula.  Ricochet reluctantly agrees.  Meanwhile, Robbie and Martha Robertson take a vacation to the island of Euboea.  Unbeknownst to Martha, Robbie and a mystery figure are investigating Norman Osborn.  Nearby, Alison Mongrain meets the Secret Order of Scriers on Osborn’s yacht.  After taking a mystery object from her, they destroy the yacht.  A shadowy figure observes the bombing.  Robbie watches as an injured Alison is later rescued in the water.

The Subplots:  Black Tarantula and the Rose meet with Fortunato to make peace.  Meanwhile, Chesbro continues to spy on Professor Caches.  MJ and Shantal are shocked to discover Caches has a son.  When Chesbro reports back to Black Tarantula, he declares that vengeance is his real reason for entering New York City.

Web of Continuity:  Delilah repeats the claim that Black Tarantula is immortal.

I Love the ‘90s:  The issue opens with Ricochet stopping a group of criminals from robbing a shipment of “Bear Babies,” which is a takeoff on the Beanie Babies.  Later, Ricochet tells Delilah that approaching strange women is usually too “Bill Clintonish” for him.

Review:  The Green Ninjas are gone, but Tom DeFalco still can’t let go of this Black Tarantula nonsense.  The very first chapter of this storyline (well over a year ago at this point) showed promise, but since then it’s all gone downhill.  I admire DeFalco’s determination to finish what he’s started (unlike some of the spinoffs of this era, Amazing isn’t going to be wrapping up with a dozen dangling plotlines), but every time I see Rose, Delilah, and/or Black Tarantula, my eyelids start to get very, very heavy.  Is any reader particularly invested in whether it’s Rose or Black Tarantula who runs New York’s mobs?  Does anyone care about Black Tarantula’s custody battle with his ex-wife, Professor Caches?  Why are we still getting these tedious stories?

When the issue isn’t dwelling on the gang war monotony, DeFalco finally advances the ongoing storyline that people do care about.  Whether or not Alison Mongrain has the Parkers’ baby is the kind of question that shouldn’t have been pushed into the background, especially when the main plots have been such utter bores.  I suspect we’re only checking in on Alison again because the word’s come down that a reboot is coming, but at least it’s an excuse to get away from this Black Tarantula tedium.  The plot consists of the Scriers taking a mystery “something,” blowing up the yacht for no clear reason, and Alison surviving in one of those only-in-comics type escapes.  Also, two different mystery figures shrouded in darkness appear.  So, it’s a bit of a mess.  (And Joe Bennett seems to think “a shadowy figure” means someone literally made of darkness.)  I do like Robbie Robertson’s role in this, however.  It’s nice to see Robbie, and presumably Jonah, doing something to proactively undermine Norman Osborn.  Their contributions to the stories have consisted of being threatened or nagged at for far too many months now.

Oh, yeah.  Ricochet also debuts this issue.  Ricochet’s gimmick plays off Spider-Man’s agility, which is fair enough.  He also uses tiny discs in battle, which is logical given the other devices Peter has devised during his crime fighting career.  There still isn’t that much to the character, which is probably why DeFalco has added the idea that Ricochet is pretending to be a criminal in order to get closer to the underworld.  Overall, it’s not a bad concept.  It’s just too bad he has to debut in yet another chapter of this insufferable gang war storyline.

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #27 - May 1998

Inventing the Hornet!

Credits:  Todd Dezago (script/co-plot), Mike Wieringo (pencils/co-plot), Richard Case (inks), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man uses an anti-gravity harness developed by Hobie Brown as the basis for his new costumed identity -- The Hornet.  He soon discovers the Looter robbing the Daily Bugle’s safe.  Flash Thompson also stumbles upon the Looter and is taken hostage.  Hornet uses his quick wits to rescue Flash and apprehend the Looter.  Norman Osborn, impressed by his actions, offers the Hornet a place on his team.  The Hornet flies away.  Watching the press coverage outside the Bugle, the Vulture is incensed when the Hornet claims that no one will have to worry about Spider-Man now.

The Subplots:  Peter tests out the anti-gravity harness by giving MJ a ride through the sky.  When it’s clogged by bird feathers, they nearly crash.  Later, Billy Walters is stood up again by Peter when he goes into action as the Hornet against the Looter.

Web of Continuity:  The "stingers" Peter uses as the Hornet are the ones Ben Reilly designed as the Scarlet Spider.

I Love the ‘90s:  Billy calls the large shadow he sees in the sky (presumably the Vulture) “X-Files freaky.”  Later, Billy watches a news promo that says they’ll have the latest on the Hornet, “tonight following E. R.”  There are also references to Seinfeld reruns and Conan airing in late night, but that’s still true as I write this today.

We Get Letters:  An irate fan writes in response to a rumor in Wizard that claimed that Peter and MJ will soon divorce.  The editorial response doesn’t give a real answer, but it is worth noting, since it provides the first hint that a relaunch is coming:  “But we can say that we have been having a number of very serious conversations with a number of very interesting people about the future of the webhead.  Conversations that my render any upcoming stories or ideas quite moot.”  

Gimmicks:  All of the initial “Identity Crisis” covers are actually double-covers.  One with Spider-Man and one with the new identity.  The cover price remains the same.  You can view an archive of every cover on the I Love Comic Covers blog.

Review:  After a month of teasing, “Identity Crisis” finally begins.  I remember the initial response to the solicitation hype was tepid to say the least, but the titles gained positive word of mouth as the months progressed.  The only positive word of mouth I can recall the Spider-Man books receiving during this time, to be honest.  I have no real affection for any of the alternate identities, but I can’t say any of them particularly bother me either.  I recognize this as a gimmicky event storyline from the get-go, and I don’t think there’s any attempt by the creators to hide this fact, which is admirable.  It’s a fun diversion for a few months, and that’s a decent enough justification.  Within the context of the story, there’s no real reason for Peter to suddenly adopt four new identities (one would clearly do if his goal is simply to avoid being Spider-Man), but I can see the appeal of giving him a different persona in each spinoff.  It’s a creative use of the multi-title format, and it’s a clever way to have the titles connect with one another without directly crossing over.

Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo open the event with yet another reminder of how much they love the Looter.  I liked their previous use of the villain, although I think they take his obsession with his precious meteor too far this issue, indicating that he genuinely loves the rock and is now treating it like a high school crush.  It’s too silly to come across as creepy, yet not funny enough to justify the diversion into surrealism.  The light-hearted tone works better in other areas, thankfully, such as the playful narrator.  Narrators in superhero comics are usually boring or pretentious, on the rare occasion they appear anymore, so it’s a relief to see someone try to make the narrative captions special.   My favorite bit is when the narrator switches to the wrong flashback by mistake.  Sensational, at its best, is a book with personality, and that’s on display this issue.

Regarding the Hornet identity, the creators do put some effort into making the new persona remain unique to Peter Parker.  Hobie could never use the anti-grav harness as the Prowler, but Spider-Man’s super-strength can carry the excessive weight without a problem.  Ben Reilly already adopted the use of stingers, so it’s logical that Peter would revive them.  And I suppose it could be argued that spider-powers and hornet-powers would both allow Peter to move like an insect, so there’s no big stretch there.  I do think it’s strange that Peter is making very obvious statements as the Hornet that indicate a connection between him and Spider-Man, which would seem to undermine the entire point of the story.  This could perhaps be dismissed if done as a quick joke, but instead it becomes a major plot point, leading into the next issue’s Vulture story.