X-MEN Episode Thirty-Four - September 21, 1996

No Mutant is an Island

Written by Sandy Scesny

Summary:  Distraught over Phoenix’s death, Cyclops quits the X-Men and travels to his childhood home, the McNeil Orphanage.  He’s reunited with Sarah, a childhood friend who now runs the orphanage.  She reveals that local businessman Zebediah Kilgrave has adopted several children.  Cyclops is suspicious when Kilgrave’s latest foster-child, Rusty, refuses to return home with him.  Eventually, Cyclops discovers that Kilgrave is using his persuasion powers to gain political influence, and to brainwash his foster-children to join him as mutant supremacists.  Cyclops defeats Kilgrave, realizing he has a responsibility to use his powers to help others.  He returns to the X-Men, just as a Cerebro scan announces Phoenix is alive.

Continuity Notes:  

• Zebediah Kilgrave is the Purple Man, a villain from the early days of Daredevil that’s occasionally resurrected.  He covers his purple skin with makeup and gloves in the cartoon.
• Other mutants adopted by Kilgrave include Boom-Boom, Skids, and Wiz Kid (only referred to as “Taki” in the episode).  It’s an ’89 Handbook Update extravaganza.

“Um, Actually…”:  The name of Cyclops’ orphanage in the comics is “The State Home for Foundlings,” located in Nebraska.  Rusty is also much younger in the cartoon, as he appears to be thirteen at most in this episode.  Rusty’s first appearance in the comics involved him joining the Navy and almost hooking up with a prostitute.  Finally, Purple Man is not a mutant.

Saban Quality:  The animation in this episode is consistently wonky, but my favorite screw-up would be the fire hydrants in Cyclops’ hometown that are the size of beer cans.

Production Note:  A different version of this episode, one with numerous animation corrections, aired in Europe.  Also, the closing credits are back to the montage.

Review:  Boy, this was certainly worth waiting two years for, wasn’t it?  Yes, we’ve finally reached “No Mutant is an Island,” the infamous episode that screwed up the X-Men’s animated continuity forever, and has the distinction of being perhaps the only episode animated in China.  I can’t imagine what exactly is in this episode that generated two years worth of corrections, since it’s one of the most pedestrian plots in the history of the series.  The credits list “Hung Ying, China” as the animation studio, which is presumably the Hong Ying Animation I see listed online.  It’s my understanding that Chinese animation was considered the lowest of the dregs back in the ‘90s.  Considering the budget the show was often forced to deal with, I can’t say I’m shocked X-Men eventually ended up in China, but it is surprising that one of the rare episodes with a significant continuity point from this era was sent to this studio.  I will say that, as odd as the episode often looks, there is a bounce to the animation that the AKOM episodes usually lack.  And the X-Men gathering for Phoenix’s wake in the opening don’t look so bad; off-model, but not ridiculously so.  As the episode progresses, however, it’s clear that this style doesn’t suit an action cartoon at all, and the number of animation errors is simply ridiculous.

As for the plot, it’s one more Cyclops story that finds him in a small town from his past that’s holding a secret, with yet another evil Xavier analogue that’s turning mutants against humans as the villain.  Did anyone not notice the similarities between this plot and the “Secrets…” episode?  Is this really the only Cyclops story the producers could conceive?  This is Cyclops’ mourning episode, yet he spends very little time reacting to Jean’s “death” and most of the episode dealing with this sub-Matlock level plot involving a corrupt businessman, the governor, and the construction of a hydroelectric dam.  Introducing Sarah as a potential new love interest is also an odd choice, given that Cyclops has just left Jean’s memorial and the producers knew she was going to be revived in the episode’s final scene anyway.  It is fun to see some more mutants you’d never expect to see appear in the cartoon, and Norm Spencer delivers one of his better Cyclops performances, but why are we getting another Cyclops in a small town story, with yet another obscure villain that X-fans probably don’t even recognize?  If Rusty and Skids are going to be introduced, why not make Stryfe the story’s villain?  This is a Cyclops story, after all, so he’d actually be perfect.

Credit to http://marvel.toonzone.net/xmen/ for the screencaps.

X-MEN Episode Forty-Seven - September 14, 1996

 

A Deal with the Devil

Written by Eric Lewald

Summary:  The Navy revives the body of Omega Red and assigns him a mission.  Due to his knowledge of Soviet access codes and his immunity to radiation, Omega Red is the only person qualified to salvage a disabled USSR nuclear submarine that’s dangerously close to Pearl Harbor.  Omega Red demands Wolverine and Storm join him.  The two X-Men don radiation suits and reluctantly go with Omega Red.  Soon, Omega Red disobeys orders and launches the submarine’s missiles at major cities around the globe.  Rogue and Beast, flying nearby in the Blackbird, destroy the missiles.  Rogue enters the sub and rescues her teammates.  Omega Red is left in the listing sub, which has fallen to the bottom of a trench.

Continuity Notes:  The X-Men appearing this episode are Xavier, Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and Rogue.  The implication this episode is that the government knows about the Xavier School’s secret, although it’s possible that in the cartoon’s continuity, this information is kept confidential by their ally President Kelly.

Creative Differences:  Eric Lewald on writing this episode: “I was so busy trying to keep the whole project going in the right direction that there wasn’t much time to assign myself any scripts. Of course almost every revision made to the premises, outlines, and scripts was up to me, so I feel like there is lot of my writing in there. Often we would be lucky, and the notes from various partners were light, and the writer really nailed the script. But if there were problems – including the occasional page-one rewrite – that was on me. The one script I did write from start to finish was “A Deal with the Devil.” That happened because another script (which I had liked) was tossed out by Fox and Marvel. They never really “got” the original story, but I pushed to let the writer finish. So, since we had paid the writer for all his work, but now had no script, I had to come up with one for free by myself (no extra money in the budget).” http://marvel.toonzone.net/xmen/backstage/archives/ericlewald.php

Review:  I can appreciate the attempt to write a more grounded, adult episode of this series, but this episode has always put me to sleep.  The opening is strong, the use of past continuity is smart (Wolverine and Storm were responsible for Omega Red’s defeat in his last appearance, and neither personality is especially suited for a submarine mission), and the voice acting is surprisingly solid for an episode that features Storm in a starring role.  I’m not sure who played the Navy colonel character, but he delivers some excellent line readings that don’t sound anything like stereotypical Saturday Morning work.  Eric Lewald also pens some unexpectedly natural dialogue, which helps the story to feel more grounded than the normal episode of the series.  At a certain point, however, the story begins to drag and it’s time for Mr. Sandman to visit.  After Omega Red predictably double-crosses the Navy, by casually ripping out the implanted liquid nitrogen failsafe they boasted about earlier, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere for the episode to go.  Beast and Rogue have no real trouble destroying the missiles, and despite Beast’s claim that two miles deep is too far for Rogue to swim, she doesn’t seem to have much of a problem doing it, ultimately.  So, really, there’s barely anything to hold your attention after the halfway mark.  I know that some people consider this one of the better episodes from the end of the show’s run, and while I do see its merits, it’s hard for me to advocate an episode that I’ve consistently been unable to finish.

Credit to http://marvel.toonzone.net/xmen/ for the screencaps.

X-MEN Episode Sixty-Eight - September 7, 1996

 

The Phalanx Covenant (Part 2)

Written by Steven Melching & David McDermott

Summary:  Beast, Forge, Warlock, and Sinister travel to Muir Island.  There, they develop a virus that can render the Phalanx inert.  The Phalanx follow them to the island and attack.  The team escapes with Amelia Voght, but Banshee and Moira MacTaggert are captured.  At Amelia’s urging, they travel to the Arctic Circle and recruit Magneto’s help.  They travel to the Spire in New York City.  Warlock volunteers to release the virus, which could potentially kill him.  The Phalanx’s earthly presence is erased, but Warlock and his life-mate survive.  While Sinister escapes in the confusion, Magneto is reunited with Quicksilver.

Continuity Notes:  

• Amelia Voght is a “first year resident” at Muir Island, as she tries to find a new life after the destruction of Asteroid M.  The implication this episode is that Muir Island has numerous patients, which is something we’ve never actually seen before.
• Cameron Hodge reveals to the captive X-Men that mutants cost him “an arm and a leg” during their battle on Genosha.  (He means this literally, as we discover in the episode’s end.)  This is a reference to “Slave Island,” although I don’t recall any scene that could’ve left him without two of his limbs.  After leaving Genosha, Hodge somehow got a job investigating aliens for the United States government, which is how he encountered the Phalanx.
• Wolverine’s adamantium skeleton is used as the means for the Phalanx to finally assimilate mutants.  The reasoning is that the Phalanx assimilate metal easiest of all, and since Wolverine has a dense metal skeleton, he’s somehow enabled them to assimilate all mutants.
• Polaris appears as one of the mutants rescued in the Spire.  Aside from her and Quicksilver, no other members of X-Factor appear.
• Forge says that he’ll build a spacecraft that will enable Warlock and his life-mate to return to their home planet, where they’ll fight for a peaceful revolution.  (Or, you know, die horrible deaths.  Whatever.)

Saban Quality:  In one scene, the jet the team uses to escape Muir Island is literally just dragged across the screen instead of being animated.

I Love the '90s:  Cameron Hodge taunts, “Is it alive, or is it Phalanx?”  That’s a reference to a Memorex ad campaign from…the ‘80s actually, but I guess it was recent enough for people to get the reference still.

Approved By Broadcast Standards:  The Empire State Building is explicitly named as the location of the Spire.  Previously, Standards objected to specific references to cities or landmarks.

Production Note:  The closing credits are back to featuring a mini-scene from a previous episode.  This time, it’s the truly awful one about Rogue’s first boyfriend and the Brood unnamed aliens.

Review:  Without the bloat of a dozen crossover chapters, “The Phalanx Covenant” is pretty entertaining as a fast-paced two-parter on the show.  There are elements that don’t quite come together, like the attempts to up the stakes by allowing the Phalanx to assimilate mutants just as the team arrives in New York, but overall this is a welcome break from the series of forgettable single stories we’ve been getting.  The use of the show’s past continuity works to the story’s advantage, as characters from throughout the past four seasons materialize in unexpected places, but always with some logic behind their appearances.  Cameron Hodge would’ve been an easy character to drop out of the adaptation, especially considering his scant appearances in previous episodes, but the story’s that much better now that he’s been dragged out of obscurity.  Fans of the comics see another element from the source material brought into the show, and sharp kids with good memories will remember him as that blond guy in a suit from the first season.  Revealing Hodge as a multiple amputee might seem arbitrary at first, but it does finally pay off the “Covenant” in the title, and it’s one way to get around his more graphic maiming in the comics.  Unfortunately, this is the only element of the Phalanx’s anti-mutant roots the episode delves into, even if the writers use Hodge as much as they can to drive the point home.

I wonder now what Steven Melching & David McDermott could’ve done with “Beyond Good and Evil” had it been assigned to them, as this two-parter exhibits a much more coherent way to build on the show’s past.  In just two episodes, they touch on numerous areas of X-continuity, all while preserving the character drama that the earlier episodes captured so well.  Warlock is willing to sacrifice his life to stop his race, since he knows he’s responsible for the Phalanx’s arrival on Earth.  (The tease of Warlock sacrificing himself is likely a nod to his death scene in the comics.)  Amelia Voght and Magneto are allowed to respond to the events of their previous appearances, which not only serves to maintain the show’s continuity but also allows the characters to feel more real.  Picking up on the connection between X-Factor, Quicksilver, and Magneto is a great move that also draws upon the past while setting up a human moment.  Sure, this storyline is pure cheese in places, and the animators never really figure out the Phalanx, but there are more than enough moments that evoke the best elements of the series.

Credit to http://marvel.toonzone.net/xmen/ for the screencaps.

X-MEN Episode Sixty-Seven - September 7, 1996

The Phalanx Covenant (Part 1)

Written by Steven Melching & David McDermott

Summary:  The X-Men keep an unhinged Sabretooth captive in their mansion.  Wolverine discerns that this Sabretooth is actually an imposter, but is unable to stop him from attacking the team.  The Beast escapes and discovers that “Sabretooth” was a part of the Phalanx, a race of techno-organic aliens seeking to assimilate all life.  He meets Warlock, a pacifist member of the Phalanx who came to Earth with his life-mate to escape his race.  His life-mate was abducted by the pursuing Phalanx and assimilated into their hivemind.  Beast seeks help from Forge and Quicksilver of X-Factor, but they’re ambushed by the Phalanx.  Quicksilver is captured.  Suddenly, Mr. Sinister appears, offering aid.

Continuity Notes:  

• The opening of Sabretooth causing havoc on a suburban street features recycled footage from the very first episode.
• Beast’s research shows that mutants are immune from the Phalanx’s assimilation.  
• Cameron Hodge appears, although he isn’t named in this chapter.  Hodge is in his Phalanx form, as seen in the comics’ “Phalanx Covenant” crossover.
• The Spire being built on Earth by the Phalanx (also seen in the comics) will enable them to transmit a signal to the rest of the Phalanx.

“Um, Actually…”:  Warlock did not travel with a “life-mate” when he debuted in New Mutants #18.  Warlock’s motivation in the comics to escape his home was to avoid his father, Magnus, who he must face in his culture’s kill-or-be-killed rite of passage.  The concept of the Phalanx also did not exist when Warlock was created, as they were later conceived by Scott Lobdell as a creation of human scientists studying Warlock’s techno-organic body.  

Saban Quality:  Wolverine’s face is colored yellow during his dramatic standoff with Sabretooth.


Production Note:  I believe the second opening credits sequence debuted when this episode originally aired.  The DVD doesn't switch openings until a few episodes later.

Review:  There’s an obvious joke to be made about the show running out of classic storylines to adapt if it’s now doing “Phalanx Covenant.”  To be honest, I think there is potential in that bloated crossover for an enjoyable action story; it’s not as if the original comics were a total loss.  The main chapters in Uncanny X-Men and X-Men had their moments, and Larry Hama plotted a solid action-filled conclusion in the final Wolverine and Cable chapters.  “The Phalanx Covenant” was mainly hindered by those cluttered, awful middle chapters assigned to Excalibur, X-Force, and X-Factor.  A stripped down version of the story could work, and it’s a reasonable way to introduce Warlock to the cartoon’s audience.

Warlock isn’t an obvious character to appear on the show, and I’m not even sure if he got an action figure out of the deal, but the unexpected appearances by obscure characters are always welcome.  It was certainly one reason to keep watching the series after the show abandoned its unique episode-to-episode continuity, leaving the audience with a string of boring one-off stories.  I’m not surprised that AKOM can’t handle Bill Sienkiewicz’s Warlock design, but for a character that could easily become an obnoxious alien sidekick, Warlock makes a respectable standing this episode.  His “Self this, Self that” speech pattern is toned down immediately, thankfully, as someone probably realized the audience would quickly get sick of hearing those words spoken aloud repeatedly.  The basics of Warlock, his pacifism and loyalty to others, are faithfully recreated, which is what’s important.  Warlock could’ve been the first in a series of New Mutants introductions, but I think the only follow-up is Cannonball, late in the show’s run.

While the original comics crossover was used as an excuse to introduce new characters and pave the way for the Generation X ongoing, the cartoon adaptation has no such mandate to fulfill.  Instead, the writers use the Phalanx threat as a means to reintroduce established characters from previous episodes and team them with the solitary Beast.  Sinister makes sense as the villains’ representative, and I suppose mutant inventor genius Forge is a logical choice as the hero.  I wish more of X-Factor could’ve been seen, but I wonder now if AKOM had the budget to animate so many characters (or if they tried, just how awful the entire cast might’ve looked.)  It’s amusing that Forge and Quicksilver appear with literally no explanation of who they are.  If you missed that episode with Iceman, kid, you’re just out of luck.  As much grief as the ‘90s X-comics get for being reader unfriendly, I think the cartoon was even more brazen about just throwing characters out there and expecting kids to keep up.  And the show was a monster hit for years, so who’s to say they were wrong?

The Phalanx are potentially very boring villains, with those robotic speech patterns and a simplistic motivation out of bad sci-fi.  The episode dances around this by focusing on the chase aspect, as Beast is constantly on the run from the aliens, desperate for any ally he could trust.  I think the episode captures a certain sense of urgency, and leaving Beast alone to face the Phalanx is a good choice, since he’s portrayed by one of the series’ best voice actors and is a more plausible character to deliver the needed pseudo-scientific exposition.  There are elements from the early Phalanx appearances that I miss, however.  The major one being Gambit and Storm’s initial fight in the city, which had a memorable Joe Mad sequence of Gambit charging directly into the Phalanx on his motorcycle.  The issue that opened with Banshee meeting the Phalanx imposter X-Men also would’ve worked well for the show, and there’s no cover art this time to ruin the reveal.  I also question why the show has directly taken the title from the comics.  What “Covenant” is being made here?  I seem to recall the original stories portrayed the covenant as the deal the anti-mutant humans make to gain the Phalanx’s powers, effectively ending their own humanity.  Without that context, the title makes no sense so far.

Credit to http://marvel.toonzone.net/xmen/ for the screencaps.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #-1 - July 1997

That Thompson Boy

Credits:  J. M. DeMatteis (writer), Luke Ross (penciler), Dan Green (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Richard Starkings and Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Peter is sent out of the house by Uncle Ben to spend a Saturday outside.  He bumps into Flash Thompson for the first time outside of Izzo’s, a store where Peter buys comics.  Flash’s sister later finds Flash at the ballpark and tells him to bring their father home.  Flash finds him at a bar, and when Flash “back talks” him, Flash is slapped.  He immediately asks for forgiveness and Flash helps to carry him home.  Flash then knocks Peter over as Peter returns from the library.  Later that day, Peter catches a ball hit by Flash at the ballpark.  Flash mocks Peter’s effort.  That night, Flash is hit by his father again for being late.  He looks out the window and enviously watches Peter and Uncle Ben, taking a walk and eating ice cream.  

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  This issue establishes Flash’s family: his parents Harrison (Harry) and Rosie, and his little sister Jessie.  Flash’s father is a large, aggressive police officer, which contradicts the portrayal of Mr. Thompson as a lanky intellectual (one clearly reminiscent of Peter Parker) from Amazing Spider-Man #372’s back-up story.

Review:  J. M. DeMatteis takes advantage of Flashback Month to press forward with his Flash Thompson alcoholism subplot.  Like I’ve said before, I don’t personally like having alcoholism grafted on to Flash, but DeMatteis is getting some good material out of the idea.  This issue is also notable for presenting Peter’s first meeting with Flash, an important moment from Peter’s past I’m relatively certain we’ve never seen before.  

Contrasting Peter’s life with Flash’s, we see Peter as a sheltered boy who never wants to leave the house and Flash as the neighborhood bully, obviously passing on what he’s learned from his father.  Flash’s father could easily be the stereotypical abuser from a Lifetime movie, but DeMatteis does an admirable job of fleshing the character out in just a few pages, emphasizing his own insecurities and self-loathing.  And while Flash the abused kid deserves most of our sympathy, DeMatteis also writes an anxious twelve-year-old Peter as well as you think he would.  He’s a meek introvert who likes to read, doesn’t fit in with the other kids, and doesn’t understand why sports are such a big deal.  Not familiar at all is it?  Luke Ross also conveys the human elements of the story well, even if his cartoony kids are so cartoony they feel out of place in a child abuse story.  Then again, that could’ve been an intentional choice.

Overlooking the continuity error regarding Flash’s father, which is genuinely irksome, this is a strong use of the Flashback concept.  I think Marvel also deserves some credit for allowing at least one of the Spider-Man Flashback issues to have no action scenes or supervillains.  That was extremely rare for Marvel at the time, and I’m not sure if the decision helped sales at all, but it makes for a better story.  A somber depiction of Flash’s abusive childhood would’ve lost just a smidgen of its impact if the story had to shoehorn an appearance by Paste Pot Pete just as he was discovering glue for the first time.

PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN #-1 - July 1997

A Prelude in Red

Credits:  Howard Mackie (writer), Dan Fraga (penciler), Scott Hanna (inks), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  George Stacy investigates a mysterious series of deaths; deaths his brother Arthur blames on mutants.  George arranges for Arthur to work security for Osborn Industries, but his job is threatened when Arthur investigates the disappearance of Osborn employee Nels Van Adder.  When armed men attack his home, Arthur blames Norman Osborn, but George is skeptical.  That night in the plant, the brothers are ambushed by the mutated Van Adder.  To save George’s life, Arthur has to shove Van Adder into the nearby river.  Osborn later attempts to make peace with Arthur, but he refuses.

The Subplots:  A young Peter Parker visits the Osborn plant with Uncle Ben and Aunt May.  Norman is impressed with Peter’s scientific knowledge.

Web of Continuity:  

• As established back in the Stan Lee days, George Stacy and Norman Osborn are friends.
• Nels Van Adder is the “Proto-Goblin” you see on the cover, although he’s never called that in the issue.  
• Mutants are still considered an urban legend at this point in continuity, one George Stacy doesn’t believe in.
• Osborn blames his former partner Mendel Stromm for Van Adder’s condition, even though Osborn’s the one that’s been experimenting on him.  At the end of the story, Osborn finds the notes he’s been looking for hidden within Stromm’s desk, which presumably ties into the Green Goblin’s origin story.

Review:  Yes, Dan Fraga drew a Flashback issue.  And it’s actually not bad at all.  I’m not sure if Fraga’s style had already evolved by this point or if he took a less Liefeld-y approach specifically for Flashback Month, but it’s a welcome change from what you might remember from the Extreme Studios days.  There’s still a cartoony element, but the figures are much more realistic and the faces are attractive, exhibiting  a bit of an Arthur Adams or Mike Wieringo influence.  My only real complaint is the Backstreet Boys hairdo he’s given Arthur Stacy, which looks ridiculous on a character that’s supposed to be a middle-aged security expert and private eye.

And what about the plot?  Howard Mackie looks Flashback straight in the eye and says, “I’m not doing a Li’l Peter Parker story.”  Fair enough.  Peter’s relegated to a tiny cameo while Mackie explores the dynamic between long-dead supporting cast member George Stacy and his younger brother, new supporting cast member Arthur Stacy.  Mackie hits home the idea that Arthur is a paranoid conspiracy theorist, an aspect of the character that I don’t think is mentioned again until the “Next Chapter” relaunch of the books almost two years later.  The villain of the piece is Norman Osborn, experimenting on one of his employees while he’s still trying to perfect the Goblin Formula.  I can’t think of any obvious continuity problems with the concept, even if some might argue that Mackie’s reaching a bit to find a supervillain for the issue.  As far as continuity implants go, I think this one is inoffensive enough.

As I’ve stated many times, I don’t consider Mackie to be a strong character writer, so going into this I wasn’t expecting the George/Arthur material to be the highlight of the issue.  The character work isn’t great, but it is better than most of Mackie’s material from the era.  He gets across the idea that George is the straight-laced, responsible brother, while Arthur is always exploring a wild idea or chasing a conspiracy (i.e. he’s the screw-up.)  The ideas are never subtle, but they work well enough for a one-shot story.  At this point, this probably is the best story to feature the revived Stacy family, although  I can't say Mackie goes anywhere with the momentum.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #-1 - July 1997

 

Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

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

The Plot:  Peter finds a stack of Golden Age comics while cleaning out the attic with Uncle Ben and Aunt May.  He reads the comics and fantasizes about being a hero.  Later, Aunt May hurts her ankle after a bratty kid runs into her with his skateboard.  Peter dreams of a way to catch him.  Soon, he sketches designs for what will become his webshooters.

The Subplots:  Jacob Conover investigates a gang takeover.  Don Rigoletto is killed by the Kingpin, leaving Fortunato as the lone representative of “the old ways.”  Fortunato secretly meets with Conover to talk about the story, but they’re ambushed by the Kingpin’s men.  Conover saves Fortunato’s life, but is scared away from covering serious stories.

Web of Continuity:  

• Kingpin’s murder of Rigoletto is taken directly from the Daredevil: The Man Without Fear miniseries.  Whether or not this miniseries was even intended to be canon was debatable at the time (in fact, the Daredevil Flashback issue directly contradicts it and returns to the original continuity).  I suppose Kingpin’s role in the mini doesn’t create any actual continuity problems, unlike Man Without Fear’s depiction of Jack Murdock’s death.
• Namor, still in his wandering bum days, is kicked out of the diner where Jacob Conover and Phil Sheldon (from Marvels) are eating.
• Robbie Robertson appears at the Daily Bugle, asking Jonah about the gangland story.  Tom DeFalco thankfully gets the continuity straight, acknowledging that Robbie doesn’t work for the Bugle at this point, and is only visiting from Philadelphia.
• The story’s ending indicates that Fortunato owes Conover a debt that he’ll repay later.  I have no idea if this thread is ever picked up on, but the story goes out of its way to draw attention to Fortunato’s promise.

Review:  Surely someone working for Marvel could’ve looked over the plots and determined that they didn’t need two Flashback stories about Peter’s comic book fantasies?  It’s not as if DeFalco (or at least one of the editors) isn’t aware of the Sensational story, since there’s a line of dialogue used to justify Peter getting to read these comics after Aunt May banned the monster comics.  I appreciate the effort that went into such a minor continuity point, but that doesn’t exactly excuse the redundancy.  And that ending with the proto-webshooters is the kind of cutsey wink and nod that showed up in a number of the Flashback books, never ceasing to annoy me.  

The issue does have its moments, though.  Joe Bennett's art is much stronger than his typical ASM work, and I think the Flashback stunt might be responsible.  Artists during this month were supposed to evoke a Silver Age feel, and while that simply meant reverting to a six-panel grid for many artists, some of them actually tried to mimic the drawing style of the early ‘60s.  Bennett seems to have merged his exaggerated ‘90s style with something more subdued from the past, and it’s a vast improvement over his previous issues.  The human characters consistently look human now, which helps the story immeasurably.  And while the “Peter reads old Marvel Comics” angle might be dismissed as cheese, the gangland plot is pretty entertaining.  Contrasting Peter’s naïve thoughts on heroism with the horrifying situation Conover has placed himself in is a clever way to draw the plots together, and to add some depth to the issue.

The Secrets of Peter Parker!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), Pat Olliffe (penciler), Al Williamson (inks), Bob Sharen (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Thirteen-year-old Peter Parker’s athletic prowess and accessories (backpack, glasses, and pocket protector) are explored in this educational short.

The Subplots:  None.

Review:  This is legitimately funny, even if you’ve never read the original Amazing Spider-Man back-up it’s parodying.  The idea of applying one of those old Marvel tutorial back-ups to Peter Parker as a nerdy middle-schooler cracks me up, especially when the creators provide a diagram for how Peter’s glasses work.  Having Untold Tales of Spider-Man artist Pat Olliffe illustrate the piece makes it that much better, given the number of times Untold Tales ran its own versions of those old annual back-ups.