SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #255 - March 1998

Something Goblin This Way Comes…

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (plot), J. M. DeMatteis (script), Luke Ross (penciler), Dan Green & Al Milgrom (inks), John Kalisz, Mike Rockwitz, & Mark Bernardo (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man rescues the Punisher and a group of mercenaries from the collapsing building.  He’s targeted again by Shotgun, but manages to escape.  Later, the Green Goblin invades the Daily Bugle offices and roughs up Norman Osborn.  He demands Osborn deliver $10 million to him on the Brooklyn Bridge or else he’ll never see Normie again.  Later, Spider-Man observes the exchange from a distance and steps in when the Goblin double-crosses Osborn.  Spider-Man chases the Goblin and captive Osborn to a nearby warehouse.  When Spider-Man leaves to pursue the Goblin, Override discovers the $10 million.  Meanwhile, Punisher and Shotgun, who have now teamed up, rescue Jimmy-6 from a group of Osborn’s mercenaries.  Clarence Fielding follows Spider-Man and the Goblin to the Goblin’s hideout, and during their fight, rescues Normie.  The Goblin disappears in a fiery explosion after crashing into a pile of scrap.  Later, Osborn holds a press conference, thanking Clarence and Override for their help.

The Subplots:  Paul Stacy is angry with his father for considering Norman Osborn’s offer.  Behind closed doors, Jonah accuses Norman of staging the kidnapping.  Ben Urich notices that Jacob Conover is unusually interested in the new Green Goblin’s secret identity.  Flash Thompson and Betty Brant are convinced, after seeing Norman’s response to the Goblin, that he sincerely has nothing to do with the Green Goblin.  Later, Professor Angst treats the Goblin’s wounds.  Norman Osborn enters, congratulating the new Goblin on a job well done.

“Huh?” Moment:  I guess the reader is supposed to infer that Osborn and Override came to some agreement off-panel for him to be rewarded a fraction of the $10 million, and for his wife’s medical bills to be paid.  As the story is presented, however, there’s no clear motive for Override to hand the money back to Osborn.

Web of Continuity:  

• Spider-Man’s webbing mask doesn’t match the design seen in Peter Parker, Spider-Man #89's cliffhanger, since it isn’t supposed to be covering his hair.  
• Shotgun has mysteriously disappeared in-between issues and materialized several blocks away from last issue’s explosion.
• Spider-Man overhears Normie refer to the Goblin as “Daddy,” making him wonder if Harry Osborn has returned from the grave.
• The new Green Goblin, as shown from the back, is a bald, white male.  Osborn refers to him as “m’boy,” which is also his nickname for Flash Thompson.
• MJ tells Peter that she has an idea for how he can avoid the $5 million bounty, although several issues pass before we learn her plan.

Creative Differences:  In the opening, the art has the Punisher pointing his gun at Spider-Man, even though he gave up the fight last chapter after he realized that he was being played by Norman Osborn. The dialogue covers for his by giving the Punisher a feeble new motive for holding Spider-Man at gunpoint.

Production Note:  This is a forty-eight page comic with no cover enhancements, priced at $2.99.  A variant cover does exist.

Review:  “SpiderHunt” concludes, and aside from a few hiccups, the finale actually leaves the reader with the impression that there was a coherent plan behind this after all.  Splitting the story between Tom DeFalco and J. M. DeMatteis is a novel way to close out the crossover; having DeFalco plot lessens the continuity issues that might emerge from bringing in yet another writer, while DeMatteis’ script is much sharper and emotionally resonant than anything DeFalco has produced lately.  With both writers combining their talents, the reader is getting an ending that makes a certain amount of sense, with a script that’s able to augment the drama and sell the emotional moments.  I tend to think franchise books should have as small a writing staff as possible, especially in a storyline that directly crosses over from title to title.  Even if DeFalco didn’t seem overly enthused by the crossover in his earlier chapter, I have to admit he manages to tie the disparate threads together this issue into a pretty satisfying conclusion.  Clarence Fielding actually has a point after all!  Arthur Stacy’s role is still dangling out there aimlessly, true, but there’s only so much closure I can expect from a crossover co-written by Howard Mackie.

It’s a shame that the Spider-titles of this era rarely feel this coherent.  There’s a lot going on in this issue, making it truly deserving as a double-sized special, and any number of these threads could potentially go somewhere interesting.  Not only is recovering alcoholic Flash looking to Norman Osborn as a role model, but now Betty has bought into Osborn's act.  The new Goblin may or may not be someone we know.  Jonah is beginning to stand up to Osborn.  Ben Urich wonders now if Jacob Conover is up to something, while the Bugle tries to carry on without Robbie.  A price remains on Spider-Man’s head.  The Stacys are almost starting to develop personalities.  Unfortunately, most of these plots either don’t have real conclusions, or they end as spectacular failures.  

PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN #89 - March 1998

Spider, Spider

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

The Plot:  Spider-Man webs a replacement mask on his face, while Norman Osborn tricks the Punisher into joining the manhunt.  Spider-Man flees various gunmen, but crashes into the East River after the Punisher shoots away his webbing.  He’s rescued by bookkeeper Clarence Fielding, who was also searching for Spider-Man until he decided not to sacrifice his principles for money.  Soon, Spider-Man and Clarence are caught in-between the Punisher, Shotgun, and a group of mercenaries.  Jimmy-6 arrives to pay his debt to Spider-Man, which Spider-Man tells him is clear if he helps Clarence get to safety.  The Punisher and Shotgun soon confront Spider-Man in a warehouse, but Punisher quickly realizes that Osborn duped him into pursuing Spider-Man.  Suddenly, the Green Goblin flies overhead and drops explosives into the warehouse.

The Subplots:  Arthur Stacy, MJ, and Shantal are visiting Jill in the hospital.  Norman Osborn arrives and asks Arthur to do what he can to find his grandson.

Web of Continuity:  Jill previously appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #430 and #431, back in school and with no indication that she had been recently shot.  Yeah, we can move the issues around so that Peter Parker, Spider-Man #87 takes place after ASM #430 and #431, but a footnote or two in the comics would’ve been nice.

How Did This Get Published?:  There are quite a few eruptions of Mackie Robot Speak this issue, but Norman Osborn seems to have a severe case:  “This is why I have turned to you.  It is why I chose to liberate you from your captors.  You, sir, are a true American hero.  The persecution you have suffered for your continuing attempts to serve this great nation of ours is unconscionable…I ask only that you do that which is right…that which you have always done.”

*See _________ For Details:  The Punisher’s “captors” aren’t identified, but a footnote points to Heroes for Hire #9.

Review:  After a few years of underexposure, following several years of overexposure, the Punisher seemed to be making quite a few guest appearances in 1998.  I’m not sure if he was much of a sales draw at this point, but it’s nice to see John Romita, Jr. draw the character again.  If you’re hoping for an actual Punisher/Shotgun confrontation, however, you’re sure to be disappointed.  The characters are only given one panel to exchange empty threats before the Green Goblin suddenly appears and drops a copious amount of pumpkin bombs.  The final five pages of this comic are packed with characters coming out of nowhere…the Punisher, Shotgun, Jimmy-Six, and finally the Green Goblin all magically appear when the plot needs them to, allowing the issue to end on a cliffhanger before the crossover’s final chapter.  

The plotting of this issue is, to put it politely, not tight.  Shoehorned into all this chaos is another character, Clarence Fielding, who goes through a highly implausible arc that has him as a down on his luck gambler willing to kill Spider-Man to bravely defending his life over the course of three pages.  I’m not entirely confident that Howard Mackie could pull off this arc even if he dedicated an entire issue to the story, but surely no one honestly thought three pages were enough to effectively dramatize Clarence’s transformation.  As tedious as the relentless chase scenes are, I will give the creators some credit for adding a bit of humor this issue.  None of these jokes are uproariously funny, but they’re cute enough to distract from the monotony.  (Romita even works in a cameo by his parents.)  I’m assuming Clarence was also added to offer some relief from the chase/fight pattern of the story, but I think the jokes are much more effective.

“SpiderHunt” has been easy on the subplots so far, but this chapter does break for a few pages to check in on the Stacy family.  By “check in,” I mean “remind the reader of how little anyone actually cares about the Stacy family.”  Remember the prelude to this crossover, which ended with Spider-Man finally submitting to MJ’s advice and asking Arthur Stacy for help clearing his name?  That was several chapters ago and it hasn’t been brought up since.  When Arthur does appear again, it’s when Norman Osborn suddenly asks him to find his grandson.  Now, bringing Arthur into the Osborn drama is potentially a smart move, and it only makes sense that Arthur would be investigating Osborn in some manner due to his “connection” to the Green Goblin (who killed his niece, even though Arthur’s seemed exclusively interested in Spider-Man so far.)  But…why should I care about this scene if it’s just going to be ignored like Arthur’s previous moment?  More importantly, how hilarious is it that everyone just forgot that Jill was shot a few issues ago?  It was forgotten last issue, hasn’t been referenced in any of the other titles, and Jill’s even made a few appearances in ASM since the shooting all hale and hearty.  Now, she’s in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and a nasal cannula to help her breathe.  Not only is this sloppy title-to-title continuity, but it’s an outright admission that no one involved in the books, fictional character or actual creative team, really cares anything about the girl.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #432 - March 1998

The Hunted!

Credits:  Tom DeFalco (writer), John Romita, Jr. (penciler), Bud LaRosa (inks), Bob Sharen (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man searches for Normie Osborn, while also avoiding numerous bounty hunters.  Meanwhile, the Rose meets with Fortunato.  When Black Tarantula arrives, Rose is kicked out of the meeting.  Fortunato gives Black Tarantula permission to expand into New York, provided he kills Spider-Man.  Black Tarantula finds Spider-Man on the Daily Bugle roof and beats him nearly unconscious.  When he discovers Spider-Man was searching for a missing child, he allows Spider-Man to live long enough to find Normie, but warns him to retire afterward.  Black Tarantula rips off half of Spider-Man’s mask and leaves.  A disoriented Spider-Man is soon forced to flee from more bounty hunters, including the deadly Shotgun.

The Subplots:  MJ is dancing with Chantal in order to forget her problems.  At the Daily Bugle, Peter tries to talk Robbie out of leaving as he packs his boxes.  Jonah declines to say goodbye to Robbie.  At a Brooklyn salvage yard, Normie asks the Green Goblin if he is his daddy.

Web of Continuity:  

• What we learn about Black Tarantula this issue -- he has superhuman strength, can shoot laser beams out of his eyes (?!), has some personal sense of honor, refuses to reveal if he has a connection to the Tarantula, and he claims that his identity goes back almost seven hundred years.
• Peter acts as if this is the first he’s heard of Robbie quitting the Bugle, even though they’ve already discussed it in the previous chapter of this crossover.
• The hints that the new Green Goblin is Harry Osborn ultimately go nowhere.

Review:  After over a year of teases, Spider-Man and Black Tarantula finally meet this issue.  Their confrontation really has nothing to do with the “SpiderHunt” crossover, which is an odd decision.  Maybe DeFalco thought this high-profile event was a good time to finally bring Black Tarantula out of the shadows, but the final product reads as if DeFalco had a Black Tarantula story to tell and he worked in “SpiderHunt” around it.  Black Tarantula has a nice design, and I tend to like villains that have their own codes of honor, so I’m not dismissing him as a character just yet.  I do think he’s a little too reminiscent of Bane, in the sense that he’s a large intimidating brawler, but also a shrewd criminal mastermind.  The early chapters of “Knightfall” went out of their way to truly sell Bane as a character and not a plot device, while I feel that the build-up for Black Tarantula hasn’t been nearly as compelling.  

As for “SpiderHunt,” the plot advances incrementally, just enough for a half-hearted effort to convince the reader that Harry Osborn is alive.  Considering that the creators didn’t seem to have a real plan behind this, and that another character entirely was at one point supposed to be the new Green Goblin, these scenes are just annoying in hindsight.  The story also introduces a more “professional” bounty hunter, one that just so happens to appear quite often in John Romita, Jr.’s bibliography.  Shotgun’s a government agent, a bodyguard, a bounty hunter, whatever you need him to be, I guess.  I don’t have a real problem with him appearing in this storyline, but he’s essentially a guy with a giant gun, making him not much of a threat to Spider-Man under normal circumstances.  Spider-Man has to be put through the wringer by someone else’s pet character before Shotgun can be perceived as a legitimate challenge.  

While I’m glad John Romita, Jr. is mainly responsible for the look of this crossover, even turning up here as a guest artist, I don’t think he’s well served by the overall production of the issue.  Bud LaRosa’s inks are appropriately moody when they need to be, but in general he lacks the polish of Scott Hanna.  I’m also unsure what’s happened to the coloring this issue; almost every page looks washed out, which is definitely not the look I associate with Bob Sharen.  Finally, there’s an irritating tic with the lettering this issue, as random word balloons suddenly appear at a much smaller font for no reason.  I have no idea what was happening in Marvel’s offices when this issue was put together, but it’s ridiculous that the franchise’s flagship title doesn’t have a better showing during its big crossover event.

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #25 - March 1998

Into the Dance!

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Al Milgrom & Dan Green (inks), Gregory Wright & Mark Bernardo (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Professor Angst prepares a mystery man to become a new Green Goblin.  Meanwhile, Spider-Man dodges the numerous bounty hunters that have emerged now that the Daily Bugle has upped his bounty to five million dollars.  While trying to rescue a woman from a burning building, the Prowler arrives to help, just as Override and Aura emerge and attack Spider-Man.  He escapes, but within a few hours, he’s caught in-between Override and Aura, the NYPD, and the Dealy Boys.  One of the Dealy Boys’ “slazer beams” hits Aura, seriously injuring her.  Spider-Man escapes in the confusion.

The Subplots:  Peter tries to talk Robbie Robertson into returning to the Daily Bugle, but he refuses.  Betty Brant informs Peter that Norman Osborn has hired Flash Thompson as his personal assistant.  While Norman Osborn and Liz Osborn argue over his demand that Liz and Normie move in with him, Normie is kidnapped by the Green Goblin.

Web of Continuity:  Spider-Man is angry that Norman Osborn hired the Trapster to frame him for the murder of Joey Z.  How does he know this?  This information hasn’t been revealed yet.  Also, this new Green Goblin has already debuted in Peter Parker, Spider-Man #88.

*See _________ For Details:  A footnote reluctantly tells us that Override and Aura previously appeared in Spectacular Scarlet Spider #1.

Forever Young:  A news report lists Normie Osborn’s age as five, which means a full five years have passed since Peter left graduate school the first time.  (Normie was born in Amazing Spider-Man #263, cover-dated April 1985.)

Commercial Break:  A house ad promoting upcoming Marvel releases announces the Spider-Girl series.  It’s listed as a part of “Excelsior Comics,” a Stan Lee-helmed imprint that was never published.

Review:  “SpiderHunt,” the first crossover since the end of the clone days begins, perhaps not coincidentally in the double-sized twenty-fifth issue of Sensational Spider-Man.  This is the first promotional push Sensational has received in almost two years, and it would be a great opportunity to introduce the audience to the work being done by Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo on the title…except Mike Wieringo is nowhere to be found.  Perpetual Spider-Office fill-in guy Joe Bennett is taking his place this issue, apparently because the editors didn’t have anyone else’s phone number.  Bennett is adopting a John Romita, Jr. look for Spider-Man this time, which isn’t a bad idea since Romita will draw the bulk of this crossover.  The rest of Bennett’s work is still reminiscent of early Mike Deodato, which is a style that couldn’t be more removed from the standard look of this title.  To give Bennett credit, he performs better here than in most of those Amazing Spider-Man fill-ins, but his art is a noticeable drop in quality from the average issue of Sensational.  

The story is mainly concerned with re-establishing the events leading up to the crossover and selling the idea that Spider-Man’s now under a constant barrage of attacks.  (Dezago’s sense of humor turns pretty dark this issue, with the introduction of Dallas’ Dealy Boys -- Lee, Harry, and Ozzie.)  The action scenes are fairly entertaining, and I was pleased to see Dezago, on more than one occasion this issue, emphasize that Spider-Man’s committed to actually helping others and not just protecting himself.  Dezago also works in a few character-driven scenes, as Peter and MJ’s marriage is contrasted with Robbie and Martha and even Override and Aura’s relationships.  The domestic scenes are played rather well, with MJ thankfully acting more as a concerned spouse and less like the constant nag she’s become in some of the other titles.  My only real problem with the story is the way “bounty” is conflated with “contract kill.”  No one wants to capture Spider-Man this issue; everyone wants to kill him.  Exactly how could the Daily Bugle get away with placing a public hit on anyone, even a costumed vigilante?  This strains credibility to an insane degree, even within the context of the Marvel Universe.

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #254 - February 1998

Angst!

Credits:  J. M. DeMatteis (plot), Tom DeFalco (script), Luke Ross (penciler), Dan Green (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Comicraft’s Kiff Scholl (letters)

The Plot:  Professor Angst sends his disciple Sir to the Daily Bugle, allegedly to kidnap Norman Osborn, but in truth to abduct Spider-Man.  While in Angst’s custody, Spider-Man fights against his physical and mental torture.  Eventually, Spider-Man breaks free of his bonds and attacks Sir.  Angst stops the fight and prepares to return Spider-Man to Osborn; however, Spider-Man recovers from the sedative and attacks Angst as well.  He leaves Angst with a message for Osborn, then destroys his equipment.  Later, Angst confides in Norman Osborn that he doesn’t like the influence Spider-Man has had on Sir.

The Subplots:  Robbie Robertson officially quits the Daily Bugle.  Jonah refuses to discuss the issue with his employees.  In Jonah’s desk drawer is a gun that he’s apparently saving for Norman Osborn.  Later, Osborn meets with Ben Urich and assigns him the task of discovering the Green Goblin’s “true” identity.

Web of Continuity:  

• Norman Osborn asks Peter if he’s heard about the murder of small-time criminal Joey Z.  Norman was with Peter in PPSM #88 when he photographed the crime scene!
• MJ and Peter’s conversation reveals that Aunt Anna thought MJ was being intentionally absurd when she told Anna that Peter is Spider-Man last issue.
• Ben Urich wrote a book called “Legacy of Evil” (also the name of a one-shot, set shortly before the events of the Clone Saga) that revealed Norman Osborn as the real identity of the Green Goblin.  Osborn is uncharacteristically generous towards Urich this issue, telling him he appreciates his attempt to discover the truth, even if he got the answer wrong.

*See _________ For Details:  Sir previously appeared as an escaped Ravencroft patient in Daredevil #364.  Reading this issue, I had no idea Sir is transgender.

Review:  A rarity for J. M. DeMatteis during this period, it’s a done-in-one story instead of a multi-part epic.  I’m not sure how Tom DeFalco ended up in the scripting role this issue, but fortunately he’s less corny here than he has been lately in Amazing, even though he’s not suited to write the gothic narration I assume DeMatteis envisioned when plotting the story.  DeFalco does utilitarian work, not dragging the story down really, but perhaps not fleshing out the concepts that DeMatteis had in mind.  Sir is a good example, since the ending leads us to believe that he’s experienced a life-altering event after spending time with Spider-Man, but the script leading up to this point has done very little to sell this idea.  Ultimately, I think the major hindrance to the story would be Luke Ross’ art, which demonstrates yet again that psychological drama isn’t his forte at this stage in his career.  Ross has been getting much better as the months have progressed on this title, but this issue is an unfortunate step back into the overly cartoony/slightly sketchy stylized look from his earlier issues.

More engaging than the main story are the Daily Bugle subplots this issue.  So far, Norman Osborn as the Bugle’s co-owner hasn’t amounted to much, but this issue ramps up the drama and actually gives you the impression that all of this is going somewhere.  I don’t think it is, ultimately, but hopefully the creators can squeeze some entertainment out of this concept before the relaunch comes.  While it’s been a nuisance plot in Amazing for a while now, Robbie Robertson quitting the Bugle has real impact here and is played as the traumatic event is would actually be within the Bugle newsroom.  A lingering continuity issue regarding Ben Urich and Norman Osborn is also addressed, and thankfully not in the most predictable manner possible.  Norman doesn’t try to kill Ben or even harm him in any way for writing “Legacy of Evil,” he just wants Ben to discover the “true” story behind the Green Goblin.  This opens the door for potentially interesting material for the underused Ben Urich, even though (again) I don’t think anything comes from it.  Finally, we discover that Jonah isn’t taking Osborn’s abuse lying down…he’s got a 9 mm slug with Osborn’s name on it hiding in his desk drawer.  You’re almost tricked into thinking this is all going somewhere!

While it’s frustrating that the Norman Osborn/Daily Bugle setup eventually fizzled out, I’m even more annoyed by the casual dismissal of the previous issue’s cliffhanger.  After a frustrated MJ revealed Peter’s secret ID to Aunt Anna, her response was to think it was a joke and to realize that she’s been behaving ridiculously lately?  And we discover all of this off-panel?  That’s even worse than a copout, it’s a copout the creators didn’t even bother to show us firsthand.

PETER PARKER, SPIDER-MAN #88 - February 1998

Who Did Joey Z?

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

The Plot:  A minor hood named Joey Z is found dead, wrapped inside a replica of Spider-Man’s webbing.  Peter is called to photograph the scene.  As he leaves, he catches a glimpse of the Green Goblin on a rooftop.  Spider-Man finds only a pumpkin bomb when he reaches the top, and is soon forced to flee from two pursuing police officers.  Later, after another Goblin sighting, Spider-Man confronts Norman Osborn in his office.  Osborn again accuses Spider-Man of attacking him, and Spider-Man leaves.  Spider-Man spots the Goblin once again, just a few yards away from Osborn, but he suddenly disappears.  Later, Spider-Man leaves a sample of his webbing with Detective Snipes, then visits Arthur Stacy for help.

The Subplots:  Peter and MJ discuss Osborn’s scheme at the Daily Grind.  Devon remains a Spider-Man fan.

Web of Continuity:  I’m not sure if the disappearing Green Goblin that debuts this issue is the mysterious new Green Goblin that later appears in the titles (at one point intended to be a brainwashed Phil Urich).  The mystery is dropped after the relaunch begins.  Also, this issue marks the debut of Detective Snipes, who is investigating the murder.

Production Note:  This issue has an unusually slick cover.  I don’t know how the production process changed this issue, but I wish the other Marvel books from this era felt so slick.

Review:  There’s no cover copy to announce the fact, but this issue is a prelude to the upcoming “SpiderHunt” crossover.  “SpiderHunt” has Norman Osborn offering a reward for Spider-Man’s capture, following the discovery of Joey Z’s webbing-covered body.  As Peter points out this issue, he’s recently been framed by the Kingpin in the Spider-Man/Kingpin one-shot, and Osborn’s already placed a bounty on Spider-Man following the events of Spectacular Spider-Man #250.  Essentially, we’re getting regurgitations of stories that either just ran, or aren’t even resolved yet.  Thrilling, isn’t it?

Is this really the only scheme the writers could develop for Norman Osborn?  He sets Peter up, offers a reward, then he…does the same thing, but bumps up the price?  What kind of an evil genius is this?  I understand that Osborn was forced on the creative teams of this era, and I doubt anyone was enthusiastic about using him again, but surely more could’ve been done with the character.  Mackie, to his credit, early in this issue does squeeze some tension out of the Osborn/Peter dynamic, with Osborn lording over the crime scene while Peter takes pictures, doing everything he can to unnerve Peter...but by the story’s end Osborn is just a tedious nuisance again.  The only bit we’re seeing with Osborn, over and over again, is him teasing Peter with the threat that he just might reveal his secret identity to the world.  I think the inspiration for this routine is a scene in Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine #2, which has an increasingly unhinged Osborn taunting Peter during a dinner with his friends.  That scene is fantastic, a variation of it is even in the first Spider-Man movie, but it’s one scene within a specific context.  Osborn is already sweating like mad when this happens, barely able to contain himself.  It’s not as if he consciously had this knowledge for weeks and kept torturing Peter with it; he was able to maintain himself for perhaps a few hours before he put the costume back on and directly attacked Peter.  Playing Osborn as this cool manipulator who can just dangle this threat over Spider-Man’s head like the Sword of Damocles is essentially remaking Osborn into a different villain.  Somehow Osborn’s been cured of his bipolar disorder and been reborn as a knockoff Kingpin.  Who wanted to see that?

While the stilted dialogue and repetitive plotting don’t do the storyline any favors, John Romita, Jr. sells the mood like a pro.  Every page of the issue evokes an ominous atmosphere, created by Romita's  fantastic ability to play with shadows and various weather effects.  Snow is usually used as shorthand in comics to establish a happy holiday mood, but when it’s played against pitch-black backgrounds and shadowy street corners, the context is changed entirely.  This is a cold, miserable night; one that no sane human being wants to be out in.  The plot might not be entirely coherent, Spider-Man spots a few fake Goblins and has a fruitless confrontation with Osborn before giving up, but the visuals help to sell the idea that this is an unusually dark Spider-Man story and that things aren’t going to be getting brighter soon.  I can just imagine how much more effective the mood pieces in Spectacular Spider-Man of this era would’ve been had Romita been the artist.

X-MEN: ODD MEN OUT #1 - September 2008

Odd Men Out

Credits:  Roger Stern (writer), Dave Cockrum (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Andrew Crossley (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters)

Summary:  When Xavier reads an article about Fred Duncan’s security firm, he decides to pay his old friend a visit.  With Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, and Wolverine acting as bodyguards, Xavier and Fred have a chat inside Fred’s home.  Xavier reflects on his time in space with the Shi’ar, while Fred details his final days working as the government’s mutant liaison.  After a run-in with Henry Gyrich, Fred reveals he left to join the private sector.  Xavier and Fred bond over being “odd men out” and renew their friendship.

Continuity Notes:  

• This story was commissioned as an inventory issue, sometime in late 1991 or early 1992.
• Xavier isn’t using his hoverchair in the story.  In the early ‘90s, artists used to keep Xavier in a normal wheelchair when appearing in public, but that detail was lost over the years.  There’s no reason for Xavier to keep his hoverchair a secret from Fred, however.
• Xavier tells Fred that Cyclops is the oldest member of the original team; I seem to recall other stories listing Beast as the oldest.
• Flashbacks place Fred’s departure from the government happening “behind the scenes” of Uncanny X-Men #150.
• Let the record show that Fred Duncan’s address is specifically given as 1025 Sindoni Crescent in Hegeman, New York.  

I Love the ‘90s:  Since this story was originally penciled in the ‘90s, Wolverine is allowed to smoke.  Xavier is concerned about receiving secondhand nicotine, but I always thought it was the tar in cigarettes that was dangerous.

Production Note:  With the exception of the credits box, the story appears to be hand-lettered.  The colors are modern digital colors, meaning it wasn’t colored back in the early ‘90s of course.

Review:  “Odd Men Out” comes from the tumultuous period that had John Byrne attempting to write dialogue over the (often erratic) plots of Whilce Portacio and Jim Lee.  Roger Stern heard that the titles were in deadline trouble and pitched this inventory issue, which was accepted and given to Dave Cockrum to pencil.  It’s very possible this story would’ve stayed in the drawer had it been handed to any other artist doing fill-in work for Marvel in the early ‘90s.  At some point, Marvel realized that there was a Dave Cockrum X-Men story just collecting dust…oh, wait…and here’s a New Mutants job!  The two inventory issues were collected after Cockrum’s death in this one-shot.  Oddly enough, the front cover doesn’t feature Cockrum’s name in the title; it’s only barely visible in the credits section.  The back cover pays tribute to Cockrum, true, but it’s strange that the title of the book isn’t X-Men Lost Tales: A Tribute to Dave Cockrum, or something along those lines.  The book’s actual title is disappointing, since it simply recycles the title of the one-shot’s first story.  Maybe the idea is that both of these stories are “Odd Men Out” since they were never published, but it feels lazy.  Also, why isn’t Cockrum’s art on the front cover of this thing?

I’d like to say that the forgotten Roger Stern/Dave Cockrum issue of Uncanny X-Men is a lost classic, but that would be stretching the truth.  Since Stern knows this is a fill-in, he goes for a format often seen in the Bronze Age -- the issue-long recap.  There are legitimate gaps to be filled with Fred Duncan’s story, but the majority of this issue is dedicated to Xavier giving a Xavier-specific history of the X-Men.  Stern tries to smooth over some of the rough parts of past continuity, but there’s only so much he can do with the awkward retcon that revealed that Xavier wasn’t dead, he was just living in the X-Men’s basement preparing for an alien invasion.  This outright dumb story should’ve been forgotten as soon as it was published, but instead it became the modern inspiration for virtually every Xavier story.  Stern has Xavier express remorse over the dimwitted plan ("I developed a successful attack, but I had deceived my X-Men.  I'll always regret that."), but I wish he could’ve used his magic retcon skills to fix the real issues with the story.  In another bit of commentary, Stern has Fred react incredulously to Magneto taking over the X-Men’s school during Xavier’s absence, which isn’t much of a shock.  (Fred says it’s crazier than Xavier’s stories about "alien parasites and cloning.")  Stern’s X-Men vs. Avengers miniseries is filled with cheap shots against the concept of Magneto reforming, and when you consider that this is a story aimed at new readers, it’s a shame that Stern doesn’t even attempt to present any context for why this happened.  Stern just wants you to know that he thought it was a bad idea.

Those complaints aside, I’ll say that Stern’s penned a recap comic that has some personality to it.  The Fred Duncan angle is a clever one, and if you really wanted to know what happened to Duncan, the story provides pretty satisfying answers.  It’s still a recap comic, though, so there’s not much here for existing fans.  For the purposes of this one-shot, the real star is Dave Cockrum’s artwork.  It’s been digitally spruced up by modern color techniques, and in an era that has the major companies hiring artists with diverse art styles, it does look like a comic that could be published today.  Looking at it now as a historical artifact, it’s interesting to see Cockrum’s take on everything from the Jack Kirby to Jim Lee days.  Some of the flashback pages seem to have received more attention than others; I think Cockrum’s biased towards the earliest issues.  Most of all, Cockrum appears to be having fun inventing various alien species for Xavier to interact with during his Shi’ar flashbacks.  

Why didn’t Marvel publish this in 1992?  Hmm… There’s no exaggerated anatomy, no forced perspective, no cross-hatching, and it’s drawn in a traditional grid layout.  No speedlines, but plenty of backgrounds.  It seems like the last thing Marvel was looking for, which is a shame.  I think I would’ve enjoyed this as a kid; I know I would’ve been thrilled had it taken the place of “The Last Morlock Story.”

Think Again

Credits:  Michael Higgins (writer), Dave Cockrum (penciler), Joe Rubinstein (inks), Andrew Crossley (colors), Joe Rosen (letters)

Summary:  The Mad Thinker’s research leads him to an underground lab.  Using the technology he discovers, the Mad Thinker constructs a robot that quickly turns against him.  The robot then travels to the surface to confront the New Mutants.  He absorbs each of their powers and fights the team to a standstill.  Rusty rallies the team and convinces every member to attack the robot simultaneously.  The robot begins to malfunction, and is remotely terminated by its “master” for failing him.

Continuity Notes:  

• This is a never-before-published inventory issue of New Mutants created around 1989.
• All evidence points to the robot’s true creator being Apocalypse.  The underground lab has copious files on various mutants, the robot’s face has Apocalypse’s unique lip design, and the patterns painted on the robot’s body resemble the ones on Archangel’s costume.
• The New Mutants consist of Cannonball, Rictor, Sunspot, Boom Boom, Wolfsbane, Rusty, & Skids.  Apparently, this specific lineup never existed, which creates a major continuity problem.  It’s possible that’s the reason why this story wasn’t used after it was commissioned.

(Hypothetically) Approved By The Comics Code Authority:  Rictor’s thoughts are cut off before he can mentally finish the word “crap.”

“Huh?” Moment:  Cockrum draws Cyclops and Marvel Girl as background characters ice-skating at Central Park with the New Mutants, but they play no role in the story.

Review:  Just think, in some alternate reality, this comic was published instead of the first appearance of Cable.  The content of the story is about what you’d expect from a late ‘80s New Mutants inventory.  The plot’s simple, the characters describe their powers every few pages, a few romantic subplots are referenced, and the teens have a few pages to do “teen” things, like go ice-skating or shopping at Bloomingdale’s.  The major problem is Higgins’ dialogue, which alternates between simply generic and actively horrendous. (“Let’s hurry!  He’s so frightful!”)  Cockrum’s interpretation of the New Mutants is fantastic, although he does seem bored during the fight scene.  The modern production values help the visuals immensely, making sure the linework is properly reproduced and not faded into near-oblivion, as often seen in ‘80s flexographic printing.  There’s no compelling reason for this to be published, outside of paying tribute to Cockrum, although I’m slightly surprised that it wasn’t fished out of the drawer at some point due to its Apocalypse connection.