Post by shlocko on Nov 27, 2012 21:56:25 GMT -5
#306 (“Humbugged” Early October 1988)
After a decent couple of months, Michelinie breaks out the MPM again, and essentially reuses the “Scientist who’s funding was slashed” character from #302. Jonathan Caesar, a character introduced a few issues ago, shows up at Peter and MJ’s place, and brings MJ flowers. Black Cat returns, breaking into Peter’s old apartment, to find that it’s been rented out. Chameleon takes over a company in Chicago, and guess where Peter’s book tour is taking him?
Bottom Line: Another throwaway issue. 1 out of 5
#307 (“The Thief Who Stole Himself” Late October 1988)
Peter and MJ are grocery shopping, and Jonathan Caesar stops by again. Peter doesn’t like him, and we find out that Caesar has a veritable shrine built to MJ in his building. Peter heads to Chicago, where we get a great parody of a comic book fanboy a the book signing, and Peter runs into a plot by the Chameleon to impersonate a famous scientist, break into labs, and sell secrets to a foreign power. Spidey stops the Chameleon, who gets away. Peter gets yelled at by his publicist to try to co-ordinate the appearances. Mary Jane, at home, is finished with a modeling shoot, and comes home to find Jonathan Caesar and some goons in her apartment.
Bottom Line: There seemed to be a lot of buildup to the appearance of the Chameleon, but he was really not much of a threat. Must have just been a chance for McFarlane to get to draw him, I suppose. The kidnapping plot is good though. 2 out of 5
#308 (“Dread” Early November 1988) and #309 (“Styx and Stone” Late November 1988)
Peter returned home from Chicago, and found signs of a struggle. The cop tells him to relax, and leaves. MJ meanwhile is being held one story below by the lunatic Caesar. Peter is thinking about canceling his book signing, but decides to go when Aunt May says she’ll be there with Nathan Lubinskey Later, Peter tears the city apart looking for MJ, which leads him into conflict with The Taskmaster and a bunch of his goons. He defeats them, but is no closer to finding MJ, who is right under his nose.
Spider-Man is going after second stringers now, looking for leads. He goes after Manslaughter Marsdale, who knows nothing. In his apartment, Jonathan Caesar is dining with MJ. She throws an ice bucket at him and tries to escape, but his goons stop her. He finds out that Spider-Man is trying to find MJ, and brings in a couple of heavy hitters named Styx and Stone. Spider-Man has a hard time with them, especially Styx, who can dissolve organic material with a touch. MJ, meanwhile, breaks a lamp, and tries to electrocute Caesar with it by sticking it in the puddle that has formed under the tipped ice bucket. That doesn’t work, so she wallops him with the lamp. Caesar’s goons come in, and since they are wearing leather soled shoes, they fall victim to the shock, and MJ escapes. She goes to the park where Peter is fighting the bad guys, and lays down a hail of gunfire with the gun she stole from Caesar’s goons. The bad guys take off, and that’s that.
Bottom Line: This was when the Michelinie/McFarlane team finally hit its stride, with a great story, great art, and an innovative resolution. 4 out of 5.
#310 (“Shrike Force” December 1988)
Killer Shrike, a silly villain if ever there was one, is knocking over an armored car. Spider-Man stops him, but Shrike gets away. Later, Peter gets the classes that he wants at ESU. When he meets the professor he’ll be working for, he gets a tingle from his Spider-Sense. Later still, Peter stops by to investigate the tingle, and it turns out to be an old villain, the Tinkerer, who was using the professor (whom he was blackmailing) to help him build stuff for super villains. Guess which super villain he was helping out this time. If you said “Killer Shrike,” you’d be right. He gets the part he wants by threatening the Tinkerer, but has no money since Spidey stopped him before. Shrike’s battle suit malfunctions, since Tinkerer held back a part in lieu of payment. Tinkerer gets away, but Spider-Man has other fish to fry. Turns out that the Professor, Professor Sloan, never graduated from high school, and purchased his HS diploma, and that is what Tinkerer was blackmailing him with.
Bottom Line: Yet another case where it isn’t Spidey who saves the day. I kind of like that the cast is not dependent on the lead to solve all of it’s problems. 3.75 out of 5
(Having just hit their stride, it was time to put the book into overdrive. McFarlane and Michelinie did just that, with McFarlane’s very cool and stylistic take on some of the older villains, like Green Goblin, Hydro-Man, Scorpion, Rhino, and Blacklash. Couple that with the return of Venom, and you’ve got a great year in 1989. The funny thing is, it seems like McFarlane was on this book for a really long time, but it was only about two years. Thanks to Marvel’s hectic publishing schedule, it was 28 issues in two years (one in 1987, fifteen in 1988 and 12 in 1989.) )
#311 (“Mysteries of the Dead” January 1989)
This is part of the 1988 company – wide crossover called “Inferno” most of which was in the various mutant books (X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants) but some bled over into the various heroes that made their home in New York City. Manhattan had been taken over by demons, and inanimate objects were coming to life and attacking people. Spider-Man is swinging by the New York Public Library, and he sees people out front being attacked by the granite lions that guard the place. After stopping that, he foils a mugging, but a building comes to life as a stone giant and squashes one of the victims flat.
After talking it over with MJ, he goes to investigate, and it seems that the whole thing was an illusion. He correctly figures out that the mugger was working for Mysterio, and he tracks Mysterio down and defeats him. Peter wrongly assumes that since Mysterio is beaten that the strangeness in New York will stop.
(The Epilogue is Harry Osborne deciding to become the Green Goblin again following a nightmare.)
Bottom Line: If they hadn’t given it away on the cover, this would have been a great mystery. Alas. Good story though. 3.25 out of 5
#312 (“The Goblin War” February 1989)
Another Inferno crossover. Harry Osborn becomes the Green Goblin again, and goes after Hobgoblin, who’d attacked him and his family in Spectacular Spider-Man #146. They brawl, and it turns out that Hobby wanted the original GG’s strength formula, which had been destroyed years ago. Spider-Man gets involved, and GG defeats HG. Meanwhile, strange stuff continues in New York, and Curt Connors becomes the Lizard again, setting up next issue.
Bottom Line: It’s about a 10-page fight, but it’s a good one. McFarlane drawing Hobgoblin and Green Goblin is always a good thing. 3 out 5.
#313 (“Slithereens” March 1989)
The last Inferno crossover. The strangeness in New York continues, with a shark swimming through the mid-town tunnel. Peter and MJ go to Aunt May’s house in Queens, but Peter needs to go back and investigate. At ESU, Curt Connors has become the Lizard again, and this time his wife and son see it. They are attacked by demons, but Lizard defeats them. Two kids discover the Spider-Man thanksgiving balloon, which comes to life. Spidey sees it, destroys it, and hightails it to ESU. He’s just in time and with some help from Lizard’s human side, he’s able to stop the Lizard from killing his son. Connors is returned to his human persona, and all ends well. (Epilogue is Jonathan Caesar in prison plotting some nefariousness against Peter and MJ.)
Bottom Line: I love the Lizard, and Spider-Man fighting a giant balloon version of himself is always fun. 3 out 5
After a decent couple of months, Michelinie breaks out the MPM again, and essentially reuses the “Scientist who’s funding was slashed” character from #302. Jonathan Caesar, a character introduced a few issues ago, shows up at Peter and MJ’s place, and brings MJ flowers. Black Cat returns, breaking into Peter’s old apartment, to find that it’s been rented out. Chameleon takes over a company in Chicago, and guess where Peter’s book tour is taking him?
Bottom Line: Another throwaway issue. 1 out of 5
#307 (“The Thief Who Stole Himself” Late October 1988)
Peter and MJ are grocery shopping, and Jonathan Caesar stops by again. Peter doesn’t like him, and we find out that Caesar has a veritable shrine built to MJ in his building. Peter heads to Chicago, where we get a great parody of a comic book fanboy a the book signing, and Peter runs into a plot by the Chameleon to impersonate a famous scientist, break into labs, and sell secrets to a foreign power. Spidey stops the Chameleon, who gets away. Peter gets yelled at by his publicist to try to co-ordinate the appearances. Mary Jane, at home, is finished with a modeling shoot, and comes home to find Jonathan Caesar and some goons in her apartment.
Bottom Line: There seemed to be a lot of buildup to the appearance of the Chameleon, but he was really not much of a threat. Must have just been a chance for McFarlane to get to draw him, I suppose. The kidnapping plot is good though. 2 out of 5
#308 (“Dread” Early November 1988) and #309 (“Styx and Stone” Late November 1988)
Peter returned home from Chicago, and found signs of a struggle. The cop tells him to relax, and leaves. MJ meanwhile is being held one story below by the lunatic Caesar. Peter is thinking about canceling his book signing, but decides to go when Aunt May says she’ll be there with Nathan Lubinskey Later, Peter tears the city apart looking for MJ, which leads him into conflict with The Taskmaster and a bunch of his goons. He defeats them, but is no closer to finding MJ, who is right under his nose.
Spider-Man is going after second stringers now, looking for leads. He goes after Manslaughter Marsdale, who knows nothing. In his apartment, Jonathan Caesar is dining with MJ. She throws an ice bucket at him and tries to escape, but his goons stop her. He finds out that Spider-Man is trying to find MJ, and brings in a couple of heavy hitters named Styx and Stone. Spider-Man has a hard time with them, especially Styx, who can dissolve organic material with a touch. MJ, meanwhile, breaks a lamp, and tries to electrocute Caesar with it by sticking it in the puddle that has formed under the tipped ice bucket. That doesn’t work, so she wallops him with the lamp. Caesar’s goons come in, and since they are wearing leather soled shoes, they fall victim to the shock, and MJ escapes. She goes to the park where Peter is fighting the bad guys, and lays down a hail of gunfire with the gun she stole from Caesar’s goons. The bad guys take off, and that’s that.
Bottom Line: This was when the Michelinie/McFarlane team finally hit its stride, with a great story, great art, and an innovative resolution. 4 out of 5.
#310 (“Shrike Force” December 1988)
Killer Shrike, a silly villain if ever there was one, is knocking over an armored car. Spider-Man stops him, but Shrike gets away. Later, Peter gets the classes that he wants at ESU. When he meets the professor he’ll be working for, he gets a tingle from his Spider-Sense. Later still, Peter stops by to investigate the tingle, and it turns out to be an old villain, the Tinkerer, who was using the professor (whom he was blackmailing) to help him build stuff for super villains. Guess which super villain he was helping out this time. If you said “Killer Shrike,” you’d be right. He gets the part he wants by threatening the Tinkerer, but has no money since Spidey stopped him before. Shrike’s battle suit malfunctions, since Tinkerer held back a part in lieu of payment. Tinkerer gets away, but Spider-Man has other fish to fry. Turns out that the Professor, Professor Sloan, never graduated from high school, and purchased his HS diploma, and that is what Tinkerer was blackmailing him with.
Bottom Line: Yet another case where it isn’t Spidey who saves the day. I kind of like that the cast is not dependent on the lead to solve all of it’s problems. 3.75 out of 5
(Having just hit their stride, it was time to put the book into overdrive. McFarlane and Michelinie did just that, with McFarlane’s very cool and stylistic take on some of the older villains, like Green Goblin, Hydro-Man, Scorpion, Rhino, and Blacklash. Couple that with the return of Venom, and you’ve got a great year in 1989. The funny thing is, it seems like McFarlane was on this book for a really long time, but it was only about two years. Thanks to Marvel’s hectic publishing schedule, it was 28 issues in two years (one in 1987, fifteen in 1988 and 12 in 1989.) )
#311 (“Mysteries of the Dead” January 1989)
This is part of the 1988 company – wide crossover called “Inferno” most of which was in the various mutant books (X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants) but some bled over into the various heroes that made their home in New York City. Manhattan had been taken over by demons, and inanimate objects were coming to life and attacking people. Spider-Man is swinging by the New York Public Library, and he sees people out front being attacked by the granite lions that guard the place. After stopping that, he foils a mugging, but a building comes to life as a stone giant and squashes one of the victims flat.
After talking it over with MJ, he goes to investigate, and it seems that the whole thing was an illusion. He correctly figures out that the mugger was working for Mysterio, and he tracks Mysterio down and defeats him. Peter wrongly assumes that since Mysterio is beaten that the strangeness in New York will stop.
(The Epilogue is Harry Osborne deciding to become the Green Goblin again following a nightmare.)
Bottom Line: If they hadn’t given it away on the cover, this would have been a great mystery. Alas. Good story though. 3.25 out of 5
#312 (“The Goblin War” February 1989)
Another Inferno crossover. Harry Osborn becomes the Green Goblin again, and goes after Hobgoblin, who’d attacked him and his family in Spectacular Spider-Man #146. They brawl, and it turns out that Hobby wanted the original GG’s strength formula, which had been destroyed years ago. Spider-Man gets involved, and GG defeats HG. Meanwhile, strange stuff continues in New York, and Curt Connors becomes the Lizard again, setting up next issue.
Bottom Line: It’s about a 10-page fight, but it’s a good one. McFarlane drawing Hobgoblin and Green Goblin is always a good thing. 3 out 5.
#313 (“Slithereens” March 1989)
The last Inferno crossover. The strangeness in New York continues, with a shark swimming through the mid-town tunnel. Peter and MJ go to Aunt May’s house in Queens, but Peter needs to go back and investigate. At ESU, Curt Connors has become the Lizard again, and this time his wife and son see it. They are attacked by demons, but Lizard defeats them. Two kids discover the Spider-Man thanksgiving balloon, which comes to life. Spidey sees it, destroys it, and hightails it to ESU. He’s just in time and with some help from Lizard’s human side, he’s able to stop the Lizard from killing his son. Connors is returned to his human persona, and all ends well. (Epilogue is Jonathan Caesar in prison plotting some nefariousness against Peter and MJ.)
Bottom Line: I love the Lizard, and Spider-Man fighting a giant balloon version of himself is always fun. 3 out 5
