WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #37 - April 1988

When Strikes the Slasher!

Credits: James Owsley (writer), Steve Geiger (penciler), Keith Williams (inker), Rick Parker (letterer), Gregory Wright (colorist)

The Plot: Numerous fashion models have become victims of the mysterious Slasher. Dakota North takes the case, as Peter worries for MJ’s safety. Backstage at a show, MJ’s friend Elyse receives flowers from her obsessed fan, Harvey. Desperate for Elyse’s attention, Harvey hires an actor to pose as the Slasher, so that Harvey can “save” Elyse. When the imposter targets MJ and Elyse, they run for safety. Dakota North and Spider-Man apprehend the imposter, but MJ is soon the target of the real Slasher, the deranged and envious Elyse. Spider-Man stops Elyse in time, as Harvey realizes he has a lot to learn about love.

The Subplots: None.

Forever Young: Peter chides himself for having an “adolescent inferiority complex” after he learns that MJ has paid his quarterly tax bill.

Review: Gerry Conway is now handling Spectacular Spider-Man, so we’re back to fill-in mode. Owsley and Geiger did two earlier issues, and were apparently supposed to be the regular creative team for a brief period. I wonder if this issue was originally supposed to run with their other issues, and later went through some rewrites to make it fit in with the post-wedding status quo. That would fit with Owsley/Priest’s claims that his scripts were being rewritten, although the marriage plays such a major role in this story it’s hard to imagine it being written before the wedding.

Because this is a 1980s Jim Owsley comic, the superhero action is limited, the tone is often dark, and the villain is a deranged serial killer. There is some humor, and a happy ending, so it’s not as bleak as some of the Spidey material from his stint as editor. There isn’t a lot of room to sell the mystery, but I like the way Owsley hints that the random stranger Howard hired to impersonate the Slasher might actually be the killer. That’s the twist ending you normally get in comics, so the revelation that he’s innocent is a good reversal. Peter is also handled well, as he continues to deal with his insecurities over MJ’s success. Why exactly Dakota North is in this issue is beyond me, but Owsley seems to enjoy writing her and her hapless brother/assistant, also.

WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #28-#30, July-September 1987

Torch Bearing

Credits: Bob Layton (writer), Steve Geiger (penciler), Vince Colletta (inker), Rick Parker (letterer), Bob Sharen (colorist)

Spider-Man heads to LA to retrieve a damaged web-shooter, which he left on the Statue of Liberty’s torch, along with his clothes and ID. The torch is being used on a Tournament of Roses float, and unbeknownst to Spidey, a group of yuppie terrorists wants to abduct it to draw attention to the plight of avocado farmers. The story grows more ridiculous from there, as a sunburned Spidey chases the runaway semi-truck carrying the torch throughout Los Angeles. It’s one of those stories that hinges on Spider-Man having insanely bad luck at every turn, but it never grows tiresome. The most entertaining fill-in so far.

Mask

Credits: James C. Owsley (writer), Steve Geiger (penciler), Art Nichols (inker), Rick Parker (letterer), Bob Sharen (colorist)

Jim Owsley was apparently supposed to take over the title with this issue, but he says editorial interference lead to his early departure. This is a sequel to Owsley’s Spider-Man vs. Wolverine one-shot, which I’ve never read, but I know is controversial amongst Spidey fans. The story also ties in to Owsley’s “Gang War” arc in Amazing, which has a pretty low reputation. If you’re not familiar with all of the continuity, the issue reads as a bit of a mess. Ned Leeds, believed to be the Hobgoblin, is dead. His partner, Richard Fisk (the Rose), now wants to drop the criminal identity he created, but is still sending his men on shady missions. Fisk’s pal, Alfredo (sporting a ponytail and giant ‘80s sunglasses) runs afoul of the new Hobgoblin, but Spider-Man saves his life. In the midst of all of this, Wolverine shows up to check on Spider-Man after the events of Spider-Man vs. Wolverine. A multicultural street gang picks a fight with them, as Wolverine tries to convince Peter that he can’t quit as Spider-Man, which I guess was still an ongoing storyline in the other books. It’s disjointed to say the least, but finally something is happening in this book.

The Wages of Sin

Credits: James C. Owsley (writer), Steve Geiger (penciler), Abel/Baker/Fern/Geiger/Williams (inkers), Rick Parker (letterer), George Roussos (colorist)

No Spider-Man this issue, just a story dedicated to Richard Fisk recapping the past few years of Amazing Spider-Man storylines…I mean, confessing his sins to a priest. The big draw of this issue is the combined origin stories of the Rose and Hobgoblin, although the Hobgoblin material is essentially negated when Roger Stern later returns and reveals Ned Leeds was never the real Hobgoblin. I know a lot of people hate the idea of Ned Leeds as Hobgoblin, but it seems like the story does a credible job of tying the revelation into all of the established clues of the time (I was too young to be following Amazing during those years, so I imagine my perspective is different from that of many fans, though). After recapping around thirty comic books, Richard Fisk confesses to accidentally killing a police officer while in his Rose identity. His guilt leads him to drop any pretense that he’s just pretending to be a criminal. On the final page, he appears in the office of his father, the Kingpin, offering to work for him. I’m sure this was all a setup for something, but Kingpin became a de facto Daredevil character in this era, and Richard Fisk was forgotten for years. Next issue: Spidey’s married and Kraven wants to kill him.