SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #33 - November 1998

The Gathering of Five - Part Five: Gifts

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Al Milgrom (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  While Aura lays near-death in the hospital, Override decides she needs a nest egg if he dies during the Gathering of Five ceremony.  He robs a bank and is eventually caught by Spider-Man, who’s swung past the panic he’s caused in the streets.  The police are unable to hold Override, however, and he quickly retrieves the hidden money and returns to the hospital.

The Subplots:  MJ talks to Peter about quitting college, but he refuses to believe that she values modeling more than her degree.  After selling the photos of his fight with Override, Peter is able to buy the expensive textbooks MJ needed.  When he hands her the books, MJ confesses that she withdrew from college earlier today.  Peter realizes that MJ needs to be happy and tells her that he supports her decision.

Web of Continuity:  MJ is still undecided about returning to modeling this chapter, even though she visited the agency and signed a contract in the previous chapter.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spider-Man sings the lyrics to the Fastball song “The Way” while pursuing Override.

Production Note:  This issue is forty pages, as opposed to the standard thirty-two.  You might assume that some extra pages are thrown in because this is the last issue of Sensational, but that’s not the case.  The story runs twenty-three pages, and there’s one page of letters.  The rest of the pages are ads.

Miscellaneous Note:  The Statement of Ownership has the average sales for the year at 94,643 copies, with the most recent issue selling 89,299.

Review:  It’s hard to argue that as a cohesive storyline, “The Gathering of Five” has been a success.  The various chapters contradict one another, plot threads disappear at random, and the only real conclusion to any arc is to a subplot involving MJ’s career choices.  I doubt this did an awful lot to build excitement for the new direction; knowing that the weakest chapter of the crossover was written by the main writer of the upcoming relaunch had to give many readers pause.  And labeling this the “conclusion” of the storyline, when it seems as if the previous chapter actually takes place after it, is just typical of the lax oversight the titles seemed to have during this era.

Todd Dezago probably could’ve hacked out anything as the final chapter, given that this is also the title’s last issue and it doesn’t seem as if there’s much of an emphasis on quality control anyway.  Thankfully, he once again produces a solid issue that stands on its own, putting to shame some of the other chapters of this storyline.  The Override fight isn’t that compelling, Spider-Man even stumbles upon the villain the exact same way he did last issue, but Dezago excels at the human element.  Not only do Peter and MJ feel like fully realized characters, but even Override and Aura are treated with genuine care.  I’ve never given a second thought to these Clone Saga leftovers before, but Dezago manages to make them feel real for the first time.  Aura, living in constant pain, wishing to end it all but not knowing how to tell her husband…Override, racked with guilt over what he’s done to keep Aura alive, unable to let her go while there’s still a shred of hope.  These aren’t easy scenes to execute, but Dezago handles them extremely well.  The Peter and MJ scenes are also among Dezago’s best work on the title.  Both characters feel real, neither is allowed to turn into a caricature of the nag or the screw-up, and the drama and resolution don’t feel forced.  Yes, MJ’s returning to modeling as a part of the “back to basics” edict, but the script does a decent job of selling this as a legitimate choice for MJ to be making.  And that bit with the textbooks is classic Spidey.

Sensational Spider-Man was created as a replacement for the rather superfluous Web of Spider-Man series, but two and half years later, it’s also cancelled due to its own perceived redundancy.  With four monthly titles, it was always hard for the title to stand out, and it seems that the focus on lighthearted adventure just added to the perception that it was a book that didn’t “count.”  Amongst diehard Spider-Man fans, however, Sensational was regarded as one of the highlights of the franchise during this era, and I don’t disagree.  My major complaint about the series was that it often seemed too light for its own good, but this issue shows that Dezago certainly does posses a talent for writing rather complex characterizations and significant emotional dilemmas.  Who knows what a Todd Dezago/Mike Wieringo run on Amazing Spider-Man could’ve been if Marvel had given them a chance?

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #32 - October 1998

The Gathering of Five - Part One: Acquistions

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Ralph Cabrera (inks), Tom Smith (colors), Comicraft’s Liz Agraphiotis (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man swings past Override as he causes a traffic jam outside of the Aleister Building.  He follows Override inside the building and discovers that Override is stealing an ancient relic from the Technomancers.  Override is able to cover his escape by releasing the Technomancers’ menagerie of strange creatures.  Later, Override convinces Norman Osborn to let him participate in a mysterious ceremony known as the “Gathering of Five.”

The Subplots:  A Scrier reports to Osborn that the “package” has been delivered safely.  Robbie Robertson locates Alison Mongrain in Paris.  MJ receives a call from a modeling agent, asking her to return to the business.

*See _________ For Details:  Override’s wife Aura was nearly killed in Sensational Spider-Man #25.  He hopes that this ancient ceremony will give him the power he needs to heal his wife.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spider-Man swings past a movie theater promoting Wesley Snipes as Blade on the Marquette.  

How Did This Get Published?:  “Man, there is just nothing better than catching the web-line express home after a long day of snapping pictures for the Bugle as freelance photographer Peter Parker.”  I’m glad Spider-Man’s secret identity was smoothly inserted into that thought balloon, or else I would’ve been lost throughout the rest of the issue!

Review:  Marvel’s ready to pull the plug on this era of Spider-Man, although two poorly-received crossovers remain.  “The Gathering of Five” is an attempt to seed a few storylines for the upcoming relaunch, and…that’s pretty much it, really.  It would be nice to say that this era of the titles is given a proper sendoff and the various storylines in the ongoing titles are wrapped up in a neat little bow, but that’s clearly not the motive of the crossover.  Ultimately, the Gathering of Five is a plot device that will lead to a few storylines in the early days of the relaunch, and after that, the story’s simply forgotten.  

I will say that Todd Dezago handles the opening chapter with as much grace as could be expected, creating a link between the dangling Override plot and the gimmicky Gathering of Five concept.  If you’re not aware of any of the behind-the-scenes drama, this might even read like any other issue of Sensational.  It’s more than likely that Dezago would get around to Override and the Technomancers again, and this search for mystic artifacts plot could charitably be viewed as the latest scheme by Norman Osborn.  MJ just might get a subplot that has her contemplating a return to modeling, and hey, it looks like this Alison Mongrain nonsense is finally getting resolved.  There’s no real indication this issue that the entire line is being primed for an extremely awkward “back to basics” reboot, even though that’s exactly where it’s all headed.  I doubt Dezago was particularly thrilled to be closing out his run on a crossover, but his work here is perfectly competent.  He introduces all of the elements needed for the next chapter, never forgetting to throw in those human moments, such as MJ’s reaction to an old acquaintance who doesn’t know she lost the baby.  He also gives the artist several cool things to draw, like the horrific beasts hidden inside the Technomancers’ lair (even though Joe Bennett seems to be strictly in fill-in mode, so they don’t look especially menacing).  Everything that’s wrong with the crossover is still in the background, leaving the reader with an opening chapter that’s actually good enough to trick you into buying the next issue.

SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #20 - May 1998

A Long Way till Dawn

Credits:  Christopher Golden (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Joe Pimentel (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Jack Morelli (letters)

The Plot:  Dracula’s daughter Lilith is feeding on teenage Goths, aided by her thrall, Simon Garth, the Zombie.  Hannibal King is hired by Simon’s daughter to locate the Amulet of Damballah, which Lilith is using to control Simon.  Lilith leaves a false clue with Spider-Man, implicating Morbius in her killings.  Following the lead, Spider-Man runs into Hannibal King at a nightclub owned by Lilith.  They join forces, but are soon abducted by Lilith’s followers.  When Hannibal regains the Amulet of Damballah from Lilith, she loses control of the Zombie and is forced to retreat.  Hannibal returns the Zombie’s body to his daughter, while Spider-Man recounts the unbelievable events to Mary Jane.

The Subplots:  Peter and MJ go on a date that is surprisingly not interrupted by an emergency.

Web of Continuity:  

• Lilith wants to kill the “pretend” vampire Morbius; she assumes Spider-Man can lead her to him.
• Dr. Jacob Weisenthal, a friend of Moribus and a supporting cast member in his regular series, is killed.  Lilith murders him as punishment for not knowing where Morbius is, and for working on a cure for vampirism.
• Spider-Man refuses to believe at the beginning of the story that “real” vampires exist.  Even after he’s forced to change his mind, he remains adamant that Dracula is a fictional creation.  And yet, he encountered Dracula a year and a half earlier in Spider-Man Team-Up #6.

I Love the ‘90s:  The bouncer at Lilith’s Goth club calls Peter a “90210 boy.”  Later, Peter refers to himself as “Mulder” while investigating the emergence of vampires in New York.

Review:  Who would’ve thought that two Spider-Man stories within a year’s time would involve Simon Garth, the Zombie and the Amulet of Damballah?  How did that even happen once?  The only explanation I can think of is “Bronze Age Revival,” which apparently hasn’t died out yet by early 1998.  Since no one knew what exactly to do with Spider-Man Unlimited, it appears that a decision has been made to turn into a 1970s horror throwback comic for a few issues.  Regular artist Joe Bennett is still around, even though he’s also working on the monthly Amazing title, and the X-office’s Wolverine: Days of Future Past miniseries.  As I’ve said many, many times by now, Bennett’s art shows occasional hints of real talent, but too often resembles that generic “Deodato Studios” style that is already badly dated by the late ‘90s.  The fact that he has exactly one female body type he doesn’t deviate from is especially obvious in an issue starring a female villain.  

I’ve mentioned before that I tend to enjoy Spider-Man stories that pit him against foes that haven’t been recycled endlessly in these titles, so at the very least I’ll give Christopher Golden credit for pulling Lilith out of obscurity for this tale.  She’s just interesting enough to serve as the villain in a one-shot story, even if she isn’t exactly overflowing with personality.  Hannibal King is a character I know almost nothing about, and it seems as if the story is written with readers like me in mind, since Golden is treating it as an introduction to the “supernatural detective.”  (Does he predate Constantine?)  Hannibal is fleshed out just enough to give the reader some sense of his personality and a basic idea of his internal conflict.  That’s more than could be said about some of the other Bronze Age cameos from this era, which assumed the audience cared about these forgotten characters as much as the nostalgic editors did.  Even though Spider-Man himself doesn’t contribute much to the plot, and is arguably a generic hero that could’ve been replaced by anyone, Golden seems to have a handle on his personality.  The brief scene that has Peter trying to blend in at a Goth nightclub is kind of cute, reminding the reader of how awkwardly Peter fits into any fad.  (Although his “trendy” new look resembles the way I think Marvel wants Peter to dress today.)  Like many issues of Unlimited during this era, it’s clearly filler, but not bad filler.  I do question why no one remembered the recent Spider-Man Team-Up issue that had Dracula on the cover, however.  If you’re going to make a sweeping statement about Spidey’s belief in Dracula, would it be so hard to check and see if they appeared in the same comic before?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #436 - July 1998

In Final Battle with the Black Tarantula!

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

The Plot:  Peter and MJ realize that Black Tarantula’s target is her professor, Marina Caches.  MJ warns Marina, who tells her the history of the Black Tarantula, her ex-husband.  Marina’s boyfriend Dante Rigoletto arrives and takes Marina, her son Fabian, and MJ to safety.  Spider-Man follows.  They arrive at the home of Dante’s uncle, Fortunato.  The Rose happens to be there, complaining about his recent treatment.  Shortly before Dante and the rest enter, Fortunato rips off Rose’s mask, exposing him as Jacob Conover.  Soon, Black Tarantula arrives, leading to a battle involving Spider-Man, Fortunato’s men, and his army of Hydra Killdroid suits.  After Black Tarantula hears Marina’s pleas to give Fabian a normal life, and Spider-Man prevents Conover from taking a shot at him, he decides to leave.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  Marina reveals that she fell in love with Carlos LaMuerto in college, not knowing he was the Black Tarantula.  After discovering his underworld connections, she divorced him and left with their son.  She says that the Black Tarantula now wants Fabian to continue the tradition of his father, grandfather, and every firstborn son and receive the Black Tarantula’s powers.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spider-Man suggests everyone stop fighting and discuss their favorite Titanic moment.

How Did This Get Published?:  MJ to Peter, after he warns her that her life is in danger:  “You can’t bundle me off to my sister in Pittsburgh because you suddenly got a hint of a new peril!”

Review:  I must be hallucinating…is this Black Tarantula torture finally over?  I honestly can’t believe it.  I know that (some of) the creators are going to be wrapping stories up in order to make way for the upcoming relaunch, but that’s still a few months away.  I assumed this storyline would be slogging through ASM right until the end, but instead it looks like DeFalco is going to close out his run with a few one-shot stories.  Oddly enough, with so many issues dedicated to selling this arc, the final chapter turns out to be extremely rushed.  Not that I want this story to go any longer, but it’s odd that after such a slow buildup, we’re getting the Black Tarantula’s origin as a quickie info-dump, the resolution of the Marina Caches mystery, the revelation of the Dante Rigoletto/Fortunato connection, the revelation of the real identity of the Rose, and the big fight scene that ends with the Black Tarantula walking away.  All in one issue.  Did Tom DeFalco just want to end this as much as the readers did?  

In a way, I can see how this issue was intended as the climatic, action-packed resolution to the long-running arc.  Elements from other titles, such as Fortunato’s Hydra connection, come into play, which exhibits cross-title continuity in a way the readers usually missed during this era.  And the fight scene is portrayed as a convincing challenge for Spider-Man, one that requires the use of both the Stingers and the Impact Webbing.  The revelation that Black Tarantula isn’t immortal, but instead passes his powers on to his son, isn’t so bad as a twist revelation, and provides him an additional motivation for wanting his son back.  But at no point does any of this come together.  Every aspect of the issue is rushed (most egregiously the nonsensical revelation that Jacob Conover is the new Rose), which blunts any dramatic impact.  If the Black Tarantula’s origin can be summed up in less than a page, why did we have to wait almost two years to get it?  And where did Dante Rigoletto, with his rather convenient connection to Fortunato, even come from?  Honestly, at any point during this arc, how many readers had any investment in Marina Caches’s custody battle, or just any investment in her as a viable character?  Looking at this is frustrating in hindsight, because it seems as if Tom DeFalco could’ve taken some of these elements and actually crafted one of the better gang war stories we’ve seen in ASM.  What we got instead was a mess that lasted nearly two years, never producing one compelling character or engaging plot in the process.  What happened here?

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). 

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 #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.

SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #19 - February 1998

Where Monsters Dwell

Credits:  Mark Bernardo (writer), Joe Bennett (penciler), Joe Pimentel (inks), John Kalisz (colors), Jack Morelli (letters)

The Plot:  Peter and MJ join Ben Urich in Miami as he covers a crime wave.  They spend time with Curt Connors and his family.  Spider-Man discovers Billy Connors is now robbing stores, but Curt refuses to discuss his family issues.  As Ben Urich investigates a new player in the Miami drug trade, Curt grows increasingly unstable.  When Spider-Man deduces that the Lizard is responsible for Miami’s new street drug, he’s knocked unconscious by Curt and taken to the Miami Reservoir, where the Lizard plans to poison the city’s water supply.  MJ and Martha Connors follow, and after Martha appeals to Curt’s humanity, the Lizard becomes Curt Connors again.

The Subplots:  Martha Connors is worried about Curt’s increasingly cynical view of humanity.  Unbeknownst to her, Curt has been using Billy as a test subject for his drug, which unleashes man’s “reptilian brain.”  The drug eventually causes Billy to collapse and he’s taken to the hospital.

Web of Continuity:  

• The Lizard has been subconsciously influencing Curt Connors’ actions since his last appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man #239.  He claims he’s responsible for Curt revealing his dual identity to the world, which was done to take suspicion away from his latest scheme.
• The Slug gives Ben info on the new street drug, which he views as unhealthy competition.

*See _________ For Details:  Curt Connors says he last saw Peter when he was “at death’s door” in Spectacular Spider-Man #237.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spider-Man tells a group of kids robbing a video game store that getting to “the last screen” on Final Fantasy IV isn’t worth a jail sentence.  Later, we have references to Andy Sipowicz, Ted Kennedy’s alcohol problem, and Peter getting paged at the hospital after Billy collapses.

Review:  A fairly ambitious story by Unlimited standards, Mark Bernardo takes the Lizard’s quaint “reptiles rule the Earth” motivation and actually does something smart with it.  The Lizard can work as the freaky monster single-mindedly determined to kill Spider-Man, but every time he starts talking about his latest scheme to destroy all humans so that reptiles can take their proper place on top of the food chain, I’ve always checked out.  Bernardo plays with the concept a bit and makes the Lizard a subconscious influence on Curt Connors this time, which enables him to develop a far more elaborate scheme.  Connors has created a variation of his original serum that exploits the human brain’s R-complex, allowing an individual to be free to give in to his darkest desires.  With enough doses, the humans will grow more reptilian, thus giving Lizard the revenge against humanity he’s always desired.  By the standards of Lizard plots, this is quite clever.  The issue does seem to be running two separate stories that never fully come together, Connors is simultaneously dosing the societal elites that attend his lectures in order to exploit their connections while also selling the serum as a street drug, but it’s not a conspicuous problem.  Bernardo spends much more time with the drug trade story, which is probably the best choice.  Had this been a multi-part storyline in one of the monthly titles, I’m sure more could’ve been done with Lizard’s army of upper-level civil servants.

The best Lizard stories are the ones that make the Connors family sympathetic, and this issue handles that material rather well.  Connors’ contemptuous view of humanity is an obvious clue that he’s being subconsciously influenced by the Lizard, but there’s more to the story than that.  Connors’ Vietnam background is explored for the first time in ages, with Vietnam simply becoming “the war” for obvious reasons.  As Martha eventually realizes, Curt is a surgeon who went to war and came back without an arm.  Robbed of his opportunity to help others, Curt buried his anger for years, until the Lizard wakened Curt’s own issues with humanity.  Revealing that Curt on some level understands the Lizard’s hatred of humanity is a risky move, but the story manages to avoid any cheap cynicism and offer Curt some redemption in the end.

I wish I could say that Joe Bennett delivers his best art this issue, but unfortunately he’s back to the inconsistent work seen in his earlier Unlimited issues.  This is still more attractive than his Amazing fill-in work, but too many pages look rushed, and it’s hard to forgive his inconsistent Spider-Man.  From one panel to the next, Spider-Man’s eyes regularly change shape and the web pattern on his costume can never stay consistent.  Bennett also gives Spider-Man this boxy, squashed anatomy in certain panels that doesn’t suit the character at all.  Some of the pages look great, but the inconsistency is very frustrating.  Had Bennett turned in an issue as strong as Unlimited #17, this would’ve been one of the better comics from the post-clone era.