SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #20 - October 1997

Akasha Triumphant

Credits:  Richard Case (plot, pencils, inks), Pop Mhan and Mike Wieringo (art assist, uncredited), Todd Dezago (script), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Akasha’s personality begins to return, and she uses her newfound powers to teleport away.  Peter Parker meets her father at the Daily Bugle and learns that Akasha has always loved Greenwich Village.  He searches for there, as Akasha’s personality switches back to the Living Pharaoh’s.  She senses Peter is stalking her and attacks.  He returns as Spider-Man and steals her staff, the Eye of Horus.  He breaks the Eye, which causes the dark influence to leave Akasha’s body.  Akasha suddenly grows a pair of wings, tells her father she loves him, and flies away peacefully.

The Subplots:  MJ tries to cheer Peter up after Akasha escapes and he fails to get any photos of the exhibit for the Daily Bugle.

I Love the ‘90s:  Akasha turns into a ‘90s catchphrase machine after her true personality returns, gracing us with a “phat,” “where it’s at,” and “so what I am all about!”  She also hallucinates that a club DJ has turned into King Tut and is doing an Egyptian version of Beck’s “Where it’s At.”


Production Note: Issue #21 will give Pop Mhan and Mike Wieringo credit for assisting with this issue's art.

Review:  The bit with the DJ is funny, and it’s a relief to finally see a romantic scene between Peter and MJ, but the rest of the issue is easily forgettable.  Apparently, we were supposed to be invested in Akasha’s relationship with her father this entire time, even though he’s barely appeared in the story and we have no idea what the issues between them are even supposed to be.  The ending is also annoyingly vague, with Akasha suddenly growing wings and flying away, the only explanation being a few narrative captions that claim she’s been tested and now granted “a boon” by the benevolent pharaohs.  I’m guessing Akasha was being set up as a recurring character, but she’s such a blank slate I can’t imagine too many people would be thrilled to see her again.  An arc like this is a good reminder of how much this title needed more ongoing subplots, or at least more of an effort to acknowledge the events of the other titles.  A few interesting subplot scenes can save a dull main story, or at least alleviate the boredom for a few minutes.

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #19 - September 1997

 

The Return

Credits:  Richard Case (plot, pencils, inks), Todd Dezago (script), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  A young woman named Akasha Martinez comes across a fragment of the Living Monolith and is instantly knocked unconscious.  She soon recovers, however, and spends a day with her father at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Peter Parker is there with MJ to photograph the new Egyptian exposition.  When Akasha encounters the Egyptian artifacts, she’s overwhelmed with power.  She steals the Eye of Horus and proclaims herself the Living Pharaoh.  As Spider-Man, Peter tries to stop Akasha from harming the museum patrons, but discovers she’s stronger than he initially thought.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  

• The Living Monolith originally called himself the Living Pharaoh before growing to giant size.
• The Chronology Project lists this two-parter as yet another arc taking place before Spectacular Spider-Man #246, even though it was published months later.  I’m skeptical about this, since Peter does make a reference to Jonah being “nearly out of his mind with everything that’s been going on lately,” which I think was likely a reference Jonah’s injuries and Norman Osborn buying the Bugle.  However, it could possibly be interpreted as an allusion to Tom DeFalco’s Bugle storylines in the build-up to Amazing Spider-Man #425; the assassination plot against Robbie, the Angela Yin/Dragon Fly drama, etc.

I Love the ‘90s:  Scully and Mulder are at the hospital interviewing Akasha’s friends, although the colorist seems to be going out of his way to mis-color them.

"Huh?" Moment:  Akasha repeatedly tells her friends to “atch up” when bike-riding in the opening scene.  I can only assume the letterer misspelled “catch up” and then copy and pasted his typo repeatedly.  It appens, man.  It appens.

Review:  Sensational is usually fun, but there are times when it just feels like it’s too light for its own good.  The book’s always low on subplots and psychological drama, so when you get issues like these that lack both elements entirely, it’s usually up to the art to save the day.  And while Richard Case is a competent fill-in for Mike Wieringo, he’s…well, no Mike Wieringo.  I honestly wouldn’t complain about having Case on any of the Spider-books, especially when I think about some of the questionable fill-in art this era produced.  This just isn’t as visually innovative as the ‘Ringo issues, and it’s not as if we’re being graced with an incredible villain in the first place.  

I don’t necessarily mind reviving the Living Pharaoh as a college-age female, but I think she’s a hard sell as the villain for a two-issue arc.  We know virtually nothing about Akasha before she becomes the Pharaoh, so there’s just no investment on the reader’s part in seeing her go back to normal.  And as a threat, she shoots some energy beams out of a staff and that’s essentially it.  No clear motivation, unoriginal powers, and a virtual blank in her civilian form.  Not a great villain at this stage.  None of this means this is a terrible comic; it’s well-drawn and there are a few decent gags, but it’s hard to muster up the energy to care too much about the story.

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #17 - June 1997

 

Helpless!

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Mike Wieringo (penciler), Richard Chase (inks), Joe Andreani (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Peter bluntly tells Billy that he can’t do his job with Billy around, then disappears and reemerges as Spider-Man.  Prowler escapes by jeopardizing the crowd and distracting Spider-Man.  Later, after talking to Hobie, Spider-Man investigates the ER workers who might’ve discerned the original Prowler’s secret identity.  At the apartment of Rick Lawson, Spider-Man finds the Vulture and Prowler locked in another battle.  After webbing up Prowler, Spider-Man succumbs to vertigo, leaving him vulnerable to the Vulture’s attack.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  Spider-Man has been suffering from sporadic bouts of vertigo since his encounter with Morbius in Peter Parker, Spider-Man #77.

I Love the ‘90s:  The letters page advises you to save thirty-two cents on a stamp and send your letters through Marvel’s new email address.

Review:  Oh, this is going through three issues?  (And the story’s getting interrupted next issue for “Flashback” month?)  I don’t think there’s enough of a story here to justify that many chapters, although I suppose the two back-up stories ate up some space Dezago felt he needed.  This issue, Spider-Man discovers the new Prowler’s true identity, and thanks to a bit of synchronous cross-title continuity, also suffers a bout of vertigo that puts him in cliffhanger-worthy danger.  The art’s still great, and Dezago actually is working in some decent jokes now, so it’s not a bad middle chapter, even if the plot seems to be moving a bit too slowly.  I should also point out that Billy Walters, a character I’ve never had strong feelings for, serves his role adequately this issue as an annoying but well-meaning nuisance in Spider-Man’s way.  I can’t tell if he’s intended to be anything more than a Jimmy Olsen stand-in, but I do like the basic idea of Peter having to be a jerk to someone that doesn’t really deserve it.

Brother’s Keeper, Too

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Richard Case (artist), Gregory Wright (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  Spider-Man talks to the irrational DK, relating to him the loss of his own “brother.”  Spider-Man encourages him to move on.  DK comes to his senses and turns himself back in.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  Spider-Man’s “brother” is, of course, Ben Reilly.

*See _________ For Details:  The guards killed by DK now resemble ashes, which reminds Spider-Man of Ben’s death in Peter Parker, Spider-Man #75.

Review:  I can only assume these back-ups existed to buy Mike Wieringo some deadline relief.  As much as I like the work Wieringo’s doing during this arc, I think I would’ve preferred Richard Case continuing the Prowler/Vulture story and just getting the arc done in two issues.  Especially if next month is “Flashback” month, which is only going to drag things out even longer.  Outside of throwing a bone to the still-vocal Ben Reilly fans, I see no real point to these back-ups.  DK is angry, Spider-Man has an Oprah moment and tells him to let go of his anger, and everyone’s back to where they were before this started.  Except for the families of the guards casually killed during DK’s tantrum, of course.  We can’t let them get in the way of the schmaltzy ending, though.  Easily forgettable stuff, unfortunately.

SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #16 - May 1997

 

Paralyzed!

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Mike Wieringo (penciler), Richard Case (inks), Gregory Wright w/GCW (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  The Prowler’s costume is stolen from Hobie Brown’s apartment while he is hospitalized.  Spider-Man learns of the incident from Hobie’s wife Mindy while paying him a visit.  That night, the Vulture spots the new Prowler and initiates a fight.  Spider-Man gets involved, and in the confusion, loses both villains.  Later, while on a Daily Bugle assignment, Peter Parker spots the Prowler again at a construction site.

The Subplots:  Peter and MJ fight to keep Aunt Anna away from their dirty laundry, which includes a Spider-Man mask.  Later, Peter meets a new reporter he’s supposed to “break in,” Billy Walters.  Billy’s presence prevents Peter from confronting the new Prowler as Spider-Man at the construction site.

Web of Continuity:  

• MJ is concerned about the bite Peter received from Morbius earlier in PP:SM #77.  
• Billy Walters makes his official debut.  Outside of Todd Dezago’s comics, however, you’re not going to be seeing much of him.
• The Vulture is still in a young man’s body at this stage, after the events of “Lifetheft.”
• Peter’s story on the Savage Land from the previous arc is bumped to page seventeen of the Daily Bugle.  Jonah refuses to run the Roxxon angle because Peter brought back no evidence.

*See _________ For Details:  Spider-Man first met the Prowler in Amazing Spider-Man #78.  The Prowler was injured and is currently paralyzed due to the Great Game, as seen in Spider-Man Unlimited #14.  And the Vulture has a grudge against the Prowler following the events of the Prowler miniseries, which I did not know even existed.

I Love the ‘90s:  Spider-Man asks Hobie if he’s ever seen ER while visiting him in the hospital.

Review:  So the tangled web of Spidey continuity leads me to believe this arc is the next one chronologically, although chronologyproject.com says that an Omnibus-sized collection of Spider-Man stories has to take place in-between the main story and this issue’s back-up.  Ugh.  Another instance of Too Much Spidey occurs early in the issue, as MJ is just now reacting to the vampire bite Spider-Man received in Peter Parker, Spider-Man #77.  There’s apparently no way to get that arc to fit after the lengthy Chameleon storyline in Spectacular Spider-Man, so that leaves us with numerous Spider-Man stories where he’s bitten by a vampire but doesn’t care enough to acknowledge it.  This is extremely pedantic, I know, but I think the sloppy continuity of this era does hurt the overall line.  You don’t feel as if you’re reading about the life of Peter Parker, you’re reading a somewhat random collection of events spread out over numerous titles.  It works for the “pick and choose” fan who might buy one Spider-Man book a month, but it’s a shabby way to treat those hardcore readers who love this character so much they feel compelled to follow the entire line.  

Anyway, this begins a multi-part Vulture/Prowler story, and it’s pretty much what you expect from Sensational.  Light-hearted superhero action, pretty art, and the return of a relatively obscure figure from the past.  I’ve always liked the Prowler and didn’t understand why he didn’t get more of a push during the ‘90s (Isn’t he very obviously a Spawn prototype?), so I’m glad to see Dezago and Wieringo haven’t forgotten him.  I won’t claim to have read every Prowler story ever published, but Hobie and Mindy always seemed like classic Marvel characters to me, in the sense that both of them have absolutely normal lives that have nothing to do with supervillains.  At this point in continuity, Hobie Brown is out-of-action, and while I’m sure it’s tempting to just ignore an obscure Spider-Man Unlimited issue from the end of the Clone Saga, the creators actually acknowledge what’s happened before and use it as the impetus for a new story.  The readers still get a fantastic Wieringo rendition of the Prowler’s costume, and Dezago is smart enough to keep Hobie and his wife Mindy around, rather than recycling the design and using it to hype a new character that’s just going to disappear in a few months anyway.  If you like the Prowler, this is a treat, and if you never really paid attention to him, this is a nice introduction.

Brother’s Keeper 2

Credits:  Todd Dezago (writer), Richard Case (artist), Gregory Wright w/GCW (colors), Comicraft (letters)

The Plot:  At Ravencroft, Dr. Kafka informs Spider-Man that DK is reverting to his previous state.  She suspects that he’s using his ability to degenerate objects against himself as a subconscious suicide attempt.  DK grows irrationally angry and escapes his cell.  Spider-Man checks on two guards disintegrated by DK, then realizes that DK is directly behind him.

The Subplots:  None.

Web of Continuity:  Peter Parker has never met DK (alias David Kalen), as he is a villain from the Ben Reilly days.  David and his brother were exposed to toxic waste as punishment for threatening to expose an evil, polluting corporation.  David was mutated into a freak, while his brother died.

Review:  I had never heard of DK before reading this issue, but I’ll take a wild guess and assume he’s a villain created during Todd Dezago’s Spectacular Spider-Man run at the end of the Clone Saga.  Apparently, DK is internet slang for “don’t know” (I’ve honestly never seen anyone use it before), which may or may not have been the inspiration for his lame supervillain name.  Surely there’s more to his name than his civilian identity’s initials, right?  Regardless, Dezago apparently likes the guy enough to use him in the post-Ben days, and I can’t say it’s that great of an idea.  Even though his origin is recapped, DK still comes across as unsympathetic, and Spider-Man is really given nothing to do in the story except remind us that he’s never met this guy before.  The only highlight is Richard Case’s art, which is a nice-looking blend of Mike Wieringo and Ty Templeton.