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Where Do We Go From Here?: Part II (PPTSS #1-32)

While things were going on with Amazing Spider-Man , the new title Peter Parker: The Spectaculur Spider-Man also made it's debut, promising to focus more on Peter's life than anything else. And for quite awhile, it did just that. These early stories and covers are a blast, although never quite the quality of the main title.

-The best part of this title, is the focus on the supporting cast. Flash, Sha Shan, Harry, Liz, Betty, Ned, Gloria, the White Tiger and his girl (more on that later) and the Bugle all played a major role in almost every issue. Lots of fun (well, maybe not Razorback or the Hypno-Hustler...) seeing them here. And here is where Sha Shan is really seen as a character. All of the supporting cast gets to act as a way of getting Pete through whatever he's going through.

-Action right away- the first issue has the Tarrantula, who I already said that I like a real lot, and the second issue has Kraven, another fave of mine. The mastermind behind this, Lightmaster, is written nicely and appears to be another contender for major nemesis to Spidey. Add in the Vulture and the Hitman (another new baddie) and then Morbius and the Torch, and things are kicking off good right away.

-Light Master- I liked the Light-Master in his first two appearnces (PPTSS #1-3 and #20-21), and he seemed like a potential major baddie. However, all subsequent appearances of him have him down around Rocket Racer's level (maybe even Mindworm), so he was written off early. The two early stories in PPTSS however, are very nicely done.

-The White Tiger- the White Tiger was really the shining star of the early PPTSS stories, all the way through this period, and Hector Ayala became a major supporting cast member (as did his girlfriend). He was fun and gave Spidey someone to fight beside, although making sure never to cross the line into a partnership.

-The Man-Wolf/Hate Moner/Razorback/Flash/Sha Shan Saga- Uh, the less said, the better I guess. Mabye b/c this was going on at the same time as the Green Goblin III Saga, but this story is not really that memorable, and actually ran for about five issues. Razorback? C'mon!

-Disco meets Spidey- #23...I guess you had to be there. Still, seeing Peter and his buddies all decked out in disco out-fits is pretty funny.

-Frank Miller and his first Daredevil story- the mid-20's had a memorable run with Frank Millar doing a Spidey/Daredevil crossover (Spidey is blind). Cool story, and excellent quality with Millar on it.

-The Carrion Saga- Ah, the first really great PPTSS Saga, and once more, another continuation of the Jackal story (which kind of continued the Green Goblin/Gwen story). Another mysterious villian beings attacking Peter at home, knowing his identity, and additionally has a whole array of powers that make him dangerous. With the White Tiger, Spidey is still continually beaten by Carrion, until finally captured to learn from Carrion that he is "the Living Clone of Professor Miles Warren!!!" (aka the Jackal). A cool plot twist and good story, as Spidey battles and then beats Carrion, who dies in the end. For a few issues there, it looked like Carrion was going to be another villian on par with Doc Ock/Green Goblin/Kingpin/Jackal though. And like the continuing Goblin stories, the Jackal had one final continuing story in the form of Carrion.

By #34, like ASM, the old supporting cast seemed to be all gone. The White Tiger left the series after one final story, and with MJ gone in ASM, the final members of the supporting cast seemed to leave quietly as well, with the exception of the Bugle staff.

Once again, with all the changes in Spidey's life in ASM, the editors must have thought "Where do we really go from here?"

OK, Where Do We Really Go From Here?: (ASM #201-237, PPTSS #34-74)

After #200 of ASM there were a great deal of major changes and turning points in Peter's life that concluded a lot of the conflict that had been moving the book along for 200 issues. In addition, #33 of PPTSS finished off some other points in Peter's life and ended the saga of Carrion (and soon after the White Tiger). With so much fixed and done, there was the additional problem of most of Peter's supporting cast pretty much up and leaving the book suddenly for little or no reason. Besides Aunt May and JJJ, not many were around. Once again, although more emphasized this time, there was the sense of "Where do we go from here?"

-ASM: In Amazing Spider-Man there was a string of largely forgetable stories, including one with the Lightmaster that destroyed any possibility of him being a major bad guy. There was also some Punisher stories and Black Cat stories, that served to keep these two fan favorites in the spotlight. Immediately, the Black Cat was requested to keep coming back, the Punisher was undoubtedly a major recurring character in Spidey's life.

-PPTSS- for the first time, the second Spidey title was just as good or sometimes even better than the first. Swarm, a new Lizard/Stergon battle and Belladonna (as well as the return of the cat burglar from way back in ASM #30) served as good villians, and Peter began getting a new supporting cast.

-Grad school- Mainly an aspect of PPTSS, Peter got a new supporting cast of fellow teaching assistants, professors and other people. Although they were enjoyable, they were largely forgetable, considering the fact that I can't remember one of their names.

-Debra Whitman- With Betty married, Gwen dead and MJ gone, once again, Peter had no love life. The writers of PPTSS introduced Debra Whitman, a shy grad student who had a crush on Peter. Soon, the two were in a romantic relationship, which was kind of nice. I say 'kind of', because sometimes it was nice, and then sometimes it just felt so weird. For twenty issues or so this grew, until finally Debra's recurring fear of Spider-Man and somehow believing Peter and Spidey were one and the same drove her slightly wacky. Debra ended up being a bit loony, and had to leave the series, which is too bad, since she was a nice character to begin with. Still, I'm not complaining about seeing her go.

-It wasn't until the final 120's of ASM that we started getting quality Spidey stories again. Although a silly but fun Sandman/Hydro-Man story occured, in addition to Hydro-Man's 1st appearance, a Namor crossover and Madame Web being introduced there was little worth noting. Then came a good Vulture story, and then an exceptionally good story with Juggernaut and Spidey going at it for two issues. The story works well and shows Spidey continually thinking of various ways to get through Juggernaut, until finally beating him. It is about here that Stern and Romita Jr. took over the book and brought it back to top quality.

-Stern and Romita Jr.- The Vulture story and the Juggernaut major battle quickly made ASM a top Marvel book again, and brought a quality back to the book that some can argue was missing since #100. Next, they did a really good Cobra story, then a follow up Cobra/Hyde story, another great yarn. And then finally there was one of my favorite stories, with the Tarrantula, Will O Wisp and the Roxxon corporation. A four-partner, this story is very nicely written and drawn, but is also what I'd say is a turning point. Here marks what I would consider the end of the 70's in Spider-Man continuity. The Tarrantula, *the* bad guy of the early 70's ends up dying in the end (after becoming a giant spider) and Will O'Wisp *the* 'super-star' of the late 70's ends up finding some closure and leaving Spidey's stories for some time. After it ends with #236, there is a quick Stilt-Man story in #237, and a new era of Spider-Man begins.

Also, the appearance of the Hobgoblin, my favorite Spider-Man bad-guy occurs in #238, the next issue, and marks what I think is another new era of Spider-Man (and a damn good one). Over in PPTSS, a coinciding era was beginning, as #74 (which was the finale to the Debra Whitman saga) is followed by #75, the beginning of the Black Cat Saga of Spider-Man (with the opening parts having Doc Ock and the Owl).

Hey Cobie, I haven't had a chance to read all these, but thanks for the hard work -- I'll definitely check in and offer opinions!

Thanks Drake! I'm glad you're reading these too, and I want to hear your opinions on all eras too.

I was on a bit of a roll yesterday, and I have a feeling I might get on another one and bring my reviews right up to MacFarlane.

The Hobgoblin Saga: Part I (ASM #238-267)

With issue #238, one of my favorite periods of Spidey's history begins. I love the Hobgoblin Saga, which runs pretty much strait through from #238 to #288, as the mystery of the Hobgoblin serves as one of the major aspects of Spidey and Peter's life.

Further, this period is also marked by excellent characterization of almost all of Peter's supporting cast. The art by Romita Jr. is out of this world, and Stern's writing is superb. The follow up writer, Defalco (I think?) is good too, since Stern layed the ground work for the Hobgoblin, although my love for this saga may have me jaded.

There is a variety of reasons I love this period. Here they are:

-Romita Jr.- what an artist. Like his father before him, JR Jr. knew how to draw Spidey, how to draw action and how to make the readers squeel with delight.

-The sense of continuity- this is MAJOR. Right away, Stern makes sure there is a sense of continuity for long-time Spider-man readers. Things happening in Harry and Jonah's life, Peters' and the Hobgoblin's reflect a history of these characters. I'll discuss below. Also, the continuity between Amazing Spider-Man and Spectaculur Spider-Man is tighter than ever and very enjoyable. During the Hobgoblin Saga, Peter was going through another saga in PPTSS, what I call "The Black Cat Saga". The inter-weaving of the two is very enjoyable.

-The Hobgoblin- Hobgoblin is probably my favorite Spidey villian of all, because of the stories written during this time. The mystery of the Hobgoblin draws you right in, and I was left guessing everywhere the first time I read these. Further, the Hobgoblin is one of the best villians ever that gets progressively better when he fights Spider-Man, constantly evolving as he got used to fighting him. He is smart too--wise enough to blackmail people to support him, and smart enough to figure out where Norman Osbourne went wrong all those years ago. He also goes increasingly mad very subtly as the issues go by, and even seems to realize it circa #251, screaming "Osbourne was the mad one! Not me!". His hatred for Spidey consumes him and he can't fight it.

-Lance Bannon and Amy Powell- a cool little subplot, we see new members of Pete's supporting cast who pull him into a love triangle he wants nothing to do with. Lance Bannon, a jerk (but a good character for the book) becomes an important player. Later, he becomes the other prime suspect for being the Hobgoblin.

-The return of Mary Jane- Mary Jane returns to the series (in an amusing sequence with Peter getting kissed), and stays for the long hall. However, this seems to be a different MJ. She is her old fun self, and it's funny to see everyone trying to hook Pete and her up, but she seems to be a wiser and 'more there' now. The airhead Mary Jane is gone, and Aunt May makes comments that hint at her not being what she seems. This MJ is likable, and a lot of fans seemed to be won over by Stern's writing. At first, her and Peter have no relationship again, and their close friendship really warmed people back up to her.

-The return of the supporting cast- With the Hobgoblin in possession of Norman Osbourne's diaries and MJ back, the rest of the supporting cast showed up too. Harry and Liz, Betty and Ned, Flash and Sha Shan, the entire Bugle and the rest re-enter in Peter's life. Another character, Nathan Lubunsky becomes Aunt May's boyfriend and takes on the old role of Captain Stacy a la 'conscience of the series'.

-#238-239- the first Hobgoblin story is great, and we see the Goblin slowly become more comfortable with this role. Right away, it's apparent that a new nemesis for Peter is being born. The mystery of his identity is just as good, if not better, than the mystery of the original Green Goblin of old.

-#245- the next Hobgoblin story is equally as good, as we see how smart the Goblin is by forcing Lefty Donovon to test the Green Goblin formula so the Hobgoblin can ensure he won't go mad. Further, he tricks everyone into thinking he's dead, except Spidey.

-PPTSS #85- even though it's an issue of the other Spider-Man book, this Hobgoblin appearance is pivotal for the continuation of his character. Emerging from the mists with Super-strength, the Hobgoblin is forever changed, as he may now have become slightly unhinged. The readers are left wondering if he is crazy (or will be crazy), but there is no doubt he has changed. Plus, he whips Spidey pretty badly, since the Black Cat gets in his way (which is part of the ongoing Black Saga over in PPTSS).

-The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man- one of the greatest comic issues of all-time. A beautiful story that sums up Peter's life, and then in the final pages shows us how noble Peter truly is. A tear-jerking story that still leaves me breathless, and a great way to remind yourself why you love Peter Parker.

-Peter leaves college- with the Black Cat racking up huge hospital bills and Peter sure he loves her (over in PPTSS), among further problems at the Bugle due to competition with Lance and Robbie now as editor, Pete decides that he doesn't have time for college anymore. This turning point is MAJOR. For the first time ever in Spidey's history, he stops going to school. He says to himself that he thinks he needs time to see the rest of the world and see what life is like outside of school, which may accurately reflect the idea that the readers need to have Spidey move on from school too. Personally, I wish he were still there, I think it's the prime setting for him! But one thing this does do is break his confidence a little and ruin his relationship with Aunt May for a long period of time.

-Harry learns his father was the Green Goblin and Liz has a little surprise- Major things are happening with Peter's old friends. Some months earlier, we learn that Liz and Harry were married in a small ceremony and moved to Jersey, which seems kind of stupid (I mean c'mon! Peter not there at Liz and Harry's wedding?!!). But now, we get them back like the days of old. Major things happen, the first being Liz announcing that her and Harry are going to have a baby. It seems finally that someone in Pete's supporting cast is going to be happy. And then Harry learns about his father was the Green Goblin and takes it hard, until Pete finally corners him and the two talk it out. A long-standing aspect of Spider-man continuity comes into play, as Harry finally learns the terrible secret of his father.

-Jonah reveals he helped create the Scorpion- instead of being the victim of black mail by the Hobgoblin, JJJ prints his story about helping create the Scorpion, in one appears to be one of his finest moments. He steps down as Editor in Chief and Joe Robertson takes over (which puts him under all kinds of stress that makes him snap at Peter a lot).

-#249-#251- Another great Hobgoblin story that shows a huge battle between the two. Matching wits, strength, endurance and just about everything they've got, this is probably the best battle the two ever have, and may be on of Spidey's best battles ever. Starting out with a lot of small-time players around (i.e. Roderick Kingsley, JJJ, etc.) and even the Kingpin, the fight goes on for two more issues, as Spidey gives everything he has and finally beats the Hobgoblin. The Goblin however, appeas dead and only his mask is found.

-The new costume- Here is one of the major changes of all-time for Spidey. #252 marks the start of the black costume, after Secret Wars. Although I used to hate it, I can use my knowledge that he will get his old costume back eventually to let myself enjoy the costume, which is kind of cool. The alien costume was a good ongoing subplot, but his normal black costumes were equally fun, as wore them for a few years. Still, if I were a fan at the time, I'd be outraged.

-The Rose- The Rose is another cool ass villian. Like the Hobgoblin mimicking the Green Goblin, the Rose in undoutedly a tribute to the Crime Master, although instead of two issues, there will be forty to try and figure out who he is. He worked well as a crime boss, and is probably my favorite Spidey crime boss nemesis outside of the Kingpin.

-The Puma- I like Puma too, another fresh character who worked good with Spidey. Their relationship evolved enough to keep things interesting and keep the Puma likable also.

-Mary Jane learns Peter is Spider-Man- or at least, had always known. This is a great plot-twist and long overdue, and Mary Jane then reveals her child-hood history that puts her in a whole different light for the first time. After really having a long-due heart to heart with Peter, MJ emerges as an extremely likable character and welcome addition to carrying the burden of Spider-Man. At this time, it seems like MJ isn't so bad for Peter after all, and maybe them being together would be good for them.

-The Rose and Hobgoblin team up!- Like the Green Goblin and the Crime Master, this duo is an awesome pairing. Once the Hobgoblin joins the Rose, things get really interesting, and Spidey now has some serious enemies. Further, there are now enough players in New York to ensure constant conflict and drama in Spidey's life. This story also begins to show Hobby finally starting to lose it, as he beings emulating Osbourn for the first time.

There are also good scenes with Harry, as we see him dealing with conflict in the face of a long history of being called spineless by his father. And Liz has the best scenes of all, as she goes into labor (although in the Roses warehouse while it's on fire), and then has her and Harry's son Normie. For now it seems, Liz and Harry are truly happy and Harry can leave the shadow of the Goblin behind him.

For a few issues there are some forgetable stories, which coincides with the end to the Black Cat saga in PPTSS and the start of a third Spidey book, Web of Spider-Man . This marks the mid-way point for the Hobgoblin saga.

And then what happened? I'm waiting on the next installment, pretty please.

By the way, have you watched the MTV Spider-Man 'toon? I can't figure out if I like it or not... something I just can't put my finger on.

Oh, one other thing. My almost-three-year-old was having a major conniption fit Sunday night. The only thing on any of the scads of cartoon channels that we get which I knew she would recognize was the 90's Spidey 'toon. She still kept up the tantrum for a few minutes, but I distracted her by pointing out that Spider-Man was fighting some crazy robots (Spider Slayers actually.) She started watching and after about five minutes, just as she's about to conk out for the night another Slayer pops up and in a sweet tired voice she says "It's another crazy robot, dad." Then she was out.

Once again, Spidey saves the day!

Aw! What a cutie

I've caught a few episodes here and there and I like it but also feel like something isn't right about it. I thought maybe it was the weird feel to the animation and voices, it kind of reminded me of the old Maxx and Aeon Flux cartoons, which is too weird for Spidey.

And Matlock, you're the best! Next installment coming up! I've got five more planned!

Good grief. Right now you're at the point when I was collecting Spidey and I can't believe there's been enough books since then for that many installments.

I kinda wish I had the $ to get the new set of the old, old Spidey cartoons. I remember watching them as a kid and being a little flummoxed by those wierd later episodes with mole men and aliens and whatnot but also really liking them at the same time.

The Black Cat Saga (PPTSS #75-100)

While Spidey was knee-deep in the awesome beginning to the Hobgoblin Saga in ASM, he was just as busy in PPTSS with the almost equally good Black Cat Saga. Just as in over there, thing were happening in PPTSS to keep the interest going from issue to issue and the Black Cat proved to be very likable and a breathe air (at least for a bit...)

-The Return of the Black Cat and the Doc Ock/Owl War- The Black Cat made her return right in the middle of the Doc Ock/Owl War, a great story that put Spidey right in the middle of his greatest foe and one of Daredevil's greatest foes. Doc Ock is at his best here, and the addition of the Black Cat makes this story even better. The Cat comes across as more likable than she had ever before, and she seems to be a nice change of woman for Peter. Her almost-death at the hands of Doc Ock is very dramatic, and immediately there seems to be some devotion to her from Spidey.

The finale to the story, with Spidey hunting Doc Ock while the Cat is in the hospital and then finding him and beating him, is equally as good. This was during a few weeks were the Hobgoblin had hit, the Black Cat was in the hospital, Peter dropped out of college, his supporting cast returned and now he had to find Doc Ock for a final battle. Very intense, and nicely done.

-The Black Cat and Spidey- the romance between these two always reads as surprisingly natural--it was only a matter of time before Spidey got together with another costumed person. Felicia remains likable despite her shady past, and the early issues of the romance work well.

-Cloak and Dagger- two very cool characters from this era. Cloak and Dagger emerge as two of Spidey's recurring characters in PPTSS and it's easy to see how the instantly became fan-favorites.

-Spidey reveals his identity to the Black Cat- MAJOR. This is the first time that Spidey actually reveals his identity to anyone on purpose. The *first* time. It's surprising that he's fallen for her so quick, and the outcome is even more surprising--Felicia doesn't want to see who he is, she's in love with Spider-Man, not Peter Parker. Here is where the Black Cat Saga suddenly gets weird and Felicia unlikeable. She loves Spidey but finds Pete boring, which immediately alienated this reader!

-The Black Cat's search for power and the Kingpin- The next bad move the Black Cat makes is looking for super-powers when Spidey told her not to. It's bad enough that she now has gotten in Spidey's way in fights and insulted Mary Jane, she's now turned to one of his worst enemies, the Kingpin for power. Of course, he plays her like a fiddle and her new bad luck powers seem to hurt Spidey more than anything.

-The Answer, the Kingpin, Silvermane, Cloak & Dagger, the Rose and the Black Cat- the final issues of PPTSS in the 90's are some of my all-time favorite of the book, as Spidey goes through this huge story with these characters. I am especially fond of the Answer and was glad when he was brought back, albeit briefly, in the 90's. His power was very cool, and he proved to be a major threat for a few issues. The Kingpin is also awesome, and seeing the Rose acting behind the scenes here in PPTSS, when he was a major baddie in ASM, is cool too. Silvermane is now totally different from his Silver Age self, and even 70's self, and Cloak and Dagger make the story that much more crazy and fun. And of course, the growing wedge b/t Spidey and the Cat is one of the main parts of the story too. A nice fun Spidey story, although not to fun for Peter

-Flash, Sha Shan and Betty- while Harry, Liz and the Bugle were getting major characterization in ASM, PPTSS had it's own characters getting some screen time as well. Some of it though, isn't the best kind. Flash, who had been a good guy for a decade, began having serious problems with Sha Shan and was acting like a jerk. Betty, who hardly ever saw Ned, was also having problems. And then...Betty and Flash start having an affair! Holy! What the--?!

A big change for Pete's supporting cast, as Flash and Betty are now actively cheating on their respective lovers (Betty's a married woman after all), and Pete is drawn in the middle of it, so that he knows. While Harry and Liz are securing their happiness in ASM, the rest of Spidey's cast suddenly embarks on the road to disaster that will finish them off...

-The end of the Black Cat Saga- as it seemed since the mid-80's, the Black Cat saga finally came to an end. After the final confronation with the Kingpin, and the Black Cat about ready to come clean about her powers, Peter decides to call it quits since it is painfully obvious that its not working. Naturally, it doesn't end well but it was definately time for Spidey to move on.

Although I don't like the pairing of the Black Cat and Spidey, I do love the era it occured in. I can't think of the black costume without thinking of the Hobgoblin or the Black Cat, and I still enjoy seeing the Black Cat when she appears. She definately was a growing experience for Peter after Gwen, Betty, MJ and Debra--she was quite a bit to handle.
-------------

Although the Black Cat saga ended, the Hobgoblin Saga was in full effect, and only half over. Even more, a third solo Spidey title replaced Marvel Team Up, and further chronicled Spidey's adventures. Now there were even more stories...

The Web of Spider-Man (WoS #1-31)

Joining ASM and PPTSS, Web of Spider-Man started as the third solo-Spidey series and jumped right into the fray of things. However, while PPTSS started with a bang with cool action packed stories, Web of Spider-Man seemed to have half-good shaky stories that were mediocre at best. The first thirty issues aren't very good at all IMO, and they were largely forgettable with a few exceptions.

While ASM had the final parts of the Hobgoblin Saga and PPTSS had the Death of Jean DeWolf, Web hardly touched on any of Spidey's best villians, supporting cast members and other things to draw the reader in.

Here are a few things that I can remember:

-#1- the end of the Alien Costume?- the first issue did have a good start though, as it seemed to be the finale to the black costume saga. It's a good issue of Peter doing a lot of thinking and anaylzing his life, with good scenes with him fighting against the costume. It ends with it leaving Peter alone in a church, although we all know it didn't stay there.

-Doc Ock, the Vulture, the Hulk, etc.- some of the WoS issues did have some good stories, or at least fairly entertaining ones, as these old villians (and the Hulk) stopped by. However, since I can hardly remember them when it's apparent that my memory of Spidey is pretty damn good, that's telling you something.

-Covers- a lot of the Web covers are very good, with a very dark style that makes the black costume stand out. They're very eye-catching, and a pleasant change from Spidey's other covers. However, as the comic book world became more grim and gritty, I found myself missing the old Spidey covers something terrible...

Spidey's Agony (PPTSS #101-130)

I call this era "Spidey's Agony" in both a silly and serious manner. After #100, the direction of the book slowly changed, and the "Death of Jean DeWolf" emerged as a major story-line. From there on in, Spidey seemed to be stressed out beyond belief for many issues, constantly wondering why he was still Spider-Man and why so many people had to die. The stories are good (especially "the Death..."), but they often seem to get a bit depressing when you read this whole run. Good or bad though, it's obvious that Peter was in agony .

-The Death of Jean DeWolf- This may be one of Peter David's finest stories ever, and is a great, great, great Spidey story. Jean DeWolf, the likable young police captain who had been present for some time, is killed brutally by the Sin-Eater, and Spidey (and us) are outraged. The story is excellent, with great pacing and mystery, and the anguish Spidey feels always affects me when I read it. Spidey ends up beating Sin-Eater to a pulp and I find myself cheering him on, only to have Daredevil intervene and stop him, telling him he's gone too far (and making us wonder what the price of vengeance is).

All in all, a very good Spidey story. However, from here on out, Spidey is filled with anguish and agony, and the scene of Sin-Eater firing into the crowd and killing by-standers is constantly repeated in all three books.

-Secret Wars and the Puma- Secret Wars = yuck. Puma = cool! I liked the Puma in these stories, although Secret Wars II is better off forgotten. After this little two-parter, the Puma is officially not a bad guy, and his relationship with Spidey is interesting and pretty unique at the time.

-the return of the Black Cat and Sabertooth. The Black Cat returns and has an interesting reunion with Spidey. This story serves the purpose, if nothing else, to make Felicia likable again after going all nutso on Spidey at the end of their relationshp. There is also a minor sense of closure to her and Pete's relationship/animosity and then she gets to kick the living hell out of Sabertooth, who was on his way to being Marvel's big gun in these months. Two months later, and Marvel might not have allowed it. Good for Felicia!

-The importance of MJ- One of the most interesting factors is that like Aunt May and JJJ, Mary Jane suddenly became prominent in every issue of PPTSS as well as WoS. That means that like JJJ and Aunt May, MJ was now far more important to Spidey than the rest of his supporting cast, showing that there was more going on with her. While almost all of Spidey's cast was now in ASM for the final acts of the Hobgoblin Saga, MJ was now in every Spidey book, making her far more important than before.

With MJ now likable for the first time in years, this was a good thing for Peter and the readers. However, it *begged* the question of whether Pete and MJ would get together. Although she was at one time very unpopular with Spidey fans, she was now a different MJ and a likeable one at that. Could she finally be the right girl for Peter?

Up next: the final Hobgoblin Saga! MAJOR changes in Spidey's life! Gang War!

random thoughts on your chronology:
-- The Prowler and White Tiger occupy that soft spot in my heart that any character does when you remember first seeing them as a kid and thinking "coooool!"
-- I remember liking Cloak & Dagger, but it wasn't til Leonardi did that mini that I was hooked. He totally fulfilled the graphic potential that their visuals provided (and that cloak! Spawn's a rip-off, imo).
-- Though I usually enjoy the Punisher more in "Daredevil" (cuz c'mon, he should really not stand a chance against Spidey), I really enjoyed the Miller Annual(?) with Doc Ock.
-- I loved the Hobgoblin's early appearances! I especially remember after the first fight seeing Hobbie stagger home completely drained and amazed by Spider-Man's strength. You rarely see the villain limp home feeling like they just got the crap kicked out of them. I also loved the issue (by Romita/Jansen?) with the battle in Hobbie's battle wagon.
-- The book was one of my favs around the time of the black costume. Who did the art for those, was it Frenz?
-- Spectacular was definitely the secondary book. Partly because of Milgrom - I think he either drew or was in heavy handed inking phase and I thought his stuff was horrific during that period (Secret Wars II -- pure drek). They also had the Spot and while the Answer wasn't bad, his costume certainly was.
-- I liked the Black Cat and thought she brought something interesting to Spidey's love-life (for once it was *Spidey's* lovelife, not Peter Parker's. Hated that new costume she briefly wore though.
-- The issue where MJ discloses her tortured history was one of my fav issues of that era.
-- Puma -- very cool despite the unfortunate name (c'mon, how can you not think of sneakers!?).

So, what big changes are in store for Spidey after this next big arc? Does anyone else think there's a chance Spidey will have organic webs by the time it's over? (and they'll come out his butt!! Ok, not that...)

Ugh, I hope not! The web-shooters are classic! They don't play up his 'genius' enough anymore, IMO. He used to think his way out of a third of his battles, with things like web-shooters and spider-tracers (another thing NEVER seen anymore).

I have a strange feeling that Harry Osbourn might be back. I say: YES PLEASE. Anyone reading my comments might find this odd, since I wish Aunt May and Norman Osbourn (and Gwen Stacy) didn't and don't come back. But (and I'll get to this in my Spidey reviews eventually, once I start them back up ), Harry is *needed* in Peter's life.

Peter needs friends besides MJ and Aunt May. Flash, who was Pete's best man!!!, and Harry should still be around, giving Peter some other friends and supporting cast. Harry's death was by far the worst of all Peter's major supporting characters, and was totally unnecessary. It was a combination of a Green Goblin rehashed death and Gwen Stacy rehashed death, with a little Professor Warren and Frederick Foswell thrown in there too when Harry realizes what he's done. Bring back Harry!

I also fear that Gwen might be coming back. Oooooh boy. Now, as I've said, Gwen is my favorite. But I'm not sure how I feel about this, especially after twenty five years of establishing MJ as the 'one' for Pete.

Then again, I could be wrong on all accounts .

More reviews soon!

****SPOILERS for "Sins Past" I & II*******
-- Well, at least there are no clones yet.
-- I really like how JMS played up the MJ/Peter Bond before driving a possible wedge into it with the Gwen letter
-- I'm not sure what to think of the Big Revelation. I'm sure the missing words on that letter will show that she was actually pregnant with someone else's kids (Harry's?? Norman's). Maybe Gwen will get the Sue Dibney treatment and we'll find out she was not only pregnant, but that she had been raped by Norman in some retcon.
-- The art here is very impressive and convincingly conveys the human drama of this story which is key since there are very personal issues brought up, not just a superhero slugfest.

God, I really, really, really hope that nothing happens to Gwen like that. The mere mention of it already has me ready to impale JMS if I hear he's thinkig about it. Gwen is my baby! She needs to be left in the Silver Age, untouched by the post-Identity Crisis comic world.

I do kind of like the revelations so far. Gwen and Peter's children? It seems pretty cool. The only problem is that Peter is still supposed to be in his early twenties, not his mid-thirties.

I do not want to find out they are Harry or Norman's children. Please no.

I'm interested, and I want to see where this goes.

And I really like the Pete/MJ scenes too, especially seeing MJ so supportive. I love how JMS very smoothly placed this in Spidey's continuity too: Gwen having her operation while Peter is fighting the Hulk in Canada (#120), and then Harry having his LSD flashback and Norman on the verge of becoming the Goblin. Having read the issues at least twenty times (as I've said), these scenes were a bit chilling to me.

I trust JMS, so I'm wondering where this is going.

(And I'll eventually restart my reviews )

Hey! Was I right? I flipped through the latest issue and it mentioned organic webs. So are we to believe his webs just happen to come from the same place where he used to wear his webshooters? Are these webs stronger or different somehow? And does Spidey now have "enhanced sense" of some kind?

So Cobie, what'd you think of how "Sins Past" wrapped up? I actually lost interest...

Get Junior back on Amazing. Now. To me, he IS the definitive Spidey artist. Ditko may created Spidey, and Senior refined the look, but Junior has drawn more issues than both. Junior's art just fits this version so well, just like Bagley is the only man for Ultimate.

Drake, I have some very definite opinions on "Sins Past", and they're not good for the most part. In short:

- It totally destroyed Gwen's character. Anyone who reads through the previous three pages will see what Gwen Stacey means to me as a comic book supporting character and Peter's first love. I think it's utter shit that Gwen would ever sleep with Norman. "Attracted to his inner turmoil"...what crap! Gwen would never cheat on Peter--if anything, MJ would! And Gwen and Peter never slept together? Riiiiiight. I'm sure Harry and MJ never did either. It's been thirty years since Gwen has appeared alive (the real Gwen), so I'm sure Joe Q doesn't care what happens to her, but I felt hurt by it. Ugh.

-And the story was pretty damn boring to begin with! Slow, padded, and probably JMS's worst yet, despite the stuff about Gwen and Norman. The whole point, I'm sure, is to introduce a new 'Gwen Stacey' (her daughter) and something similar to a new Harry Osbourn (Gwen and Norman's son, torn b/t the Goblin legacy and what's right), but it dragged on forever.

-I hate that Norman is still alive, something I think was a terrible mistake. Now they've retroactively added more mistakes onto Spidey's past. Eh? I'll stick by Spidey as ever. I feel, as I go over my timeline, that the ongoing theme since the mid 80’s, has been the gradual destruction of Peter’s supporting cast, his friends, his personality, etc. This is just a further extension of this.

Brainy68- I love JR Jr.'s work, especially his Spider-Man. I personally love his Hobgoblin stuff in the early 80’s the best (possibly my most favorite of all Spider-Man eras), but his work has always been reliable. When he’s on a Spider-Man title, you can always count on one good Spider-Man comic a month.

And coming soon this thread, although not to stop any discussion: more updates on the Spider-Man chronology! We still have McFarlane, the clone saga, etc. to go through!

How could my trust have been so great? I should have known...damn Marvel does it to me again!

But what about the organic webbing? Is that the new status quo?

Yup. It was referenced in NTbolts #3 (although, one wonders why he can't use both...)

Organic webbing...meh?

Five years ago, I'd be in an uproar. But I have a feeling that they'll go back eventually...they always do.

The point of the web-shooters (besides a cool ability) is to show off Peter's scientific genius...which is very central to the character. Of course, this has been relatively ignored for the last few years, which bothers me. Hopefully they'll get back to that (and the web-shooters) eventually.

The organic webbing really serves no purpose for the character himself, and only makes the series more like the movies. I'm sure the sales team thought this was great, while the fans just roll their eyes.

Of course, doing this weeks after kicking Gwen's dead body and spitting on the legacy of Gwen and Peter's relationship makes the organic webbing decision seem less important.

Cobie, did you hear who was taking over the writing and art on Spider-Man? Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo are switching from FF to Spidey.

Dammit... I was hoping Ringo was gonna get to work on a new TELLOS...