Written by Todd Dezago
Art by (See Credits Below), plus Avalon Studios
Cover Art by Randy Green; Rick Ketcham; & Chris Sotomayor
SUMMARY:
As a 2004 Target exclusive, this 96-page paperback reprints Spider-Man Team-Up # 1-4 from that same year. These four Spider-adventures are fresh re-imaginings taken from: Amazing Spider-Man # 1 (1963); Marvel Team-Up # 13 (1973); Marvel Team-Up # 135 (1983) and Marvel Team-Up # 7 (1972).
“The Chameleon Strikes!” Based upon the 1963 Stan Lee/Steve Ditko issue. Art by Michael O’Hare; Derek Fridolfs; Dave Sharpe; & Digital Rainbow. Spider-Man’s uninvited effort to ‘audition’ for the Fantastic Four is hampered by Chameleon’s mercenary charade to impersonate him. Nick Fury makes an appearance.
“Stars, Stripes, and Spiders.” Based upon the 1973 Len Wein/Gil Kane issue. Art by Lou Kang; Pat Davidson; Dave Sharpe; & Digital Rainbow. Spider-Man inadvertently stumbles upon an A.I.M. scheme that Captain America is counter-striking. Their combined firepower is needed to combat A.I.M.’s own weapon: the nefarious Grey Gargoyle.
“Down With the Monsters!” Based upon the Bill Mantlo/Ron Frenz issue. Art by Jonboy Meyers; Nathan Massengill; David Newbold; Digital Rainbow; & Dave Sharpe. Kitty Pryde’s misadventure in babysitting gig goes awry, as she and fellow teen Spider-Man tangle with the Morlocks beneath New York City. Storm, Professor X, and Wolverine make cameos.
“Out of Time!” Based upon the Gerry Conway/Ross Andru issue. Art by Ron Lim; Scott Koblish; Dave Sharpe; & Digital Rainbow. With Earth and Asgard both threatened, Thor and Spider-Man join forces to thwart an invasion of this dimension by Kryllk the Conqueror’s troll squad. Odin makes an appearance.
REVIEW:
Much like a fresh coat of paint, these rebooted team-ups enjoys a dose of timeless Spider-Man magic. As a lighter-hearted alternative to Batman’s Brave and The Bold franchise, a down-to-Earth Spider-Man again proves that he, too, is an ideal star for a team-up anthology series.
In this instance, “Down with the Monsters!” probably gets a slight edge over “Out of Time!” as A Little Help from My Friends’ best effort. Still, the humor found in the Fantastic Four story, as well as an inspired last-minute gag from Captain America, further ensure that readers receive quality entertainment. Perhaps writer Todd Dezago’s best inclusion is a ‘Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-’ style finish to wrap this book up. For a fun read that doesn’t insist upon too much Marvel knowledge, this paperback is worth the price of admission.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Full-page replicas of the covers are included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
