Written by (See Below)
Art by (See Below)
Cover Art by John Romita
SUMMARY:
For Spider-Man’s 30th Anniversary, Marvel Comics released this 80-page issue for August 1992.
- “Fathers and Sins” (38 pages). Written by David Michelinie; with Art by: Mark Bagley; Randy Emberlin; Rick Parker; & Bob Sharen. Helping Curt Connors’ wife chaperone her young son Billy’s birthday party, Peter & Mary Jane Parker witness the Lizard’s return. After attacking Billy, the Lizard is chased away by Spider-Man. Their showdown in the sewers is complicated by Billy’s desire for vengeance on his own father. Meanwhile, Aunt May receives a stunning pair of visitors that she then introduces to Peter & Mary Jane.
- “The Saga of Spidey’s Parents” (3 pages). Written by Stan Lee. Spidey’s co-creator reflects on how Peter Parker’s late parents inspired the plot of 1968’s Amazing Spider-Man King-Size Special # 5. For that issue, Lee’s artistic collaborator would be his own brother: Larry Lieber.
- Next is a gatefold pullout poster of Carnage, Spider-Man, and Venom from artists Mark Bagley & Randy Emberlin.
“J. Jonah Jameson: How I Created Spider-Man!” (10 Pages). Written by David Michelinie, with Art by: Aaron Lopresti; Dave Sharpe; & Kevin Tinsley. Tape-recording his thoughts, J. Jonah Jameson ruefully deduces facts in Spider-Man’s origin without realizing the wall-crawler’s secret identity.
“Mary Jane: I Remember Gwen” (8 pages). Written by Stan Lee & Tom DeFalco, with Art by: John Romita; Chris Eliopoulos; & Joe Rosas. Awaiting her husband’s return, Mary Jane Watson-Parker wistfully recalls Spider-Man’s role in the tragedies of her late friend, Gwen Stacy, and Stacy’s policeman father.
“The Prowler: A Friend in Need” (8 pages). Written by Tom DeFalco, with Art by: Tod Smith; Andrew Pepoy; Jon Babcock; & Kevin Tinsley. Missing his workaholic wife, the Prowler spends his evening out tangling with saboteurs-for-hire until he chances upon a suicidal construction worker.
Note: This story precedes Prowler’s return in Spectacular Spider-Man Annual # 12 and his own solo mini-series in 1993.
- “Spider-Man: The First Thirty Years” (4 pages). Written by Peter Sanderson, with six Spider-Man art images (including at least one from John Romita). Sanderson muses on the reasons for Spidey’s enduring popularity.
REVIEW:
In this instance, Marvel delivers a dynamite Spider-celebration. Including a cool hologram homage to Spider-Man’s first cover appearance, Amazing Spider-Man # 365 is well-played in every facet. While the Lizard storyline is standard-issue (including some terrific artwork), the set-up into one of the franchise’s best-known soap opera gimmicks has ‘stay tuned!’ written all over it. The additional segments are all solid material, including the sneak peek at Spidey’s 2099 spin-off.
Of the 30th Anniversary issues across 1992’s Spider-titles, Amazing Spider-Man # 365 is easily the best find among them.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a single-page “The Spider’s Web” letters-and-answers column. From the creative team of writer Peter David and artists Rick Leonardi & Al Williamson, there’s a five-page preview of Spider-Man 2099 # 1 – the first of Marvel’s 2099 (or “Futureverse”) franchise.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
