Written by Howard Mackie
Art by Alex Saviuk; Sam Delarosa; Rick Parker; & Bob Sharen
Cover Art by John Romita
SUMMARY:
Celebrating Spider-Man’s 30th Anniversary, Marvel Comics released this 48-page issue for July 1992. The prelude is entitled “The Spider’s Thread” Prior to a trip returning to New York City, aging Hollywood agent Max Shiffman waxes nostalgically over his old ex-client’s subsequent fame as Spider-Man. In “Sleight of Hand,” after a South Bronx shoot-out-and-chase of bank robbers, Spider-Man stumbles into the supposed annihilation of his Marvel allies by Galactus.
A supposed bump on the head then dizzily leads Spidey into a reunion with Max and a bewildering gauntlet of attacks by his worst foes, as if he is on a Hollywood stage. Hence, a second ‘reunion’ awaits Spider-Man with one of his first foes. Mary Jane Watson-Parker later makes a last-page cameo.
Parental Advisory: There’s a comic book backstock ad with a cheesecake image of a nude woman – her supposed swimsuit is lightly painted on.
REVIEW:
The cool element, of course, is the rare John Romita hologram cover. Otherwise, the story is merely business-as-usual stuff, as the mystery villain isn’t much of a mystery. Writer Howard Mackie’s flashbacks do a nice job rehashing a masked Peter Parker’s efforts at get-rich celebrity-seeking prior to his fateful commitment to crime-fighting. At least, Mackie balances this tale to accommodate die-hards and casual readers (including kids) for a modestly entertaining Spidey fix.
The artwork is standard for its time, so the visuals aren’t a disappointment. Web of Spider-Man # 90 is hardly a must-have, but it’s worth at least a single read.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The gatefold pull-out poster of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099 is courtesy of artists Rick Leonardi and Al Williamson. There’s also a single-page “Web Zingers” letters-and-answers column.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
