Written by Mark Waid & Tom Peyer
Art by Ken Lashley; Vince Russell; Al Milgrom; Tom Smith; Malibu; Richard Starkings; & Comicraft
Cover Art by Ken Lashley
SUMMARY:
Nearly eleven years after the series-ending Marvel Team-Up # 150, Marvel Comics would launch a new Spider-Man team-up series. Released for December 1995, as a 48-page quarterly title, this first issue is entitled “Double or Nothing.” Still reeling from the ‘truth’ that Ben Reilly is the real Peter Parker (and that he’s the actual clone), Spider-Man’s life-changing transition includes trying to get paid one last time at The Daily Bugle.
Having publicly threatened to expose The Hellfire Club, J. Jonah Jameson’s abduction-murder becomes a devilish wager between Benedict Kine and Shinobi Shaw. With Kine & Shaw’s rival assassins descending on The Bugle, an outnumbered Spider-Man intervenes. Telepathically dragged away from a performance of Broadway’s “Dogs” — an in-joke parodying Cats, five X-Men (Beast, Angel, Psylocke, and the married Jean Grey & Cyclops) join Spider-Man’s efforts to rescue his ex-boss against superior numbers.
With an unconscious Jameson’s life at stake, the climax is a high-powered showdown on The Hellfire Club’s home turf. The enigma re: who is interjecting the X-Men into the Kine vs. Shaw feud will be answered.
REVIEW:
It’s fitting that the X-Men are first up, as they were Marvel Team-Up’s last guest stars (in that instance, they were represented by Wolverine, Rogue, Nightcrawler, & Colossus). Though the thin plot is stretched way too far (40 pages would have been plenty), this premiere is still a fun read with solid visuals. More specifically, Spidey’s reliable X-chemistry is well-played. Aging the story badly, however, is the necessity to repeatedly push the absurd ‘Clone Saga’ soap opera. Hence, this particular Spidey/X-Men crossover isn’t special enough to qualify as a must-have.
Not living up to its hype (see the last page), at least Spider-Man Team-Up # 1’s content is appropriate for all-age Marvel fans.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There’s a two-page spread hyping Malibu Comics (a Marvel affiliate). Assistant Editor Glenn Greenberg pens a full-page letter explaining the resurrection of the Spidey team-up concept.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
