Written by (See Below)
Art by (See Below)
Cover Art by Patrick Olliffe; Livesay; & Lee Loughridge
SUMMARY:
Marvel Comics released this 96-page one-shot for October 2006. Included are two new comedies in homage to Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends animated TV series, along with three reprints. The contents are:
Opposites Attack! (32 pages). Writer: Sean McKeever, with Art by: Patrick Olliffe; Casey Jones; Kano; Nick Dragotta; Livesay; Vince Russell; Alvaro Lopez; Lee Loughridge; & Art Monkeys’ Melanie Olsen. Set prior to Web of Spider-Man # 75, Spider-Man casually starts an alliance with Bobby “Iceman” Drake & Angelica “Firestar” Jones. To ward off media speculation (and, more importantly, his wife’s annoyance) that he’s now involved with Firestar, a happily married Peter Parker tries setting up his two elementally opposite and quarreling pals as a romantic couple.
Appearances include Video Man; the Beetle; Shocker; and Spidey’s wife, Mary Jane, who is skeptical of his matchmaking scheme.
The Mini-Marvels in “Spidey and His Amazing Friends (6 pages). Writer: Sean McKeever, with Art by: Chris Giarrusso. Thanks to J. Jonah Jameson, Lil’ Spidey gets unexpected help with his Daily Bugle paper route from an eager-to-please Firestar & Iceman. Yet, will a manipulative Spidey’s video gaming cost him their friendship?
Castles in the Air (21 pages) {from Untold Tales of Spider-Man # 2}. Writer: Kurt Busiek, with Art by: Patrick Olliffe; Al Vey; Pam Eklund; Steve Mattson; Richard Starkings; and Comicraft. Seeking to collect New York City’s offered bounty, a rookie Spider-Man pursues a nocturnal threat dubbed the ‘Batwing.’ He soon discovers Batwing’s heartbreaking secret. Meanwhile, there’s an unexpected complication, as young Peter Parker must retrieve his math notes from a school bully.
Nothing Ventured … (24 pages) {from Spider-Man 2099 # 2). Writer: Peter David, with Art by: Rick Leonardi; Al Williamson; Noelle Giddings; & Rick Parker. Miguel O’Hara’s horrific origin as the new Spider-Man continues, as he becomes prey for Alchemax’s determined hunter-for-hire.
Hydra and Go-Seek! (6 pages) {from Untold Tales of Spider-Man # 1). Writer and Artist: Fred Hembeck. Retrieving a wrapped package for Mrs. Watson at a toy store, young Petey Parker contends with schemes from Baron von Strucker … and Flash Thompson.
REVIEW:
Along with their terrific visuals, both of Sean McKeever’s kid-friendly homage tales serve up delightful nostalgia. Reminiscent of DC’s Man-Bat tales in the 1970’s, “Castles in the Air” is a poignant Spider-tale worthy of the Stan Lee & Steve Ditko era. In particular, Kurt Busiek’s scripting and the art team’s retro-style visuals simply mesh well together. Though the Spider-Man 2099 story is a mostly blah read, Fred Hembeck’s mini-caper delivers a light-hearted finish for fans young at heart. Overall, this one-shot is well-played!
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Full-page cover reprints of Untold Tales of Spider-Man # 2, Spider-Man 2099 # 2, and a spoofy Untold Tales of Spider-Man # 1 are included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
