The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #256

Asm256

Why have a Native American superhero when you can have a Native American supervillain!

The politics of Puma (this issue is his first appearance) are fantastic–successful Native Americans use their special abilities to become assassins for hire. It’s great. You’d never see this kind of thing today.

Maybe Jason Aaron can do a Puma MAX series, after he’s done with Scalped.

Otherwise, it’s a fine enough eighties Spider-Man costume. Frenz isn’t great, but he’s enthusiastic and he works–most pages have nine panels–and his Peter Parker looks like a grown up Ditko Peter Parker. There’s a nostalgic appeal to it.

The writing’s pretty lazy. DeFalco repeats the same expository revelation two pages after the first mention. Then there’s the when he comments on the Black Cat and her “colorful” namesake. Pretty sure a black cat is monotone.

There’s nothing particularly good about it, but nothing bad either.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #145

Mtu145

I guess the Bob Layton inks–on the cover–make all the difference. If only Esposito made LaRocque look a tenth as good as those Layton inks do on the cover….

Anyway, that opening is misleading. This response is a positive one. The issue is a great day in the life story. Peter Parker is in Cleveland on a crap assignment after pissing off Jonah, Iron Man (Jim Rhodes) is there trying to sell some technology company and retired supervillain Blacklash (or Whiplash–I wasn’t aware there was a name change until I read this issue).

It’s a funny, sad issue. Blacklash’s back in his home town after a public defeat, in miserable psychological shape, unable to rehabilitate and ends up battling the two superheroes.

Isabella does some fantastic scripting here–if only the art were better, it’d be something special. But still, it’s great writing.

I love this issue.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #95

Ppssm95

I guess this issue is better than the last one. Milgrom’s directly continuing it, which will probably wreck havoc in the monthly Spider-Man continuity over in Amazing, and he keeps his recap of the previous issue brief.

The writing is still bad–in the case of Cloak and Dagger and the Black Cat, very, very bad–and the art is still exceptionally weak, but at least it all passes somewhat painlessly. There’s nothing idiotic this time, just a bunch of bad dialogue and plotting. The pacing isn’t terrible–the issue takes a while to read because Milgrom has maybe nine different characters who get thought balloons. Lots of villains appear. It’s lame, but it’s not breezy.

Suffering through these issues, I wonder how anyone made it through this period of Spectacular. Black Cat alone would have made me quit reading the comic.

Another bonus: Peter whines less this issue.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #94

Ppssm94

What would I do without Al Milgrom? I’d never have been able to understand this issue, like when Cloak and Dagger talk to each other about their origin. Or when Peter thinks all about the problems he’s been having with the Black Cat and then explains their last adventure together.

But Milgrom is dealing with a beloved character and supporting cast so I guess he doesn’t actually have to be writing anything interesting. Or have any story developments–Black Cat is still a complete twit, who hates Peter Parker and only likes Spider-Man–wait, she’s mentally ill? Explains tons.

So, it’s a bad soap until the lame villain arrives (Silvermane?) and kicks Spidey’s butt.

Milgrom’s art is worse than usual. There’s one place where he reuses the same panel three times in unison (for powering on the alien costume).

The comic doesn’t have a point or any charm, eighties nostalgia or otherwise.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #144

Mtu144

What a lame issue. I mean, I wasn’t expecting much when I saw Cary Burkett’s name on it, but it’s a lot worse than I thought. Pretty sure Peter gives away his identity–or at least risks giving it away–at the end of the issue too.

There’s a lot bad about it–Burkett’s expository dialogue is terrible, his constant narration is tedious. It takes forever to get through a page because he’s got so many narration boxes. Or are they narration squares? Did John Byrne ever weigh in on that one?

Maybe if LaRocque were a better artist it might be more tolerable.

Wait, I forgot a couple things. The white guys saving Chinatown from itself–the Chinese are way too corrupt to not need Spidey and Moon Knight to save them.

And Moon Knight–who likes Moon Knight? He’s lamer than Jeph Loeb Batman.

Just a dreadful read.

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #93

Ppssm93

Milgrom sure does like some naked Peter Parker. He’s got Petey traipsing around his apartment in a too short robe, even answering the door for his landlady in it, then tossing it at the fourth wall to get into his costume.

The art this issue is rather bad, which is always a surprise. Spider-Man was the only character at Marvel with two titles to himself and they had Milgrom on it. He overwrites every line of dialogue, he has endless, moronic expository thought balloons… and his characters are completely terrible.

The only two sympathetic characters this issue are Flash’s girlfriend (Flash is a jerk) and Jean DeWolff (because she’s aware Black Cat is a dip too).

The rest of the issue is spent with Peter internally whining about Black Cat being a lousy girlfriend and bad person… just like every issue of Spectacular Spider-Man Milgrom writes.

Big yawn.

Marvel Team-Up Annual (1976) #7

Mtua7

Did Louise Simonson get paid by the word? Ten pages into this issue and I was already ready for a nap. It’s the most boring comic book I can remember reading–Spidey and Marrina (from Alpha Flight) get kidnapped by an alien collecting lifeforms, including some Superman might want in his zoo, and Alpha Flight shows up to help them.

Actually, Alpha Flight shows up to bicker. According to John Byrne, Northstar was always supposed to be gay but Byrne isn’t writing this issue so one has to wonder if another possibility was he was supposed to have the hots for his sister, Aurora.

Most of the issue is spent with Northstar acting like a perv in regards to her.

If I never read another Alpha Flight comic again, it’ll be way too soon. What a miserable time.

Amusingly, Simonson seems to get it–Spidey comments on their lame behavior.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #255

Asm255

It’s a perfectly decent done-in-one.

The issue opens with the Black Fox (I thought he was the Black Cat’s father, but maybe not) and he introduces the issue’s main story, the Red Ghost wanting to rob a bunch of stores so he can afford to build his death ray (or whatever it’s called). There’s some painful dialogue until that conversation, but then it gets amusing–the supervillain in hiding, needing to resort to breaking and entering to fund his devious device.

It’s funny.

The Spider-Man stuff is awkward. Most of the Peter Parker scenes are spent going over all the events of previous crossover titles. Then the black costume takes him out for a day and keeps him unconscious (which he doesn’t know yet, of course).

It’s a breezy read and Ron Frenz does a good job of the action. He gives Spidey some needed physical levity.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #143

Mtu143

Michelinie being a competent writer aside, I really loathe nonsensical inter dimensional stories. Spidey and Starfox have to go into another dimension to figure out why Captain Marvel is all messed up.

So the two mismatched heroes (we know they’re mismatched because of Spidey’s constant thought balloons on the subject) meet these two warring tribes, one female, one male, and have to defeat the bad guys (the male tribe) to save Captain Marvel. Whew, long sentence.

But the journey doesn’t have any weight or wonderment–Spidey’s totally nonplussed at the strange alien world surrounding him… not to mention all the human inhabitants.

LaRocque’s art is better here than last issue, as there are nice panels and nice movement on Spidey, not to mention during the big fight scene. But it all feels a little too contrived and a little too dumb. Michelinie sells it, but only at cover price, no more.

Marvel Team-Up (1972) #142

Mtu142

Michelinie writes a good issue here. Ten pages in and he’s had two action sequences, one for Spidey, one for Captain Marvel; it feels like you’re spending the day with the characters. Not in some fun sense, rather as though Michelinie is approximating real time in summary. It’s impressive pacing and it makes up for some of the weaker expository moments.

The only real problem is the artwork–LaRocque’s Peter Parker is some kind of awful, though it’s hard to dislike the scene too much… since it’s got a nice mention of Milt Caniff. It’s the kind of reference I don’t remember ever seeing in a Marvel comic.

The real strength of the comic is Captain Marvel. From what I’ve seen of her appearances in this era, the character always manages to rise above bad writing. So with a solid script, like here, she’s fantastic.

It’s a good, readable superhero outing.