Milgrom spends the majority of the issue on Spidey and the Black Cat fighting a new villain, the Answer, who’s one of Kingpin’s henchmen. It all ties into the Black Cat getting her powers from Kingpin and… and… and I’m bored already.

The first half of the issue isn’t terrible. I mean, the art’s weak. Milgrom does a Kirby homage on Peter’s landlady and I’m convinced he drew Robbie as a white guy and let the colorist “fill” him in.

But otherwise, I guess it’s not terrible. I mean, the writing’s bad–endless exposition–but the plotting isn’t. Flash having girlfriend troubles and coming home all beat up. Interesting. Peter deciding to go into credit card debt because of his money troubles… interesting.

It’s hilarious how wishy-washy Milgrom writes Peter though. He gripes about the Black Cat being a superficial twit, but can’t resist her. It makes him ridiculous.

CREDITS

And the Answer Is…; writer and penciller, Al Milgrom; inker, Jim Mooney; colorist, Bob Sharen; letterer, Diana Albers; editors, Bob DeNatale and Danny Fingeroth; publisher, Marvel Comics.

It takes them a while–almost the entire issue–but Milgrom and Mooney eventually get a couple good panels in here. When I say good panels, I mean good close-ups.

I wasn’t really paying attention to the art (it’s marvelously mediocre) as there’s so much else to get the reader’s attention. Like Peter Parker thinking crappy thoughts about his girlfriend, the Black Cat. These thoughts are totally justified–she is a controlling moron–but they’re really mean-spirited thoughts. Why’s Peter dating her in the first place?

In this issue he discovers she’s compromised his secret identity, pissed off everyone he knows, and then she drags him into a fight against the Blob (they basically get their butts kicked) while he’s busy comforting friend Flash Thompson.

She’s loathsome.

Also–how did Marvel expect people to read this book? You’re supposed to stop half-way through to switch to Amazing.

CREDITS

If It Wasn’t For Bad Luck…; writer and penciller, Al Milgrom; inker, Jim Mooney; colorist, Glynis Wein; letterer, Diana Albers; editors, Bob DeNatale and Danny Fingeroth; publisher, Marvel Comics.

People used to read this comic on purpose? Like, they’d go to the store and buy it and want to read it?

Maybe this issue isn’t the norm, but something tells me Milgrom’s writing isn’t going to be much better when he’s writing Spider-Man than when he’s writing the Black Cat. I mean, the issue ends with Spidey jumping to a negative conclusion when he finds her outside Aunt May’s house.

And he should jump to a negative conclusion.

This issue reminded me of everything I used to loathe about the Black Cat as a love interest. She spent almost all of her page time griping about Peter Parker being lame. This issue it’s maybe ninety percent, since it’s her issue.

Then there’s the art. It’s pretty weak.

Maybe I’m not giving Milgrom credit. Maybe he is trying to portray the Black Cat, universally, as a completely annoying twit.

CREDITS

Where, Oh Where Has My Spider-Man Gone…?; writer and penciller, Al Milgrom; inker, Jim Mooney; colorist, Bob Sharen; letterer, Joe Rosen; editors, Bob DeNatale and Danny Fingeroth; publisher, Marvel Comics.