The Amazing Spider-Man 255 (August 1984)

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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.

CREDITS

Even A Ghost Can Fear The Night; writer, Tom DeFalco; penciller, Ron Frenz; inker, Joe Rubinstein; colorist, Glynis Wein; letterer, Joe Rosen; editors, Bob DeNatale and Danny Fingeroth; publisher, Marvel Comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #252

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Tom DeFalco really likes expository dialogue and thought balloons, not to mention narration. Peter Parker cannot shut up he’s talking to himself so much, then there’s the Black Cat thinking about recent events to catch the reader up. Strangely, the issue opens on this amusing exchange between Jonah and Robbie about the best way to use art on the cover of the Bugle.

The opening and close is pretty strong–DeFalco paces the issue really well and reading it is an investment of time (oh, the eighties… one got to read one’s Marvel comic for longer than five minutes… I’d forgotten).

Spidey and Curt Connors get back from Secret Wars in a nice sequence, then the lengthy Peter exposition stuff, but the conclusion is Spidey taking an arguing teenage couple out to see New York the way he does.

It’s occasionally overwritten, but still a rather good mainstream comic book.

The Amazing Spider-Man 252 (May 1984)

28098.jpgTom DeFalco really likes expository dialogue and thought balloons, not to mention narration. Peter Parker cannot shut up he’s talking to himself so much, then there’s the Black Cat thinking about recent events to catch the reader up. Strangely, the issue opens on this amusing exchange between Jonah and Robbie about the best way to use art on the cover of the Bugle.

The opening and close is pretty strong–DeFalco paces the issue really well and reading it is an investment of time (oh, the eighties… one got to read one’s Marvel comic for longer than five minutes… I’d forgotten).

Spidey and Curt Connors get back from Secret Wars in a nice sequence, then the lengthy Peter exposition stuff, but the conclusion is Spidey taking an arguing teenage couple out to see New York the way he does.

It’s occasionally overwritten, but still a rather good mainstream comic book.

CREDITS

Homecoming; writers, Roger Stern and Tom DeFalco; penciller, Ron Frenz; inker, Brett Breeding; colorist, Glynis Wein; letterer, Joe Rosen; editor, Danny Fingeroth; publisher, Marvel Comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #274

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The Beyonder and Mephisto place a bet on Spider-Man’s ability to sacrifice his personal wellbeing for others. How stupid a storyline is that one? It’s Spider-Man. The character’s entire premise is based on his personal misery.

It’s a mess of an issue, as the Secret Wars II crossovers are clearly straining the entire Marvel line at this point–the issue features more Beyonder than Spider-Man and more Mephisto than Beyonder. It’s inexplicable why this issue is even worth publishing, since it’s a done-in-one amidst a huge crossover (the status quo is returned at the end, with the possible exception of Peter Parker worrying about Christmas).

The art’s awful too–with four pencillers and three inkers. I like DeFalco’s work in general (or have on the previous two issues of Amazing), but there’s almost nothing going here–except the repeated assertion Peter doesn’t love Mary Jane.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #273

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I probably grew up on Tom DeFalco’s Spider-Man and never even knew it. All I think of when I hear the name now is Spider-Girl and that’s about it. I guess I did read another DeFalco Secret Wars II crossover Spider-Man issue and the result was me thinking I should read more.

This issue just cements it.

The issue mostly follows Puma–I’d totally forgotten about Puma, Marvel’s attempt at some Native American sensitivity (strange how comic book companies used to worry about these things and now, with the lovely internet, can’t do a thing without getting attacked by fans)–on a loony quest to kill the Beyonder.

DeFalco’s got so much going in this issue, it’s impossible not to call it a soap opera. How anyone kept up–how I kept up as a kid–is beyond me, yet I’m familiar with lots.

It’s quite good.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #268

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This issue reveals Ronnie is not, as it turns out, in bed with the Kingpin. He just contracts him on special assignments. If Marvel had any real nads, they could do Kingpin owning Blackwater. But whatever.

Ron Frenz draws a good Spider-Man comic. Not sure what I think of him overall, but this issue had a lot of good, iconic Spider-Man action without feeling like Frenz was going for homage. It just felt right. And his facial expressions are fantastic.

While DeFalco does everything he can to make Spider-Man a non-character in his own title (it feel like the Kingpin gets more page time), it’s all very competently executed. DeFalco’s writing about the event, with Spider-Man being a participant, not protagonist, but whatever, it’s a fine comic book.

It never occurred to me eighties Spider-Man might be worth a look; this one suggests it.