Usually that “after” credit on a comics cover means it’s a direct homage to another image. I’m not a super expert, but I don’t think Sienkiewicz means this is a direct lift from the famous artist Egon Schiele. I’ve seen a reasonable amount of Schiele in my day (Went to college with a dude who was obsessed), and I don’t recognize it, and I’ve looked online some, too. I think he’s just implying he’s drawing like him. This has been your Art Minute.
This one’s inked by Joe Rubenstein, just in case you wanted to see a 3rd inker’s take on Cynthia Martin’s line in as many issues. Rubenstein’s a lot more utilitarian than Baker or Leialoha, so this is pretty different (Again). Anyway, our man’s still trapped in The Mad Dog Ward, in art therapy, where he yells “I am spider!” and everyone laughs. He’s not doing too well with all the drugs.
As Zero is dragged off to a probable lobotomy, Peter convinces Mary now’s the time to get everyone off their meds. She agrees to switch their drugs with “a vitamin solution.” Then we check in with the kids as their dad comes home. Jacob ridicules him for being a mobster, and he prepares to beat him, when Tanya pulls a gun on her dad.
That seems to have gone surprisingly well. We cut to The Arranger telling Kingpin how things have been getting out of control at The Mad Dog Ward since the patient alleged to be Spider-Man was admitted, and Kingpin tells him to take care of it. Arranger gives the doctor permission to experiment on Spider-Man, but first he’s got to finish brainwashing MD 2020. Then, the next day, we’re told everyone’s been off their meds for 20 hours, and people are getting feisty. For his part, Peter says his strength is back, and he could snap his restraints any time he wants. Peter thinks everyone is better now that they’re off the drugs, but Mary isn’t so sure, and we see some people handling reality better than others. And then things get really, really weird.
What the hell is THAT? And, like, that’s not even a thing, that’s just a distraction. What? That’s crazy. Peter and Mary use this distraction to try to free Zero & Vicky, Mary gives Peter his Spidey suit, says she’s been saving it for him, but he thinks he can’t find a place to change and just ties it around his neck like a kid using a towel as a cape. Maybe not as normal as he thinks he is. Then the goons, the doctor, and MD2020, aka Brainstorm, show up.
The bad guys lock the door behind Peter & Brainstorm, so they have a big fight in a small space. As the riot continues, we see one of the inmates decide she doesn’t actually want to get out. Back at the cell fight…
Brainstorm is down. The mad doctor (We never got his name) is freaking out, thinks Peter is killing him, and they open the door. And then…
How about that? Frank leads the doc out at gunpoint, Peter running behind helping Vicky. They pass several patients losing it in the hallways, with the doc saying that heroes just ruin everything. We see Mary helping people.
Strange parting. Frank piles everyone into his car, and Peter says as soon as they isolate the doc somewhere, they’re calling the cops. Captain Zero stands on the roof watching them go, saying “I love it when the good guys win!” And then, it’s the next day.
The Kingpin has exposed the crimes himself so he can control the narrative. The crazy doctor will take the fall and that’s that. Mary walks by on her way out. Peter can’t risk his identity to talk to as himself, but he still says something in character as… mustache dude. Mary has quit her job in disgust, but leaves on a hopeful note. Then Peter & Ben get out of there, too. And Vicky and her family?
Feel like the dad got off prrrrretty light considering all he’s done in this story. But, he did finally do the right thing. I guess it’s a happy ending for them. We can hope, I guess.
So, like, here’s another story dealing with “mature” themes, and another story with a surreal quality to it. But (And I could be biased, I’m not discounting that) it doesn’t feel as empty, as much like it’s reveling in misery, as Kraven’s Last Hunt. It leans more toward surrealism than sadness. Even though, in a lot of ways, it dealt with even more horrible subject matter, it never really seemed to be wallowing in it. It’s just really weird. I am so much more ok with this brand of “dark” Spider-Man story than with the desperate literary pretensions of the preceding story. Also, no ludicrous rework of a William Blake poem, which is nice. Your mileage may vary, of course.
It’s a shame Cynthia Martin didn’t do more comics. The clean lines and clarity in her work are so striking. Her bibliography is a scattershot listing of short, often single-issue appearances for a wide variety of publishers. She’s maybe best known for a year or so run on Marvel’s Star Wars. I’d have loved to see her on more Spider-Man. And we’re right on the cusp of Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld and Co. blowing up the idea of house styles. Her stuff might’ve seemed weird in a world where almost everyone was doing a John Romita, Sr. impression, but those future Image founders were about to shift the paradigm so people with different styles had a fighting chance in the market. Ah, well. Ann Nocenti has at least 2 more Spidey stories I’m aware of that we’ll see one day, and Martin will be back at least once. In the meantime, our next post begins yet another dark Spidey story better than Kraven’s Last Hunt! I know! Come back to see if you agree with me.