WEB 058

Welcome back to 1989! Young baby me has been reading comics professionally for maybe 2 years, tops? I officially only buy Amazing Spider-Man, but sometimes I get other things. Especially when buying dirt cheap battle damaged comics from the library when they’re done with them, like this one. I feel like I can reach into the murky past and tell you they wanted a quarter for each comic they let go back then. Of course, 99% of the comics I read were still being read out of the library, so anything I bought I had probably checked out at least once before. Web in ‘89 is still Gerry Conway writing, Alex Saviuk penciling, Keith Williams inking, and Bob Sharen coloring. The Johnny Cash reference on this weirdly colored cover went right over my 11-year old head. At the time, I also had no idea Gerry Conway created Z-level villain The Grizzly back in ASM 140. Nor did I know this was only his 2nd appearance since then. But I do now! Conway marked his return to the Spider-Verse by bringing back The Tarantula, and the Conway parade of characters perhaps better left in the past keeps on going. In a Manhattan diner, washed up wrestler and one-time Grizzly Max Markham beats up some guys for making fun of his claim that he once almost beat Spider-Man, and says when he gets his suit fixed, he’s looking for a rematch. Seems random to have waited this long, but ok. Meanwhile…

What a convenient recap Spidey, thanks. It’s been some time since we left this era, but this is a big part of it.

So, that’s a thing that’s gonna be floating around the margins of Spider-Man for awhile here. The Puma bought The Bugle to help Spider-Man. It’s a pretty fun idea, honestly. Elsewhere, Markham gives The Tinkerer $15000 for his newly restored Grizzly suit (In 1989 dollars!), and says he has no plans for a big score, all he wants is a rematch. For this he gave up almost literally all the money he has? While he’s wasting his life savings on a fursuit, Spider-Man arrives home to find the parents of MJ’s cousin Kristy have FINALLY showed up. And her dad seems like a jerk instantly.

Sheesh. While MJ deals with her relatives, Peter meets up with Joy because, in another long-simmering plot development, Martha Robertson got a call from Robbie, so they know he’s alive finally, after all these months. He’s going to surrender to Federal Marshals in Philly, and wants his family and The Bugle on hand when he does. As their cab takes off, Peter’s Spider Sense does, too, because The Grizzly has just missed his chance to grab him. Grizzly recalls Peter having taken photos of his first fight with Spider-Man, and wants to force him to shoot the rematch. He missed the cab, but he’s not done trying yet.

Peter’s Spider Sense leads him to pretend train travel has upset his stomach, and still dressed as Peter Parker, he heads to the back of the train car to find The Grizzly waiting. The villain says Peter will arrange his rematch with Spider-Man or die.

Thinking Peter just fell off the train and died, The Grizzly goes into a rage and starts ripping up the cars. But, of course, Peter stuck to the side of the train, and begins getting changed. Back in Manhattan…

The Marvelous Mary Jane, everybody! Regardless of any ill-advised choices one may find in Conway stories, his commitment to making MJ a complex and cool character, from the 70s onward, is always extremely appreciated. Back at the fight, Spider-Man reveals himself to Grizzly so they can get to it.

As things progress, Grizzly talks about how he wanted to go straight, but people kept making fun of him and calling him a has-been. Spidey realizes the easiest way to end this is simply to lose the fight, so he lets himself get caught.

That’s that. The train manages to make it ot Philadelphia in spite of what it’s been through, and Joe Robertson is soon reunited with his family. Having faced his demons both figurative and literal, even going back to prison, he’s at peace and confident. His lawyer says his willingness to turn himself in should help his case as the Marshals arrive.