I wonder who did this cover. My first instinct was Kyle Baker, based on how inky the Spider-Man is, but I’m not so sure. Maybe the interior artist inked by Kyle, which, as it happens, is one Eric J. Larsen, making a very early appearance in these pages. And while he’s still rough around the edges, there’s no mistaking his Spider-Man:
Since DD never showed up to their meet last night, Spider-Man thinks Daredevil detoured him on purpose to keep him out of the gang war. He recaps how they learned each other’s secrets in TAC 110, and how DD has recently been through a transformative experience in his own book, as he kind of aimlessly looks for Matt Murdock or Daredevil in Hell’s Kitchen. He doesn’t find them, but he does find a crack spot.
Turns out, Bill Cosby wasn’t as good an alternative to crack as he seemed. As Spidey finishes busting the place up and swings off feeling disgusted and “just wanting to give up,” (Ugh), We find Richard FIsk and Dina meeting up with his good friend, Alfredo. The same Alfredo from Mackie & Saviuk’s The Name of The Rose later in Web. Richard and Dina’s weird relationship, which really read like they already knew each other, but has later been explicitly stated to have begun on that park bench, surprises Alfredo. Me too, buddy, these comics are so choppy.
Oooooohkaaaaay. Dina’s instant conversion to part of Richard’s operation is bizarre. As is this idea that The Rose was always some kind of “destroy crime from within” idea. It doesn’t really land. Richard wanting to destroy his father’s empire is an idea going all the way back to ASM 85, but this weird quasi-heroic angle doesn’t play too well. At any rate, while those 2 are killing junkies by giving homeless people watches or whatever, Peter Parker is trying to enjoy lunch at his Aunt May’s house, thinking about how he was spoiling for a fight last night and that isn’t like him. Then Matt Murdock shows up. Peter chokes on his lunch. He and Matt get in a cab and have VERY Spider-Man and Daredevil conversation about the gang war like the cabbie’s not even there. Matt says he had to keep Peter out of it because he’s only making things worse and doesn’t know what’s going on. Peter is enraged and demands the cabbie let him out.
I don’t believe you did that, either, Peter, because it was INSANE. What is going on??? This stuff has really gone off the rails. It’s funny, too, because while I’m not much for DeFalco’s work, I really like Priest’s work in the era he started going by Christopher Priest instead of James Owsley… but this stuff is awful. And not going to get any better, sadly. But anyway:
Alfredo knows who Hobgoblin is. It’s like when any new mutant had a history with Wolverine! He manages to survive his fall into the water, but is certainly not happy about it. The next day, Peter is jarred awake by Ned Leeds knocking at the door. He’s been informed Kingpin is coming back tonight, and wants Peter in on covering it. His sources told him, you see. Isn’t that convenient? And since Kingpin has never been charged with a crime despite his whole deal, he’s being brought back with a massive police guard.
Now it’s just getting absurd, every scene incriminating a different suspect. Meanwhile, a whole bunch of people not normally in Spider-Man are meeting…
That’s ominous. This sudden and extensive use of Daredevil and his cast seems very strange. I wonder if the DD team were even consulted. Elsewhere, Alfredo tells Richard something has to be done about Hobgoblin, and Richard agrees as he changes into his Rose outfit. He thinks Hobby’s gone completely out of control. Then Dina, who’s been checking all Alfredo’s traps, turns up something about Richard’s mother. But we cut to the DD gang and Sam watching over a motorcade bringing Kingpin into the city. And, as expected, Spider-Man attacks that motorcade. The others let him do his thing for a bit, as he yells at Kingpin until he gets out of the car, about how untouchable he is and how no one will do anything about him. Spidey tells him to turn around and leave again, and Kingpin produces that big crazy gun Tork gave Matt and opens fire. But he can’t hit Spider-Man, and gets a big punch in the face for his efforts. However, the bullets from the gun have begun to emit a gas. Our hero’s archnemesis! And, improbably, it’s the gas that dulls his Spider Sense, like the various Goblins have employed over the years. So suddenly, Kingpin is the one delivering the beating. And then Spider-Man notices something, and this already absurd business hits a new level…
I mean, this is a disaster. Why is literally any of this happening? Nothing about it makes sense. Not Spider-Man’s frothing rage, not DD’s support of reinstalling the Kingpin, nothing. While they fight and Spider-Man tells himself he has to remember there’s no way putting Kingpin back in power is worth it, a police sniper draws a bead on him. The faintest tingle of his dulled Spider Sense lets him know, but not enough to do anything.
This is a shame all around. I wonder how much, if any, of this was DeFalco’s idea. Well. The gang war ends next issue, for better or worse. Meanwhile, in the letter page, there is this:
Wonder who drew that. This page is printed very badly, but I believe that’s a little “SB” in the corner, so one assumes Sal Buscema, but who inked it? Obviously tossed off, but I appreciate the commitment to the bit.