Spider-Man’s Canadian tour comes to a close in what looks like it’s gonna be a pretty weird one. I read somewheres that this 4th issue was added later, that the original project was just 3. The first 3 all came out in 1990 in Canada, but all 4 came out in 1993 in the US. That explains why this one is written by Scott Lobdell. Jim Craig is back to draw, Dan & David Day ink, and George Roussos returns to color.
That guy in white appears to be the old western hero The Phantom Rider. Looks pretty spry for a dude from the 1800s. On the next page, he is identified as such, and the girl is Shooting Star and the other guy is Texas Twister. The little girl wants Peter to take her picture with them later, and he’s game. We see The Wizard looming over the proceedings wanting to kidnap somebody. And then…
I can’t tell if “The Right Riders” are a real thing making a guest appearance in these books or what.
Wow! The Evil FF’s ranks have really taken a hit since last we saw them (In FF 218). MAN-BULL? Having to deal with a guy on a horse seems really inconvenient. It’s pretty surprising how often Spider-Man has fought a villain so entrenched in the Fantastic Four corner of the Marvel U as to copy their name, but here we go again. There’s some really awful dialogue in this comic. Next page, Wizard says, “We’ve TRAVELED from the United States in search of CANADA’S BRILLIANT PHYSICIST!” I mean, Scott Lobdell is by no means one of the greats, but this feels pretty tossed off. Anyway, it’s Joline’s dad, naturally, and Man-Bull charges the stands to get him. Peter dives the girl to safety and Dreadknight picks up her dad with his lance. But then The Rangers step to them. As unintimidating as this FF is, my money is on them.
Peter convinces her to stay and runs off to be Spider-Man, but she immediately says she knows he needs help and where to find it. Kids these days. Meanwhile, the FF have split up, and so have The Rangers, and so Wizard is getting really embarrassed by the goofy Twister guy until he slaps one of his gravity discs on him and sends him up into the rafters. Elsewhere, having followed him into some kind of ice show (A lot going on in Calgary tonight!), Shooting Star delivers a similar embarrassment to Trapster, shooting down his hover sled, but, I mean, literally anyone should be able to beat him, so that makes sense.
Oh ok. Unsurprisingly, the 2 guys on horses end up fighting. I mean, what were the odds? Phantom Ride is chasing Dread-Knight around. Remember Dread-Knight’s appearance in SMU 16? I kinda wish I didn’t. I cannot believe he’s making a 2nd appearance on this blog. Anyway, as it happens, there’s only 3 Rangers, so Spider-Man is currently fighting Man-Bull, the dumbest and least interesting member of this squad. Our hero!
I miss you oh-so-much, Dwayne McDuffie. I mean, in more ways than one, sadly, since he’s no longer with us, but especially in this issue.
The newly-minted Turbine flies in, converting her bike to an actual wheeled bike, is quickly made “an honorary Right Rider,” and prepares to lead the kids into battle. Spidey easily dispatches Man-Bull, as he should, but then the rest of the Evil FF show back up. Wizard shows him The Rangers imprisoned in a paste cage, saying Spider-Man has no chance alone if the FF were able to beat The Rangers. He must not remember FF 218. Or ASM 215, for that matter. But then Turbine swoops, surprising everybody. In short order, Spider-Man webs Trapster’s gun (“I’m powerless without it!”), then Texas Twister uses his wing power to spread Spidey’s web over the whole villain gang, cocooning them nicely. The day is saved. But the Right Rider kids notice Turbine has disappeared. Her dad knows who she was, of course.
We have certainly seen the last of Turbine, as this is her only appearance. Although, her flying bike is kinda cool, someone could bring her back, older and wiser. The book ends with this. Unlike the others, most of its educational content has been delivered in the form of Right Riders bike safety tips in 1-page comic strips throughout the issue, and now there’s…
Good job, team. The back cover features one last educational strip, and this one has Spider-Man in it.
I guess maybe in Canada you can call the cops to learn how to ride a bike… I mean, I wouldn’t know… but that sounds crazy. Well, we made it through this wacky detour. But that doesn’t mean we’re gonna see any regular Spidey titles any time soon…