So, we’re back to Spider-Man being overwhelmed by Spider-Slayers large and small. Rodney Ramos pitches in on inks this month, added to the list of Mackie, Larsen & Beatty all credited with “story and art,” which implies co-plotting by Larsen and finishes by the inkers. Smythe recaps his family history with JJJ to JJJ as Spider-Man breaks free of one of the little ones that was “radiating some kind of energy into his mind.” Uh… ok.
It’s really weird how this looks like 1989 Larsen if you squint. The slicker, more open finished inks and colors a very different, but the approach is still visibly his.
That sure is dopey. And if he can do that, why not use this technology to find out who Spider-Man really is and make sure you can hound him to death forever instead of this far more unwieldy plan?
Spidey decides to ditch JJJ somewhere so he can go save John and Marla “before even his own” loved ones, and again, not sure why they rate higher than his own family in a situation like this, but whatever. We cut to Senator Ward in a romantic encounter with Senator Kelly’s aid, clearly trying to leverage her influence with him, and when that fails, his hand turns all weird and he tries a different tactic. Back in NY, Spidey busts through Marla’s window just in time to smash a Spider-Slayer on her wall, and finds out John is landing on a plane in 2 hours. Marla seems to have conveniently forgotten she met JJJ making her own Spider-Slayer as she thanks Spidey for helping her family and says she’s never believed Jonahs’s tirades against him. As he gets back in the air, the big one catches up to him, and he webs it up, saying he’s got time to check in on his own loved ones before John arrives. Things get really weird as Randy, Jill & Glory are drawn in what rather looks like a bar to me, but is described as Randy & Peter’s apartment. Approaching, Spider-Man sees the min-slayers going inside, and quickly becomes Peter again to go inside and look for them.
That bathroom bit is pretty funny. Peter sees the big one outside and says he just remembered he’s supposed to be at May’s and runs off. Jill and Glory are worried and want to go after him, but Randy isn’t having that. So, soon, Spider-Man’s mixing it up with the big guy again. Back a the apartment, Jill and Glory are essentially fighting over who gets to go after Peter (ugh) as Spidey tricks the big Spider-Slayer into crashing into a roof, then bolts for Queens, where there are in fact Spider-Slayers already in May’s house.
Uh, who are those people? Aside form the weirdly goblin-looking Aunt May? John Jameson on the right, I guess? Kinda looks like Ken Ellis, of all people. But on the left? Robbie? Doesn’t look like him. I haven’t a clue. That’s so weird. Well, anyway…
“Going back to school.” When did he stop, exactly? He was still working on his degree in issue 1, and then they just stopped talking about it. This has been such a mess. Well, that’s that for that. I believe it’s also the end of Larsen’s brief return to ASM. Who will follow him? The answer will perhaps not be a surprise…