Maximum Security! The wild but ultimately not too memorable crossover event idea in which various alien races decide to turn Earth into a prison for their own criminals. Chaos ensues, as you’d expect. I used to own the main series, but it was among a lot of books I gave away before moving several years ago. So we’re just gonna check out the 2 Spider-Man tie-ins, but believe me, that’s enough. An opening page shows Peter’s view of the aliens as they try to figure out what to do with him, and then a dude wanders into frame…
Of all the storylines people came up with to tie into Maximum Security, I have to assume nobody went as weird as Paul Jenkins.
So, there you go. Peter Parker’s bad sleep lately is once again the result of aliens, but not like last time. Meanwhile, as if 4 pages of exposition wasn’t heavy enough at the top of the book, we cut to Typeface, ironing the pants he stole last issue and listening to a recording of himself explaining his origin. He was in Vietnam and nearly died, came home a pariah, got work at a sign company, was recently laid off, and has vowed vengeance on a society that doesn’t make sense anymore. He’s swapped the “R” for “retribution” on his head for an “A” for “annihilation,” and now he’s off to do his thing. Elsewhere, Spider-Man’s worrying about all the stuff he has to do before 7pm. He calls Robbie and gets a slight angle on Typeface, that all the cases of vandalism have been to signs made by the same company, and then he’s off, too.
Great gag. After a page of homing in with the alien device, Spider-Man finds the latest in his long line of evil twins. Bit less of a family resemblance this time, though.
I would bother to ask why its face is his mask, but I think we’re well past taking this too seriously. At the sign company, Typeface is preparing to blow up the building and his former boss when Spider-Man comes swinging by. Typeface launches into a speech, assuming Spidey’s after him, but then the big monster comes after him. Also several of the now customary swipes appear.
Oh my goodness, I think this page may have been done without assistance! On the next one, the monster shoots Spider-Man with its webs, which again, make no sense, but whatever. Spider-Man accuses Typeface of having no honor, Typey flashes back to his dying army buddies telling him to list when he gets home, and then he cuts Spider-Man loose so they can fight the monster. Spidey quickly explains he wants Typeface to distract it so he can pin the beacon on and send it away, but Typeface is just a goofball with letters drawn on his face, so his distraction isn’t very effective.
Cut to Typeface’s ex-boss calling his insurance to report a terrorist blew up his factory as he himself does so with the missing remote.
Well, there you go. The Ol’ Parker Luck. A wacky end to a wacky story. Yer telling me Peter had a photo he took of Uncle Ben that he could reproduce that big? He must have been a very forward-thinking child photographer. People were really bent of out shape about Typeface back in the day, but he seems pretty harmless. 2 issues of oddness is fine with me, in the overall. And I like it when a Spider-Man tie-in to a crossover is him not really knowing what’s going on or participating in the real event, just dealing with its consequences. Feels on brand. The letter page is awash in people loving #20. Editorial tells the final writer to let their friends know that this title “is back, and more exciting and unpredictable than ever!” which seems… rrrrather rude to Howard Mackie, still very much here on the other book, no matter how true it is. Speaking of which, it’s time to wrap up some long-dangling plot threads in ASM.