Welcome the brand-new artist of ASM, John Romita, Jr.! What, he was just gonna leave? He’s going to outlast Howard Mackie. It’s really starting to bother me that every issue of ASM has “THE END” written on the last page and then the story continues in the next issue or 2. What is this? Why? This issue begins with Eddie Brock actively refusing to accept any blame at the grave of his wife, turning into Venom and declaring they will eat Spider-Man’s heart tonight. In 1990, Venom appearing in ASM was an event. In 2000, it feels like he’s worn out his welcome and needs to leave. This is his 8th appearance in 13 months. Go away.
The ol’ jobbing out a mainstay villain to some new villain to prove how tough he is bit, eh? Senator Ward, one assumes. Whatever, what’re the real cast doing?
Glory & Jill sure are pals now. Which I’m totally fine with, it just happened off-panel and now they’re as inseparable as MJ & Jill, who also became best friends off-panel. And who wrote both those things, as it turns out?
Jeez, Randy, read the room. An usual butt shot from Jr. Does Jill have a tramp stamp? My god, Magnum, it really is 2000. Jill gets ready to go home, and asks if Peter wants to come along, and agrees in a weird and reluctant way. Glory punches Randy in the shoulder for being such a jerk, and he feels bad about it. Man, this is the most human the real people have been allowed to feel under Mackie in many months. Peter & Jill arrive at Arthur’s to find him furious that she and Paul haven’t come home sooner. He’s descended into total paranoia, but probably for good reason.
That reminder that it’s been 10 months of 44 pages of Spider-Man per month since Arthur tried to kill Ward and we’re only JUST picking that thread back up is physically jarring. It feels like Mackie just keeps spinning up new plots instead of ever finishing one. What does he think this is, Uncanny X-Men? By now, tho, I suspect he had been told to start wrapping up. He’s only got 8 issues left and he’s got Ward, Peter/Jill, the remnants of his Sinister Six plot, Venom more or less being a supporting character, and of course the final fate of MJ to close out. Love a Romita, Jr. half-face flashback, and love that thick outline on the figures in said flashback. Lookin’ good. But, hey, look who finally appears in volume 2:
No one’s favorite guy, Paul Stacy! I’m pretty sure he hasn’t appeared at all in 22 months, but I can’t remember. Well, anyway, Peter gets his tracer in Arthur’s jacket while breaking up the Stacy boys, Paul demands Peter leave, and he does to go follow Arthur. Arthur dropped the paper he was holding, which turns out to be a handwritten threat from Ward on his official Senate stationary, which is hilarious. But it spurs Peter to action, and it probably should, because the next page shows us that lady who worked for Senator Kelly calling Ward’s office trying to reach him because she’s turning into pink goo. Yikes! Meanwhile, Spider-Man is… fighting some random guys in mech suits. “Terrorists,” he says, which he stumbled on looking for Arthur. Ok??? That is SO jarring! He defeats them over 3 pages and then we can get back to, like, the plot of the comic. Were they just light a couple of pages or something this month? Sheesh. However, he does drop a water tower on the goons and then say to the cops on the street below, “Officers, you might want to radio for some TOWELS!” and I like that.
So… so Peter ran out of Arthur’s house more or less right behind him, became Spider-Man, giving himself a bird’s eye view to chase him with, had a tracer on him, and somehow lost him immediately? And then just gives up??? What is happening!? This book feels so haphazard lately. Peter lets us know he feels tired all the time even though he’s getting plenty of sleep, but I’m sure that won’t be relevant. He wakes up from a nightmare 2 hours after going to bed and then gets back out there. He follows some police sirens not to Arthur, but to Eddie Brock beating up cops who won’t let him into the church where he became Venom, ready to “talk to God.” Ok, whatever. Spider-Man shows up.
Oh my goodness, it’s to be continued for once! I mean, it basically always is, but they never say so! Well, let’s see what happens…