Interesting selection of villains on that cover. Putting Ford Fusion, one of those mimes and even “the Virus,” a non-villain from last issue who will never appear again, amongst all the classics is… a choice! But also the Wizard, the Eel and Boomerang are in there. Not the MOST Spidey villains ever. The Eel over Carnage or the Hobgoblin? Well… anyway. It’s the big finale for the Jenkins/Buckingham team, and since it’s #50, it’s oversized, of course.
Spider-Man swings home, courtesy of one of Buckingham’s most-recycled poses, and, approaching over an angry-looking Barker, senses someone is in his place. But when he diverts to the roof, changes to Peter Parker and comes in the front door, it’s just Aunt May. How do people mess this up so bad? I know it’s a goofy power that doesn’t make sense, but it’s a DANGER sense. Aunt May is not a DANGER. Pretty simple!
Wait, has Buckingham been drawing May with the wrong haircut the whole time? I almost didn’t notice this time, either. It was only due to them having this conversation, which I think they would’ve had already, that I thought about it at all.
And Buckingham swipes a panel from ASM 121. Going out on a high note, I see. Peter explains what happened, Bucky takes 3 more panels from ASM 121, he continues to blame himself for Gwen’s death. The usual. But usually, he doesn’t have an audience when he’s beating himself up over this.
Like… they were going to have this conversation in ASM 38. We just cut away because we already know what happened (To varying degrees) so it wouldn’t take up a whole issue. Now it IS going to take up a whole issue. So, the next day, Peter goes to work, and the next night, instead of talking to May, he’s out getting re-involved in that turf war from earlier? Why? Also:
Bucky’s 2nd use of that top pose this issue alone, but: WOOF, that “hilarious” “other people talk funny” joke. That would not fly today. Spider-Man webs everyone up, worrying about how to talk to May as the cops arrive and such, then we cut to the next day.
Whether you have to get right with MJ or with Aunt May, you go to the park. May tells a ridiculous tale about this random “Cousin Harold” going to North Korea as a top secret Special Forces operative, while Peter thinks Ben once told him he got that limp in jail and was an inveterate liar. Why are we doing this? THEN May sees a cat up a tree, and demands Peter rescue it. He tries to explain he can’t go leaping around in regular clothes, so she stomps off to pretend to take a bad fall, distracting everyone in the area so Peter can get the cat down. And THEN Peter rushes off to check back in on the turf war. What? Is there NOT going to be a long heart-to-heart? That’s the kind of thing this book has been about since these guys took over, why are you wasting time on this dumb gang war thing? I don’t remember this one, obviously. Down at the docks, Hammerhead’s mob blows up a boat, and then HH himself is on the scene to get kicked around by Spider-Man.
Oh, sure, after recycling one of your own, why not swipe one of the most famous Spider-Man drawings ever? Why not? Next day, Peter & May are looking at his photos and talking about how he takes them. More random Komedy Business about Cousin Harold, and then the swipe-a-thon kicks into high gear.
May says she can sense there’s one piece of the puzzle he’s not telling her, and he tells her it’s too much. That she needs to think hard on it, and if she wants to know, meet him in the park tomorrow. If… if Jenkins is about to do his own version of “Uncle Ben’s death was my fault” months after JMS beat him to it… Peter does Spider-Man things and May does May things and then they meet in the park.
Wait, THAT’S the thing he can’t bear to tell her???
Ok, I guess I get that angle.
Why do they keep talking for like 5 minutes and then taking a 24 hour break? The structure of this issue is BIZARRE. Peter goes back to Spider-Manning, back to his turf war, now including Rhino and some lame in a mech suit as super-muscle, both of whom he defeats in just 2 pages.
Hammerhead just said Spidey killed some of his goons! What? Does Jenkins not know what “whacked” means? It’s rather famous! Peter goes home and passes out in front of the TV. Which he smashed a few issues ago.
And that’s… the end. No resolution with May. This issue sucked! I am really surprised. I figured these 2 talking through Spider-Man’s history would be funny and heartwarming, and this issue somehow wasn’t about that. I’m legit shocked. And Bucky ends on a recycled Spider-Man, just to really put a stamp on what his run should be remembered for. These guys were so lauded when the arrived on the scene. Not going out on a high note. My dim recollection is thinking the latter part of their run was weaker, but jeez. Jenkins won’t be away from Spider-Man too terribly long, but Bucky’s out. Without them, there’s 7 more issues of PPSM until it’s canceled. And they… are gonna be hard on me. But, to my great relief, we now finally return to ASM for awhile, a mere 13 posts into this block.