I’m running out of ways to react to these insane figures. I can’t believe someone took a bite out of Spider-Man. Weirdly, this 3-parter ends with Khary Randolph taking over art duties. Randolph is a more seasoned pro who more or less does what O’Hare was trying to do, but more confidently. Why not just get him to start?
Ok, this book does not see to have ever been opened. I was pretty sure I bough tall these more recently, but that would seem to confirm it.
You know? This isn’t too far removed from the art in the previous issues, but it feels more controlled and intentional. Randolph draws a cool Spider-Man. Johnny’s sure having fun.
Once again, Peter’s discipline is chemistry, right? I mean, is cross-training normal in the sciences? I don’t know, I have no idea. Well, anyway, we go see the dumbies behind this whole thing, who are pretty freaked out that Reed is likely zeroing in on their location. All but the Hollywood guy, who is fully confident his mysterious challenger will kill Spider-Man before he can do anything to them. The main guy (Why don’t they have names?) says the bookies think the mystery villain is going to lose terribly, and then he’s revealed to be…
Rocket Racer. Long-since reformed and a hero last I checked. Zeb Wells is the king of dusty references. “Nipples on the Batsuit” was a comedy bit amongst comics people… like 9 years before this came out.
Uuuuuugh I am just trying to get to the end of this. We return to our hero to find him once again having webbed XP to his back and taking off to go find the bad guys. The Ff didn’t seem too busy, why didn’t they come? There are more lame pop culture references and unfunny comedy bits, a random broadside making of Peter making fun of the comatose Flash for being stupid (?????), and then he’s entering the bad guys’ place not as Spider-Man, but in a very dumb disguise.
I am just… trying… to get to the end. But I’m fairly sure the rest of this book will be Spider-Man throwing the fight so everyone betting on him loses their money. And if that’s the case, why did he give them $5? Why did he go in there in the first place? Peter apparently let those guys beat him up to “maintain his cover,” makes a brief mental note that he thought Rocket Racer was a good guy (correct), then finds his dumb robot in the alley, saying his homing beacon has been reactivated. Peter gets back in costume just in time for RR to show.
Rocket Racer proceeds to beat the crap out of a Spider-Man who is refusing to fight back as the people behind this realize he’s throwing the fight. Did I call it, or what?
Well, that’s a good turn for Rocket Racer, at least, even if it’s a very stupid plot. The main bad guy is being alerted that Franco Seffriedi is on the phone and says he owes hi ma lot of money when Spider-Man smashes through the window. Spidey berates the various dorks for all the people he could have been helping instead of dealing with their nonsense.
Whatever!
Whatever!
Well, that’s that. I believe this issue’s cover is the last time we’ll see Francisco Herrera here on the blog. Would that I could say that for Ramos… Ok, we can finally get back to ASM now. It’s a better book in general, but compared to these issues, it’s the best comic of all time.