We’re back! Bendis! Bagley! Thibert. Transparency Digital! Art Thibert has apparently gone on to become one of these awful conservative idiots who rails against superhero comics starring heroes who aren’t white guys and/or against women having costumes that aren’t swimsuits. A real grown-up. I really hate his name being on so many of these. But someday, and I think it’s coming next USM block, he is replaced, and then I don’t have to make a face every time I look at the credits. So. When we left off, Spider-Man had just defeated the Green Goblin for a 2nd time, Peter Parker had just gotten ungrounded, and Gwen Stacy seemed really emotionally unstable. I think that’s all we need to get started.
Well, Spider-Man’s sure changed his mind about crime since last we saw him! You know, I don’t remember noticing that the spider on this guy’s suit is wrong before.
And the one on the back is the classic version instead of the USM one. Nice touches! Also nice is that this guy clearly doesn’t have any of Spider-Man’s body language. No leaping and crouching and stuff. It’s all very well considered. Our guy Ben is taking note as the Faux Spider-Man beats the bank manager and throws him through the glass of the teller window, then shoots some kind of web that looks wrong and swings in, audibly straining, while the hem of his shirt flaps up. Ben already smells a rat. JJJ, however, is typically elated when Ben arrives at the Bugle and tells him what’s going on. Peter Parker arrives at the end of the discussion, Betty Brant letting him know “that Spider-Man guy” robbed a bank.
Turning around and seeing Peter, Jonah remembers Peter brought him their first photos of Spider-Man, and says they’ll run one of those with the headline “Spider-Man: Criminal.” Which we see they did on the very next page, as a dejected Peter sees a guy reading the article on the subway. He thinks none of the fights he’s been in has hurt him like this did. His sadness spiral goes into not knowing what’s going on with him and MJ for awhile, but his train of thought derails as he arrives home to a police car outside and rushes into the house in a panic.
There was the hint of a vibe last time George came over, but May is definitely interested. Yet another thing you never saw in the old days. Later, in the basement, MJ has come over and found out Gwen is going to be living in Peter’s house. She is increasingly mad. As usual, Peter takes way too long to pick up on it, but finally does.
Teens! Later, Peter & Gwen are doing homework around the dinner table, Gwen asking why MJ didn’t join them and Peter saying he doesn’t know what’s going on there, when the TV tells them Spider-Man is robbing a jewelry store. Peter asks if he can run over to MJ’s house for a second, and soon, Spider-Man is swinging to the scene. He finds the building surrounded by cops, and swings over them, saying he’s been dying to talk to this guy himself.
Ouch. Things are not going well. Our guy should’ve been smarter than to just announce himself to the cops in this situation, but again: Teens!