Spider-Man Unlimited is back. And this time, it’s an anthology title. Anyone in comics will tell you anthologies never work, but they keep trying. Because they’re fun, and they allow you to try out new talent, or bring in big names who don’t have the time to do a monthly. Some of them end up publishing great stuff, but for whatever reason, people just don’t support them. For me, personally, this meant I could head down to the shop, see who did this month’s SMU, and decide if I wanted it or not, so that was fine with me, but probably not the buying behavior Marvel was looking for. I bought into issues 1, 4, 10 and 14 out of a total 15 from this series. Not a high rate of success with me, I guess. I believe every issue features 2 shorts by 2 different teams, and the selling point was trying out cool new writers. Even this early, writers had overtaken artists as the star draw, and it would stay that way. So, first up, we have “Human Interest” by Joseph Goodrich. It’s illustrated by Takeshi Miyazwa, who, as I recall, doesn’t have much to do in this era, but will go on to be the 2nd-most important artist for Kamala Khan. The colorist is Brian Reber. It begins with Peter Parker and Ben Urich sent to do a human interest story on a magician called Marco the Marvelous performing in a home for terminally ill children. Which… seems a bit below Ben’s paygrade, but whatever.
“Kicker?”
Stella’s parents explain that she has shut them out, and her tearful mother thinks she hates them for sending her here, but her dad insists they have the best doctors in the world, and it’s for her own good. Peter & Ben are in this meeting for some reason, and both promise this won’t go into their story. Later, as her folks tell Ben she may not make it 3 more months, Peter is drawing with her, and learns that she likes Spider-Man. Well. Isn’t she lucky.
Look at that super solid figure work! Rather ironically, Miyazawa’s authentic manga stylings are not in fashion at this point, when Marvel was fumbling around desperate for manga just a few years prior, but man oh man. Spidey is being snuck up on by a guy with a shotgun, and Stella shouts a warning.
A real tearjerker. “The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man” turned to 11. And a smart choice when you only have 10 pages. Why waste them on the 2 millionth fight with the Rhino? Next up, “Slyde Into Destiny” by writer Brian Lynch, penciler Sean Chen, inker Sandu Florea and colorist Dave Sharpe. Some familiar names in there. Chen drew Iron Man 21 back when we looked at that. Sandu Florea worked on a lot of stuff around the Spider-Office in the late 90s. Brian Lynch got into comics by being Kevin Smith’s friend, and went on to a successful career in animation. I think this is his only credit for Marvel or DC, but he went on to do a lot of stuff around Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe and a Ninja Turtle thing. It starts with Spider-Man responding to a bank robbery, only to find the robbers are led by a re-designed Slyde, who looks a lot more like a ninja now.
These are kind of easy gags, but also very funny. Internet sez ol’ Slyde has only appeared in 3 books since last we saw him, in SMU, Vol. 1 #6, way back in 1994. As Slyde escapes, Spide-rMan finally remembers who he is. His goons have already been caught by the cops, and a news reporter further damages his ego by not knowing who he is as he slydes by the police.
Hulk holding that gun is genuinely funny.
A commentary on the changing comics landscape? Just a joke about midlife crises? Both? Who knows? But it was pretty funny, and excellently carried out by the art team. Not gonna go down in history, but it was fun. That’s a win in my book. Next post, we return to TAC which, if nothing else, is at least going to look really nice.