Skroce’s Spider-Man improved dramatically during this story. He got more sleek and less lumpy looking. The other characters did, too, to varying degrees. Simplifying was a good idea. We seem to have jumped ahead a bit.
This is followed by a 2-page layout where Spidey saves the girl and she complains the whole time because he didn’t get her bike, telling him her lawyer daddy will sue him, all while Ock, back in traditional form, scolds him for bothering to save her. Tom DeFalco’s penchant for writing every villain in a heightened, mwu-ha-ha way is often way off base, but it’s totally correct for Doc Ock.
I’m with Spidey there. So funny that all the ninjas just happened to die. Skroce is getting real Geoff Darrow-y here.
That car gag is legit great. It’s funny, when Skroce came onboard, I found his art extremely off-putting, but as he hits his stride, it’s getting enjoyable… just in time for him to leave. Meanwhile, at ESU, Jill Stacy and MJ’s new buddy Shantal are trying to convince her to go to a toga party on campus. She says she doesn’t think she could convince Peter to go. Hey, who cares? It’s been YEARS since Mj had a life of her own, she could use this. Back at the fight, Spidey finds that the key is still in the car he’s hiding in and hilariously decides to just drive it into Ock’s legs.
While they fight it up, JJJ and Robbie discuss Norman being the new boss. This is actually taking place before Robbie quit, but that’s DeMatteis’ fault for chain comboing like 14 issues without room for the other titles to take place. JJJ tells Robbie he has to do what his conscience tells him. Then, back to the fight, where Spider-Man is beginning to wonder why Ock isn’t talking about knowing his secret identity. The answer should be obvious to the reader, but Spidey doesn’t know that Trainer’s backup of Ock’s brain isn’t up to date. He soon learns Trainer has also put some kind of “personal force field” on Ock to give him an advantage. And he uses that advantage to wrap Spidey up in his arms as Trainer makes it to the fight, telling Otto to hurry up and kill Spider-Man so they can get out before the cops show. Spidey manages to grab a chunk of concrete with his feet and fling into Ock’s stomach, breaking loose. Trainer comes at him with a bar (Why isn’t she wearing her arms?), distracting him long enough for Ock to get back into it. Trainer finally convinces Ock to run, but he’s a classic villain, so..
Sure is lucky that building was deserted!
Big hero move. Hours later, Peter’s home soaking in a bath and having a pointless argument with MJ about the party, but eventually realizes he’s being a jerk and apologizes. Elsewhere, Madam Qwa is understandably upset by news of her brother’s death, and Black Tarantula says he’ll personally “strike in Zei’s name” before sending the lil’ guy, Chesboro, on a mission in a jetpack. As for what Ock’s been up to since fleeing the battle…
I still don’t understand how the process that called for Spider-Man’s soul somehow worked on computer graphics, but I guess that’s why I’m not an evil ninja. And of course he blames Spider-Man.
A rare goof by Bob Sharen swapping Jill & Shantal’s colors. Tom DeFalco should be legally prohibited from writing black people. While that’s going on, Delilah is in a jacuzzi, recovering, when The Black Tarantula sneaks in and grabs her by the head. Seems weird for him to go after her instead of The Rose, but I guess you have to beat the goons before you can fight the boss. But we cut away to The Bugle, where Robbie finds out Norman Osborn has told Jacob Conover he can have his job back. That seems odd. Meanwhile, Delilah’s not having a great time.
So, Black Tarantula is a criminal mastermind feared the world over, seeming super strong AND has healing powers. Working overtime trying to put this guy over. We end on some weird pages:
Man, Bob is painting all kinds of women black whether that’s correct or not. But look at the weird empty space on the first page, and the unusually high number of panels on the last one. I feel like this got reworked in editing. Skroce probably had to add at least one of the tiers on the last page. Weird. That “our song” gag calling all the way back to ASM 153 is quite the deep pull. Well, that’s it for Steve Skroce. Tom DeFalco said he campaigned heavily to get this book, and then was really hard to keep on it. But by this point, I assume he’s about to start storyboarding The Matrix, and probably making more for doing so than he would doing comics, so that’s that. I believe he didn’t return to comics until the late 2010s. Curiously, in the letter page, they don’t seem to know Joe Bennett is back next issue. Skroce’s exit must’ve been abrupt.