Here we go, the big 4-part story that sees Howard Mackie out the door. And we also have Romita. Jr. getting the memo to make the covers more generic and iconic. He won’t have the chance for long, tho. And he’s not doing interiors, either. He doesn’t get to see his longtime collaborator out at all. Instead it’s the people the Spider-Office always calls in a pinch now, Joe Bennett and Sandu Florea.
All these fluff nothing miniseries get fancy gloss paper and ASM still doesn’t. Yet.
Well, that sure seems like something. And someone. But why? The answer will disappoint you, dear reader! Meanwhile, in New York, a comically oversexualized woman is receiving a television delivery from one Peter Parker, her friend Randy’s roommate.
Well, that sure was a few pages. Peter slinks home, angry at Randy for sending him there, then sees a couple having a tender moment on the sidewalk and is slightly moved. Then it’s up into the apartment where Randy has Glory & Jill over and can’t wait to laugh at Peter’s experience. The girls were in on trying to set Peter up with this girl, but didn’t know Randy had sent Peter to a woman with a house arrest monitor (Peter is also very put off by the piercings and tattoos. Come on, dogg, it’s 2000). The girls turn on Randy when they find out what he did, and glory drags him off for a talking to.
6 months! “It’s been six whole months since the love of your life died in a fiery explosion, dude, get over it!” Jill is JUST like MJ was when Gwen died! Sheesh. Later, Spider-Man’s flippin’ around, thinking maybe they’re right, and he does need to get back out there, when he hears gunfire. TV news in a storefront tell us it’s part of a rising gang war, which hasn’t been mentioned before and will not be mentioned again, and Spider-Man arrives on the scene to find the Enforcers shooting it out with some other guys. Spidey is having a bad time with the Enforcers as Jimmy flees with his family, and then we start seeing Spider-Man intercut with a mysterious other person whose actions somewhat mimic Spidey’s, like this:
What’s that all about? I may not have remembered much of anything in this block, but this, I know. Having lost the Enforcers, Spidey heads to the last place he knew Jimmy-6 to be, with a lot of muscle watching out for attackers. He sneaks in and finds Jimmy, who shoots before he realizes who it is, but our guy dodges. Jimmy says this’ll all be over once he whacks Kingpin, and Spidey wants to know what’s going on.
Once again, Spidey battles the Enforcers, and once again, the mystery man seems to react to things that happen to him. Spider-Man subdues his old foes and announces to everyone, Jimmy included, that no one’s dying tonight. Jimmy reluctantly agrees.
My goodness. What a shocking twist. What a revelation I’m sure no one saw coming. But where is she? Who has her? Why? Don’t expect a coherent answer.