1987-1988

ASM 290-300 & Annual 21, TAC 131-138 & Annual 7, and WEB 31-38. Big news is Peter and Mary Jane hastily decide to get married, because Stan Lee wanted to marry them in the Spider-Man daily newspaper comic strip, and for whatever reason, Jim Shooter decided that meant he had to get married in the comics, too. Then, kind of shockingly, the famously grim-dark Kraven’s Last Hunt story happens, like, as soon as they get back from their honeymoon, and Spider-Man is buried alive. And it’s not too very long until Venom debuts, and inadvertently becomes the most enduring Marvel character created since the 70s. Also encounters with villains like the 2nd Hobgoblin, Vermin, Chance and Alistair Smythe, the son of Spider-Slayer inventor Spencer Smythe who, guess what, gets into the family business. Also Mary Jane reconciles with her estranged sister, Spider-Man is forced to confront his burning hatred for the former Sin-Eater, and a new Tarantula appears on the scene. And the undeniable paradigm shift of Todd McFarlane taking over ASM begins. This Spider-Man is a body he drew with a head I faked on myself. Originally drawing #8.