The fist is on the other face now! 3 more people join Tim Townsend on inks this month, including Bachalo, Jamie Mendoza and Al Vey. As we begin, Spider-Man’s typically-undeer-Joe-Kelly terrible internal monologue tells us Hammerhead has dislocated his jaw and he’s about to pass out. Then…
I suppose I appreciate an attempt to make Hammer head a more credible threat, but it’s really just making him a totally different character. People have already made him a more credible mobster by toning down the shtick, and will do so again, long after this crappy 2-parter is over. Also, I would have told you, and perhaps have in a previous post, that I was conflicted about Bachalo, thinking he draws pretty nicely, but his continuity and page layout are frustrating, but I’m coming to think I just don’t like his stuff reading his issues of ASM. Like that’s your drawing of the hero and villain crashing through the floor? I think he’s on some Todd McFarlane, “all style, no fundamentals” type game, which is especially frustrating, because he had both in the 90s and decided to abandon the more important one. Hammerhead shoots at them as they flee, and Dunk shoots Hammy right between the eyes, making him fall out the ruined window to the ground, but he just gets back up, his new Wolverine skeleton apparently also making him immune to falling damage? I don’t know, who cares? Spidey and the kids crash into a dumpster for… reasons, I guess, and then Spider-Man resets his dislocated jaw by smashing his own face into it. Then he passes out. Also the dialogue is really, really horrible. He has a fever dream about Hammy and Mr. Negative and wakes to find the kids have stolen his webfluid and tracers and left. I am really struggling to finish this one. Another way BND reminds me of the 70s!
I know it’s all subjective, but I just don’t think Joe Kelly gets Peter’s “voice.” Even the worst of the BND guys (You know, Bob Gale) can write a Peter Parker who sounds like Peter Parker to me, even if he can’t do good Spider-Man jokes. This guy doesn’t sound like Peter. He at least writes Vin as someone who sees gang members as inhuman creatures to be exterminated, tho, he’s got the cop mentality down. really wondering when I’ll be free of this character.
I guess this is Peter’s best excuse for injuries I’ve ever seen. You know who you want drawing a story where Peter is all beat up, of course. Who draws someone who’s been beat up better than anyone. But he just drew the previous story, and good for him, it was way better than this one. My big question is: Is Norah Winters awful, or just being written by Joe Kelly? I guess we’ll find out later. Hammerhead is back at Mr. Negative’s place, the absurdly named “Dr. Trama” fixing up her work from ASM Extra. We learn Hammy’s plan has worked so well that some gangs are approaching Mr. N about joining up without even getting a visit from him, by word of mouth. then Hammy gets a phone call and says his new boss is gonna love this.
Norah Winters was introduced making fun of the mentally challenged, and now she’s being racist. If this is just Joe Kelly being a terrible writer and not her being a genuinely awful person, I’m not sure how a better writer digs her out of this hole. Good grief.
“Aw, see, she’s ok, she just makes racist jokes when no black people are around!” Get bent, Kelly, this is garbage. How can this comic still not be over, I am not in the mood. As Spider-Man arrives as the train yard, a caption makes another reference to how the Bronx is awful, which gets an editor’s note apologizing, and it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a bit or not, because it really, really doesn’t play with the racism, guys. He thinks he doesn’t know how he’s going to beat Hammerhead as he tears open a derelict train car and…
At this point, I would take Bill Mantlo and Tom DeFalco working together on a comic about black gang members. I think it might be more nuanced. all the other kids don’t actually want to shoot Spider-Man and drop their guns, but then Hammerhead shows up. Hammy is going to kill any child who doesn’t join Mr. Negative’s gang, and it’s Fightin’ Time. Sort of. Our man makes a big web between him and the kids and Hammerhead, and while his foe is trying to tear through it, he exits the train car and sneaks back in behind Hammerhead, webbing him and slinging him through a wall.
So, like… so like Hammerhead’s new metal skeleton really was just some of it, as shown in that Extra issue? Not the whole thing? He’s budget Wolverine. What a convenient way to end this stupid story! Well, almost end it.
I think Joe Kelly should be blackballed from the comic book business.
What a great page! Why does Bachalo’s Peter look so much more cartoony than literally everyone else? Oh my God, this was an all-timer. One of the worst Spider-Man stories I’ve ever read! Welcome to the team, Joe! See if there’s any more minority groups you can belittle next time! Why am I being punished?