SSM 16

Follow-up question: Why is there a new Prowler? Perhaps we’ll find out in this tale by Todd DeZago, Mike Weiringo, Richard Case and Gregory Wright.

Did “the accident” happen off-panel? Is it just something I haven’t seen yet?

Alrighty. In Queens, at “early dawn,” MJ is looking at Peter’s vampire bite, which is not getting any better, saying he should have it looked at so they can recap that, the various doings in recent ASM and TAC and so on until Aunt Anna shows up wanting to do their laundry. At “early dawn?” Peter’s in his suit and his mask is on top of their laundry basket, but MJ manages to throw a towel on top of it before she can open the door. At “early dawn.” The sun’s not even up.

Feel like this was meant to be at night and DeZago just decided it wasn’t. Meanwhile, Hobie Brown is having a nightmare about being The Prowler standing over some other guy dead in a Prowler costume.

Hobie was put in a coma in SMU 14, I don’t believe it said he was paralyzed.

Sure, ok. Spidey thinks to himself Hobie doesn’t have nerve damage, only nerve trauma so he could walk again, but he sympathizes with his old friend feeling responsibility for his stuff being used for ill, so he’s on the case. But not on it enough to stop the new Prowler’s next heist. The mysterious new guy thinks he can do anything in this suit, and he’s out for “riches and revenge.” He breaks into a fancy rich people apartment, thinking he knows the occupant is out for triple-bypass surgery, but later, as he exits the crime scene, a figure descends on him from the sky.

That’s twice in 2 blocks that Prowler series has come up in Vulture stories. That moment’s distraction gets Spidey punched right into some poor couple’s bed, and when he gets out, both villains have disappeared. He begins searching for Fake Prowler again, but hours later, he’s come up with nothing, and he thinks he’s going to have to pack it in.

“Far out!” It’s 1997!!! Could the Spider-Writers be any more out of touch?? Well, I guess we’ll see more on this next issue. I’ve not read this issue, but I feel like I remember this Walters kid. Maybe he’s around for awhile. Ringo’s Spidey is getting better every month. Ringo is getting better every month, and he wouldn’t stop getting better until his untimely death. So sad. He was doing the best work of his life when he died. Still gets me. But, obviously, this issue doesn’t end on page 16. A 2nd story, by the same team only with Richard Case both penciling and inking, follows. Case and Grant Morrison had a legendary run on Doom Patrol a few years prior to this, but I don’t think I knew he drew any Spider-Man. This story concerns DK, the goofy toxic waste villain from TAC 230, now a patient at Ravencroft. This blatant “Arkham Asylum for Spider-Man” feels so lazy every time. Speaking of whom, Spidey is there to check on DK with Dr. Kafka. One problem, of course…

This is really interesting. Case is obviously trying to draw like Ringo. And unlike so much of the style aping we see on this blog, I suspect this is just him trying to keep the book consistent. The Spider-Men, at least, are pretty close, too. David turns full muck monster and lashes out, saying he wants to leave, and as Spidey fails to reason with him, says he’s leaving now and destroys the wall of his room. Spidey dives Dr. Kafka out from under the collapsing ceiling before taking off after the decomposing DK.