Amazing Spider-Man #252

"Homecoming!"

0.60 ¢ @ May 1984

Writer: Tom DeFalco & Roger Stern
Artist: Ron Frenz
Inker: Brett Breeding
Colorist: Glynis Wein
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editor: Danny Fingeroth
Editor-in-Chief: Jim Shooter

Synopsis: At the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson and Joe Robertson are talking about the mysterious disappearances of the superheroes and covering it in their newspaper. JJJ wanted to add more pictures and wondered why they haven't used any of Peter Parker's pictures since pictures of superheroes is his forte, but Joe told him Peter couldn't be contacted and appeared to be out of town. JJJ also wondered why Joe didn't prosecute Spider-Man as the source of their disappearance. Joe told him he'll cover the stories his way as long as he's editor-in-chief until JJJ fires him.

Meanwhile at Sheep Meadow of NYC's Central Park the media and NYPD were surprised when an incredible burst of light and a superstructure materialized, and from it's dark corridors emerged Dr. Curt Connors being carried by Spider-Man in his new black suit. It took Spider-Man a few seconds to realize he was finally back in NYC and was overjoyed at this realization. NYPD were apprehensive as he didn't look like the familiar Spider-Man clad in blue and red that they are familiar with. The apprehensive situation between Spider-Man and the NYPD was de-escalated with the sudden reappearance of The Avengers from the dark corridors of the infrastructure. Spider-Man then whisked away Dr. Connors and himself to prevent any media from taking pictures of the scientist and the possible attention it might bring by intruding in his personal life. As he took Dr. Connors to his home, they decided to agree with Reed Richards' decision not to disclose to the media regarding their experience with The Beyonder and the Secret Wars planet, but they know they won't forget it. Arriving at Dr. Connors' apartment, he is reunited with his wife and son, and in order not to intrude on the tender family reunion, Spider-Man swung away to go home.

Spider-Man is overjoyed to arrive in his apartment. His new alien black costume changed its outward appearance to look like civilian clothing immediately responding to Peter's thoughts and obeying his mental command, which he still has to get used to. He was thinking about taking up Reed Richards' offer of analyzing his costume when he saw his telephone and immediately thought about not speaking to Aunt May for over a week and called her immediately in case she was worried sick. They spoke on the phone for a while and talked about having dinner with her and Nathan. He then hung up and thought about getting some food as he was famished, after trying to reach his girlfriend, the Black Cat who wasn't available. On his way out, he was thinking about how he was told by Captain America and Human Torch on the Black Cat trying to acquire more superpowers in order to help Spider-Man with his crime-fighting.

Minutes after Peter left his apartment, the Black Cat arrived and came in by the bathroom window. She's still looking for Spider-Man who has been missing for several days, as she wanted to see him. Some "science guys" working for The Kingpin experimented on her and enhanced her latent super powers, which can help her as Spider-Man's partner in crime-fighting. She thought Kingpin has something up his sleeve for doing this to her, as she left Peter's apartment just missing Spider-Man's arrival.

Peter's camera which was inside the black costume emerged after receiving a mental thought from Peter. He went to his dark room and developed the pictures taken in the Secret Wars world, and thought about the fortune he'd make if he sold it to the various newspapers and magazines. He crumpled them as he realized Reed Richards' decision of not burdening the public with the knowledge of The Beyonder's existence, and that perhaps the newspapers and magazines will think his pictures were frauds. Tired, he decided to go crash into bed and to sleep for the day.

Having insomnia symptoms, Peter couldn't sleep and thought that he had to do something, and immediately his alien black costume slithered on the floor like a snake and came up to him and dressed him up in costume while in bed. He swung away and immediately found a mugging where his close-up appearance scared away the mugger, and then the victim. Perhaps the appearance of his new costume is scarier than his traditional blue and red costume. He then was doing gymnastic stunts just happy to be Spider-Man and swinging around when he overheard a couple of teenagers arguing to the point of escalating into a physical altercation. It was a couple and arguing about a date where the boyfriend didn't keep his promise of taking the girlfriend to a concert he promised to take her to. They complained to Spider-Man who thought the best way to deal with this is to pick them up and swing away to a high rooftop of a building showing them to their city and it's city life. The city is a living creature with it perfections and imperfections, and that the kids don't realize it. He took them down back to street level where the boy was thankful and ran while the girl thanked him for being nice to do that and weird at the same time. Spider-Man swung away afterwards feeling better for himself at looking down in the city below him earlier.

Comments: The amazing thing about Spider-Man is its appeal to readers regarding the life of Peter Parker. Peter Parker's life is what endeared the character to most of its core fans. Readers can sympathize with Peter's life because their problems are similar and the readers can see themselves in him. So the readers are invested heavily in the Peter Parker aspect of Spider-Man. In the beginning of the issue, I loved how Spider-Man showed concern for Dr. Connors, when he asked a bystander for water and handed it to Dr. Connors to drink. Then his immediate celebration that he is home. Tom DeFalco gets it when he wrote just how much of a decent and good-natured person Peter is, and he is just like us, very happy to be home after being away some place where a person didn't want to be in the first place. Speaking of good-nature, you can tell Aunt May and Uncle Ben raised him well and to be family oriented, as the first thing he did after arriving in his apartment is calling his Aunt May with general concern for her.

I just realized Spider-Man is a New Yorker like me. And his thoughts on pizza, and then craving for some tacos and chinese food for later meals is exactly what most single New Yorkers living in New York City would have thought after eating pizza for lunch. After all, if you're single in New York City your day consisted of working and you don't have time to cook, so you eat out our have food delivered, and it's mostly choices of fast food in the name of pizza, tacos (or any other latino meals like quesadillas, etc.), burgers, delis hero sandwiches, or chinese food. And then arriving home, the first thing he does is pickup his mail which consisted of various bills to be paid. How amusing is that it reflects on our daily lives. Most of us are "Peter Parker." I just loved this aspect of Peter's life being addressed. And Ron Frenz's illustrations of Peter's face when he picked up the mail is a reflection of our face's annoyance at seeing a bill. Speaking of Ron Frenz, I liked that his illustration showed Peter's stubs in facial hair which grew while he didn't have access to a razor for over a week in the Secret Wars world. That's a nice touch there Ron!

If I am correct, The Black Cat is supposed to have these "bad luck" powers generating a jinx on people. Perhaps that power was in effect, allowing her and Spider-Man miss each other twice in a span of a couple of minutes.

Peter Parker unable to sleep even when he's tired... it's like many New Yorkers having insomnia. They can't sleep because their mind is still working non-stop and kept on ticking even when it is supposed to be on rest mode.

The final panel consisting of a jubilant Spider-Man swinging in a splash page was fantastic because the editor, Danny Fingeroth addressed the readers that it is their way of giving a bonus pin-up to the readers showcasing the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's new nifty costume. I never read a fourth wall message from the editor address me directly like that. I thought it was a great final touch to the issue.