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Post by chromehead on May 15, 2018 16:50:24 GMT -5
Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #107"Original Sin" (Cover Date: October 1985)  Editor: Jim Owsley Writer: Peter David Pencils: Rich Buckler Inker: Brett Breeding Cover Art: Rich Buckler Grade: A"It's the quiet, unobvious nuts that you have to watch". The story: The issue opens with Jean DeWolff recounting how she got into law enforcement. Eerily, these are revealed to be thoughts from beyond the grave, as police break in to her apartment to find her bullet-riddled body. The next day, Peter runs into one of Aunt May's boarding house residents, Ernie Popchik, and they exchange pleasantries, but Popchik is soon pulled into an alley and beaten and robbed by some thugs. Peter puts on the black costume and runs down the thugs, giving them their own beating. After giving them over to the cops, one officer informs Spidey that Captain Dewolff is dead, that "someone blew her away", much to Spidey's shock. Spidey learns Sgt. Stan Carter is heading up the investigation into Jean's death, and finds him in his car in traffic. After some banter, Carter informs Spidey that DeWolff was shot in the upper torso with a shotgun at close range, and that her badge is missing. Later the next day, Peter goes with Aunt May and Ernie to the court arraignment of the punks who assaulted Ernie Popchik, and they're gotten released without bail by their attorney, Matt Murdock. Peter is apoplectic and asks Murdoch how he can stand to face himself in the mirror every day. To himself, Murdoch recognizes Peter by his heartbeat as Spider-Man but says nothing. After a recess is called, Murdoch is in the judge's chambers with the judge, when he detects an accelerated heartbeat---Sin Eater is there with a shotgun and fires on Murdoch who is able to dodge. The judge comes into the room, and Sin Eater turns his gun on him. Murdoch doesn't act so as not to give away his secret identity, and the issue ends with Sin Eater firing. *** Here we are in late 1985, with probably the grisliest Spider-Man story since the Death Of Gwen Stacy more than ten years before. Where that story by Gerry Conway is credited with ending the Silver Age of comics by some (as Spidey wasn't able to save his girlfriend Gwen from the Green Goblin), it was still recognizably superhero comic fare, albeit one with a bummer ending. Comics were entering a growing-up period in the early 80's, where direct market sales led to smaller creator-owned fare being available in shops, and readers who had grown up reading comics like Spider-Man were still reading into their older age, and were demanding more sophisticated stories in kind. As it is, this arc began several months before Frank Miller's groundbreaking Batman series The Dark Knight Returns for DC Comics (published February - June 1986) and nearly a year before Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's genre-defining Watchmen was published (Sep 1986 - Oct 1987), both high water marks for the possibility of a medium like comics that could tell increasingly adult stories (Although this arc followed Miller's highly touted and ambitious run on Daredevil that began in the early 1980's). PAD writes it so Jean's opening narration at the beginning (post-death) cites her mother's second husband, Carl Weatherby, as the inspiration for her to go into law enforcement in order to win Carl's approval (wisely, there's little mention of her paternal father Phillip, the supervillain of Mantlo's Marvel Team Up, and not by name, though her brother Brian is mentioned). We then also get this graphic opening:  As good as PAD's pacing and dialogue is here, it's Rich Buckler's art that really helps sell the story. Never flashy but often moody, with some very solid figure and character work, Buckler made sequences like Spidey in the black costume catching up to Carter in his unmarked car both entertaining and cinematic:  The sequence with Murdoch in the judge's chambers, where he first runs across the Sin Eater, is tense and just as moody, with some great claustrophobic layouts by Buckler:   This is also the first issue to save all the creator credits for the last panel on the last page, in stark black and white, like the credits rolling over a gritty TV cop show.  Really outstanding and unsettling stuff by Peter David and the creative team here. It particularly seems like a story that could only have been told at this time in the pages of Spec. Extraneous pop culture references:
When Carter asks Spidey if he wants to play detective, he answers with "Not me. I can't even handle Col. Mustard in the parlor with the candlestick", referencing the board game Clue and keeping the mystery theme. Next time: We're only just getting started here.
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Post by chromehead on May 16, 2018 14:16:44 GMT -5
Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #108"Sin of Pride" (Cover date: November 1985)  Editor: Jim Owsley Writer: Peter David Pencils: Rich Buckler Inker: Brett Breeding, Josef Rubinstein, Kyle Baker, Pat Redding Cover Art: Rich Buckler Grade: A"Bless you father, for you have sinned". The story: The issue opens with a flashback to Murdoch's first meeting with Judge Rosenthal, where Murdoch as a student argues a point of law with the more experienced judge who came to give a lecture to Murdoch's law class. Smash cut to page of Rosenthal face-down in a pool of blood, having been shot by Sin-Eater last issue. Murdoch flees the scene, seeking Spider-Man as he sensed Peter Parker's heartbeat at the courthouse last issue. Peter meanwhile is leaving the courthouse with Ernie and Aunt May, and Sin-Eater is out in the streets with his shotgun, causing a panic. Peter separates from them and changes into Spider-Man, engaging Sin-Eater. Sin-Eater fires his double-barreled shotgun, and Spidey jumps over the blast, leading to some bystanders getting hit behind him. Spidey freaks out and pummels Sin-Eater to the ground, where he notices a badge and gavel on Sin-Eater's belt. Sin-Eater admits to killing both DeWolff and "a judge". Spidey notices Aunt May on the ground, and Sin-Eater takes that chance to escape. Changing back to his civilian clothes, he finds Aunt May just got knocked down by panicked onlookers, and Ernie chides Peter for disappearing. Spidey drops in on Sgt. Stan Carter, who states a ballistics report says the gun used to kill DeWolff matches the one that killed the judge. Spidey notices a signed picture of Nick Fury on Carter's desk, and Carter informs Spidey that he (Carter) was a former agent of SHIELD. Spidey says he wants to investigate Jean's apartment, which Carter says he can't implicitly authorize but won't stop him from doing. Letting himself into DeWolff's apartment as Spider-Man, he finds a file of clippings on himself kept by Jean, leading him to think she secretly harbored romantic feelings about him. Later, Peter attends Jean's funeral, and Carter is there. Matt Murdoch is attending Judge Rosenthal's at the same graveyard, when he senses Sin-Eater's heartbeat, but can't pick him out in the crowd. Jonah Jameson establishes that he and Robbie Robertson are flying to a newspaper distributer meeting that night, leaving his wife Marla alone in town. Driving away from the funeral with Parker, JJJ says he'd like Peter to watch out for Marla while he's gone. Finally, the Sin-Eater is in a church confessional, seeking advice for feeling like he's wavering on his "mission". The priest tells him he has to follow what he believes to be true, and Sin-Eater blows him away. *** Another very visceral issue, with Spidey finding out just how much chaos and panic a mildly super-powered enemy with a gun can sow. Of course, this is the Marvel universe, where the city and the world is at constantly at threat or ending and restarting every other year. But bringing things down to street-level stakes, as well as showing the effects on the city's civilians, make this an even more-powerful tale. Though Sin-Eater probably beats Spider-Man a little too easily here, one could chalk some of that up to Spidey being rattled and caught off-guard by Sin-Eater's killing. Daredevil is also little more than useless here, showing up too late to help Spidey take out Sin-Eater in the streets, and doesn't announce in time the presence of the killer by his heartbeat at the funerals, since he thinks no one will believe him. Spidey exploring the slain Jean DeWolff's apartment is a wrenching moment, and a bit has since been made about him finding DeWolff's unconfessed feelings of attraction to Spider-Man:  I think it's best leaving this tragic bit in the confines of this story, however. It's not like Peter as Spider-Man was ever going to become romantically involved with Captain DeWolff, though it could have been interesting. Buckler is inked by a clutch of other artists in this issue, and in some scenes, it shows. Other pages give us great and heavy-duty actions scenes like this one, with Spidey fighting Sin-Eater:  Pound for pound, the art here is not bad at all, though not up to the standard that Buckler and Breeding set for the first installment. This is another great chapter overall, where Peter David teases a few red herrings as to who could be the Sin Eater killer. The working relationship between Spider-Man and Sgt. Carter is also quite interesting, and reminds me of Spidey's much later friendship with Detective Lamont, another character on the police force who helped out Spider-Man during J. Michael Straczynski's very good Amazing Spidey run. PAD even manages to work in a bit of characteristic humor, though the overriding tone here is one suffused with dread and suspense. Extraneous pop culture references: Death Wish and action film star of the 60's and 70's Charles Bronson is drawn prominently into a panel here. A bit of sly meta-commentary on the nature of vigilantism.  Next time: Part three of this four-part saga.
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Post by sabongero on May 16, 2018 14:57:26 GMT -5
Hey! That's Charles Bronson from the Death Wish series of movies about The Vigilante.
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Post by chromehead on May 17, 2018 18:20:09 GMT -5
Spectacular Spider-Man (Vol. 1) #109"He Who Is Without Sin" (Cover date: December 1985)  Editor: Jim Owsley Writer: Peter David Pencils: Rich Buckler Inker: Brett Breeding Cover Art: Rich Buckler Grade: A-"Take it from a veteran cop---nobody makes all the right decisions all the time". The story: A news broadcaster is giving a report on the death of Reverend Bernard Finn, shot by Sin Eater at the confessional last issue, and who is the fourth victim thus far (along with DeWolff, the Judge and an innocent bystander also killed last issue). Peter is talking on the phone expressing anguish to Sgt. Carter about dodging Sin-Eater's shotgun blast which killed the civilian. Carter tells 'Spidey' there's nothing he could have done. Marla Madison, Jonah Jameson's wife, is calling Betty Brant asking if she wants to be her guest at her house as both their husbands (Jonah and Ned Leeds) are away at a conference. Spidey tears the city apart seeking out info on Sin-Eater. The next day, Peter arrives at the Bugle, when Sin-Eater breaks in with a shotgun demanding to see Jameson, and grabs Marla Madison as a hostage. Robbie Robertson poses as Jameson and tries to talk Sin-Eater down. Peter uses the distraction to throw a roller out of a type writer, striking "Sin-Eater" in the head and taking him down. Peter notes to himself that Sin-Eater went down a lot easier "than when I fought him before", but that "I got him. I got him, Jean". Later Spidey is at police headquarters with the suspect, Emil Gregg, and his lawyer. Daredevil walks in the interrogation in full costume and listens in as the suspect tells the cops he heard voices telling him to kill. He then pulls Spidey aside, saying they have to talk privately immediately. DD tells Spidey they have the wrong man but avoids telling Spidey how he knows (since Gregg's heartbeat doesn't match what he heard in the judge's chambers). DD & Spider-Man both head to Gregg the suspect's apartment. They stumble in to an adjoining apartment, which turns out to be Stan Carter's. DD finds Sin-Eater gear in Carter's closet, and a tape-recording device (DD posits that Carter kept an audio diary of sorts), which would be the cause the voices telling him to kill that Gregg heard next door. Spidey is floored, but has the wherewithal to realize that Jameson was the next intended target, but JJJ is out of town, and Marla and Betty Brant are alone at the Jameson home. Spidey says if Carter hurts them or anyone else, he'll kill him. He tries to put in a call to the house, which Betty answers, but Sin-Eater is inside, pointing his double-barreled shotgun at Betty Brant. He pulls the trigger. *** This chapter feels a bit more padded than the two before, though PAD writing it so the police take in the wrong man playing at being Sin-Eater was a clever touch (a couple years later, Eddie Brock would use this as the excuse for why he hates Spider-Man and merges with the symbiote costume to become Venom, as Brock had an expose of Emil Gregg ruined by Spider-Man bringing the real Sin-Eater to justice, in Amazing Spider-Man #300-though this has been lost in just about all subsequent Venom adaptations in other media). Knowing all of this, and then reading this saga several years after the fact, for the first time, it's still a kick in the gut the way PAD first establishes Spidey trusting Stan Carter as an ally in bringing a killer to justice, only for Spidey to learn to his horror that his ally is the disturbed killer. There is a subplot here with Spidey shaking down a recently-released drug dealer for information on Sin-Eater that seems like filler (except to put Daredevil and Spidey at odds with each other, as Daredevil sees it as coercion, and to further establish their different tactics to exacting justice). There is also a cutaway to a one-page subplot, a man who breaks into East-Side homes dressed as Santa Claus, that PAD sets up for a future Spec issue. PAD has Kingpin vocalizing a letter to a certain "CB Kalish" about becoming his new staff assassin. This is an amusing reference to PAD's former boss, Direct Sales Manager for Marvel, Carol Kalish.  Really though, PAD ups the ante here with Sin-Eater appearing to take the life of longtime supporting cast character Betty Brant, in one of the most hair-raising cliff-hangers ever seen:   Extraneous pop culture references:Along with the reference to Carol Kalish above, it's all very meta Marvel comic references to be found here: Murdoch goes into Josie's Bar looking for information on Sin-Eater, where he is implored by the barkeeps not to throw a man through the bar window (a running gag from Miller's Daredevil run). Which Spider-Man then comes crashing through anyway. Another bar thug comments that the only other time he saw Spider-Man so determined was "when he was searching for the Master Planner", referencing Lee / Ditko's Doctor Octopus saga from Amazing Spider-Man #31-33.  Next time: The conclusion, as Spidey bags the real Sin-Eater.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197 
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Post by Confessor on May 21, 2018 5:07:36 GMT -5
I bought these Death of Jean DeWolff/Sin-Eater issues off of the magazine rack at the time and loved them. I've returned to these comics many times since then and they still pack a powerful emotional punch.
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Post by tarkintino on May 21, 2018 13:15:53 GMT -5
Peter David's Spider-Man in the 1980's: IntroductionI would like to put a spotlight on what I believe to be the one of the best comic book runs on Spider-Man, and one of the most overlooked outside of a few notable stories. It also just happens that Peter David's early work on Spider-Man comprises some of his first published work at Marvel Comics starting in 1985. On a personal note, I'm not sure I would describe David's run as one of the best on Spider-Man (I assume you mean overall, no matter the title) probably because I did not see it really building on the strengths of what made the character so magnetic. To be clear, that's not going the easy route by comparing his work to the well known, legendary runs by other writers/co-plotters from 1963-1975. In fact, since you're talking about 1980s Spider-Man, I would say Roger Stern's writing on The Amazing Spider-Man revitalized the character & title when it had been suffering from a pretty bad hit or miss period as far back as the late 1970s/dawn of the 80s, with writers as supremely talented as Marv Wolfman & Denny O'Neil failing to return the series to its famed heights. From Stern's start with ASM #224 (January, 1982) to #250 (March, 1984), and co-plotting into the next few issues starting the Secret Wars tie-in / alien costume with Tom DeFalco, a number of landmark characters and storylines were introduced, making ASM "that" title to read again, and not merely living off of past glory. For me, that was the last great period of Spider-Man stories. |
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Post by chromehead on May 22, 2018 0:16:32 GMT -5
I bought these Death of Jean DeWolff/Sin-Eater issues off of the magazine rack at the time and loved them. I've returned to these comics many times since then and they still pack a powerful emotional punch. Pack a punch these issues do—even after re-reading the arc several times, it still has a great effect. Peter David's Spider-Man in the 1980's: IntroductionI would like to put a spotlight on what I believe to be the one of the best comic book runs on Spider-Man, and one of the most overlooked outside of a few notable stories. It also just happens that Peter David's early work on Spider-Man comprises some of his first published work at Marvel Comics starting in 1985. On a personal note, I'm not sure I would describe David's run as one of the best on Spider-Man (I assume you mean overall, no matter the title) probably because I did not see it really building on the strengths of what made the character so magnetic. To be clear, that's not going the easy route by comparing his work to the well known, legendary runs by other writers/co-plotters from 1963-1975. In fact, since you're talking about 1980s Spider-Man, I would say Roger Stern's writing on The Amazing Spider-Man revitalized the character & title when it had been suffering from a pretty bad hit or miss period as far back as the late 1970s/dawn of the 80s, with writers as supremely talented as Marv Wolfman & Denny O'Neil failing to return the series to its famed heights. From Stern's start with ASM #224 (January, 1982) to #250 (March, 1984), and co-plotting into the next few issues starting the Secret Wars tie-in / alien costume with Tom DeFalco, a number of landmark characters and storylines were introduced, making ASM "that" title to read again, and not merely living off of past glory. For me, that was the last great period of Spider-Man stories. Well, I’d have to be a little controversial here in asking—who were the landmark characters that Stern created? Other than the Hobgoblin of course? I ask this not to minimize what Stern did at all, because his run was great. But as a run it was mostly stocked with other people’s villains (something he also did when he was writing Spectacular before his ASM run). Wolfman created Black Cat in the late 70’s. As far as best, a lot of this is subjective, of course. By the time PAD began his stint writing Spider-Man, Stern had left the character. For me, as a young fan, Spectacular was the book to read almost as often if not moreso than ASM. I will also say PAD’s run is my personal favorite on the character. |
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Post by bdk91939 on May 23, 2018 7:29:49 GMT -5
There are certain Spider-Man stories that I liked to re-read from time to time. Kraven's Last Hunt, Back in Black, his two issue battle with The Juggernaut, and this one where Sin Eater murdered Jean deWolff.
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Post by comicsandwho on Jun 19, 2018 17:57:02 GMT -5
I was a kid in the '80, and my Spider-reading was hit or miss on the solo titles, while being fairly regular on MTU. I finally started reading 'Amazing' regularly around # 253, but continued reading 'Spectacular' sporadically. I happened to catch #s 103, 105, and 106, missing the non-Peter David 104. Once 'The Death of Jean De Wolff' started, I was hooked, and didn't miss another issue for quite a while. Continuity among the three Spider-books wasn't as tight as it would be a few years later(when 'Spectacular' and 'Web' became serialized, the way DC was doing 'Batman' and 'Detective' at that point).
David's off-beat mix of 'gritty realism' and 'dark humor' added to the traditional bits of pathos and 'comic relief' that have always been present in the Spider-verse. Once I learned he had taken over 'The Incredible Hulk', I got hooked on that title, as well. 'Grayskin's gain was Spidey's loss, as the character never quite 'sounded' right under Michelinie, on 'Amazing'(which became all about the art, anyway)while 'Spectacular' and 'Web' turned into Gerry Conway's playground for reused '70s concepts.
Marvel never knew how good they had it with David writing Spider-Man.
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Post by chromehead on Jun 21, 2018 19:54:31 GMT -5
I was a kid in the '80, and my Spider-reading was hit or miss on the solo titles, while being fairly regular on MTU. I finally started reading 'Amazing' regularly around # 253, but continued reading 'Spectacular' sporadically. I happened to catch #s 103, 105, and 106, missing the non-Peter David 104. Once 'The Death of Jean De Wolff' started, I was hooked, and didn't miss another issue for quite a while. Continuity among the three Spider-books wasn't as tight as it would be a few years later(when 'Spectacular' and 'Web' became serialized, the way DC was doing 'Batman' and 'Detective' at that point). David's off-beat mix of 'gritty realism' and 'dark humor' added to the traditional bits of pathos and 'comic relief' that have always been present in the Spider-verse. Once I learned he had taken over 'The Incredible Hulk', I got hooked on that title, as well. 'Grayskin's gain was Spidey's loss, as the character never quite 'sounded' right under Michelinie, on 'Amazing'(which became all about the art, anyway)while 'Spectacular' and 'Web' turned into Gerry Conway's playground for reused '70s concepts. Marvel never knew how good they had it with David writing Spider-Man. Totally agreed. My parents were often buying these issues off the spinner racks for me at stores (before I got subscriptions, but those were to ASM & Web), and some PAD’s Spec Spidey actually made me check the credits at a young age to see who was writing it, I was that impressed by the stories. I didn’t mind Conway’s Spec & Web runs (and even Michelinie wasn’t that bad IMO but really it was all about Todd’s art), but I don’t know why they couldn’t have kept PAD on either Spec or Web at the same time he was doing Hulk. I bet PAD would have been game to write both Hulk and the webhead concurrently. *** On a personal note, I started a new job which has been eating up a lot of spare time. But I hope to resume the PAD Spidey reviews here soon. |
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Post by comicsandwho on Jun 22, 2018 17:06:41 GMT -5
I enjoyed the Incredible Hulk/Web crossover, where Peter Parker's book tour hits Vegas...and so do those androids playing 'war games'. PAD kept both very much 'in character', especially that final argument, which they both 'win'...Spidey by actually being true to his 'core', Hulk by having the last word...and by readers knowing he's not QUITE as big a jerk as he acts like most of the time.
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Post by chromehead on Jun 24, 2018 1:26:21 GMT -5
I enjoyed the Incredible Hulk/Web crossover, where Peter Parker's book tour hits Vegas...and so do those androids playing 'war games'. PAD kept both very much 'in character', especially that final argument, which they both 'win'...Spidey by actually being true to his 'core', Hulk by having the last word...and by readers knowing he's not QUITE as big a jerk as he acts like most of the time. I never did read the second part of that story, but I will be covering both parts of the arc down the line for sure. |
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Post by bdk91939 on Jun 24, 2018 20:23:05 GMT -5
Marvel didn't know how good they had it with PAD on the Spider-Man titles. If only he was a veteran by then, we could have had a longer PAD tenure on the Spider-Man titles with quality and mature stories.
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Post by UKMikey on Jan 5, 2020 8:20:43 GMT -5
I was lucky enough to buy You're Next! on the newsstand and immediately noticed something about the writing that made me want to return.
Jim Owsley batted for David a lot in those days as I recall and had a lot of influence on the presentation of Death of Jean. I felt the Spidey-versus-Prince annuals Ace and Ace II just didn't work for me though. The Bronze Age had just ended and I couldn't find anything in the mainstream to fill the gap after Watchmen, Teen Titans, Crisis, Born Again and DKR.
Fortunately PAD was to later find his niche on Incredible Hulk and give me a reason to read in the nineties again.
I sincerely hope I'm misremembering, and that there were great 1985-1989 Marvel comics that have simply slipped my mind. Looking forward to the reviews of PAD's Spectacular and his great contribution to Friendly Neighborhood/Back In Black.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197
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Post by Confessor on Jan 5, 2020 9:31:51 GMT -5
Looking forward to the reviews of PAD's Spectacular and his great contribution to Friendly Neighborhood/Back In Black. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was such a fun, if short-lived, series. I liked Peter David's '80s run on PP:TSSM a lot, but FNSM might've been his best work with the character overall. |
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