Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #327
Cover Date: Dec 89
Title: "Cunning attractions!"
Credits:
David Michelinie - Writer
Erik Larsen - Penciler
Alan Gordon - Inker
Jim Salicrup - Editor

Review/plot:
I guess we can call this the start of Erik Larsen's run on Spider-Man. He did fill in for issue #324, and Todd McFarlane will be back for a final issue with #328, so it's not as clear cut as all that, but at this point it had already been said in the lettercol that McFarlane was leaving and Larsen was his replacement.

Anyway, we're in the middle of Acts of Vengeance, with Spider-Man dealing with the new powers that he's received.

Writer David Michelinie really emphasizes - overemphasizes i would say - what we already saw a hint of in Web of Spider-Man #59, which is that Peter Parker is afraid of hurting someone with his new powers. I definitely get the idea: with greater power comes even greater responsibility. But Michelinie lays it on very thick.

Meanwhile, Dr. Doom, the Wizard, a very large Kingpin, and Magneto discuss Spider-Man's recent thwarting of their plans.

Magneto decides to take a personal interest in Spider-Man's new powers.

Magneto is certainly an unusual villain for Spider-Man to face, but the Captain Universe powers obviously make it a very different sort of encounter. It's interesting how the cover bills this as Spider-Man making "mincemeat" of Magneto, the X-Men's toughest foe. Traditionally covers are where villains have the most chance of menacing a hero; it's rarely the place to trash talk the villain (or other books!). But it shows that the appeal of these stories was in Spider-Man taking on powerful foes and winning.

Magneto's interest in Spider-Man comes from thinking that he might be a latent mutant.

As you can see from the above page scan, Erik Larsen is very much mimicking Todd McFarlane in both look and layout. And also in the size of Mary Jane's hair.

Spider-Man, meanwhile, has first tried to get back into Professor Lubisch's lab to see if he can figure out what's going on with his powers and, after getting kicked out there, he goes to a junkyard to test his powers. And that's where Magneto finds him.

Cool looking panels.

Magneto is able to pull Spider-Man around by the metallic salts in his body.

And the whole thing makes Spider-Man scared "spitless" again.

I actually find that i like Larsen's art better than McFarlane's.

During the fight, Spider-Man's worst fears are realized. A junk car that he tosses away winds up landing on a nearby boat, endangering civilians. So Spider-Man leaves the fight to deal with that. Magneto, meanwhile, realizes that Spider-Man is displaying such an array of unrelated powers (including flight, now) that he can't possibly be a mutant. (Hey Magneto! Maybe he's got the Phoenix Force!) So Magneto leaves, although we're told that Magneto has a plan to utilize Spider-Man's powers in a different way, which we'll see next issue.

After rescuing the people on the boat, Spider-Man goes home, still worried.

I started off liking the Michelinie/McFarlane run, but i quickly started feeling like there was so little content per issue that it was getting pretty bad. Larsen retains what i think are the positive aspects of McFarlane's art while providing a little more density. Of course we're in the middle of a line-wide crossover so it's a little hard to tell. Unfortunately i feel like Michelinie is not writing at his best here, so it's almost a net neutral situation. But it gives me hope for after the crossover ends.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Web of Spider-Man #59 for Spider-Man, but not necessarily directly after. Spectacular Spider-Man #159 is Spider-Man's next issue. I got burned once before regarding placement relating to the Mandarin not appearing among the cabal villains in a Spider-Man book, but i don't think it matters this time (and Loki is also not present).

References:

• Spider-Man got his new powers in Spectacular Spider-Man #158.
  
• Spider-Man defeated Titania with his new powers in Web of Spider-Man #59.

Crossover: Acts of Vengeance

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

At this point my complaints aren't Mary Jane's hair...it's her lips! What did Larsen decide to give her collagen now?

The guy MJ makes out with is probably Jason Jerome, the actor she'll later have an affair with in Spectacular.

Note that Magneto's thoughts seem to suggest he's actually become a villain again, in contrast to the "He's just pretending" from Uncanny X-Men 253.
I don't think the actor is Jason Jerome- they mentioned that Jerome was on his way out just as MJ was hired. And I wouldn't consider what MJ with Jerome an affair. He TRIED to have an affair but never got beyond a couple of kisses.

I'm actually pretty sure when Jerome was created they looked back and found this guy. They clearly met each other because they recognised each other. He said he was being written out as she was being written in, which implies they were in the same storyline in the soap opera.

And are you sure about them not having an affair beyond a bunch of clandestine necking? that's just what MJ wants you to think;-)

I became a reader of Spider-Man's adventures at this point. I agree that Eric Larsen is a better fit for Spider-Man than McFarlane.

Are we sure this is MJ and not Medusa?! Her hair is so high on top of her head in some of those panels it looks like she could be hiding a second skull underneath it or something!

And I see we're at Flash Thompson's "can't-keep-it-in-his-pants/desperate-for-love" phase where he had a different girlfriend in every issue--and they're all awful! Flash must have signed up for that discount online dating service: Bottom Of The Barrel Of Fish...

For all his faults, MacFarlane could draw some really awesome splashes and his ability to draw non-humans was fantastic. Personally, I think Larsen has all of MacFarlane's flaws but none of his high points. Does he do a better job telling the story? Absolutely. But it's just such a mess I can't be bothered to read the story.

Magneto's comment about mutants makes little sense, doens't it? I mean, he's seen Nightcrawler's grab-bag of powers (teleportation, invisibility in darkness, wall-climbing, and an altered physical form with prehensile tail), is own powers are ridiculously versatile (and include psi powers as well as EM manipulation), and even his former lackey the Blob has two distinct powers (super-tough body tissues *and* a very limited gravity manipulation talent).

Larsen would improve considerably as his run went on. In the early going, I find it hard to look at.