Issue(s): Amazing Spider-Man #345
Cover Date: Mar 91
Title: "Gun from the heart!"
Credits:
David Michelinie - Writer
Mark Bagley - Penciler
Randy Emberlin - Inker
Dan Cuddy - Assistant Editor
Jim Salicrup - Editor

Review/plot:
Last issue i almost commented that Cardiac's design looked a little Jack Kirby-ish, maybe Kirby by way of Keith Giffen. But i held back on saying that since i thought maybe it was just part of Erik Larsen's style, since he's also kind of in that vein (i'm sure that's blasphemy to someone). However, with this issue's guest art by Mark Bagley, i'm still seeing something vaguely Kirby-ish. Maybe it's just the dots.

Cardiac is still on his quest against Sapirdyne Chemicals, so Justin Hammer sends another agent against him. It's Boomerang this time.

And he also makes good on his threat of hiring Spider-Man to go after Cardiac, which he does through Silver Sable.

So another three-way fight.

Cardiac manages to destroy more chemicals and get away, this time in a glider device.

Meanwhile, we are really doing this "Willie Lumpkin is dating Aunt May" thing.

And we also learn that Cardiac has some medical issues while in his human (?) identity (as we also saw above in the fight with Boomerang).

And more on our Venom subplot. Eddie Brock is broken out of prison by his symbiote.

And a little something is left behind for Brock's cellmate, Cletus Kasady.

For a few years now, David Michelinie's plots, whether they are drawn by McFarlane, Larsen, or Bagley, are very light weight. Very quick reads, and not much to comment on in the reviews. But they are fun.

Statement of Ownership Total Paid Circulation: Average of Past 12 months = 334,893. Single issue closest to filing date = 342,200.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This issue is pushed back in publication time a bit just to manage all of Spider-Man's appearances. "Two days" pass during the course of this issue. The next arc, dealing with Venom's escape, takes place soon after this one but since it's a separate story i'm placing it in a separate entry.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Bagley's art looks much better here than New Warriors. The inker really suits him.

Ah now I remember, this is where I first read Cardiac. I thought that three way fight was awesome since I like goofy power set Boomerang.

I've always loved Cardiac's little glider-hawk-thing.

Pairing aunt May with Willy Lumpkin is really odd. Her fling with Jarvis years down the line was much better developed.

One must wonder what the rationale behind creating Carnage was. An attempt to make Venom look less insane by contrast, perhaps?

Boomerang comes off as an uber-jobber here, I think he's defeated in like two pages.

One must wonder what the rationale behind creating Carnage was. An attempt to make Venom look less insane by contrast, perhaps?

Luis Dantas, Probably because Venom was quite popular so Marvel thought it would be a good idea to create someone else in the same vein but even more dangerous, thus not only diluting Venom but Spider-Man too. Good grief.

Re: the rationale behind Carnage -- Michelinie has stated that Carnage was a blatant attempt to "out-Venom" Venom. His original plan had been to kill off Eddie Brock around ASM #400, and then have the symbiote jump from host to host for a while. But, Brock was making money for Marvel, and it became clear that they wouldn't let him die any time soon (thus his turn from pure villain to 90s anti-hero). So, another, even more insane symbiote was created to fill the void.

Cardiac's design looks kind of Kirby-ish. It's those vertical lines on the mask, as well as the "mask with eyes and mouth" itself. Kirby did costumes like that, just check out the New Gods.

On the other hand... the pouches! What was up with the 90s and the pouches? What were all these guys supposed to be carrying around, so that they need all these pouches on their costumes? Cardiac has, like, six full sets of them???

Also, I'd like to voice my utter contempt for Carnage. He was, at best, an idea that could be played once: a monster so powerful that Spider-Man and Venom needed to team up. But making him a regular villain? No thanks. He was awful in that role...

Finally... yay, Bagley! After McFarlane and Larsen, finally a solid artist appears!

Shouldn't jarvis be younger than aunt May?

In Avengers 201, Jarvis was described as a World War II veteran. Avengers 201 came out in 1980, so he'd probably be in his 50s. So, yeah, he's younger than May.

"In Avengers 201, Jarvis was described as a World War II veteran. Avengers 201 came out in 1980, so he'd probably be in his 50s. So, yeah, he's younger than May."

Isn't Galactus younger than Aunt May?