Issue(s): Marvels: Eye of the Camera #3
Cover Date: Mar 09
Title: "Shadows within"
Credits:
Kurt Busiek & Roger Stern - Writer
Jay Anacleto - Penciler
Jeanine Schaefer - Associate Editor
Tom Brevoort - Editor
Joe Quesada - Editor-in-Chief

Review/plot:
Beginning with this issue, Roger Stern is a co-writer for the rest of this series. It doesn't say how their contributions were broken out.

This issue has Phil Sheldon taking his chemo treatments and working on his new book, which will challenge the public to stop taking the "Marvels" for granted and turning on them whenever things go wrong. He's having trouble getting his own message out and dealing with the changing face of heroes, represented by Wolverine, the Ghost Rider, and the Punisher.

The Punisher situation is especially troubling due to the fact that he seems to work with Spider-Man. The end of this issue covers the story where the Punisher's squad mate the Hitman kidnaps J. Jonah Jameson, and Spider-Man and the Punisher stop him. Spider-Man's arm is injured in the battle, and he's unable to prevent the Hitman from dropping off of the Statue of Liberty, killing himself.

Of course Sheldon doesn't know all of the details, but the fact that Spider-Man didn't even try to save the Hitman is a shock to him (i suspect Busiek or Stern had a problem with that sequence from the original story themselves), and the issue ends with Sheldon's cancer causing complications.

This series continues to be a great human story in its own right as well as a nice analysis of the way the Marvel universe evolved in the 70s. The perspective (that the somewhat amoral 70s characters represent a change for the worse) isn't one that i necessarily agree with, but i do appreciate the argument.

Quality Rating: A

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: The issue spans a period indicated by the references below. The end of the story takes place concurrently with Amazing Spider-Man #175.

References:

• While on a television show with a host, Sam Reuther, that talks over him and won't listen to his points, Sheldon raises the issue of how quickly the public believed the conspiracy theories about Captain America put out during the Secret Empire arc in Captain America #169-175.
  
• Some file footage run during that interview includes a photo from Captain America #112 and footage of Nomad going after the Serpent Squad from Captain America #182.
  
• During the same show, there's references to the emergence of darker "heroes" like the Punisher (Amazing Spider-Man #129), Wolverine (Hulk #180-181), and Ghost Rider (Marvel Spotlight #5). Sheldon repeats that he's not talking about super-villains, not realizing yet that these are indeed part of the new generation of heroes.
  
• Reuther also mentions that Spider-Man is still wanted by the police for questioning regarding the death of Captain George Stacy, who died in Amazing Spider-Man #90.
  
• After Sheldon, Reuther's next guest is Felix Simon, a supporting character from the It, the Living Colossus series.
  
• A newspaper in Reuther's green room depicts the Silver Surfer attacking the Fantastic Four in Central Park from Fantastic Four #155.
  
• It turns out that Marcia Hardesty, Phil Sheldon's assistant from Marvels #4, is now working with Reuther.
  

• While at the hospital for chemo, Sheldon looks at some old magazines and newspapers. A magazine ("months old") refers to Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl's divorce rumors (Fantastic Four #149) and the newspaper ("last week's") shows the return of Captain America from Captain America #183.
  
• In the same scene, Sheldon sees Thor's "We do seek out new Avengers!", from Avengers #137, message on television (it's a "public service announcement" and not a live broadcast), and then a news report saying that the Invisible Woman has rejoined the FF, from Fantastic Four #159.
  
• When Sheldon gets out of the hospital, an enthusiastic kid describes to Sheldon the fight between Iron Fist and a robot, from Marvel Premiere #24. The image, with a super-imposed Iron Fist, is a direct homage to a panel from that issue; it's nicely done.
  

• Then Sheldon learns that the Wasp was injured in Avengers #137-138, and then he sees Yellowjacket's giant unconscious body, from Avengers #139-140.
  
• Some photos depict scenes from Fantastic Four #26, Fantastic Four #48, and Fantastic Four #63.
• After seeing a cool spread in the Daily Globe depicting all of the new monster characters (headline: Monsters on the Prowl)...
  

  ...Sheldon turns to the more serious Daily Bugle, which is reporting on the Falcon's trial from Captain America #191.
  

• Trying to get the opinions of New Yorkers on the Falcon trial, one citizen confesses that he's biased against all super-heroes because a fight between Daredevil and the Torpedo from Daredevil #126-127 destroyed his house.
  
• A Now magazine cover is a repeat of the cover from Champions #1.
  
• Sheldon compares that "collateral damage" to what he saw during the Sub-Mariner/Human Torch fight he photographed in Marvels #1.
  
• "Weeks later", Sheldon was lucky to be in the subway when the Madbomb from Captain America #193-200 is detonated. Sheldon is amazed to see both Cap and the Falcon on the scene, still trying to be heroes in a world that has persecuted both of them.
  
• While he's processing the pictures from the Madbomb aftermath, Sheldon hears a report about an X-Men incident. He hears about the Cyclops/Eric the Red battle from Uncanny X-Men #97. Jean Grey was supposed to have wiped the minds of all the witnesses, but Sheldon finds a guy with a metal plate in his head who re-tells the story and draws some pictures.
  

• The Hitman story was from Amazing Spider-Man #174-175.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? Y

My Reprint: N/A

The Ghost Rider's costume in the "Monsters on the Prowl" spread is wrong; he wouldn't wear that costume until his revival about 1990.

Phil apparently also didn't notice that Spider-Man was dangling off one of the Statue's crown points by his bad arm while holding Jameson with the other; he was in no position to save the Hitman(and the Punisher was the one who pulled Spider-Man and Jameson up).

According to the "Sources" page of the trade paperback collection of this mini-series, the red headed woman who says "Hey! The Beast is no gorilla -- and no monster!" to the bigoted New Yorker in the page right before the picture of giant Yellowjacket you've got there is Patsy Walker. You can add her to the "Characters Appearing" here.

Thanks, Jay. Added her.

More from the "Sources" section of the trade paperback edition for you to cross reference:

Page 3
Captain America photo - Seen in: Captain America #112
Nomad and the Serpent Squad standoff - Captain America & The Falcon #182

Page 4
Punisher - Amazing Spider-Man #129
Wolverine - Incredible Hulk #180-182

Page 5
Ghost Rider rescue - Ghost Rider #5

Page 6
"Silver Surfer attacks F.F." - Fantastic Four #155

Page 7
Marcia Hardesty - Phil's Former Assistant, From: Marvels #4
Sam Reuther bolting to CBS - He Did, By: Captain America & The Falcon #184

Page 8
"Will Divorce Split the Fantastic Four?" - Fantastic Four #147-149
"Cap is Back!" - Captain America #183-184

Page 9
"We Do Seek Out New Avengers!" - Avengers #137

Page 10
Invisible Girl rejoins FF - Fantastic Four #159

Page 11
Iron Fist battles Monstroid - Marvel Premiere #24

Page 12
Wasp injured/Beast probationary Avenger - Avengers #137
"I've seen him in action" - That's Patsy Walker, who met the Beast in Amazing Aventures #13, and came to the mansion looking for him in Avengers #140

Page 13
Yellowjacket's collapse - Avengers #140

Page 14
Thing vs. Hulk - Fantastic Four #26
Thing vs. Silver Surfer - Fantastic Four #48
Thing vs. Blastaar - Fantastic Four #63

Page 15
Just to be complete, clockwise from the upper left, that's Ghost Rider, the Son of Satan, Morbius, Dracula, the Man-Thing, and Werewolf By Night.
"Falcon to stand trial" - Captain America & The Falcon #191

Page 16
"The Red Skull messed with his head" - Captain America & The Falcon #186
Daredevil vs. Torpedo - Daredevil #127
Champions debut - Champions #1
"What happened to my eye" - Marvels #1

Page 17
Madbomb aftermath - Captain America & The Falcon #193

Page 18
X-Men at Kennedy Airport - Uncanny X-Men #97

Page 19
Shoot-out at 34th St. Armory/Jonah kidnaped - Amazing Spider-Man #174

Page 20
Showdown at Statue of Liberty - Amazing Spider-Man #175