Issue(s): Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #4, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #5
Cover Date: Mar-Apr 77
Title: "The Vulture is a bird of prey!" / "Spider-kill!"
Credits:
Archie Goodwin - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Mike Esposito - Inker

Review/plot:
You really feel the limitations of comic book conventions with this one. It starts off with a pretty cool premise: one of Morgan's goons tries to force a protection racket onto an old shopkeeper that turns out to be the Vulture! So Morgan shows up to apologize and try to recruit the Vulture.

Point deduction #1: Instead of accepting what might have been a profitable scheme for him, or at least just politely refusing, the Vulture flips out, attacks everyone, and claims that he's not interested in money or anything else. He just wants vengeance on Spider-Man. The Vulture used to have actual motivations; now he's just a lame repeat villain for Spidey.

Point deduction #2: Morgan calls in a hitman (literally, the Hitman) to pay the Vulture back for his rude behavior. But he doesn't send the Hitman after the Vulture. No, he sends him after Spider-Man, to rob the Vulture of his vengeance.

Point deduction #3: The Hitman, despite getting talked up as the greatest assassin ever, can't hit the broadside of a barn.

And when he does manage to hit his target, it's when he's deliberately trying not to kill so that he can set up a better shot later.

We understand why this is happening; the Hitman can't kill Spider-Man, it would be difficult to structure a Hitman vs. Vulture story in a book nominally starring Spider-Man, and a Morgan/Vulture team-up would be an unusual pairing that shouldn't get wrapped up with some bombastic fight scenes in two issues. As comics continue to mature, all of these types of stories (well, maybe not Spidey getting killed) will be possible, but it's not happening in the early issues of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man.

There's like a bazillion references to the Punisher in this arc, maybe with the idea that his popularity will rub off on Hitman.

Now to add some points back, here's a strange and hilarious sequence involving Peter's clothes:

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 3 - first Hitman

Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place not long after Amazing Spider-Man #166.

References:

• Peter is trying to rest up after his fight with Stegron and the Lizard in Amazing Spider-Man #166.
  
• Morgan is making a move to expand his empire now that Hammerhead and the Kingpin are out of the picture, as of Amazing Spider-Man #159 and Amazing Spider-Man #164, respectively.
  
• Morgan was last seen in Captain America #183.
  
• We're reminded of the fact that we saw Sha Shan last issue, and there's a reference to Amazing Spider-Man #109, Sha Shan's first appearance.
  
• Peter says he likes his current apartment best out of all the places he's lived since he moved out of Aunt May's house, which was first shown in Amazing Fantasy #15.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

When creating new characters, there's trying...and then there's The Hitman.

He could at least try out for pro wrestling if he went as Burt "The Hitman" Kenyon.

"WHO'S BETTER THAN KENYON!?"

"EVERYBODY!"

Sorry, force of habit.

Wow the Vulture was out for almost a decade after he just quickly escaped Spider-Man in #64.