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1986-12-01 02:02:10
Previous:
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #130
Up:
Main

1986 / Box 24 / EiC: Jim Shooter

Next:
Marvel Fanfare #28

Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #121

Issue(s): Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #121
Cover Date: Dec 86
Title: "Eye witness!"
Credits:
Peter David - Writer
John Buscema, Bob McLeod, & Alan Kupperberg - Penciler
John Romita Sr., Bob McLeod, Mark Texeira, & Keith Williams - Inker
Christopher Priest - Editor

Review/plot:
All of the artists on this issue are lumped into a single "artists" credit. The UHBMCC and GCD handle the break-out differently and i think both are wrong (UHBMCC lists Buscema and Romita as the only pencilers and everyone else as inkers; GCD lists everyone in both categories). I've broken things out based on my best guest after reading Peter David's discussion of this issue, which confirms that John Buscema was on pencils and John Romita Sr. was on inks for the framing sequence of this story.

As the Peter David post notes, this issue is based on the Kurosawa film Rashomon, which tells the same story from the perspective of several different characters and doesn't leave you with a definitive version of events. Peter David played with this same concept to a lesser extent on Web of Spider-Man #13 but went all out with it this time since the format worked well due to the fact that there were multiple artists all working on this story at the same time.

The story has Peter, Mary Jane, and JJ all telling Joe Robertson about the attempting robbery that they witnessed at Rashomon, or actually Roshomon Bank and Trust.

None of the characters tell the truth. MJ's version tries to put both Peter and Spider-Man in a good light while flattering JJ, all in the hopes of helping Peter get a raise.

JJ, is, well, JJ.

And Peter's version is mostly correct but leaves out the fact that he is actually Spider-Man.

The (not-so-)bad guy in Peter's version is wearing a Howard the Duck shirt, and looks maybe a little like Steve Gerber but with blond hair. I don't think Marvel would deliberately satirize Gerber again after Secret Wars II #1, though.

A cute fill-in-y story.

Quality Rating: B

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Characters Appearing: J. Jonah Jameson, Joe 'Robbie' Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

Previous:
Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #130
Up:
Main

1986 / Box 24 / EiC: Jim Shooter

Next:
Marvel Fanfare #28

Comments

the "so firm.. so fully packed" was the actual tagline of Lucky Strike Cigarettes in the 1940s'.

Posted by: Wis | December 23, 2016 2:30 AM

We have a signed issue but can't read it. It looks like the last name begins with a W.

Any help?

Posted by: betty renehan | January 3, 2017 10:11 AM

Keith Williams.

Posted by: clyde | January 3, 2017 2:18 PM




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