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Spectacular Spider-Man #146Issue(s): Spectacular Spider-Man #146 Review/plot: ![]() No circuitry or anything in the pipe. ![]() Possibly even more terrifyingly, it seems Mary Jane's niece Kristy that we met last arc is actually staying at MJ and Peter's apartment. ![]() And, well... awkward. ![]() MJ is aware but (so far) doesn't seem to really mind. ![]() The main plot of this issue is Harry's troubled dreams, which was saw a preview of in Amazing Spider-Man #311. Harry gives Peter a call looking for support, and Peter meets him at an (the?) Osborn factory. Unfortunately, while he's visiting, the factory goes crazy thanks to Inferno. ![]() Notice that Peter's spider-sense is triggered, but before the attack begins. And we learn as Peter rescues Harry (who is knocked unconscious), that the reason for the warning was because the Hobgoblin was lurking about, not because of the factory attack. ![]() It's hard to talk to Harry after the factory attack because he's distraught that his father's factory was destroyed. Peter thinks to himself that Norman is still trying to please his dead father. And that night, Harry is hallucinating about the Green Goblin. ![]() Also in this issue, Joe Robertson's wife isn't happy that he's agreed to plead guilty regarding the fact that he didn't tell the police about Tombstone's crimes. ![]() And the Lobo brothers plot continues, with another mob killing and a "Kingpin - Wolves Kill" message. ![]() And Glory Grant runs into Eduardo Lobo and starts becoming romantically involved. ![]() Whatever you think of the various plots, or the writing, or the art, it's worth noting how much is fit into this issue. And even with all of this there's still time for nice character moments like these. ![]() It doesn't feel crammed or hectic like some of the Louise Simonson X-Books right now but more importantly it doesn't feel sparse and inconsequential like the Michelinie/McFarlane Amazing Spider-Man book. Conway and Buscema have the pacing just right. I actually think the writing and art are pretty good, too. Quality Rating: B- Chronological Placement Considerations: Takes place after Amazing Spider-Man #311 (which happened "last night") and continues in Web of Spider-Man #47. This still seems to be early into Inferno, with only (formerly) inanimate objects attacking and people still able to walk the streets. It's said to have been a "week" since Harry's nightmares started, and also since the strange things started happening around New York. That week makes me feel better about how long i've let Inferno stretch out. References:
Crossover: Inferno Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: N/A Inbound References (4): showCharacters Appearing: Arranger, Ben Urich, Eduardo Lobo, Frank Farrow, Glory Grant, Harry Osborn, J. Jonah Jameson, Jason Macendale, Joe 'Robbie' Robertson, Joy Mercado, Kate Cushing, Kristy Watson, Liz Allan, Martha Robertson, Mary Jane Watson, Normie Osborn, Spider-Man CommentsBut it couldn't have taken a week for Scott and Jean to travel to and back from Nebraska, unless they took the scenic route- although that *would* explain Excalibur 4-6. Posted by: Michael | August 20, 2014 7:56 PM Two things I noticed about this issue: 1. - Magic seems to affect Spider-Man like it affected Superman. 2. Since when is J.J.J. so concerned about a responsible newspaper ? He's basically been running a smear campaign against Spider-Man for years. I blame this out-of-character experience on Inferno. Posted by: clyde | August 20, 2014 8:27 PM There is an image missing after the last Kristy picture. Posted by: Luis Dantas | August 20, 2014 8:36 PM Fixed the images; thanks Luis. Clyde, JJ is usually shown to have a lot of integrity when it comes to non super-hero subjects, so i thought this was in character for him. Posted by: fnord12 | August 20, 2014 9:04 PM Demons begin poring into New York on the last page of Amazing Spider-Man #312 so it, and Web of Spider-Man #47 (which takes place after this and before that issue), take place before X-terminators #3/New Mutants #71 too. Posted by: Jay Demetrick | August 21, 2014 9:50 AM In retrospect, Spectacular was the more solid "old school" Spidey book around during this period, especially in contrast to Amazing, even though the latter was likely the hotter seller due to McFarlane Mania. Posted by: Clutch | August 21, 2014 10:09 AM The writing's good but the whole Glory and Eduardo thing comes across really creepy. It's like she doesn't quite know what's going on and before she know it she's dinning with a complete stranger. I don't know if it leads to anything else, if you know what I mean, but it kinda creeps me out. Oh, Jonah, ye of little faith. Posted by: JSfan | August 21, 2014 12:00 PM It's fairly clear that it led to something else, yeah. Posted by: Michael | August 21, 2014 1:23 PM Eduardo's "animal magnetism" may have something to do with how quickly Glory was seduced. Posted by: TCP | September 29, 2014 8:12 PM ill give Conwat credit, he was really good at using Peter parker's cast in good character scenes (it doesnt hurt that spider-man has always had the best supporting cast). the scene with Jameson and cushing is great. I like seeing that, despite his biases, JJJ ran a successful newspaper for years. Posted by: kveto | March 27, 2016 5:44 AM Really, Kveto? Because the books seem to go back and forth on that. Sometimes JJ Jameson and the Daily Bugle ate about honest crusading journalism. Sometimes it's portrayed as barely a step above The National Enquirer. The general "sucess" of his newspaper is also very inconsistent. Posted by: Jon Dubya | March 24, 2017 3:37 PM I'd say that JJJ is handled very inconsistently -- sometimes he's a sneering huckster, and sometimes a crusading journalist with some significant blind spots -- but the various reporters and staff at the Bugle are usually shown as crusading journalists, with characters like Nick Katzenberg presented as the exceptions rather than the rule. Posted by: Omar Karindu | March 24, 2017 3:45 PM Good point, Omar. Come to think of it, Peter is sometimes looked down on by other staff members who resent his lack of journalistic integrity due to the shadiness of his arrangement with Spider-Man letting Peter take pictures of him. As far as whether Jonah is "in character" here, I agree with Fnord that Jonah is usually shown to have integrity in non-superhero subjects. Also, Conway may well have had Web Of Spider-Man #52 in mind at this point, where Jonah was portrayed almost heroically, and as flawed but honourable. Possibly this issue's scene may have been a small plot point reminding readers of Jonah's only occasionally seen integrity in advance of his kidnapping by the Chameleon. Posted by: Jonathan, son of Kevin | March 26, 2017 10:23 AM Comments are now closed. |
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