Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
| 1989-06-01 01:02:30 |
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Spectacular Spider-Man #151
Issue(s): Spectacular Spider-Man #151
Cover Date: Jun 89
Title: "Lock-up"
Credits:
Gerry Conway - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Sal Buscema - Inker
Glenn Herdling - Assistant Editor
Jim Salicrup - Editor
Review/plot:
This issue continues Gerry Conway's management of the various threads in his two Spider-titles without any one thread really taking the spotlight.
Spider-Man goes to visit Joe Robertson in prison, but Robbie sends him away because Tombstone has told him that he can't make any contact with the outside world.
Spider-Man is caught on film swinging out of the prison. For what it's worth, Spider-Man's spider-sense warns him that he's being filmed, but he's had a number of what he thinks are false positives lately, thanks to the Chameleon and Eduardo Lobo, so he ignores it. The image eventually makes it to the Bugle's front page.
This sends Spider-Man on a rampage that does nothing positive for his image.
Meanwhile, in prison, Robbie makes a friend...
...but that may not be a good thing.
And Glory Grant tries to confess that she stole the Kingpin file from the Bugle, but J. Jonah Jameson (actually the Chameleon in disguise), isn't all that interested.
However, Eduardo has sensed that she's becoming disloyal, so he reveals his true form at the end of this issue.
If it wasn't for Glory Grant being under the spell of Animal Magnetism, and the cliche of prison rape, i'd say this was a pretty good mid-storyline issue.
Quality Rating: C+
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: The scene with Glory continues the following morning, next issue.
References:
- Puma owes Spider-Man a debt after he mistakenly attacked him as a criminal in Web of Spider-Man #50. In this issue we see him making a phone call after observing the headline from the Bugle falsely accusing Spider-Man of attempting a prison breakout.
- Peter and Mary Jane have been living with Aunt May since they were evicted in Amazing Spider-Man #314.
- Glory stole the Kingpin file in Web of Spider-Man #51 and "now her heart is in a turmoil".
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
As we'll see later, Bruiser wants to protect Robbie because he reminds him of his brother, so the rapey scene is odd.
My guess would be that this scene was just meant as a misdirect to make you think it was the obvious then have it turn out to be something else. Also possible he intended to do an attempted prison rape scene later, was vetoed, and had to change it. Or maybe there was a more disturbing element to Bruiser's relationship with his brother.
Forget Bruiser... its almost time for BANJ-O.
It is an interesting use of misdirection, IMO. Bruiser may well turn out ok, but Robbie is still at his mercy.
That he has nothing to fear from him (far as we can tell) does not make the fragility of his situation and the very reasonable fears any less real.
