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1978-12-01 00:02:10
Previous:
Marvel Team-Up #80-81
Up:
Main

1978 / Box 14 / EiC: Archie Goodwin

Next:
Avengers #178

Spider-Woman #9

Issue(s): Spider-Woman #9
Cover Date: Dec 78
Title: "Eye of the Needle"
Credits:
Mark Gruenwald - Writer
Carmine Infantino - Penciler
Alan Gordon - Inker

Review/plot:
Mark Gruenwald takes over the writing on Spider-Woman, in what i believe is his first regular series at Marvel. For this issue anyway he continues the horror theme set up by Marv Wolfman, but this story is a lot more straightforward and directly involves Spider-Woman, unlike Wolfman's meandering and generic plots. The villain this issue is a character called the Needle...

...and while his origin and powers (he paralyzes you with his eye - the eye of the Needle, you see. And he got his powers because he was an old tailor who was beaten up by street thugs... and then his eye power just... manifested), are on the silly side, his MO of sewing his victims lips shut is pretty creepy.

Gruenwald also starts setting up the idea that Jerry Hunt is not content in his relationship with Spider-Woman because she never lets him be the big strong man who saves the day.

This is with the goal of getting rid of the character, although Gruenwald isn't going to just dump the previous team's supporting cast, which is a classy move even though in my opinion the sooner we get rid of Hunt, the better.

Infantino seems to just be suited for this book; his pencils here are much nicer than i've seen in any other books he's been on.

Although i do question the need to have a shot of Jessica undressing.

Quality Rating: C+

Historical Significance Rating: 2

Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A.

References: N/A

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Characters Appearing: Brothers Grimm, Jerry Hunt, Mr. Doll, Needle, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew)

Previous:
Marvel Team-Up #80-81
Up:
Main

1978 / Box 14 / EiC: Archie Goodwin

Next:
Avengers #178

Comments

DC had a villain called the Needle in the 1940s with pretty much the same build and costume, minus the mask.

Posted by: Mark Drummond | July 17, 2011 9:13 PM

Marv Wolfman quit the book because he intentionally made it more moody than super-heroic, and he got unending resistance from higher-ups because of it(the rejection of the Black Cat cover and story being a particular example).

Posted by: Mark Drummond | July 1, 2012 10:11 PM




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