Issue(s): Web of Spider-Man #87
Cover Date: Apr 92
Title: The Name of the Rose: "The best defense"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Alex Saviuk - Penciler
Sam DeLaRosa - Inker
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
Spider-Man is swinging around town and he sees a silhouette of a Goblin. He initially thinks it's Harry.

But it's really the Demogoblin. However, the Demogoblin doesn't consider Spider-Man to be "the enemy".

Spider-Man isn't able to hit it with a spider-tracer, and he decides he has to concentrate on protecting his family anyway.

Mary Jane and Aunt May have been moved to a cottage in the Catskills to keep them away from the mob goons that are after Peter because of the photo that was erroneously credited to him. The only problem is that Mary Jane keeps calling and leaving messages on Peter's answering machine giving away her location, and Sgt. Blume hears one of them.

MJ is not exactly clear on the whole hiding concept, i guess.

Meanwhile, Richard Fisk has been getting fatter and has picked himself up a girlfriend with brown hair and a white stripe.

You might see where this is going, but it'll become clearer soon.

Fisk has had his goons capture Jason Macendale.

Macendale tells Fisk that he knows where to get people that can take care of Spider-Man and/or find Peter Parker.

Meanwhile, Spider-Man, who had been on a violent spree since his family was attacked, decides to try toning things down a little. But he still goes around interrogating thugs, and eventually finds someone that tells him that the Rose has an operation at the old piers in Brookyln. It turns out, though, that the informant was paid off by Nick Katzenberg to say this.

At the piers, the Rose is telling Fisk that he should back off on going after Parker, since the Kingpin is almost defeated thanks to the events going on in Daredevil.

Fisk isn't interested, but he manages to defuse the conflict before they get to fighting.

When Spider-Man shows up, he's attacked by a group of mercenaries hired by Macendale called the Praetorian Guard.

But don't let Macendale tell you that they're his buddies.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: Spider-Man's reaction to thinking that he sees Harry suggests this takes place after the Child Within arc in Spectacular Spider-Man. Regarding coordination with the Last Rites, in Daredevil, this definitely takes place after Daredevil starts spreading the word that the Kingpin is working for Hydra in Daredevil #298, and it probably takes place concurrently with events in Daredevil #299-300, since the Rose says that the Kingpin is going down. Spider-Man is captured at the end of this issue, but we'll see at the beginning of next issue that Richard Fisk has moved everyone over to the Kingpin's building after the Kingpin is deposed in #300. However, Peter Parker and Mary Jane appear in #300, observing Daredevil's final takedown of the Kingpin. Obviously that can't happen while Spider-Man is captured and Mary Jane is in the Catskills, so Web of Spider-Man #88-89 must conclude during Daredevil #300, after the Kingpin is out of his building but before the end of the issue.

References:

• Spider-Man presumably says "At last!" when he thinks he's found Harry because this takes place after Spectacular Spider-Man #178-183.
  
• This storyline started in Web of Spider-Man #84-85.

Crossover: N/A

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A