Issue(s): Web of Spider-Man #95
Cover Date: Dec 92
Title: "Storm shadows"
Credits:
Howard Mackie - Writer
Alex Saviuk - Penciler
Josef Rubinstein - Inker
Danny Fingeroth - Editor

Review/plot:
Spider-Man has captured the Hobgoblin and is bringing him to the police. They are attacked by Demogoblin and Doppleganger.

Spidey gets away for a minute, and notices that the lights are going out due to a storm. Note that the footnote points to Spirits of Vengeance #3, and my first thought was "Oh my god, is this supposed to take place during one of the battles in the Rise of the Midnight Sons crossover?". But that's impossible since Spirits of Vengeance #4 leads directly into this issue. See my comment about the storm in that issue's entry; i assume that's what they meant to be referring to. Note that the reference to the previous Demogoblin/Doppleganger fight is also incorrect.

Speaking of footnotes, here's one referring to Infinity War #6.

I wonder how Spider-Man knows about Magus being defeated and the doppelgangers all disappearing. The last we saw of him during Infinity War, he was unconscious in a hospital. Of course he could have been told about it off panel, maybe by Black Cat or Black Widow when he woke up. But even if he was told, it's really weird how the fact that he was hospitalized is never mentioned anywhere else. You'd think it would be something that Mary Jane would bring up, or something. It's like a ball got dropped.

One more footnote:

Now we're referencing Spirits of Vengeance #5?! That's another mistaken reference to issue #4.

Anyway, Venom finally makes himself known.

Spider-Man and Hobgoblin wound up (weirdly) taking refuge in a church, but Demogoblin and Doppelganger (obviously!) followed them in, and Spidey's decision to go there has put a priest in danger. But Venom grabs Hag and Troll so that he can kill them (presumably without Blaze and Ghost Rider interfering). And he winds up coming out of the sewer and through the cellar of the church, coincidentally joining the fight that Spidey is having there. And the Doppelganger, apparently "feeling protective" of Spider-Man, attacks Venom as Venom is dropping Hag and Troll since killing Spider-Man is always top priority. And Blaze and Ghost Rider, fighting the demons that we saw in Sprints of Vengeance #4, surface as well.

So if you've lost track, we've got two Ghost Riders, two Hobgoblins, and three Spider-Mans in this story. And basically the rest of this crossover will be various combinations of those characters fighting, with Deathwatch's demons (including Hag and Troll) mixed in.

Quality Rating: C

Historical Significance Rating: 1

Chronological Placement Considerations: This continues directly from last issue, with Spider-Man carrying Hobgoblin to the police. But it also takes place soon after Moon Knight #45, since Demogoblin has broken out of jail, and directly after Spirits of Vengeance #4 from the point of view of the Ghost Rider characters. This is part one of Spirits of Venom; part two continues in Spirits of Vengeance #5.

References:

• A reference to the storm and the power going out is, i think, a reference to Spirits of Vengeance #4, although the footnote points to #3.
  
• Hobgoblin and Spider-Man teamed-up to fight Demogoblin and Doppelganger in Spider-Man #24 (incorrectly footnoted as #25).
  
• Spider-Man thinks to himself that all of the other doppelgangers disappeared after the Magus was defeated, with a footnote to Infinity War #6.
  
• Spider-Man betrayed Venom after Venom helped him defeated Carnage in Amazing Spider-Man #363.

Crossover: Spirits of Venom

Continuity Insert? N

My Reprint: N/A

Maybe the mistakes in footnotes is what led to it being used less often.

It's bad news. I'm beginning to lose interest in Spider-Man stories. Why are comic book stories so bad from the 90s onwards? :(

Because of editorial ego, ineptitude and spinelessness. Which leads to lack of vision.

It's not just editorial. The art got terrible. Over-use of splash pages, impossible anatomy, no backgrounds, difficult to follow action within panels or narrative between them -- the 90's had godawful visual storytelling.

I grant you, editorial could've done something about it. And I grant you also, there were exceptions.

But I think comic books driven by art over story, and bad art at that, are the ultimate problem of the 90's.

Am I the only one who thinks Spider-Man should not be saying the phrase "You've *killed* too many people!" One person should be "too many!" Stressing Hobgoblin's murder count is gratuitous. But using Spider-Man's dialog to establish it makes him sound like if Macendale hadn't racked up so many pumpkin bomb kills, Spidey might not feel so urgent. Ick.