Spectacular Spider-Man #263 (November, 1998)
"The Final Chapter, Part 3: The Triumph of the Goblin!"
Writer - Howard Mackie
Pencils - Luke Ross
Inks - Al Milgrom
Colors - Mike Rockwitz
Letters - Richard Starkings & Comicraft/SH
Edits - Ralph Macchio
Chief - Bob Harras
Cover Price: $1.99
Now that there's one ugly cover. I get the feeling that John Byrne might've been in a Rocky Horror state of mind when designing this Goblin, no?
Something I've wanted to mention, but didn't quite know how to shoe-horn it in... or even put it into words, I suppose... is how this attempt at a "fresh" take on Spider-Man feels instantly old and outdated. It's like if you took a property and gave it to your grandparents to "pep" up. It's like Byrne and Mackie drew their inspiration from the Stan Lee Spider-Man newspaper strip or something. It just feels so behind the times, and it's covers like this that really drive that point home.
It's low-effort, it's low-hanging... and it's just plain ugly. What non-Spider-Man reader would ever pick this one up off the rack? This was 1998... Marvel Knights just kicked off (same cover month, in fact!), and felt like (mostly) a breath of fresh air... but Marvel's "flagship" book... stinks like mothballs and Werther's Originals.
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Picking up right where we left off (well, maybe a few seconds later), Spider-Man is with a woman who looks a whole lot like Aunt May. The Green Goblin has un-webbed himself, and is there to really lay into Spidey. Aunt May is very confused, which I suppose stands to reason. Norman backhands the broad, sending her right into Spider-Man's arms. Our hero ain't buyin' that this is the real-deal Aunt May... after all, we're not too far from the Clone Saga that monopolized much of the 1990's. Norman insists this isn't a gag... and suggests that Spider-Man take his Aunt home, and spend what time he has left with her... because, ya see... tonight, Spider-Man dies.
Spider-Man takes his leave, and heads over to the Baxter Building... or wherever the heck the Fantastic Four were holed up post-Heroes Return. He asks Reed to give this old woman the once-over, to see if this truly is his dear Aunt May. Without a sample of the real-deal-May's actual DNA, however, all Reed can confirm is that this woman is human.
Spidey's got an idea... and tells Reed he'll be back soon. Reed tries to stop him, because there's this one teensy tiny detail he really ought to know, but Spider-Man ain't willing to wait around.
We follow our hero back to his and Mary Jane's house, where the latter is having a big fashion blowout or something. Lotsa "absolutely fabulous" people are present... though, thankfully since this isn't a John Byrne script, none of them are actually saying "absolutely" nor "fabulous".
Emjay hears something in the attic, and heads up to check. Naturally, it's Peter... and he's digging through some old junk. Ya see, Aunt May was a lotta things, including a packrat... and so, he had a sneaking suspicion that the answer to his problems might be up here. And, whattayaknow... it is! Peter happens across an old science experiment he did in Junior High, where he collected some of May's DNA. What luck! He explains the sitch to Mary Jane, who... is dubious (and probably just wants to get back to her schmoozing and hob-nobbing).
We immediately shift back to Reed's lab, where he confirms that the old bitty is indeed May Parker.
Then, we move onto that teensy tiny detail Reed really wanted to share earlier. Y'all ready for this? Aunt May's got this "cylindrical object" implanted in the back of her brain... which, if not removed ASAP as possible, will kill her. Reed wants to operate... but needs the a-okay from her next of kin. Rather than unmasking, Spidey tells Reed that he'll contact her family. We assume he just pops outside to the nearest payphone and calls Reed as Peter... but, we don't see it.
We follow Spider-Man to... Osborn Industries Corporate Headquarters, where he comes crashing into ol' Norman's office. Norman starts mocking him straightaway.
Norman speaks of the Gathering of Five ritual (remember that?), and how it gave him the power of a god. Spidey insists Osborn's gone insane... but, the baddie corrects him, claiming "Nah, this other guy got that gift..." We'll put a pin in that for now. Spider-Man asks what Norman's big plan is... to which, Osborn is more than happy to share.
Spider-Man is directed over to a big window overlooking a laboratory. He explains that these scientists were responsible for the weirdness at the hunting lodge (that dumb stuff regarding the flora and fauna). He also now has the "technology" to, well... make people melt down to their "component DNA structure" (which we already saw a few issues back). Fans of the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion might be familiar with the Human Instrumentality Project... this sorta feels something like that. He demonstrates this before a shocked Spidey.
Ya see, Norman is planning to melt everyone down... and reshape the world in his own image. Hmm... maybe Spider-Man's right, and Norman has gone insane?
They spend the next several pages fighting... and bantering. Well, Norman's doing most of the talking. He explains a lot here... so, let's get right into it. He talks up his philanthropy... and how he's used several of the Osborn charities to distribute his "DNA Bombs"... which, oh yeah... is exactly the thing that was embedded into poor Aunt May's dottering dome. What's more, while it's in her head, it's basically inert. Only when it's exposed to air will it "activate". Very "damned if ya do..." sorta situation, no? In fact, it's her DNA Bomb that will start the chain-reaction in setting off all the DNA Bombs.
So, you might be asking... how in all hells is Aunt May actually still alive? I mean, we all saw her die back in Amazing Spider-Man #400, right? Well... here we go. Ya see, Norman... who was retroactively made the mastermind of the entire Clone Saga (which was already in high-gear around the time of ASM #400)... kidnapped the real-deal Aunt May, and replaced her with an actress. This actress, reportedly, spent years learning Aunt May's mannerisms and voice... and, what's more, Norman even filled her in on all of Peter's secrets... which is why they were able to have that touching final conversation atop the Empire State Building before she passed. Ya get it? This is one of those weird situations where... we don't have to necessarily like it, but it actually feels like Marvel is trying. Nowadays they wouldn't expend the effort!
At this point, the book goes completely bat-stuff insane. Well, insaner. The Goblin drops Spider-Man in the middle of a crowded New York City street... and unmasks him! The world now knows that Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker!
Norman ain't done yet, however... after the... uh, humiliation (?) of the unmasking... he kills Peter Parker!
We close out this issue (and the volume of the second longest tenured Spider-Man title) with... the death of Spider-Man. How will we ever be able to walk this one back?!
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So... we got a lot of information in this here issue, and very much to Howard Mackie's credit, most of it sorta-kinda makes sense? I mean, it isn't perfect by any means, but... the answers we get, are satisfying in the sense that... it feels like they actually tried. How did Aunt May come back to life? Why, she never died in the first place... that was an actress! How did Norman's hunting lodge "come alive"? Well, ya see... this room full'a nerds saw to that... now watch them die!
Again, it isn't perfect... and, honestly, it's not even any fun to read... but, I can't say that Mackie isn't trying here. Perhaps it's only with the couple-decades of hindsight... where the "hot writers" of "current year" don't put in any effort to make their stories or character motivations make any sense, but I appreciated the attempt at making everything "fit" here.
Mackie and Byrne could've very easily said "None'a that ever happened"... and just picked up with Spider-Man as a swinging single, living with Aunt May, and snapping pics for Jonah while taking classes at ESU. But, this happened back when Marvel Editorial still had some respect for continuity... so, instead, we get an actual "work-around". A clunky-as-all-hell work-around, but a work-around nonetheless. Kudos (I guess) for that.
Let's look at that cliffhanger. Oof... how are they gonna walk that one back? Welp, we'll find out tomorrow... I hope you're all prepared for a pretty massive disappointment. I know I am! I did like seeing Norman get his big win. It really drove home his motivations, and illustrated just how personal this rivalry between he and Peter still is. I will say, however, this Green Goblin design? Uh, it... ain't got no alibi. It's ugly. U-G-L-Y. Ross' pencils are pretty tight here throughout, but not even he could make this Goblin look good.
Next time, we'll wrap up the pre-boot... and close out this "final chapter" with Peter Parker: Spider-Man #98.
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Peter Parker: Spider-Man #97 (November, 1998)
"The Final Chapter, Part 2: Let the Heavens Tremble at the Power of the Goblin!"
Writer - Howard Mackie
Pencils - John Romita, Jr.
Inks - Scott Hanna
Letters - Richard Starkings & Comicraft/SH
Colors - Gregory Wright
Edits - Ralph Macchio
Chief - Bob Harras
Cover Price: $1.99
Oh boy. Sometimes I just sit and stare at the "preramble" part of my screen... and wonder what's I can possibly say to "hype" what's to come.
Uh. I got nothin'. Please read on~! We got Romita!
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We open... somewhere, and there are a group of men helping Norman Osborn get into his "greens". They're pretty star-struck and gobsmacked to be allowed to help him... and they inform him that Alison Mongrain did manage to contact the Parkers with her top secret information. Norman doesn't seem too bothered, and takes his leave... not before pumpkin-bombing whatever the hell building they were holed up in.
We shift scenes over to Norman's hunting lodge in upstate New York. There are signs that have been clumsily cut+paste to inform trespassers they would be prosecuted. I wonder what these signs originally said... because, this is one sloppy-looking edit. I guess that makes it fit in all the better with this storyline.
Once he breaches the perimeter, Spidey realizes that there's something weird about the environment here. There's no wind... the flora seems to react to his presence. It's... I didn't know that sort of technology existed... but, whattayagonnado?
We take a break from this, and hop over to the fashion studio of one Gianni Vermicelli. Mary Jane is being fitted for a very stylish (ugly) gown, while chatting up her good pal Jill Stacy. Hmm... I wonder if Jill Stacy is going to be forced down our throats when this volume officially "ticks over" to it's new #1? Nahhh...
Back to Spidey, who's still swingin' through the windless skies. He happens across... uhh, beasts? Ya know, we just went through a cloak-and-dagger ritual, and somehow, this feels less "genuine Spider-Man" than that! At least Mackie's banter isn't as forced nor as bad as Byrne's.
After dispatching the beasts, Spider-Man is met by our old friend Norman. Spidey suggests he get out of his way, as nothing is going to stop him from getting his baby girl back. Norman laughs... and we'll soon know why. He also tosses Peter a book: the Osborn Journal.
Now, this is dumb. Spidey flips through the journal, which details all of Norman's trespasses and misdeeds throughout the years. Here's the thing though... the words in the journal suddenly change! Ya see, Norman was hoping Spider-Man would find this book, and hand it over to the police. The words change, to reveal that not only is Peter Parker Spider-Man, but that Peter poisoned his own Aunt May when she discovered his dual-identity. Does this whole bit feel... I dunno, a little contrived?
Back to Emjay. She's in the middle of a press conference at a posh eatery... and, she's lovin' life. She actually stops for a moment to consider the possibility that baby May is still alive... and, eeesh, doesn't seem like she's all that pleased... she'd rather be modeling! I've asked this before, but... ya think they're trying to make us readers dislike ol' Mary Jane?
Back to the fight. Spider-Man breaks away, hot in pursuit of his baby girl. Norman's all "yer kid's dead"... he swears he had nothing to do with it. He says all this in between some raucous laughter, so it's not hard to see why Spidey doesn't quite believe him.
From here, we get a few pages of really good action! A knock-down drag-out between Spidey and the Goblin, that under Romita's pencil, looks really darn good! They bash their way into Norman's hunting lodge... and Spider-Man finally manages to down his foe. While the Goblin lay, Spidey absolutely empties his web-cartridges upon him!
Spider-Man looks down a long hallway (this is a very large "lodge"), and walks down to a closed door. He opens it, to find a darkened room... where he is clobbered over the head with a vase!
Y'all ready? He shakes it off, and looks back to find... May. Not, the May he expected... but the dottering old Aunt variety. She is petrified of Spider-Man, which flies in the face of the revelation that she "knew" Peter's secret before her death (back in Amazing Spider-Man #400). We'll talk more about the hows and whys of that as we move on... but this, dear reader, is where we leave off today.
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Yesterday I expressed a bit of concern over how much "oomph" this May reveal might have lost over the past two decades... and, without a doubt, time has not been kind to this story. In fact, it's aged like milk. I mean, talk to the most passive Spider-fan you can find... everybody knows about Aunt May. Comics characterwise, she's up there in the rarefied air with Lois Lane as notable "mainstream" cast members.
I feel like, if you were to hand this story over to a casual Spider-Fan (which would be incredibly mean of you... so, please don't), they would immediately assume the "May" in question was Pete's Aunt. I'd bet most don't even realize that a) Aunt May died in the first place, and b) Peter and Mary Jane had a stillborn daughter, also named May.
So, really... all we got is trying to remember how we all felt, as regular Spider-Readers (those of us who were) when Aunt May was brought back. I was in-and-out of the Spider-books throughout the 90's... only coming back "full-time" after the Clone Saga wrapped up. I knew Aunt May had passed, and what's more, I knew what a powerful story her passing occurred in. Poor J.M. DeMatteis, it seems like most of his excellent "final" stories just keep getting undone!
I feel like I was more bothered, not so much that Aunt May was back, but that it undid her "final" story. If you've never read Amazing Spider-Man #400 (it's the one with the horrid gimmick cover that just looks like a gray slab), I'd definitely recommend you do so. The final chat between Peter and May is an absolute masterpiece... over three-decades in the making. You'll smile, you'll probably cry... it's a beautiful scene. A rare-gem in the Clone Saga era.
Annnnnnd... it's undone here.
One thing we know about John Byrne as a creator, he's a huge fan of "back to basics" storytelling. That's usually his "mission statement" upon taking over a property (not named Superman)... and that definition of "basics" is, uh, pretty nebulous and "Byrnian". Since his fingerprints are all over this era of Spider-Man, it's hard not to consider that he's trying to bring Spidey "back to basics". Aunt May, is part of that... perhaps the biggest part! Also, let's make the readers resent Mary Jane... so we can massage Peter back into being a swingin' single (much more on that later)!
What else can we say about today's issue though? Um, it was a fight scene... a very well drawn fight scene (thank goodness Romita, Jr. has arrived!), but still... a fight scene. The Osborn Journal bit... oy... it was just a "loose thread" being tied off, but still... it was dumb. The mutant dog-beasts, or whatever... and the strange reacting environment? Also pretty dumb. This whole confrontation feels like it should've been more, for lack of a better term, "gritty". Ya know? More personal, more down-n-dirty... rather than playing out with a strange supernatural backdrop.
The Mary Jane interludes... well, they served a purpose, I suppose. Emjay's got her path set... she's a model again, and she's loving it. Hindsight, being what it is, tells us where this is leading (and ultimately, how little any of this actually mattered)... however, at the time, it felt as though the creators were trying to alienate us from her. I came away from this feeling like she was betraying Peter and their plans for a family. Maybe I was reading too much into it... or, maybe that's exactly how they wanted me to feel?
Overall... this still wasn't a great time, but it was worlds better than yesterday's chapter. Whodathunk... if you were to ask me if I'd rather read Byrne or Mackie Spider-Man... and I'd have to say "Mackie"! Craziness. Up is down, right is wrong, dogs and cats livin' together...
Next: The final issue of the second-longest tenured Spider-title, Spectacular Spider-Man
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Amazing Spider-Man #441 (November, 1998)
"The Final Chapter, Part 1: And Who Shall Claim a Kingly Crown?"
Guest Writer - John Byrne
Pencils - Rafael Kayanan
Inks - Bud LaRosa
Colors - Matt Hicks & Mike Rockwitz
Letters - Richard Starkings & Comicraft's Liz Agraphiotis
Edits - Ralph Macchio
Chief - Bob Harras
Cover Price: $1.99
Y'all ready for the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man? Hoo-boy, this is sure to be a monumental issue... I mean, this was before the days of nu-Marvel and the annual relaunch... at this point, Amazing Spider-Man only had ONE #1... and, check this madness out... it only had ONE cover too!
Ya know, I wrote that paragraph as a gag... but, it actually sorta-kinda made me gag. What an absolute s-show the "current year" comics biz is.
Yeesh.
Least we've still got the old stuff to relish in... like this sure to be amazing final issue of ASM!
*cough*
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We open at the Osborn Building... or wherever it is that Norman Osborn works... and, check it out, it's finally time for that thing the last story arc was named after: The Gathering of Five! Let's meet our players: we've got Norman, of course... Maxwell, that creep from the Pawn Shop, Madame Web, Override, and... some young girl with 'tude. This is the "Franklin" that arrived a few issues back at LaGuardia... that they didn't want us to see. She is Martha/Matt/Mattie Franklin, daughter of the Franklin Norman was expecting. Not much of a reveal here, folks. Anyhoo, they're all decked out in some geeky-looking robes for the ritual. Mattie and Maxwell butt heads immediately. Anyone care?
We shift scenes to Forest Hills, where a cab pulls up to the Parker home. Why, it's Alison Mongrain and Robbie! Been a minute since we last saw them. Mongrain insists that there's something she has to say... something she can only say to Peter Parker. Suddenly, steam begins to rise from the gutters.
Good grief, it's the Molten Man... again.
Inside, Mary Jane is on the phone with Jill Stacy... and is wearing the first of several hairstyles/lengths (and outfits) she'll be drawn with throughout this issue. She hears the ruckus outside, and is shocked by the scene.
Outside, Raxton looks to be quite conflicted... it's as though he's trying to stop himself from attacking Mongrain. He even manages to speak a little bit. And so, we get four pages of flashback where Norman Osborn embeds a chip into Raxton's head. Four Pages. This is the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man... and we're wasting like a quarter of it on the friggin' Molten Man's flashback?!
At this point, Mongrain... who is lookin' roooouuuugh... realizes that, duh... she's been wearing a locket given to her by Norman Osborn this entire time. You kidding me with this? There's a dude tracking you to all corners of the planet to do you harm... and you're still wearing his jewelry? C'mon. Robbie nyoinks the locket and tosses it into the street... and just like that, the Molten Man backs off... and heads over to the trinket.
At this point, Mary Jane rushes out to see what's up. Mongrain, upon learning that Emjay is Parker's wife... decides that she can tell her the big secret. And so, she whispers something into MJ's ear...
... which shocks her to the core! Ya see, folks... May is actually alive! I fear this revelation might not have quite the same oomph it did back in 1998. If I'm talking about Spider-Man and say "May", where does your mind immediately go? Well, here's a bit of context: Not too long before this story, Mary Jane and Peter had a daughter who was stillborn. They named her May. See where we're headed here?
We shift scenes back to the Osborns, and it's finally time for the Ritual. I feel like I already said that. They each hold their shard over their head... and the room fills with electricity.
Madame Web goes first, placing her shard on the altar. She immediately dies... soooo, that's the gift of DEATH. Welp, there's one outta the way.
Mattie goes next... and her result isn't quite as clear. There's a buzzing in her fingers, and a numbness in her mind. Maxwell presumes she has received the gift of KNOWLEDGE. Norman then tells "Overpower" to place his piece. Overpower? Ya mean Override... the goofball we've spent like half of the last story arc following around? C'mon, there are three friggin' editors on this book... and, it's written by John friggin' Byrne. We expect more... though, we probably shouldn't.
Overpowerride Places his piece down upon the altar... and is suddenly flooded with power. The feeling, however, is fleeting. Maxwell posits that this means ol' Doctor Greg received the gift of IMMORTALITY.
Maxwell himself goes next... and assumes he's going to get that nebulous power of POWER. Only, moments afterwards, he begins foaming at the mouth like a lunatic. Y'see, poor Maxie got MADNESS.
Welp, that only leaves one... looks like the power of POWER is waiting for our man Norman.
And, he's not going to accept it alone... he's brought his goofy alter-ego along for the ride!
Back to Queens, where Spider-Man finally shows up in the final issue of his flagship comic! He greets Mary Jane, whose hair has grown about a foot in the time he's been away. She brings him inside... and hoo boy, does the art take a massive dump here. I mean, some of these panels are almost criminal. Anyhoo, she tells him that MAY is alive... and being kept at Norman's hunting lodge.
Spidey's all "cool, that's just a couple hours away"... but, Mary Jane's all sorts of nervous. I wonder if she's worried about what this might mean to her modeling career! Oof, I'm sorry, that was mean. In actuality, (in perhaps the ugliest panel ever committed to paper) Mary Jane informs him that she knows deep down that this cannot possibly be true. She "felt" their baby die. Spidey figures it's worth a shot either way.
And so, the first volume of Amazing Spider-Man ends... with Spider-Man headed for Norman's hunting lodge.
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Thissssss succccccccked.
Woof. What a bad issue... a damn near criminal "final" issue. Felt like nobody involved was interested in making sure this felt like something special or monumental. I hate to harp on the importance of "legacy numbering" and stuff like that, but... to many of us, even the casuals, it matters. If you're going to ditch an entire volume, especially one that has its roots in the seminal days of the Marvel Universe... ya gotta do it with a bit more respect and care than this.
Amazing Spider-Man, while it wasn't burning up the sales charts during the late 90's, was still Spider-Man's (and arguably Marvel's) flagship title. It had near forty years of history... plenty of memorable stories, characters, and creators... and to toss it all out for a literal "blip" of relevancy in the pages of Wizard Magazine and the like... is a damn shame.
Let's look at the "care" that creative and editorial took with this landmark final issue. First, the art... suuuuuucked. Kayanan isn't a bad artist, but this was some uneven-bordering-on-lousy work he turned in... especially toward the end of the issue. Not to be hyperbolic, but, I don't think I've ever seen such bad art in a mainstream comic book. Scroll back up again if you don't believe me! This isn't how you close out a volume!
Spider-Man appeared on like three pages of his own final issue? Well, that's a blessing and a curse... at least that meant we didn't get saddled with balloons and balloons full of cringy and forced Byrne "banter". But, still... I hope my point is well taken here. Spider-Man barely makes an appearance in the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man. That's some crap right there. The Molten Man's flashback to having a chip implanted in his noggin received more paginal real-estate.
Editorial was completely out to lunch here as well. They were likely too busy patting themselves on the back with the May revelation (which we'll put a pin in for now... there's plenty more of that to come) to realize they got names wrong and there were drastic changes in appearance throughout the issue for like half the cast. Not good, gang. The week you cashed your paychecks for your work on this issue... you were stealing money from Marvel!
I minor quibble, but a quibble none the less. We had this pretty big cliffhanger a couple chapters ago at LaGuardia Airport, right? Norman was gobsmacked upon seeing... a certain character we weren't privy to. I wanna say he actually said something along the lines of "No, not you!"... annnd, here we learn it's just Mattie Franklin? No pomp or circumstance... she's just standing there in her ill-fitting geeky robe? You'd almost think there was going to be some sort of conflict... but, nope! She's just here now. Yeesh.
This is the sort of story one might refer to as a "bag of hammers falling down a flight of stairs"... and, if you were to do so... you'd be right. This was not good. I was hopeful that, with 22 years of hindsight (many of those years full of pretty lousy Spidey stories), that I might've "softened" to this one. Doesn't look to be the case! Maybe this being the final issue of Amazing Spider-Man can be looked at as a "mercy killing"... but, folks... we're not anywhere near done yet.
I hope you'll all stick with me... it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
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